Poker is not a game of luck, it is a game of strategy.

You can’t call it a game of luck because, often times, you are unlucky with the lot that you hold in your hand. How you fare in the round, however, depends on how you plan your moves and pit yourself against your opponents.

It is a game of mind-reading, so to speak. Your fellow players will work hard to conceal their thoughts from their faces, but you can read what’s on their mind when they Call, Raise, Check or Fold in response to the community cards that the dealer throws down into the table.

Because of that, you will need a strategy, a solid plan of action. It needs to be a good one too, so why don’t you start thinking about what is exactly the best Poker strategy.

First off, the best Poker strategy is cautious. It doesn’t mean that you check all the time, but it means that you have to be careful in reading your opponent’s moves. You see, Poker players are pretty good at throwing people off and showing the opposite of what is true.

Thus, if a player checks twice and then suddenly Raises or goes All-In, chances are that guy has great cards and is goading others to thinking that he has the worst hand. In other words, he wants to influence them to throw all their chips in even if they don’t have that strong a hand. If they bite the bait, he wins all that’s in the table.

Second, the best Poker strategy avoids counting the chickens before the eggs even hatch, figuratively speaking. Each round is unique. You may win one round, but your fortune may change the next time. The strategy that worked in the last round will not work in the next, simply because you receive new cards at every turn.

Always be careful when you feel emboldened after winning the previous round. It doesn’t hold weight in the next turn, so take a completely new strategy once a new round is initiated.

Finally, the best Poker strategy always aims for the best. You shouldn’t risk your chips if you’re holding a very bad hand and everyone around you is calling your bluff. Even if you’ve thrown in quite a few into the pot and the hand turns out to be unfavorable in the river, learn to fall back and Fold. You may lose some, but you might also win back some of that money in the next round.

Poker is in no way a simple game. It takes wits, brains and lots of planning. That’s what makes it fun and exciting. Fortunately, there are now online Poker games like Poker World that you can play safely and for free. Use these to help you build that solid Poker strategy, without having to spend some cash on chips.