Poker news | Oct 17, 2022
Top 5 Best Ways to Practice Poker
By RTR Jamie
Poker requires time and patience to perfect, regardless of whether your goal is to advance your current abilities or you have just started playing. Practice is the only way to become better.
If you aren’t lucky enough to play poker for a living, the chances are you only have a little amount of time to dedicate to the activity. Most of us would prefer to play the game when we finally have some free time instead of spending any time practicing the game. This is completely understandable, but it is vital to practice if you are wanting to improve your game and win big!
Today we are looking at the top 5 best ways to practice playing poker to improve your win rate asap!
Use Poker Training Software
Trying out poker training software can be a super useful way of improving your poker skills. Doing so allows you to learn the basics before getting started with real money.
Using poker training software can help you learn by analysing how you play and compare this to how you should play statistically.
They can be useful in improving and helping you adapt new strategies, eventually, you will have more understanding of how the game works and when it is the right time to bet or fold.
It can also be practical to study your very own poker history, whether that's using a free app or in real games, without knowing what you’ve done wrong, you’ll never be able to correct it.
Here are some of the best poker training software to try:
Or try out some free poker apps to practice (these may not have software that analyses how you play):
Try Poker Tuition
If you are serious about getting better at poker, you could try poker tuition. There are lots of poker tutors out there willing to train you.
You can get private poker coaching sessions, and although this may cost, you can make it back from the skills you learn!
Coaches are good at spotting where you are going wrong and how to change this, as well as offering some resources to train in these specific areas that are your downfall.
If you don’t have the money for training, there are cheaper ways of getting tuition, for example, you could try professional poker players' masterclasses, these do still cost but as they are not 1-1, there is a significant drop in prices.
You can try Daniel Negreanu’s masterclass or Phil Iveys, they are £14 per month for all classes and sessions. Both go through each step of playing poker, taking a deeper look at how to improve your poker strategies, from the starting hand to the winning hand.
Or you could even try YouTube videos, for example, this playlist from Nicky Numbers has a walk-through of tutorials on everything you need to know!
But if you are looking for something more advanced, you could try this video that Daniel Negreanu made explaining the different poker ranges, which is super important to get familiar with if you are wanting to win. He breaks down how to look at a poker hand using ranges and how that has developed over the years.
Freerolls
If you don’t already know, a freeroll tournament is a cash game tournament with no entry fee and a freeroll hand is where a player is guaranteed to at least split the post with your opponent unless certain cards are dealt, the player can have the chance to win the whole pot.
Freerolls are a good way to practice poker if you have gone through the first stages of learning the ways of the game.
We have a new freerolls almost every day, you can find all of our freerolls here.
Freerolls allow you to practice without the risk of losing, while also still having the chance to win money. They can help you get acquainted with the games, as you will see in its true form, helping you understand how to bet and poker plays.
Sometimes it can be difficult to get into a freeroll, as everyone loves something for free, of course! So, sign up to RakeTheRake and never miss a freeroll tournament again!
Micro/low-stakes tournaments
Micro and Low-stakes tournaments are usually online chase game tournaments that require a small entry fee, usually between 0-$1.
Low-stake poker tournaments can be helpful in improving your skills as they are low-risk, however, you are playing with real money so ensure you are aware of how the game works before hitting the poker table.
Poker is a game that involves risk, so you need to take risks in order to get better. Playing in these tournaments is a way of taking this risk without losing out on a lot of money. They are essentially the same as freerolls in terms of outcome.
Have a game night
Another way to improve your skills is by playing the game in real life.
You could start with game nights at home and a couple of friends where the stakes are low and so are the risks. This will help you get ready for a live cash game, and study your opponents' faces and techniques while you play.
The next step is to take it to the casino! Find yourself a good real-life poker game at a casino, this could be by taking yourself to a local casino and finding low-stakes games, or if you think you’re ready you can move on to mid-stakes games.
Or, you could use a poker meet-up site and find a place perfect for your abilities, you could use the following sites:
