09 January 2011

The Crash Course - Texas Hold'em in 10 minutes

To the WSOP in Las Vegas or just the next casino. Poker seen on TV, wanting to try it yourself? You do not know how to start? Here is your 10-minute Texas Holdem crash course. 

To the WSOP in Las Vegas or just the next casino. Poker on TV, wanting to try it yourself? You do not know how to start? Here is your 10-minute Texas Holdem crash course.

Every few months someone speaks to me and told me he wanted for a few days after the Las Vegas run, and then I hear every time the same question: "What advice can you give me about poker?"

Because this question of this article has emerged. So if you want to try poker times really, read it first, and your chances will increase dramatically.

Editor's note: We assume here that they are basic rules of Texas Hold'em are familiar with the. If you are not there to be sure you read the rules of poker .



Is Poker Gambling?

In short, yes, more precisely: no, but ...

Poker is a game so far when you have no control over which cards get you or your opponents and the cards appear on the board. However you decide for yourself when you invest money in the pot.

If you only invest money if you are in a better position and throw your cards when the odds are against you, you will make in the long term gain.

Of course you can still lose money in the short term because there are so many variables, but if you take regularly and permanently better decisions than your opponents, you will make a profit.


Poker Strategy in 30 s

Texas Hold'em is a game which is about the strength of the hands / leaves. In the showdown the best hand wins only.

Before you invest a penny in the pot, you should have a plan to get the best hand.

If you get two hole cards, it begins.

You should only play the best hands , because they are usually well after the flop with the best of hands.

In general, you should play at a table with nine players 18-20% of your hands. Does not sound like much, it's not, but it is the first step on the path to success.

In Hold'em, it is often just as much about the hands that you play, how about those who can not play.

Play too many hands, you throw your weak hands too much money out of the window that you will return with the good can not win.

So you're playing tight. Tight is right.


Opponents

The Texas Hold'em games, which you find yourself in a casino, are often very loose. Frequently, the casino 30% of the hands, everything will be played.

If your opponent before the flop play weak hands, you will make on the flop with weak hands.

Weak hands are in the showdown, only the second best, and that against these hands you will win!


Hand Strength

Keep your goal in mind. If all five community cards on the table and all the betting is over, you do have the best hand.

There is no simple answer to the question of which hand is good enough to go to a showdown. It all depends on the situation. But with tight play, make sure that you keep the best more often than the second best.

You have to guess in each hand, which open up combinations as the community cards. Consider compete against what kind of player you are and how the hand has developed.

Poker is a game in which the information relates. Be like a sponge, absorb as much information as you can, and use this to your advantage.


Before the flop

Even before the flop comes, you have to think about what hands you can make with your two hole cards.

Their aim is, first, top pair with a good kicker taken. Or an even better hand with a hand that has a good chance to form on later streets a very strong hand (Staight, flushing or the like.).

Check out the following hands and think about which of them should be played before the flop.


Monster: AA, KK, QQ, JJ

These hands are in itself the strongest out there. In the showdown, a couple is often the best hand, and these pairs are often higher than the highest board card.

Each of these hands is extremely profitable, and you should generally always increase it. With AA, KK or even QQ can and should even re-raise.


Top pair hands: AK-AJ, KQ

When to shoot at one of these hands take the flop, you usually have top pair with a good kicker.

The kicker is in Texas Hold'em is an important parameter because it often happens that players take the same pair two and then the winner is decided by the kickers.

If you have a pair, you can assume that play is the kicker. For example, upon a board A d 3 s 4 s 7 d 3 h A wins s Q s against A h T h Because the hand A s A d Q s 7 d4 s better than A h A d T h 7 d 4 s .

If you play tight, you win the battle of the football more often, you and your opponents will pay off with weaker hands. 

With top pair hands, you can call a raise before you and see the flop. Has increased in front of you, no one should be a raise for value before the flop.


Suited Connectors: QJs-98s

In the casino you often meet with players who play any kind of suited cards.


One of the biggest rookie mistakes that can cost a lot of chips, is to look with poor hands too many flops.

Focus on suited connectors, because these have the potential to make straights and flushes. Cards that are suited and connected, have a double the chance of a flop that fits great with it.

Cards that are suited or connected, have a much lower potential. They should therefore be both.

Suited connectors are profitable because they win big pots when they make Straights or Flushes.

Nevertheless, these hands are folded to a raise often, unless the raise is very small. These hands should be played when you can see the flop cheaply. Take a look at the flop and give you the hand if you can not find a draw.


Pocket Pairs: TT-22

These couples are not monsters.

With small and medium pairs, you will often see at least one over-card on the board. If you have 6 d 6 s and keep the flop J d K c 3 s falls, your hand is practically worthless.

Such couples raise their quality from the potential to develop into a set.

