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Sometimes you’ll walk into a casino and find a choice of games available to you, and whenever you do, one your most important poker playing decisions will occur even before the first hand is dealt: You’ll have to select a table. You have that same decision to make when you play online too, and it’s even easier because there is usually more than one game at the betting limits you prefer.
It’s important to spend some time checking over the game you’re playing in when you first sit down. In fact, if you have a good vantage point, you should be clocking the game even before you are seated at the table. Fifteen to twenty minutes should be time enough to get a good handle on your opponents if you know what to look for.
ASSESSING NEW GAMES
It’s important to spend some time checking over the game you’re playing in when you first sit down. In fact, if you have a good vantage point, you should be clocking the game even before you are seated at the table. Fifteen to twenty minutes should be time enough to get a good handle on your opponents if you know what to look for:
Are we having fun yet? Happy games, lots of chips, and jovial table atmosphere typifies a game full of players who are having fun, and players enjoying themselves at the table tend to be a lot looser than those who are hunkered down and scrutinizing everything that goes on. If you see lots of friendly flirting going on, that’s good too. And if your opponents are drinking anything stronger than bottled water, that’s a good sign too.
When a poker player goes on “tilt”, it means that
he is playing in a way that is DIFFERENT than
normal… in a way that is based on EMOTION and
the events of the game.
For example… if you got pocket Aces and lost a
big hand to someone with pocket 2’s, you might go
on TILT because of that bad beat…
Or let’s say you had a pair and your opponent went
all-in… and once you folded, your opponent
showed you that he was BLUFFING with a nine-high.
You might go on TILT after that… because you
were TRICKED and you blew the chance at doubling
your chips.
The point is, TILT is an EMOTIONAL state. And the
most important thing you should know about tilt is
this:
Tilt is DANGEROUS.
It is not only what you hold in your hand but what other players think you hold in your hand. Bluffing and bluff strategy is a key element and essential in playing poker. If you can not bluff, you will not be a successful player. The goal is to trick the other players into thinking you have the best hand. Bluffing is a huge task that needs great skill. It takes the knowledge and timing along with the guts to pull it off. Bluffing can be rewarding by causing players to fold the better hands or disguising your good hands. Bluffing is great When you get away with it, but embarrassing when you are caught. The following article will teach the skills you need to be a successful bluffer.
Questions to think of before bluffing
Ok, If I bet a large amount, what kind of cards would my opponent need to call my bet? You must have gained knowledge of your opponents to know if he will call with top pair, 2 overcards, or some draw. You will then be able to say, I made this big bet, so he must at least have this or this if he calls. Now you have put your opponent on his cards and gave yourself an advantage.
How much to bluff
If you are considering a bluff, you normally should bet at least the amount of the pot. This size bet will usually make your opponent have to put in a big chunk of his stack, and if you are called with a stone cold bluff, you will not loose all of your chips. You only want to consider moving all-in in a situation where the pot is $1200 and all you have is $1800. You also want to move all-in if you have 5x or less of the big blind.
Doesn’t it seem like players are supposed to bet if they have a good hand and fold if they don’t? Don’t fall into this trap when you are just starting out. A bet usually means a player thinks he has the best hand and he will put money on it, or he thinks you have a weak hand and you will fold if your forced to put money on your hand. You must know how to bet and in what situation. You must know when to hold’em and when to fold’em And then this all depends on hand strength, position at the table, number of players, pot odds, and player style.
Your basic Texas Hold’em poker betting strategy should focus on trying to figure out what cards the other players are holding. You need to pay attention to everyone at the table to know what type of betting to do agaist each player.
You also want to try to place bets without others guessing your hand and moves. The basic strategy is: read your opponents, bet when you have the cards or when you sence weakness and muck when you don’t have the cards or sence stregth.
Position is very important in poker. If you are dealt strong cards, you may want to limp in early position.
This way, if somebody following you raises, you have the opportunity to re-raise. If you are in late position,
you have the luxury of seeing what people before you have done. You also want to consider all factors of pre-flop strategy
Position is known to be the most important concept in texas holdem, at least in no-limit holdem. Position only refers to where you are sitting at the table in relation to the dealer. Your strength in position comes from the fact that play and betting goes clockwise. The later in position you are, the more you get to see the reactions of players to their cards and if they fold, call, or raise. We will look at early, middle, and late positions.
Early Position
In a 8-10 man table, early position consists of the blinds and the 2 players after the blinds. You want to play very little hands from early position. You must only play with extremely good cards from this position. If you are going to decide to play your cards, you must come in with a raise to let everyone know that you have a great hand. DO NOT slow play your big cards from early position. There are many disadvantages in this position. You do not know what other players will do, and are first to act in each round after the flop. The only advantage of being in early position is being in the blinds and being able to act last preflop. You may be able to force someone out if the pot was not raised. Only do this if you have good cards, very few are in the pot, NO ONE has raised, and you have found the remaining players are likely to fold to a high raise. When there are less players at the table, you can play a few more starting hands. If you see someone playing from early position, you should put them on great cards.
Middle Position
From mid position, or fifth through seventh, you have some information to use. If the early position players have folded, you can raise with middle position cards. If one of these players have raised, hands like K-J may not be so strong anymore.
Let’s first go over a general strategy.
