Why would you need Texas Hold’em Strategy and Smarts?
Every player will need some form of a Texas Hold’em strategy in order to cash in. Many beginners actually believe that Texas Hold’em is the same as seven-card stud with just a different style of play. This is actually not very accurate. It is very different and the strategy you need, is also different. You don’t need to grab just any strategy but a Texas Hold’em Strategy. The game does lure players because it seems so simplistic but it is a bit more complex than you may think. It is difficult to see the challenge of the game if you only have the two cards and the rest are community cards. It is the lack of information that makes this game difficult and that’s why you need a Texas Hold’em Strategy
To gain an advantage over the other players, you will need to master hand evaluation, analyze other players, calculate scenarios and there are a few more. We won’t have the time to go through everything in great detail but the basics will cover enough for you to already see and feel a difference.
Texas Hold’em Strategy:
- The first thing to do is to master yourself. It is a faster-paced game than seven-card stud. This means that you have to pay attention at all times. Your discipline will surely pay off since your first hands will stand up to the others more frequently than at the seven-card stud table.
- The betting position is a key element of Texas Hold’em. The order in which players act, doesn’t change throughout a hand. The later you act, the more information you have and like they say, knowledge is power.
- Be more selective of the hands you play when you bet from an early position. You will not know what they other players have until later in the game.
- You must be able to identify the nuts. Now, “nuts” mean the best possible hand made using the five community cards. Take a look at the community cards and calculate the outcomes in order to know the probability of someone winning the pot.
- Take a look at what other players are betting. This will surely give you an idea of who has the nuts. If you bet a lot and you don’t have the right hand, you lose money. If you bet a lot on a good nut but someone has a better one, you will lose earnings. Remember that the more players are still in play, the better the chance that one of them has the nuts.
- Strong hands want the weaker hands out of the pot. Drawing hands want more players in the pot.
- Starting hand decisions are important in Texas Hold’em but not so important as seven-card stud and the other forms of poker such as Omaha. The betting will get exciting and sometimes heavy on you before the flop. It will cost you a lot of money to stay in and see what happens. You need to play strong hands. It will be explained in a little while. If an average calculation can be made, players flop about 1 in 3 hands. Here are some guidelines for your Texas Hold’em Strategy:
- High Pairs (10s or better) are always good. The situation on the board may not improve but they have a higher chance of winning.
- Beware of small pairs. They are drawing hands. This means that you need more money in the pot and more players in the hand in order to make it worth pursuing. The odds of improving a a pair to three of a kind is 12.5%.
- Do not get excited with cards of the same suit. You can pursue them if the cards are of a high rank and they are “connected”. That means that it should be in sequence. If this is not the case, you would be better o folding the hand.
- Novices generally assume that any two cards can win. This is wrong. Pursuing that little lie will leave you broke. You can however take advantage of these reckless player by not doing the same thing.
- Don’t get scared out of a hand before the flop. Once you know how to evaluate playable hands, you should take a chance to see the three cards.
- Accept the fact that your hand might often become a flop on the flop. Even the strongest hand can become a problem after the three community cards show up. For example: you hold a pair of Kings( King of diamonds and King of hearts) and the flop comes up with 6, 7 and 8 of cloves. Now this promises straights and flushes, If the betting becomes too heavy before it reaches you, rather get out f there. Remember about the betting ? The more they bet, the more promising their hands are.
- Prepare for some form of frustration. You can play patiently and wisely, staying in the hand with only quality starting cards. Well there is always a possibility that you will lose out on the community cards even if your luck holds for the whole game.
