Hold'em Strategy Tips   Keep It Simple When you start to play poker, you will more than likely be playing lower limit games. To beat these games does not require you to become a masterful poker player, it primarily entails that you are able to outplay poor opponents. To beat good players at higher limits can be incredibly difficult, entailing many complex moves. However, winning at low limits is pretty straightforward. What do I mean? Basically, other players won't be paying attention to you. They only care about their own cards; they don't care about you or your cards. They will play their hand as they always play their hand, regardless of whether or not you are in the pot. If you want to beat these types of players, you simply need to a play a straightforward game that will win in the long run. For example, play tight, don't do any fancy bluffs, bet aggressively when you probably have the best hand, and utilize pot odds for your drawing decisions. 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, TT 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, KJ, QJ, JT, T9 (only if of same suit), 99, 88, 77, Ax (same suit) Top 5 worst starting hands: 2-7,2-8,3-8,2-9,2-6 The importance of position If you are first, second or third to play after the dealer button you are in what's called the "early" position (also known as "up front"). If you are the dealer button (also known as "playing the button") or one or two seats to the right of the dealer button you are in what's called the "late" position. All players in-between (and normally facing the dealer across the table) are in the "middle" position. If you are in the "early" position, the types of hands you must try to play are restricted to high cards or good hands, since you have no way of knowing what the other players in the group are holding. If you are playing the "middle" position, you'll have players waiting behind you and others that have already played. The chance of a raise is slightly less in this position and there are already several players in the pot so you will get better odds playing weaker hands. The advantage of being in the "late" position is that you get a chance to see almost every play so far, and will be able to read how other players feel about their hands by the way they have checked, bet, raised or re-raised. Get `Em Out Isolation is a key concept in hold `em. This is one of the reasons players like to bet big in opening rounds if they hold high pair or something like AK. These hands are much more efective with fewer numbers of players staying in. If five players stay in, for instance, while you're holding pocket queens, the chances one of them wil make a straight or a flush is much greater than if only one person stays in. That's why, when you get dealt a strong opening hand, or get a nice flop, you want to bet big enough to chase the drawing players from the hand. If you're ahead, make them pay to see the flop, turn, and river! Be A Rock, Except… Being a rock is a very good way to start out. Throwing 80% of your hands, at least, is the only way to win in multi-player games. Bet only on the best hands, semi-bluf very occasionaly, and bluf almost never. This is a winning recipe against 90% of the poker players you'l meet at low-limit tables. As a beginner, consider yourself a hunter siting calmly in a blind, waiting hours for prey to fly overhead. If you go the other way, take your shotgun and go walking around in the jungle, very often you'll get eaten by a lion. Be Aggressive, Not Passive Most expert poker players detest the idea of “limping in” to pots-that is, simply caling (the blinds) rather than raising. However, in practice, everyone does it, and many players do it a lot. The basic idea is solid, though. It states that if you don't have the cards to raise (pre-flop), you should fold. Otherwise you're simply giving yourself up to chance with a bunch of others. Simply caling raises on the blinds means you're wiling to start behind someone. If you're caling a lot of bets, rather than beting and raising, then you're simply limping along. This is the way to lose money. Being aggressive simply means beting and raising when you have goods cards-not being foolish. This gets others out of your way, and helps you control the table. Some typical reasons to bluff... 1. When there aren't many other players in a pot. Simply put, it's easier to trick a couple people than a crowd. With fewer hands out there, chances are better that no one has made a reasonable hand. This is fairly common though, so many players won't believe you. Some will stay in the hand just to "keep you honest", so sometimes this needs to be a persistent bluff over a period of two or three betting rounds. That can be costly if they don't fall for it. You need to know the players before you use this type of bluff. 2. You're in late position and everyone else checked. This one you'll have to gauge for yourself. It will most likely force some players out, but not all. This is a pretty common bluff once again, and many players will stay in just because of bet odds, and/or to once again "keep you honest". This is another example of a bluff that needs to be more persistent over a couple betting rounds. 3. You have given other players "the fear". It's about how other players perceive you. If you just won a hand through good play, the players who say "nice hand" are the ones who now respect you. They will more likely fold to your bluff if you play it right. The trick is to play the hand exactly the same 4. When the flop isn't so great. Some players will fold automatically if all they have is an overcard. With a rainbow flop of 2, 6, 9, not many players will have much. This is another example of a bluff that can go horribly awry. I wouldn't be too persistent in this case, unless only more low cards pop up. Once again, know your players. Control those emotions Bad beats will happen. Losing sessions will happen. Annoying opponents will happen. Live with it and do not let your emotions sway your judgment at the table.