When people hear the word poker, the first thing that comes to mind is something like scenes from the James Bond movies. But these scenes are not about the real concept of a legendary game; It’s more about the exquisite scenarios and plot twists.
Actual poker is an intellectual game with an element of luck, where you have to make the best decisions from a mathematical point of view over a long distance.
For 7 minutes, imagine yourself as Phil Ivey, one of the best professional players in the world, and become more familiar with the features and pitfalls of a great card game.
Combinations

The mechanic of the game is about collecting combinations and convincing other players that you have a better hand by placing bets. Before the game starts, you will get 2 cards, then everybody makes their decisions (raise, call, or fold), and when bets are equal, three cards are laid out on the table with the following round of bets. Then, two more cards are laid out, and there is a betting round after each.
At each stage, you are trying to collect the best combination. Here is a list of them:
High Card – Highest numeric card rank
Pair – Two cards with the same numerous rank
Two Pair – Two separate pairs
Three of a Kind – Three cards with the same numerous rank
Straight – Five cards in sequence
Flush – Five cards of the same suit
Full House – Three of a kind and a pair
Four of a Kind – Four cards with the same numerous rank
Straight Flush – A suited straight
Now that you’ve covered the fundamentals, let’s look at some poker features that will set you apart from the crowd of amateurs.
Poker Features

The most common type of game, Texas Holdem, is an art that consists of math, logic, and psychology. A list of main details distinguishing a professional from an amateur is provided below.
Amateur (Recreational Player) | Professional Player |
❎Play by “feeling” and attempt to guess the opponent’s hand | ✅Operates ranges and probabilities |
❎Repeats mistakes | ✅Works on the game, analyzing and correcting mistakes |
❎Considers the game as a fun | ✅Treats the game as a primary source of income |
❎Relies on luck | ✅Understands the importance of playing long distance to smooth out variance. |
As you can see, the difference between good and bad players can hide in tiny details. In this paper, we don’t have enough time to explore a game’s features deeply, so let’s superficially examine some of them.
Information & Ranges

The game consists of pieces of information, such as the size of a bet, decisions of each stage of play, and the speed of making choices. It’s kind of a puzzle worth solving, because the prize rewards can be up to x500 of buy-ins.
So, you have to become Sherlock Holmes, who takes notes on each tiny piece of information and organizes it to see the whole picture. Let’s look at a critical piece of poker knowledge on the path to professional success: ranges and VPIP.
Ranges is the pack of hands that your opponent might have. Every decision changes your range and an opponent’s. For example, a player re-raised on the pre-flop. It means either he has a solid hand like AA or KK, or he is just trying to trap you by stealing chips in the pot. The ranges are calculated using special software, which you can find on the Internet.
VPIP, or Voluntary Put in Pot, is the most common and easy-to-read stat that you must always pay attention to. It counts how many hands a player is calling or raising on the pre-flop. For example, if your opponent has 10% VPIP, you will likely play with him post-flop against a strong hand like AA or KK. You can usually see this metric near a player’s profile at online tables.
“The average VPIP of a solid player usually is about 20%.”
Now you know where to find information, so let’s see what you should do with it.
Analysis of the Game & Solvers

To keep up with the competition, you must continue training, just like in any other sport. For newbies, it is appropriate to save some hands where you weren’t sure about your decisions and find the perfect solutions from a math point of view.
Also, it’s great to have some friends with the same passion for the game to discuss some hands with them. You can even join some community on the internet, where you can deeply dive into the atmosphere of a professional’s daily routine.
Solver is a program where you can find the perfect solutions for every played hand. Typically, the better software you get, the higher the cost of it. Just to meet with the idea of analyzing hands, you can use free applications or some with limited checks.
Importance of Distance

You can’t just jump at the table and hope to get huge winnings. The game is about long runs. There is a valid quote about it:
“One day in poker depends 90% on luck and 10% on skill, and one year is the opposite.”
Professional players are usually good with time management, so they have a plan for game sessions, sleeping time, training, and personal life. You shouldn’t sacrifice any of these activities, but the correct combination of them can make the magic.
For those who prefer tournaments, it’s helpful and beneficial. Decide when and which tournaments you will play, the number of available re-buys for each one, and the time frame for the sessions.
The following section can help those who struggle when creating a game plan. It’s about mental state.
Psychological Aspect & Tilt

