Author: Sacha T

Article:

Texas Holdem is a poker game where you can make huge profits
from your winning, but you need a winning psychological mindset,
and the right strategy.

Don’ expect to read a book or two on Texas Holdem, and be an
expert. That is not the way it works. This is not something you
learn from books! Knowing how to play is essential, naturally,
but not enough. Why not?

To be successful in Texas Holdem you need some strategy,
certainly – and you must learn to play not only your own hand,
but that of the other players.

For any strategy to be effective you must include in it your
opponent’s strategy as well, and then adapt your own to win.

This is the difficult bit of developing your Texas Hold’em
strategy there is no optimal hand to play like in Blackjack; you
have to BEAT your opponent.

So, you must first however learn all the basics:

1. What the odds are

2. Bluffing

3. Slow play

etc

Then all you can know about your opponents and how to play them!

Blending your Strategy with a Winning Psychology

The key to winning will be in your state of mind, and your
psychological outlook to the game.

Why?

Because in Texas Hold’em the best hand doesn’t always win. This
is a basic mistake many players make.

If you bluff or play too times you will be easily discovered by
the more experienced players.

They will find out, and you will lose.

For Texas hold’em nothing is more important than practicing!

To get Texas Hold’em strategy correct, you need lots of practice.

The whole game is full of psychology, and you must “read” the
other players correctly. No book can teach you this.

You will succeed, but only if you have real experience, for
money.

The free games will not put you in the correct psychological
frame of mind. Everyone plays different for money.

When you lose money, it hurts. When you win it is sweet.

When you play for real, each mistake or error in strategy can
cost you. You must know what this means and how it feels. There
is no substitute for experience.

So, begin at the lower or minimum bets, and then increase your
bets as you gain in experience and skill. Also, don’t go against
the really experienced players…you will only lose.

Strategy Guidelines for Texas Hold’em.

1. From the resources on the net read as much as you can about
the basic tips, the odds and successfully applied strategies.
There is no shortage of them on the net. However, keep in mind
what ever strategy you choose must have a correct psychological
attitude.

2. Understand your opponent, study him well, and then fix your
mind on how to react to him, or make him react to you. If you do
this, you are half way to victory already.

3. As you begin, keep to the small bets, and lower limits. Work
out your strategy here for the lessons will cost you in losses.
In the end, you will gain valuable experience and start winning.

4. As in the world of sports, you need the correct attitude.
Find it, use it, and stick with it. It will be your tool for
success.

5. Don’t be in a hurry to win patience is the key, you can’t
develop your skills without plenty of practice and this does NOT
mean free games. This is a slow process. You need to build up
skill, attitude and feel the game as natural. Also, play only
for money, as you will play differently.

And do not underestimate the value of the right attitude. This
more than anything else will defeat your opponent.

Anyone can learn how to play, but winning takes hard work,
dedication, and tenacity…

In the game of Texas Hold’em, there are no short cuts or easy
winnings.

If you want to in you must devote your time to a lot of practice
be prepared to lose money.

However, if you can form and hold the right attitude, and know
the basics of play, with practice you can and will win.

About the author:

For More FREE info on Texas Holdem and all other major casino
games including tips and strategies to win visit

http://www.net-planet.org/games/poker.html

————————————————————
This column is provided free of charge by www.RoyRounder.com

“Roy Rounder” is the pen name of a successful professional
poker player and author. To skyrocket your Texas Holdem
winnings, join his free newsletter. Just click here.
————————————————————

331 to 1.

Those are the odds AGAINST getting dealt an Ace-King suited
before the flop.

220 to 1.

Those are the odds AGAINST getting pocket Aces before the
flop.

Monster hands like these are GREAT when you catch them…
and you’ll definitely have a good shot at raking in a killer
pot.

But the fact is, when you play poker you WON’T catch
monsters very often.

The same is true with wired pairs and suited connectors…

When you hit with one of these hands, your opponents will
usually NEVER see it coming…

And once again, you’ll rake in a nice pot.

But how many times do you get hands like these AND hit the
right cards?

Not too often.

ANYONE– no matter what their skill level– can win a pot
with a monster.

The SECRET to poker success, my friend, is learning how to
win hands WITHOUT having the “nuts” or great cards.

It’s what separates the AVERAGE card players from the poker
LEGENDS.

So how do you play hands that are DECENT, but not GREAT?
Hands like Q-J, J-10, 9-10, Q-10, K-10, K-9, and so on…

If you FOLD every time you see cards like these, you’re
playing too tight. Because you’re going to see these types
of hands A LOT.

