Poker strategy

We find this article very usefull, easy to understand and solid for the beginners among you!

Read it, learn it and start winning some serious cash with it!

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Good luck!

 

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Step 1

Select the cards which you have in your hands and cards which are on the flop in the card table by clicking on the these cards.

Step 2

Click on the side of the table to select the range of cards which you would like to have in order to have a winning hand. In the example below, we would like to know what the odds are to get a seven on the turn or on the river.

Step 3

After the turn, you can select another card and and another range in order to calculate your odds on the river.

How to use the results

The odds of having a certain card on the turn or the river can be used to determine if you will call, fold or raise. For instance, the odds on a flush in the turn is 12% and the total amount of money on the table is 10 dollar. If then lets say you need to put in one dollar to call for this round, you should call. This because putting in another 10% of the total amount of pot money, with a 12% change of winning it, will give you benefit in the long run.

Click here to go directly to our Pot Odds Calculator!

The difference between Seven Card Stud and Texas Holdem, is that at Seven Card Stud there are no cards at the table for all players to combine with. Every player has only his/her own cards. At Seven Card Stud there is also no button used.

At Seven Card Stud every player has to deposit a small amount in the pot before they get any cards. After that every player gets 2 closed cards and one open card (for every other player to see). The player with the lowest open card is the one to make the first move and is also obliged to make the first bet. After that the other players follow clockwise. These players can raise, call or fold. In all following rounds the player with the best open card is the first to make a decision.

After that every remaining player gets another 3 open cards (for everyone to see). Every card is still followed by a betting round, in which the player with the best open cards is the first to make a decision. The seventh and last card (of the remaining players) is again a closed card, after which the last betting round is concluded. After that the remaining players show their cards. The player with the best combination of five cards out of the seven (they've been given) wins the pot. It is possible that some players have the same hand. In that case the pot will be shared between them. Because all players have only their own cards (there are no common cards like with Texas Holdem and Omaha) this will rarely happen.

Razz Poker is almost the same as Stud Poker. The only difference is that you don't need a high hand to win, but a low hand. The winner is the player who makes the best five card low hand from the seven cards each player is dealt. That's right, the player with the worst possible hand wins! There are no common cards with Razz. Razz is played with 8 players max.

Every new game begins with each player putting an ante (a small bet) into the pot. After that the players receive their first two hole cards (face down, you are the only one who can see your hole cards) and one up card (face up, everyone can see your up card), after which the first round of betting begins (Razz has five rounds of betting). In the first round, the betting starts with the player having the highest up card. This bet is a forced bet. The bet must be at least a specified minimum (this is called the bring-in), but it can also be more. Each player in their turn can either call the bring-in or complete the bet which means raise to the limit. Any player can call the bet or raise the limit. There is a maximum of three re raises per betting round. The final re raise to the maximum is called the cap.

After this round the remaining players are dealt three more up cards (fourth, fifth and sixth street) and finally one down card (seventh street). Every card is followed by a betting round. After the Fourth street the bets are doubled. Each player ends up with seven cards, of which four faced up and three faced down. At the showdown, the player holding the lowest hand, using only five of his seven cards, wins the pot. Aces are always low (they count as 1) and flushes and straights have no effect on the value of a hand. If you hold a pair you can only use that number once. The best possible hand is a-2-3-4-5. If all but one player has folded at the end of any betting round, that remaining player wins the pot.

Omaha

Omaha is a variation of Texas Holdem. It differs in the fact that in Omaha each player gets four instead of two cards. The players then have to choose two cards of these four which they then, just like as in Texas, combine with three of the five cards at the table. It is very important to remember this!

Just like as in Texas Holdem, the cards are dealt from the player/person who holds a type of fiche/chip, called the button, in front of him/her on the table. After each round, the button moves clockwise to the next player. The two players on the left side of the button are obliged to bet the blinds before the cards of the next game are dealt. There is a distinction between the big blind and the small blind. The big blind is twice as high as the small blind. The player on the right of the button bets the small blind, the player next to him/her the big one. The blinds are the first monies that go into the pot.

In the next step the cards are dealt. Every player gets four cards which cannot be seen by the other players. Then the first round of betting starts. The player on the left of the blind is the first to say what he/she will do. After that all the other players get their turn clockwise, with the big blind being the last to make his/her decision. There are four possibilities to choose from: bet (commitment), check (pass), raise (raise) or fold (give up). In the first round only the big blind is able to check, given that he has already made a commitment before the first betting round.

