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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. Use the chart below as a guide to improve your play with pocket pairs, suited and unsuited cards.

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.

Be A Rock

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 occasionally, and bluf almost never.
REMEMBER: You don't have to play every hand. A lot of players who are new to the game of poker feel as though they have to enter every hand, but this is not the case. Make sure to take your time and carefully study your pocket cards.

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 betting and raising, then you're simply limping along. This is the way to lose money. Being aggressive simply means betting 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. 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.

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.

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.