Taking Notes in Sit and Go's

Basically every poker site online allows players to take notes on other players. Doing this will give you an advantage in future hands against the same opponents. Because players are often very loyal to their site, you will see the same players quite often even on large sites such as Poker Stars.

When you take notes you should be looking for the best players and the weakest players. The reason for this is because you’re looking to avoid the best players and take advantage of the weakest players. Here are some good things to look for when taking notes:

Are the players tight or loose? For example, do they like to call often preflop with weak hands, or do they only play premium hands for raises?

Passive or aggressive? Aggressive players will be betting on the flop with nothing, raising often preflop, and playing many draws. Passive players will just be calling constantly.

Another good thing to note is if the player defends their blinds or not. If you notice a player always folds in the blind to a raise, you should start raising them in late position when they are in the blind.

Obviously, you can note if the player is winning or losing. This is an easy note to take, and can help you identify good and bad players.

The final thing you should be looking for is if the player is playing straightforward or trying to pull tricky moves. For example, do they like to semi bluff, check raise, and slow play strong hands, or do they just bet with good hands, and fold with bad ones?

Taking Beneficial Risks In Poker

Generally you shouldn’t enter a pot unless you feel you have an advantage. However, in certain cases you want to take a chance when your payout will be well worth it. Eventually you will hit a flop and win a monster pot. Consider it this way, have you ever gotten busted with AA because you let people limp in preflop?

When to Take a Risk

You want to take a risk when you have the potential of winning a big pot without sacrificing much money. For example, when most of the table limps in preflop you need to reconsider folding certain hands. Even if you don’t have much of a hand, you could get lucky and flop anything.

If you happen to flop a strong hand you will get paid off very well, as there are so many players in. Of course this won’t happen often, but when it does you will reap the benefits. By occasionally limping with suited connectors into multi way pots, you can hit a flop hard, and get paid off very nicely.

Specific Hands

If you are one of the last to act at the table, and most people have limped in, you want to play almost all suited cards as well as connecting cards. As you know, you aren’t likely to hit a flush or make a straight, but when that time comes, you will get paid off. One example of this is if you hold 34d in late position, and six people have limped in. This is an easy call, as your hand has great potential to become a monster.

Also, if you’re in the big blind with the same hand, and multiple players have called a small raise, you should call this as well. You’re the last person to act, so you know it won’t be reraised, and you have great pot odds to try and hit a flop.

When you Make a Flop

If you actually hit a flop, let’s say with the 34d, you still need to be cautious. If the flop is 34K, you need to play the hand aggressively. Anyone with a hand like KQ has a great chance of outdrawing you. If someone in early position bets the flop, and a few players call, you need to put in a large raise. Your goal is to take the pot here, as your hand is vulnerable.

If the flop comes A25, it is another story. Now your hand is very strong, and can only lose to a full house if the board pairs. On the flop you should just call a bet, and if no one bets, check. Depending on what the turn brings, you may have to bet to force draws out. If the turn is a 6, or makes 3 of a suit, then you need to bet out fairly strong, so any long shot draws are forced out.

Final Lesson

If you are late to act and almost everyone at the table is in (and assuming there hasn’t been much of a raise), you’ll want to limp in with any cards that have some sort of potential, such as suited cards, or connecting cards. You can’t expect to win all the time, but it’s worth the risk due to the reward you could get. So remember that if you can get into a big pot cheaply, go for it, but don’t stay in unless you hit or have good odds.

STRATEGY GUIDE FOR HIGH CARD FLOPS

Texas Hold’em is a big card card game. We all know that, or at least we ought to. Hole cards such as pocket Aces, Kings, Queens, and A-K dominate the average overall winning percentages. Naturally, we gravitate toward playing these big hands and your opponents will add hands like K-10 suited, K-J, or Q-J into the mix despite their position or their hole cards’ trapping nature. This means that flops containing these big cards are likely to hit lots of players and amount to big pots in no-limit Hold’em. My goal in this article is to help you make the most and lose the least when one of these monster tricky flops arises.

Tip #1: Protect heavily with two pair or a set. When you play two big cards like A-K or K-Q and you hit two pair on a flop like K-A-10 or J-Q-K you have to play extremely carefully in order to both protect your hand and/or find out if you’re already beaten. You should naturally be more suspect and cautious when 3, 4, or more players are contesting the pot. When you hit top two pair on a big flop you probably have the best hand but you need to protect against straight draws and perhaps flush draws. For some reason, hold’em players love to draw to broadway straights (10-J-Q-K-A), even if they’re only using one of their hole cards. When you make two pair the next card could always give your opponent(s) a better hand so I recommend betting out or raising at least the size of the pot. The same risks apply when you flop a set. A big card flop is likely to have helped your opponents as well so you’ll probably get plenty of action while protecting against draws.

Tip #2: Don’t slowplay anything. The only exception to this would be when you flop something like quads or the nut flush. Even the nut flush is vulnerable to a full house draw if your opponent hit a set with his big pocket pair. When you see a high-card flop against multiple opponents, slowplaying a big hand essentially only kills your own value. Since your opponents will also be playing big cards it’s very likely that they flopped a worse hand than yours. When you flop a set, a straight, or top two pair you’ll usually get action from straight draws, top pair top kicker type hands, or flush draws depending on the board. Why give them a free (or cheap) draw to make a better hand? Instead, make a sizeable value bet on the flop, build what appears to be your pot, and protect against bad beats in the making. Bottom two pair on any flop is even more dangerous as the next card could counterfeit your hand or give your opponents a higher two pair.

Tip #3: Watch out for one-card straight draws and flush draws. As mentioned above, you’ll often run into loose players willing to gamble on their one-card straight draw. For example, I’ve seen countless players draw with a hand like A-8 on a 10-J-Q board. Despite the fact that it is a gutshot straight draw with 12-1 odds against hitting, poor hold’em players routinely draw to broadway straights using only one big card. The big blind may have 9-2 offsuit on that same board and he will probably call a decent-sized bet with his open-ended straight draw (of considerably better odds). When you’re holding pocket Queens or J-Q, you need to be vary wary of a fourth-connecting card coming on the turn or river. Bet out at least the size of the pot and definitely slow down if that scare card does hit. Even if you have the nut straight with A-K on that 10-J-Q board, you have to protect against some other fish holding a A-2. Why? If a K comes on the turn, you’re both only playing your Ace for a split pot. Of course, don’t overlook the weak flush draw if there are two (or more) suited cards.

Tip #4: Know when you’re beat. Big card flops make for big hands. Top pair doesn’t hold up very often against a big connected board, especially against multiple opponents. If you run into heavy resistance with a hand like A-K on a board of K-J-10 you need to have the discipline to lay it down. Weak hold’em players will limp in with any two face cards and cripple your chip stack with bottom two pair or a freak straight. If you don’t hold top two pair or better, you’re better off playing defensively and keeping the pot as small as possible. If a major scare card hits such a fourth connector or a completed flush with 2 or more opponents, you’ll probably need to be looking for reasons to fold unless you have an excellent read on a weaker hand. I see too many players who don’t give up on their two pair or even top pair when it’s obvious that a straight is out. When it’s a high-card board, it makes it that much easier to know that your opponents are playing correlating cards.

Some situation not to bluff in a poker game

Bluffing is general in poker and many people think they can bluff more in online poker because there are no gestures, they are hidden behind their computer. But there are moments when you should not bluff. We are telling you when, just read on.

When you bluff keep in mind that everyone else is also looking for an opportunity to bluff. You can spot them, but beware they can spot you too! You have to use bluffing sparingly.
So when no to bluff in poker?

Other players are expecting you to bluff

I suppose you don’t want to be the fish at the table. When you bluff and are caught you reveal your playing style to the others, so you will be vulnerable. Always consider this before you bluff.

You have been caught bluffing recently

If you were caught as a poor bluffer recently you should not bluff but start to build your reputation back.

Bluff when the flop is dangerous

You have to recognize whether is a flop dangerous or not. I know, it is a difficult task, but for example the flop contains an Ace, you could be sure that someone has an Ace at the table. People love their Aces and keep them almost until the end of the hand.

Lots of players at the table

With a lot of players at the table there is a great chance that someone has something that he will stick with. It is not worth the money to bluff in this situation.

Against bad players

It is much more profitable to play straight up in these games. They will bluff a lot, but will keep en eye on you too.

You have just lost a big pot

Not only might you be on a bad run, but other players will expect
you to be on a bad run, and will more readily call you.

In the blind positions

You really have to evaluate the flop, but generally other players
will think you have a poor hand and expect you to bluff.

To summarize: be careful with bluffing, always take into consideration when you bluff you could be caught.

Single Table Sit n Go Basics

Single table sit n goes are the fastest growing game in online poker. A standard sit n go consists of 9-10 players with the top 3 making the money. Recently, different forms of sit n goes have come into play. One new type is the shorthanded sit n go, where 5-6 players enter and the top 2 finishers make the money.

Also, satellite sit n goes are becoming popular. In these sit n goes 9-10 players enter for a certain buy in, and the top finisher wins his/her way into a larger buy in tournament.

Step Tournaments

Another common form of single table sit n goes are “step tournaments”. In these, players start out at step 1, which may have a $5 buy in, and the top 2 finishers advance to a step 2 tournament, which may have a $25 buy in. There are usually around 4-5 steps before the final tournament, where cash prizes are awarded.

In sit n goes players enter the tournament for a fixed buy in. Besides the buy in, there is also a small tournament fee, which is usually 10% of the tournament buy in. This means that if you enter a $5.50 sit n go, $5 is going to the tournament prize pool, and $.50 is going to the poker site for hosting the tournament. It is similar to the rake of cash tables.

