Texas Holdem Hands - 5 Tips You Must Know to Win!
Texas Holdem Hands - 5 Tips You Must Know to Win!
This article presents some "quick and dirty" tips for playing better and winning at Texas Holdem, particularly as regards hands. While it's possible to spend hours discussing the detailed statistical probabilities for certain hands and combinations of cards, it's beyond the scope of this article to do so. Instead, I'll present you with some memorable general rules, which are better for beginners and casual users anyway. Here we go...
• Texas Holdem Hands Tip #1: Play Only Good Ones
This may seem like an obvious statement, but part of the art and science of winning at Texas Hold Em is knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em -- even before the flop. It's about knowing. Not guessing, and not luck. In fact, more money is won and lost at this critical juncture than at any other, so if you're going to be better, you need to know (see below). First and foremost: if you've got weak cards in the hole, just get out! There's no law that says you have to contribute money to a losing effort. Protect your bankroll! This is the second biggest imperative in poker (after winning), so don't waste your money on anything less than a decent hand.
• Texas Holdem Hands Tip #2: Openers
The strong hands are pairs of Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks and Tens, Ace/King or Ace/Queen. Good hands you can call on are Ace/Jack, King/Queen or pairs of 10s. Respectable hands are Ace/Jack, Ace/7, King/Queen or pairs of 9s, 8s or 7s. Bidding on less than strong hands is not something you should do forever.
What's OK at certain points in the game is not always smart: you don't want to be come too predictable. Everything else you should fold pre-flop, unless part of your strategy is to keep 'em guessing, in which case you might bid now and again on something that's weak. Just don't do it without consciously understanding what you are doing and why!
• Texas Holdem Hands Tip #3: Closers
And just so we're clear, here are some absolute loser hole cards (never bet on these): 2 and anything, 3/8 and 3/9. Virtually worthless and nearly impossible to win with are 3, 4 and 5 combined with anything, particularly if the stretch between the two is more than three (this means you can't even get a straight). Even if you've got the same suit, a low flush is usually going to get beaten. Remember this motto: if it's low, it blows. Just get out while the gettin's good!
• Texas Holdem Hands Tip #4: Keep Records Of Your Play
This is the tip the separates the men from the boys. Forget all the "advanced strategies" and whatnot until you start doing this. In the long run, it is the one thing that will help you be a truly dangerous player. Most of the successful pros follow this advice. It's particularly important when you lose, especially if you lose big. Write down what happened, and then analyze your play. Study what you did wrong and learn from it! Do this for every game you're in, big or small.
By creating this "feedback loop" of your play, you will begin to see trends and identify problems in your style that you simply won't see otherwise. This tip on Texas Holdem hands is the "long term investment" part of your poker playing strategy: it won't pay off today, but it will pay off in piles of cash down the road. Not to get Biblical, but in poker it's critically important to "know thyself" -- and this is how you do it.
• Texas Holdem Hands Tip #5: Make A "Cheat Sheet"
It's a good idea to make yourself a little "cheat sheet" of the good and bad hands (as described above), and study it between games. Memorize it. Make it something you live, breathe and dream. Once it's second nature to you, you will find you are holding on to your stake much longer. Better still, you'll be winning more of the hands you stay in, because now your "foundation" -- the hole cards -- are strong. Remember, a weak foundation won't survive a storm -- but a strong one will!
This article presents some "quick and dirty" tips for playing better and winning at Texas Holdem, particularly as regards hands. While it's possible to spend hours discussing the detailed statistical probabilities for certain hands and combinations of cards, it's beyond the scope of this article to do so. Instead, I'll present you with some memorable general rules, which are better for beginners and casual users anyway. Here we go...
• Texas Holdem Hands Tip #1: Play Only Good Ones
This may seem like an obvious statement, but part of the art and science of winning at Texas Hold Em is knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em -- even before the flop. It's about knowing. Not guessing, and not luck. In fact, more money is won and lost at this critical juncture than at any other, so if you're going to be better, you need to know (see below). First and foremost: if you've got weak cards in the hole, just get out! There's no law that says you have to contribute money to a losing effort. Protect your bankroll! This is the second biggest imperative in poker (after winning), so don't waste your money on anything less than a decent hand.
• Texas Holdem Hands Tip #2: Openers
The strong hands are pairs of Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks and Tens, Ace/King or Ace/Queen. Good hands you can call on are Ace/Jack, King/Queen or pairs of 10s. Respectable hands are Ace/Jack, Ace/7, King/Queen or pairs of 9s, 8s or 7s. Bidding on less than strong hands is not something you should do forever.
What's OK at certain points in the game is not always smart: you don't want to be come too predictable. Everything else you should fold pre-flop, unless part of your strategy is to keep 'em guessing, in which case you might bid now and again on something that's weak. Just don't do it without consciously understanding what you are doing and why!
• Texas Holdem Hands Tip #3: Closers
And just so we're clear, here are some absolute loser hole cards (never bet on these): 2 and anything, 3/8 and 3/9. Virtually worthless and nearly impossible to win with are 3, 4 and 5 combined with anything, particularly if the stretch between the two is more than three (this means you can't even get a straight). Even if you've got the same suit, a low flush is usually going to get beaten. Remember this motto: if it's low, it blows. Just get out while the gettin's good!
• Texas Holdem Hands Tip #4: Keep Records Of Your Play
This is the tip the separates the men from the boys. Forget all the "advanced strategies" and whatnot until you start doing this. In the long run, it is the one thing that will help you be a truly dangerous player. Most of the successful pros follow this advice. It's particularly important when you lose, especially if you lose big. Write down what happened, and then analyze your play. Study what you did wrong and learn from it! Do this for every game you're in, big or small.
By creating this "feedback loop" of your play, you will begin to see trends and identify problems in your style that you simply won't see otherwise. This tip on Texas Holdem hands is the "long term investment" part of your poker playing strategy: it won't pay off today, but it will pay off in piles of cash down the road. Not to get Biblical, but in poker it's critically important to "know thyself" -- and this is how you do it.
• Texas Holdem Hands Tip #5: Make A "Cheat Sheet"
It's a good idea to make yourself a little "cheat sheet" of the good and bad hands (as described above), and study it between games. Memorize it. Make it something you live, breathe and dream. Once it's second nature to you, you will find you are holding on to your stake much longer. Better still, you'll be winning more of the hands you stay in, because now your "foundation" -- the hole cards -- are strong. Remember, a weak foundation won't survive a storm -- but a strong one will!
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