Some Tips to Winning Texas Hold‘em
Learn about folding and bluffing to improve your winning at Texas Hold'em
by: Joseph Starr
I play Texas Hold‘em when I go to Atlantic City. I like the fact that I’m playing against the other gamblers at my
table and not against the house. I feel I have the best chance of winning at poker compared to the other casino games. Here are some
tips to winning at Texas Hold‘em.
The first piece of advice is to fold often. If you look at the first two cards you have been dealt and don’t feel a “WOW!” fold. (See
below1 for the twenty best hands.) There’ll be another hand coming
along in a few minutes. If the flop misses you, fold. To stay in after the flop you should have (1) top pair or better; (2) a flush
draw or a flush; or (3) an outside draw to a straight or a straight; anything else, fold. After the flop, you’ve seen five out of the
seven cards you have to work with. That’s more than 70%. The odds of making your hand better after the flop are low.
Pick up clues from your opponents play, and if you are certain someone has a better hand, fold. Especially at low stakes games2, fold often if your object is to win and not just have a good time.
The way to win at Texas Hold‘em is to have patience and wait until you have a strong hand or pounce on an opponent when he makes a
mistake. You will only play three or four hands in an hour, but you will be more likely to win.
When you are not playing, observe your opponents. Pick up clues about the style of each of your opponents. Some players will call with
any hand at all. Some players are very conservative and only play when they have a very good chance of winning. After an hour of play,
you should have a good “read” on the others at the table.
About bluffing. In a low stakes game, don’t bluff often. If you do, others will observe your play, and your bluff will be called all
the time. Maybe one out of ten hands you play is the right amount of bluffing. On the other hand, don’t make the mistake of never
bluffing; you will be giving away too much information to your opponents. Watch for opponents who never bluff. By their betting you
will have a good idea of what kind of hand they hold.
Texas Hold‘em is a positional game. An element of how you bet depends on whether you have to bet early or others have to bet before
you do. If you are in an early position, only bet with the twenty best hands. As more and more players bet before you do, you can
ease up on the requirements to bet, however, if there is a raise before you bet, only call with the twenty best hands.
There is much more to be studied and learned to become an expert player, but these tips should help you build a foundation. Be sure to visit my
website
to find gambler’s aids to playing winning Texas Hold’em.
1 The twenty best hands:
(1) Pairs: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, T-T . . . down to 7-7; (2) Same suit: A-K, A-Q … down to A-9, and K-Q, K-J, Q-J, J-T; and (3) A-K, A-Q,
K-Q, not of the same suit. These are guidelines and not hard and fast rules. (Terminology used: A is an ace, K is a king, Q is a
queen, J is a jack, and T is a ten.)
2 Low stakes Texas Hold‘em games are called “No fold‘em hold‘em” because
it costs so little to stay in the game. Don’t make the mistake of staying in with a poor hand hoping it will get better because it
costs so little. It won’t happen often.