The cards slide across the surface of the poker table like a hockey
puck on ice (Okay, so I like hockey, so what? :). You look at your hole
cards and see Ace Ten off suit. You ask yourself "What now?". You end
up calling an UTG raise from the small blind.
The flop comes down A 2 6 rainbow and you end up losing half your stack
to Ace King. He had you dominated the whole way, blargh! You shrug it
off as unfortunate and keep on going.
Was it bad luck? I would say most often it is not bad luck at all.
Players of all ranks make simple texas holdem strategy mistakes. The
ones who are better just make less of them.
Texas holdem strategy is pretty simple when you get down to it. The
hands you see on TV aren't real poker. They are often just highlights
in tournaments where the blinds have increased to the point where
players have no choice but to go all-in!
Here is My List with The 7 Texas Holdem Strategy Secrets :)
1. Solid Poker - Texas holdem strategy will take you nowhere if you
play bad starting hands in bad positions. I know you've heard it before
and I will tell you again, because it is CRUCIAL to your success. Play
tight out of position. That means super tight in the small blind, big
blind, under the gun and middle position (for 6-max No-Limit Hold'em
games). If you do this you will have a greater chance to make money!
2. Plan Ahead - A good texas holdem strategy tip is to plan ahead.
Think about how the hand will play out. Will it be easy for you to play
or hard? For example a hand like Ace Ten of hearts in the small blind
after 2 limpers and a big raise from the button. This hand will most
likely be very hard to play after the flop, because if you hit your ace
you aren't sure if you have the best hand and the same goes for a ten
high flop. This is why planning ahead is crucial in a game like
No-Limit Hold'em
3. Poker Tilt - Become aware of your own signs of tilt. I myself get
hot and almost start sweating when I become really frustrated at poker.
This is a time when I have to take a break or just quit, because if I
keep going I will tend to lose money. Why? Because when you tilt your
judgment is clouded and you will make some really horrible texas holdem
strategy mistakes! Learn to quit BEFORE you start playing bad!
4. Game Selection - If you choose games where you are the best players
then you will win. And the easier games you choose the easier you will
win. Pick games where you have an easy time winning and you should have
no problems. I know many good players who avoid this simple texas
holdem strategy tip and are too lazy to select good games. They just
sit all day and play with other good players. If they're good they'll
win a bit, but not even close to as much as if they selected better
games.
5. Manage Your Bankroll - If you do not understand bankroll management
then you will have a hard time succeeding in any poker endeavor. You
should have AT LEAST 20 buy-ins for any No-Limit Holdem level you are
playing, I prefer 30 or more myself. If you drop down below 15 buy-ins
you should move one level downward until you win back your money and
have 20 buy-ins for the higher (previous) level. This is where many
fail, yet it is an extremely easy texas holdem strategy tip to
implement!
6. Keep An Open-Mind - Learn from everything you can. Discuss texas
holdem strategy with friends, at forums and hire a coach to help you! I
read all the books on texas holdem strategy I could find when I started
out, after that I joined the 2+2 forums and after that I started
discussing hands with poker players I met at the forums. The last step
was to take coaching and I have been taking coaching for over 3 years
now, all the time. Remember, even Tiger Woods has a coach ;-)
7. Pleasure - You should always feel immense pleasure while playing
poker. Or almost always for those of you who are professional poker
players. Sometimes it just isn't as fun as you want it to be, but you
have to get those hands in because it is how you make your living. I
myself try to keep it as pleasurable as possible, it's no fun playing a
game you hate, right? :)
