Texas Holdem Poker

Being in early position in Texas Holdem Poker is not necessarily a bad thing when you only have one or two players in the hand before you.  Ideally, the move we are going to talk about today is an isolation move, but you can pull this off with two players if you are watching the style of play and know that the other pre flop and flop caller has missed their hand. Whether you are playing in casino or online poker sites the strategy apply for both.

The first thing we want to address here is if it is three handed.  This is the more dangerous of the two, but watching will tell you what to do here.  Assume that you are in the BB and you have one limper behind you and late position raises.  Both you and the limper make the call to see the flop.  The flop hits and you either hit the middle pair or are holding a middle pair in your hand.  You check and the limper checks and the raiser makes a continuation bet that is called.

If you have a crafty player before the raiser, they may be looking to make a move and watching how they reacted in similar positions will help you with the size of their bet.  If you have seen them put in a turn bet to steal a pot, your bet is going to have to be enough to chase them off of their hand.  If they usually fold with a turn bet, you can get away with a value bet here to get them out and go up against the initial raiser.

When you have isolation, your move here is pretty straight forward.  You want them to make their continuation bet and then you are looking for something harmless to fall on the turn.  If that card hits, you immediately fire on the turn to give the raiser something to think about.  Unless they are sitting on a big hand, they will more than likely fold here.  If the board has put a draw out there, they may just call and go fishing for the river card to improve them.

This move is going to pick you up a lot of pots as when the stakes get a little higher, players tend to get out versus risking losing a chunk of their stack. The successes that you have with this move should more than make up for those times that you get caught by an actual hand.  If you are successful, this will eventually pay off in a big way when you are lucky enough to have a monster hand and the raiser misreads you as doing the same play and that is what this game is all about.

Poker games, not basketball or football, are the oldest, largest and most widely followed gaming competition in the world. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) began in 1970 as an exclusive match between the six legendary players of that time. Since then, its following has grown to massive numbers of people, amounting to thousands while its cash prize has grown to millions. Last 2006 its main event alone reached a record high of 8773 participants with a first place cash prize of $12,000,000.

The WSOP gaming season is made up of 55 televised poker competitions. It culminates with its main event, a $10,000 no-limit Texas Holdem poker competition between the best players in the world. Recently, Europe followed suit in 2004, coming out with its own European Poker Tour (EPT), also a series of televised poker competitions.

While only four years old, the value of EPT buy-ins have quickly caught up to the current standard. One difference however is that its final table is composed of eight players instead of the usual six.

This intense game of wits, luck and deceit has easily become a favorite among viewers. While many people are not able to participate in the WSOP or the EPT, amateur but passionate players can hone their skills through online poker tournaments. Avid fans are also able to satiate their hunger for the latest poker updates and commentaries through Littlewoods poker blog. If you’re interested in hearing more about the high rolling world of poker, you can go to Littlewoods poker for the latest poker action.

Texas Holdem Poker is an emotional game, with a lot of momentum swings and tough decisions to be made. Tilt is when you get those negative feelings, like you can’t do anything right. You try playing tight and can’t pick up any cards, when you play loose and keep getting called down. Tilt is unavoidable, its going to happen and how you deal with it will determine how good of a player you are. I look at tilt as if the table is tilting away from you, no matter what you do the chips in front of you keep sliding to the other side of the table. To be a productive Texas Holdem poker player, you need to master the art of controlling your emotions. A lot of players don’t handle tilt well, or don’t recognize the symptoms. Its different whether your playing in side action or tournaments, in cash games you can get up and walk away and take a breather. When playing in a tournament a lot of the times you have to play threw the bad moments and figure out a way to control your feelings. There are many different forms of tilt and can be different for every player, I will try and help you learn how to deal with some of the forms.

The Cards – If you are a tight or solid player, the cards you are dealt can put you on tilt. If you sit back and wait for big hands, but they don’t come all players will get frustrated. When the cards effect you, the game begins to get one dimensional. Two things can happen you never get that big hand and end up pushing with lesser cards or you get a good hand and over play it. If you are a tight player the best thing you can do is be patient, don’t change your strategy and stay with the game plan. If you have been sitting at a table for along time picking up no cards and then you get an Ace – 10 unsuited, it might look very good to you, but be careful. Don’t over play the hand, just because it is the best hand you have seen in awhile. If you do eventually get the hand you have been waiting for pocket aces, remember that they can lose. You have your aces, but the community cards are 9h – 10d – 8h – 6h – Kc, there is a good chance they got busted and if you make a dumb play you will go on serious tilt. If you are “card dead” the best thing to do is stay patient and stick with your game plan. If this becomes a problem and you can’t control your emotions in a cash game, call it a day and go home.

The Player - Well this one is common and all good players have come across it, probably often. Your at a table with a player who is not very good and they seem to catch on you every time, and they are counting your money. Its important to remember that the best player doesn’t always win. The worst thing you can do when playing Texas Holdem is chase your money. Chasing your money is when you are down and change your game plan to get that money back. You will run into people that you don’t like at poker tables, people who will play bad, break rules and run there mouth. Do not let these people get under your skin, that is exactly what they want. Annoyance or irritations can force you into making bad decisions and lose money. In tournaments you will have no choice who you play with, but in side action don’t play with people who you don’t like. The best thing to do is ignore a player and never ever chase your money.