Chip Structure

When the tournament begins the players are all given the same amount of “play chips” that they use to play in the tournament. The chips you have aren’t real money, but you have to use them to try and outlast all of your opponents. When players get out that are in the money they are awarded their cash prize. In the most common form of single table sit n go, the 9-10 man, the top 3 finishers get paid with payouts as follows:
1st Place Finisher 50% of the prize pool
2nd Place Finisher 30% of the prize pool
3rd Place Finisher 20% of the prize pool

Some of the advantages of single table tournaments are as follows:

Single table sit n goes are very quick, because the blinds are continually raised. Usually blinds are increased every ten minutes, and as the tournament progresses an ante may be added as well. This puts pressure on everyone, as they are blinding away, so the tournament progresses quickly.

Sit n goes can be entered at anytime. They are literally running non stop at just about every single online poker site. This means that as soon as you bust out of one sit n go, you can join another instantly. This feature attracts many weak players, as they want to play without waiting in line for a ring table, so experienced players can take advantage of them.

Another advantage is the fact that you aren’t playing with chips that aren’t real money. At a cash table you can lose all of the money you have at any time. In a sit n go however, you can only lose what the buy in was for the tournament. This reduces the variance for sit n go players.

Single table sit n goes are a great way to increase a skillful players bankroll. At the lower levels the players are almost all fish, so if you learn the proper strategy you can win consistently.

Position in No Limit Hold'em

Position in No-Limit Holdem refers to where you are in the order of betting either before or after the flop. The player with the ‘dealer button’ (to the immediate right of the blinds) will act last on each betting round once the flop is dealt. Acting last conveys many advantages in No-Limit Holdem games, the main factor being that you get to see what your opponents do before you decide on your own action.

The best way to look at taking advantage of position in No-Limit Holdem is that you are able to win the most when ahead and loose the least when behind. At the end of the day the strongest hand will win a showdown regardless of where at the table the holder of this hand is sat.

Hand Selection

Before the flop you are able to take advantage of late position by playing a wider selection of hands. For example if you are in early position (one of the first to act) in No-Limit Holdem you may not be able to profitably play hands such as suited connectors, small pairs or unsuited high cards.

The reason for this is that all of these hands need high ‘implied odds’ to be profitable. They will not hit the flop too often and so need to be cheap to play in the early betting rounds. In early position most of your opponents have yet to act. The risk here is that one or more will raise you forcing you to lay down your hand.

Compare this to being in late position you have seen most of your opponents limp or fold and can now play these hands with little risk of a re-raise. Even when raised you may choose to call having the advantage of seeing your opponents act before you do on the flop may also mean you can steal the pot.

Betting Rounds

The real advantage of position in No-Limit Holdem comes from being last to act on the flop, turn and river betting rounds. Compare holding a medium pair when first to act to being last. In order to find out where you stand you will need to bet. Betting when first to act risks being re-raised by any opponent, or even flat called as a bluff.

Betting when last to act gives you the advantage of seeing your opponents check first, making your bet more likely to succeed. Sure, an opponent may be trapping with a strong hand but check-raising you ‘out of position’ will show a lot of strength and allow you to get away from your medium strength hand.

Bluffing Advantage

If you completely missed the flop then being last to act may enable you to pick up small pots with a bet on the flop. If an opponent who is in the habit of betting every flop acts before you then you can even choose to call taking away the pot with a bet on the turn instead.

With a strong holding last to act you are able to decide whether to check, enabling your opponents to ‘catch up’ in the hand. You may also be in a position to flat call a raise, thus building the pot, or to re-raise an amount that you expect to be called by at least one opponent. With strong holdings you want to build the pot, the advantage of being in last position is that you can do this without arousing too much suspicion from opponents.

To summarize, taking advantage of position in No-Limit Holdem involves being able to play hands you might otherwise have folded, steal pots that nobody has shown an interest in, build a bigger pot when you are strong and get away from a medium strength hand early when the action in front of you gets heavy. This is quite a list, and explains why profitable poker players make sure that they play the majority of their hands from late position.

POKER STRATEGY - TOURNAMENTS

In most of my first online poker tournaments, my best finishes were just in the money. The way most online poker rooms structure their tournaments, this pays you just over what you paid to get into the tournament. Even though playing poker is always fun, there is something quite frustrating about playing for 2 or 3 hours to get your money back.

This is why tournaments can be tough on tight-aggressive players, who, in my opinion, are best suited for cash games. I would wait until I would get strong cards and raise them. Unfortunately, you don’t always get action on your good hands, especially if you aren’t playing very much. Unless you consistently get hit over the head with the deck throughout the tournament, tight players don’t usually end up with the top prize.

If you tend to play a tight game, you might want to loosen up a bit and become more aggressive as the tournament continues. I recommend staying out of the action early on since the blinds are so low and you can afford to play tight. But if you’re not getting any hands and the blinds are creeping up, you probably should consider playing more hands than you normally would. If you can get in cheap, try playing any pocket pair and go for the double-up if you hit a set.

Also, if your table is short-handed (less than 7 players), you definitely should play more hands and raise more pre-flop. Playing more aggressively can cost you bigger pots and might bust you out earlier, but I would rather have a better shot at winning the tourney than making my money back.

Why play if you’re not going to play to win?

POKER STRATEGY - PLAYING KK AND QQ

Pocket Kings and Queens are great to be dealt preflop in hold’em. They’re made hands and you’ve got a big pair already, even if you don’t improve. Unfortunately, they’re also very vulnerable hands that can get you into a lot of trouble. For this reason, you should very rarely, if ever, slowplay these two pocket pairs. You’re just asking your opponents to take your money if you do.

Suppose you get dealt Q-Q in third position. Naturally, you’re going to play the hand, but how should you play it? In a no-limit cash game, suppose you just smooth call the minimum bet. Much to your disappointment, no one raises the pot behind you so you can reraise. Instead, 4 other players call the minimum bet and both blinds stay in. The flop comes down J-10-6 with two clubs. With an overpair to the board, you feel pretty confident right now. There are 7 players in the pot who’ve come in on the cheap. The small blind checks and the big blind makes a reasonable bet.

You raise him, and everyone folds to the button who goes all-in. The big blind calls the all-in bet and action is back to you. This is a terrible situation for you, because while you have an overpair to the board, what could these guys possibly have to make that large of a bet? You nervously call. The big blind turns over 10-6 offsuit for two pair, and the buttons turns over the 5-3, both clubs on a flush draw. The turn brings a K of hearts, and the river a 2 of clubs. The button rakes in the massive pot with his completed flush.

This type of hand is very common, especially in online poker. When you allow that many players to come in for the minimum bet, you’re going to see all sorts of garbage hands stay with the hand. You can’t even really fault the guy with the 5-3 – he’s getting great pot odds to see a flop. With 7 players seeing a flop of two more suited cards, you can be reasonably sure that at least one opponent has two more of them. Someone else could have a set or two pair. And sometimes you’ll run into opponents who have slowplayed pocket pairs even bigger than yours!

The lesson is: you’re not going to know where you stand with Q-Q or K-K unless you raise preflop! When you raise, you’re going to thin the field out and those trash hands are going to think twice about staying in the hand. Raise it enough, and only the complete idiots and premium hands will stay with you. Fire in a pot-sized raise from any position and see what happens. If you’re in early position and get reraised, slow it down a little. With Q-Q, you’ll probably just want to call the reraise and see a flop. He could have A-K, K-K, or A-A. When you have K-K, you can consider putting all your chips in at this point. K-K is a little safer because the only way you’re beat at this point is if your opponent is holding Aces.

Be very careful on the flop with these two pocket pairs. Invariably, you’re going to see an Ace come on the flop all too often when you have pocket Kings. What are you going to do? Since you raised preflop, your opponent is likely to have called with big cards, perhaps an Ace-high hand. If you’re first to act after the flop, bet a small amount with the intent of getting more information. If he raises you with any authority, you should probably fold.

You’re also going to run into times where you have Q-Q or K-K and end up all-in against A-A. It seems to happen a lot because these are hands that people are willing to go all-in with preflop. The few times that these hands are dealt together, both opponents are usually going to end up all-in. One quick note to consider about Q-Q: if you make a standard raise and get reraised all-in, do you think that your opponent is likely to have done that with a worse hand than Q-Q? If not, throw your hand away.

Play your Queens and Kings right: raise ‘em hard preflop, and be willing to let them go if you get too much action for your liking or the flop brings an overcard.

Poker Strategy - Beginner Players

Poker Jargon

This article is a quick glossary that explains the basic poker terms (flop, blind, etc.) and also some of the basic poker strategies (pot odds, outs). It is assumed that you know the basic rules of Texas Hold’em. (For a quick recap see the Poker Strategy homepage) For a more complete glossary, visit the Empire Poker School.

Blind (Small blind/big blind): These are the forced bets that take the place of an ante. The person to the left of the dealer must pay the small blind and the person after him must pay the big blind.

Board Cards: The cards in the middle of the table that are shared by everyone.

Draw: Drawing means hoping to improve your hand with the cards that will come on the board. You are on a draw when you want other cards to come out on the board to complete your hand. If you have 10 9 and the flop is QJ2, you are trying to draw an eight or a king on the turn or river.

Flop: This is when the first three cards come out in Holdem.

Implied odds: The same as pot odds (read below) except it takes into account making bets in the future. Thus, you may call a bet at the flop, but have implied odds of making bigger bets on later rounds if you hit your draw. So, if you have AK of diamonds and the flop comes two diamonds, your implied odds are what you have to call at the flop compared to how large the pot will be at the end of the hand.

Limit Poker: Poker with fixed bets. In a $2-4 limit game, all bets and raises are two dollars in the first two rounds (preflop and flop), and all bets and raises are four dollars in the last two rounds (turn and river).

Longhand: This refers to a poker game with seven or more people.

Outs: Number of cards that can improve your hand. If the flop is QJ2 and you have 10 9, you want a king or an eight to complete your straight. There are 4 kings and 4 eights in the deck, so you have 8 total outs.

Position: Where you sit at the poker table. The dealer has the best position because he bets last and therefore has a better understanding of what other people have in their hand. The small blind has the worst position because he goes first.