To consistently win at Texas Holdem poker, you’ve got to
learn how to win with hands that AREN’T great.

But how?

I’ll tell you how…

The key is POSITIONING.

That’s the magic word.

In Texas Holdem, positioning is EVERYTHING…

You can see a hand in one position and the right play is to
FOLD it…

And then see the SAME EXACT HAND in a different position and
the right play is to make a BET.

For example, let’s say you’re in an 8-player no limit Holdem
game… where the blinds are $1-2.

You’re first to act before the flop (a.k.a. “under the gun”)
and look down at your cards:

Q-J offsuit.

What do you do?

Playing the hand shouldn’t cross your mind.

Calling with a Q-J offsuit can easily turn into TROUBLE when
first to act.

Because SOMEONE at your 8-man table is probably going to
throw out a pre-flop raise.

Think about it…

How many times does the action go COMPLETELY around the
table before the flop without SOMEONE making a raise?

Not too often.

Even if it’s just a small $5 raise… you don’t want to pay
$7 with your Q-J offsuit just to see the flop.

After all, even if you HIT top pair, you’re STILL going to
be one of the first to act, if not THE first. What then?

Your kicker isn’t too strong, and you don’t have a read on
the other players.

It’s just a bad situation to be in…

Which is why I muck “decent” hands like these when I’m under
the gun or in an early position.

And you should too.

Now let’s say you’re fourth to act before the flop (sixth
position at the table) and you peek down at a Q-10 offsuit.

You’re positioning isn’t great, but it’s not too bad either.

The action is on you to call the $2 big blind…

What do you do?

Instead of mucking, this is where I’d limp in and call the
blind.

Even if someone throws out a small pre-flop raise, you can
call and see a cheap flop without getting into too much
trouble.

Now let’s say you’re on the BUTTON (dealer position) with a
Q-J offsuit. Four of your opponents limp-in and the action
is to you.

What’s the play?

This is where I’d make a pre-flop raise. Nothing crazy…
just a small $5 that’s not going to get me into trouble.

And I’ll do this with any good positioning, not just when
I’m on the button…

Here’s why:

First, it gets rid of the “crap” hands at the table…

Anytime you can force the scraps at the table to fold, your
odds of winning the pot increase.

(The reason you don’t want them in the hand is in case one
of them gets lucky on the flop.)

Second, I get to see what my opponents do AFTER the flop…
before I have to act.

This is a HUGE advantage. I can get a read on everyone
else’s hand… and NO ONE gets a read on mine. Use this
advantage EVERY chance you get.

And third, my bet gives me relative control over the
table… and is likely to result in a free card if I want
one.

Let’s say the flop hits: 9-10-2

That gives me an open-ended straight draw with my Q-J.

There’s a good chance my opponents will CHECK, because they
anticipate another bet from me.

So I’m in a win-win situation…

I can throw out a semi-bluff bet… or… I can see a free
card by checking.

Getting control over the board also puts me in a position to
buy the pot if I sense weakness at the table.

Which brings me to another point…

Positioning is a fundamental part of Texas Holdem, but you
had better have a good read on your opponents in order to
win the hand.

And you’d better know the right size to make your bets…
and what to do if there’s a draw on the board… and how to
bluff if you get into trouble.

That’s why I recommend you download software tools– a.k.a.
“player assistance programs”– to help you at online poker.

The tool I personally created will give you a fool-proof
roadmap for dominating online tournaments:

Poker Shark

You should also get an odds calculator. The hottest one on
the market now is called “Calculatem Pro”. It will show you
your pot odds, percentages, and dozens of other important
calculations

Calculatem

And last but not least, to get my ENTIRE SYSTEM, download my
eBook. You’ll get an “insider’s look” at the many different
scenarios and situations you’ll face at the poker table…
and step-by-step how to play each one… all while learning
my core philosophy and methodology for winning Texas Holdem.

Whether you prefer to play online, in casinos, in
tournaments, or in home games, this book is an absolute “no
brainer” investment.

Just think about how much more money you’ll make over the
LONG TERM when you know these expert secrets and tips…
(Hint: The answer is a LOT.)

