Texas Holdem Poker

Texas Holdem is an easy game to learn, but hard to master. We have all sat a table with a player who embodies the idea that if you play a straight forward simple game you can win. Playing tight is when a player sits and waits until the cards come, it might seem like a tight player only plays pocket aces. A super tight player can be difficult to beat, but it isn’t that difficult to not let them beat you. Depending on what kind of player you are, there are a few different ways to combat the tight player. A tight player can fly under the radar and when your session is over you will be surprised that they won money. A lot of inexperienced players play tight, sometimes too tight and you need to take advantage of that. If you are playing an experienced player who is not seeing a lot of flops, it probably means they know how to extract money when they are in a hand. Be aware of an experienced solid player, they might just be setting up a table image in order to exploit you later in the Holdem session. They are multiple ways to play a super tight player, I will help you with a few suggestions.

Pick on Them - If you are at a table with a player who isn’t playing pots, a player who is just waiting for aces you need to force them to make decisions pre flop. Steal this players blinds, your cards don’t matter get in there, if they are super tight they will lay down. If you are playing with tight players you need to pick up all the loose money, in tight games you might be able to win pots with limited risk. Basically what your doing is forcing the tight player to play back at you, you are trying to get them off there game. Don’t fool yourself a experienced solid player will know you are just stabbing at pots, but if you don’t they will take the pot from you eventually.

If you have been picking on a tight Poker player, raising there blinds and stabbing at loose pots you need to be careful. Watch out for the slow play, don’t get carried away or be to confident. You can win all those small pots you want, one big pot you loose will make all that effort wasted. To become a good Texas Holdem player you need to manage your risk, don’t commit to much money into pots, make value bets and force players off there hands.

Play Against the Grain - If you are at a whole table of super tight solid players, you could always just do the opposite. Especially in cash games, playing against the grain can be a good way to win session to session. Basically what I am saying is if you are at a table full of extremely tight players, you can play extremely loose. Make the tight players pay to play, raise a lot, raise big and put the pressure on. By doing this you will frustrate your opponents and force them to change there games. Its important to remember that all good No Limit Holdem players hate being run over, and hate losing money without putting up a fight.

If you are going to play this way, you need to pay close attention to the table. Watch for players, who might flip and change styles to combat your aggressiveness. As I said before you can win all the small pots you want, but one big pot loss can make it all a waste of time. If you want to beat tight players, this can be the most fun way to do it. Poker players can get a lot of satisfaction from completely running over there opponents. Only play this style if you are comfortable with it, if you are uneasy playing this way the other players will notice and exploit you.

Don’t Play - I am not saying don’t play in the game, I am saying don’t get into pots with a player you know has a stellar hands. Basically a tight player wants to play very few pots, but when they do they want to play big ones. To combat this is easy, don’t get involved. A tight player who cannot extract money, becomes extremely easy to play against, its as if there is just a guy sitting there who has no effect on you. So fold to any raise from the tight player, unless you have a really big hand. If you are facing a raise from the tight player and you look down at that really big hand, say pocket aces, play back at them immediately. If they have raised you there is a good chance they have a big hand as well and you might get a chance to put all your money in with the best hand.

If you want to become a good Texas Holdem player, you need to know how to beat the tight player. If you are that tight player, you need realize the ways people are going to try and beat you. When playing Texas Holdem the main goal is to make money, and the easiest way to this is to frustrate you opponents. Take away your fellow players strengths, and force them to change there game. My suggestion is be a flexible player, tight one session and loose the next. Your game should be ever evolving, every time you play you will learn something new, a new way to extract money or better ways to bluff. If you have been leaking money to tight players try some of these tactics and I know your game will improve. One more time I will mention that if you win ten $5 pots ($50) and loose one $75 pot, stealing all those small pots will have been a waste. There is no perfect science to winning at Holdem, find a style and have fun playing the game