Plenty of good players struggle for big winnings due to a lack of patience and discipline. You always have to be focused on a game so you will get all the pieces of information.
Also, you need to cultivate the correct attitude towards the game. Consider it as a hobby or work, but keep in mind that the game requires a lot of effort and time, just like in any activity, if you want to become a professional at one.
Now, this part of the paper gets sensitive. We will talk about tilt. It’s a mental condition when you lead by emotions, not logic. Almost everyone has had this experience at some point when, after a few bad beats, you stop thinking clearly and begin making mistakes. There is a list of advice to minimize the chance of getting tilted:
- Gamble only when you feel mentally stable;
- Control your bankroll, and don’t raise bets to recoup losses;
- Take pauses during sessions;
- Keep in mind that you can’t win every hand;
- Surround yourself with like-minded people;
- If it’s necessary, ask the help of a psychologist.
The psychology aspect is not only about controlling your own emotions but also about having an opportunity to read other players. You need to understand the situation at the tables and perform the best play depending on each opponent.
There is a story: One psychologist studied the game and his friend’s emotions at the table. Then, he decided to play with them without looking at his cards and just pretended that he checked them. And he consistently wins friends using a strategy based on psychological reading.
Where to Play?

We live in an age of high technology, so you don’t have to visit gambling establishments such as casinos to play card games legally. It’s possible to play via the PC or mobile phone. There are two options to play safely: unique poker rooms or casino sections at betting platforms. One of the most popular rooms is GGPoker. If you prefer the sports betting companies, feel free to read an article about how to download SportyBet app.
Definitions Section 📖
Ace: The highest and most potent card in the deck.
Ante: The amount of a bet that every player has to put in a bank before the hand begins.
Bankroll Management: The strategy for managing your money for games that allows you to continue gambling without going bankrupt.
Blind: The bets made before the hand begins to encourage other players to participate in the game.
Broadway: The cards from 10 to the A are called Broadway.
Coin Flip: The situation in which two players go all-in, and both have around a 50% chance of winning.
CO (Cutoff): The position of the player who sits before the dealer.
Downswing: A period of time in which a poker player struggles to win due to a lack of luck.
Draw: The situation in which you are waiting for the correct card to collect the desired combination.
Equity: A player’s chances of winning a pot, expressed in percentage.
Expected Value: The predicted value that you will get after the “raise” or “call” decisions.
Fish: A recreational player, an amateur.
Flop: The first three cards on the deck.
Flush: The combination when you collect five cards of the same suit (spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts).
Full House: The combination when you collect two and three of the same numeric cards. For example, two queens and three kings.
GTO (Game Theory Optimal): It’s a poker strategy when you make the best decisions from the mathematical point of view.
Heads Up: The game is between only two players on the table.
Kicker: The highest card in a hand that resolves a tie between two players with the same combination.
Limp: The situation when a player calls on the pre-flop.
Nuts: The best possible combination that can be collected with given cards.
Outs: These cards can assist you in improving your combination.
Pair: Three cards with the same numeric rank. For example, JJ.
PLO (Pot-Limit Omaha): This is a variation of the poker game in which you are dealt four cards and have a limited bet size to the pot.
Preflop: The stage of a game in which players make their moves without seeing any cards on the table.
Rainbow: Three cards on the flop with different suits.
Range: The potential card that your opponent may have based on his movies.
River: The fifth card on the deck.
Set: Three cards with the same numeric rank. For example, JJJ.
Straight: The combination when you collect five cards in a row. For example, 23456.
Texas Holdem: The most popular variation of poker.
Turn: The fourth card on the table.
Upswing: A period of time during which a poker player wins a lot and has good luck.
UTG (Under the Gun): The position of the first player to act after the cards have been dealt.
VPIP (Voluntarily Put in the Pot): The statistic that indicates how frequently a player puts money into the pot by raising or calling.