Texas Hold’em poker is everywhere these days — on TV, online, and in clubs and casinos. Before you sit down to a game of Texas Hold ’em, make sure you’re in good shape to be successful — take care of non-poker issues and check your physical, mental, and financial status. During the game, you need to understand basic odds and playable hands, as well as how to bluff successfully and follow proper poker etiquette. Texas Hold ‘Em also has its own abbreviations for online play.
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Playable Texas Hold’em Hands
Texas Hold’em is a game of strategy, like any poker game, but where you’re sitting in relation to the action becomes part of your strategy when playing Hold’em. If you bet early, you generally need better cards than you do if you’re one of the blinds. The following table offers sound advice on what hands are playable when you’re sitting in different positions.
- The newcomer strategy for Texas Holds em Poker will help you learn poker and win quick money. Interim Strategy Texas Hold Em Poker If you passed the novice stage, then in the intermediate stage, as a player at Texas Holdem Poker, you can add a few more hands to your arsenal from the hands of Texas Hold Em Poker: KQ, A-10, K-Js, AQ, AK, 5, 6-6, 3-3, 7-7, 4-4, 2-2.
- It is very true, but hopefully by and reading our Texas Holdem Strategy section you will at least have a clue how to do well at one of them! One of the great benefits of poker is that it is quite easy to learn the basics. The rules are quite simple and allow easy access for beginners. However, on the other hand, it is a tough game to master.
Questions to Ask Yourself before You Play Texas Hold’em
Whether you’re playing Texas Hold’em for fun or money — make that whether you’re playing for high stakes or low stakes — make sure you’re in a position mentally, physically, and financially to enjoy the game and make the most of your chances. Ask yourself these questions before you sit down to a game:
- What is the purpose of my playing this session? Whether it’s to learn more, win money, or just hang with friends for a good time, make sure you know why you’re there and that you’re doing everything you can to accomplish that goal.
- If I were to play an opponent who’s exactly the same as a well-rested, un-stressed version of me, would that person have an advantage? If the answer is “yes,” hold off on playing until you’re in a better psychological and physical state.
- Can my bankroll handle this level of play? If not, play a lower level.
- Are there any distractions in my life that I need to get rid of before I play? Pay your rent, walk your dog, call your significant other — whatever it is, get it out of your head so you can focus.
- Do I know if the house I’m playing in has any bonuses for players such as bad beat jackpots, high hands, free food and/or drinks for players, or freeroll tournaments? If not, ask a floorperson before you start playing and find out about the details of how you can qualify.
- Is there an aggressive person at the table I’ll be playing at? If so, try to get yourself seated to his left so you see the raises before your action and not after.
- What do I know about the people sitting at the table? Whatever it is, use it to your advantage.
Rough Odds for Texas Hold’em
Playing poker is about playing the odds. The following list gives the odds for outcomes in Texas Hold’em hands. When you realize how heavily the odds are stacked against you, you may want to rethink going all-in before the flop with two suited cards. Use the odds to your advantage:
- 1 percent (1-in-100): Percentage of time that no player holds an Ace or a King at a table in a 10-handed game
- 1 percent (1-in-100): Percentage of time that if you hold two suited cards, you’ll flop a flush
- 6 percent (about 1-in-20): Percentage of time that five community cards will give pocket suited cards a flush
- 6 percent (about 1-in-20): Percentage of time that you’ll be dealt a pocket pair
- 8 percent (about 1-in-12): Percentage of time that you’ll hit at least trips after having a pair on the flop
- 12 percent (about 1-in-8): Percentage of time that you’ll flop trips if holding a pocket pair
- 12 percent (about 1-in-8): Percentage of time that two more cards will flop in the same suit as a suited pocket pair
- 19 percent (about 1-in-5): Percentage of time that the five community cards will at least trip your pocket pair
- 32 percent (about 1-in-3): Percentage of time that you’ll pair one of your cards on the flop (with no pocket pair)
- 33 percent (about 1-in-3): Percentage of time that you’ll make a full house or better after having trips on the flop
- 35 percent (about 1-in-3): Percentage of time that you’ll make a flush on the turn or river if you have four cards to a flush after the flop
Texas Hold’em Bluffing Tips
What makes any poker game exciting, and Texas Hold’em is certainly no exception, is that players can bluff at any point. Sometimes half the fun of a game is seeing whether you can successfully bluff an opponent out of some money. But, even as you’re misleading your opponents, make sure you bluff in the right circumstances. Heed these bluffing tips:
- Only bluff where it makes a difference to your standing — either in a tournament or to your stack of chips.
