Allgamer.com

There are some moves worth mentioning involving the most popular poker variety – the No Limit Texas Holdem. At some point you will play this game and so it is important that you get to know what are these moves so you will get better chances of making it in this game later.

However, be careful when trying to do these stuff. They are helpful but then when done at the wrong time or at the wrong situation can lead to a big trouble. Be careful.

Free Peek

Typically, you have to give out some money before seeing the flop, turn, and river. You have to pay. But there’s an exemption to this. If you are a clever player, you can get a peek for free. Without spending even a single penny, you can see the flop, turn, and river.

Say the flop was revealed and you were on the button, the tendency then after, at the turn card, you can have a free peek. After which, you should raise. This will then make your opponents doubtful of the cards that they have. They will become leery of what you have which will eventually bring them to poor decisions and moves.

Semi-Bluffing

Semi-bluffing is a strategy which centers on making your opponents think that you already have a great hand when in truth you are still waiting for a certain card that will complete that one great hand. In No Limit Texas Holdem, semi-bluffing can really be effective. If you do good, your opponents will eventually believe that you have a great hand and that they have no other choice but to just leave the pot to you. And in the event you don’t obtain or have your draw, still you can be the winner in the end.

In Texas Holdem, there are actually some common numbers and percentages that you must know so playing and beating the game will be easier for you.

Here are the common numbers and percentages in Texas Holdem:

Chances on Two Pocket Cards

• Chances of having any AK suited are 0.3% or one out of every 333 hands.
• Chances of having two suited cards are 24% or one out of every 4 hands.
• Chances of having a pair of AA are 0.45% or one out of every 222 hands.
• Chances of having a pocket pair are 5.8% or one out of every 17 hands.

Chances on the Flop

• Chances of having a Flush draw are 10.9% or one out of 9 hands when suited.
• Chances of having a Flush 0.84% or one out of 120 hands when suited.
• Chances of having a set or better are 11.8% or one out of 8 hands if player holds a pocket pair.
• Chances of having a set are 10.8% or one out of 9 hands if player holds a pocket pair.
• Chances of having trips are 1.35% or one out of 74 hands.
• Chance of having two pairs are 2% or one out of 50 hands.
• Chances of having a pair are 29% or one out of 3.5 hands.

Chances on the Turn

• Chances of having a Full House are 15% or one out of 6.6 hands if player holds a set. If to the River, chances would go up to 33%.
• Chances of having a Full House are 9% or one out of 11 hands when player holds two pairs. If to the River, chances would go up to 17%.
• Chances of having a Flush are 19% or one out of 5 hands when player holds a Flush draw. If to the River, chances would go up to 35%.
• Chances of having a Straight are 17% or one out of 6 hands when player holds an open ended Straight draw. If to the River, chances would go up to 32%.

Knowing some general tips you can use when you play Texas Holdem games is a good idea. It can really help you. Nonetheless, you will know how you should play with certain hands under certain situations. You will know how to act if situation gets worst and eventually win.

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.

Texas Holdem is the primary version of the popular game Poker. You can find it being played in many casinos and even being played live on television in shows such as World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour. Thus, if you want to get started in making a career in Poker, it is important that before anything else, get to know first the basic rules for the primary version of Poker – the Texas Holdem.

Basic Rules for Texas Holdem

The Shuffle, Deal and the Blinds

Generally, dealer should use a standard 52-card deck. If in casinos, dealer doesn’t have to play. Then a dealer button or a round disc will move clockwise from one player to another with every hand. Then as the game continues, button marks which player would be the dealer.

Normally, Texas Holdem games begin with two players to the left of the dealer, the button. Before any cards are dealt, there should be “posting of the blinds” which means there should be money to be placed into the pot so play can continue on each hand. Oftentimes, the player to the left of the dealer or the “first blind” is the one to put half the minimum bet, and the “second blind” the full minimum bet.

Hole cards will then be dealt to every player, face down.

The Betting Round

Starting with the player to the left of the two who posted the blinds, a round of betting must take place. And when it’s time to bet, every player can call, raise, or fold.

The Flop

To prevent cheating at the table, “burning of card” should then take place. Dealer should discard the top card after the first betting round.

Afterwards, dealer should flip the next three cards which are called “flop ”face up. Five community cards will then be placed face up and then players can form the best possible five-card hand. They can use their hole cards.

Another betting round should then take place after the flop and it should start with the button.

The Turn or Fourth Street

Turn or Fourth Street should then follow, and the dealer should burn another card and play one more face up. Button then should start the third betting round.

The River of Fifth Street

River or Fifth Street must follow, and the dealer should burn another card before placing the final face-up card.

