There’s no denying that it’s tougher to win profits in Texas Hold’em than it was a decade ago. After all, far more people play the game today and study strategy too. But that certainly doesn’t mean Hold’em is unbeatable. This is especially the case if you follow the right path towards winning at Texas Hold’em. So what is this path for new players? Let’s discuss the matter right now and cover exactly what you should be doing to improve your Hold’em game.
1. Make sure that you know the Rules Inside and Out
Most players can pick up the basics of Texas Hold’em in less than 10 minutes. But there are always a few rules here and there that players learn as they go. And if you jump into real money play right away without fully knowing the rules, you might lose a few huge pots in the beginning. For example, one common beginner’s mistake is failing to realize that not all flushes are the same (i.e. ace-high flush beats king-high flush). So if you connect on a jack-high flush and bet big, you could lose major money if somebody has a queen-high flush or higher. In any case, we recommend playing some free online poker before hitting the real money tables.
2. Start out with the Most Basic Poker Strategy Possible
Once you’re acquainted with the rules, the next step is to begin learning strategy. The more strategy you know, the greater your chances are of winning at Texas Hold’em. However, you want to make sure that you’re visiting the beginner’s section of websites when looking for tips. Some of the initial concepts that you should be learning include table position, bet sizing, pot odds and implied odds. From here, you want to get into some intermediate concepts like stealing blinds, reverse implied odds, and analyzing opponents.
3. Take the Next Step in Learning Strategy
If you’ve read enough articles and watched some free strategy videos, a good next step is to join a poker training site. What’s great about training sites is that you get access to a large variety of videos, which feature experienced players explaining what moves to make in certain situations. And the videos are spread out across different games like cash tables, sit and go’s (SNGs) and multi-table tournaments (MTTs). There are also plenty of great books that you can read on the game, though most players prefer to invest in training or even a poker coach these days. Just remember that the latter option can get fairly expensive.
One more key is to make sure that you’re splicing in lots of hours on the felt while studying strategy. Many of the concepts that you learn through articles, books and training sites make a lot more sense when you’ve actually experienced certain situations in games.
Studying these three topics will certainly help any beginning poker player’s game. Keep them in mind as you play, as nothing can replace experience. Good luck and see you at the tables!