| 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
Expired
header-bg

How to Play Poker: The 23 Golden Rules

Over the last few years I've written down some "golden rules." These are rules for playing professional poker that all players should adhere to.

Most of these are personal rules I created to keep my own play and actions in line. Some are rules I follow, and others are rules I wish my opponents would take to heart.

I can only wish I had known all of these, and followed them from day one. Had I have done just that, I would have a significantly larger roll right now. In no particular order:

The Golden Rules of Poker

  • Always play within your roll
  • When you make a free card play, take the free card
  • Only play poker with a positive and clear frame of mind
  • It's better to get bluffed than make a bad call and lose your stack
  • There is no room for ego in poker
  • Above all else, we play poker to make money
  • Every action you make should be made for a reason
  • Never educate another player at the table
  • No one wants to hear your bad beat story
  • Being 99% to win a pot is not 100% to win
  • If you think someone has you beat, they probably do
  • Roll with the punches, accept your losses and don't let them run your life
  • Control your temper
  • If you set a limit, goal or rule, stick to it no matter what
  • If you feel like you're in over your head, stand up and leave
  • There's more to life than poker
  • Never correct someone who mentions a piece of incorrect poker logic
  • Remember to shower - biological warfare is not acceptable
  • Play on reads and odds; ignore all hopes and prayers
  • Respect the integrity of the game
  • This is a gentleman's game - act like one
  • Your goal is to get to the point of consistently playing mistake-free poker
  • Don't tap the glass

These simple rules are more valuable than any other poker resource I have ever come across. Take these rules to heart now, or spend the time and money to learn them yourself the hard way.

Trust me when I say that to learn these rules, I've lost more than enough money for both of us.

More Poker Strategy Articles:

Related Articles

Unibet Poker Open 2023
Unibet Open Bukarest 2023 – Here we go!

Unibet Open Bukarest alkoi pari tuntia sitten, pahoittelut että blogi pääsee vauhtiin myöhässä. Syytetään Lufthansaa, joka onnistui eilen jättämään matkalaukkuni Frankfurtin kentälle. Nyt on laukku saatu tänne Bukarestin Marriottiin ja…

November 30, 2023 | Juhani Tyriseva
Unibet Poker Open 2023
Suomalaisten chip count, Event 1

Ville Mustonen 65K Aleksi Naski 265K Samuli Hietala 330K Jarno Jokiniemi 85K Max Avela 260K Kai Lehto 105K Feras Abid 130K Topi Palenius 95K Atte Franssila 85K Markku Vihavainen 50K…

September 16, 2023 | Juhani Tyriseva
Unibet Poker Open 2023
Voitonjako on selvillä

Ensimmäisen sormuskisan WSOPC Event 1, voitonjako on nyt selvillä. Turnauksen palkintopotti on 183.360€, ja 47 parasta pääsee rahoille. Turnauksen voittaja kuittaa mukavat 38.510€, ja min cash on 1.100€. Tällä hetkellä…

September 16, 2023 | Juhani Tyriseva
WSOP banner
WSOP Schedule 2020

The 2020 World Series of Poker kicks of in Las Vegas on May 27th. With a time frame of more than 7 weeks and 100 tournaments this will be the…

August 21, 2023 | Arved Klöhn
WSOP banner
Pikku tauon jälkeen jatketaan

Pidettiin pieni tauko, nyt peli jatkuu tasolla bb ante 4K, blindit 2K/4K. 111/573 pelaajaa.

July 25, 2023 | Juhani Tyriseva
melvin shroen live reports from The Festival in Nottingham 2023
PokerListings set to do Live Reporting from The Festival Series in Nottingham (13-19 February 2023) 

Melvin Schroen - Live Reporter For the first time in the history of The Festival Series, an event series is being held at the Dusk Till Dawn Pokerclub in Nottingham.…

March 22, 2023 | Melvin Schroen
PokerListings Awards 2022
PokerListings Operator Awards – Winners 2022

Since 2020, we have been awarding the best poker operators and innovators in the poker business with our PokerListings Operator Awards. Every year the operators are nominated and awarded in…

January 11, 2023 | Bjorne Lindberg
Oliver Hutchins Wins the Trophy in the €500K GTD PPC Malta Main Event (€71,000)

Oliver Hutchins Wins 2022 PPC Malta Main Event United Kingdom's Oliver Hutchins won the trophy in the €500,000 guaranteed PPC Malta €550 Main Event for €71,000 after a back and…

April 7, 2022 | Jason Glatzer
All Poker News
Laurie Beaman
2010-06-02 12:53:19

Sean, I have a question regarding the size of the live straddle bet.Can it be any size as long as it is at least double the big blind or is it restricted to double the big blind?
Thanks in advance Laurie Beaman

Seph
2009-09-04 14:51:00

does anybody else have any other golden rules of their own they wish to add?

Sean Lind
2009-03-27 01:10:00

Victor, if you’re planning on changing gears and semi-bluffing two or three barrelling your draw, that’s fine. But if you are intending to make a free card play, that is your goal, plan and read, then you should always stick to that plan.

Victor Castellanos
2009-03-27 01:07:00

Hi Sean… Certainly, these rules are a “must” in every single poker game, including its variants. However, about the second tip ” When you make a free card play, take the free card”, I think that it depends on your image in the table. Suppose you’re being a TAG player, and you feel like changing gears in that particular hand, because of the reading you have on your opponent’s hand. Wouldn’t be correct to keep betting, despite you don’t have a made hand yet?

Sean Lind
2009-03-24 18:32:00

If you make the free card play, you’re raising the flop with the intention of making your opponent check the turn, so you can check behind and see a free river.

You make the play for pot control.

If you miss on the turn, but still bet, you’ve now stuffed the pot, and given your opponent the option of check-raising.

Unless you hit the turn, you want to check, and take the free card.

seth
2009-03-22 13:07:00

I was looking at the second tip:
If you make a free card play, take the free card. i know what the play is i just dont understand, “take the free card”. does that mean if u make the play, you should check the turn no matter what?

Sean Lind
2009-01-20 17:39:00
j kelner
2009-01-19 02:12:00

where or what book will tell me how to calculate odds of a hand … without the
computer telling me i cant carry a computer into a
game and i can only guess what my oppenents hands are
[email protected]

Comment on that

Your message is awaiting approval