There are plenty of classic table games that do not seem fair. Losing eight times a row at roulette, or continually hitting out at blackjack, for instance, can make you feel like the ‘powers that be’ are against you. They are not, of course. It is called a run of bad luck. But the harsh thing is that it is entirely unavoidable.
The Fairness of iGaming
Regulated iGaming platforms feature provably fair games. By ‘provably fair’, we mean a transparent gaming experience, which means that players can check the code and the hashes to ascertain for themselves the fairness of possible game outcomes. Knowing those statistics gives players a certain basis for their gameplay. Some games are built with a higher Return to Player percentage, meaning a higher chance of winning returns. A player can get the most back – best payout casinos – through certain games and higher-paying casino sites. But attaining a strategy and choosing a site known to pay well will only take you so far – whether it is the house edge in blackjack or the random spin of the wheel in roulette, you will always have to rely on greater forces to take you over the finish line. When it comes to poker, however, it is all on you.
In many ways, it does not matter what cards you or the players across from you are dealt – so long as you have all the right strategies in place, you can mold any game of poker to your advantage. And, boy, are there a lot of strategies to sink your teeth into.
If you are just starting out on your iGaming poker journey, you are going to come across dozens of different strategies to help you win. But it is important to remember that a game of poker is like a game of chess: so long as you master the fundamentals, you have a good set-up for long-term success.
And we really mean that, by the way. At its core, a game of poker is like a game of chess, with some of the best chess strategies easily transferring over to the realm of poker.
The Art of Anticipation
The art of anticipation, for instance, is crucial to winning a game of chess. When you play chess, you do not play your pieces, you play the pieces across from you. In poker, it is similarly crucial to anticipate the moves of the opponent and counter them – so if someone raises, you anticipate why, whether they have a strong hand or are bluffing, and you make your decisions based on them.
The Positional Awareness
In chess, it is also important to control the centre of the board and position your pieces optimally. Similarly, in poker, a positional advantage can be critical. Acting last in a betting round, for instance, gives you more information about the intention of your opponents while acting first allows you to set the tone and manipulate their actions.
The Managerial Role
With only a limited amount of pieces on a chess board, it is important to use those pieces efficiently and avoid overextending or underutilising key resources. This is much the same in poker. You have to manage your chips wisely, never over-committing to the pot without a strong hand, while ensuring you have enough chips to capitalise on later opportunities.
The Value of Pacing
When you are in the midst of a chess game, it is easy to let things slip away from you – making rushed decisions that feel almost dictated by the other player. Once you calm things down and control the pace of the game, you put yourself on a far more assured path to victory. Similarly, depending on the specific rules of poker – some variants like Triple Dice Poker have different rule – aggression can control the narrative. Being the first one to bet or raise forces your opponents to react, much like pressing an advantage in chess, and it tells them that the game is being played at your pace, not theirs.
The Focus on the Endgame
Lastly, in chess, you are always leading yourself up to a single move: checkmate. This requires precision, calmness, and focus on how best to get there. In poker, it is also true that the final move – or betting round, in this case – is the most important. With this in mind, it is always important to save your major moves for when the stakes are highest, converting an advantageous position in a way that earns you the highest reward.
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