After the first betting round has been completed, three cards will appear open on the table which every player can see and use to combine with his/her own two cards. These three cards are called "the flop". After this a second betting round follows.

Then the fourth card, which is called "the turn", will appear on the table, followed by another betting round. From this round on the bets are doubled at the limit-variant of Omaha (in the limit-variant the betting / commitments are limited to a certain amount and it's not possible to go "all in"). Then the fifth and last card, which is called "the river", will be turned over on the table. Hereafter the last round of betting follows.

After the last betting round the remaining players show their hand, which is the best possible combination of two of their four own cards with three out of the five cards from the table (so best combination of five cards in total). The best hand wins the pot. It is at Omaha possible that two players have the same best possible combination. In that case the pot is split between those two players.

Introduction

With playing limit Omaha on the low limits you can easily make as much money, or even more, as with playing limit Texas Holdem. The basic strategy is the same: Just as when playing Texas Holdem, it's all a matter of waiting until the right hand comes along. Then there are also differences. Omaha has advantages: One advantage of playing limit Omaha is that in general the swings between the winning and loosing sessions is lower (variation of income between winning and loosing is lower). Furthermore, as known, at Texas Holdem it is sometimes very difficult to get an idea about whether or not you have the best hand. At Omaha however this is a lesser problem. This is because with Omaha every player has four cards in his/her hands, which means that in general you need a way higher combination to win. Most of the time this means you need the best hand possible with the cards from the table (= the nuts). In other words, you know when you have the best hand or not, and because of this you can avoid big losses. Furthermore, given that many bad players will call you anyway with less good hands (for example two pair) you will easily make money in the long term.

In general players play too many hands and too passive at the low limit Omaha tables (= playing loose passive). More than six players in a pot is not unusual. The best hands to play are therefore hands in which you have a chance on either a high straight or a high flush.

Limit Omaha is almost always played longhand.

Before the flop

Unlike Texas Holdem, Omaha does not have top hands, like AA or KK, in which you're almost certain that you're gonna win. This is because at Omaha every player gets four cards, which is increasing the chance that you'll be beaten (by the cards that appear at the table) regardless of how good your hand seemed at the beginning of the round. This however does not mean that there's no distinction between good and bad hands. It's just that you should just only play hands in which you have a chance of getting the nuts (top straight, top flush, or top full house). a super flop is a flop in which you have a reasonable hand (two pair, three of a kind) and a chance on a straight, flush or full house. This will not happen often, so just remember that every flop in which you have a chance on getting the nuts is worth playing. Please do pay very good attention to the cards at the table! For example, in case there are many players in the pot and there's a pair and two suited cards at the table, it will not make any sense to go for a straight draw. The chance that at that stage someone else already has a full house or a flush is way too large!

When you have a hand with a good draw, for example (9d) (so all suited) it is better not to raise. This is because you want to have as many players as possible in the pot, so you don't want to scare them out of the pot by raising. You will not win often, however when you win you'll get a big pot.

When you have a hand with high cards, for example , it is better to raise. You should also raise when the flop gives you many possibilities to get the nuts. raise in order to build a big pot.

AAxx or KKxx are also worth playing. It is however better to play these hands against fewer opponents, so in this case it is better to raise (to scare other players out of the pot). You will then need to get a three of a kind or a full house in order to continue playing. Remember that at Omaha in general an overpair is worthless because the chance to be beaten when you have that is too large.

After the flop

When you do not have a top two pair, three of a kind or a good draw after the flop, you should fold!! However, when there are only a few opponents you can consider to be slightly less demanding. In that case also a draw on a flush which is not the nut-flush (so lower than an Ace) is enough. Furthermore when there's a pair at the table and you do not have a three of a kind you'll have to fold no matter the draw you have, because the chance that someone else has a full house is too large.

Bluffing will not help you at Omaha, only semi-bluffing (with a good draw) can sometimes be successful in order to intimidate your opponents or win when there are few opponents. However, in case you have two pair or three of a kind after the flop and there's a possible draw at the table, you'll need to pay very good attention. When there are also still many players in the pot, it would mean that many cards to come could still mean your doom. Because of this you should make it as expensive as possible for your opponents to see the next card. check-raise is in this case the best thing to do. If after that the next card at the table seems to be able to defeat you, you can then fold.

When you get a top full house or four of a kind, you can consider to slow play and hope that one of your opponents hits a straight or a flush. However, don't do this every time because it will make you predictable (in other words: give your opponents a "read"). In case you're dealing with really bad opponents, those who will call anyway, you should just raise. Some players call anything with a flush, even when there's a pair at the table which is really easy money!