There is one major thing you should quickly figure out when you enter a no-limit game:
1. What types of players are my opponents?
A very important aspect of the game is to recognize your opponents’ style
There are basically four main types of players: tight-passive, tight-aggressive, loose-passive, loose-aggressive.
The first word of each is either tight or loose. This describes the number of hands the person will play.
The second of either passive or aggressive characterizes the player’s betting style as either not betting much or
betting very aggressively.
Each player can pretty much be placed under one of these categories.
I will go over each of these types of players and their playing habits.
Tight-Passive: These players are waiting for the big hand and are usually inexperienced at No-limit.
They will not play in that many hands and when they are in the hand, will not bet big, and will often end up folding if they have nothing.
So raise and bluff them when in the right situation. If they call, it’s probable they have a good hand.
Loose-Passive: These are the players you can make your money from. They are going to stay in almost every hand and try
to catch their cards all the way down to the river. They are going to play with small made hands such as low pairs while
hoping you’re on a bluff. Make them pay when you have a great hand.
Tight-Aggressive: This is the style you want to play in no-limit. Be patient for nice cards.
And make sure your in the right position to play. Make sure that when your playing, apply force with your bets.
This may be an easily read style so mix up your play to keep everyone off balance. If others are playing with this style,
keep your composure and don not go on tilt.
Knowing your probabilities is a must for texas hold’em. All good players use odds to determine their actions. You must know your chances of finishing your drawing hands and if the bet coming to you with the right amount of money in the pot is correct. So when is it right to chase those gutshots, flushes, and your overcards? To know when it is correct or not to play it you must understand your odds.
You must first make sure that the hand you are drawing for will give you the best hand. You must not be drawing to a hand that will not win even if you hit.
There are basically three situations you will see after the flop.
Either you totally missed the board where you should check or fold.
You hit the flop well and hold a strong hand where you should bet or raise.
Or you will have a drawing hand where you do not currently have a strong hand but have the possibility of making a strong hand on the turn or river. Such draws or for flushes, straights, or top pair.
When you are drawing there or a few tools you will need to help make your decision. The main tool is calculating your “Pot Odds”
In poker, the more outs you have the better. Outs are the cards that you need to come out on the board to complete or improve your hand.
The more outs you have, the higher the percentage you have in getting the cards you need. There are odd charts to show the exact percent chance
of catching your card on the turn and river. We are not going to worry about this because it is hard to memorize all of these numbers. There is a quick calculation you can do in your head that is pretty accurate.
To figure your number of outs you have to think about what is possibly left in the deck. For example if you have Q-10 in your hand and the flop is 6-3-J. Then if you catch a Q you should be ahead. There are 3 Q’s
possibly left in the deck giving you 3 outs. If a 9 comes out on the turn then you can wait for your Q for the highest pair on the board, a K, or 8 for your open ended straight draw. You have 3 Q’s, 4 K’s, and 4 8’s giving you 12 outs for the turn.
Make sure you are aware of all your outs from pairs, straight draws, flush draws (there are 13 suited cards), and straight flush draws.
Once you have figured out your number of outs, you can multiply this number by 4. This number gives you the percent chance of catching one of your needed cards on the turn or the river.
If the river card is the only card you are waiting for, you multiply your number of outs by 2.
Poker ranking from the massive royal flush to high card
Royal Flush
- the best possible hand in Poker
Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10, all of the same suit.
Straight Flush
Any five-card sequence in the same suit (e.g.: 8, 9, 10, Jack and Queen of clubs; or 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of diamonds).
Four of a Kind
All four cards of the same value (e.g.: 8, 8, 8, 8; or Queen, Queen, Queen, Queen).
Full House
Three of a kind combined with a pair (e.g.: 10, 10, 10 with 6, 6; or King, King, King with 5, 5).
Flush
Any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence (e.g.: 4, 5, 7, 10 and King of spades).
Straight
Five cards in sequence, but not in the same suit (e.g.: 7 of clubs, 8 of clubs, 9 of diamonds, 10 of spades and Jack of diamonds).
Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same value (e.g.: 3, 3, 3; or Jack, Jack, Jack).
Two Pair
Two separate pairs (e.g.: 2, 2, Queen, Queen).
Pair
Two cards of the same value (e.g.: 7, 7).
High Card
If a Poker hand contains none of the above combinations, it’s valued by the highest card in it.
There are a few strong hands which can be played from any position (http://www.pokerwants.com/position.php) at the table. It is not often that you will get them, but when you do, you have an advantage preflop (http://www.pokerwants.com/preflop.php). The following are considered average starting hands for a 8-10 man table.
When you are at a table with 7-5 you can play starting hands as if you were in the better position. For example, If you are in middle position, you can play the cards that we suggest for the late position. In early position, the cards from mid position can be used.
When you are the big blind, small blind, and the following two players, you are in early position.
Playable hands in early position
Pairs: Nines through aces
Suited: Aces with a king, queen, jack, or ten
King with a queen, or jack
Queen with a jack or ten
Jack with a ten or nine
Ten with a nine.
Unsuited: Aces with a king, queen, jack, or ten
King with a queen or jack
Queen with a jack
When you are fifth, sixth, or seventh player to act you are in middle position and can play more hands if the pot has not been raised.
