Poker tips & tricks

The basic strategy of limit, pot limit and no limit poker

“Pre-flop”
To call a bet or to raise the big blind you should have at least one:

 * Both your cards should be 10 or above
 * You have a pair in hand
 * You have suited connectors in hand

Fold all other hands.

After “flop”
To call a bet (or to bet yourself) you should have at least one:

 * A pair
 * An open straight draw
 * 4 cards of the same suit

Fold all other cards if anyone makes a bet, otherwise check. If you have better cards than listed above, raise.

After “turn”
To call a bet after the turn you should have at least one:

 * The top pair
 * An open straight draw
 * 4 cards of the same suit

Fold all other cards if anyone makes a bet, otherwise check. If you have better cards than above, raise.

After “the river”
After the last card is dealt you should have at least the top pair and a good kicker (a queen or higher) to call a bet. If anyone bets, fold all hands worse than this. To bet yourself you only need to have the top pair. Raise only if you have two pair or better.

Dealer button
The closer you are to be the first player to act at the table (i.e. the closer you are to the dealer button), the better cards you should have to make a bet. The reasoning here is that you have more players that choose to act after you. In cases where you are amongst the players last to act, you know the decisions the previous players have made and therefore have a hint to what cards they might have. This means that you make your decision based on your cards as well as how the previous players before you have acted. You might want to call or raise with a hand worse than the hands suggested.

Chip stack
The more chips you have, the more you can take control at the table. If you are the chip leader at the table, you can bet or raise with a bad hand. It will not cost you as much of your stack if you lose, compared to what it might cost the player who wants to call your bet. This means you can play a bit looser and control the game with more chips on the table. When you have less chips on the table you want to play tighter and not take too many chances.

Usual mistakes in Texas Hold’em

The most common mistakes are:

Players tend to play too many hands.
If you play fewer hands than your opponents do, you have an advantage every time you play; you will have better cards in the long run than what they have when they play a hand. It is better to play tight to start than to play loose.

Start with playing shorthanded.
There is a big difference between playing against 9 other players than playing against 5 or 3 other players. The fewer players there are at the table, the more skill it takes to play.

Calling a big blind.
Never call the big blind. If you have good card then raise, otherwise you fold. If you raise the big blind you might get the blinds “for free”. If you only call the big blind you leave the player who has the big blind the chance to hit something good on the flop.

How to play with a pair in hand

This is how to play when you have a pair in hand.

High pair
High pair is a pair of jacks or better.

 1. Raise any bet (or the blinds) to build up a good pot and to get rid of players with medium-good (or bad) cards.

 2. If you still have the best hand (i.e. the top pair) after the flop, continue to raise and make the raise substantial. Note: Do not get too committed to your hand. If you believe another player has a better hand, retreat. (Be careful with a pair of jacks, it is possible a queen, king or an ace will be shown at the turn or river).

 3. Do not “slow play” a pair of aces. It might cost you the whole stack!

Medium pair
Medium pair is a pair of two 7’s up to two 10’s.

 1. Medium pair is not a high pair 2. You want to see the flop cheap, when you play a medium pair. If the flop becomes too expensive, fold.

 3. You want to flop three of a kind. If you miss three of a kind and can see the turn cheap you call, otherwise fold. The exception to folding is if you have the highest pair on the table. If you have a middle pair before the flop and have a short stack you should consider going “all-in” (in no-limit poker).

Low pair
Low pair is a pair of two 6’s and below.

 1. Low pair should only be played when you are one of the last players to act on the table.

 2. If another player raises substantially you should fold a low pair.

 3. You never feel bad to throw away a low pair.

How to play with a big slick in hand

A Big slick is an Ace and a King in hand.

 1. When you have big slick in hand you should not overestimate the hand. It is not yet a “complete hand”.

 2. Make a substantial raise to scare (away) the other players.

 3. If you are one of the last persons to act at the table and a player before you raises, you should call. If the raise is substantial you should consider folding.

 4. If you have a small stack of chips you should go all in

How to play with suited connectors in hand

A suited connector is when your two cards in hand are of the same suit and in sequence.

 1. If the suited connectors have a low value, play the hand only if it is a cheap call.

 2. If you are one of the last persons to act and have a medium or high suited connector you should raise.

 3. If you “only” get a pair after the flop, you should worry about having a bad kicker.

 4. If you believe you have the best hand you should always raise.

Money management

Money management is one of the most important skills in poker. If you learn how to play poker with the right cards, the right betting strategy and are able to handle your money well, you will be hard to beat and almost never be broke. If on the other hand, you play poker well and have bad money management, one time or the another you will most likely lose all your bankroll. Money management is not only something you need to know for your game, it is also something you need to think of to prevent bankruptcy.

 1. Keep the money you gamble with separate from your other expenses.

 2. Never gamble with more money than what you can afford to lose.

 3. If necessary, keep a book of your gambling results (in an honest manner).

 4. Think of money management not only in general, but also in the game, in every single hand, at every single bet. (If you find the right balance between defending your stack and taking risks, you will be hard to beat).

 5. It is better to be careful then to take too many risks.

Stealing blinds

You have to consider your stack compared to the other players stacks on the table when you steal blinds. Do not risk too many chips when you want to steal the blinds. The players on the blinds might have monster hands. Stealing blinds is an art.