While certain types of play may suit certain types of people there are a number of key factors which form the fundamentals of poker that simply can't be deviated from.These are rules of poker that all poker players have to adhere to.
One of the most important aspects of poker is your position. When you are last to act you (late position) you get to see what everyone else is doing. When you are one the first to act in a betting round( early position) you have less information on what your opponents are going to do. As a general rul pre flop you are forced to play stronger hands in early position and can play weakers hands more aggressively in late position.
Another vital element of the game is is the calculation of pot odds. Basically you have to add up your chances of winning( it's quite easy) verses the amount of chips you have to put into a pot verses the amount already in the pot. After a while it gets easy to put an opponent on a hand using kindergarten logic.
Generally a tight agressive game is best. Play only good hands and play them agressively. While poker pros ivey and dwan play a loose agressive game very well, it takes enormous skill and years of practice to master. You will lose massive amounts of money playing this style without experience and a well grounded understanding of the game. A tight game works way better in the long run. 22% is a a good number of flops to enter in a 8 or 10 man game but don't adhere too tightly to this number just focus on playing good poker. And when you do you will become quite familiar with statistics in the low 20s;)
If some television plays seem strange to you remember that you are only seeing one hand in isolation. These players are recording each others tendancies and playing patterns after hours of play and you are very well seeing the highlight of hours of mundane play.
Once you have mastered the concepts you will understand the theory between continuation bets, sandwiching and misrepresenting your hands. However you must always realise that the game of poker is always evolving and players must adapt to this. For example, the continuation bet is now so well known as opposed to before that it has lost much of its value. ( I like to check raise instead if i am playing an agressive opponent).
Knowing the fundamentals is key to progressing your game to the next level and will especially yield dividends when playing house games against regular joe's. If you want to become a better player and improve your game( or even if your staring out and want to learn how to play lik the pros) I recommend Secret Advantages Of A Poker Pro and Harrington's books on hold em are essential if you want to become a winning player. If you want to take the internet route to making money online click here.
If you want to become a better player then you quite simply have to invest in either a book(s), programme or software to give you a basic understanding and eventually an edge over your opponents. That said the best knowledge is self taught and no book can give you experience. Shuffle up and play:).
