10 Important Tips For Hold'em Play!

[Manne]

1. Can You beat players that never call? This is my favorite hold'em truisum: "the difference between too-tight and too-loose players is If players always call, you'll probably win; but if players never call, you'll certainly win." Think about it!

2. Always try to choose games where you have skills greater than your opponents. That's a major secret to winning. The best table to play is one below your skill level.

3.Contrary to common advice, you do not want to raise with aces before the flop in order to chase players out of the pot. Those aces will usually make you more money with some opponents chasing you. That doesn't mean you shouldn't raise, but it means when you do raise, you're hoping opponents will call, not fold.

4. Over a lifetime of play most hold'em players will not make a profit playing 22, 33 and 44 pairs from early position.

5. Seldom re-raise as the big blind with a medium power hand. Don't announce that you have a big hand this early if you don't have to. Of course, a show of strength can sometimes work in your favor but it is more likely to work against you by chasing away weak callers and the long-range profit they might supply on future betting rounds. As the big blind it's best to take a look at the flop unless you really have a strong hand.

6.High cards, such as AK unsuited, AQ unsuited, and KQ unsuited have a greater profit potential against just one or two opponents. The reason is that you're much more likely to win with only one high pair, if the board helps you.

7. Don't fold your cards until you have to, no matter what. Even if you have garbage it's important to go through the motions of checking and making your opponent decide what to do. He might make the mistake of folding and giving you a free pot.

8. With anything except the most powerful of hands, you always can justify just calling, rather than raising, when you're in a blind position.

9. Don't bluff too often in loose games. You'll get called a lot and your opponents will be on to you quickly.

10. If you do decide to bluff, do it quickly and without hesitation. This is much more powerful that a bluff that is pondered.