The Streets Of Texas Hold'em Poker

 

The Different Streets In a Poker Hand

The Flop
After seeing the flop, Don't feel obligated to remain in the hand. A common mistake made by beginners, especially online is to decide, "I'm already in this hand, so I might as well play it out." NOooooooooo.
With up to seven players at a table, two pair or better will generally be the winning hand. If you don't have the high pair after the flop (say the flop comes out and is Q-9-5, the high pair would be two Queens), and you're not in good position for a straight or a flush, you should probably get out of the hand.
However, remember that as the number of players depletes, so does the potential of that strong hand being out there...  So, if you're at a table with just two other players, it could pay off to be the aggressor and bet at the pot, hoping to take it down.
If you're first to bet after the flop, don't feel like betting is the only solution, CHECK. This can work to your advantage in two ways. First, if your hand is on the weak side, you may get the luxury of getting to see one more card without having to put more of your stack into the pot. Second, if your hand is strong, you could convince an opponent or two that it's weaker than it really is.  Of course times change and technique does too, so this is an important situation to know when to switch gears because someone could read your strength through your portrayal of weakness.
 



Fourth Street and Fifth Street
Also know as The Turn and The River, respectively, the fourth and fifth community (cards face up) cards give you two more chances to either get out of the pot before you lose money, or increase your winnings.
At this point, it's likely there will only be much less of an opponent count in the pot with you. The best advice here is to be smart. After fourth street, don't stay in the pot hoping for a straight or flush, unless you can do so on a check (think odds, and how many outs you have, although it may be an easy fold patience may take you in a different direction). Although there will be times when you would have drawn the straight or flush, they will be outweighed by the times you wouldn't.
The bottom line is this: Don't allow yourself to get sucked in too far with a weak hand, throwing all your chips in on a hope and a prayer.
That said, there is a point where the investment you've already made virtually tells you that you hang in there. It's most reasonable to measure this in terms of percentage of your chips. For example, if you've already committed 40% of your chips to the pot, another 5% isn't that much. This is a gray area, so once again the best advice is to be smart, but think cautiously.

The Texas Holdem Attention Span

 

 Texas Hold'em Patience and Feeling Out the Situation Based on the Board.   

Your Ability To Read The Board

Your ability to read the board will help make you a winning, money earning player, and it is not hard to get comfortable with. As you play Texas Holdem, the community cards are the most significant group of cards in the game based on the fact that they are simply face up. You can easily determine the best possible hand that can be made from the community cards and two cards that may or may not be out there. It is extremely important that you learn determine how your hand stacks up against the other possible hands that your opponents may hold. Two common situations should peak your radar when you see them.
If there are three suited cards on the board someone has the opportunity to build a flush. If a player raises when the third suited card is turned over you should be aware of that player first,but second feel it out to where you make a judgement on whether or not a bluff is in the air. If there is a pair on the board a player can make four of a kind or a full house.

 

Pay Attention to all Possible Detail
When you are not involved in a hand you should still pay attention to the game. You can gain valuable information about your opponents simply by observing what hands they play, not to mentio you can give all your attention to the situation around the table rather than yourself. It’s easy to determine the players who play suited cards, or single aces by watching the hands they turn over at the end. That brings me to one controversial tip.
Think about the situation where it is appropriate to show your hand. if you don’t have to. If you win the pot because everyone else folded you are under no obligation to show your cards. You don’t want to give away any information about yourself if you don’t have to and players who turn over their cards when they don’t have to are doing just that.You can of course perform a premeditated show, as to later set someone up to take down a big pot or throw down a big bluff.

