Texas Holdem Strategy

Take a look at the top 10 pocket cards in Texas Holdem:

where S = suited (of the same suit)     M = mismatched suit

A good strategy for Texas Holdem is to always try to identify the  best possible hand on the table, called the 'nuts', which will usually belong to one of the players still involved in heavy betting.

For example, if the board is showing a K hearts, Q diamonds, 10 spades, 8 clubs, and 7 hearts, then the best possible hand would be a high straight Ace, K, Q, J, 10. This means that if you have an Ace, J, you have the 'nuts' and therefore should play aggressively.

On the other hand, if you have a J, 9, you should be careful. Always try to recognize as early as possible if you have the 'nuts' so you can maximize your betting.

Much of the fun of poker comes from developing successful poker strategies. Learning how to win poker games requires patience and practice. One of the most important tips is to have fun. If you enjoy yourself, you will be able to keep a level head, be objective, and win games. So, what is the best strategy for betting on Texas Holdem poker games? Just overcards on the flop: You can bet with an ace or two minor overcards on the flop, but in general you should fold if someone raises your bet.

If someone bets before you on the flop you can call with two overcards, but fold them at the turn unless your hand improves at that point. You can call with two major overcards (ie A-J) if someone raises your bet on the flop. You can also check-call a bet on the turn with that kind of hand, unless the board looks threatening. A small pair with an overcard kicker is a strong hand that you can (cold) call a raise with on the flop. However, you should probably fold the hand on the next round if it was raised on the flop and you haven't improved the hand and someone bets before you.

Sometimes you can bluff-bet if the flop contains an ace. Your opponents will often fold in such a situation if they don't have any pairs or an open ended straight, because it's impossible for them to have any overcards when the flop contains an ace. Please note that this strategy tends to only work if your opponents are few and are not too loose.

We hope you have found this basic strategy guide for Texas Holdem helpful. Your game will improve with practice. Trying putting this strategy to use in a real game of poker. Remember to have fun!

Much of the fun of poker comes with developing your own playing strategies. Think of the tips below as ways to begin developing your own method of playing. This best advice we can offer is have fun. You will enjoy yourself and keep a level head. These are key to successful Texas Holdem strategies.

Practice is always the better way to make progress on any issue. There are many ways to play poker and many different poker games. Play the game which you are familiar (or want to be) for free and keep doing it on a regular basis even if this bores you. Keep your attention at your rival players and try to learn from their mistakes.

This is very important. Become familiar with as much data as you can on the Poker game you want to learn, this will definitely help you improve your skills.

Note that players on free tables may bluff their play. But when it comes to real money tables, everyone tries to keep their money and win more - this is the place to watch your opponents behavior.

If you're having a bad time at the tables, take a break. in fact, take breaks anyway just to keep yourself fresh and fed.

Play steady, and have fun. This is the purpose of the game. Keep practicing and visiting us and you'll be soon winning in no time.

To play for free and practice your strategy go to Pacific Poker and get started.