So go right now while it’s fresh on your mind and get your
personal copy of my course:

http://www.NoLimitHoldemSecrets.com/tl/482BthL

I’ll talk to you again in a couple days

Your Friend,

Roy Rounder

————————————————————

Disclaimer: I do not promote illegal, underage, or gambling
to those who live in a jurisdiction where gambling is
considered unlawful. The information within this site and
newsletter is being presented solely for entertainment
purposes. I will not be held responsible for any personal
loss of wagers or damages you may incur. Anyone concerned
about having a problem can contact Gamblers Anonymous for
further information.

————————————————————

The way to play Big Slick (AK) depends largely on your positioning, how many players are in the hand, your read on the situation, and so on.

Remember this mantra:

PLAY THE PLAYER, NOT THE CARDS.

Is Big Slick a monster hand?

Yes, of course it is.

But you’ll get BURNT with it if you don’t take the right
things into consideration.

When you’re in late positioning, you should raise
aggressively pre-flop with Big Slick and try to narrow the
field down to one or two callers.

If you’re in an early position, you should make a raise with the same goal in mind: to narrow it down to a caller or two. Except this time, you’ll have to use more of your “intuition” to decide how large your bet will need to be.

With Big Slick, you want to get RID of anyone at the table who’s holding a deuce… that way you’re not scared about an opponent having a pair of two’s!

After the flop, YES, you should represent with a bet. Don’t CHECK the flop after making a pre-flop raise… only a wuss does something like that.

If the board hits all scraps, you should be able to take the pot down no problem. Make your opponents put you on a hand like K-K or A-A and force them to fold.

If the board hits with either your King or Ace, once again you’ll have no problem winning the pot.

The times you need be careful are when either:

1. You think your opponent has a monster hand, like Kings or
Aces. (If this happens, fold!)

2. The board pairs up or there’s a straight or flush draw
there.

In the latter case, you want to be careful not to bet into
your opponent if he’s holding trips or a draw.

You won’t be able to force him to fold, and you’ll have
gotten yourself into a lot of trouble.

Now… if you represent the flop with nothing but Ace high
and your opponent calls, NOW it’s time to back down.

If the turn card doesn’t help you, just ease off.

Cut your losses and move on.

Get started by investing in my eBook, “No Limit Holdem Secrets”. You can download it RIGHT NOW and start reading it within the next five minutes…

Just click this link:

NoLimitHoldemSecrets.com

I’ll write to you again soon.

Your Friend,

Roy Rounder

Practice at Carbon Poker

It’s so simple…

And so obvious…

Yet no one seems to get it!

What’s this easy-to-use secret for beating Sit and Go tournaments online?

The answer is this:

PATIENCE.

I know… I know… you were expecting something more, um… “secretive”.

But the truth is, winning at Sit and Go’s is pretty damn easy. I find them easier than “real” poker games, actually.

And that’s why every time I turn on the computer these days I feel like a kid in a candy store… ready to clean out the amateurs at the poker room of my choosing.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

What I want to discuss here is why PATIENCE is so critical for Sit and Go success.

First, let’s get back to some basics. There are four types of poker playing styles:

1. Tight-Passive
2. Tight-Aggressive
3. Loose-Passive
4. Loose-Aggressive

Your style should be tight-aggressive.

Don’t confuse “styles” with “preferences”. If you want to be a good card player, you DON’T get to DECIDE to be tight-aggressive.

You MUST be tight-aggressive in order to be good.

Period.

Of course there are DEGREES of each playing style, and that’s what accounts for the differences between one pro and another… the DIFFERENT DEGREES of tight-aggressive.

OK, now let me ask you:

What does “tight-aggressive” really MEAN?

Here’s the answer:

It means that you play TIGHT in terms of hand selection, but AGGRESSIVE when you enter a pot.

Be careful… “tight” and “aggressive” are not opposites. “Tight” and “loose” are opposites. And so are “aggressive” and “passive”.

TIGHT refers to hand selection. AGGRESSIVE refers to betting.

OK… so this is how playing styles relate to Sit and Go’s…

The NATURE of Sit and Go’s makes them OVERRUN by LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE style players.

The reasons are simple:

1. You can play a Sit and Go virtually anytime, anywhere, and with anyone.

This means there’s very low risk in LOSING, since you can easily just move on to the next game. It’s not like in “offline” poker when once you get knocked out you’re DONE.

2. The money seems less “real”.

Let’s be honest… We all know the feeling of making a deposit into an online poker account and thinking to ourselves how it doesn’t quite feel like REAL MONEY. Am I right?

3. There’s no “embarrassment”.

Online poker is virtually 100% anonymous. If you make a stupid move, you’re not worried about what the other players THINK of you. Who cares?

