Saturday, May 3, 2008

Making money from texash holdem

Ideally, always know what the best possible hand on the table is, this is called the "nuts", if there are several players still in the pot and heavy betting, one of them probably has it. E.g. If the board shows K hearts, Q diamonds, 10 spades, 8 clubs and 7 hearts, then the best possible hand is a high straight Ace, K, Q, J, 10, if you have Ace, J, you have it and should play aggressively, if you have J, 9 be careful.

Recognize early when you have the best hand, the "nuts", as this will maximize your betting and raising opportunities. If you have the "nuts", you can't lose, the worst that can happen is you will share the pot, so push the pot up.

Play more cautiously when you are the first to bet, (to the left of the big blind), as re-raises can be expensive. Position is an advantage in Texas Hold'em, when you are the last one to act, you are in a much better position. If you are the big blind, and no one has raised you will always see the flop.

When a player first sits down at a table, they will be required to post the equivalent of the big blind. All players have the option of sitting out and waiting until it is actually their turn to be the big blind before they play.

This rule ensures fairness to all players, by preventing players from hopping in and out of the games, and leaving before their turn to post the big blind.

These are the commonly accepted Top 10 Pocket cards in Texas Hold'em:

1. AA
2. KK
3. QQ
4. JJ
5. AK Suited
6. TT
7. AK Mixed
8. AQ Suited
9. KQ Suited
10. AJ Suited

Finally, poker is a fun game, so have lots of fun, but don't get carried away. It is fun to bluff, but it can be very costly. It’s only a bluff when you win; if you lose it was risky.