At Omaha a full house does not automatically mean the best hand. It often happens that a full house is beaten by a higher full house. a low full house is a full house in which the three of a kind is lower than the pair at the table. a high full house is a full house in which the three of a kind is higher than the pair at the table. Most times you're safe when you have a high full house.

When you have the best flush or best straight on the turn, and there's no pair at the table, you should raise as much as possible in order to avoid opponents from getting a full house. This is the best approach because it means that in case they get their full house anyway, they have at least paid for it.
Sometimes there's no straight or flush possible with the cards at the table, which could make you think that your two pair or three of a kind is the highest hand. When the then following card at the table suddenly makes a straight or flush possible it might be wise to just check, depending on the number of players in the pot. What you want is to avoid that someone check-raises you because it would make you pay double. This works in two directions. When you hit your straight or flush, it is better to raise than trying to check-raise. Your opponent may possibly also want to check because of his/her fear for a flush.

It is important to constantly change your game in order to confuse your opponents. It will make them afraid of an occasional check-raise, which might mean free cards for you because they loose the confidence to raise! Again, in case there are only bad players at your table you should always raise. Bad players don't pay attention on what you do anyway.

Pot Limit Omaha has a reputation of being a game with huge swings (difference between winning and loosing sessions). Besides that, in most of the times it is also played with huge amounts. Fortunately there are also Pot Limit Omaha tables on the net which enables you to play for smaller amounts. At these tables the swings are very acceptable, funny enough because many players do not really understand the game. Below we give you an introduction for the beginning player, playing at the low limits:

When playing Pot Limit Omaha there are two things very important:

1. Trying to get the best hand (= the nuts)
2. Position at the table

In most occasions, when playing Omaha you'll need the nuts to win, whereas at Texas Holdem lesser hands are also enough. Many bad players will call with; for example, a straight when there's also a flush or full house possible. Avoid at any time to become a member of this group because it's gonna cost you! In order to get the nuts you should only play starting hands in which this is possible. Preferable hands which give you the chance on for example the best straight or best flush. It's all about getting the best straight, the best flush or a high full house.

Good starting hands:

High pocket pairs

These are good cards. They give you the chance on a high full house. In case you do not hit a three of a kind on the flop you should fold.

Connected cards

Four connected cards, for example are very good starting hands, because they give you many chances on a straight.

Suited cards

These cards, for example are only worth playing in case they give you the chance on the best flush (= an Ace involved). It is very risky to draw on lower flushes.

At Pot Limit Omaha, position is extremely important. This is because any free card you give away might be the one that defeats you. In other words, at this game slow playing is absolutely not recommended, even if you have the best hand! a straight or a flush can still be beaten by a full house! So when no one has raised and you are in a late position, you should often bluff in order to get the pot.
It is because of this that it is not very wise to raise before the flop when you're in an early position. Even if you have a super hand, for example
it is still the best to just call. Only when you are in a late position you can raise. By the way, at Pot Limit Omaha you should not use raise to scare people out of the pot but to just build a big pot.

The Rules for Omaha Hi Lo

Omaha hi/lo is a variation of Omaha (hi), where there are two winning hands instead of one, the highest (hi) and the lowest (lo) hand. The rest of the game, buy-in rounds etc, functions exactly the same as regular Omaha.

At the beginning of the game every player is dealt 4 cards, of which he can use 2 to make a combination with the cards on the table. For the highest and the lowest you can use different combinations of 2 cards. Eventually there will be 5 cards on the table of which you can use 3, either for a high or a low hand.

So what is the lowest hand? The lowest hand (lo) is a combination of 5 different
cards 8 or lower (So A2234 is not a low hand!), where the Ace counts as 1.
The best lo therefore is A2345, also known as a wheel. The best starting hand for this as well as the best hi is AA23, double suited.

Example:

If you have A256, your opponent A367, and the table shows 348910, you'll win the lo with A2348. Your opponent has A3468. He wins the hi with a straight 678910 against your ace high.

Omaha hi/lo is played as limit as well as pot limit and occasionally as no limit.

