Poker: Texas Hold'em (No Limit)- Tips and Tricks

Texas Hold'em (No Limit) is one of the world's most popular card games and it's available free on games.com. White knuckles, sweaty palms, and a poker induced headache are all commonplace when it comes to online poker. Here are some tips and general strategies to help you win lots of hands and stack your chips so high you can't even see over them.


Betting

Betting is easily one of the more important aspects of the game because of the effect it will have on you and your opponent. When betting, the first thing you want to establish is your position at the table. The factors of betting are whether you are the small or big blind and if you have the dealer chip a.k.a the button. Preferably you want to be the last person to receive cards or directly to the right of the dealer. This is advantageous because you can see how everyone else has played before making a decision to bet or not.

Tip- When you are "out of position" or not the last person to bet, your instinct might be to check after the flop if your hand isn't the strongest. In order to keep your opponents guessing, one strategy could be to bet 3/4ths of the pot in order to put other players in a tough position. This strategy works best in a 1 v. 1 situation. By doing this you take away your opponents power to raise the bet and simultaneously make your opponents seriously consider their hand. If you are called and have nothing, bet strongly again on the turn. Most players will fold in this situation depending on the cards that are dealt.

Playing from the blinds (small and big) is not as advantageous as it may seem. If your hand is not strong, folding on any pre-flop raises will be your best option due to the fact that it is not worth spending any more money just to see the flop with a hand you would have normally folded.

Another thing to consider is the pot size. If the pot is initially small and someone bolsters the size of the pot 3x on a single bet, take note of that.

Tip- If you have been dealt a great hand like pocket Aces, you may want to consider a pre flop raise. This will help you gain more chips from players who are considering weaker hands. The amount however is also important. To entice players, try to only raise the bet no more than 3X the normal blind.



Tip- In a tournament setting, if you see that certain players are making big bets and pre-flop raising, your best strategy may be to let them eliminate each other. Of course there are exceptions, but you want to try and eliminate the field in order to get into the money at the end.

Generally in poker you want to play premium hands, pocket pairs of 10s-Aces and any combination of 10-Ace suited or unsuited. That's not to say you can't win a large pot with a pair of 7s but the odds play more in your favor if you use premium hands. Be careful not to ONLY play premium hand due to the fact that your opponents will notice. As you play, you will pickup on tendencies from your opponents such as the types of bets they make and the type of cards they play.


Check/Folding

This is another important aspect of Texas Hold'em and truly will make or break how long you last at the poker table. When you first start out in any game, generally the blinds are small. This is the time to be most frugal with your money. It is tempting to call some players who place a ridiculous raise early in the rounds of betting but try to keep a level head. A good strategy is to fold early when you know your hand is not good enough to win. Texas Hold'em has a lot of swings due to the rounds of betting and the turn and river cards. Keep those chips for a time when you have the best hand and want to take advantage with a re-raise or call.


Bluffing

The general strategy for bluffing is to consistently bet in a way that makes it seem like you have the strongest hand on the table. If there is an ace and his initial bet is small, bet like you have pocket aces. It is a risky play but the rewards can be great at a time where you need chips.

When bluffing, getting called is not the worst possible scenario but getting re-raised is. Not only is your bluff called but it puts you to the decision of whether or not to risk more chips. At this point your best option is to fold.





Conclusion

Texas Hold'em on games.com is a great way to hone your skills as a poker player. You can get all the excitement of online poker without dreading checking your bank statement! Have fun and enjoy playing with thousands of others online.