A poker strategy greatly depends on the person who's behind the cards. Every good poker player has his own way of playing which can hardly be rationalized by a newbie. Even so, understanding which are the most common strategies, their weaknesses and their advantages is the first step you must make in order to win.

Here is a short list of the most common poker strategies and things you must consider when playing. I will try to explain which are their advantages and weaknesses:

1. Bluff - the most common way of deception. There are two kinds of bluffs: pure bluffs and semi-bluffs. A pure bluff is a raise with a weak hand that has no chance of improving with the upcoming cards. A semi-bluff is a raise with a hand that might improve after a flop (creating the impression that you already have a flush but still needing a card).

2. Late positions - the advantage of being in a late position is that you have more information on what cards the other players might have. Players in starting positions need stronger hands to raise or check unlike players in late positions who can act after witnessing the actions of previous players. The late positions are usually the best for bluffing and semi-bluffing.

3. Aggressive vs. passive play - Playing aggressively (raising and betting) is usually better than playing passively (calling and checking). A passive play is usually used by players when bluffing. Using only one type of play will lead to predictability which must be avoided at all costs. A player who is always aggressive can easily lose much of what he has earned to a superior hand while a player who is too passive will lose the chance to maximize his pot when he has the upper hand.

4. Predictability: loose vs. tight play - Tight players usually do not continue with weaker hands while loose players do the opposite. The value of bluffs decreases with a loose player and increases with a tight one.