Basic strategy for Texas Holdem multi-table-tournaments (MTT)

Introduction

Multi-table-tournaments (MTTs), tournaments with a minimum of 20 players at two tables, strongly differ in two manners from all the other alternatives of Texas Holdem.
Firstly, the amount of money which you can win in proportion to your bet/commitment is enormous. Especially at MTTs in which more than hundred or sometimes even more than a thousand players participate it is possible to make a huge sum from a relatively small amount. a fantastic example is the tale of Chris Moneymaker (his real name). With $40 he bought himself into two satellite tournaments, won a ticket to the head tournament of the WSOP 2003 (world championship poker) and eventually won the first price of $2.500.000. He is a professional poker player ever since. Who doesn't want that? This possibility is probably the reason for the large popularity of MTTs nowadays.
The other difference of MTTs compared to any other form of poker is that the chance of actually winning something is way smaller regardless of how well you play. The reason for this is that luck becomes a much more influential factor when participating at tournaments of this scope. For example, at the end of the tournament all chips will be thrown in the pot before the flop, which results in a sort of head-or-coin game. Furthermore, you'll need a large bankroll in case you only want to play MTT's (minimum hundred times the buy-in). Statistically it must be possible to end up in the prices once in every fifty times you participate in a MTT. This however can still be profitable. Still, in general your hourly return will be lower compared to playing other variances of poker. Keep in mind that MTT's always last terribly long. You can easily play many hours and end up falling outside the prices. On the other hand, when you are lucky and for example you've won a pretty large MTT with a buy-in of $100, you've ended up earning an annual salary in a day!!!

Strategy

For a good strategy for an MTT you should distinguish three phases in the tournament:

1. The beginning of the tournament

For MTTs you should use a totally different strategy compared to playing at ordinary tables. In MTTs bluffing is way less effective. This is because in general the quantity of chips of the players in proportion to the pot is way lower. Besides that, and this is very important to realize, in general the positive value of an increase of your number of chips is lower than the negative value of a fall of your number of chips with the same quantity. Or in other words: an increase of 2000 to 3000 chips has a less positive impact on your winning chances than a decrease to 1000 has on your chances to lose. It is therefore wise to avoid gambling as much as possible. Also trying to draw for a large part of your stack (number of chips owned) with marginal odds is not recommended. In a tournament with many participants it is often more a question of surviving (as long as possible until you fall into the prices) then of winning.
In the beginning phase of MTT you must only try to win large pots with only good hands against bad players. This is usually no problem, given that there are always a lot of very aggressive, reckless players participating in MTTs. You can roughly play the same hands as we have discussed in the basic strategy for basic Texas Holdem. Once again we strongly discourage bluffing!

2. Halfway the tournament

During the tournament the blinds become increasingly higher and therefore it becomes more and more significant to win them. You should apply the principle that it is much easier to raise with a weak hand then it is to call with a strong hand. Use this as a strategy! However do pay attention to players with very large stacks. Those players sometimes have the strategy to call as many hands possible to eliminate opponents from the tournament. In this phase of the tournament it is more then ever a question of surviving. You have to steal blinds, otherwise the blinds will put an early end to your tournament. Try to avoid confrontations unless you're very sure about your hand. Take into account that at this stage loosing once can be enough to cause elimination from the tournament.
If you have a large stack things are different. In that case it could be a good idea to abuse the surviving techniques of the other players. Put your opponents under pressure by raising a lot and by making them choose between folding or all-in. They risk elimination of the tournament whereas you only risk one part of your stack. However, do not raise everything because you will then be too predictable. Also be very aware of bad players who will call anything.

3. The end of the tournament

At the end of the tournament all decisions are taken before the flop. It will be a matter of going all-in or fold. The heads or tails game has begun. For players with a low stack it can now be sensible to go all-in with reasonable or even bad hands. If you fold you might lose too much anyway and if you go all-in you have two winning opportunities: you win because everyone else folds, or you win because eventually you turn out to have the best hand. At this stage you can expect very strange situations to appear (e.g.: people who go all-in with AA, are called by J2 and lose from the J2). In case you have a reasonable or large stack it is therefore best to make use of the situation. If you have an a, you have an advantage against all players with two different cards without an a. If you have a pocket pair, you have a small advantage against all players without a pocket pair and you have an enormous advantage or disadvantage against all players who also have a pocket pair (when two pocket pairs go all-in against each other, the highest pocket pair has a chance of winning 4 to 1!!). Therefore, if you have an a or a pocket pair at this stage you should go all-in, especially when you have a small stack. You can then no longer afford to have your blinds stolen anyway. The chance is absolutely there that you will lose, however you will then in any case also have the chance to win the blinds.

h2]Re-buy tournamentsFor re-buy-tournaments you need a different strategy than for normal (freeze-out) tournaments where you cannot get extra chips. We'll start with the 4 golden rules of re-buy-tournaments:

1. At the start of the game immediately re-buy.
2. If you're still playing when the break comes, always add on, unless your stack is so big that it would hardly make a difference.
3. Make sure you have enough cash to do a few re-buys and an add on.
4. Prepare yourself for some extremely bad beats during the re-buy period.

