Soko Poker isn’t a very hard game to play, and there’s a good chance that most of your opposition will play too loose, allowing you to take home big profits. It’s a good idea to have some idea what you’re doing before you start playing, and this guide should get you up to speed quickly.
If you aren’t too familiar with Soko, we recommend reading the What Is SOKO Poker? and How To Play SOKO Poker articles first.
Starting hand selection is vitally important to Soko Poker. All pairs are playable from any position, although you might occasionally fold some of your smaller pairs if there is a raise from a tight player in front of you. Big pairs should always be played. In later position – yes, position is important in Soko too – you might also play two Broadway cards (that’s two cards ten or higher), at least if there hasn’t been too much action in front of you. Suited cards are only slightly better than unsuited ones; the four flush is more common than a flush, but you still aren’t likely to make one even if you start with two suited cards. Most of your advantage in Soko Poker will come from starting with better hands than your opponents, so don’t loosen up too much, even in a wild game.
In the first two rounds of betting, play very aggressively with smaller pairs. These hands are vulnerable, as even opponents playing junk unpaired hands might be likely to catch something that’ll give them a better pair. It’s better to make them pay for this privilege at every opportunity by betting and raising as long as you think you still have the best hand. Sure, sometimes they’ll suck out and beat you anyway, but the odds are on your side, and getting those extra bets will show a nice profit in the long run. You can be a little more coy with bigger pairs, but don’t get too cute – you need to bet and raise with all but the very strongest hands early on to maximize your profits.
If you believe a player is on a draw to a four-card straight or flush, it’s especially important to make them pay to try and draw out on you. This is easier to do in pot limit, when they certainly won’t have the odds to call a pot-sized bet, but you should do this in limit too; they might be right to call, but it’s still better to make them put a bet in when they’re behind in the hand.
Finally, there’s the golden rule of Soko Poker and Five Card Stud: if your four cards that are showing after 5th street represent your best hand (i.e., your hole card doesn’t improve you at all), and you beat all the other boards, don’t bet! Nobody is going to call a bet if they can’t beat your board, and anyone who does call will have you beat anyway. You’re much better off just checking.
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