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When you start playing poker for the first time you will probably not be the best player in town. Not to worry though, cause even though it might seem like a pretty easy game to master it really isn’t a game you can learn in a couple of hours.

Sure, you can learn the basics of the game but to truly understand the game you must be willing to dedicate more than a few hours into the game. And not only learn the theories of the game and learn things like pot odds and preflop odds but more deeply knowledges and of course things like poker rules.

Like how to play against a certain type of player or how to react when you’re two million outer misses on the river in the monster pot. A certain amount of poker knowledge you can only learn by sitting at the tables or in front of a computer for hours and more hours. Here you can get a certain feel for this wonderful game that no book or instruction video can ever teach you.

Another thing that you must learn if you are committing yourself into the game of poker is all the rules there are out there. And there are sure a lot of different rules that applies to the game. Even though you might think that you know all there is to know about Texas Hold’em, you probably don’t know as much about seven card stud or omaha high-low.

The easiest solution to this is of course to only play online poker. Here you don’t have to think about rules since the computer takes care of this for you. At many live games you can get help to since there is people that can help you out if you feel lost in the jungle of poker rules.

But since it doesn’t always feel good to always have to ask someone every time you feel confused it might be a good idea to learn some for yourself. And once you master the basic rules and feel confident about yourself you will find out that there are many unwritten rules that you have to find out about by yourself.

Stu Ungar’s name is a name mentioned with respect among poker players. It is difficult to say who the best poker player is, but many would definitely say that Stu Ungar is the answer.
He is the guy who won the World Series of Poker five times, and the Super Bowl of Poker three times. The fact that he only participated in about thirty contest while he lived (he died in 1998) is quite remarkable, considering how many of them he won.

He was, in a way, destined to become a great poker player. He had a very high IQ and photographic memory, and he was a very good mathematician. But he also had some problems that would be his downfall in a very sad way.

He never had a normal job, but only won and lost money through gambling. Apart from poker, he did very well playing on horses, and playing gin rummy, backgammon and blackjack. The latter one he was so good at, that there were no casino to let him in after a while. He just won and won. Even though he was called “The kid”, he still had a talent that didn’t remind at all of a childs.
He had a son who committed suicide when he was in his teens, and Stu himself was only 45 at the time of his own death. He was a heavy drug addict, and when he died he left behind a daughter who was fifteen years old.

“The kid” was only twenty four when he entered the WSOP for the first time, and when he won many people and critics said that it was because of luck. He entered the year after, and just to prove them wrong, he won again. That is pretty exceptional. So yes, I think it is safe to say that he was one of the best poker players in the world – if not the best.

There will be a time at the poker table that you need to slow play. Most especially if you are into no-limit Texas Holdem, some instances will require you to slow play. If you slow play in a no-limit game, you will give your opponents the chance to commit mistake that would eventually cause them big bucks.

However, it won’t be easy for you to know when is the time you really need to slow play. But having some certain hands can be your clue. You need to slow play when you have hands like high pairs like Aces or Kings. However, you must be up against aggressive player who always seems to raise, only giving you little chance to reraise.

Also, ability to flop a full house or better can be your go signal that you need to slow play. Nonetheless, if you are lucky enough to flop a full house or better, remember to always slow play. Most especially if you can feel your opponents are holding few cards that will let them call your bet and you have a powerful hand like a full house, your better be alert and be wise in your strategy. You can try to check and let your opponents see another card for free to see if their hand has the chance to improve.

In general, slow playing can be a fantastic tool you can make use in your every game. If you know how to use it properly, you can eventually earn much. However, although it is a good tool, be careful also in using this as your weapon. Slow playing for a wrong reason can be dangerous. If you are not sure whether or not you must slow play in a certain situation with a certain hand, never continue. Only slow play when you are sure there is a need to.

In Texas Holdem, to be able to make the right action you should have the knowledge on how to do some simple mathematical calculations like calculation of pot odds. For an instance, you need to have an extra card to get your hand and to do this you need to know how much is the pot offering and compare it to the amount you have to pay. Nonetheless, this would mean that you must have the knowledge on how to calculate the pot odds.

To start out, you must know some basic terms like outs, odds, and pot odds. First, understand what an out is. Well, basically, it is any unseen card which if drawn, will improve a hand of a player who is likely to win. Then next, understand the odds of getting one of the outs. This is actually not complicated as to get the odds of getting one of the outs, you just have to divide the number of outs by the number of cards you haven’t seen yet. And finally, understand the pot odds role in being able to make right decision. Pot odds are the ratio of the present size of the pot to the cost of a call to be made. If pot odds can be calculated correctly, player can ascertain if the pot is big enough to be called say for an instance when a certain hand should be improved to win. For better understanding, consider the situation wherein the pot is $100 and after the Turn, your opponent bets $50. Then say to win $150 you need to pay $50. On your call, you get 3 to 1 odds.

Being able to do some simple mathematical calculations won’t be that simple but with much patience, in time you’ll surely get the hang of it.

If you know how to calculate your outs, you can easily play Texas Holdem. An out is basically any unseen card which if drawn, will improve a hand of a player who is likely to win. Indeed, knowing the number of outs a player has would be a big advantage.

Nonetheless, by calculating your outs which will tell you what cards you need to win and eventually adding some basic probability, you will get an idea when to fold and when to stay in and continue playing.

Calculating your outs is not that complicated. First, you just have to remember that there are fifty-two cards in the deck and then you need to count how many cards you actually see. Say for example, you are into a Texas Holdem game and you see the two cards in your hand and the cards in the flop, turn, or river. Then for example you see a total of six cards, you then should just subtract that amount from fifty two. You will then of course get forty six which would be the number of cards you have not seen.