It's important to switch to another strategy during the re-buy period of a tournament.
Your strategy should be directly linked to the amount of the buy-in of the tournament.

Re-buy tournaments with a buy-in of $10+1 (re-buys and add on excluded)

On a few poker-sites there are many people playing, like the daily $3+0.30 re-buy ($10K guaranteed) on PokerStars with an average of 2500 players , making the rewards very interesting.
a first place with a win of $5000 is more a rule than an exception!

These tournaments are filled with a large group of total idiots and a small group of good players that will do very well during the tournament.
In the ideal scenario: you'll have a few players that will go all-in every time hoping to win a big pot.
You don't have to play every hand you have, just wait for a nice pocket-pair (99+), AK or AQ and then go all-in.

Your goal is to get as big a stack as possible at minimal cost. Try not to re-buy more than 2 or 3 times.
If you do re-buy, do a double one so you'll have a double stack, just as you did at the beginning of the game. If many players at your table go all-in, it's not a bad idea to call if you have high suited connectors (78s, 910s, 10Js, QJs, and KQs) in order to get a big pot.
If you have built up a large stack play more conservatively to keep it. In the worst case scenario you don't double and will have a stack of 5000 chips (or you get fed up by a few bad beats and quit). Always add-on unless you have 3 times the chips than what is average because it will do nothing to improve your odds.

Re-buy tournaments with a buy-in of $20+2 to $50+5 (re-buys and add on excluded)

Because the buy-in is higher players will generally play more conservatively, although occasionally you'll see the odd re-buy-maniac at your table.
More "real" poker will now be played, usually waiting for the flop.

Bluffing during the re-buy phase doesn't do you much good because players will probably go all-in or call with a large range of hands. Especially flushes and straight draws are popular hands for the large profit they bring.
The higher the buy-in the more these tournaments will start to look like normal tournaments and you'll see less players.

Re-buy tournaments with a buy-in of $100+9 or more (Possible re-buys and add on excluded)

In these tournaments huge amounts of money can be won if you make it to first place.
On the other hand they can cost you a lot of money, if you don't make the cut.
Many players will not re-buy or add on and become "dead money".
Don't make that mistake! Otherwise you may just as well shove your money where the sun doesn't shine.
Your odds will be virtually reduced to nothing.

If you play many tournaments or sit-and-go's you will frequently end up in a situation where there is only you and one other player left (by the way, this also happens from time to time at a normal cash table). The problem is that many people do not know how they should play in a situation like that. In this Article we try to give you a guide for heads up situations, because one thing is for sure: If you continue playing exactly the way you do at tables with several people, you will most certainly lose with heads up.

The heads up game is in fact very easy, especially if you play against a starting inexperienced player. Aggressive playing is normally already very important, however when playing heads up it is the one and only key to success. Therefore you should know the following two basic rules:

1. When you're on the button you should always raise.
2. Always bet on the flop in case you are first or when your opponent checks.

Bad players will give up too many pots which means you will slowly but steadily make them run out of chips until the point you can claim the victory. More experienced players however will respond aggressively, so you will also have to adapt your game to that. Against this type of opponents it can be successful to use a "bait-strategy". When you suspect your opponent of frequent bluffing then the best thing to do is only call in case you have a good hand and then eventually raise on the river. This is the best way to get as many chips as possible when playing against this type of opponents.

Furthermore it is important to remember that if you have a pair on the flop you statistically have the best hand, even in case it is the lowest pair possible. In this case you should raise when your opponent bets.

Example 1
You're in the beginning phase of a tournament, the blinds are 25/50 and your stack is 10.000. a player in early position, two players in middle position, the button and the small blind all limp. You are the big blind and you have. What should you do?

Answer:
You should check. The blinds are still too low with regards to the stacks. It is not worth yet to try stealing the blinds. Just check and hope you'll hit a good flop.

Example2
The tournament has just begun, the blinds are 25/50 and everyone has a stack of 5.000. You're in early position and you get . The player who has to decide first (the player under the gun) calls for 50. You raise till 200, a player in middle position re-raises to 800 and a player in late position calls. The player under the gun then follows by going all in. What should you do?

Answer:
You should fold. The chance is too large that someone has AA. Given that you've raised in early position means that you've betrayed your strength to your opponents. It's better to safe your chips for a better moment and/or better position to play KK. Fold will only cost you 200 and will take away the risk of going bankrupt immediately.