Pot Odds: This is the odds you are getting when you are drawing. For example, say you have Ace and 2 of diamonds and the board is King, seven, six- the six and seven are of diamonds. You are sure that someone else has the king. Nevertheless, there is a total of 9 other diamonds out there (13 your two, – two on board), so you have a roughly 18% chance of hitting a flush on the next card. Thus, if the pot is 100, and the bet is 10, even though you are clearly losing, you have odds with your flush draw. However, let’s say the pot is 100, you’re at the turn (one card left) and your opponent bets 300. The pot is 400 and you must put in 300 to see the river. Your pot odds are 300/700 which is too high, considering your chances of hitting your flush are about 1/5.

Preflop: When you just have two cards in your hand and there are no cards on the board yet.

River: This is the fifth and final card that comes on the board in Holdem, after the turn.

Shorthand: This refers to a poker game with six or fewer people.

Turn: This is the fourth board card that comes out in holdem, the card after the flop.
Poker Strategy – Thinking Like a Poker Player

THE FOUR KEY SKILLS

Poker pros are commonly described as tight and aggressive: “These poker pros do not play many hands, but when they play them, they play them like they had the nuts.”

That’s a nice general description, but it doesn’t say much. And it’s not even totally right about no limit games, as a solid loose, aggressive player is a person to be feared. Thus, when I think people say a player is tight/aggressive and therefore good, I really think they mean that the player has mastered four critical elements of poker. #1. Math skills

• Good poker players know general percentages. They know that you have about 1 in 8 chance of hitting a set when holding a pocket pair, and that you have about a 1 in 3 chance of completing a flush draw at the flop.
• They know the importance of ‘outs.’ Outs are simply the number of cards that will improve your hand. Count your outs, multiply them by two, and add two, and that’s roughly the percentage shot you have at hitting.
• They can figure out the ‘pot odds.’ Knowing outs is meaningless unless it’s translated into rational, calculated betting.

Knowing you have a 20% chance of hitting, what do you do then? Well, simply once you figure out your chance of hitting/winning, you divide the size of the pot at the river (i.e. the current pot plus the amount of money that you think will be added through future bets) by the amount you have to put in. If you have a 20% chance of hitting and the bet to you is 50, if the pot at the river will be greater than 250, call. If not, fold.

• Math skills are the most basic knowledge. The purpose of this book is not to go over pot odds, implied odds, etc. That’s day one reading. Anyone who doesn’t understand these concepts should not play in a game until they do.

2. Discipline

• Good poker players demand an advantage. What separates a winning poker player from a fish is that a fish does not expect to win, while a poker player does. A fish is happy playing craps, roulette, the slots; he just hopes to get lucky. A poker player does not hope to get lucky; he just hopes others don’t get lucky.
• Good poker players understand that a different game requires a different discipline. A disciplined no limit player can be a foolish limit player and vice versa. A disciplined limit player is always very tight preflop. He or she will not play too many hands, only the ones that have a very good chance at winning.

  However, a disciplined no limit player is VERY different. This player is not so concerned with paying too many blinds; instead, he or she does not want to get trapped. The main difference between a disciplined limit and no limit player is that the limit player avoids piddling away his stack bit by bit while a disciplined no limit player avoids losing his whole stack in one hand. Hence, a disciplined no limit player can play a lot of hands. Preflop, he or she can be as loose as ‘that’ girl in high school. However, a good no limit player knows when to toss hands that will get him or her in trouble.

• A disciplined player knows when to play and when to quit. He recognizes when he is on tilt and is aware when a game is too juicy to just quit while ahead.
• A disciplined player knows that he is not perfect. When a disciplined player makes a mistake, he learns. He does not blame others. He does not cry. He learns from the mistake and moves on.

3. Psychological Skills

• A good player is not a self-centered player. He may be the biggest SOB you know. He may not talk about care about anyone but himself and may enjoy stealing food from the poor. However, when a poker pro walks into a poker room, he always empathizes with his opponents. He tries to think what they think and understand the decisions they make and why they make them. The poker pro always tries to have an answer to these questions:

  a- what does my foe have

  b- what does my foe think I have

  c- what does my foe think I think he has

• Knowing the answer to these questions is the first step, manipulating the answers is the second and more important step. If you have a pair of kings and your foe has a pair of aces, and you both know what each other have and both know that you each know what the other has, why play a game of poker? A poker pro manipulates the latter two answers by slowplaying, fastplaying, and bluffing in order to throw his opponent off. Good poker players know that psychology is much, much, much more important in a no limit game than in a limit one. Limit games often turn into math battles, while no limit games carry a strong psychology component. I would NEVER play against a solid computer ‘bot’ in a limit game. However, in a no limit game, that bot would be toast.

4. A Clear Understanding of Risk-vs-Reward

• Pot odds and demanding an advantage fall into this category. Poker players are willing to take a long shot risk if the reward is high enough, but only if the expected return is higher than the risk.
• More importantly, they understand the risk-vs-reward nature of the game outside of the actual poker room. They know how much bank they need to play, and how much money they need in reserve to cover other expenses in life.
• Good poker players are fundamentally slightly risk-averse. In economics, a person is defined as risk-neutral, risk-averse, or risk-loving, depending on how that person rewards the next dollar they gain or lose. Risk loving are perfectly happy risking their entire roll on an even odds bet, a risk-neutral person is indifferent towards it, and a very risk-averse person would never risk his whole roll. Thus, a good poker player is slightly risk averse b/c he demands a big enough advantage to not be considered ‘risk-neutral,’ but he tends to value every dollar in his roll equally. If you cannot afford to lose your entire roll, you should not be playing with that much money.

Poker Strategy – Bankroll

How much money should I invest?

This is an important question, with two simple answers.

If you are looking to just have fun, don’t invest any more than is ‘fun’ to lose. Hence, if you’re comfortable blowing 100 bucks, put in $100 and see if you can win with it. This is what I did. My original roll was only $100 but I built it up into my current, much more powerful bankroll.

If you are looking to make money, you should be able to bank 200 big bets at the limit you play. Hence, if you play a $2-4, you should have $4 X 200= $800 dollar roll. For $5-10, your target roll should be $2000. These numbers prevent you from blowing your entire bankroll b/c of one bad run.

Some may say that the 200 big bets is too low for shorthand, but I believe you need to be reasonable about potential losses.

You don’t want to invest more than 200 big bets unless you’ve proven that you’re successful at that limit.
Poker Strategy – Starting Hands

The first thing you must understand when you play Texas Holdem is which hands are good and which are bad. Though it depends on the number of people in the game and the type, here is a general guide to use when you are just starting out but want to be a winning player at the lower limits. I suggest starting out at a fixed limit of $1-2 or lower.

Hands to Raise with:

These are ‘premium hands’ that you want to jam the pot with preflop:

AA, KK, QQ, AK, JJ, AQ, 1010

Hands to call with:

You want to see the flop with these hands and then decide. Do not call three bets with these hands, call only one or two.

AJ, KQ, QJ, J10, 109 (only if of same suit),99, 88, 77, Ax (same suit)
Poker Strategy – Pot Odds

Once you hit the flop, you should use pot odds to decide your next action. When you hit the flop, either you will be winning or hopefully winning (with a made hand) or you want cards to improve your hand (you are drawing). If you have a made hand, you should bet and raise. You want to win the pot now because more cards can only help your opposition. An example of a made hand is if you hold AK and the board is KJ4.

If you do not have a made hand, you are drawing. You must use ‘pot odds’ to determine if you should call or fold. First, you must count the number of outs you have. An out is a card that will make your hand the best hand. For example, if your hand is KJ, and the board is Q 10 7, then your outs are 4 Aces and 4 9’s, or 8 outs total. To calculate your percentage of hitting an out, you take the # of outs times 2, then add 2. Once you figure out this number, you multiply it by the pot to see what the maximum bet is that you can call. For example, if you have 6 outs (6 cards will help you), you have about a 14% chance of hitting. If the pot is $100 and you must call $10, you should call b/c you can call up to $14 (.14 X 100) but the cost is only $10. However, if the bet to you was $20, you should fold, because that would require a 20% chance of hitting.
Poker Strategy – Deception

Bluffing and Slowplaying are two deceptive techniques you should employ.
Bluffing

Contrary to popular belief, bluffing is almost useless in a low limit game (anything less than $2-4). Rarely will people not call to a showdown, so there is no point in scaring people out of the pot. I suggest waiting to bluff until you play at a higher limit. When you play at a higher limit, it’s best to bluff when you ‘represent’ something and there are only one or two opponents in the pot. For example, betting at the flop with a high card on the board ‘represents’ a pair, raising when a flush is possible ‘represents’ the flush.
Slowplaying

Slowplaying means deceiving your opponents into thinking you have less of a hand then you do. For example, suppose you hold KK. The flop comes K33, so you flopped a full house! There is no need to scare people out of the pot because there is little chance of someone drawing out on you. Thus, you should wait to the turn or maybe even river to jam the pot with bets and raises. You should slowplay if two conditions are met:

1. You hold a whopper and there is almost no chance of someone drawing on you

2. You will only get action if some other cards come out that will improve your opponents’ hands, but these cards are not good enough to make these hands beat yours.
Poker Strategy – Tilt

Being on tilt means letting your emotions disrupt your ability to play. All poker players go on tilt at least once during their career, but limiting these episodes is essential to winning at poker. Poker is a game that requires reason. If you have JQ of spades, and the flop comes AQ10, all of hearts, and there is a lot of betting action, you need to know to fold. If you were on tilt, you would let your emotions take control and make you do whatever it took to take down the pot. You would keep chasing, hoping to catch a king and hoping that no one had a flush.

In general, people who get upset and don’t stay focused and reasonable will lose all the money they brought to the table.

Poker is almost anti-human in the way it triggers emotions but rewards people who are made of stone. I don’t mean to scare you or act as if all poker players are unemotional stones, but it is imperative to stay focused and rational while at the poker table.

Generally, most players tilt due to a bad beat or if they just can?t seem to win a hand. Some players have a slight tilt after they win a big hand or two, but those episodes generally are much shorter than tilts caused by losing.