- Be careful bluffing someone considerably worse than you are. He may call just to see what you have, or on some probabilistically low draw when he already has you beaten anyway.
- Bluff in situations where the board hints at the great hand you do not have: straights and flushes being hinted at by the board, the turn of an Ace, and so on.
- Don’t try to bluff players who only play the most solid of hands if they’re still in the pot.
- Don’t bluff people who are extremely likely to call.
- Do bluff the timid or people who are likely to fold.
- Remember that it’s easier to bluff in No-Limit than Limit because the bets (both implied and real) are bigger.
Poker Etiquette for Texas Hold’em
The etiquette tips in the following list apply to Texas Hold’em and to any other poker game. Sure, you can have fun while you play poker, but you can have all the fun you want without being impolite to the other players or the dealer. Basic poker etiquette includes these tips:
- Always play in turn.
- Be aware of when it’s your turn to post the blinds and do so promptly.
- Any time there is a discrepancy at the table, talk to the dealer — not the other players — about it. If you’re not able to get satisfaction from the dealer, ask for a floorperson. Talking with other players about the problem you perceive may generate ill will among people who have no authority in the situation in the first place.
- Place your bets in front of you. Do not splash them into the pot.
- Do not show your hand to other players at the table while a hand is in progress.
- Tell the dealer when you intend to raise. In No-Limit, gather the amount that you’re going to raise and either announce the total, or move it all forward with one motion. This prevents being called on a “string raise.”
- Don’t forget to tip your dealer. Dealers work for minimum wage and rely on tips for their livelihood.
Online Poker Abbreviations for Texas Hold’em
Playing online poker in general, and Texas Hold’em in particular, is a very popular pastime. When you’re online, you may encounter abbreviations specific to the world of poker. To understand what other players are saying, get familiar with these online abbreviations:
Abbreviation | What It Means | Abbreviation | What It Means |
---|---|---|---|
86 | To remove or ban | ne1 | Anyone |
brb | Be right back | nh | Nice hand |
gc/nc | Slightly sarcastic phrase meaning good catch/nice catch | gg | Good game |
lol | Laughing out loud | gl | Good luck |
nl | No-Limit | ty | Thank you |
n1 | Nice one | 🙂 | Smiley face (view sideways) |
PokerNews Staff
Poker is the world's favorite card game. There are countless variations of the game, with five-card draw, five-card stud, and seven-card stud having been the most popular during poker's early history, well into the 20th century. But Texas hold'em is by far the most played variant today — in fact, when someone says 'let's play poker' more often than not they are referring to playing Texas hold'em. So go ahead and Learn and Practice Texas Hold'em!!
Texas hold'em is not a difficult game to learn, although those who have never played may wonder what is the best way to learn and practice the game.
The rules to Texas hold'em are widely available online, including right here on PokerNews. Probably thefirst and most important thing to learn are the hand rankings for five-card poker hands which apply to many different variants, not just Texas hold'em. After that you can learn the order of play, how betting works, and then eventually start studying strategy and how to win.
Books, Articles, and Strategy Forums
There are a number of poker books available to help new players learn the poker rules and basic strategy, although it might be hard for someone new to the game to tell the difference between texts aimed at beginners and more advanced strategy texts. You definitely don't want to wander into some high-level, dense text — sort of like picking up an advanced calculus book when really you just want to learn about fractions and maybe a little long division.
Many recommend titles like Phil Gordon's Little Green Book or Texas Hold'em for Dummies by Mark Harlan as good introductory books. Meanwhile the series of books by Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie on tournament strategy titled Harrington on Hold'em also remain good introductions to basic hold'em strategy as well as tournament play.
Perusing articles here in the strategy section of PokerNews and on other sites can also provide a good start to learning how to play and picking up basic tips to improve your chance of success. Find the search box up in the right-hand corner of the site (click the magnifying glass icon) and enter whatever you want to know more about — phrases like 'starting hands in hold'em' or 'the importance of position' or 'pot odds' and so on — and you'll find several articles helping you with each topic.
