Texas Holdem Poker

I have been playing No Limit Texas Holdem for many, many years and parts of the game are still mysteries to me. The game is a simple one, yet mastering it can be a life long process. Every time you sit at a Texas Holdem table you will learn something new, you will gain knowledge and become a better player. My personal feeling is that no matter the books you have read, the games you have played in or the people you have played with, if you don’t learn from your mistakes you will not fulfil your goals. There in lies the real question, what are your goals when playing poker. Every player realizes that you cannot win every time you play, therefore your goal should be to find consistency. There are going to be good and bad days, its unavoidable. To find consistency you need to trust your instincts, play in games that suit you and continue to learn on a daily basis. Whether you play at a professional level or just for nickels and dimes with friends, the goal is to win more then you lose.

A lot of players who are experienced run into the same problems, and most of the time the problem is themselves. Me included, I am my own worst enemy. If your brain is full of knowledge on betting styles, bluffing tactics and stack control why do you still lose when you play? Basically having all this knowledge doesn’t ensure that you will use it correctly. There are a few ways you can help avoid long losing streaks and I am going to try and help you realize these principles. As stated earlier consistency is the key, your not going to win every time, but as long as you win more then you lose you can be a successful Texas Holdem player.

Play Your Games

One of the biggest mistakes by Holdem players of all levels is changing there styles. You might not even realize that you are doing it, but if you stray from your winning strategy it can cause you to be a losing player. Major reasons that people change there style in game is because they want to show off there abilities, because they are bored and because they want to win so much they won’t let the game just happen. Boredom is one of the biggest problems that Holdem players run into, especially when you are playing long sessions. Keep an eye out for this when at the tables, if there are players who are card dead, they might be looking for any excuse to get into the action. We have all had sessions when it seems like you just get any cards, like every time you look at your hole cards it’s a 7 – 2 or J – 5, you will get bored. My suggestion is when you are bored and can’t control your urges to get in the action, walk away, take a break and relax. There is a reason you see a lot of players wearing head phones on television games, that is to try and control there boredom. I can’t state this enough, never show off at the poker table. Texas Holdem is not a game that requires you to prove that you are a good player, winning is what matters at the end of the day. Remember the goal is not to win a pot individually, its to have a winning session in total. You might lose a battle from time to time, but as long as you win the war, you will leave the table with a smile on your face. Let the game come to you, if the times right make your advanced plays, but if the opportunity doesn’t arise don’t do it. Winning poker players have a drive to win and this is necessary to be a good player, but it can also be a curse. It seems like I say this to much, but you need to know that you can’t win every time you play.

Stakes

This is a problem that some players just can’t get through there heads, never play with money you can’t afford to lose. Every time you make the choice to play, there is a chance you can go broke. Playing at stakes that you feel comfortable with, and that you can afford will make it easier to make decisions. If you have ever sat at a No Limit Holdem table, when you are forced to make a decision, and it goes through your mind that you can’t lose that much money, its time to go down a level. Playing a smaller stakes can make decisions easier and help you with stand longer losing streaks.

Trust Your Instincts

Gut feelings are important if you are an advanced player. If you have played a lot of Holdem you have built in instincts that you might not be aware of. Trusting these feeling is easier said then done, case and point we have all seen Daniel Negreanu call a players hand and make the call anyways losing pots. To trust your instincts correctly knowing basic poker math and probabilities, will allow you to make the right decisions. Trust me you have these instincts, and if you learn to trust them, your game will improve.

The more you play Texas Holdem you will realize that there is no perfect winning formula. If you stay out of your own way, it will help you become consistent. There will be good days and bad, if you control your emotions you can be a good player. Getting out of your own way is not easy, and you probably can’t do it every day. Finding consistency in your game will allow you to be a better player. If you try and follow some of these basic skills you will become a better player and make more money.  Stay out of your own way, play your game, and trust your instincts and continue to learn and become a better No Limit Texas Holdem player.