The most obvious way to win poker is having the best hand. However, this does not necessarily guarantee that you’ll win a game because some players may try to trick you into thinking that they have the better hand. Most poker players win not because they always have a winning hand, but because they use different strategies in winning even without the best hand. Such strategies include cunning, flight and fraud.

1) Cunning – In order to fool your opponents and win the game, you can manipulate the pot size by implementing slow playing. Cunning can also be used in table or seat selection, image projection, game or time-of-the-day selection and other strategies against your opponents. One of the most effective cunning strategies is tournament deal-making. Be aware that in order to master cunning in poker, you have to use your skills even when you’re not playing.

2) Bluffing – The great thing about poker is that you can do certain actions that can make your opponents do things that will benefit you. By bluffing, you tempt your opponents into making a bet, a checkraise or a re-raise when you have a good hand, which in turn, increased the pot and your winnings when the game concludes. Although you should not bluff all the time, using this skill at the right time and on certain players can increase your chances of winning.

3) Quitting – Remember that it’s better to quit now and avoid losing money at the end of the showdown, than try your best to win with a bad hand and lose a lot of money. Of all poker actions (bet, raise, call & fold), folding is the most important and the most effective way to play and win with losing hands.

When you use these three strategies into your play, you minimize losses and add more money to your pocket. Poker is a game filled with important decisions that have financial consequences. Once you learn that you still win a poker game even if you don’t bring home the pot all the time, you’ll have more money to spare when taking advantage of winning hands.