After all, the other “players” are really just silly little avatars on an animated screen.

OK, so those are three (there are many more) of the reasons why Sit and Go’s (and pretty much all of online poker) are dominated by the playing style LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE.

Loose-aggressive is also known as the “manic” playing style. And what’s the FASTEST way to beat a manic?

Yep, you guessed it…

PATIENCE.

The reason is because MANICS are constantly playing many hands (loose) and doing so aggressively.

What happens is that it’s difficult to get a READ on them because you never know whether they’re bluffing or not… unless you call their bets… which you can’t do because you don’t have that great a hand.

Has this ever happened to you?

Have you ever been up against a player who seemed to be playing VERY aggressively and you just couldn’t figure out if they were bluffing or holding great cards?

And then when you got FED UP with it and DID make a call, he had you beat?

My guess is that it HAS happened to you… just as it’s happened for me.

The key thing to know is that THERE ARE certain steps you can take to defend this. (I even wrote an entire chapter about this topic in my book.)

But fortunately in Sit and Go’s, this isn’t really much of a problem. Because you’re usually not up against just one or two manics. You’re up against an ENTIRE TABLE of them.

That means you shouldn’t be CALLING anyone’s bets.

Instead, YOU should push the action when you have a monster hand… and ONLY when you have a monster hand. And that, of course, requires…

PATIENCE!

It’s actually much easier this way. Because with a table full of manics, you can rely on getting action with all your great hands.

(I should point out here that I’m generally referring to Sit and Go’s where the entry fee is less than $50. When the stakes are higher the quality of play is usually more intelligent.)

OK, so what I’m about to tell you might take some of the “fun” out of Sit and Go’s. But it will increase your profits dramatically…

Here’s what your Sit and Go “experience” should look like when the field is from 8 or 10 players down to 4 or 5 players.

**************************************************

If your hole cards are…

A-A, K-K – Go all in pre-flop if you’re in early position. If in late position and there was a raise, go all-in. If people were just trying to limp in, make a raise… and then bet very aggressively after the flop.

Q-Q, A-K – If you’re in an early position, bet big (but not all-in). If you’re in a late position, use your read on the other players to determine whether or not you think you have the best hand. If so, bet huge or go all-in.

All other pocket pairs – Limp-in. If you spike trips, go all-in. If not, fold.

Suited connectors – Limp-in if the blinds are reasonably low. Fold suited connectors under 7-6.

Ace-X suited – Limp-in if possible. Only bet if you hit the flush.

All other hands – Fold.

**************************************************

What you’ve just seen will be completely different than most “starting hand strategies” out there.

And that chart is NOT for all types of no limit Texas Holdem. We’re ONLY talking about games that match these three criteria:

1. Online poker Sit and Go tournaments 2. Low stakes (under $50 entry) 3. While there are more than 4 or 5 players at the table (in an 8-man or 10-man Sit and Go)

DO NOT use that starting hand advice for any other poker games… because that’s NOT how you should play your starting hands in general.

So why would Sit and Go’s be so much different than “normal” poker play?

Like I said before, the reason is because Sit and Go’s are heavily dominated by loose-aggressive players… and THIS is how you beat those guys.

Why exactly does this strategy work?

It works because you’re only playing monsters.

Now… if the players at Sit and Go’s were SMART, they’d OBSERVE that you’re only playing monster hands… and they’d FOLD as soon as you went all-in.

I mean… it only makes logical sense, right?

Indeed, this is how it works in live games. But not online. Because for online poker there’s another important factor working to your advantage…

NO ONE’S PAYING ATTENTION!

The truth is, many players are either drunk, hungover, stupid, or playing multiple tables at once. Or all of the above!

They’re not paying attention to your betting patterns. They’re just playing the CARDS, not the PLAYERS.

I call my strategy for patiently waiting for monster hands and then going all-in:

“Tight-Aggressive Squared”

The reason is because my strategy is like the playing style tight-aggressive… but on STEROIDS.

Why go all-in so much?

It’s like I said… you WILL get action. Maybe not every single time, but enough times to make it well worth your while.

For Sit and Go’s, all you need to do is double-up ONCE before the field gets to 4 or 5 players.

THEN you can start playing aggressively. What will happen is that the 4 or 5 players LEFT IN THE GAME will usually be the smarter ones. And some of them WILL notice by now that you’re playing tight.

SO THEN what you do is steal blinds. It’s easy.

