Introduction to Texas Holdem Strategy – 3
Concepts
By Randy Ray
Concept #1 – Pot Odds
Long-term profits in holdem come from making bets with a positive
expectation. You only have a positive expectation when your payoff is
higher than your risk. Casinos make money from negative
expectation games like roulette. The single number bet in roulette
pays off at 35 to 1, but the odds of winning the bet are 37 to 1. The
difference between the 37 and the 35 is the casino’s profit margin.
You need a basic understanding of how to calculate pot odds while
playing in order to determine when to play. You should only play a
hand when you have a positive expectation, otherwise you should
fold. Basically you compare the number of chips in the pot with your
chances of winning the pot when you decide whether or not to play a
hand.
Suppose there is $150 in a pot, and you’re on the flop with 4 to a
flush. An easy way to approximate the odds of hitting the flush is to
take the number of cards that will make your hand and multiply that
by the number of cards that are still going to be dealt, and multiply
that by 2. There are 13 cards in a suit and you have 4 of them. So
there are 9 cards left. 9 times 2 more cards times 2% equals 36%, or
about 1 in 3. You will win an average of once every three times and
lose the other two times. So the pot needs to offer you at least 2 to 1
for you to call a bet. If someone bets $50, you stand to win $200 on a
$50 bet, which gives you appropriate pot odds to call.
This basic concept is essential to holdem success. Other concepts
to start thinking about are the odds of your opponent folding if you
raise. This will change the pot odds. A rule of thumb is that the fewer
opponents, the more likely you’ll be able to take down an
uncontested pot. Another rule of thumb is that if you have a drawing
hand, a big pot, and a small bet to call, then you should call. If the
pot's small, and the bet’s big, then you should fold.
Concept #2 – Starting Hand Selection & Position
Position is critical when deciding what kind of hands to actually play
before the flop. The rule of thumb is that you play much tighter (have
higher starting hand requirements) in early position and play looser
in late position. Your advantage in late position is that you can see
what the other players do before you decide what to do.
This is a simplification, and a lot of people aren’t going to like the way
I do it, but I divide starting hands into just three groups. There are
definitely sub-divisions and subteleties between these groupsbut
starting out, you’re basically looking at just three different groups:
strong hands, drawing hands, and unplayable hands.
Strong hands are pairs of 10 or higher, plus AK suited. AA’s and KK’s
almost always warrant raising preflop, unless you’re in early position
and you’re hoping for someone to raise behind you. AK suited, QQ’s,
JJ’s, and 10’s are worth raising with if no one else has raise, they’re
sometimes worth raising with if someone else has raised, and they’
re almost always worth calling with.
Drawing hands are hands that need to improve on the flop to win.
Pairs of 99’s or lower and suited connectors are usually drawing
hands, and so are big-little suited. (Big little suited is an ace and one
smaller card of the same suit, and it’s a playable hand sometimes
because of its flush potential.) Suited connectors are adjacent in rank
and of the same suit, so they have the potential to make a flush or a
straight or possibly even a straight flush. And the smaller pairs go
down in value as they get lower in rank. They’re normally worth
calling if no one’s raised unless you’re in early position, when you
should usually fold them. Sometimes pairs of 77’s, 88’s, and 99’s
are good starting hands to play strongly with too, especially if your
opponents are very tight and you could win the pot right there without
a showdown.
Concept #3 – What to do on the Flop
“Fit or fold” is the common wisdom on this subject. You should be in
a good position to decide what to do on the flop. I’ve always played
overpairs and top pairs a little too strongly, and that works well at a
weak table with calling stations, but you have to be more cautious
with better players. The “average” winning hand in Texas holdem at a
showdown is two pairs or better.
If your starting cards were a drawing hand, you need to hit your hand
in order to play it. If you had pocket 66’s, you really need to hit 3 of a
kind to continue playing the hand, otherwise you should fold. 4 to an
open-ended straight is playable unless there’s a potential flush draw
on the board. 4 to a flush is usually a good hand to play. But if you’re
playing a small pair and there are overcards on the board, you’re
probably going to have to get away from the hand. Texas holdem is a
game of high cards.
