Sports

My Texas Hold’em Poker: Top 10 Tips from a Newbie’s Point of View

It seems that the true origin of Texas Hold’em Poker is still unknown, although there are several different theories circulating. One theory suggests that it started in Robstown, Texas around 1900. Texas Hold’em has been very popular, mainly for various reasons such as; The World Series of Poker has been televised since the 1970s, cable TV broadcasts Poker around the world, and Internet Poker allows anyone to play poker from the comfort of their living room at free sites or online casinos that involve wagers for cash prizes. Another reason why Texas Hold’em Poker is so popular is the game itself; It is a fast game that allows the participation of players of all levels. It is possible to have many games in quick succession, which keeps the player drawn into the game. The game itself also has a lot of depth in terms of deception and being able to read your opponents, which sets it apart from other standard card games.

Here are ten tips on how to be a successful poker player;

1) Patience is a virtue! You may feel like you want to play every game, this is a big mistake. Unless you have a good hand, be careful if you play, as you ideally need a strong and powerful hand in order to play. You can take a certain amount of luck out of the equation by making sure you play when you have a good starting hand. It’s also important to remember your position, as if you start from early position the other players can raise and re-raise the pot, so it’s especially important in this case, you may just be dumping your chips.

2) Meet the poker face! Watch your opponents to see if they are taking risks, look at their face and the hand they have. A good time to watch is if you fold and are not in the game. Of course, the players will also try to keep you on your toes and become unpredictable. All poker players have styles, so try to observe yours.

3) Know when to bluff. Bluffing is serious business, make sure you know how and when to do it. In the famous words of Abraham Lincoln;

“You can fool some people all the time, and all the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” -Abraham Lincoln.

Bluffing in poker is essentially the whole idea. You have to fool your opponents into thinking that you don’t really have a good hand, so that they will be encouraged to bet higher by putting more money on the table. Or alternatively, they think you have a good hand when you don’t and bully them out of the game. Therefore, they will then “fold” for you to win the hand. Although, you would have lost if the game had resulted in ‘calling’ the cards. These are simply the two most obvious ways to bluff. However, there are many reasons to bluff and times when you can use different bluffing styles depending on your opponents.

For example, when playing tight players, you may be able to bluff knowing they won’t risk it, or depending on what cards are on the board, you may want to bluff with what you may have, for example pairs, 4 of a kind, flush, etc. He also remembers that while you are happily bluffing, your opponents may all be doing the same, after all, bluffing is never used as much in another game as it is in Texas Hold’em.

4) Know the game. Know the cards to know if your hand is a good hand and what is the maximum you can get, as well as what other players can assume from the cards on the table. Even if you read the basics, for example, if a player chooses to raise, when a third card of the same suit is shown, or if there is a pair and someone can make a full house or flush.

5) Failure. Knowing how to stay in the game and play after the flop is important, as poker author Shane Smith coined the phrase; ‘Fit or Fold’, if your hand does not fit the cards on the board after the flop and there is a bet in front of you, you must fold. It is said that after the flop your game is 71% complete since you have seen 5 cards out of 7, assuming you stay in the game until the end. With this in mind, if you don’t have a strong hand, you stand to lose a lot more if you don’t fold now.

6) This may seem obvious; but never show your hand unless you have to be on the call. Too often, when beginning players are able to reveal their hand, this is a bad habit! Do not show your opponents, or an opponent even when the game is over, prevent them from revealing themselves.

7) Be aware of the number of other players. The more players there are in the game, the more likely it is that someone else will have a good hand. So try to be more cautious at each stage of the game, the first stage being whether to play the game or fold, depending on your first 2 cards.

8) Allow other players to eliminate themselves, this is relevant in tournaments. By holding back, you will ensure that you stay in the game and cut down on players. This will increase your chances of winning and ensure you are in the money and allow your style to become more aggressive.

9) Don’t be afraid to put your chips on the table. As long as you have a powerful hand and you can be sure that yours is the winning hand, then have the confidence to prove it. Don’t be afraid to go all in, after all, you are playing a game to win! Just be aware of what is on the table and what other players might have, this goes back to tip 4, know the game.

10) Be flexible in your game. You need to change your style according to where you stand in terms of how much money you have on the table. If you have more chips, you can start to ‘bully’ other players into putting their chips on the table and increasing the game; they will be less likely to take risks. As a result, you win more hands, and depending on what point they fold, you can increase your status from the money in the pot. Again, be flexible in the game stage as well. You can afford to be aggressive and intimidate players early on, but in later stages with fewer players, you may want to be patient with the game again.

All players are more likely to take fewer risks at this stage. You can’t afford to play a good hand, you need to fold unless it’s a great hand. By keeping your game flexible, you also decrease the chances of other players reading your game, after all, when things heat up, everyone is looking for the slightest pattern, giveaway, smirk, etc. So with you tuned in, filled with knowledge about the game, and designing a poker face, you’ll be a much better player. Follow these tips and you’ll be winning in no time!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *