Poker is a unique casino game in that there is a definite formula for success. People can experience equal amounts of joy with completely contrasting methods, and therefore knowing how many hands you should be playing in each session is very difficult.

If you are looking to be a solid poker player – using the best casino platforms for your chosen game – where a consistent game should help you in the long term, it is important to be disciplined.

The biggest mistake that a lot of beginners to the game make is wanting to play every hand. They find it difficult to sit out, even when they have poor starting cards. This is because they want to be active, rather than watching without taking an interest. The obvious problem here is that they are going into the flop against the odds on a lot of occasions. If you do this on a regular basis, it is the quickest way to burn away your bankroll quickly.

There is nothing wrong with turning down your starting cards. When doing this, it is important to remain switched on as you can learn so much more about your opponents by studying how they play out their hands. When you are not involved, you can concentrate on every move the players at the table make. This will hopefully be useful to you later down the line.

One of the biggest factors that should determine how many hands you do play is the number of players around your table. The more participants, the fewer your average hands per hour should be. Wait for good cards before you commit to the pot. This will then allow you to be competitive and should give you the confidence to back your hand if needed with further funds after each round.

Your tactics will change when there is a reduced number remaining on your table, especially when you are down to a heads up situation. A different type of poker is required at this stage, as you will often find a low pair can win the pot when there are just two of you fighting it out.

Although it is difficult to assess what types of players are on your table early in your game, the sooner you establish their styles, the better, as this will be factored into your tactics. You have to be very careful playing against aggressive opponents. These may actually be novices but they will bet large despite their cards. You should only go into a battle against these players when you are convinced you have a better hand than theirs.

There are also some participants in poker who only go into the middle when they have real strength. The good thing about these opponents is that they are not very flexible. If you can pick out these players, you can steal a lot of blinds from them. If they do match your bet, you know you are in trouble unless you have good cards yourself.