Texas Holdem Poker

Many players starting to play Texas Holdem since 2003 have begun their poker education with No Limit Holdem. For many players, this is the only type of Holdem that they have played. Whether it is due to bankroll considerations or due to wanting to improve their overall poker game, many players eventually take a look at playing Limit Holdem. For many, the transition from No Limit to Limit can be a difficult one. Let’s take a look at a few pointers to help make the transition smoother.

First, in Limit Holdem your objective is to win pots and bet, not stack. This concept is alone makes playing Limit a lot tougher than No Limit for some. In No Limit, one or two pots can erase a deficit and make you a winner for a session. The same is not true in Limit Holdem. Limit Holdem is more of a slow grind and building a profit is the end goal and not one that can be hit by sucking out on one big hand on the river.

Next, Limit Holdem is much more math driven than No Limit Holdem. You need to have a strong grasp on odds and statistics to become a successful Limit Holdem player. You don’t need to know the winning percentage of 10-9 vs. 7-8 for example but you do need to know what type of price the pot is laying to you and pot odds. There are many times that you will make a call in Limit Holdem based not on the fact that you are winning but due to the fact that a pot is laying huge odds. For example, if you hold bottom pair and the pot is laying 13 to 1 to you, you are likely going to call a bet on the river even if you know you are beat. About the only way you would fold here is if the player has flashed you his cards.

Bluffing is much more difficult to do in Limit Holdem. The main reason is that many players take the “oh it’s only one bet” mentality. Other times it is due to the fact that they are getting pot odds to call. One common complaint from No Limit players is that they “cannot push a person off a hand.” I am not saying that you cannot bluff in Limit Holdem, but I am saying that it will not work with nearly the same frequency as No Limit.

You will also draw more frequently in Limit Holdem than in No Limit due to the fact that you will have proper odds to draw. Again, the inability to push players off draws is another common complaint by No Limit players.

For those switching from No Limit to Limit, prepare for a bit of a challenge and prepare for a bit of frustration. Playing Limit takes a different skill set but it is a game that can be mastered with a bit of preparation and practice. Good luck to you at the tables.

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.

I still play free money poker games online.  A lot of people probably just looked at me like I am insane or probably wonder if I am broke.  No, I am not broke, and I have plenty of cash on the sites I play at to support the games I want to play.  There are many advantages to playing free money games that I would like to go over in this article.

For those just starting, playing free money games gives you the chance to play live poker but without the financial risk associated with real money games.  There are also people that are worried about various local, state, and national laws.  Free money poker is not illegal since you are not gambling for anything real.  You are gambling for the equivalent of monopoly money.

Next, playing free money games can teach you the importance of playing tight.  For instance, I have never had to reload my play money on any site other than Partypoker.  Why?  I would actually sit and try to play proper poker at most of the sites I play at.  On Partypoker, I would play as loose and silly as I could, and as a result I lost a lot.  Many of the free money games, especially at lower stakes, are all loose and hyper aggressive.  There are times that playing a tight game will get you deep into tournaments, and even in the money.  At that point you play a proper game and let the cards fall where they may.

First, free money games give you the opportunity to try out a few things without the risk of hurting your bankroll.  When I want to try out new things in my game, I will play free games, especially no limit holdem.  Holdem has too much variance for my liking and to try new things risking a portion of my live bankroll seems silly if I can do it for free.

You can also use free money games to try and learn the basics and work on your mixed games and other forms of Holdem.  All variants of holdem and other games are offered at free money levels.  While it is true the limits are usually higher, at worst case scenario you can play and reload if you do not do well.

Games also play faster in free money games, especially in tournaments.  A lot is due to the fact that many people are playing loose and hyper aggressive.  Others are not approaching the game as a way to train themselves for live money games.  I try and play every poker session like I am playing for real money.

The final advantage is that, regardless of what happens, you never run out of money to play with.  Regardless of what happens, you can always reload and play again.  Playing free money games may seem like child’s play to some, but there are advantages to playing these games.  Use them as a training tool to make your game better.  That way you can improve your odds when you play for the real thing.

