Step one:Don’t play bad hands: Limit your game to pocket pairs, Suited Aces(a suited A-4,A-5) Ace King off suit , or suited connecting cards. For now, all the other hands are just not worth playing and you should just throw them away. This requires great patience
Otherwise, personally I try not to fold before the flop unless somebody is pre-flopping some ridiculous bet like 100 grand and your cards are two and six. You never know however when that two and six could create a straight, two pairs, three of a kind, or even a full house. You've seen pairs in the flop before, it just takes one of the pair and one of any other kind. You'd be surprised what you can do with that two and six.
Reading: Reads are a very important part of poker. Practice putting your opponent on hands and profiling what type of player they are based on the hands they play and how they play them. Remember a tight player is not always so and vice-versa. You will soon see that you can narrow your opponents hand down to a few possibilities.
Be aggressive: You’ve waited for solid hands, now its time to pound your opponents. Raise before the flop and if you hit your hand keep firing bullets, but don’t go nuts , one pair won’t often win big pots. When you play aggressive , you force your opponent into the defensive. You also force a lot of people out , making it less likely for someone to make a better hand than you.
Play the man (or woman) : If your opponent is a tight player. You can loosen up and play weaker starting hands like K-J un suited “bad aces” like A-3 or the like. If he comes at you with a raise , you know your beat and should throw away marginal hands.
If he or she likes to get involved in a lot of hands, wait for a good hand and you will get paid off when you do.
Play your position: When you are later to act in a round of betting you are at great advantage. This is helpful against predictable players who check with weak hands and raise with good hands. You can play marginal hands and bet when they check to you. You can also re-raise players who bluff to much.
Straight and Flush draws: Before calling a bet with a flush draw, make sure your getting the right “pot odds”. If there is $100 in the pot and your opponent has raised another $100 , than it would be a big mistake to chase that flush or straight. You will , at least in the long run , lose more than you win. If he or she is betting $10 than you are getting 10/1 on your bet and you should chase it. Be aware that a skilled opponent will not let you see the next card that cheap unless he has your draw beat.
Small pockets: Hands like 2-2 ,5-5 or 7-7 lose most of their value after the flop unless you make a set (three of a kind), you should throw them away after the flop and maximize profits after making a set with the right bets for that opponent.
Bluffing: Bluffing is an art learned only over time. You should begin by learning the semi-bluff. Betting with a hand that is not best but may improve with more cards to come is very profitable play. You have two ways to win. Your opponent folds or you make the best hand (usually flush or straight). This tactic works best in later position if everyone checks to you.
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