Example3
The tournament has just begun, the blinds are 25/50 and everyone still has a stack of around 5.000. You're in late position and you get . Two players in middle position limp. What should you do?

Answer:
You should raise. It is very likely that you have the best hand at that moment. Given that there are already two limper's, a raise of 250 would be appropriate. With a raise like that you decrease the number of opponents in the pot and you might win the pot immediately. In case someone else hits you with a heavy re-raise you can easily fold given that you've only bet relatively little.

Example 4
You're at the beginning stage of a tournament, the blinds are 5/10 and everybody has a stack of 10.000. You get and you're under the gun (first to decide). What should you do?

Answer:
You should fold. With blinds as low as this, there's absolutely no reason to play this hand. In case you raise and someone else re-raises you should fold. In case you calls and someone hits you with a heavy raise you should fold as well. Given that it's still early in the tournament it's better to just throw away this hand.

Example 5
You're halfway the tournament and there's nobody at your table with a small stack. The blinds are 50/100. a player in middle position raises to 300. All other players fold towards you. You're in late position and you have . What should you do?

Answer:
You should fold. It is dangerous to play an Ace with a bad kicker against a raiser. Only if you're an advanced player and you have a feeling of the opponent you're dealing with, you can consider playing this hand.

Example 6
You're in the big blind, halfway the tournament, you have a stack of 10.000, the blinds are 100/200 and you get . Everyone folds towards a player in middle position who raises to 800. This player also has 10.000. All other players fold. What should you do?

Answer:
You should raise. The size of your raise should be not too big in order to avoid forcing your opponent to fold, however it should be big enough for your opponent to make a mistake if he calls your bet. In case you raise the minimum (1.600) you'll have chance on a small pot however you also face the risk of loosing a big one. In case you go all-in you might risk that your opponent even folds a KK. Therefore, a raise of around 3.000 is perfect. It will give your opponent a difficult decision to make. In case he calls you have to be prepared to go all-in at the flop.

Example 7
You're halfway the tournament and your stack is 8.000. The blinds are 200/400. a good player in middle position with a stack of 20.000 raises to 1.600. All other players fold. Your on the button and you have . What should you do?

Answer:
You should raise and go all-in. You know that this opponent in that position will raise with many different hands, which means that you probably have the best hand. He will probably fold most hands and the times that he will call you still have a 50% chance to win. To just call and then miss your flop would be dramatic for your stack.

Example 8
You're halfway the tournament and you and all other players have around 1.500. The blinds are 25/50. The player under the gun raises to 200. This person is known by you as a player that only play good starting hands (=thight). All other players fold, you are on the button and you have . What should you do?

Answer:
You should fold. Many players tend to call in this situation however you're risking 13% of your stack when you call! In case both of you had around 4.000 in chips you could have called (around 5%). This bet is just too much.

Example 9
There are only four tables left and the blinds are 200/400. The last two tables are in the prices. You have an average stack of 8.500, you're in the big blind and you get . All players fold though the button, who has 12.000 in chips, raises to 1.600. The small blind folds. What should you do?

Answer:
You should raise all-in. It is likely that the button tries to steal the blinds. Going all-in is better than a normal raise given the size of the blinds compared to your stack and given the fact that you're out of position at the flop. In case you'd do a normal raise, like 3.200, your opponent would probably call with 2 random cards.

Example 10
There are two tables and 13 players left. The blinds are 200/400, your stack is 31.000 and you get on the button. All players before you fold. The small blind has 5.900 left and the big blind has 6.100 left. They are both good players. What should you do?

Answer:
You should raise to 1.600. The blinds will then need a strong hand to go all-in. Your raise is big enough to avoid that they will call with KQs or AQ. They will have to choose between all-in or fold. Of course you should not call in case they go all-in.

Example 11
Congratulations, you're at the final table and the blinds are 1.000/2.000 and 400 ante. You have the smallest stack of 20.000. You're in early position and you get . There's 6.600 in the pot. What should you do?

Answer
You should raise all-in. Every round will cost you 6.600. There's no time to wait for better hands. There aren't many hands that will call you and if your opponents call there's still the chance you have the best hand (you'll probably face AK, AQ, AJ, KQ etc). In case there wasn't an ante you could have limped or folded when someone would re-raise. a raise of 6.000 would force you to go all-in at the flop anyway, given the size of your stack compared to the pot (=pot committed).

