Basic Online Poker Strategy

Playing poker is more about poker strategy than just getting the better hand. Basic Poker strategy is important because poker is a mathematical game. A poker player needs to have the right poker playing strategy according to the pot odds. There's a lot of poker strategy the novice has to learn before he can play at the tables with the pros.

One way to improve your online poker strategy is to read books on poker tips & strategies. Or you can access the numerous online poker strategy resources. Many Internet poker sites also have sections on poker strategy.

The thing about basic poker strategy is to realize the relative strength at a table. Beginners go into the game with all the wrong poker strategy in their heads. Their poker strategy mostly is the hope that they will eventually improve their hands. You can call this the losing poker strategy in the long run.

In poker games such as Texas Hold 'em, unmatched combinations of low cards are unlikely to result in a winning hand, whatever your poker strategy is. One thing about poker strategy that is overlooked by beginners is that better players also tend to improve with the draw.

Basic Texas Hold 'em poker strategy

Luck, despite all the poker strategy, plays a part in the outcome of a Texas Hold 'em game. Poker strategy improves with experience, self control, and skill. The basic poker strategy is to play a tight, disciplined poker game. This poker strategy is especially important when playing the starting cards.

A winning poker strategy depends on the player's position in the betting round. The later in betting order the player is in the poker game, the better his position is, and his poker strategy has to change accordingly. The poker strategy also changes with the kind of game being played.

Limit Hold'em Basic Poker Strategy

Without a good Limit Poker Strategy, Limit Hold'em can be deceptive to less skilled players. A false notion held amongst players is that you can simply sit and call down the hands whenever you have pot odds, without taking much notice of your opponents. In fact, this is how a majority of Limit Texas Hold'em players act on low limit tables.

In addition, intermediate players are very commonly afflicted with a lack of discipline (tightness) and a lack of applied aggression (strong attack in the appropriate spots). In general, an overall tight/aggressive style of play is probably the most profitable, especially in intermediate/strong games.

Limit Texas Hold'em Top Advice

• Play only premium starting hands: in a regular game you should see no more than 20-25% of the flops.
• Table selection: beware of tight/aggressive tables and avoid strong players overall as they will "read you and take your money". Look for loose games where at least 30% see the flop on average and play their hands too far.
• Make sure to have pot odds when you are drawing: only call a bet if the pot justifies the call.
• Always analyze your relative strength in the hand: make a habit of always anticipating the holdings of your opponents and be sure to further evaluate as more information is revealed in later rounds. You will never be truly successful unless you "get under the skin" of your opponents.
• Try to remember the playing styles of your opponents: questions you should ask yourself include, what kind of hands do they raise with? What hands do they re-raise with? Do they call all the way with weak holdings? How do they play pocket- pairs? How do they play their draws? What kinds of hands do they call/raise with from early position? What types of hands do they check-raise with?
• Bet or raise when warranted - do not just call: the structure of Limit Texas Hold'em invites drawing hands, which might even bet into you. If you believe you have the best hand you should almost always bet/raise. You do not want to give any free cards.
• Always have a good kicker: you must have a good side card, or kicker, to your highest card. (Weak kickers create second-best hands, which can be expensive in the long run).
• Be quick to steal pots when you are in late position: when few players are in and it has been checked around to you, a possibility of taking the pot in last or late position might arise. Only do this if it looks as though the board did not benefit anyone. Also, be sure to consider the type of players left in the pot.
• Vary your play: occasionally limp on "raising hands" and bet/raise on some "calling hands". Do this both before and after the flop in order to avoid predictability in your playing style.
• Fold in time: you will save money if you fold in time. Do not draw when you know you are beat and the pot does not warrant a call.
• Rarely bluff: you must be quite sure that your opponents are not holding strong hands and/or are very weak when you attempt to bluff.

No-Limit Texas Hold'em Basic Poker Strategy

The biggest differences between No-Limit Texas Hold'em and Limit Texas Hold'em involve position and hand value. Position is far more important in No-Limit because the decisions you make will have a greater impact on your stack.

If you trap someone in No-Limit with the help of position, you can win your opponent's entire stack as compared to collecting a few extra bets in Limit. Big connectors like AK, AQ and KQ decrease in value when you play No-Limit as you are more likely to win small pots and lose big pots with these types of hands. As well, all pairs increase in value when playing No-Limit since you are able to double through your opponents when you hit a set. The big pairs, AA and KK, also increase in value when playing No-Limit as you are again presented with an opportunity to trap someone for his whole stack.