Three of a kind in Texas Hold'em is an extremely strong hand. If you hold such a hand, you should definitely try to put your money in the middle.

The rule here is that even small pocket pairs live expect to see the flop cheaply. If you want to play in a multiway pot against a small raise, that's still okay, but your main goal is to see a cheap flop. If you can not hit a set, you should get out of hand.


Axs: A9s-A2s

These are the only weak aces, should play.

A-xs, unlike other baby-Assen playable, because they are suited and have the potential to be the nut flush.

With the nut flush, you win the whole stack of your opponent, if it keeps a smaller flush.

This applies, however, keep in mind that many # Players get in trouble if you flop an ace in this situation and release the hand can not. They often lose money because of bad kicker.

Remember: You want to see the flop as cheaply as possible to find at least a flush draw. A pair of aces with a bad kicker is a much worse alternative.

A-x should not be playing against a raise, unless the raise is small and there are several players in the pot. A cheap flop is the key.

All other hands:

Let your fingers on it. It is difficult to play other hands profitably. If you get better with time, you can slowly add other hands to your range, but first you keep your game as easy as possible.

A good hand before the flop is usually a good hand on the flop. A good hand on the flop makes your decisions easier.


After the flop

The flop

If the flop is, rate your hand again. Look at the board, think about what hands possible and / or are likely, and looks like your hand against it.

Remember: You should hold top pair or better or a good draw.

With a hand that is worse than top pair, you usually see in a bet before you look bad. They fold.

With top pair with good kicker you call or put themselves

Since dedicated to the game on the flop in poker books entire chapter, we try again to take mögkichst simple.

Walk the course of the hand once more. Remember that top pair is indeed a good hand, but may not be good enough if more than one player raise before you.

However, if you have a better hand than raise top pair, such as two pair or a set, you should often for value because you are paid occasionally from worse hands.

A quick note to Draws: A draw means that you to a flush or straight are just missing a card. Draws are very strong hands, because straights or flushes the showdown are the best hand almost always.

Draws are not all equally strong. For example, is 5 d 6 d on a Board 7 h 3 h A h a draw with only four outs (the four), and the draw will be further weakened by the fact that the 4 h   can give another player a flush. If the card you need is between the existing cards, we speak of a gutshot.

Opn-ended draws are much stronger than Gutshots. For example, has 8 s 9 s on a 6 h 7 s J d Board eight outs, twice as many as a Gutshot. 

Open-ender are much stronger than Gutshots. Gutshots should rarely be longer than played to the flop, unless you can see the later streets for free or for very little money.

Flush draws have nine outs and are therefore very strong. You can usually pay a bet on the flop and see the turn. If there is no help, you shake hands on another bet, unless this is very small.


The turn

When you reach the turn, usually no more than two or three players are still in the hand. Who here is still on the turn, normally has a certain strength.

If you're ahead and turn the board does not change dramatically, you should be followed by a second bet.

If the turn, however, a possible straight or flush draw completed, caution is advised. If you get raised on a bet, usually a Fold the right decision.


The River

The final community card, called the River, is played in most cases, heads-up. The task now is to use the information you received in the course of the hand of your opponent, and then consider whether a bet or a call the right decision.

Each turn of the opponent you are a bit more information about his hand.

Has he raised before the flop, flop and set to buzz and relies on the river another bet, you can expect in most cases by a strong hand.

If they have raised before the flop, set on the flop, turn and river but just checked, it usually means weakness.

Of course there are many different factors that play a role, and it is impossible to list all play out. Watch puts the moves on your opponent closely and take action.

Position

The position is a key factor in Texas Hold'em. When speaking of position, it referred to the relative position of the dealer button to indicate who is in a betting round is the last turn.

As the last of the series to be is a huge advantage because you have more information than any other player. If you speak last, you know if your opponent checks or sets. You can view all actions before you decide what you want to do.

No one can look at the next street, before you allow it. You are in control.

Therefore, you can play more hands in position than those without position. Position gives you a decisive advantage.


Poker is a game in the long run

Although poker is a game that you can beat the long run, but a certain element of luck is always kept. They make decisions, but the cards do not affect that are given. You control your investment, but not the deck.

This luck factor makes the game interesting, but sooner or later, very frustrating.

You can make the right decisions all night and still lose money. Damn, you can create a whole week to make the right decisions and still lose. Or you can look forced an idiot who plays every hand and wins a tidy sum. That's the game.

Is exactly what keeps the fish but also on the line, so you benefit from that. Look at each situation separately and then make the best decision possible. If the hammer out permanently, you will win long term. You need to hide short-term results.

And last not least, fun. Poker has not Take whole thing so seriously.

If you want to try one online, check out our list of the best Texas Hold'em rooms to sleep in and decide for yourself