Texas Hold’em Poker Strategies

Poker is fun to learn but takes a regular practice and a never ending improvement of strategies to master. As you play through various levels of this game, you will discover new playing styles and develop unique tactics to deploy in various situations of the gameplay. In this section, we bring to you the crucial Texas Hold’em poker strategies and styles of gameplay that you can implement to beat your opponent while playing live poker games or online poker tournaments.

Poker playing styles

If you intend to become a great poker player, you must observe your opponents’ style of playing poker. “Why someone raised from that position” or “how to counteract when somebody goes all-in” are the question to ponder on table. Every action of your opponent hints towards a peculiar thing which you may use to outplay him and win. To sum up, we have categorized the playing styles in two forms:

• Tight Play vs. Loose Play

  Playing only a few but the best hands on the table denote a tight play while loose play comprises of a bunch of good and bad hands. Someone may play tight if he is short on money or is more focused to win without much loss. Loose poker players mostly play casually for fun.

• Aggressive Play vs. Passive Play

  Someone raising every now and then in a poker game denotes an aggressive style of playing while passive players will tend to either call or check more often than they raise and bet. Sometimes playing aggressively is also marked as a bluff to induce a fold by the opponents having better hands.

  So, next time you observe such tendencies in any of your opponents at the poker table, you will come to know his way of playing and accordingly you may counteract them.

Poker Tips for an enhanced gameplay

Either you play poker for fun or to win cash, some tips always come handy during the game. We list few crucial poker strategies and tips for beginners as well as seasoned pros which will refine your gameplay. The important thing, before you head to play poker online or live, is to decide whether you’ll be playing for fun or to win because this mindset shapes up your whole game plan. Once decided and joined the game, you should consider and practice the poker tips given below.

1. Practice makes you perfect

   One of the most important poker tips for beginners as well as for the experienced poker players is to practice the game continuously. Based on the performance in poker games you play, you should plan further to enhance your skills by strategic gameplay. A continuous cycle of gameplay, analysis, and improvement is what makes a great poker player.

2. Have Patience

   The most significant interpersonal skill a poker player requires in the game is patience. You should keep in mind that folding a bad hand doesn't necessarily make you a weak player. In fact, it helps you from loosing big. Top Texas Holdem players often fold 75% of their hands before the flop; still they are the ones always on the top of the leader board. The idea is to only play when you have an advantage.

3. Don’t hesitate to fold

   The difference between a professional and a novice player is that while the newbies tend to play most of their hands, pros play only 20-25% of the hands, folding to rest all. Folding to weak hands is a very important poker strategy to win in long terms. You need to carefully analyze the strength of your poker hand and also calculate the possibilities before betting. If you feel your cards are not good enough to form a winning hand, you must fold. This saves your stack for further good hands which could win you the prize.

4. Mix up your play

   If you always make good & smart decisions in poker, you’ll become very predictable for your opponents, which ultimately harms your bankroll. That’s the reason why you should sometimes mislead your opponents by the way you play. Mixing up the gameplay is a very crucial poker strategy which one should master in the course of time. If you do this randomly, you’ll become far less predictable player. The best way to play a cash game is to mix up the way you play. You may use All-in Tactics to snuff out your opponents or may switch to Slow Play to deceive them. If you carefully mix up your gameplay, the chances of winning always increase.

5. Be a smart bluff master

   Apart from all poker strategy, you may bluff in poker to gain an upper hand on your opponent. Although bluffing is effective at times but, this strategy does not come handy if you are a poor player (players who over estimate the force of their hands). Moreover, if you try to bluff your opponents repeatedly or regularly, expert players will eventually sense your style and will know exactly when you are bluffing.

6. Learn to avoid tilt

   Emotions play a key role in betting in poker and eventually shape up your victory or loss. Tilting can happen to any player and it is wise to take a break from the game and start when you are feeling okay. Otherwise, playing in emotions leads to poor decisions and eventual losses. Moreover, your opponents may also use your emotional moves against you to win the pot.

7. Show some player etiquettes

   The greatest of the poker industry advice to be a humble winner and a graceful loser in the end. Do not lose control of your emotions after the biggest of your wins or the worst losses. It is advised not to play for revenge against someone who defeated you in a poker game. Instead, hone your skills and make a comeback in the game when you feel confident. A good attitude and a rational mind will win you many more games and prizes.

8. Bad Beat – Just Move On

   A bad beat means losing a hand which you were almost sure to win by another hand emerging out to be stronger than yours. In poker, even the greatest of players have had bad beats no matter how strong poker strategy they had. Instead of tilting over a bad beat, you should take it as a test of your temperament. You may assume it as a chance thrown out to the rivals to win so that they continue in the game. However, you should take a short break from the game if you are not mentally prepared for the next hand. Later, you can encash even more than you lost in a bad beat.

9. Bankroll Management
   Managing your stacks on a poker table is important but you've also got to look after the total money that you actually have with you. Here, the bankroll management comes into play. Careful bankroll management is vital if you want to be a good as well as consistent poker player.