In No-Limit it is important to keep track of the amount of money you and your opponents have on the table. The variation in stack size greatly affects how the game is played. Some examples are as follows:

• You have $500 and your opponent has $25, the blinds are $2-$4. You are sitting in the big blind with a JTs and your opponent moves all-in from first position (a position referred to as sitting under the gun). All other players fold. This is clearly a situation in which you should fold since you are most certainly the underdog and risking an additional $21 in order to win his last $25 is not a profitable play. If your opponent also has $500, then a call may be acceptable as you have a chance of winning $500 by risking another $21. The decision of whether to call or not depends on how well your opponent plays after the flop.
• You have $1000 and your opponent also has $1000, the blinds are $2-$4. You hold QQ and make it $20 to go. Your opponent, who is acting behind you, now moves all-in with his entire $1000. You should fold unless you know your opponent does not have AA or KK. If your opponent made the same play with only $60 in front of him, you should call his all-in bet in the hopes that he does not hold AA or KK.

Top No-limit Texas Hold'em Poker Tips

• Playing too many starting hands: in a standard $2-$4 NL game you should have a 20-30% view of the flop percentage. This means folding AJ in first position, KT in middle position and QT in late position.
• Table selection: only play in games where you have an edge. You want at least a couple of weak players at the table when you sit down.
• "Playing the players": make sure to quickly assess the opposition: who plays inferior hands, who folds at aggression, who bets with draws, who calls big bets with weak hands and draws, who can be bluffed, who bluffs, etc.
• "Pump it or dump it": fold or bet/raise (if the odds are with you). You should avoid calling unless you have a good reason (like trapping an opponent).
• Respect most big bets and raises: this is particularly true on the turn and river as most players do not bluff.

No-Limit Texas Hold'em Common Mistakes

• Not releasing a decent hand when beat, thus losing the whole stack on one hand.
• Calling with weak holdings when facing a bet.
• Playing too many starting hands.
• Not raising pre-flop with premium hands (putting pressure on limpers holding drawing hands) and then going too far with them after the flop.
• Over/under betting the pot (risking a lot to win small/not protecting hand).

Basic Pre-flop Poker Strategy

• Most of the time you should raise/re-raise with top-pairs (AA-QQ) and top connectors (AK, AQs) in order to make low-pairs and various connectors pay to see flops against you. Remember, they will often have the opportunity to double up on you if they hit (although many beginners do not realize this and fold too often pre-flop).
• Stick to the premium hands. You will pay dearly to "chase" with second-best hands in NL.
• Keep most raises down to between 70% and 100% (making it 3 times the big blind to go typically equals an 80% pot bet) in order to save money when you get re-raised or called by stronger holdings. If there are limpers in front of you, raise to about 4-6 times the big blind.
• Have respect for strong tight players (for example, you should drop AQ if a strong player raises under the gun).
• When very weak players have entered the pot, be inclined to call and take flops with them.

Texas Hold'em Deceptive Plays

Adding deception to your game can be part of a winning poker strategy and is very important because it makes you less predictable. If your checks always mean that you are weak or your bets/raises always mean you are strong, the more observant players will have an edge on you.

When you are in late position or last to act, you can raise with a drawing hand on the flop. This will likely make your opponents check to you on the turn, thus giving you the opportunity to check (if your hand does not improve) or bet (if you hit your draw). This will save you money if you do not improve and make you money if you hit. However, this move will backfire when you are re-raised on the flop. In these situations, it will cost you money but it remains a good play since you obtained information and have a draw to a better hand.

When you hold a good hand and it is you turn to act, check in the hopes that an opponent will bet so that you can raise when your turn comes again. For example, you are in early position and have A -Q . The flop is As-Q -6 . You check and three players in middle position also check. A player in late position bets and you then raise. The reason for check-raising is to make it too expensive for the drawing hands, like a gut-shot straight draw or overcards, to call. The check-raise from an early position also gives you the initiative in the hand. If they still call, at least you have obtained information regarding the strength of their hands and forced them to pay as much as possible for trying to outdraw you.

Semi-bluffing is when you bet or raise with a hand that is not likely to be the best (at the moment) but you have many outs to outdraw your opponents if you get called or raised, although you are actually hoping to win the pot right there. For example, you are in late position holding J -T and the flop shows K -6 -2 , thus giving you a flush draw with 9 outs. There are three other players in the pot and they all check to you. You bet without having the best hand but since they all checked, they indicated weakness and might fold pocket-pairs, a pair of 6's or 2's. Even if you do get called, you have 9 outs to the flush and maybe an additional 6 outs to win if you hit a J or a T, 15 outs in total. If called and it is checked to you on the turn, you have the option of taking a free card in case your hand did not improve.

When you have a strong hand it is sometimes correct to slowplay. This means just checking or calling on one betting round with the intention of betting/raising on later rounds of betting. In Hold'em this is a very common play on the flop, because you want to lure players in and raise on the turn or river where the bets are doubled. This tactic can easily backfire when you let your opponents take free-cards that can beat your hand. Many players slowplay too often and lose pots they would have won had they not slowplayed. When this happens it is mathematical disaster, since you lose a pot you would have won had you bet/raised and now you have to pay off an opponent who has you beat.

In general you shouldn't slowplay when one of the following criteria's are met:

• A free card can beat you.
• A free card is not likely to give your opponent a second-best hand.
• There are many opponents in the hand.
• It is a large pot

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