Starting Hand Selections

Starting Hand Selection

When trying to achieve a goal, I have an issue with research. I like hit upon Amazon or some other book store and buy the top of the line books of that niche. When I started playing poker, I did the same thing and bought a few books by the famous authors (Doyle Brunson in particular). Although they are the greats poker is a game played on personality I think, so some of the books I dove into were a little dis-serving. It took me years and money (haha) before I realized that the games that I was taking part in were not even close to the games that the authors played in and also that it does not always take the nuts to win a pot, it just takes a better hand then every one else (or the appearance that your hand is better). If you spend your time memorizing tables on playing certain hands in certain positions, you'll never really make a consistent living playing poker. The goal is to win and I find the most success comes from the type of poker player that can switch gears and vary his play on the drop of a dime based on the players your sitting with, hand and opponent. Here we will just simply go over certain hands and potential situation where it may make sense to play them.

Position - one thing you'll find in no limit holdem is that position is much more of a factor. With that said, I am not constantly acting on the basis of my position. I'm just as likely to play a hand like 9T suited under-the-gun (first position/worst position) as I am on the dealer button (last position/best position). The reason is because I don't get trapped and call unless I want. If someone raises me preflop a large amount, I can very easily fold. If lots of other people are in, I can call. I think position in limit holdem and no limit are exactly reversed. In limit holdem position is very important preflop, but after the flop it is of less importance. In no limit holdem position is less important preflop and very important post flop. What's the worst thing that can happen if I limp in with 56s in early position in no limit? A person could raise, and then I just fold and lose my few bucks. A few bucks is nothing in no limit. In no limit you can win a huge pot with any hand so calling a few dollars and then olding if it gets too expensive isn't as much of a concern. Moderation is the key, don't take this too far. You will lose if you play any two cards in any position and call any bet.

Trash Hands -  What are some Trash hands? T2s, 95, T6, 23, A2, etc. The ones that do particularly well are the T and J rag hands: J2, J3, J4, etc and T4, T5, T2. The reason these do well is because if there was no raise preflop then the opposition most likely has hands like QJ, KJ, JT, etc. When you flop two pair you can really make them pay. What you want to avoid though is catching one pair and thinking it is good (dont get greedy). If you have a crappy hand like J4 and the flop is J92, I would not put a bet out there in early position. The pot will be smaller anyway from a lack of raise anyway since no one raised preflop, so if you check and give it away even if you had the best hand, at least you got out cheap!


AA, KK And AK -  As said before these hands pretty much play out themselves, but do NOT fall in love. You can have fun with them if the situation calls for it. I'll mix up my play based on who I'm against (especially with Aces). When I get dealt Aces or Kings though, I'm always thinking in the back of my mind that I don't want to lose my whole stack with these. This is a huge weakness for new players. They get dealt AA or KK and then think they are guaranteed to win. That's not even close, after a while of playing you even start to contimplate folding those hands based on past stompings (not really but for a second you do). The best case scenario if you are dealt Aces is someone else has a hand they are raising with preflop. If that isn't the case I don't mess around with these hands. I'll play them straight forward and take my little pot. I'll raise preflop, then put a decent bet in on the flop and bigger on the turn. The goal here is if no one else has a big starting handto just win the pot and not lose a huge one. Remember one pair isn't that great and if you get tons of action after the flop then there is a chance your in trouble. I don't make the majority of my money with big hands like this. Don't be discouraged if you finally get Aces and then win only a little with them. One tactic that sometimes will win a big pot is to feign weakness on the flop with your Aces. For example, if the flop comes back Jack high and you have Aces, waiting for a while and then only betting half the pot sometimes gets people to check raise or raise a large amount because they put you on AK. Then you just call and then put them all-in on the turn card.

