How to Win Your Casual Poker Game Against Average Players - Bet, Raise, and Re-Raise!

There are lots of great poker books written by professionals. This isn't one of them. I'm a slightly above average player and would lose to the professionals 9 times out of 10. But I've played in lots of friendly cash games with normal, regular players. And I've won lots of money in these games. If you want to become a professional, this article isn't for you. But if you want to beat your friends and win a couple bucks in your friendly cash games, then I'm here to help!

The Competition

There can be a wide range of competition in casual games. Generally the players aren't great. This makes them different from those the professionals face. This generally makes them more predictable. Average players will often bet when they have a good hand, and will often fold when they don't have a good hand.

Interestingly, average players are more likely than professionals to play a flush or straight draw. So when the board has a flush or a straight possibility, you want to be extra careful in your casual games. I suggest folding to almost every strong bet in these situations, unless you become predictable.

Ignore Your Cards

The first thing I want you to do is ignore your cards. As long as you know what the other player has, your cards are irrelevant. And fortunately, your non-professional competition will usually tell you what they're holding.

Raise Pre-Flop

Make sure somebody raises before the flop. If nobody does it, you should. You don't want to let people with funny hands playing on a whim. Make them pay to play so you have a better what they're holding. If somebody has a big pocket pair and raises back, there's nothing wrong with folding. Just don't make it obvious that you're raising regardless of your hand and that you'll fold to a re-raise. You don't want to become predictable.

Be the First to Bet

After the flop, you want to be the first to bet. If no one has bet, then you should bet. If somebody has bet, you should raise. You'll be surprised how many hands you'll win just because you were the aggressor. Average players tend to be overly passive when they don't have anything (with the exception of flush & straight draws), and then are overly aggressive when they have something.

If your bet or raise is called, try to get a feel for what the person is holding. Since they called a pre-flop raise, they likely have a decent hand. If there's a face card on the board, then perhaps they matched one of those face cards. If there isn't, perhaps they have a pocket pair.

If the person thinks they have the best hand, they'll probably raise you. If they call, they are more likely unsure or are hoping a later card helps them more.

Always push them! It's better to bet early and find out what they have then to let them hang around, then catch your card, only to find out that they had you beat from the start.

And if somebody bets strong when you don't have anything. Pause and think about (you want to make it look like you had a good hand), and then fold. But bet early and find out.

Be Random

Be random and unpredictable. You want the predictable players to think you're unpredictable. If you sense that everybody thinks you're stealing pots without having good cards, then show them your cards when you win a pot legitimately. If you sense that the table thinks you keep getting good cards, then show them when you steal a pot with nothing. Rest assured, they'll then bet a lot more against you when you do have a good hand.