Poker Tip #1: Follow the action

Don't look at your hand until it is your turn to act.  Instead, carefully watch your opponents.  They may give away information about how they play, the strength of their hand, or how they intend to act.  Do this preflop, as well as when cards are being dealt to the board.  In addition, when it is your turn, look to your left before you act.  The next player may be preparing to fold, call or raise.

Three easy examples to demonstrate the point:

Example #1:  I was playing late at night at the Mirage, and it was easy to tell from watching that a woman across the table was falling asleep.  She would generally look at her hand quickly, fold, and go back to napping until the next hand.  Often, the dealer would have to prompt her to act.  One time, she lazily looked at her hand, suddenly perked up, and raised.  I could not fold fast enough.  When the hand was over, it was revealed she had QQ.  Her actions that were out of the ordinary were correctly interpreted as her having a very strong hand.

Example #2:  It was my turn to act and I was deciding whether to call, raise, or fold during a hand at Foxwoods.  As I looked at my hand, I glanced to my left as the person to act after me was also looking at his hand.  When he saw his two cards, he literally jumped in his chair and reached for chips.  My decision to fold was easy.  My neighbor raised, and eventually doubled or tripled up with AA.

Example #3:  The other day, my girlfriend and I were playing in the dining room.  As I dealt the river card, her smile let me know that the 5 had completed the straight she was drawing to.  She made a very small bet.  Since it was cheap, I told her what she had, paid her off, and made her show me the winning hand.  Had it been expensive, or a real casino game, I would have known to fold and not lose any more money with my two pair.

I'll try to post a poker tip every now and then.  If you have a question, please leave it in the comments section.  I will either respond there or create a new post.  Until then, I'll assume nobody reads this anyways.