Middle Pairs (QQ, JJ, TT) - I think out of all the hands in no limit, these are the toughest to play well. The best advice I can give is don't lose all your chips calling all-in with Queens or Jacks preflop. You'd be surprised how often you'll have AK, KK or AA against QQ or JJ. Staying away from losing a bunch in that situation is a sign you're doing alright as a player. The tell tale sign of AA or KK is if you raise a good amount and then get re-raised or re-raised all-in by another opponent. If I'm looking at a re-raise a call will be more likely. If the person has a bunch of chips and goes all-in then I'm going to have to look hard at the situation, my opponent and try to look back at the action that player has been involved in. If they have been quite it could show a lack of patience after a while, or it could show complete control and the fact that that opponent has hit it, and is going to try to capitalize on their big hand.  How much it is going to cost me is another thing I look at in this situation. If I'm playing at a $100 game and it will just cost me $50 total then we will try it. Or if the person is a wild player that raises a lot of hands and you don't know if they have anything, let alone a good hand then go ahead and play poker. Also understand that calling the re-raise and seeing the flop is only the start. Most likely all the money will go in by way of the showdown.

Face Cards (AJ, KQ, KJ, QJ, QT etc) - My advice with these cards is to play them but with a little bit of caution. I play these cards with a mission. If I flop something big for example top two pair then of course I'll play more aggressively and try to win more but with just top pair I'm careful. I will bet but I'm not going to get married to the pot. What you want to try to stay away from is calling larger preflop raises with these, flopping top pair and paying off the better hand, or the opponent doing the raising. That's how you lose fast in no limit poker. I will limp in with these hands from early position but if someone raises a good amount, I'm out unless lots of other people are in. I'll need a really strong flop to continue. There is no way I'll limp in with KJs, call a preflop raise, and then call all the way down with top pair hoping I'm good. If you don't have the initiative in the hand (doing the betting), there is a reason.

Small Pocket Pairs - Of all the hands in no limit holdem, these are my favorites. They play themselves and when they hit, you are "set". My ideal situation is when I limp in with a small pocket pair in early position, get raised a decent amount from someone with a big pair or AK and then I call and flop trips. You'll hit your set/trips with an approx. odds of 1 in 8 times. I'll call preflop with these hands as long as the raise isn't too much and the person has enough chips in front of them (or there is not a re-raise).  You won't continue on the flop unless you hit (or you see a bluffing opportunity in which case your actual hand does not matter).

Suited Cards - In no limit holdem I don't make a big distinction between a suited connector (67s) and two suited cards (T6s). In either case you are going to need a big flop to make much with the hand. With these cards I'lltry to see a cheap flop in late position, sometimes in the front if they are decent cards. I particularly like the smaller suited cards like 35s or 46s. The reason is because if no one raised preflop it usually means someone is out there with a "weak ace" (A5, A6, A2, A3, etc). Sometimes you'll flop the straight and they will have two pair, in which case you can potentially take down a nice pot.

Staying Out Of Trouble - . To play no limit well you need to adjust your thinking. In no limit you want either a great hand or a great bluffing hand. You don't want a lot of junk in the middle due to the fact that a wrong move, false hope or over eager move can leave you with your pockets out.

Next we will look at small strategies and scenarios, along with different sites their offers and where you should go to make big money. Go get millions!!!

Starting Hands and Positioning

Before the flop There are things to consider as far as which hand should be played or thrown into the muck.

Starting Hands:
Position, patience and the ability to pick your spots to really go after the pot are the key in trying to win at Texas Holdem. The most important pre-flop decision you will make is what starting hand is acceptable to go in with. The biggest mistake a player makes is playing too many hands. Be aware of your Position in relation to the dealer, this will help out in later blogs, but also help in better deciding if play, raise or fold is the right choice. You need a stronger hand to act while in early position because you have more players acting after you who may raise or re-raise the pot (which can result in you losing money you did not have to). It is important that you are Patient and wait for strong starting hands to play from the correct position.

 

 The player to the left of the big blind acts first before the flop. He along with the other two players to his left are in early position (under the gun). The next three players are middle position and the players after that are in late position. The blinds act last before the flop, but are first to act after the flop is laid out. Below are what may be some guidelines for starting hands that I and many others would recommend you play when you are getting to know the game and just starting out. They are fairly tight but will give you a good foundation to work with until you learn a little more about the game( keep in mind different hands are stong in different situations, so it is important in Texas Holdem to never fall in love with any hand because it could cost you).