Example 12
There are 5 players left at the final table. The blinds are 500/1.000. The chipleader has 35.000 and you have 30.000. The other three players have around 10.000. The chip leader opens with 6.000. You are after him and you have . What should you do?

Answer:
You should fold. The chipleader is the only player who can get you out of the tournament, whereas you're in very good position compared to the other three players. Even though you have a good hand, the chance to win more chips is not enough to offset the risk of being kicked out of the tournament. Have patience and you'll probably become third at least. Wait until other players go out until you start playing with your chips.

Example 1
You are in early position and you get . The player before you folds. What should you do?

Answer:
You should call. Given that there are so many more players to come calling is the best to do. In case you would raise it will be very hard to fold against a reraise. In case you just call you will be able to call a (small) raise with the chance to hit three of a kind or a two pair.

Example 2
You are on the small blind and you get . The first player (under the gun) raises 3 times the big blind and the 3 players after him call. What should you do?

Answer:
You should fold. This hand is playable on a shorthand table or heads-up. At a longhand table with so many players in the pot the chance is too large that someone else will hit a higher flush (given that he might have two cards of the same suit but higher). Besides that you might also get in trouble against someone with a low pocket pair (who flops a set).

Example 3
You are in middle position and you get . The player under the gun raises to 5 times the big blind. All others fold. What should you do?

Answer
You should fold. To start with, AJ is not a very good hand in a no limit cash game! Furthermore a player in early position made a large raise which means that it is very likely that he/she has an AK or a high pocket pair. Moreover, it is also still possible that a player after you will do a re raise (especially in case you are at a table with loose aggressive players). Even if you would call and hit an Ace or Jack at the flop you could still get in trouble very easily because for example someone else has a higher kicker or an over pair. This should be an easy fold.

Example 4
You are under the gun and you get what should you do?

Answer
You should call. When being in a no limit cash game it is best with any pocket pair to just call, unless you are in a late position or when you have a high pocket pair (JJ or higher). In this case you are the first to make a decision so it is the best to just call and hope to flop a set or three of a kind. In case you decide to raise anyway you should most definitely fold when someone else makes a re raise.

Example 5
You are in the big blind and you have . The player under the gun raises 4 times the big blind. All other players fold. What should you do?

Answer
In general it is best to play suited connectors in pots with many players and in which you only have to pay a fraction of the total amount in the pot. Even if you hit a good flop the chance is still too small that you will earn a significant amount. In other words, you should fold.

Example 6
You are in the small blind and you have . The player under the gun raises to 4 times the big blind and another player calls. What should you do?

Answer
You should call. What you want is a flop with a 10 or only low cards. Besides that in this situation it is a good thing that another player has called as well. It makes the pot bigger in case you hit a set or a three of a kind on the flop. Keep in mind that even when the flop hits only low cards you still have to be very careful'

Example 7
You are on the big blind and you get . The player under the gun raises 7 times the big blind and another player re raises to 14 times the big blind. What should you do?

Answer
AK is always very hard to play against a raise and after that a re raise. First of all there is the chance that the re raiser has an AA or KK. Besides that, even if not you will still need another Ace or King on the flop in order to win. The chance for this to happen is not big enough to call (it is about 1/3 so in other words no good pot odds) so you should fold.

Example 8
You are at the button and you get . An aggressive player in late position raises 2 times the big blind, as he has done before. What should you do?

Answer
You should raise. You have a strong hand. Besides that there is the fact that this opponent raises many hands and the fact that your hand is strong in a heads up confrontation. Therefore you should raise around 6 till 8 times the big blind.

Example 9
You are at the big blind and you get . The player under the gun raises 3 times the big blind. Two other players call. All players have a stack of around 100 times the big blind. What should you do?

Answer
You should raise. a re raise of around 10 times the big blind would be the best. Both callers probably have weaker hands that AK given that they have only called. The original raiser will in most cases not have a hand as strong as yours. In case he does have an AA or KK he will most likely reraise which means you should fold. If a player calls you it means that they very likely have an AK as well or a lower pocket pair. Whatever happens after your re raise, it will give you valuable information for the next stage of playing this hand.

Example 10
You are at the button and you get . a player in early position raises to 4 times the big blind. All other players fold. What should you do?

Answer
You should call. You have a very strong hand and you are in good position against your opponent.

Introduction

Below we will give you a basic strategy which should enable you to earn money with longhand limit Texas Holdem at tables with 7 players or more. The strategy is intended for beginning players who play on the lower limits (maximum $1/$2).

