How to become good, or at least less terrible, at Texas hold ‘em: A novice's guide

 A novice's guide on how to be good at Texas hold'em or less horrible

It's not surprising that, despite our national lockdown, online gambling has seen an increase of 43% and 255% in the number of first-time players. I'm one among the rookies and my game of Texas hold'em. I joined Pokerstars with a few friends to play poker. Some were beginners like me and others were experienced players who had played poker for a living. Because I was familiar with the rules of hold'em, it didn't feel like it was a new game to me. Despite being only five games in length, I lost several times during the first few days. . . um . . . I lost almost 40 dollars by spending fake dollars perpiece . . Fake . . dollars. Although it was cheaper than eating out or going to the movies in that time frame, it was still frustrating. Although I consider myself to be a smart man, it was difficult for me to admit that my performance was poor. There was no way around it. I quit the job after one of my worst performances.

One problem: as bad as I was, it intrigued me. It was maddening that I couldn’t get it right. I refused to believe it was too difficult or too stupid. I became friends with two very skilled poker players and decided to ask them for their tips. I also watched more closely their play. Within a matter of minutes, I was able to have a series if revelations that totally changed my view on the game. Even more important, it transformed my performance.

I don't want to pretend I can hold 'em well after a month. I'm not. I'm now a decent player. I went from being down $40 (fake), up $63(fake), and this was against the exact same group of players. It happened in just four weeks. I won many tournaments, placed second or third in others. At the end of it all, I felt confident that I could win or close to win every time I sat at a nine-person table. It was even more satisfying to realize that I had finally grasped the game with all its nuances.

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I'm not a mathematician or a poker expert. I'm still learning the lingo. These tips are intended for beginners and will help you to move beyond the "very bad" stage to become a "decent" poker player. Here are ten tips I found helpful. These tips are great for anyone who is in lockdown and has adopted hold 'em poker as their entertainment.

(Remember that I assume you have a basic knowledge about the game. If not, then study the rules. These tips are applicable to tournament play, but I believe they can also be applied to cash games.

1. Learn the value of your hands

What's a "good" hand when you hold 'em. There is no simple answer to this question because of the complexity of the game. My problem when I first started playing was that I thought one high card at large tables was valuable. However, it is not. To know that you're in a weak spot in a crowded table if you get dealt K4 unsuited, you don't need to be an expert on odds. Even if your flop hit a queen, there's still a chance you will be beat by someone. I didn't get this and lost a lot of money trying to understand it. In some ways it was worse when I had a card. It increased my odds of losing and increasing my bets.

If the tournament is only two or three players, K4 suddenly becomes an extremely strong hand. Also, getting a queen on the flop increases the chances that you will be ahead of everyone. A hand's "goodness" depends on its situation. Something bad in one situation might be good in the next. If you don't have the right hand, hands such as A5, K3, or J9 will be weak with more players than they are suited for. In those cases, it is wise to fold. This will save money and time, and it was what helped me become a solid player. If you have two cards, or a hand such as K10, you should almost always remain in the room to watch the flop. This is something I also didn't know at first. Consecutive low card like 87 are far more valuable than a hand such as A4, and are well worth playing (especially suited). You can take a lot from these cards if you get a straight or two pair.

Similar to this, if you hit middle pairs (e.g., J9, K94 flop), you know that you are weaker at large tables because someone has another king, but stronger in smaller groups. Betting or folding is your choice.

2. Understanding your position

As I stated above, some hands are better with two or three players. But not nine. A nine-person table can quickly shrink if there are enough players who fold before the turn. Let's suppose you're the dealer. The small blind and the big blind are to your right. If the dealer folds and you have the bet with the remaining blinds, you suddenly find yourself at a table of three people. It's worth calling the blinds, or even betting over them, to see the flop and win the hand. You should also know that you can end up in a hand where eight people are involved if you are left of the bigblind. If that happens, your middling cards may not be so hot.

You have a lot of power when you bet first, right after the flop. If you are certain that you will be leading the betting after the flop and there are only few people playing, then you can take a calculated chance and place a larger wager. You know that even if everyone has nothing, there's still a chance they'll fold to you. If they don’t, you can still see another card and get out. Although you may have lost some money but it was worth it.

3. Bluff Intelligently

The scenario above shows you "bluff" the other players. Bluffing can be confusing and many people see it as going all-in on bad cards. It's almost always a bad idea. Even if it works occasionally, it can lead to you being beaten down by someone with good cards. To bluff intelligently means to understand when you have a strong position, to realize that on average flops with a small group of players, there is a chance that nobody is getting what they want and to make a calculated wager that may look unfavorable but will not break the bank if someone calls. This holds true even if you are fourth in a bet but everyone calls. It's possible that someone is playing possum with amazing cards. However, it's worth putting a larger wager to see if they can exploit your weakness and force them into folding. Most cases you'll win the hand or someone will call. At least you'll see the turn (fourth) card which can help you improve what you have. If someone raises, you have the option to flee.

4. Let your bluffs appear just like legitimate bets

What is the bluff that I just mentioned? This should look very much like how you would bet if your cards are good and you believe you have a good chance of winning the hand. This creates confusion for your opponent. They might think you're weak, and they might fold when you're bluffing. Jake, my friend and mentor, shared a favorite piece of advice with me. Jake said that if your opponent is caught bluffing, it's okay. The next time you bet again, you might have better cards. And if they raise or call on a similar bet, you can take their money. It's part of the fun of playing poker that you create an aura of strength around yourself. After being beaten repeatedly by a good player, I decided to continue my pursuit. I wanted to be scary. One of two responses to a strong player is for people to be scared of you or to want you to take them down. If they make a poor decision based upon these emotions, you will take their money. Better Way to Play Poker