Before you decide that you are going to bluff. Look at the reward if you pull it off. How much money is in the pot? Some people call this pot odds, and have a whole lot of complicated calculations to make before they decide. I just look at it. There is either a large stack of chips or a small stack. If there is a large stack of chips I will attempt a bluff. Bluffing is simply selling an idea. The idea is that you have the best hand. It helps a lot that your opponent can see right on the table that there is a possible straight or flush. Is there a pair? You might have three of a kind or a full house.

Holdem Poker Rules

When you start out playing Texas Holdem you will think that the rules are deceptively simple. Beleive me, they are a lot more complex than you may think and will dictate how you play the game.

The Big Blind and the Small Blind are put on the table. These bets are mandatory and they revolve around the table so that eveybody gets a turn to pay.

The dealer will first deal two cards to every player. These cards are delt down and are called you hole cards or pocket cards. This is your hand to be held tight to the vest. Show no one these cards. Now you can do 1 of three things. Call the bet of the Big Blind by putting a matching amount into the pot. Raise the pot by putting at least double the amount of the Big Blind. Or fold your hand. If you are smart you will take this option more than not.

If you are sitting at the Big Blind or the Small Blind you had to put money into the pot before you saw your cards so you can raise yourself. A word of caution. If one of the blinds raises. Watch out.

After everone has thier money in the pot or has folded their cards. The dealer will deal the Flop. He burns the first card and then deals out three cards face up in the middle of the table. You now have five cards. The three community cards of the Flop and your two pocket cards. The best poker hand that you can make out of the five cards is what you bet on for the next round. It is called the turn. The dealer burns another card and deals the turn face up on the table. At this point the minumum bet doubles.

Holdem Poker Stradagy

It is a good idea for the beginner whose patience is being tested, by seeing bad hand after bad hand to watch out for the trap of over enthusiasm.

It has happened to me more than once. I will let hand after hand go by and not be able to play for an hour. When I begin to get bored with not playing I am making a big mistake. You are there and should be paying attention to ALL the hands weather you have money invested or not. Use the time to begin cataloging all the players. I watch the guy on the button. Will he play any cards delt no matter how poor they are because he likes the position? If no one has raised the blind will he raise to try and steal the blinds? Texas Holdem is a lot like war. If you can cut through the fog of war with information you will make money.

Pay particular attention to the two people to your left. Once you have passed the button on to them you may be able to buy it back with a raise. Raising in late position will confuse the enemy. He will not be entirely sure of the reason for the raise. Are you running a bluff? Are you looking for information? Or are you just trying to get folks out of the game because you do not have a real strong hand like AK? If you have AA or KK you should be raising anyway. You are sitting with the best pre-flop hand with Ace,Ace. It is time to try and drive as many out of the game as possible. Make them take a long hard look at what they can gain(The size of the pot) compared what they have to risk to get it. You do not want someone holding suited hole cards to be able to see the flop on the cheap. Even if you hold Ace, King and draw the not straight he can beat you with a flush. Make him pay to see the flop. 

Holdem Poker Position

Texas Holdem is a game that y ou can learn in a few minutes of play. It can take a life time to master the game. Do not expect to sit down at the table and count on your luck to make a killing. Luck, a lot of the time, does not have a damn thing to do with who walks away with the cash.

Playing on line can sort of distort the picture for you. For one thing it makes position on the table to seem to be more of a minor thing than it really is. The play moves way to fast at times and they give you buttons to click so that you can automatically call or raise a bet. It is of course to their advantage to move the game along as fast as they can. They make their money on the pot rake. Notice when you play on line that the dealer has a slot next to his right hand. The money that accumulates there is the pot rake. Of course, in a play money game it does not cost you anything to play. In a game played for real money it is a factor and should be taken into account. The fewer hands that you play. The less you pay.

Holdem Poker Pocket Cards

The pocket cards are the first two cards that you look at. Playing just any old two card combination can break your bank fast. I like to play what I call the Black Jack hands. That is any two cards that add up to 20 or 21. Aces are eleven amd face cards are ten. All other cards have their numerical value. These are your pre-flop cards and only you get to see them. Keep in mind that after the flop everything changes. Also keep in mind that unless you are sitting on one of the blinds it did not cost you anything to see these cards so you are not married to them. If you are dealt Jack of Diamonds and the Six of Spades you do not have to take them all the way to the alter...err...river.