There are numerous discussion forums online as well that include beginner-level help with Texas hold'em. For instance, Two Plus Two has a forum titled 'Beginners Questions' and most other poker sites have 'beginner' sections where you can quickly find answers to basic questions about rules and strategy.
Lessons in Live Poker Rooms
If you happen to live near a casino or card room, you might check and see if they ever hold instructional classes or lessons — you might be surprised. Many do offer such lessons, which are invariably free to attend. If you think about it, it is in the card rooms' interest to attract new players, which is why such free sessions are frequently offered.
Such lessons are usually held in the morning or midday when the card rooms are less populated, and are sometimes offered along with lessons in other casino games like blackjack, craps, roulette, and the like. They also give newcomers a chance to sit down at a table and have a bit of experience handling cards and chips — something that eventually becomes second nature, but can be a little intimidating to those brand new to the game.
Play and Learn from Friends
Getting together with friends and playing poker is of course another great way to learn the game, especially if there are more than one of you looking to find out more about Texas hold'em. Among friends you can be relaxed about mistakes as you learn the rules together, and you can also set the stakes as low as you like — even playing just for chips, if you want — in order to reduce the stress of losing at the start.
Poker author Ashley Adams has written a number of articles here on PokerNews about home games, including offering advice for finding a good game and also tips for organizing your own home game.
For many new players, a home game is the best place to start when learning and practicing Texas hold'em. Some find home games ultimately to be more fun than playing in casinos among strangers, while others will use the home game experience as a springboard into playing in card rooms as a way of seeking new challenges and perhaps playing for higher stakes.
Watch Poker Shows on Television and on Twitch
Televised poker is often a draw that attracts newcomers to poker, generally speaking, and Texas hold'em is by far the most frequently shown game on such shows. Watching the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, and other tournaments can certainly serve as an introduction to the rules of Texas hold'em, while also often providing some insight into strategy as well.
Meanwhile watching some of the more popular Twitch streams featuring players commenting on strategy while playing online poker can also be a way to learn the game, although sometimes the discussion can be a little more advanced than beginners might like. Even so, streamers like Jason Somerville tend to do very well addressing a wide audience — including newcomers to Texas hold'em — and a lot of players have said they've learned a lot from watching his stream and others.
Even watching the Global Poker League shows online — all completely free, by the way — can be helpful to new players, despite the fact that the level of play is quite high and the strategy employed often complex.
Play Online Poker Play Money Games
Another option for those just learning Texas hold'em is to hop onto join of the many online poker sites and take a seat at the play money tables. Nearly every site has play money versions of their games running around the clock — both 'cash' games and tournaments — and in a lot of cases those play money games are quite popular.
Experienced players will be quick to tell you that the play money games online aren't quite the same as real money games. As you might expect, such games are populated by a lot more inexperienced or casual players, and as a result the level of play isn't always the highest.
That said, the games are an excellent way to learn the rules and order of play, and they can even in some cases be quite competitive, especially when it comes to sit-n-gos or multi-table tournaments which might feature a lot of loose, reckless play at the start, but are often approached much more seriously by players toward the latter stages.
Learning Texas Holdem Poker Strategy
Another poker author and contributor here at PokerNews, Nathan Williams, recently wrote an article answering the question 'How Can You Use Play Money Poker to Make Money Playing Poker Online?' Among the points he makes in the article is to explain how the play money games actually provide opportunities to learn certain fundamentals of Texas hold'em, including good practices that can translate over to the real money games (once you're ready to make the switch).
In any case, do check out the free games on sites like PokerStars, 888poker, partypoker, and others, as they provide a great, risk-free environment to learn and practice Texas hold'em.
Conclusion
Those are just a few of the many ways new players can learn and practice Texas hold'em. Probably the best advice to brand new players is to read up a little on the rules, then find a game and jump right in, since the best way to learn is by playing.
Be sure to complete your PokerNews experience by checking out an overview of our mobile and tablet apps here. Stay on top of the poker world from your phone with our mobile iOS and Android app, or fire up our iPad app on your tablet. You can also update your own chip counts from poker tournaments around the world with MyStack on both Android and iOS.
Texas Holdem Poker Strategy
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