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Here it is - Texas Hold'em,
the Cadillac of Poker. If you watch any TV, follow any trendy fad,
or use the internet (that's how you got here, buddy)... then you've
probably heard of Texas Hold'em.
With that said, I plan
on spending the least amount of time covering this game. Below are
the basic rules of play, the two major
variations (Limit and No
Limit), and some simple strategy for each.
No
Limit Texas Hold'em:
Stand back. This is
the game that separates the men from the boys, the recreation players
from the independently wealthy, and the player from all of his money.
Traditionally, No Limit
Texas Hold'em is a tournament style game. Of course, casinos have
adopted tables and maintain control by setting buy-in limits. This
keeps the millionaire tycoon from raising players out of every pot.
Of course, if you sit down here and a player has 4-5 times the max
buy-in, watch out.
Betting in No Limit
Hold'em is simple. The minimum bet is the Big Blind, the maximum
bet is the total amount of your chips at the table. If you go all-in
betting all of your chips, players with less money can go all-in
to call, causing your overage to start a side pot or return to you
if no one else calls.
No Limit is most fun
in tournaments, since everyone buys in for the same amount and that
is the most they stand to lose. The only limiting factor are the
Blinds, which are increased over time since players accrue more
chips as others run out. Play continues until one player has all
the chips and is deemed winner. (This is covered more in my tournament
section)
Thoughts
On Strategy:
I still haven't written
a book, but here is my opinion:
- Conservative play
is good. Calling a Big Blind at an aggressive table will just
have you surrendering money to the pot. Only call a pot if you
are prepared to invest some money.
- Bluffing can work
better here. While Limit games can leave you losing to a river
miracle, No Limit allows you to push a player to a much more serious
decision. The right raise at the right time will have you talking
medium pairs and open-ended straights right out of a pot.
- Semi-Bluffing is
still a good idea. While this could cost you your bet when someone
bets right back at you, it is often good to put out a feeler bet.
Personally, I'd rather lose a small bluff than let a Full House
check me into catching an Ace high flush and losing a much bigger
bet.
- Don't call unless
you're willing to play. At a conservative table, call when you
have a chance to catch the nuts. At an aggressive table, only
call when you're convinced you're hand is the likely winner.
- Be careful when setting
bear traps. It's better to win some blinds with A-A, than to check
and lose to someone who flops a straight.
- In No Limit, most
hands are decided before the flop or at it.
- It may sound simple,
but your best advantage is in getting winning hands to fold before
they've won.
Poker
Games
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