Everyone tightens up when there are four or five players in a hand because they want to make the money… and they want to be VERY CAREFUL to make it into the top three.

That is when you steal some blinds and add to your chip stack.

Then, after that point you’ll be in third place and will be in the money.

I have a ton of strategies for getting you into FIRST place too (after you get down to three players), but I’ll have to save those for a different newsletter.

You know, when I first came up with this strategy of “Tight-Aggressive Squared” I wasn’t COMPLETELY convinced it was the best way to win at Sit and Go’s.

At the time, I had been trying a lot of things. The idea of just being EXTREMELY PATIENT and then going all-in with monster hands seemed a little TOO SIMPLE.

Right?

Then one night, I was at a 10-man Sit and Go. I went all-in with a big hand early and doubled up. It was the only hand I got really involved with.

Then… with 9 players still at the table… my Internet shut off. I didn’t know what happened. All I know is that the Internet just plain STOPPED WORKING.

I would have called someone… but it was past two in the morning.

I messed with it for like fifteen minutes and then just gave up. Oh well… it’s just one Sit and Go.

Anyway… I started working on something else on my computer for awhile until all of the sudden the Internet came BACK on.

I logged into my poker room to see what had happened with the game. Immediately the screen POPPED-UP and the action was to me…

I was still in the game, it wasn’t over yet!

Not only that…

But there were only three players left!

I was in third, but still had some remaining chips to play around with.

I immediately went all-in and everyone folded. Then I did it again and everyone folded. And a few hands later I did it AGAIN.

I picked up three enormous sets of blinds and was right back in the game. The reason everyone was folding was because I hadn’t played a hand in 25 minutes. They were probably wondering what the hell was going on!

Anyway, as it turned out, I actually WON 1ST for this Sit and Go. First place baby… and my Internet only worked for about 1/5 of the game!

After I was done I started thinking about what had just happened. I realized that by PLAYING in a Sit and Go you can often do MORE DAMAGE THAN GOOD when there are lots of players at the table.

And of course, I became 100% convinced that the “magic equation” for success is:

PATIENCE + AGGRESSION

Your goal for these games should be to place in the money as much as possible. Period. So why risk chips on silly hands early on?

They’re just not worth it…

The other thing about this strategy is that it’s a HUGE time-saver. Because it doesn’t require hardly any work until there are 4-5 players left. It makes it MUCH easier to play multiple tables at once… or do other things while the Sit and Go plays in the background.

OK, so here’s your “Tight-Aggressive Squared” Sit and Go strategy:

1. Be patient, be patient, be patient!

Only play the hands I showed you earlier. Only bet before the flop with Aces, Kings, Big Slick, and Queens.

2. When you catch a monster, go all-in. Don’t do this if you think someone has you beat (i.e. there’s an obvious straight or flush draw on the board).

I’m talking about only playing hands when you know you have the best odds of winning.

3. When the field gets down to four or five players (depending on how high the blinds are and how many all-in showdowns you’ve won), shift gears completely and STOP using this “Tight-Aggressive Squared” strategy.

That, my friend, is the “secret” to Sit and Go’s.

It’s obvious… but not-so-obvious.

But it is DEFINITELY simple.

And you can start implementing it IMMEDIATELY…

To get step-by-step advice as you play Sit and Go tournaments online, make sure to download “Sit And Go Shark”. This amazing software tool will “take you by the hand” and give you coaching as you play online Sit and Go’s.

Free for a limited time. Click this link:

CLICK HERE

Practice your skills at Carbon Poker

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PokerLetter.org: Your Online Poker Strategy Guide

*************************************************

In poker you are pretty much playing one way or the other at the table,
but you should be doing both, and at different times. Many pros have a
reputation for being a specific type of player, but actually they are
mixing up their play and making their opponent misread their image.

One of the most important elements of poker is position. You must make
decisions based on where you are seated and where the button is. If you
are seated right after the button, you are in early position. This is
where you are most likely throwing away most hands. You do not want to
get involved with a mediocre hand like A10 and then have someone raise
big after you where you can’t call.

If you are seated on the button, you can be mixing up your play more.
Feel free to limp in or raise aggressively with mediocre hands. I like
to raise on the button with Ax. Most people will fold, and if you get a
caller you can usually raise them out after the flop because they think
you are holding a big pair. Be careful not to do this too often because
the better players know that the button is a good place to try and
steal.