The Draw - We have all had these nights, when you get a good draw on every hand and can’t hit. You get suited cards and connectors and have 12 – 13 outs every hand, but can’t make anything, and consistently lose to second or third pair. For me this is the worst, you will lose money with out seemingly putting up a fight. Money will disappear from in front of you and you won’t even realize where it all went. When you feel “draw tilt”, once again be patient, probabilities say you will hit your draws sooner or later. If you play a lot of hands pre flop, you will run into this problem, you play small connecters to pick up draws and if your not making the hands you will lose money. If you continue to lose money on draws change your style raise more pre flop to set up bluffs or fold some of those connectors. If you start folding and tightening up I bet you will see draws hit the cards you would have been playing, and that will make the tilt worse.

Rules of tilt, never chase your money, never let another Online Poker player get in your head and control your emotions. Yes I know this is easier said then done, but remember it is just a game and there will be better days. If you can’t get your emotions under control, stop playing. If you are in a tournament, take a break get away from the table, go get a drink or something to eat and take your mind off the game. You need to realize the symptoms of tilt and they are unique to every player. Another thing you need to know is the signs that your competitors are going on tilt. Take advantage of players on tilt and control your own emotions and you will be a successful Texas Holdem player. Texas Holdem is an easy game, its all about control and momentum. Controlling your emotions is key and if you master it your game will go to the next level.

Men need to be careful when playing women. Before some of you give me the “Yeah, we know this” look, let me convey a story. I was playing in a Pot Limit holdem tournament in 2007 in Las Vegas. There was a very well endowed middle aged woman that a lot of men liked to flirt with. This woman was not drop dead gorgeous or anything like that, but she had a certain feisty way about her that men were drawn to.

This woman was sitting to my right for a good portion of the second half of the tournament. A lot of her raises went unchallenged preflop. If they were challenged past the flop, she almost always won the pot on the river. There were a couple of times that she literally flirted her way out of a guy betting into her. One time a guy was reaching for Poker chips, she looked at the guy, reached down and squeezed her breast together and gave the guy a sly look. The guy laughed so hard that he decided to check. Of course, the river card completed her draw and she won the hand.

Well later on, this woman and I were in a hand together. I happened to flop a straight, but there was a potential flush draw on the board. She bet out and I went to raise. She touched my arm and went, “You would raise little old me would you?” My reply, “Pot.” She just gave me a look as to say, “I can’t believe you did this?” She called the bet. The turn fell a blank and the bet was checked to me. I potted again and the woman folded.

Shortly afterwards we all went on break. The woman and I got back early and she started talking to me and was trying to flirt with me. Now, this woman was a good 10 to 12 years older than me at the time so it really wasn’t phasing me any. I happened to mention that I liked the breast squeeze move that she did against another opponent. She looks at me and said, “It didn’t work on your huh?” By this point most of the players at our table were taking their seats. My reply to her was, “Nope. You stopped being a woman the moment you sat down at the table.”

The other guys at the table looked at me like I was a fool. The woman knew exactly what I meant however. She looked at me and said, “I understand.” I had been paying close attention and knew that she was a local and played regularly at a different casino. A lot of the players here did not know her. I didn’t know her either but I know her type. She is the type who can actually play poker, but also likes playing the men at the table.

Unfortunately for the men, she has worked her routine so well that they fall for it. The men at the table commented for a few minutes that “We know she is a woman” etc. That was fine by me. The guys didn’t notice the boyfriend that was sitting on the rail constantly watching her progress. I did. One thing that the other guys didn’t notice afterwards is that she didn’t play in a hand with me at all unless she had a really strong hand. She had lost her edge and knew she had to play to beat me. She was a very competent player and actually finished 3rd in the tournament.

What is the point of my little story above? Women in Online Poker today have not only learned how to play the game, but some have begun to play the player by using men’s own hormones against them. Women even recommend that other women use this as a tactic. Annie Duke mentioned in her biography that other women should use this tactic.

I actually agree with Annie. If you are capable of competently playing the ditzy, flirty poker player that is just there to have fun, feel free.

When you see a fairly attractive woman sit down at your table, watch a few things about her if she is overly flirty or chatty with the other men. Pay attention to when she talks to them and whether she changes the way she acts while she is in a hand. I have seen women do everything from start somewhat distracting conversations to give puppy dog eyes to their male opponents. The puppy dog eyes were actually quite cute, as was the face when I bet into her. (Of course, it was a limit game so she called.)