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Playing short handed no limit holdem poker can be one of the most challenging forms of holdem that you can undertake.  Playing short handed requires you to not only be able to read your opponents well, but be able to make adjustments in your play that you wouldn’t normally make in a full ring game.  Today, lets look at playing sets in short handed play.

In most ring games, it is recommended to play lower pairs either cautiously or not at all.  In short handed games you need to change you method of thinking.  Approximately once ever eight times you play a pair, you will flop a set.  When you flop a set, you obviously have a strong hand.  When playing short handed no limit holdem, pot odds are not quite as important as implied odds.  For example, let’s say you have pocket fours and have to call a $20 preflop raise.  Your opponent has $400 in front of him.  If you hit your set on the flop, there is a pretty good chance that you will be able to get a good portion, if not all of your opponents stack.  As a result, you need to play more single pairs.

If you miss the flop with your single pair, then you have the option of getting away cheaply.  Many times, when you miss flopping a set you will have to fold to a bet from an opponent.  There are some cases where you will play against players that raised preflop holding a pair or a hand such as AJ.  On the flop, they very well may check to you depending on the board.  A player that raised with J-J will likely check to you if you flat called their raise and an over card hits the board.  The same may be true if they have aces or kings and the flop comes middling.  In this event, you may be able to draw to another free card to hit your set.

When you hit your set, traditional wisdom says to slow play your hand.  Whether you slow play will depends on a few factors.  First, if the board flops with a potential draw, you want to make the player pay to draw out on you.  Next, if the board comes somewhat nonthreatening, you may want to check to induce a bet from your opponent, especially if it looks that they may have hit top pair of if you feel they have a pair in their hand.  The same is true if you have an opponent that is overly aggressive.

Granted, there will be some times that you and your opponent have sets and they outflop your set or outdraw your set.  These sorts of things happen in poker.  You will have opponents that will chase bad with certain draws and hit.  Others will call with an over pair and hit on occasion.  When this happens, do not let your bad luck affect your game.  It’s normal variance.  You will win the majority of the time when you flop a set.  Play your set as if every time will be a winner.

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Many of today’s poker players choose no limit holdem as the first brand of holdem to learn.  They want to play the game that ESPN has made famous and want the thrill of gambling for all their chips.  Before no limit holdem became fashionable, limit holdem was the primary game played in most cash games.   In fact, many higher stakes cash games are still primarily limit holdem.  For a player that wants to transition from no limit holdem to limit holdem, there are a few things they need to know.

First, pushing players out of a hand becomes much more difficult in limit as opposed to no limit holdem.  If a player has a middle or bottom pair, it becomes easy to make a call when the bet only represents 10% or less than their entire stack.  In fact, depending on pot size, it may be incorrect for them to fold their weak hand, even if they are beat.

Drawing to straights and flushes become more commonplace in limit holdem.  Again, this is due to the limited betting structure.  When a player is holding a flush draw or an open ended straight draw, there are very few instances where they are not getting the right price to chase down a draw.

Bluffing at lower limits becomes nearly a non-issue.  It is hard to make a player fold to one bet unless they have absolutely nothing in their hand.  Chances are that if they are in a hand until the river, they will not fold a hand unless they have a missed draw.  At higher limits when the bet sizes are significantly larger, then bluffing can be beneficial, but realize that even at higher limits that bluffing will not have the same power as it does in no limit.

One key skill that you will need to learn in limit holdem poker is the ability to extract extra bets and when to save bets.  Limit Holdem Poker is about winning bets, not taking stacks.  In no limit you can lose for four hours straight and then win a couple of large hands and finish a winner.  If you have four losing hours in limit holdem poker, two hands will not make back your losses.  The key in limit holdem poker is keeping people in and being able to extract extra bets from them when you are ahead.  Also, you need to find spots where you can save bets.  This may sound contrary to an earlier statement about staying in for pot odds.  It is not.  For instance, you have caught a flush on the river but there is four of your suit on board.  Unless you have the nuts, you probably want to check in this spot.  If your opponent bets, you will call and likely lose one bet.  However, if you bet and your opponent raises, then you will lose two bets to the better flush.  Learning to spots scenarios such as this will help keep your losses down and help improve your bottom line.

Not all limit holdem games play the same way, but the above tips should get you started in your transition to limit from no limit.  Good luck to you at the tables.

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