In many casino games learning a strategy can do little to improve your odds of winning. But if you’re playing poker, tips can be more than useful; they can be critical to your chances of walking away a winner. Follow these valuable hints that can also serve as useful tips for online poker and your enjoyment of the game could develop into a profitable venture.

1. Never gamble with "dear" money. The number one rule for gambling, and the most important of all poker tips, is to never gamble with "dear" money; only gamble with "excess" money. In other words, never gamble with money that you will need now, or may need in the near future, to pay for your financial commitments and everyday living expenses.

2. Pick Your Game Wisely. There are many types of poker games to choose from including the traditional favorites of Five Card Draw and 7 Card Stud as well as the current preferred choices of Texas Hold ‘em and Omaha High. Each has different rules and different strategies so if you want to develop a winning approach pick one game to master and ignore the rest until later.

3. Learn the Odds. When you start looking for valuable poker tips you’ll find that most of them require knowledge of probabilities on your part. You don’t have to worry about doing the calculations yourself because many experts more skilled than you have already done that. All you need to do is commit all of those odds to memory.

4. Develop Your Table Personality. One of the most useful poker tips is to pro-actively develop a table personality that will benefit your game. Create a unique personality at the table that will make it difficult for your opponents to read your attitude or expressions in order to determine the quality of your hand.

5. Drop the Macho Attitude. Don’t be afraid to fold a bad hand; everyone gets them. Don’t be afraid to fold a good hand; someone else may have a better one. Don’t get upset by a "bully" at the table; use his tendency to beat him. And don’t be a hero and make the final call just to keep someone "honest" if you know you have an inferior hand.

6. Know Your Opponents. You may be at a poker table for an extended period of time, so don’t waste it. Pay attention to how your opponents play and what their tendencies may be. What body language can you see when they bluff, call or raise? This can be valuable information at critical points in the game.

7. Bluff Sparingly and with a Purpose. Bluffing is one of the most popular poker tips and one that is often over used by beginners. If you’re in a late position and no one before you has indicated strength, a bluff may be effective. If the table cards indicate to others that you could have a strong hand, and no one else has shown strength, a bluff could work. Most importantly, if you’ve developed a reputation as a conservative player a well timed bluff can be very effective.

8. Keep Your Secrets. Many players like to voluntarily show their cards after the other players have folded. Never knowingly or willingly give other players insight into how you play unless you’re doing so to build a false impression you can take advantage of later.

9. Pay Attention. Don’t get drawn into conversations or lapse into daydreaming during a hand. Memorize the cards that you can see on the table and determine how they can be used to make a good hand. Can the table cards make a flush or a straight in an opponent’s hand? Could they be used to make a bluff on your part effective?

10. Stay in Your Comfort Zone. Play at tables where the stakes are comfortable and you won’t worry about losing that amount of money. Just because you think you’ve mastered all of the poker tips don’t run quickly to a higher stakes tables after you start winning at lower stakes. Not only will the stakes rise but so will the quality of your competition.