Below are some general Texas Holdem tips. Go through each and every tip and use all tips you will learn, later in your games.

Some General Texas Holdem Tips

Before the flop, fast play high pairs and very strong hands. Doing so will put more money in the early pot and will encourage players with weak and garbage hands to fold. If these players won’t fold, they may win if on the flop they get lucky.

Avoid unconnected medium and low cards for typically they are unplayable. Suited cards that can’t flop a straight are actually included.

Never draw to low end of a straight or even both ends. If a 9 8 7 flops, you should not play 6 5 or the 10 6 but instead play the J 10.

Carefully play starting low pairs, from 66 down to 22. At most, not from an early seat and the late positions. Fold if in case you don’t flop quads or a set.

When you have a two way draw after the flop, play aggressively. Bet or raise if you can get a straight and a flush or trips.

After a garbage flop, bet an Ace or two high overcards. Garbage flop could involve three suit rainbow with unconnected medium and low cards.

Avoid suited flops that can complete flush. If avoiding such is not possible, hold the nut in that suit or have two pair or trips that can fill up.

Uniform flops such as 8 7 6 can turn into straights and so should be watched over most especially if you have high pair or the like. They can beat your hand.

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For several months now, I’ve been playing ring games along with some friends however recently I decided to try small tournaments.

Well, I’m bothered as every time I play in small tournaments, it’s always me and another guy who stay for the pot. This is a big problem for me as heads-up has never been an advantage to me, I typically fold a lot more than what’s supposed to be. Now I want to know your opinion about how I should adjust my play from a multi-handed game to a heads-up game. By the way, for heads-up is there a revised starting hands table?

Thank you very much!

Warm regards,
Albert
Albert,

Any Ace is a raising hand. Two big cards 10 and up are playable. Any pair is playable. Also, with other hands, try and see cheap flops to try and connect. I only stay away from the worst of the worst hands. Of course, if you can get to the flop with them in the big blind, go ahead and do so.

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Once you’ve mentioned that a good portion of the hands is win over with only a high card. Well, I dealt over 100 hands and plotted the results. I found out that only 2 out of the 100 hands were won with a high card. Some of the hands were won with medium to high pairs while some with 2 pairs.

To make sure, I purchased a Poker simulator on the web and ran it a lot of times. I also tried the simulator against 2, and 3 other opponents and still got same results. In the event played to the river, high cards at times.

I guess the only way I can make sense of the proportion you’ve mentioned is through ascertaining if winner emerges from pre-flop betting. High card dealt face down almost always will be the best hand pre-flop. However, I guess this is not what you’re trying to imply. Personally, I believe players need to play high cards pre-flop aggressively, however to win against a call or re-raise, such cards should improve.

By the way, in a small local tournament last night, I met very conservative, tight players. At some point, I noticed they typically never open a pot without an Ace or medium pair, however I never saw a high card Ace or King holding up to win unless it paired or helped make part of either a straight or flush. I believe if they were more aggressive in terms of their betting, they could have won more pots.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Regards,
Anthony
Anthony,

The typical winning hand in Texas Holdem is two pair. A high card only wins the hand a small portion of the time.

Hands such as A-K really need to improve in order to have a solid chance of winning. A-K is really just a glorified drawing hand.

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