In Early position these are scenarios that can be beneficial to you.
Raise with A-A, K-K or A-K suited from any position. Call with A-K, A-Q suited, K-Q suited and Q-Q J-J, T-T

In Middle position
Call with, 9-9, 8-8, A-J suited, A-T suited, Q-J suited, A-Q, K-Q

In Late position
Call with A-T suited, K-T suited, Q-T suited, J-T suited, A-J, A-T and small pairs. It takes a stronger hand to call a raise than it does to make with one, If there is a raise before it is your turn to act you you can very easily fold. There is no reason  to lose more money with a marginal hand just because you want to force it.  Be ok with folding!!!

Also Quick Side Note:
After playing a while you will notice that players will play any two suited cards from any position and they will play an Ace with any small kicker. These hands are not hands built for longevity, so be sure to try not to get into the habit of playing them because you will eventually lose with them.

Blinds as they pertain to the game:
Once you post your blind the chips or money are no longer yours. Many players feel the need to go out there and defend their blinds by calling all raises even with marginal hands. Get into the habit of not wasting additional money on marginal hands ( this will bring further success in turn more money). Also, don’t look to automatically call the small blind if you have nothing. not spending that half bet will set you up for your next small blind.

More Next time Thanks!!
I will Discuss next time the play of certain hands, the when and the where, to play them.

The Basics to No Limit Hold"em

No Limit Texas Hold'Em

One of the most popular forms of poker today is Texas Hold'em. In This great game called Texas Hold'em each player receives two hole-cards and five subsequent cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table, these cards are simply known as the "flop", "turn", and the "river". The object of the game is to make the best five-card poker hand possible using your two hole-cards and the five community cards.
To indicate which person is the dealer from round to round, a disc or other such marker, called the button, is placed in front of them. To start the action, the person to the left of the dealer posts the "small blind", a forced bet usually half of the minimum bet. The next person to the left posts the "big blind", a forced bet equal to the minimum bet. These two bets are called "blinds" because they are posted before the two players look at their cards.

Players are then dealt the two pocket cards, face down, and the person on the left of the player who posted the big blind will begin the first round of betting. In the first round, a player can call, raise or you could also fold . In order to call, the player must place a bet that is equal to the previous bet. After the first player, each subsequent player is given the option to call the current bet, to raise up the bet, or to fold. Players who fold are out of that round until the hand ends and the next deal is out.


After the first round of betting is finished, the dealer takes the top card and sets it aside (called "the burn card"), and then lays the three community cards face up on the table. This is called the flop. At this point all other betting rounds now start with the first player to the left of the dealer. Players now have the option to check (the term used to pass on betting without folding), or to put out a bet. After the betting is opened by a player, players can no longer check when it is their turn to act, but can instead call or raise the action occurring at that point. The round concludes when all bets have been called, or in a limit game, when the maximum number of bets possible (the "cap", usually 1 bet and 3 raises) has been reached.
After betting is finished another card is burned and the fourth card, called the "turn card" or "4th Street," is added to the community cards. Players bet again just as they did on the flop betting round. In a fixed limit game, the bet is now double the previous bet and remains double for the final betting round as well. After the third betting round, another card is burned and the fifth and final card, known as the "river" or "5th Street," is dealt. There is one last round of betting, after which the remaining players turn up their pocket cards. The highest five card poker hand that can be made using any combination of the available seven cards (a player’s two hole cards and the five community cards) wins the pot. If there is a tie, then every player who is tied divides the pot evenly between them.
After the hand is finished, the Button moves clockwise to the next player, who becomes the dealer and play begins again after a new deal, and the blinds are right.
Heres the Basics, look for future posts on strategy and the best online sites to dive into, with the best chance to get your share of the Millions being made online in the poker rooms