Texas Hold Em General Strategy

Legal Gambling > General Strategies For Playing Texas Hold Em Poker

If you have read our guide that explains how to play Texas Hold 'em, you have probably figured it out by now that Texas Hold 'em is a very complex game that requires quite a bit of thinking and strategy in order to truly succeed. While we cannot promise you that you will win, even by following the strategies of the professional players on the poker circuit, but it will increase your overall chances of continued success. Blindly playing poker and relying on luck can very quickly ruin your bankroll, and cause you to run broke.

Before you even begin to choose a proper strategy, you have to remember that different strategies work for tournaments and different strategies work for cash games. We are here to explain to you a general strategy over seeing both forms of poker. This general article will explain the basics as they pertain to all forms of playing Texas hold 'em. Know that a lot of these strategies can even be used in other forms of poker.

Proper Bankroll Management

First and foremost, you want to remember bankroll management. Managing your bankroll properly is of the utmost importance when it comes to any form of gambling, but this is especially important when it comes to poker. You never want to start betting or playing stakes beyond the confines of your bankroll, as this could end up making you broke entirely too quickly. You should never buy into a cash table without a bankroll equal to at least 100x the big blind, while you should never buy into a tournament with a bankroll that is equal to 5% of the your bankroll. With this simple guideline, you can easily prevent yourself from going broke too quickly. Now, on with the basic strategies to take to any poker game.

Knowing How & When To Bluff

Bluffing is something that you need to learn no matter what form of poker you are going to play, as bluffing is an integral part of the game of poker. We can't really teach you how to bluff, but there are a few basic guide lines. First and foremost, remember that bluffing is as physical as it is mental. Controlling your facial features is necessary in order to prevent players from seeing through your facade. If you can keep a straight face, then you have already mastered part of bluffing. The second most important facet of bluffing is that of how to bet. If you become too cyclical or linear in your betting, you may accidentally give yourself away. Everything from your posture in your chair to the movements you make to put your chips in the pot can give you away, so you will definitely want to work on this. As goofy as it sounds, you may even want to sit in front of a mirror and work on your postures, movements and methods.

Taking Advantage Of Your Table Position

Learning when to bet and how to bet are also incredibly important. Table position is very important. You will want to place bets determined by where you are sitting at the table. Learn the players directly at your sides, as they are going to bet before and after you. Also remember where you are in terms of the betting positions they are related to their blinds. Betting at the wrong time could cause you to lose a hand, so you will want to play with this. It is impossible to affix any definitive rules here, as every situation is different and you can even attempt a bluff by betting out of order.

Switch Up Your Strategies To Stay Fresh

In the end, the most important thing we can say is be unpredictable. The last thing you want is your opponents knowing your play style. Never show your cards unless you have to, don't break the rules, be courteous and try to remain completely original. While we cannot guarantee that you will win by following these rules, you will have a slightly better chance if you attempt to stick to the rules we have found. Cash games and tournaments alike can use these strategies, so they should help you out in your game no matter what.

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