Another time to decide whether to play aggressive or conservative is
dependent on your table. If you are seated with 5 aggressive players then
you might want to slow down and play tight. Wait for a good hand and
hopefully they will bet into you. It is very important to maximize your
available profits to gain from weaker players.

If you are seated at a table with very conservative players you must
play the role of the aggressor. You will make your money based off of
raising them out of pots. You must be careful, though, that if a super
conservative player makes a play for the pot they probably have something
and it would be best to fold. A very important part of poker is knowing
your opponents and recognizing their table image.

To take it a step further, you should be confusing your opponents on
what your table image is. Make them think you are a super loose and
aggressive player, then tighten up a bit and watch them raise you with
nothing, when you have the nuts. Or vice versa, play very tight for awhile
and then start getting involved in big pots and reraise. Even if they
have a good hand, if they think of you as a very tight player, it is
probable that they would lay down top pair or even two pair.

Another time to get aggressive is when you are the chip leader. You can
use this to your advantage to push other players off pots. Raise before
the flop and put the pressure on your opponents to make a decision if
they want to get involved with a hand. You usually want to be
conservative when you are the short stack because you can easily be called by a
bigger stack or reraised all in. Don’t invest any chips into the pot
unless you are prepared to go all the way with that hand.

In a tournament, on the bubble is also another good time to put
pressure on your opponents. It is worth risking a few chips to steal blinds
and antes. You must remember you are always playing for first, not just
to make the money. A lot of other players don’t think like this and they
will tighten up when the money is approaching, just hoping to cash.

You must always recognize the best situations and times to get involved
in the pot. If you don’t have much money invested in the pot, it isn’t
worth it to risk a big amount of your stack just to try and outplay
someone. Another important piece of advice is that you don’t have to win
every pot. Even if you are playing the role of the aggressor at the
table, it is OK to fold to someone if they raise you big. This can also be
helpful later when you have a hand, because people will think they can
get you to fold by raising you out.

So just remember, get aggressive:

* in later positions or on the button

* with conservative players

* when you are chip leader

* on the bubble

PokerLetter.org

Practice your skills at Carbon Poker.

You, like many other people, are dreaming of becoming a poker pro poker player. This may because you are unhappy with your job or you just think your good enough to hand with the current pros. Then there is the layed back lifestyle of working when you want to and being your own boss. I am not here to burst your bubble, but you really want to think about this before jumping into it. But we are here to help you out if that is what you think is best for you.

First off, forget everything you see on TV with poker. TV is going to give you a false since of reality.

To be a poker pro you obviously need to be an excellent poker player. You also need to have a nice size bankroll to begin playing with, and skills to be able to manage that bankroll. You must also be able to handle the bad beats and swings of the games that you “Will” have.

Now this is considered to be one of the most important factors if you are only thinking of becoming a pro. You must completely love the game! Not just like it, you must love it with a passion. If you do not totally love the game you will become miserable with your new occupation. You should be exited to get to the tables every day.
If you are not in love with the game this much, find another career.

As a poker pro you will go through days that the game will be fun, some days will be horrible. You are going to go
pass through long losing streaks, and when you think you hit a rough, there are most probably bigger ones to come.

Something you really have to think about is that you aslo just took one of your hobbies and past times and turned it into your work. You will most probably no longer see poker as a fun hobby.

How to go pro in poker… Going pro poker tips and strategy.

To start playing as a poker pro you must first chose the type of game your are going to play in and stick with that game. In other words, you basically want to specialize in an area.

Remember that “practice makes perfect”. Practice online poker with money and in freerolls. Play live games with friends, and in different local tournaments. Deal your self a couple hands and make note of how cards fall. Maybe play poker video games. Practice heads up with as many people as you can for a buck and with different chip stacks.

Constantly study and read about poker and your specific game. Read many Poker Books, constantly read poker articles, watch videos, join forums, talk to other poker pros, and join a Poker School Online . You will also want to consider a good Poker Calculator

You want to start with a nice size bankroll in the range of 500x the size of the big blinds of the limit your are going to play in for cash games. You “ALWAYS” want to enter these games with the max buy-in.

You are going to want to start at an affordable limit until you have the maturity and bankroll to move up. Many players win a couple of times in a row and feel they are ready for the next level. You want to play for months to years in a limit before moving up. The higher the limit, the longer you must stay at that level. You must play at a level where you are going to win a majority of the time.

