Texas Hold'em Strategy
As with any new gambling, casino, or poker
game, you should consider practicing the game for a while
to get a feel for the betting, odds, lingo, and the game's
sequence of events. Remember, unless you're a professional
gambler, you're primarily playing to have fun and hopefully
win some cash on the side. If you're on a losing streak, or
start to get frustrated, try taking a break. It will
give you time to refresh and will help keep the game enjoyable.
With that being said, entire books have
been written on the subject of Texas Hold'em strategy. Though
the game is simple to understand, it becomes increasingly
complex as you add the concepts of betting and bluffing. There
are many different ways to play the game, and you'll find
you'll lean towards a style that matches your personality.
For instance, "tight" players are conservative and
only tend to enter large pots when they have a good chance
of winning. Contrarily, "loose" players play all
types of hands and are not afraid to bluff at a pot to see
if they can steal it. Though no style is optimal, the best
players avoid being stereotyped, to keep their opposition
guessing.
The most important component to becoming
an advanced poker player, is learning or knowing how to "read"
your opposition. This characteristic is truly what separates
the professionals from the "fish." Many believe
it is only a talent given at birth, as it is difficult to
learn. If you have a propensity towards knowing when people
are lying vs. telling the truth, you may want to invest some
time and money into Texas Hold'em.
Regardless, for basic strategy, always
remember the player holding two high hole cards has the best
chance at a winning hand or drawing into the best hand after
the Flop. Play strong hands where you feel comfortable
betting through a raise or multiple raises from other players.
If you have a strong hand, basic stategy dictates that you
should bet aggressively taking all the raises to try to force
other players out of the hand. Aggressive betting will
also give credibility to your hand later in the round if useless
cards come out in the Flop. A more advanced, though riskier
strategy for a strong hand would be to "trap" players
by betting low initially ("slow playing"), only
to raise after the opponent calls or raises your low bet.
Again, good players will alternate between these strategies
to always keep their opponents on their toes.
Understanding the mathematical odds of
winning given your hand is important to playing poker professionally.
Knowing your and and your opposition's "outs" given
any sequence of cards, will mathematically dictate your odds
of winning a pot. However in poker, luck oftentimes overrides
math. Given the Flop, always be ready to fold your strong
hand if the Flop presents strong possibilities for other players. Never
fall in "love" with a hand or a pot. At any point
in a hand, walk away. In poker, objectivity is your friend.
Here's a few other basic strategy tidbits:
- Play medium strength hands if you
think you can get to the Flop without having to bet too
much.
- Be aware of Flops which could lead to a straight, flush
or other strong hands for other players.
- Bet aggressively after the Flop if you have the opportunity
to make several strong hands (straight, flush, three of
a kind, four of a kind).
- Be cautious when your hole cards are a low pair.
If you don't get the three of a kind on the Flop, consider
folding.
- Don't stay in if you're looking for the low end or both
ends of a straight.
- Fold unconnected low cards which could lead to a straight.
- Lastly, remember the worst hole cards in Texas Hold'em
are the 2 and 7 unsuited. There's no straight opportunity,
flush possibility, or high card possibility... even the
"loosest" of players will fold this hand.
Remember, there are few "die hard"
strategies in Texas Hold'em, as creative betting can make
even the weakest of hands strong. Now that you know the basics,
good luck! We'll see you at the tables. |