For example, take a hand I played recently. I had AQ and the flop came AQ2. I bet and was called. A 10 came on the turn. Bet, call. River was a 7. I bet and he raised. I decided to just call, thinking he may have actually had KJ. No, he had 77. The idiot had called me to the river with little hope but won on a very lucky river catch. Needless to say, I was not playing well the next couple of hands.

While going on tilt is natural, you need to limit it. Generally, the best way is to sit out a couple of hands and go on a walk. Another good way to handle a bad beat is to just think about all the bad beats you have laid in the past. After the bad beat I mentioned above, I sat back and thought about the time I stupidly went all in in a pot limit omaha with bottom set. I had 33J7, 3J7 of spades, and there was 368 on the board- the 8 was a spade. My opponent had 88, the best hand when all the money went into the pot. I was lucky enough to catch a backdoor flush on the turn-river and took down a huge pot. I went on to win the most money that day that I have ever won. If I had lost that hand, I probably would have called it quits and never would have won all of that money. Thinking about the time I pulled off this bad beat and went on to win such a huge sum helps me get through the times that some idiot rivers me.

Many people, myself included, tend to curse at the computer if they get bad beat. However, for myself at least, cursing is not nearly as therapeutic as thinking about that huge bad beat I laid at the omaha table. Cursing tends to make you more mad and will cause you to develop some bad habits. When you are about to go on tilt, sit out and think of happy thoughts (as cheesy as it sounds, it’s true) and hopefully you can resume playing your best.
Poker Strategy – Adjusting From Home Games to Internet Games

Most people who play poker just played in a typical home game at first. The structure of these games was simple. Generally, everyone would ante a certain amount (say 25 cents) and then the betting was structured as to have a minimum and maximum bet.

For example, everyone would ante 25 cents and then the bets/raises would range between 25 cents to $2 each round.

The play at the home games was generally bet, call or perhaps bet,raise, call. Most hands would go to a showdown and generally the person who had the hottest cards (not one who necessarily made the best plays) would win at the end of the day.

Internet poker is very different from this in 3 ways: the ante structure, the betting structure, and the competition.
Ante Structure

First, unless you are playing 7 stud, there is no ante. The person to the left of the dealer must pay the small blind and the person after him must pay the big blind. These are forced bets. All the other players are not forced to bet anything to receive cards (they do not need to ante), but they must match the big blind or any raise to the big blind to see the flop.

Thus, a typical game, involving 6 people, with a small blind (sb) of 50 cents and a big blind (bb) of $1 would go as follows preflop:

Seat one: SB ($.50)
Seat two: BB ($1)
Seat three: Fold
Seat four: Calls BB ($1)
Seat five: Raises BB ($2)
Dealer (Seat six): Fold

Seat one: Fold
Seat two: Calls raise ($1)
Seat three: Calls raise ($1)

Then the betting would begin with the big blind (since the small blind folded) after the flop.
Betting Structure

In addition to the blind/ante structure being different in online games, the type of betting differs. The most similar to the spread limit (i.e. the minimum/maximum bet) would be ‘no limit.’ In other words, there is still the minimum bet, however the maximum bet is the amount of chips in front of you. The best place to play no limit is Party Poker or Ulitmate Bet.

There is a common myth at no limit that if someone bets more chips than you have, you must fold. THAT IS NOT TRUE. If Tom bets $30 and I only have $15, I only must put in $15 to call. Thus, Tom is essentially only betting $15 dollars if I’m the only person in the pot. However, if the pot is between me, Tom, and Jane and both Tom and Jane have $50 dollars, Jane must match Tom’s bet of $30. The extra $15 would be in a sidepot. So, at the showdown, I would be in contention for $45 dollars and Tom and Jane would be in contention for the $45 plus the extra $30. Thus, if I have the best hand and Jane has the second best hand, I would win $45 and she would win $30. If Jane hand was in fact better than mine, she would win the entire $75.

Closely similar to no limit is pot limit, where you can bet any amount from the minimum bet to the size of the pot.

Finally, the most popular form of betting is known as limit. This type of game has fixed bets. For example, in a $2-4 game, the size of the bets are $2 or $4, depending on which round it is. In Texas Holdem and Omaha, each bet preflop and at the flop (when the 3 cards come out) is $2. If someone wishes to raise, he or she must do so by $2 dollars. Thus, in a 4-handed situation, this would be a typical case:

Seat one: Check
Seat two: Bet $2
Seat three: Raise $2 (to $4)
Seat four: Call $4

Seat one: Fold
Seat two: Call $4

The bets on the turn (when 4 cards are out) and the river (when all cards are out) would be the higher amount- $4. So, taken the above example, this is how the turn betting may happen:

Seat two: Bet $4
Seat three: Fold
Seat four: Raise $4 (to $8)

Seat two: Call $4
Competition

Finally, skill pays off more on the internet than dumb luck. People actually try to win because the money exchanged is often more than just nickels and dimes. You should not just call to the river ‘just to see what he has’ and such. You must use strategy to expect to win in the long run. Someone who plays his typical home game strategy may win at first, but will probably lose in the long run (unless his or her home game is particularly tough).

Poker Slow Playing

There are so many different situations in poker and one key to winning is to know when/how to slow play your hand. What does slow playing actually do for you? It makes your opponents think that they have you beat.

So whether you flopped a monster and want to slow play in hopes of your opponent getting a hand to bet/call a decent amount. It also causes your opponents to bluff more. Slow playing isn’t only a technique to get the most out of your hand, but it can also be a way to have your strong hand taken down by a weaker one if it is not executed correctly.

Who to Slow Play Against

First of all, slow playing is a strategy that should be used when facing either advanced or aggressive opponents. The reason for this is that more advanced players are likely to try and steal pots when they feel weakness, and aggressive opponents like to buy many pots.

The key is to trap your opponent, which is when they make a bet or raise in hopes of you folding. You do not want to just give them free opportunities to see another card. When you are facing very weak and inexperienced opponents, it is usually best to bet them out of the hand, as they will often just check when they don’t have anything.

How to Slow Play

When people slow play they often think that it is best to check to their opponent. This is not always the case because you don’t want to give your opponent a free card. What you want to do is make a mediocre bet, that is smaller than your usual bet, to try to make them think that you are bluffing. Nothing’s better than flopping a straight and getting re-raised all in because your opponent felt you were bluffing.

However, if you make that mediocre bet and your opponent only calls it, then next turn you want to bet him out, and if he happened to catch or has a feeling that you are bluffing, then you may have caller, which should mean more money for you. Now, there are the occasions that odds will go against you and you will lose your hand. That’s why you take a chance when slow playing in order get a bigger pot.

The Dangers of Slow Playing

Obviously slow playing isn’t 100% reliable. It’s a chance that you have to take. If you never slow play, you won’t see as many bad beats and for some people that’s what they want. No one wants bad beats, but if you are willing to take a risk you can really get paid off.

The biggest danger of slow playing is that you give your opponent an opportunity to see a card cheaply. With that card they may catch a draw or even a stronger hand than you. If they get a straight or flush draw they may call a pretty large bet from you and of course they will eventually hit and win the hand. So there goes your whole idea of slow playing to win a bigger pot. If you don’t want to take the risk, bet your opponents out whenever you can.

Specific Situations

There are only a few occasions when you should check all the way to the river. If you hold AK and you flop a full house, slow playing is a good idea. If the flop is AAK, there’s only one ace left in the deck, along with two kings. This makes it a long shot that your opponent has anything worth playing.

However, if you check and allow a few free cards, your opponent can catch up. For example, if your opponent had J10, and you bet, he will probably fold. However, if you check and the turn is a Q, you are going to win a very nice pot. Also, if your opponent tries to steal at any point because of your checking, you will extract more money from him.

Another situation would be if you had a high pocket pair. You don’t want to slow play low pocket pairs even if the flop consists of all under cards because there is a pretty good chance that an over card will come up on the turn or river. If you have a high pocket pair, specifically AA or KK, you should slow play like you learned above.

There are so many situations when you should slow play and there’s no way to talk about them all. But then again, there are plenty of situations where you shouldn’t slow play. Make sure you think about your odds before you slow play and consider what your opponent may be holding.

In almost every occasion you don’t want to slow play if there are several people in the hand, because the chances of one of them catching something stronger than you is much higher. The only exception would be if you catch a monster such as a straight, a flush, a full house, and so on, but these never guarantee a win.

Overall it is a great idea to slow play, as long as you pick the right situations, the right opponents, and only do it on occasion. By following this strategy, slow playing will really help you build your stack if you do properly.

Poker Pot Odds

Pot Odds Is Very Important In My Opinion

Pot odds defined

The idea of pot odds is crucial when deciding actions in poker play. Pot odds refer to the relationship between the pot size compared to bet size. If there is a $10 pot and, in order to call, you have to put in a $2 bet, you are getting pot odds of 5:1. If you have to call a $5 bet in the same $10 pot, you are getting pot odds of 2:1.

The size of the pot

Always be conscious of pot size. When in a Limit poker game, count the number of bets in the pot rather than counting the amount of money. When bets double, for example in Hold’em, count the big bets as two small bets. When Pot-Limit or No-Limit is the game, it is a more difficult to count the pot and the odds will probably not be as exact. Nevertheless, you must still do it.

How to use pot odds

Once you determine the pot odds, use the information appropriately. To do this, connect the pot odds to the value of your hand. Then means you must be able to put your opponents on likely hands and consider your chances of holding a better hand than theirs. Let’s say, you have a flush draw on the flop in hold’em and are up against an opponent you believe has, at a minimum, a top pair. There are nine cards, called outs, which will give you a flush when you have flopped a four flush. The below table indicates that nine outs gives a 35% change, or 2:1 against, of making the flush on the turn and river combined. This means you need to have pot odds of at least 2:1 to call any bet on the flop.

Implied odds

Implied odds refers to the relationship between the size of the current pot and the pot you expect to win. This means that sometimes the pot does not lay the right odds, when you decided to play expecting to get further action and win more when you hit the hand. For example, in Limit Hold’em your opponent bets $20 into an $80 pot, your call gives you pot odds of 5:1 since you are risking $20 to win $120. But, if you expect your opponent to call a bet or raise on the river if you make your hand, your implied odds are 6:1 or 7:1.

