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It is best to change your style of play once in awhile. Do something new and unexpected to scare away your opponents at the poker table. Learn to take risk as it is only in taking risk that you will succeed.

Say on the flop comes up AsKs9d and at the turn there’s Js. Latter has the potential for drawing a flush or a straight so it is a scare card. Typically, if you are not in a good position, you will check. You might also decide to raise as soon as possible on the basis of the cards on the board.

Aside from checking if you are in a good position or raising on the basis of cards on the board, you can try doing some other things. But of course you must consider the odds and the types of opponents you are up against with.

You can try confusing your opponents. Early in the game, you can call a bluff. But bluff should be strong enough to get found out. Have the goal of making it at showdown so your opponents could see you were just plainly bluffing and almost enjoying.

All throughout the game, your opponents will think that you are just a bluffer and for it they can raise and re-raise as long as they like which can really be a great help in increasing the size of the pot.

To strengthen the pot, try to keep your opponents playing. But of course, this is only possible if you have a pretty strong hand or the nuts. However be careful. Think things through. Although you need to get an edge to make it and win, you still have to widely open your understanding and your eyes to the situation at the table. Consider the cards and the opponents you are up against with.

Rule on getting to know the Texas Holdem hand rankings is a good rule for you to follow although it is not something official. When you know all the hand rankings, you will know what are the hand rankings you can consider chasing in a game and eventually create your own personally strategies to win. And when you know the hand rankings, playing the game will be so easy for you. Thus, if you still don’t know what are the Texas Holdem hand rankings, we suggest that you start knowing them now.

Texas Holdem Rankings

Royal Flush – the best possible straight flush and is an unbeatable hand. It is consists of ace, king, queen, jack and ten of a suit.

Straight Flush – is a hand consists of five cards of the same suit, in sequence.

Four-of-a-Kind – also known as Quads. It is consists of four cards of the same rank.

Full House – also known as Full Boat or sometimes simply Boat. It is consists of three-of-a-kind and a pair.

Flush – it is consists of five cards of the same suit.

Straight – also known as Run. It is consists of five cards of rank in sequence. It is notable that in Holdem, Aces can be high or low.

Three-of-a-Kind – also known as Trips or Set. It is consists of three cards of the same rank.

Two Pair – a hand which is consists of two cards of the same rank and another two cards still of the same rank. Example could be “Jacks and Twos”.

One Pair – consists of two cards of the same rank.

High Card – It is the highest card you hold in your hand. You can resort to this, when you don’t hit any of the above. Example could be “High card King” or “King High”.

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.

Hello,

It’s really hard for me to win and I don’t exactly understand why. I’m a decent player who’s actually learning how to play well. Oftentimes I can make it to the pay out level or if not to the final two.

Just last night, I made it to the final two once again. Game actually started with 10 players. I remember I was getting decent card then and was playing aggressively. At some point I got my first bad hand, a straight on the river with 3 hearts and a spade. On the flop he didn’t placed any bet but only called. I then placed a big bet, $2400, about half of my chips. I thought he was only up for a flush draw. Then he called and hit his flush. On the flop, I hit a straight 10-9-8-7-6. I was then all in for $3000. After a while, with A8 he called. Turn and river came, 2-J, which meant we gonna have to chop the pot then. Next hand, I had J7s hearts while he had K2o. Flop was J-7h-2h. I went all in at some point while he called with nothing. Much later he hit one of two Kings on the river so it was finally the end.

Do you think I was just unlucky or I actually just folded winners? By the way, if I have two pair, what are the chances another player has a set against me? Any idea? How about tips?

Your help will be much appreciated.

Many thanks,
Zedrick
Zedrick,

It sounds like your opponent got lucky in most of those cases. Of course, in a tournament, you sometimes have to get lucky to win. A player is 11% to hit a set on the flop. If I am heads up and flop two pair, I am push the hand in most scenarios.

It sounds like you are playing well. Eventually the streak of luck your opponent is on will end and you should take down a few winners.

Hello,

I have some questions to ask. All of the questions has something to do with local $1-2 limit game.

Just recently, I played in our local $1-2 limit game. It was actually a loose game and almost all of the players at table were calling on anything. There were 6-10 callers then with an 8 avg on most all hands. At some point, a pair stood up but later just found myself being beaten by trips or the like.

What’s the probability of each type of hand from straight flush on down to A or other single card high? And does the probability varies depending on the number of players calling pre-flop?

By the way, in a loose $1-2 game where almost all players call it seems to me that I should call with non-suited 2-3, 5-6 etc. and 4-6,5-7,6-8, etc. where a favorable flop can make or create an open straight shot. Similarly, I should also call on any suited pair and stay for the flush possibility. Well, with 8-10 players in I think I only have to win out of 10 hands for the risk to be justified. What do you think? And another thing, what are the combinations below Group 7 Malmuth?

Thank you in advance.

Best regards,
Colbie
Colbie,

The number of players in a hand does not affect the probability of certain hands hitting.

You should stay away from most non-suited connectors below 9-10 in these really loose games unless you are in the blind. They will lose a lot more than they will win. Suited cards are a little different. You can play most suited card combos. I would stay away from most under 7-6 suited unless I am in the blinds. If you flop a flush or a straight draw, you are staying till the river in almost all cases. Group 7 hand rankings are 44, J9, 43s, T9, 33, 98, 64s, 22, Kxs, T7s, Q8s.

Hello,

My apologies if this was already asked before, when should I hold ‘em and when should I fold’ em, after the flop? I believe you once discussed about when to fold but it’s a bit far from what I want to know.

Now, say I have a low wired pair and I don’t hit another on the flop, do you think I should still draw through the turn and river? And in case I have suited connectors and get two more suited on flop, draw as well through the turn and river? Or if not just fold?