From time to time you are going to be dealt pocket pairs. Play them, but play them carefully. Pocket Aces are the best pre-flop hand. After the flop things can be very different. Pocket kings are almost as good as the Aces but you have the Ace overcard to worry about on the flop, the turn, and the river. Be careful. Pocket Queens and Jacks have even more overcards to worry about. That is what you do and limp in if you can.

Pocket pairs Ten and under. Limp in if you can. You might want to see a raise or two pre-flop depending on your position on how much you respect the raising player. If you do not flop a set (Three of a Kind) you might want to break the engagement and fold. If you flop two pair your's most often is going to be lower.

Holdem Poker Rank

No Pair - The best no pair hand is called Big Slick. It is Ace/King. The worst no pair hand is Two/Three. With Two/Three get out of the game unless it does not cost you anything to play because you are sitting on the Big Blind.

Pair- The best pair is Ace/Ace. It is the most powerful hand before the flop. Also known as American Airlines or Pocket Rockets. My favorite is the Eyes of Texas. The lowest possible pair is deuce/deuce. Be very careful of playing with any low pair especially if you not been in a hand for a long period. The low pair will look, to you, a lot more valuable than it really is.

Three of a Kind - Three Aces is the highest possible hand while Three Deuces is the worst possible Three of a kind. A very good hand but lots of stuff can beat it.

Straight - Any five cards in order but not suited. The best possible straight is Ace-king-Queen-Jack-Ten. The lowest straight is Ace-two-Three-Four-Five.

Flush - Five cards of the same suit. Spades - Diamonds - Hearts - Clubs - The Best Possible Flush is Ace- King - Queen - Jack - Nine. The lowest ranked flush is - Two - Three - Four - Five - Seven

Four of a Kind - The Best is Ace - Ace - Ace - Ace - Any Kicker. The lowest ranked Four of a Kind is Deuce - Deuce - Deuce - Deuce - Any Kicker

Straight Flush Five cards in sequence of the same suit

The Flop In Holdem Poker

Your hand strength should be set right after the flop. If you do not have the best hand or lots of outs to draw the best hand by the time the dealer rolls the flop then get out of the game. The best tip for a multiplayer tournament is to remember that it is all about chips. if you are out of chips you are out of the game. In a regular game it is about money. You can always buy back into the game for more money. Every card game should be a lesson to you. You made mistakes the last time that you played. Do not make the same mistakes this time. Playing a holdem poker online game can let you see lots of hands in a very short period of time. Use the online play for practice. The more hands that you see and get to play the faster the improvements to your game will come. A common mistake is that people do not pay attention to the action of the guy who has the small blind. Watch him. If he bets then feel fear. It may save you from making a horrible mistake. The free download for an online game just takes a few minutes to install. They will not conflict. I like to have about four or five different places to play. If you are just starting then the only calculator that you need is your head. Play tight and only get into the hand if your cards total 20 or 21. Aces are eleven and face cards are ten. You can earn a spot in the big games in Vegas by playing on line. One of the best ways to practice is to get your own holdem poker chip set and table. Be wary of your friends and neighbors though. There is no such thing as friendship in a poker game. There are lots of holdem strategy books. The secret to good play is to develop your own style. Always the best strategy in a no limit game is to adapt to the table. There is no rule that says you have to play a consistent game. If the table plays loose you have to copy the play to make any money. If the play is tight then tighten up your game. Be sure and read any forum that talks about no limit online holdem. Take it all with a grain of salt. Be sure and check out the pokerblog. There are tips and tricks that will help you to improve your play and make money.

The Turn

The Turn follows the flop in Texas Holdem Poker. On this card the bet limit increases. Usually it will go to double. If you had a hand after the flop this is the place to start building the pot. If you did not have a poker hand to play but a busted flush or straight then this is where you decide to bluff or semi-bluff. In a low limit holdem game you are going to be called by some moron who will follow you to the river and beat you there.

Holdem Poker River

It is said that, "You live or die on the river". If you have read the rest of the site you know that you will not be staying in the pot most of the time. You will see the river card only three or four times an hour.  If you do not have a good poker hand when you get to the river it is still possible to bluff and win the pot. Be aware that if you are playing in a low stakes game there is always going to be someone who will call you. Bluffing on the river is really not an option unless you are playing in a high stakes or no limit game.