30 Poker Tips I Actually Use to Win by Michael Mizrachi

Poker is easy to learn, but it can take a lifetime to master. Most players — regardless of stakes — never earn a real profit. Below are 101 poker tips I’ve used personally. They won’t turn you into a pro overnight, but they can help you become one of the few players who consistently wins money in the world’s greatest game. 1) Choose your starting hands wisely Winning poker starts with selecting profitable hands. Players who stick to the top 10–20% of hands generally earn more than players who splash around with 30–40%. Loose styles can be profitable, but they require much higher skill. If you tighten up, your winrate usually improves. 2) Use effective bankroll management Anyone can go broke — and it often happens because they ignore bankroll management. A common guideline is having 30–50 buy-ins for your game. Example: if you sit in a $1/$2 NLH game with a $200 buy-in, your bankroll should be around $6,000–$10,000. If you play looser or higher-variance, you need even more. 3) Study every week Be a student. Read poker books — and re-read them. Some books teach you something new each time. Classic recommendations include The Theory of Poker, Sit ’n Go Strategy, Super System, and the Harrington on Hold’em series. 4) Prepare for downswings Good bankroll management protects you financially, but you also need mental preparation. Poker involves skill, but variance is real. Even the best players hit slumps. Review your sessions, check whether the downswing comes from mistakes, take breaks when needed — and avoid tilt at all costs. 5) Vary your play Even strong players fall into patterns: always limp/raise the same way, always C-bet then give up, always bet 2/3 when checked to, etc. Over time, opponents notice and exploit you. Mix it up so people can’t auto-pilot against you. 6) Watch your betting patterns Ask yourself: are you telegraphing your hand strength? Only 3-betting AA/KK, raising pocket pairs “to protect,” always C-betting then checking turn when you miss — predictable lines give away too much. Make sure your betting doesn’t reveal your hand. 7) Control the pot A classic rule: “Small hand, small pot. Big hand, big pot.” Learn to size the pot so it matches your hand strength, while still keeping your range disguised. It’s hard — but necessary if you want higher profits. 8) Respect the nut draws Know what the best possible hand is on each street and how likely your opponent can have it. Example: in a 3-bet pot with JJ on Q-J-T, your set can still be behind if villain keeps raising (straights are very live). But in a 3-bet pot with 99 on 9-7-5, the chance villain has 68 is much lower. 9) Take position seriously Many players underestimate position. Playing in position makes it much easier to trap, pressure, and control the hand. 10) Beware diminishing returns (multi-tabling / moving up) Two common ways to earn more online: move up in stakes or play more tables. But both often reduce your winrate. Example: * 1 table: 30% ROI * 2 tables: 20% ROI * 3 tables: 10% ROI
Sometimes the best hourly is not the most tables — it’s the optimal number of tables. 11) Double-barrel more often Many players stab flop once and give up on the turn. But people call flop with draws, overcards, and “one more card” hands. A well-timed turn barrel wins a lot of pots. 12) Become well-rounded Learn games beyond Texas Hold’em. Hold’em is the most popular — and often the toughest pool. Other games can be softer. Expanding your skill set creates more profit opportunities. 13) Classify opponents Train yourself to label players: tight/loose, aggressive/passive. Take notes. Knowing whether someone is TAG, LAG, loose-passive, etc. makes their ranges easier to read and exploit. 14) Track your results Do you know your average ROI in tournaments? BB/100 in cash games? How your winrate changes when you add tables? If you track your results, you can make better decisions and maximize profit. 15) Learn from stronger players If someone consistently outplays you, add them, observe their tendencies, and learn. At minimum, understanding how they think helps you adjust next time. 16) Use tracking software Tracking software is essential to improvement. It helps you find leaks, understand position-based results, and see exactly how much you win/lose in specific spots (for example, how much you bleed by opening KJo UTG). 17) Review regularly Buying tracking software and never reviewing is wasting money. Study your preflop mistakes by position, look for repeated leaks, and review big winning hands to see if you missed extra value. 18) An overpair is not the nuts AA is only the nuts preflop. Once the flop comes, it may no longer be best. Many low-stakes players ignore this. If you raise AA, get multiple callers, and the flop is 9-8-7, heavy action often means you’re no longer crushing. 19) Be cautious versus turn raises Turn raises are often very strong. Many players smooth-call flop with a made hand or strong draw, then raise turn when the pot is larger. If you face a turn raise, slow down and think — top pair is often not good enough. 20) Learn pot odds If you don’t understand pot odds, you can’t win long-term. There are spots where folding is simply incorrect because the price is too good, even if you “feel” behind. 21) Understand implied odds It’s not only about pot odds — it’s also about how much you can win after you hit. Some draws are obvious (flushes) and get paid less; some draws are hidden (certain straights) and get paid more. 22) Don’t overpay chasing draws If your opponent is pricing you out and you’re not confident you’ll get paid when you hit, fold. Don’t donate chips “hoping.” 23) When drawing, think about turn and river Consider bet sizing and future streets. Some opponents keep firing big on turn. If you’re likely to see only one card, your draw’s profitability changes. 24) Hidden draws are often better than obvious draws A straight draw can get paid bigger than a visible flush draw because opponents fear flush completions more. Hidden equity often prints. 25) Don’t “protect” second-best hands A very common leak: overplaying a dominated top pair (like weak Ax) when someone else likely has a better ace. Learn to fold when your hand is probably second-best. 26) Don’t call junk in the small blind “I’m getting a discount” is what losing players say. Playing too loose from the SB creates a bad pattern: win small pots or lose big pots. Even when you hit, you’re often dominated. 27) Raise big hands from the SB even if only the BB remains Many players just complete. Raising is often better because the BB thinks you’re stealing and will defend too wide — and then pay you off when you have a real hand. 28) Don’t defend the BB with trash Defending is good — but do it with hands that have at least some showdown value and playability. Respect that your opponent can still have strong ranges. 29) Don’t fight too hard for tiny pots Some players pot-bet to win a small pot. If you get called, the pot grows and you’re forced into expensive lines. Keep small pots small. 30) Practice hand reading Even when you’re not in a hand, focus. Put players on ranges and narrow them street by street. Hand reading is one of the biggest keys to winning big in Hold’em.