The Final Betting Round and the Winner

Final betting round should then follow and should begin with the button. In this round, remaining players will have to reveal their hands. Usually the player who made the initial bet or who made the last raise should be the first one to show his hand. Player with the best hand will win.

Hi,

Before anything, thanks for your quick response last time.

Well, I’m here again to ask you something. At a short handed table, say at the the end of the tourney, how should my play change compared to regular one? I know for a fact that I have to loosen up however most of the time I end up playing aggressively. Any advice?

Thank you very much.

All the best,
Leo
Leo,

You should loosen up your hand requirements late. The easiest way to think about this is to take hands that you would play in later position and back up a position with them. Play late position hands even in middle position, middle position hands in early position, and widen your late position holdings up a bit. When you do flop a strong hand, then play the hand aggressively. Also push your big hand.

Hi,

Once I was burnt with 2 pair so I want to know if how one should actually play it. I was thinking maybe I played it incorrectly.

Well, say you get dealt 2 pair on the flop and slow playing is not a good idea as players can pick up sets, straights, much more that can beat you. What will you do then? How will you bet?

I’ll be glad to hear from you.

Thanks a ton.

Warmest regards,
Jin
Jin,

If I flop two pair without an apparent straight or flush draw on the board, I will tend to slow play it. If I am in a loose game or against calling stations, I will still bet as they will likely call me down or even raise. If there is a potential straight or flush draw, I will bet the hand to try and push players out.

Hello,

You once said that it’s hard to play with pocket queens and jacks. Well, I agree with you on that but I believe it’s even harder to play pocket 9s. Such hand has become overrated in Low Limit games. In heads up play it’s actually a good hand but not in Low Limit. Not to mention that it ranked as a top 20 and often top 15 starting hand.

When you flop a set during the 12% of the time you suppose to have a great chance of winning big however the problem is, I find it hard to let it go most especially when there’s only one overcard on the flop. On the better side, if the board comes with an Ace I can dump it easily as I know nobody folds an Ace in Low Limit, however when the board comes Q 7 2 or J 8 5, I find it hard to let it go again. Later part, I just end up losing although normally just a small one.

Now, do you think pocket 9s should be treated essentially the same as pocket 2-6? Basically if you don’t flop a set, check or fold the hand? Another thing, with 9s, does position matter significantly?

Hope to hear from you in no time.

Many thanks,
Andrew
Andrew,

Position matters with all hands. 9’s are a raising hand in late position. Personally, unless there are multiple overcards or I am against an opponent that I know flopped an overpair, I am going to probably call down to the river when only single bets are fired. Usually it is wrong to let go of a pair such as that when there is a lot of bets in the pot. Of course if there is only a bet or two in the pot, Ill probably let go of nines if there is even one overcard on the board since the pot isn’t laying the odds to call.

Hi,

I’m here to ask something. Well, normally in fixed limit games, depending on position I call but I see to it there’s no raise particularly if it’s quite a tight game. And if in case I hit on the flop I call them down, if not it’s check or fold time.

I have this approach but I am not sure if it’s sensible. In pot limit I should be careful not to overestimate what I have, and not get committed easily. In no limit, I should only play whenever there are many other callers preflop. What do you think?

Thanks in advance.

All the best,
Dustin
Dustin,

In Limit, if you hit the flop or flop a draw, you should tend to stay until the end as you usually have odds to stay.

In Pot Limit and No Limit you need to develop a tight aggressive strategy based on hand selection and position. Playing when there is only multiple players in the pot is not an optimum way to play all holdem pots you enter. You need to approach the other Holdem games differently than Limit Holdem. It sounds like you are approaching them like Limit Holdem.

Hello,

I believe you once said that A5s is a pretty good hand for hitting straights and flushes. One thing I’m bothered of is that I’m actually under the idea that you couldn’t use wrap-around straights, A2345, in holdem. Another thing, in case you can use them, is JQKA2 a valid wrap-around straight? Your thoughts?

Warm regards,
Jones
Jones,

A-5 suited can be used to make flushes, but the straight potential is weak. I would see a flop in the blinds or late position, or in limit holdem I might play this.

Wrap around straights are not legal in any form of poker. An ace may be used to make a wheel or broadway, and that is all.

Hello,

What’s the difference between a weak tight player and a rock? Well to me they look similar. Your thoughts?

Thanks a ton!

Regards,
Tom
Tom,

Weak tight players will sometimes make folds when certain scare cards hit the board, even if they have a hand. For instance, a weak tight player will fold a set to a potential straight or flush on board. A rock will still call this.

Rocks usually will raise their big hands and their hands on the flop if they are in the lead. Sometimes weak-tight players will play a little more passively. Weak-tight players may also check their big pocket pair preflop and then just check call bets, where rocks will at least make a raise.