It is also recommended to try to become a pro poker player when you are young and single. This is so that you only have to worry about supporting yourself. If you are single, love poker to death, have some money saved, and are VERY good at the game, you can very well take a shot at being a poker pro. The worst thing that can happen is to go broke. It was once said that “There’s no shame in going broke, only in staying broke”.

If you are really thinking about taking the plunge, take our advice, and make sure you try it out before quiting your job. Take a crash course of a couple of weeks in a row to see what it is really like. If it doens’t work out, there are many jobs to go crawling back to.
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The best semi-bluff (or the one with the best chance of winning the pot) is the flush draw semi-bluff. You raise with Ah-Qh, and the flop comes 3d-5h-9h. With two overcards and a flush draw, you can assume you have 15 outs out of the 47 remaining cards, making you 60% to hit with two cards to come. The problem is, you don’t have a hand yet. But since you might have a hand by the end, and you might not need a hand to win the pot, you might as well bet anyway. That’s the idea behind a semi-bluff.

There are no real required conditions to semi-bluff. All you need is a draw and a betting arm, but it can be boiled down to a science. What follows is an in-depth look at how to bet your flush draw on the respective streets and when to lay off and take a free card. I’ll discuss two different types of flush draw, the two-down and three-down types. Finally, I’ll discuss the betting once you have hit your flush.

First of all, I would suggest that you almost always semi-bluff with a two-down flush draw (when you have two suited cards in your hand along with two matching suited cards on the board). It accomplishes two goals in approximately equal proportions: getting money into the pot for when you hit your draw, and taking down the pot when your opponents fold to your semi-bluff. It is not well-advised to semi-bluff into more than 3 players because your chances of getting raised and isolated are much more present. When you do semi-bluff, your bet should be about half the pot, a reasonable bet. Remember that semi-bluffing is a combination of bluffing and value betting.

When you miss on fourth street, it’s usually a good idea to check and see what your opponents do. If they come out swinging, they usually have a made hand, and you should leave it up to pot odds to determine whether or not to continue with the draw. If they check, they might be on a draw as well, albeit a lesser one than you. However, if you have the feeling that your opponents are fishing, another stab at the pot couldn’t hurt much. If they’re drawing, you’ll almost certainly take it down there.

If the hand makes it to fifth street and you still haven’t hit, your options actually open up a little. You could make a big bet, try a post-oak bluff, check-fold and give up, or even go all-in. This is always a tough situation to be in, because any river card that missed you could have improved your opponent’s hand. Just use your better judgment and if all else fails, lay it down and stop the bleeding.

Now, if you hit your flush on the turn, this creates another odd situation. The natural thing to do is check and let your opponent improve his hand on the river, but two major problems persist: another flush card can hit and make him a higher flush, and if the board pairs you could be up against a full house. A check can also look suspicious to any player not holding a flush, although most of the time that check would mean the player is worried about the flush cards.

Instead, you want to bet for value here. Make it a bet that he can call, but one that will put a dent in the pot, something like one-third to one-half the pot. Stick with my value betting strategy for post-turn play and you’ll get the idea. Now is really not the time to get tricky, except for a check-raise into an opponent that you know will bet.

If you hit on the river, make no special plays. You must bet for value here if you want to make anything on the hand. Hopefully your semi-bluffing has made the pot worth winning even without a call.

A three-down flush draw semi-bluff consists of the board coming three to a suit (let’s say hearts) and you having the highest heart possible. In this situation, you do not semi-bluff without the nut draw. It’s that simple. There’s too good a chance that that one card is out there, so you might as well have it. With the nut draw, you semi-bluff just as you would with a two-down flush draw.

A different situation arises when you have an overpair along with the three-down draw. Say you have Ks-Kc. You’ve raised enough to get heads up with one player. The flop comes
3c-4c-9c. Here you have the second nut flush draw, but you also probably have the best hand with your pair of kings. This really isn’t a semi-bluff at all, but rather a great hand with great outs. You should push accordingly. If he plays back at you, you must assess his strength to determine whether or not you’re currently beat. He could have a set, leaving you with any club to win. He could also have the nut flush already, leaving you almost dead. Finally, he could have the ace of clubs and be putting a semi-bluff on you. Leave this up to judgment, but for the most part, call and see another card.

When you hit your fourth board club to make your nut flush, you should always value bet because your opponent either has a club or he doesn’t, and you won’t get any action if he doesn’t because he’ll notice the four clubs on the board. As a rule, you don’t worry about hands higher than a full house in hold ‘em. If there are four cards to a straight flush on the board, you should still assume you have the best hand unless you sense something very tricky about your opponent’s play. Use common sense and analyze the betting pattern to determine if the cards that fit the straight flush are possibilities in his holding. Usually, they won’t be.

