Texas Holdem Poker Strategies
If you're looking to improve the way in which you incorporate strategy into your poker game, then check out some of these strategies below. To play well you'll need several different strategies working together for Texas Holdem. The first needs to be implemented before the flop. If you're new to the game, remembering these card combinations will help you decide when to raise, call and fold.
If your hand consists of the following card combinations - a pair of Aces, Kings, Queens or Jacks - you should raise. You should also raise if you have an Ace and a King or Queen of the same suite, or an Ace and a King of different suites.
If you have a pair of tens, nines, eights and sevens, you should call or fold. Making this decision depends on the number of bets already made. On one bet, you should call. However, if you have more than one bet in front of you before you've placed any money in the pot, you should fold. You need to make this decision for an Ace and Queen, Ace and Jack, King and Queen, Ace and Ten, King and Jack, and Queen and Jack also. If you have any other cards outside the pairs listed above, fold.
You should also know when to fold after the flop. Continue to play if you have a strong pair or top pair. A top pair will incorporate the highest card on the board, for example, if you are holding a Queen and the flop is Queen, Six and Three, you hold a top pair.
Play on if you have the chance of making a straight or a flush. If you have a King and a Queen and the flop is Jack, Ten and Five, you need an Ace or a Nine to give you a straight. If you have a King and Jack of the same suit and the flop gives you two more cards of the same suit, you need one more card to make a flush.
When playing the Turn, make sure you bet or raise if you hold a top pair. Raise as much as you can if you think you can beat another player's top pair with three of a kind. If you are determined to make a flush or a straight, call all bets but don't bet yourself or raise.
The River card is your last opportunity to improve your hand. If you have a top pair then you should bet again if you were the last player to do so on the Turn. If not, you should call. You should fold if there is another bet and raise in front of you. For three of a kind, raise as much as you want. If you have failed at this stage to make a straight or a flush, you should fold.
Finally, an important part of poker strategy is learning how to calculate pot odds. This is a valuable skill to learn because it will help you determine whether or not it is worthwhile remaining in a game. Knowing the odds of obtaining specific poker hands based on the cards in your possession is also advantageous. For example, if there is $100 in the pot and you need to bet $10 to remain in the game, the pot odds are 10:1. If you think you can win, you should call. But if you calculate that you have less than a 22:1 chance of making up the winning poker hand, the best strategy is to fold and save your cash for the next game.