Advanced Poker Strategy: 5 Ways to Crush Your Opponents

If you’re looking to take your poker game up a notch, then you need to turn to an advanced poker strategy. In this guide, you’ll learn how to crush your opponents at the table by using cunning tactics and poker strategies.

These poker strategy tips should be part of your game plan if your goal is to increase your winnings in No-Limit Texas Hold’em. As the title implies, each tip is an advanced poker strategy for players who are looking to take their game to the next level.

5 ways to increase your winnings with an advanced poker strategy

advanced poker strategy

1. Bet on backdoor flush draws

You should consider betting if you have an unpaired hand with a backdoor flush draw. This is especially true when you have a position on your opponent.

For example, 8 7 is a great hand to bluff on a K Q 6 flop.

These backdoor flush draw hands are often profitable as they can become effective bluffs in a few situations, such as:

  • When the turn makes a flush draw. You have more equity so it is a good idea to keep your aggression up with a double-barrel wager. If you get a flush on the river, you can win a big pot.
  • When the turn makes a lot of draws. Your opponent may over-fold if you bet on extremely scary cards that complete draws (like 9 in the above example). These opponents may think that you are bluffing because you have all of the semi-bluffs.

2. Check-raise more often from the big blind

You can make your opponents’ bets less profitable if you pressure them with check-raises.

This is especially important if you are up against someone who c-bets recklessly and has too many weak poker hands. Even though they are weak, these hands still have equity. If you don’t check-raise, your opponent will realize that equity.

Which hands should you check-raise?

Check-raise for value. Check-raising should be done with strong poker hands. Check-raising with the top pair kicker on low boards can also be a good idea (e.g. A9 on a 9-3-2 flop)

You don’t have to stop there. After picking the hands you want to raise, you should then choose your bluffs.

Check-raise as a bluff. Hands with decent equity and the chance to improve to a straight or flush are the best bluffs. However, it is helpful to have an overcard or two.

You shouldn’t check-raise all draws. Instead, find a way of randomizing them. You can check-raise straight draws that have a backdoor flush draw and check-call straight draw with no backdoor flush draw.

3. Take advantage of pocket pairs and suited connectors in multiway pots

The more players are in the pot, the greater the chance that someone will hit a strong hand (like two pairs or better).

If a pot is likely to go multiway, it is best to play hands with high chances of making two pairs or better by the river.

Which hands are more likely to hit really strong hands?

  • Pocket pairs
  • Hands that are connected and suited

Pocket pairs are strong multiway pot hands because they hit a set at 11.8% of the time on the flop. This is in contrast to a hand like JT offsuit which only becomes two pairs or better 4.8% of the time on the flop.

What about suited connectors?

Let’s compare QT offsuit and its suited counterpart.

QT suited flops a strong hand or draw at 26.3% of the time, compared with 16.9% for QT offsuit. This is a 55% increase in favorable flops for QT suited, which will allow it to perform better in multiway pots.

4. Check-raise with draws after calling a 3-bet

Your win rate will be negatively affected if you play too passively after calling a 3-bet. Check-raise with your strongest hands, but not all of them, and balance your range with draws.

A balanced range makes it very difficult for your opponent to check-raise. They won’t be able to tell if you are holding a strong hand or a bluff. This also allows you to extract maximum value from your strong hands.

5. Overbet when you have the nut advantage

Overbets are good for boards that favor your range more than your opponent’s, especially when you have the strongest hands. This is called the nut advantage.

Let’s say you raise preflop from a late position and your opponent calls. The flop comes Q-J-T. You now have a nut advantage because your opponent should never have AK, QQ, JJ, and TT — he would likely have 3-bet preflop using those hands. All of these hands are in your range.

Your overbetting range should be polarized, with only strong hands and bluffs. This will allow you to maximize your value hands and generate maximum fold equity.

The best overbet bluffs involve hands that block the opponent’s strongest hands. Click To Tweet

Conclusion

We hope you’ve found the strategy tips helpful and that you’re now ready to take your game to the next level. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep practicing and soon you’ll be crushing your opponents left and right!