Casino & Gambling Information | Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com |
Introduction to Texas Holdem Strategy - 3 Concepts
Concept #1 - Pot Odds Long-term profits in holdem come from making bets with a positive expectation. You only have a positive expectation when your payoff is higher than your risk. Casinos make money from negative expectation games like roulette. The single number bet in roulette pays off at 35 to 1, but the odds of winning the bet are 37 to 1. The difference between the 37 and the 35 is the casino's profit margin. You need a basic understanding of how to calculate pot odds while playing in order to determine when to play. You should only play a hand when you have a positive expectation, otherwise you should fold. Basically you compare the number of chips in the pot with your chances of winning the pot when you decide whether or not to play a hand. Suppose there is $150 in a pot, and you're on the flop with 4 to a flush. An easy way to approximate the odds of hitting the flush is to take the number of cards that will make your hand and multiply that by the number of cards that are still going to be dealt, and multiply that by 2. There are 13 cards in a suit and you have 4 of them. So there are 9 cards left. 9 times 2 more cards times 2% equals 36%, or about 1 in 3. You will win an average of once every three times and lose the other two times. So the pot needs to offer you at least 2 to 1 for you to call a bet. If someone bets $50, you stand to win $200 on a $50 bet, which gives you appropriate pot odds to call. This basic concept is essential to holdem success. Other concepts to start thinking about are the odds of your opponent folding if you raise. This will change the pot odds. A rule of thumb is that the fewer opponents, the more likely you'll be able to take down an uncontested pot. Another rule of thumb is that if you have a drawing hand, a big pot, and a small bet to call, then you should call. If the pot's small, and the bet's big, then you should fold. Concept #2 - Starting Hand Selection & Position Position is critical when deciding what kind of hands to actually play before the flop. The rule of thumb is that you play much tighter (have higher starting hand requirements) in early position and play looser in late position. Your advantage in late position is that you can see what the other players do before you decide what to do. This is a simplification, and a lot of people aren't going to like the way I do it, but I divide starting hands into just three groups. There are definitely sub-divisions and subteleties between these groupsbut starting out, you're basically looking at just three different groups: strong hands, drawing hands, and unplayable hands. Strong hands are pairs of 10 or higher, plus AK suited. AA's and KK's almost always warrant raising preflop, unless you're in early position and you're hoping for someone to raise behind you. AK suited, QQ's, JJ's, and 10's are worth raising with if no one else has raise, they're sometimes worth raising with if someone else has raised, and they're almost always worth calling with. Drawing hands are hands that need to improve on the flop to win. Pairs of 99's or lower and suited connectors are usually drawing hands, and so are big-little suited. (Big little suited is an ace and one smaller card of the same suit, and it's a playable hand sometimes because of its flush potential.) Suited connectors are adjacent in rank and of the same suit, so they have the potential to make a flush or a straight or possibly even a straight flush. And the smaller pairs go down in value as they get lower in rank. They're normally worth calling if no one's raised unless you're in early position, when you should usually fold them. Sometimes pairs of 77's, 88's, and 99's are good starting hands to play strongly with too, especially if your opponents are very tight and you could win the pot right there without a showdown. Concept #3 - What to do on the Flop "Fit or fold" is the common wisdom on this subject. You should be in a good position to decide what to do on the flop. I've always played overpairs and top pairs a little too strongly, and that works well at a weak table with calling stations, but you have to be more cautious with better players. The "average" winning hand in Texas holdem at a showdown is two pairs or better. If your starting cards were a drawing hand, you need to hit your hand in order to play it. If you had pocket 66's, you really need to hit 3 of a kind to continue playing the hand, otherwise you should fold. 4 to an open-ended straight is playable unless there's a potential flush draw on the board. 4 to a flush is usually a good hand to play. But if you're playing a small pair and there are overcards on the board, you're probably going to have to get away from the hand. Texas holdem is a game of high cards. This is a very basic introduction to the things you should think about in Texas holdem strategy. There are tremendous subtleties and complexities beyond this introduction, and entire books are written on strategies for limit, pot limit, and no limit Texas holdem. You're encouraged to start reading them and think about them while you play. Please be sure to visit the Unknown Poker guide to online poker rooms. Right now we're featuring a new Party Poker review. You have permission to reprint this article on your site only if you include this paragrpah, including the hyperlinks.