Semi-bluffing with a flush draw is a strong play that has serious positive expectancy and always offers delicious implied odds. Remember your odds of hitting (9/47 with two cards to come and 9/46 with one card to come, or about 36% and 18%) and keep your opponents guessing.

By: Jordy Pujol

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Tournament poker is one of the most exciting ways to play one of the most popular card games around. Since Jamie Gold won 12 million dollars at the 2006 WSOP, there is more incentive than ever to get involved in poker tournament play. One of the interesting things about poker tournaments is it provides myriad opportunities for implementing poker strategy. One thing you will have to understand to play tournament poker effectively is how to handle play on the button.

The button represents the player who is last to act in a given round of play. Acting last in a poker tournament gives you a tremendous advantage, as you will have information about how all the players feel about their hands (or how they want you to think they feel) before you act. What you do with this information can make all the difference in how you fare in the tournament.

When you are on the button, you should be willing to play more hands. This is because you are unlikely to be raised pre-flop since there are only the blinds to act after you, so you will rarely be forced to commit too many chips with a marginal hand. Additionally, if you do flop a strong hand, you will be in the best position to extract chips from your opponents, which obviously is a good thing in a poker game.

You should be less interested in moving all-in from the button than from other positions, although sometimes it will be necessary. Moving all-in pre-flop negates your button advantage, since it eliminates all post flop decisions, and it is in those decisions that your extra information comes into play.

You should be thinking about stealing the blinds when you are in late position. If everyone folds to you, you only have to get past the small and big blinds to win the hand, and unless they have strong hands, which is statistically unlikely, you will usually win the pot right there. When you play poker in a cash game this is a nice bonus, but in tournament poker, it can be a key factor in winning, since the blinds rise in a tournament, meaning they are often much more worth risking chips to win than in a cash game. Players will suspect you of a steal when you raise from late position, but if you make a significant raise, it will still be difficult for opponents to call you without some kind of hand. If you raise too frequently from the button however, you can expect to be called and raised more often.

You may find the player to your right raises often when it is folded around to him. This player is called the cutoff, because he “cuts off” your chance to steal. If you suspect the cutoff of raising on a steal most of the time, you may try a resteal, raising this player again. Many times he will surrender without a fight, since he will assume he is facing a real hand. Even if he calls your raise, you will have position on him throughout the rest of the hand.

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To win at poker, you need to be able to read your opponents. If you want to be follow in Jamie Gold’s footsteps and win the WSOP (World Series of Poker) or win any poker tournament for that matter, it’s not enough to just bet your good hands and fold your weak ones. You’ve got to be able to understand when your hand may not be great, but it’s good enough. You have to have an idea of when your opponents are strong and when they may be bluffing. You also have to try to mislead your opponents as to what your bets mean. One way to do all this is through a thorough understanding of betting patterns.

Much discussion of poker is dedicated to the idea of tells. A tell is some sort of clue a player may give other players as to the strength of their hand. Players try to look at an opponent’s eyes, hands or mouth, or even pay careful attention to what they may be saying in hopes of getting an edge. There is one tell that is very difficult to disguise in a poker game, and that is the betting pattern.

All players must bet at some point to win a poker tournament, so if you can understand an opponent’s betting pattern,
you have an edge on them up until one of you gets knocked out. A betting pattern relates to the way a player handles a certain type of hand. Some players in Texas Hold em always bet draws “on the come” putting in chips with a flush or straight draw before finding out of they are going to make it. Others make the minimum raise before the flop with aces.
Still others may bet big to protect a smaller pair, but less to get action with bigger ones. If you can determine one of these patterns, you have crucial information. And in a poker tournament, information is key.

You will have to be patient to determine a betting pattern. Very often a player will muck without you having seen their hand. Tables may be broken down and players will be moved. However, if you are observant and focused, you should be able to pick up some information eventually.

Some players may change up their betting pattern to confuse opponents. You, in fact, should be one of those players.
You should try to play hands where you are bluffing in a very similar fashion to those where you have a real hand.

Because a clever opponent will change up their betting pattern, you should not make assumptions about another player based on only one or two plays. For the most effectiveness, you need to observe a real pattern over a number of situations. If you can do this, you will very quickly reap poker tournament rewards.

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