A rule of thumb for Texas Hold’em and Omaha

Every out gives you an approximate 4% chance of hitting on the turn and river combined. For example, 5 outs gives you about a 20% chance of improving, 6 outs about 24%, etc.

Poker Mind Skills - Have Your Mindset Right

Thinking like a poker player may be a cliché but it is one that certainly hits the nail on the head. Poker requires a way of thinking which many beginners find difficult to comprehend.

It can be quite easy to get off-track during a game of poker, so this section is designed to help you eliminate distractions and learn to concentrate on the things that you must be concentrating on in order to be a winner – like the four key poker skills.

4 ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Frequently, professional poker players are considered to be either ‘tight’ or ‘aggressive’. Poker sharks play few hands, but when they play, they do so with a killer-like instinct. While these terms a good descriptions of poker professionals, novices simply will not understand them.

To address things in basic terms, the most important things a poker player can do is learn, practice and develop continually four critical skills: math, discipline, psychology, and risk versus reward. Here’s an outline of these critical concepts:

1. MATH

A good poker player should about know general percentages. These are any odds that can be memorized about the game of poker which will save you time when playing under pressure. For example, there is approximately a 1 in 8 chance of hitting a set when holding a pocket pair. The chance of completing a flush draw at the flow is around 33%. The more general percentages you know there more help you have when sitting at the poker table or playing online. Focus on critical numbers because it is impossible to remember all the many statistics available. However, the more you play, the more you’ll develop a memory for these facts.

Outs are un-dealt cards that will improve your hand and great poker players always know their outs. Keep track of how many cards can help your hand and think of them in terms of a percentage. To calculate the odds, count the number of outs, multiply by two, add two, and the answer will show the percentage change of hitting one of the outs to improve your hand. This formula is well worth committing to memory.

Pot odds are very important also and go hand-in-hand with outs. Unless outs are converted into intelligent betting that considers the financial return versus the risk of decisions, they don’t mean anything.

2. DISCIPLINE

Great poker players require an advantage. The difference between a winning player and a fish is that a fish doesn’t expect to win, while a skillful player does. A fish is just hoping luck will be on his or her side and will play other casino games. A skilled poker player doesn’t depend on luck; he does, however, hope that others do not get lucky.

Skilled poker players know that every game requires different levels of discipline. A disciplined no-limit player could be a very foolish limit player or visa versa. Most often, a disciplined limit poker player plays tight at the pre-flop stage. He doesn’t play too many hands. Instead, he selects those hands high winning potential.

On the flip side, a disciplined no-limit player is entirely different. This player is less concerned with playing too many blinds. Instead, he concentrates on not getting trapped. The main difference between a disciplined limit and a disciplined no-limit player is that the limit player avoids allowing his stack take repeated small hits. A disciplined no-limit player avoids losing his whole stack in one fell swoop. Because of this, a disciplined no-limit player can play a lot of hands. Pre-flop, he may play be as loose as anyone else. Yet, he also knows exactly when to fold hands that can get him in big trouble.

A truly disciplined poker player, as the song says, knows when to “hold’em and knows when to fold’em”. He or she recognizes when they’re on tilt and aware when the game is too lucrative to stop. This knowledge arrives only through playing experience; in the meantime simply follow your instincts. If you find you are playing more with emotion than with your brain, taking a break and reorganizing would be in your best interest.

Disciplined poker players know they are not perfect and that they will make mistakes but they use this mistakes to learn. They do not blame others for their errors nor do they whine or cry about them. Every mistake is a lesson from which a poker player can learn to become a more sophisticated player. So, when you make an error, learn from it and move on.

3. PSYCHOLOGY

A great deal of information about poker psychology is available, far too much to address in depth here. However, there is some sound advice you should know. Remember that the OTHER PLAYERS in any poker game are just as important as you. Often, people playing poker are off-guard because their thoughts are on themselves, their decisions, their strategy and approach and their cards. While these things are important, as addressed in the DISCIPLINE section above, you should still think about what is going on elsewhere at the poker table.

A good poker player is not a self-centered player. While he may be a real jerk and very self-centered when not at the poker table, when he IS playing poker, his philosophy should change. He should empathize with other players and attempt to place himself in their position. This helps him to understand the decisions they are considering.

It is very important for a good poker player to always try to answer three very important questions:

1. What cards does my opponent hold?
2. What cards does my opponent think I may hold?
3. What does my opponent believe that I think he is holding?

First, consider what you believe the answers to these three important questions are and then use that information to manipulate the situation to your advantage. You want to first know the answers to these questions and then know how to manipulate the answers to your advantage. If you have a pair of kings and your opponent has a pair of aces, and you both know what the other has and you both know that each of you knows what the other has, why bother to play a game of poker? A poker professional will manipulate the scenario using various techniques in order to mislead the opponents. You’ll need to become accustomed to mixing things up and not being too easy to ‘read’. This is the best, and sometimes only, way to play a great poker game.

Import note: Good psychology is crucially important in a no-limit game, much more so than in a limit game. It is absolutely vital that you realize this important fact. Limit games frequently become math battles, but no-limit games involve a strong psychological element. Novice and beginners should be fully aware of what they are getting into before playing no-limit poker.

4. RISK vs. REWARD MGMT

Risk and reward management may seem obvious; after all, we use it in daily life as well as at the poker table. But gambling often brings out aspects of ourselves that we usually don’t encounter; we may, at times, play with more passion that reason. Always try to strike a balance between the two, and never allow things to get out of control. Good poker players are willing to take a big risk only if the reward is sufficiently large, and even then ONLY if the expected return is higher than the risk. Playing poker is a balancing act, and expert poker players are those able to balance things most effectively.

More importantly, understand that the risk-versus-reward nature of poker extends beyond the poker room. Always keep a budget of how much money you need for playing poker and how much you need for other living expenses. It is not our place to tell you which is more important, but it is a good idea to play within your allocated poker budget.

Fundamentally, good poker players are slightly averse to risks, which may come as a surprise to many. In terms of investment, a person is risk-neutral, risk-averse or risk-accepting, depending on how that person allocates available investment funds. You’ll find that, over time, the most successful poker players are not those who bet the whole wad on a risk-accepting long-shot, hoping to get lucky, or even the ones who bet their bank roll only on rare occasions (risk-neutral). The really successful poker players are actually those who take only calculated risks, and keep focused on the ‘big picture’.

Sticking to this kind of example is much better than striving for the whole pot all the time. Even though you may have some success with taking big risks, over time reckless strategies will result in much less success than playing more prudently.

Poker Hints

Playing poker can be one of the most rewarding hobbies, even if you just play for free. The best way to learn to play any type of poker is to PLAY, PLAY, PLAY! Join a free poker league, set up a friendly game with friends, sit down with someone you know who plays (well, hopefully) and learn from them.

There is never a place where you will know everything about poker, so you should always have your eyes and ears alert to learn something new.

Talk to people while you are playing. There are lots of excellent players that are always willing to give newbies a tip. But remember, just because they say something doesn’t mean it will work for YOU. Ask players why they folded, why they raised, why they raised what they raised. Were they trying to scare everyone off, or were they hoping for a caller? Sometimes, people may not answer you, or worse, may not answer you truthfully, but it never hurts to ask.

One of my favorite ways to work on my game is to play with my husband who is a much better player than me (Texas Hold ‘Em is our game). What we do is play two hands a piece, cards up for a while and talk about how to play those starting hands. Then, for a while we will play two hands a piece face down, but after each hand show hands and then talk about how we played it and what we could have done to be more successful.

Again, I go back to PLAY, PLAY, PLAY! One thing that has definitely made me a stronger player is having joined a free poker league – Snowman Poker League – in Houston. We play six nights a week, and each night is 2 tournaments. I have learned so much by playing. Poker terms, how to deal, legal rules, etiquette, and most importantly, how other people play.

Don’t be fooled. Most people do no have any cut and dry “tell.” But there are lots of little things you can learn about how people play and little tells. For example, if the flop is a flush draw, and your opponent checks his cards, he is probably looking at what suits his card are. Realistically, they are probably not suited, because when you play a suited hand, you tend to remember what that suit is. Obviously, that is not a sure thing, but it is something to keep in mind. A lot of times when that happens and I check my hand, it’s because one of my cards is an ace and I want to know what it’s suit is. Or, I have a pocket pair and want to know if either of my cards matches that particular suit.

When you play with the same people frequently, as I do in my poker league, you learn about how people play. For instance, according to my husband, if I am playing and betting, then you better have some good cards because I only play when I have got something very good, and I don’t bet on mid or low pairs. Obviously, I need to bluff some (AND GET CAUGHT) so maybe I can change my reputation. Another player that we play with frequently loves fours. So, if he’s playing and there are fours on the board, watch out. Another poker friend of mine’s favorite hand is nine – ten (he gets mad at me when I fold this hand), as well as pocket nines, tens, and also jacks.

People are also rather dumb sometimes. They will say things like “oooh, I got my favorite hand” and think that you don’t know what their favorite hand is. When you can, REMEMBER what other people’s favorite hands are. I got caught one time when I said “This is one of my favorite hands” (and I have like ten), and the owner of the league called me remembering that I said that about ace – ten. Sure, I have a lot of favorite hands, but that happened to be the one I was talking about. Ouch! Fortunately, I change favorite hands about once a week!

There is a lot of psychology involved in poker. This is where I thrive having both a masters and a bachelor’s degree in psychology (and, of course, a psychologist just won the main event at the World Series of Poker!). The psychology of poker is some of knowing how other people play, but also figuring out what people have based on how they bet. If there is a flush draw out there and someone bets the minimum bet, they probably don’t have the flush. Maybe top pair. Knowing that, if you have something better, you can feel much better about calling or raising or even folding! Of course, there is always the fact that someone COULD be bluffing. What I have found is that bluffs more often are what we refer to as “semi-bluffs.” Meaning you have SOMETHING, but you are betting like you have something BETTER.

