Round Table Poker Tips

Good tips
Submitted by bag_o_tea
- I always bet on the last round, because you never know if your hand is better than someone else's. If you're going to lose anyway then it's no loss.
- If no one has betted before you, always press <CHECK> if you have a bad hand. This way if everyone else has a bad hand you may stand a chance to win. I do this on the first betting round if I have a low pair too.
- Sometimes it is better to fold (especially when you're only 30 or 40np in front) than bet 20np... but there is the chance that the player in second place may win and end up 100np in front of you.

Devlin�s last round tips to Round Table Poker
Submitted by Devlin
Now if all you want to do is win the game and get the neopoints, here are some recommendations that usually work for me. Please keep in mind that these tips are for the last round.
- TIP 1: Keep the stakes low!! HOW? In the 1st round of bidding, don�t be the first to bid in the first round (unless you have an awesome hand). If one of your opponents bids first then call, but don�t raise. In the 2nd round of betting bet and call only if you have a decent hand, otherwise fold. If you do have an awesome hand try to let one of your opponents bet first so that you can raise the bet when it�s your turn. If someone else raise the bet before you and your hand isn�t great, FOLD! Why keep the stakes low? Simply, the lower the stakes the less your opponents can win. Why does this help? It makes it both easier to catch up and also easier to take a really big lead if your get one really good hand. Once you get that lead try to hold onto it.
- TIP 2: Although the game's instructions tell you to watch your opponents' faces, I find it better to watch how many cards they�ve discarded. If they throw away two, chances are they have a good hand. If they only throw away one though it can be very tricky, they�re either working on a straight or flush and if they don�t get the one card they need they�ve got nothing or, on the other hand they could have two pair, 4 of a kind or 3 of a kind and a high card (all three of which are pretty good without whatever they draw). So beware.
- TIP 3: What cards do you keep? 4 of one suit/four cards of a straight (i.e. 2, 3, 4, 5) and a low pair? Sacrifice the pair and go for the flush or the straight. Why? Chances are your low pair won�t win but a flush or straight often can. Got a pair and not much else? Keep the pair and a face card (if you have one, otherwise discard all three). Why? You have a better chance of getting a second pair and or a full house. Got nothing? There are 3 options. Say you have the following cards: QD, KH, 10D, 8C, 2S Keep a face card and whatever cards match it�s suit and try for the flush, (i.e. Keep the queen and the 10 and chuck the rest) OR keep the queen, ten and king and try for straight. Why? It doesn't tip off your opponents that you�ve got nothing in your hand. The last option is to keep your highest card and chuck the rest. This works when you have only one or no face card. It�s your best chance to get at least a pair.
- TIP 4: don�t be afraid to fold! I know I mentioned this in tip one but it�s worth repeating the why. Folding when you don�t have a decent hand (and your opponents appear to by either raising the stakes or by discarding few cards) accomplishes two things. Firstly it keeps your neopoints in your pile and out of theirs and it gives you a better chance to catch up later and even take the lead. No matter what, don�t fold in the first round of betting. You could have ended up with a decent hand and wound the hand. I hope these tips help and good luck.

The crux of the game
Submitted by Engel
It's about when to bet and when not. Most players bet when they have lost a few games without having a winning hand. Sometimes you get great cards before you have to discard. When you are the first or second one to bet you can try to check. When everyone checks it's a pity, but if someone bets (most of the time they do) you can raise and if you are lucky another one will raise and you make lots of coins. If you don't have anything at all, try to check or call and discard whatever you want to (sometimes discard 4 cards and keep the highest one, or go for the same card type e.g. spades). If you don't get anything just check to stay in  (you'll never know) but don't call any bets just fold. When the other players discard check how many cards they discard. If they discard 1 they have 2 pairs (hopefully they won't get a full house then) and if they discard 2 they have three of a kind. Most of the time they discard 3 though.

On the last hand of a game check if you are behind, even or ahead of the others. If you are behind just bet a lot, if you win the game maybe you've won enough np to end first and if you lose... well you would've lost anyway. If you are even you can also try to bet a lot or just play a bit safer. But if you're ahead make sure no one will pass you if they win, if that's confirmed you can either fold and make sure you'll win or bet a lot and go for a trophy (make sure you can get the trophy, otherwise play safe).

At the first tournaments you can look at the faces of your opponents like the manual tells, but when you get further it's not reliable anymore. This is a game where you have to learn when to bet and when not to bet. And you have to get lucky to get some nice cards.

Basic tips for winning Round Table Poker
Submitted by srd2002
1. NEVER bet unless you have at least a 2 pair.
2. On a 2 pair always discard 2 cards NEVER 3.
3. When you have a very high value hand e.g. Ace high Flush always act suspicious at first you never know somebody else might bet and you can raise.
4. Don't go nuts when playing the game WATCH the faces of the others see how many cards they discard if they discard 1 card they usually have a 2 pair so if you have a 3 pair raise to the max.
5. NEVER raise on a 2 pair.
6. If you have a straight check on the first hand.
7. If the opponents discard 0 cards and you think you have a GREAT hand play on otherwise fold don't even bother checking waste's time.
8. Play the game for profit and get GOOD AT IT.
9. HIGH INCOME game for 56k users - 10k each win.
10. The game is not hard to win you just have to watch the other opponents faces.
11. Other than this the rest is pretty much luck so my most recommended tip is never raise on 2 pairs.

Forecasting what your opponent has
Submitted by Ellen
Some things I�ve noticed recently:
At least in the first few rounds, you can usually tell what sort of hands your opponents have by how many cards they discard. If a player discards 3 cards, you can usually assume that he or she only has a pair. If they discard two cards, they probably have three of a kind, but don�t let that deter you from betting, because sometimes they�ll try for a straight if they have three cards in a row (and usually don�t get it). If they discard one card, nine times out of ten it�s because they�ve got two pair. There is the other 10% of the time, though, when they are trying for a flush or straight or have 4 of a kind. And I probably don't have to tell you that if they don't discard any, they have a full house, flush, or straight and you�re probably better off folding.

If, after everyone has discarded, you think you have the best hand, ALWAYS check if you can. It�s very rare that everyone checks in the second round of betting, but if you bet first there�s a good chance that no one will raise. If you have a really good hand and you check, someone will bet before you and then you can raise the bet and win more off of your hand.

Alternating your strategy as you continue
Submitted by pixie721
You need to play conservatively in the early rounds, and then become more aggressive as the game goes on but only if you are losing. If you are winning continue to be careful in your play. In the later rounds the players begin to bluff, but you can tell what their hands are if you watch their faces when they aren't bidding. Often they will look sad or neutral when they bid, and then thrilled later on, this usually means they have a great hand, so unless you have a straight flush, four of a kind, or a full house, don't even bother seeing or raising their bet. Even with winning a couple of times I probably only broke even, you have to be willing
to lose in order to win. Sometimes it is just luck, the other players get hands that you just can't beat, hands that might cause a gun fight in the old west of the United States.