Texas Holdem Tips and Tricks
I've been playing poker for many years now, and my favorite game is Texas Holdem. Over the years I've become aware of some tips and tricks to becoming a successful poker player, and I thought I'd share them with you today. Check out the links in my signature to apply these techniques in an online poker room today.
Card Selection:
An important aspect to playing good poker, is knowing which hands to play. That's right guys, don't play that Jack Four Offsuit anymore. Sure, you might get a really 'bad beat' on someone, and then get to laugh in their face, but in the long run, YOU are the loser. All those 'bad beats' that you serve, don't make up for all the hands that you lose to higher kickers. Here are some really good guidelines that I've come up with myself, that I use everyday. Your two starting cards must meet 2 out of 3 conditions for them to be considered playable.
First condition: You should have at least one high card. A Queen is where I draw the line at being a 'high' card.
Second condition: Your two cards should both be able to be used in a flush. That means that they should be of the same suit (suited).
Third condition: You should be able to use both of your cards in a straight. This means that you can't have more than three cards that go between the two that you hold. For example, the lowest card you should play with a King would be a Nine. This way you could get a straight... Nine/Ten/Jack/Queen/King.
Now remember, your two card hand only needs to meet TWO of the three conditions. If your cards meet all three conditions and one of your cards is an ace, you've got a runner, runner, runner Royal Flush Draw! LOL! If you start following my hand selection method, your game will improve greatly, and you'll notice right away.
The Poker Mood:
Poker mood? Believe it not, your mood can and will affect your game play. If you're tired, hungry, or whatever, your game will suffer based on poor decisions on your part. I've found that the two most extreme moods that can have the most devastating affects on your game are when you're bored, or when you're angry. When you're bored, you'll find yourself playing cards that you know you shouldn't be playing, and that'll lead to making some poor calls with some very weak hands. Sometimes folding can seem very boring at times, but you know you're making the right move. If you play all those junky suited hands, it's just going to cost you in the long run. When you're playing online poker and notice that you're getting bored, try surfing the net when you're not in the hand. Or, like a lot of players do, try playing two tables at the same time.
It's almost impossible to win at poker when you're angry at someone or something. If someone bluffed you out of a big pot, or keeps stealing your blinds, or if you were just the victim of a bad-beat, just relax. Who gets the last laugh? The one who's left standing in the tournament does. Making poor, costly decisions simply because you're angry is so common that they've come up with a name for it. It's called being on "TILT". It's the easiest way to go broke in a hurry. If you've let your nerves get the best of you, and you find yourself on Tilt, just stop playing immediately. Come back after at least an hour or so.
So when you sit down to play a game of poker, make sure you're well fed, well rested, and just in a good mood in general. Playing in a good mood might not help you win, but playing in a bad mood will definitely help you lose!
Managing Your Money:
Playing good poker and winning more times than not, doesn't guarantee success. It depends on which games you play. If you play mainly single-table tourneys(STT) and jump around from buy-ins of $5 to $10 etc. and you do good at the lower buy-in tables and lose more often at the higher staked tables, your account balance won't show the success of your win percentage.
You should pick a limit that's appropriate for your bankroll and skill level and then stick with it. If you already have a good winning percentage, then i suggest you use my 10% buy-in rule. Never buy in a tournament for more than 10% of what's in your account. Do not brake this rule (or another rule that you create on your own) or you may fall victim to the dreaded Tilt monster. See, what will happen is you'll lose a couple of $10 tourneys in a row. Then you'll think that there's no way you'll lose a third, and if you play a $20 tourney you can make back all that you lost, and then some, in no time. Next thing you know, two $20 tables later, you're down about $70 and now you're looking at the $50 tables. Do you see the pattern? If anything, your table buy-ins should have been going down along with your account balance. This problem is very common amongst people who have gambling problems. They try to win back what they lost by risking even more until they end up with nothing left.
Now, after you've been successful at your current level over a long period of time, you might then consider moving up to the next step, which is the next highest level buy-in your site offers. It's important to have a buy-in rule, because it can keep you from going broke and having to redeposit. I currently play at a site where I've never made a single deposit. In the past they had 10 cent giveaway tournaments and the winner's share was 5 cents. I started with those and worked my way up. I've personally withdrawn thousands of dollars from this site having never deposited a dime thanks to these simple tips that I've come up with. Come up with a system that suits you, and stick to it.