When playing, always remember to never regret the hand that you folded that WOULD of won. Instead, regret the hand you played and SHOULDN’T have. And, most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Poker Hand Rankings

Poker Hands Listed by Best Hand First

Royal Flush: This is the highest poker hand possible, a royal flush is an Ace high straight and a flush. This is made up of an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten, all of which are the same suit. If two players hold a royal flush, they split the pot.

Straight Flush: A straight flush is like a royal flush, with five cards which is a straight and flush, but it’s not an Ace high. An example of a straight flush is a five, six, seven, eight and nine all of the same suit. When two players hold a straight flush, the player who has the highest card wins.

Four of a Kind: A hand which has four cards of the same rank, like four Kings or four Aces’. When two players each have a four of a kind, the highest ranked hand wins. In the event that both players hold the same four of a kind, the player with the highest fifth card called a kicker, wins the pot.

Full House: Three cards of one rank and two of another rank form a full house. Examples of full houses include three Kings and two tens or three fives and two six’s. When two players have a full house, the player with the highest three of a kind wins the pot.

Flush: A flush is a hand with all five cards of the same suit, either five Hearts, Clubs, Spades or Diamonds. When two or more players each have a flush, the hand with the highest card wins. If two hands have the same highest card, the next highest card is compared.

Straight: Five cards in numerical order form a straight, like six, five, four, three and two. When two players have a straight, the one with the highest card wins. If two players have straights with the same highest card, they split the pot. Suits don’t matter when determining the strength of a straight.

Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank, like three Jacks or three eights. When two players have three of a kind, the highest ranked three of a kind wins the pot. If two players have the same three of a kind, the player with the highest fourth card wins.

Two pair: A hand consisting of two cards of the same rank, in combination with two other cards of the same rank, like two tens and two sixes. When two players have two pair, the one with the highest pair wins. If two players have the same highest pair, the highest second pair wins.

One pair: Hands that contain only two cards of the same rank, like two Aces or two Jacks, with three unmatched cards have one pair. When two or more players have one pair, the highest pair wins. If two players have the same pair, the highest third card wins.

High card: A hand containing none of the combinations listed above ranks as a high card hand. When two or more players have high card hands, the highest card wins, followed by the second highest card, etc. in the case of ties. Hands are ranked from Ace down through two.

Playing the Flop in Limit Hold'em

When the flop is dealt, you have already seen most of the cards you will get. The turn and river can always change things, but if the flop doesn’t help you or give you that “oh great!” feeling, don’t hesitate to drop your hand. A part of making money at this game is dropping your weak hands before they cost you.

Bluffing

In low limit games, bluffing won’t do a lot of good on the flop if there’s more than one person in. The pot odds and weak opponents will cause your bets to be called a good percentage of the time. Against a single opponent, feel free to take a stab at the pot now and then if he’s capable of folding.

Aggression

Aggression wins money in poker. If you bet and raise more than you check and call, you’ll be a long ways in making poker a profitable hobby. Playing an aggressive game means you bet and raise when you have strong hands and you simply fold when your hands are weak.

There isn’t any room for mediocre hands with which you might want to just call. Those types of hands just cost you money and should be folded. Calling should be reserved for when you have a draw and the correct pot odds to chase it.

An aggressive strategy accomplishes two things: It gets money in the pot when you have a strong hand and it protects that hand. By playing your strong hands with aggression, you can build yourself a nice pot and charge your opponents to draw out on you. It all works out in your favor.
Protecting Your Hand

It will often feel like it’s impossible to protect your hand in low limit games because there are so many opponents in the pot with you and you can only bet a fixed amount. It is true that your opponents will often draw out on you, but your strong hands will hold up often enough to make a profit in the long term. It just takes patience to handle the short term variance that low limit games can bring.

Protecting your hand means both betting and raising with your strong hands. A raise is a very effective way of protecting your hand if there are still people to act behind you. The combination of a bet and your subsequent raise forces the people behind you to call two bets cold to stay in the pot.

A successful check raise is a good way to make it expensive for your opponents to draw. The risk associated with check raising is giving your passive opponents a chance to check it through, causing you to miss your check raise. Use this move sparingly in low limit games unless you have a good reason to believe someone will bet for you.

Drawing

When you have a drawing hand on the flop, the pot odds will have a major impact on whether or not you continue with the hand. If you’re not getting appropriate pot odds on your draw, you will want to pass on it.

Sometimes you can get a free card by betting or raising your draw on the flop and then checking on the turn when everyone checks to you. This play is a little risky because it reopens the betting and good players are aware of the free card play. Sometimes they will raise your bet on the flop and make it more expensive than you’d hoped.

Against certain opponents, the semi-bluff can be a very effective play. The semi-bluff is useful because it gives you two ways to win the hand. First, it can get the opponents to all fold, giving you the pot. Second, it can win by improving to complete the draw.

Playing Deceptive Poker - Key Skills

In order to become a successful player, you need to add some deception into your play so that other players can’t predict your actions too well. If you check every time you have a weak hand or you bet/raise whenever your cards are strong, the smart players will notice and use this as an edge against you, preventing you from winning when you should take the pot.

Here are some deceptive maneuvers you should add to keep your game unpredictable:

Check-Raise
If you have strong cards, when the action turns to you, sometimes check and then raise when your turn to act arrives again. Let’s say you are in an early position and hold the Ace of Hearts and Queen of Spades. The flop is Ace of Spades, Queen of Hearts, and 6 of Spades. If you check and the next three players in middle positions also check, but the late position player places a wager, you can raise their bet. The reason for the check-raise deception is that you will make it too costly for players that are drawing hands to stay in. Any players holding straight draws or overcards simply won’t call. When you use the check-raise in the early position, it gives you the initiative in that hand of cards. Of course, they still may call, and if they do, at least you have gotten useful facts about what cards they may be holding and you have increased the size of the pot, which may still be yours in the end.

Free Card
If you are in the late position, raise with a drawing hand on the flop on occasion. This tends to make the other players check to you on the turn, letting you either check if you hand isn’t great or bet if the cards hit. You’ll save money if your hand doesn’t improve and make more when you do get the great cards. Watch out because this can backfire when you get re-raised on the flop! If that happens, it will cost you but it is still a good way to learn about the other player’s cards and perhaps a draw will improve your hand.

Semi-bluffing
A semi-bluff is betting or raising when your hand is not that great but you have lots of outs that could allow you to outdraw the other players if you get called or raised. However, you are really wanting to win the pot right then with the semi-bluff. Let’s say you are in the late position with a Ten of Hearts and Queen of Hearts. The flop reveals Queen of Spades, 6 of Hearts and 4 of Hearts. This means you have nine outs that will draw to a flush. If there are three players in the hand and they all check to you, you can bet without holding a hand that is a sure winner because of the large number of outs and their check means they are probably not holding any great cards, maybe pocket pairs or a pair of 6’s or 4’s. If you do get your bet called, there are still nine outs which will give you the flush you want and perhaps as many as six more outs to win if you hit the right cards, making it about 15 outs total. After all, you can always take a free card to see if you get one of those outs.

Slow-play
Sometimes when you hold a strong hand, slow-play it. What this means is checking or calling on a betting round but bet or raise on later rounds. When playing Texas Holdem, this is a very common playing technique on the flop because it keeps players in the pot and a raise on the turn or river cards will happen when it costs more to stay in. Watch out that this doesn’t backfire on your, however, when other players take free cards and actually beat your cards! Sometimes players slow-play too much and lose pots they could have won. However, it does allow you to switch up your play to remain unpredictable. There are, however, a few times that slow-play is not recommended. These are: when a free card is likely to beat you, when there are too many other players in the hand, when the pot is really large, and when a free card will fail to give your opponent a second-best hand.

Online Poker vs. Live Poker

Many new internet poker players have never played anywhere but on their computer. Some feel intimidated about casinos and don’t know what to expect. What’s different about casino play then online play? Read on to find out…

At the casino, the speed of the game will be slow compared to online. Every hand the dealer has to reshuffle the cards and manually deal them out. Also, there is no time limit for a player to make their decision. Plus, when the table breaks it lasts much longer then the 3 or 5 minutes you’ll see online.

At the live table, there is no sound that alerts you when its your turn, and no pre-action buttons, so you have to pay attention. Make sure you know when its your turn, or you’ll have no idea.

Avoid string betting. This is when you put a few chips into the pot, then put some more into the pot later. It confuses players and may anger some of the people at the table. Clearly state your bet or raise when you make your play.

What to wear. Some casinos won’t let you play unless you look half decent. Make sure you find this out in advance.

What will be much better about casino poker is the relationships you make. You’ll meet friends at the table, and are more likely to have conversations with them. Also, the actual feel of the cards, chips, table, and cash that you win is incomparable to online play.

No Limit Texas Holdem Super Strategies

No Limit Texas Holdem Poker is such a game whose rules can be learned in few minutes, but it might take a life time to understand its subtle intricacies. In other words, there are no many shortcuts to become a master of the game. The more you play, the more you will understand about the rules, strategies and the game as a whole.

In this article, we will see the highlights of some essential strategies that could work for any player who tries his/her hand in no limit Texas Holdem game.

Before discussing the strategies, here is the way the game proceeds To start with, two bets are put up, one half the minimum small blind by the player positioned next to the dealer and another, same as the minimum big blind, put up by the next player towards left.

Please understand that you may find different table minimums out there $1 $2 or $2 $4 and no player place a bet at this time. Further, as the play rotates, each player will take turn as dealer. Now, at the open, each of the players will receive two cards with face down, after which the one to the left of big-blind starts betting by matching the bet call or raise, doubling it.

Once the first round of betting completes, a set of three cards called the flop are placed face up. Another round of betting commences after this.

After the flop, a fourth card called the turn is introduced, and is followed by another round of betting. Then, the final community card the river is added and the final round of betting takes place. From this point, the player who could manage the best five-card poker hand would win the game.