Then after knowing the number of cards you have not seen, you should figure out what your potential winning hands are, what cards will make these hands, and most importantly how many more opportunities or chances you have to get them.

After learning how to calculate your outs, you should expect you having a better sense of your chances and you having greater chances of beating the game. But of course the challenge would not end in you being able to finally calculate your outs. Nonetheless, you don’t only need to know how you would be able to calculate your outs, but you should be able to know how you would be able calculate your outs right.

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%.

It is very important that you know how to properly evaluate your cards as it will the determining factor whether you can beat Texas Holdem or not.

First thing, when you try to check your cards to evaluate their winning potential, be careful not to reveal anything or any secret with your reaction. Be careful of the idea you convey to your opponents. Be emotionless when checking your cards. Never take a sharp breath as if you do so your opponents may consider it as a sign of something.

After checking your cards, you can then try to evaluate how good or bad are they. However of course, you must consider how many players are in the game. But no matter what, just follow the general rule about folding before the flop if you have two non-pair cards, both below 10.

In the event you do not have strong cards in your hand and say the big blind is low enough, check what you can do, perhaps paying in is a good idea so that you can see the flop. However, be careful also as by doing so you may actually get yourself into trouble more quickly.

And if you have poor hands like 5-8, 2-6, and 4-9 never go impatient. Be willing to suffer from having series of poor hands. Getting some poor hands is just a natural thing in Poker. Good hands will come along the way, so be patient. And when you finally get good hands, take advantage of them. With good hands, you will be in better, safer position so be sure to get something good out from having them. Maximize the potential of good hands and make profit by playing them right. Never miss the chance to win and earn money.

Because of technology, you can now play Texas Holdem online. You don’t anymore have to go to casinos in order to play or else sometimes wait too long for a vacant seat. However, although playing online can be great and somehow convenient, it’s actually riskier as cheating can’t easily be noticed online. Thus, it’s important that you choose the right poker website to play at. Consider some vital factors that will help you get a right poker website that will give you security.

Legitimacy

Is the website legitimate? Is it safe to send money to such website? Before sending money or making any payments, be sure to check the whole site. See to it that there are no broken page links all over the site and there is customer support. More or less, if there are some broken page links and no customer support, website is not legitimate.

Promotions

Some websites have great promotions to attract people. However, be careful as some are just fake promotions.

One of the most common promotions by websites is the sign-up bonus which is oftentimes at 100%. This is actually already fair, but beyond to this, already think twice. Oftentimes, websites that offer more than 100% bonus are bogus websites.

Customer Support

There is no other way to ask questions online than to contact the customer support of the website. Thus, check if the customer support of the website is good and reliable enough. In any card room, problems often arise and so it’s good to know that customer support is always ready to solve your problems.

At present, the best type of customer service is live support as it allows players to ask questions over the Internet without having to make a phone call or e-mail.

Banking

It’s important that you know the website’s mode of payment. Check to make sure that you will be able to easily move your money in and out of the poker website. If you can’t easily access your money, it will be a big trouble.

There are are some common mistakes in Texas Holdem and it is important that you are aware what are they so you can eventually avoid committing them.

Common mistakes in Texas Holdem are the following:

1. Too Much Bluffing

Bluffing adds color and excitement in a game. However, too much bluffing is also not advisable. Some players failed to realize that a bluff is a technique that should be used when the terms are right and the situation is ideal. And it should be used as well when the chances of getting called are smaller compared to pot’s offer.

2. More Attention to Opponents’ Cards

Although it is good to pay attention to your opponents’ cards, it is not helpful if more attention is given to opponents’ cards than own cards. Still, it is best to give more attention to own cards.

3. Betting on the River with a Mediocre Hand

It is not a good idea to bet on the River although you have a top pair. If your top pair is the best hand, you may not be called by anybody but if it is not, then just either of the two, be forced to call a raise or lose your bet.

4. Too Much Slow-Playing

Slow-playing is a good idea under some conditions or situations. Slow-playing can hide one’s own strengths and deceive opponents. However, unlike betting, it is not as profitable at all times. For slow-playing to be the best possible move, the situation should be ideal or perfect.

5. Checking to the Bettor

Checking to the bettor is at most not a good move. By doing so, bettor will only get a free card if he wishes to. Nonetheless, it is best to just bet in the event you have a strong hand.

Many people think that playing Texas Holdem is just simple. As long they know the rules and basics of the game, they think they can already play the game. Although the game is simple in general, it’s actually more than knowing the rules and the basics. Some skills are needed in order to beat the game and these skills can be learned through some ways like reading poker books, poker articles, and observing games and/or actual playing.

Poker Books

Poker books contain topics on getting started. Typically, they contain the rules of the game, the terms, and the skills and strategy useful in beating the game. However, not all poker books can help. Thus, it’s important that you’d be wise in choosing which book to get. After all, you’d be spending time and effort in reading the book.

Poker Articles

Online, there are a lot of poker articles published. If having some financial problems, it’s best to go for these articles for normally they are for free, unlike poker books.

Nowadays, most poker articles can really help. They contain sensible information which you can make use when playing Texas Holdem. However, just be careful when following advices from these articles as it’s not always clear if the writer is a pro or a beginner, probably just like you.

Observing games and/or Actual Playing

Probably the best way to learn needed skills in playing Texas Holdem is observing games and/or actually playing. Being in real games either to observe or actually play can really help you, you may eventually discover what are the needed skills you must possess to become a winning, successful player. But be very observant at all times and watch over others’ reactions in different situations. Try to figure out why they make some moves, for what reason. Eventually, you will get the hang of Texas Holdem, the primary version of the popular game Poker.