Another thing, about the pot odds, is it actually the only determining factor of when to fold? And can you please give me more examples about what you are trying to imply when you discuss the pot value in correlation to your percent chance of hitting based off of outs in pot odds? It will be much appreciated.

By the way, your site is so great and helpful. Thanks a ton!

All the best,
Kent
Kent,

When you have a small pair and miss the flop, it is time to get out unless the bet is really small or there is a lot of money in the pot. As far as drawing to the flush, if you have pot odds to call then you can draw to the flush, otherwise, get out.

When you are figuring pot odds, first you need to figure out the percentage of hitting your hand. That is done on the flop by multiplying your outs by 4 and if you are on the turn, you multiply your outs by 2. This gives you the odds that you will hit your hand. To figure out pot size percentage, divide the amount of your potential call by the amount of the pot before your call. This will give the percentage of the pot you need to call. If the percentage of hitting your hand is greater than or equal to the percentage of the pot that you need to call, you had pot odds to hit your hand.

Hello,

I’m here again as I want to know your thoughts about paying to see the cards of someone in Low Limit. Say you flop a two pair and actually on the button. Then player in front of you checked, you placed a bet and they decided to call. Turn came and yet nothing has changed so once again player who checked called and river came. The player in front of you placed a bet for a possible flush, will you then fold or else just pay to call and keep them sincere?

By the way, my apologies if somebody has already asked the same question. I don’t have much time to read everything here on your site.

Many thanks,
Alson
Alson,

If this is Limit Holdem, I am calling the bet. You are getting the right price to make the call in this case. It doesn’t matter if you think you are beat. There is so much money in the pot, it would be wrong to fold to one bet in Limit Holdem.

Hi,

If I remember it right you once said that betting or calling to chop a pot is normally not advisable however in some cases is also possible like when the board has something silly like AAA QQ and in the pot is quite a bit of money. I fairly understand what you are trying to imply but it would be much better if you still explain it to me further.

I’ll be glad to hear from you soon.

Thanks and keep up the work on this site!

Regards,
Gelo
Gelo,

When it is apparent that the pot is going to be chopped, you should call a bet at the end. It is almost silly to bet unless the board has a straight or flush that could yield to a higher straight depending on a persons hole cards. For example, if the board is 6-7-8-9-10, then you may want to be to represent a J. Otherwise, just check or check and call on the river.

Hi,

I’m here again to ask some questions.

1. How much you are to win with AA compared to KK or QQ? 10%? Higher or lower?
2. You once said that modified hand groupings are better than the Sklansky ones. Sorry but I don’t exactly believe you on this one right now. Say a player with 22 is more likely to beat a player with 44. Do you know any reason for this?
3. Why do you think an A8s rate higher than A9s?

Thanks for your time in advance!

Regards,
Jill
Jill,

1. Aces will win against Kings or Queens 81% of the time.
   
2. The only way a player with 2-2 will beat 4-4 is if they catch a set or a flush of a different suit than the suits of the fours.
3. An A-8 suited is actually an underdog to A-9 suited 60% to 26%.

Hello,

I have several questions to ask. I hope you have extra time.

1. I believe you once said that the hand grouping statistics are only valid at the start of hand, prior the preflop and prior to the instance by which one has already placed a bet. Am I right? Well, I’m sorry to say this but I think all the stuff were probably calculated in a simulated game where no one bets and folds up to the river. I think if Poker is this simple, there’ll be no challenge or even passion at all. Any thoughts?
2. Say a guy is holding 22 and before the flop he’s the first to bet. He can go all in but it would be a crazy thing as one of the other 9 players might wind up with a higher, better pair. But he can call if he is on the button and before his turn to bet first player has raised while others folded. Any idea?
3. Say the player who raised in question number 2 was holding AKs and so player with 22 would be no worse off than a player who folded with QQ. Player with AK could win by pairing with either the K or the A, against a pair. But if he doesn’t pair and there is no straight or flush, player with 22, 33, 44, 55, etc will win. What’s on your thoughts?
4. Now if player with low pair is low in chips, he might then consider the chance that the other player has AK or AJ and not JJ at all. In the event player with the low stack doesn’t call, in following hands, he still can’t earn sufficient chips to bet against multiple opponents up to the river, and then later on just lose. Well, a 50-50 chance of being back in position and winning back you chips is far better than no chance at all right? But why do you think should we give losing player much opportunity to be back in terms of position and chips?
5. In case I want to go all in against 9 players I believe I should be aware first of what my chances are with AA. I know merely putting it top on the list is not okay. Do you think I have a 60% chance, going in blind against everyone? Or otherwise much better or worser? What do you think?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Loyse
Loyse,

1. Statistics are independent of bets. They are based on the number of players involved. The betting, raising, and winning of pots is the reason people play poker. The challenge comes in the competition with the other player. Stats are based on the cards alone. They help us make decisions about betting and folding. It is up to us to make the decision. That’s the challenge.
2. Pocket 2’s are really a limping hand preflop. You want to try and see a flop and hit a set. Raising under the gun all-in is a big risk. Pocket 2’s at best case scenario is only a coin flop to win.
3. You are right. Pocket deuces win if the A-K does not make a pair. By the way this is a 52% to 48% race.
4. If a player is short stacked, then they need to push with any reasonable hand. A coin flip is better than being an underdog. As far as people giving short stacks the chance to get back in the tournament, someone has to take a shot at eliminating them at some point. Trying to do so when they are short stacked will cause the least amount of damage in the event they win.
5. You are around a 40% chance to win against 9 other players with A-A. A-A will be a favorite, but no hand is truly safe against 9 players preflop.