Successful completion of no limit Texas Holdem poker requires a mix of skill, quick thinking, and loads of patience, coupled with different strategies for various positions on the table. As a general rule, for any player, it will take a stronger hand to win from an early stance, as a number of players will follow with the ability to raise a pot. It is also advisable not to make the mistake of playing too many cards. Once past the flop, one must have a clear idea of his/her hand that is not just one-fourth away from completion. At this point, without a higher pair, placing a bet would be a blunder unless one is so sure about his/her lucky stars.

Once the game goes past the turn card, some players are seen to needlessly stay in the game hoping some big turn around to happen in the river card round. While it is simply not advisable to call here without any reasonable chance existing, it will be disastrous as well to fold the game at this stage if there is a ray of hope somewhere.

As mentioned earlier, expertise in no limit Texas Holdem game can only be garnered through experience. But for an easy leap forward, it is advisable that one may check the charts – depicting the appropriate steps for various hands – available on the internet, and incorporate those strategies to ones own game. After all, when readymade advice is available, why solely wait for ones own experience to shape your strategies fully?

Finally, like in any other poker game, the success in no limit Texas Holdem rests much on a players ability to make inferences from the actions of his/her opponents and act accordingly. That is, one must be able to time a call, fold, raise or bluff by reading ones own hand and the reactions of other players on the table simultaneously. This is something that can only be developed with experience. No charts could help one in this regard.

In its fullest sense, the game of no limit Texas Holdem will be a test of ones own judgment of character, mathematical skills, and common sense. But a good understanding of the game coupled with a sound strategy could ensure that you scores more than the average percentage of pots. Yes, a little luck can better your prospects further. Good Luck!

No Limit Texas Holdem Strategy Article

No Limit Texas Holdem is most frequently played in tournaments, though it has gained a lot of ground in cash games in recent years due to the upswing in tournament play.

Another reason for it’s increasing popularity is that, as opposed to casinos, online poker rooms are better positioned to host these games. This is because players go broke more often and need to be replaced so the total rake gets lower. For a casino this poses a problem, whereas for an online poker room the process of getting new players to the table is smoother and faster.

No-Limit Texas Hold’em is not suitable for beginners, as the game requires and places a much higher premium on tight/aggressive play. As well, it involves considerably advanced reading skills that allow you to “play the players” rather than the cards. If you are interested in trying out No-Limit Texas Hold’em as a beginner, you should start out with low buy-in, no-limit tournaments. This is because you will risk a modest amount per playing session and will more or less be forced to learn to play a tight/aggressive style (as this style is generally preferred in tournament play).

Limit and No-Limit Texas Holdem: A comparison

Another reason for it’s increasing popularity is that, as opposed to casinos, online poker rooms are better positioned to host these games. This is because players go broke more often and need to be replaced so the total rake gets lower. For a casino this poses a problem, whereas for an online poker room the process of getting new players to the table is smoother and faster.

No-Limit Texas Hold’em is not suitable for beginners, as the game requires and places a much higher premium on tight/aggressive play. As well, it involves considerably advanced reading skills that allow you to “play the players” rather than the cards. If you are interested in trying out No-Limit Texas Hold’em as a beginner, you should start out with low buy-in, no-limit tournaments. This is because you will risk a modest amount per playing session and will more or less be forced to learn to play a tight/aggressive style (as this style is generally preferred in tournament play).

Limit and No-Limit Texas Holdem: A comparison

The biggest differences between No-Limit Texas Hold’em and Limit Texas Hold’em involve position and hand value. Position is far more important in No-Limit because the decisions you make will have a greater impact on your stack. If you trap someone in No-Limit with the help of position, you can win your opponent’s entire stack as compared to collecting a few extra bets in Limit. Big connectors like AK, AQ and KQ decrease in value when you play No-Limit as you are more likely to win small pots and lose big pots with these types of hands. As well, all pairs increase in value when playing No-Limit since you are able to double through your opponents when you hit a set. The big pairs, AA and KK, also increase in value when playing No-Limit as you are again presented with an opportunity to trap someone for his whole stack.

In No-Limit it is important to keep track of the amount of money you and your opponents have on the table. The variation in stack size greatly affects how the game is played.

It should be noted that there exist several playing styles capable of winning the money in No-Limit Texas Hold’em. It is quite possible that, in a good game, a great player could win money in the long run by playing every hand, but that very same player might collect about as much by playing only 15% of the hands. This does not hold true for Limit Holdem.

Good No Limit Texas Hold’em Skills

• 1. Strict hand selection (patience/discipline)
• 2. Good table selection (very important in all poker games)
• 3. Discipline (the ability to wait for a good hand and not chase)
• 4. Reading opponents
• 5. Courage to bet/raise/call down (aggressive with draws or perceived best hands)
• 6. Not vulnerable to go on tilt

No Limit Hold’em Best Advice

• 1. Be very selective of the starting hands you play: in a standard $2-$4 NL game you should have a 20-30% view of the flop percentage.
• 2. Table selection: only play in games where you have an edge. You want at least a couple of weak players at the table when you sit down.
• 3. “Playing the players”: make sure to quickly assess the opposition: who plays inferior hands, who folds at aggression, who bets with draws, who calls big bets with weak hands and draws, who can be bluffed, who bluffs, etc.
• 4. “Pump it or dump it”: fold or bet/raise (if the odds are with you). You should avoid calling unless you have a good reason (like trapping an opponent).
• 5. Respect most big bets and raises: this is particularly true on the turn and river as most players do not bluff.

Ranking of hands for No Limit Hold’em

The best starting hands for a beginner in NL are:

The pairs AA-22.
The big suited connectors AKs & AQs.
The big connectors AK & AQ.

Starting Hand Requirements

These requirements work very well in a tight/aggressive style of play. For less experienced players this is a great way to start out. Avoid playing marginal hands, as you will have to do a lot of guessing which will leave you vulnerable. If you have never played NL before, it is recommended that you restrict yourself to only playing pairs AA-22, AK and AQ. With these hands, you will not find yourself caught in many difficult situations and you can still win big pots. Playing only these hands requires a great deal of discipline since you will not be involved in many pots. Playing with this strategy will provide you with a lot of time to study the game and observe the players as you play.

Play depending on the action in front of you

If there are a couple of limpers in front of you, you should only raise with the top hands, such as AKs and AA-JJ, and be more inclined to call with the marginal hands since these hands play well in multi-way pots.

If the pot has been raised, consider who raised and decide whether to call, re-raise or fold. If it was a strong player, re-raise/fold. If it was a weak player, your inclination should be to call, as you will be presented with a good chance of winning a big pot when you hit a great flop.

Re-raise the strong players with AK and AA-JJ in an attempt to shut them out and win the pot immediately, otherwise fold. Be more inclined to just call raises from weaker players with all pairs, AK and AQ, but only if you have position and will likely end up heads-up, otherwise re-raise. You do this in order to trap them on the flop when you hit a great hand instead of shutting them out pre-flop.

Limping or raising:

Raise with AA-QQ, AK and AQs from any position.

Basically, all other starting hands are limping hands. And though you might re-raise with them when you are defending your blinds, you might also raise with these hands when you are first in from a late position.

Occasionally mix up your play by raising/calling/re-raising with hands you would not usually play. It is preferable to avoid becoming too predictable.

Pre-flop advice

Most of the time you should raise/re-raise with top-pairs (AA-QQ) and top connectors (AK, AQs) in order to make low-pairs and various connectors pay to see flops against you. Remember, they will often have the opportunity to double up on you if they hit (although many beginners do not realize this and fold too often pre-flop).

You will pay dearly to “chase” with second-best hands in NL.

Keep most raises down to between 70% and 100% (making it 3 times the big blind to go typically equals an 80% pot bet) in order to save money when you get re-raised or called by stronger holdings. If there are limpers in front of you, raise to about 4-6 times the big blind.

Have respect for strong tight players (for example, you should drop AQ if a strong player raises under the gun).

When very weak players have entered the pot, be inclined to call and take flops with them.

Play on the flop

Flop play is very important in No-Limit Texas Hold’em. The key is to determine the relative strength of your holding. Over time, it is crucial that you develop the ability to release good hands when you suspect them to be second best. You must determine your relative strength and release hands that face a serious risk of being second-best. Betting is the natural move if you want to protect a good hand from being outdrawn or when you are presented with the opportunity to make your opponents fold their hands. You should usually “pump it or dump it” on the flop.

It is extremely important that you always evaluate the relative strength of your hand on the flop.

In order to decide the correct action it is very important to keep several factors in mind: What did you flop and what is your relative strength (straight draws, flush draws, set, paired board, etc)?

Who, if anyone, raised before the flop (often expect another bet)? What kind of player is it?

What position do you have relative to the raiser’s?

Number of players (it is hard to bluff facing 3 or more opponents and there is a greater chance of someone hitting a strong hand)?

Your and your opponents’ stack size

When facing a bet you should fold unless you have good reason to doubt the strength of your opponent. As they are “setting the odds”, it is crucial that you make the appropriate decision. Remember, your opponent can be holding anything from the stone cold nuts down to nothing – if your hand is decent it may very well be an underdog to a lot of likely holdings. Of course, you will not always fold. In fact, every now and again you should play back with a raise when you have a good chance of taking the lead or if you think your opponent is weak. Consequently, you will be “setting the odds” and forcing your opponent to make a decision (and a possible mistake).

Try to save your calls unless you have very good reason not to (like slow-playing a monster or drawing to the nuts in a multi-way pot). You will rarely get the odds for chasing “outs” by calling in NL, unless your opponents bet too small or give free cards.

By calling with mediocre holdings you will set yourself up for a “guessing game”, in which it is necessary to read opponents well and “make moves” in order to be successful.

Common flop situations

Here are four common situations on the flop:

Very Strong Hand (top two-pair, set)

Often slow-play on an uncoordinated board to lure opponents in, to induce bluffs or let them make second-best hands.

However, if the board is coordinated and several players are in, you will need to over-bet the pot in order to make them pay for attempting to outdraw you. The bigger the bet they call, the greater their mistake. And that is how you make money in poker: letting other players pay to chase you.

Strong Hand (over-pair, top-pair with A kicker, etc.)

Generally, bet about the size of the pot in order to protect it (for example, pushing out overcards and making draws pay).
However, you might have to release this type of hand when facing an over-bet or a raise. In such cases, someone could hold a bigger overpair, a set or connectors that hit the flop for a two-pair. Usually you should not back top-pair with your whole stack!
If you bet and are called in several spots you have to decide whether your hand is the best or not, as it is unlikely that all of your opponents are drawing.

Medium Hand (top-pair with a weak kicker, middle-pair with A kicker, second pocket- pair, etc.)

Most of the time, you should avoid betting this hand when you are in early position, facing several opponents or facing tricky players who slow-play a lot. You want to get a free card to hit one of your pocket cards on the turn or maybe call/raise an opponent who bets from last position.
However, if you are in late position and it is checked to you then you should bet.
If you are facing a bet (or get raised) you should fold. You have no initiative and are probably chasing 2-5 outs.

Drawing Hands (nut flush or nut straight)

If you have 11 outs or more and are drawing to the nut flush or straight, which requires at least one over-card (higher than any board card), you can mix up you game by betting/check-raising/raising in order to win the pot immediately or draw out on later rounds.
If you are playing with “calling stations” this strategy has much lower equity as you will not be able to win a lot of pots with semi-bluffs. With this type of hand, one option is to check-raise/raise all-in if you have a short stack and the pot is fairly large. Then you have two ways to win, either by forcing your opponents to fold or by outdrawing them. You have between a 33-53% chance of doing so if the outs are between 8 and 14.
Sometimes it is correct to call a bet on the flop because of the existing implicit odds. This play is directed by the size of your and your opponent’s stacks and also by the size of the bet. If a weak player with a lot of money bets and you too have a large sum of money, a call would be good since you might double-up if you hit on the turn.

Play on fourth street

As a general rule you still want to have the lead and build the pot. If you were betting a draw on the flop, you must use your best judgment and decide whether to fire again. Remember to always re-evaluate your hand as the play progresses.
Do not call down big bets with a medium holding, unless you play with a habitual bluffer or a player who is quite obviously on tilt.
You can make a steal-raise/steal-bet against tight players if you smell a semi-bluff and you have some kind of draw, but you have to wait for the moment when you have a good read on your opponent. For example, you hold KQs and the flop came 10-9-3. You called a small bet from a lone opponent and now a 6 hits, which also gives you a flush draw. If you sense weakness in your opponent, who bets again, it is appropriate to raise as a semi-bluff. You are likely to have at least 12 outs (any J or flush card) to a better hand than your opponent and possibly as many as 18 outs (if a K or Q will win the pot for you).

Play on fifth street

Avoid betting unless you are quite sure to win a showdown, especially when facing tough opponents. You have little to win and a lot to loose (as you 90% of the time will only get calls from players who believe they have your made hand beat)
Try to figure out your opponent/s most likely holding/s and bet the amount you suspect they might call.
Sometimes check a good hand in order to induce a bluff from someone who you think missed a draw, since they will not call your bet anyways.
Often you should bet small when having the best hand (and no scare card hits on the river). This amount will entice players to call with a weaker hand.
When you have hit your (nut) draw, often bet 80-120% of the pot to make it clear that either you made the draw or you are bluffing. This kind of bet generates almost as many calls as a small bet.

Play against a maniac

There’s a “maniac” at the poker table – someone that plays almost every hand and raises or re-raises with nothing. This kind of opponent can be very annoying and many players will find themselves going on tilt when a maniac disrupts their game. But if you keep your calm and apply the correct strategy you can make a lot of money of the maniac.s erratic play.

The ideal is to be seated to the left of the maniac. This gives you the opportunity to re-raise whenever you.re dealt a decent hand. If the other players fold you.re up against an extremely loose player that is likely to hold weaker cards than you. In addition to this you will have positional advantage on him. The best hands to re-raise the maniac with are hands that are strong when you.re playing heads up, for example A-x, pocket pairs and big connectors (JT or bigger). If neither you nor the maniac improve your hand you are likely to win the pot. Consequently, you have to be prepared to call or raise bets even though you didn.t hit the flop.

If you.re seated to the right of the maniac you have to be much more careful. You still want to be isolated against him, thus is it important that you.re sure he will re-raise your bets. Also keep in mind that he will have positional advantage on you when you.re seated to the right of him.

Drawing hands like 98s are worth less when there.s a maniac in the game, since you rarely will get correct pot odds (or implied odds) to play them. Drawing hands generally require many players in the pot and with a maniac constantly re-raising that won.t be the case very often.

If this strategy is to be successful the other players at the table have to keep playing their normal game. If they realize what.s going on they.re likely to loosen up and play many more hands than usual. Suddenly your re-raises are called or even raised again behind you. When this happens you have to tighten up, both pre-flop and on the flop, and start playing more of your normal game. This also means that the drawing hands mentioned above are in the picture again, especially when you.re sitting in late position. Under these circumstances drawing hands like small suited connectors can give huge pay offs if they hit.

Playing Limit Hold’em short-handed

Poker is counted as short-handed when six or less players can play at the table. Poker played this way has much more action than full ring games because the players are forced to play more hands when the blinds are paid more often. These games are filled with action and many good poker players play only short handed. Short-handed hold’em is a game of skill to a greater extent than full ring games. This is because short-handed poker is much more about psychology than the mechanical full ring games. Another factor is the swings of short-handed poker. All players will experience larger swings than they would in a full ring game and it requires more experience to handle the swings, for example making the right decisions in more situations. A good short-handed player will win more money than a good full ring-game player.

The basics of short handed play are aggressiveness, it is crucial to apply an aggressive style of play if you want to win. Short handed poker requires a larger bank roll because the wagers each player make is more compared to full ring poker, which leads to bigger losses or wins. In order to win you need to play a lot of marginal hands that you hardly call with otherwise, and not only call, you need to raise and re-raise as well. The edge is smaller in short-handed poker and the goal is to make a good profit over a long period of time. You cannot allow a bad streak to affect you and make you scared of pushing. Basically, hands that were calling hands in full ring games are now worth raising with. This is a key concept in short-handed Limit Hold’em, and is especially true when you are in late position.

The most important difference between short-handed and full ring game poker is the value of starting hands. Simply put; the value of starting hands increase in short-handed poker. Hands that are trap hands and calling hands are now hands you can and often should raise with. That includes small and medium pocket pairs, high cards like A-x, K-Q and even hands like J-10. The reason for this is the chance of someone else holding a top hand like A-K, Q-Q has decreased a lot compared to full ring poker. The risk that another player has hit on the flop also decreases making it important to be aggressive and lead the pot so that other players fold if you do not hit either. A pair can be a good hand that often wins in short-handed poker. Hands like low suited connectors, like 7-8 suited, decrease in value because they cannot win without improving. A hand like A-4 can still win with an ace high. So the rules for starting hands is play primarily high cards and play them aggressively.

It is important to attack the blinds and defend your blinds. The blinds are what cost most people money in short-handed poker because they let them go too often, thus creating a big leak. Try to defend the blinds by striking back at players who steal your blinds and attack the blinds to force people into tricky decisions. Many players will raise the blinds from late position with any two cards and it is therefore correct to call or raise with many hands from the blinds. A hand like A-8 can be good enough to re-raise with if you know the player that made the first raise and especially if it is a raise from the button.

The positions are less important in short-handed poker where the risk that a late positioned player has a strong hand. Therefore it is ok to call and raise often from early position. Be cautious however because late positioned players will re-raise you often, trying to lead the pot. A good play from early position is to mix up the game with limping and raising. Increase the requirement a little for starting hands from early position. In late position most hands become rasing hands, this is because of the strength gained from having the lead in a pot.

The play after the flop needs to be aggressive as well. It is important to control the pot, especially if you were the player who raised pre-flop. One of the most profitable moves is winning pots with bluffs and semi-bluffs. Experienced players will play any kind of flush or straight draw as though it was the nuts on the flop, and it is correct to do so in most cases. Knowing when to bet an ace high on the river and when to fold top pair takes great skill and experience but it will generate more money.

Playing the High Cards

High cards are what most people play in Texas Hold’em. When facing several opponents all of them are likely to hold high cards. It is common that a player has nothing but over-cards on the flop. Many players make mistakes when they choose to stay in the pot with only over-cards and that proves to be a great leak in their game. The main problem with drawing to over-cards is that it is a weak hand and the chance of hitting is quite low after the flop. In most hands are drawing worthless as you will either not hit and when you do you might lose anyway.

However, it is not optimal to always fold over-cards. The best way is to select the right situations under the perfect conditions. This article is written to guide you into making the right decisions about playing high cards after the flop. We have excluded situations that include additional draws like open-ended straight draws and flush-draws because they are normally strong hands and could be played on so many occasions. Over-cards that only have 6 outs are marginal hands and needs some more thinking.

• 1. You are as good as drawing dead against sets, two pairs, or over pairs.
• 2. Other players might have draws (flush or straight) that complete their hands with a high card.
• 3. One of your outs may give an opponent a two-pair; this is especially true when one of your over-cards is an ace. It is common that players play ace with a low.
• 4. Since many players play over-cards one of the opponents might have a better kicker than yours.
• 5. It happens that opponents sit with pocket pairs of the same over cards you have, thus decreasing your outs and can give them a set.

If you choose to draw with over-cards make sure you are drawing to the best hand and that the pot is large enough to give you pot odds. On some occasions it is correct to play over-cards against on or two opponents, this is true with hands that include an ace. You might have the best hands at these moments and need not improve to win.
Below are some important points to consider when you want to draw.

• 1. Optimal flops for playing over-cards are rainbow flops without straight draws. These are flops like 2-5-10, 3-4-8.etc.
• 2. It is better if there are fewer opponents in the pot as a pair is a decent hand heads-up or against 2 opponents.
• 3. The pot should be large, though this is seldom true in pots with few opponents.

Good luck!