This is a very basic introduction to the things you should think about
in Texas holdem strategy. There are tremendous subtleties and
complexities beyond this introduction, and entire books are written on
strategies for limit, pot limit, and no limit Texas holdem. You’re
encouraged to start reading them and think about them while you
play.
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Internet Poker - 13 Rules to Follow
By Hannu Millaskangas
Internet Poker - 13 Rules to Follow
By Hannu Millaskangas
Playing poker is much nicer to play against bad players than good players. If you find a
bad player add him/her to your buddy list. Looking at your buddy list occasionally you
will notice if he/she is playing or coming into a poker table. Using 'search player' is
easy way to find your buddy. Then double click a table where your buddy player is and
start gambling. Some players have chosen an option "Hide me from search". Search
option does not show you where these players are but tells you if they are online. Take
the advantage of deposit bonuses Casino poker sites are offering different kinds of
deposit bonuses. These bonuses are worth to utilize. Why to avoid taking advantage
of them if you are playing at a web site anyway..
Write notes of all players
I can not stress this too much. Make notes! If you find a player playing poker a certain
way, repeating this way again and again, make notes for yourself. There are so many
players that nobody can remember the weaknesses and strengts of each poker
player. At least write notes about good/bad players.
Use 4-coloured card deck
Why? It is worth to use four colored card deck if you are playing at more than one table
simultaneously. Almost every player has done a mistake reading a card that is not you
wanted to be. Especially in the end of long poker session this is very important. So
use 4-coloured card deck.
Sneak out a hand history what your buddy played
This is a nice feature if available so use it. This way you can learn the way your
'friends' are playing poker. If a game goes to show-down but your buddy hits his/her
cards to deck it would be nice to see what cards he/she was playing.
Do not pay extra blind
Start playing poker at a table from big blind. There is no point to hurry and pay an extra
blind to start playing. But acting this way some players may think that now there came
a pro playing poker. You can relieve this effect by paying that extra from button or cut off.
Play all 'free' hands
When you are going to end up your game at a table do not waste your payed blinds.
Leave a table only at ' under gun' (first seat after blinds). Be careful using
auto-post-blinds button. It is better to push off playing your final rounds.
Observe players one round
I f you are playing just one table and there are only unknown players at a table it is
good idea to observe those players one round. In other words let blinds pass once
(you are 'sit-out') so you can observe the way or style players are playing. You can also
make notes during this warm-up round.
Keep your computer speakers' volume on
A man is a curious thingi.He uses his/her every instincts analysing different situations.
When you keep computer voices on that feedback information coming through your
ears can complete that what you see. But in long term these voices can also harm you
so remember not to play too long.
Learn to leave table
You must pay attention to leaving a game at a certain table. Are there a lot of new
players? Are those players good or bad? It is not use to trying get back your losses
(you start playing bad), just quit. If that game is going to be short-handed it is better to
leave if you can not play it properly. It is quite different game to play than long-hand
game (full table).
Make big enough buy-in
In limit games this has no effect in tactics but playing pot and no limit games this has
a big meaning. But it is still important to make your buy-in big enough. There is no
point to get a situation where you flop your full hand and you do not have enough
money to take full advantage of that situation.
Do not be afraid of loosing money
If you are afraid loosing this pot you are giving advantage to other players. So play just
those money you can loose and the size of game you can play at your best without
fearing anything.
Do not play $5 sit-and-go
There is no problem if you do not have money. Go at least one size bigger tables
(sit-an-go) because at $5 table rake is $1 ( 20%) and at $10 table rake is $1 (10%).
About the author:
Hannu Millaskangas, the owner of http://www.casinogate.net
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as this resource box is left intact and there's a live link to the site.
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