Older women will actually try certain “friendly” techniques to try and distract their male opponents or younger opponents. I have heard the “you wouldn’t bet your grandmother” or “you wouldn’t bet an old lady would you” more times than you would believe. I actually know this older woman player in Atlantic City that is the master of “playing friendly.” She is actually a very nice lady away from the table, but I have seen her draw more free cards by smiling and talking polite than any other person I know. She even has a little “friendly check” that she does. Of course, when she wants to bet she goes from friendly to the “you better not call me” face. I enjoy playing with her and when I want free cards, I give her the “friendly check” right back.

Of course not all women are going to use these types of tactics. Some will try and hold their own with the men at the table because of either ego or because they want to earn your respect. As with all things poker, every situation is different. These examples were given to help you look out for some potential pitfalls when playing against female opponents. Women can be just as tricky as us guys. The difference is that women usually have more self control and have a few more tricks that their male opponents.

No-Limit Texas holdem poker is a very mathematical game that requires solid knowledge off odds and percentages to be successful at the highest levels.  One step to developing that knowledge is learning to count outs and calculating your percentage to hit your hand.  Not everyone is a maths genius so I will devise a few examples of counting outs and then present you with a simple way to estimate you percentage of hitting your hand after the flop and turn for Texas holdem.

An out in poker is a card that is needed in order to complete a hand.  If you are on gutshot straight draw and need a five to complete your hand, your outs are the four fives in the deck.  It is important that you know what your outs are in order to determine the percentage that your hand will hit by the river.  Let’s look at a few examples.

When you have four cards to a flush after the flop, then you have nine outs in order to complete your hand.  If you flop an open ended straight draw, then you have eight outs in order to complete your hand.  Not all counting of outs is as simple as straight draws and flush draws.  Let’s take a deeper look at counting outs with a few examples.

The flop is Jc-10c-9h and you hold Ac-Qc.  This is a very powerful draw.  First, you have a nut flush draw and an open ended straight draw.  Any king or eight will give you a straight.  How many outs do you have?   You have 15 outs.  Many of you probably said 17.  Remember that one of the kings and one of the eights are clubs and have already been accounted for as outs for your flush.  This reduces your outs from 17 to 15.  Let’s look at another more complicated example.

There are also “potential outs”.  Potential outs are cards that may win the hand for you but are not a lock to win the hand.  A great example would be a hand in the big blind of Ah-7h.   The flop comes 4h-5c-6h.  You are holding a nut flush draw and an open ended straight draw.  A potential out in this situation is an ace.  In this spot, if an ace hits the board, you may win the hand.  Then again, it may not depending of if you opponent has an ace with a better kicker.  In this scenario, you have 18 outs.  That’s nine hearts; the three non-heart three’s, the three non-heart nine’s and the three remaining aces.

Mixed Texas Hold’em

Outs are not just important on the flop, but also on the turn.  There are times that the turn will give you additional outs to hit your hand, but you need to be looking for them.  For example, you are holding the As-Qs and the flop hits Ks-6s-2c.   After the flop you have 9 outs for the flush and three potential outs if an ace hits.  The turn falls the Qd and now you have picked up 2 more outs to win the hand if another queen falls on the river.  Another example would be you are in the big blind with Jc-10c with a flop of 9c-4c-2d.  You have 9 outs for the flush.  The turn falls the 8s and now you have picked up 6 additional outs for the straight.  Again, you only pick up 6 outs as opposed to eight because the Qc and the 7c are counted in your flush outs.

When counting out, be aware of the texture of the board.  Keep an eye out for sudden changes that can spell disaster.  For example, you are holding Qc-Jc on a flop of Kd-10s-3h.  Right now you have an open ended straight draw and 8 potential outs to win.  The river falls the 6h.  Now, you still have an open ended straight draw, but there is a possibility that your opponent has picked up a flush draw.  Now, two of your outs can cause you problems.  If the Ah or the 9h fall on the river, you may be outdrawn by a flush.  In that type of situation, you will have to be careful at the river.

Counting outs is the first step in learning how to calculate your percentage of making your hand by the river.  As you become more experienced, you will encounter situations where knowing your percentages will make the difference between proceeding with a hand and throwing it into the muck.  A simple way to figure out percentages is known as the 4 and 2 method.  Phil Gordon mentioned this method in his final table DVD and it is probably the simplest method to teach someone how to figure out percentages.

First, after the flop you want to know what your percentage is to make your hand by the river.  Count the number of outs to make your hand and then multiply it by 4.  If you have 9 outs after the flop, the percentage to hit your hand by the river is 36%.  If you have 12 outs, then the percentage to hit your hand is 48%.

Check to see whether you picked up additional outs after the turn.  If so, add these outs to your pre-flop out.  Next, take the number of outs and multiply it by 2.  If you have 12 outs, then you have a 24 percent chance to hit your hand.  9 outs leave you with an 18% chance to make your hand on the river.

Some of the concepts above may seem a little difficult to grasp at first.  My suggestion would be to take a deck of card and deal out some simulated hands at random to practice counting outs.  After you feel comfortable with counting out, then proceed to calculating hand percentages.  Counting outs and calculating percentages are the first steps to being able to calculate pot odds in Texas holdem games.  Once you have mastered these skills you can move forward into the advanced skill of pot odds.