Don't try to 'outplay' an inexpierienced opponent. Playing straightforward poker is the best way to go. Save sandbagging for the professionals. Most of the time, your low-limit opponents are paying most of their attention to their own cards. You don't need to 'mix up your play', or 'confuse your opponents'. This is typically only necessary for tough games.

The reason Semi-bluffing is so effective is for 3 reason:

1. You might win the pot when you bet, if your opponents don't have a pair, or a good draw.
2. You might get a free card in later rounds, if your opponents check on the next round, after your semi-bluff
3. Your semi-bluff makes it more difficult for your opponents to put you on a hand. If you hit your hand on later rounds, you will usually get paid off.
4. If you hit your hand, you will have made the pot bigger.

To semi-bluff, you don't necessarily even need a total drawing hand. Sometimes, betting and/or raising on the flop with the bottom or middle pair with an overcard kicker in holdem is an effective semi-bluff. Generally, you shouldn't semi-bluff a hand with less then 6 outs. If you semi-bluff an inside straight draw, for example, you are going to hit it too seldom to make it worth while. Save semi-bluffs for hands that have a good chance of being hit. Another good example of a semi bluff is a pair and a draw. You might have a gut-shot straight draw, and a pair, giving you 7 outs to what is (probably) the best hand. Another example could be a straight draw with a flush draw.

A few things to keep in mind about the semi bluff. Against good players, don't semi-bluff too much. The reason is if your opponents see you semi-bluffing all the time, they will make you pay when they think you are doing it again, by re-raising you, and then betting again on the next round. I would recommend semi-bluffing less against very good opponents then against intermediate opponents. You should also sometimes make it look like you are semi-bluffing when you actually have a huge hand. This means not slowplaying, if you flop the nuts, or start with rolled up Face cards.

It is also important to be sure your hand will be good if you make it. Be less inclined to semi bluff a flush draw if there is a pair on the board (or showing in 7 stud). Be less likely to semi-bluff a straight draw if there are 2 or 3 suited cards on the board. You don't what to be semi-bluffing at a pot, then hit your hand, and lose the pot to a bigger hand.

The first thing you need to learn when starting out in poker is the ranking of poker hands. These hand rankings are the same for almost all games, with the exception of low card games, such as lowball, and Razz, where the lowest hand wins. For the majoriy of poker games you will play, the highest hand wins.

1. There are four suits in poker: Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs

2. There are 13 cards in each suit: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J(ack), Q(ueen), K(ing), A(ce).

3. It is important to note that for 5 cards games such as Texas Hold 'em, it is always the BEST 5 CARD HAND that wins.

3.1 The highest order of each hands wins. 88 beats 44

3.2 With 2 pairs, the single highest pair beats the other hands. KK22 beets JJQQ. KK88 beats KK33

3.3 For each order of hand that mention less than 5 cards (e.g Pair, 3 or 4 of-a-kind, 2 pair) the player with the next highest card (kicker) wins. Remember, all 5 cards have to be used.

4 Hands can tie if all cards are exactly the same. This can happen when players have the same flush in different suites; or in games with shared community cards.

STRAIGHT FLUSH A Straight, Plus a Flush combined. All 5 cards of the same suit, in order. A Royal Flush is simply the highest straight flush 10 - Ace

4 OF A KIND 4 Cards of the same rank: JJJJ for example

FULL HOUSE 3 of a Kind + a pair: AAAJJ for example

FLUSH 5 cards of the same suit: 5 cards that are all hearts.

STRAIGHT 5 cards in order: 34567 for example

3 OF A KIND 3 cards of the same rank: JJJ for example

2 PAIR 2 sets of 2 cards of the same rank: 8844 for example

1 PAIR a set of cards of the same ranke: JJ for example

HIGH CARD No pair, no flush, no straights in your hand. The highest ranking card wins!