MORE RESOURCES: |
RELATED ARTICLES
Poker Hand Rankings Poker hand rankings are one of the most important aspects of any poker game. When playing online poker, especially fast online poker games such as Texas Holdem Poker, you need to be able to quickly discern which cards are needed to create a better poker hand. The Secret of Protecting Your Pass Line Bet Pssst.. Horse Racing Betting, A Beginners Guide (Part 2) In part one we went over how to pick contending horses by looking at the jockey, trainer and then finished off by looking at the form of the horse. By looking at the factors we went over last time you should now have been able to select some winners. 2005 AFC North Football Preview In the AFC North I expect to see the Pittsburgh Steelers who posted a mark of 16-2 straight up and 11-7 ATS overall last season to win a close divisional battle over the Baltimore Ravens who finished up their 2004 campaign with a 9-7 straight up and ATS mark and over a much improved Cincinnati Bengal team that finished with an 8-8 straight up record for the second straight year in 2004, the Brownies once again look to pull up the rear in what should prove to be the toughest division in the NFL in 2005.Pittsburgh has a tough row to hoe this season, the Steelers only have five games on the 2005 docket against 2004 playoff teams but four of those affairs take place on the road and that includes Monday Night road games at San Diego and at Indianapolis, overall the Steelers will play 10 of their 16 games against teams that posted . Poker Aces - how to play them Poker Aces refers to two aces dealt pre-flop. It is the strongest possible pre-flop hand in Texas Holdem Poker. Slot Machine Basics 101 Let's begin with a little bit of basic knowledge about slot machines.Modern Slot Machines work on a computer program that randomly selects winning combinations. Online Casino Bonuses Explained Types Of Online Casino BonusesIf you've ever considered playing at an online casino, you should be aware that the vast majority of them offer cash bonuses as an incentive to play. While there are some generous offers out there today, being made, it's very important that you understand how casino bonuses work and understand the terms and conditions of the offer. Alternate Payment Methods Made Easy Credit cards may be the easier way to purchase casino credits online but they are not always the most convenient or the fastest way to get casino credits when playing online. Alternative payment methods are an easy and efficient way to fill up your account and they are safe and secure to use too. Virtual Casino Gambling You might be wondering how virtual casino gambling started and how or why this virtual gambling phenomenon has grown so rapidly.Take a quick look into history of gambling and you'll discover why virtual casino gambling was the next logical step and why virtual casino games are set to become even more popular than they already are. Semi Bluffing Bluffing is an important part of most poker player's games. Knowing when and how to bluff will dramatically increase your win percentages. Women Increasingly Prefer Online Poker As poker continues to gain more and more mainstream acceptance, women are becoming increasingly interested in taking up the game. Until the most recent poker boom, poker was mostly a male populated card game. Learn How To Manage Your Roulette Bets For Greater Profits! Many players seek to increase their chances of winning at roulette by using roulette systems, but there are two reasons why they don't work.Roulette Is Random Game Of ChanceThe house always has an advantage because roulette is a game of chance. Video Poker - Choose the Best Machines There are three basic types of video poker machines:* Jacks or Better* Deuces Wild* Jokers WildTo keep things basic, we recommend you play only the Jacks or Better machines. The payouts are usually better and the draw strategy is more straightforward. Building Your Bankroll The first thing one needs to do before they even think about laying a bet down is: set your bankroll before the season even begins. You have to know how much money you are going to start with. Poker Americans play Poker in many places such as in casino card rooms, online and at home. It is estimated over $170 million in bets are made through online casinos everyday and this figure may double by 2006. A Teenagers Vegas Vacation This, a true story about a Vegas vacation involving casino gambling and.. Roulette Strategies - The 10 Commandments for Bigger Profits! You will see many roulette strategies on the net.Here we have gathered the 10 most important strategies for playing roulette and maximising your profits. Why No-Limit Poker is Better Than Limit If you are a tight-aggressive player, you need to consider playing No-Limit Hold 'em if you aren't already. With proper play, not only can you expect to increase your hourly win rate, but you can make it much more difficult for your opponents to draw out on you. The Truth Behind The Limits: What Minimum and Maximum Bets Are About Have you ever thought about the reason behind the existence of minimum and maximum bets? The truth is simple: casinos want your money. As simple as that. Roulette basics James bond plays it and so does a large part of America. A table a wheel which has about 37-38 pockets many pockets where the ball must land after it is spun by the croupier. |
TSC2000.biz Domain Is For Sale - $15,000 For Enquiries eMail Us © www.TSC2000.biz 2012 |