Just to be sure one more time:
a = Ace
K = King
Q = Queen
J = Jack
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3 and 2 = Speaks for itself
x = a random card
s = "suited" which means that the cards are of the same suit/figure, for example they are all hearts or all diamonds.
bet = Make a bet/commitment
raise = Make a higher bet than the bet required, in other words to raise the bet
re-raise = raise a bet after it has already been raised
call = Go along with the bet/raise of your opponent
button = Place at the table from where the cards are dealt
flop = The first three cards to appear on the table
river = The fifth and last card to appear on the table
draw = The chance of a card on the table with which you could end up with a good hand (for example end up with a street/flush or higher)

Starting hands before the flop

The most important moment when playing longhand limit Texas Holdem is the selection of the starting hands which you want to play before the flop. Most beginning players start loosing money straight away because of the simple reason that, they play too many hands. For example, many beginning players play each hand with an 'a' before the flop, whereas this is absolutely loss-making in the long run. Patience and discipline are the most important skills to become a winning player at longhand limit Texas Holdem. In fact, it is simply a matter of waiting for the right hands. In that way making money in the long run will be way easier.

Hand categories

Which hands should be played and which not? The hands can roughly be classified in 4 categories:

1. Top hands
AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, AKs and AQs.
These are the very best hands. With these hands you should always raise or re-raise before the flop (except of course when you think that your opponent has AA or KK whereas you have AK). There are two reasons for this. The first reason is that you want to have as much money as possible in the pot because you most likely have the best hand. The second and most important reason is that you want to get people with less good hands out of the pot. This way you sort of protect your hand in that manner (or in other words: the fewer people in the pot, the lower the risk that an opponent has or will end up with a better hand). Remember, however, that in case you have, for example, an AK you still need an additional a or K on the flop. Therefore, do not re-raise endlessly if you do not have a pair already. Also pay attention when you have KK and an a appears on the flop. The chance then is that someone else has AA, especially in case many players stayed in the pot before the flop (didn't fold after the first round of betting).

2. Good hands
1010, 99, AQ, AJ, AJs, KQ and KQs.
These are good hands but they are not very good. In general you need some help to win. When you have 1010 or 99 on low limits you almost always need another 10 or 9 to get three of a kind in order to win. a low pair is in most cases not enough. Nevertheless you should also always play these hands. Furthermore it is also favorable in this case to have as few players in the pot as possible, so you should again force people out of the pot by raising. On the other hand you should also limit the amount of money you put in the pot before the flop, because the hand you have has relatively low value, before you've seen the flop. So in case someone already has raised and someone else already has re-raised, you should fold. You then have no more advantage before the flop because someone else probably has a better hand.

It is important to remember that when playing limit you want to have an advantage before the flop with respect to the other players. Once again: before the flop! In case there has been only one raise and you're in a late position it is also possible to just call. Exception is when a player in early position has already raised. In that case he probably has a top hand (first category) which makes it more sensible for you to fold.


3. Reasonable hands
88, A10s, A10, KJ, KJs, QJs, QJ, and J10s.
These hands are ok but no more than that. Generally you will not win with these hands. In this situation you have to watch out for people with a high kicker (= high second card in your hand). Reasonable hands are very vulnerable for high kickers (for example AK against AJ and then there appears an a on the table). In case these cards are suited you can play them more often, especially in case there are many players in the pot. When having reasonable hands the position and the behavior of the other players is very important (it's always important but in this case even more important than usual). In case, for example, if many players raise you should definitely fold. In case everyone folds and you are in a good position, you can raise.


4. Marginal hands
Axs, Kxs (only 9 or higher), 77, 66, Q10s, 109s, 98s, 87s and 76s.
Generally speaking, you will not win with marginal hands, however they are profitable in the long run because in case you hit a good flop and you win, you are likely to win a very big pot (for example, in case you get a street or a flush)! Therefore, you should only play these hands in case there is a pot with at least 5 other players in it and nobody has raised before the flop.

All other hands should not be played
Yes, this also means you should not play A9 or 55 and lower!!
The reason for this is that, although some of these hands can be slightly profitable, for the beginning player in the long run the margins will be simply too small. You have to be a really good player to be able to recognize the margins and to then also realize them. Therefore playing these hands will probably lead to a lower profit or even a loss. In case you want to play these hands anyway, then at least only play them when there are many players in the pot and when nobody has raised before the flop.

After the flop

After the flop, 4 situations can be distinguished:

1. You have nothing
This is the most simple situation. In case you do not hit anything on the flop you should fold (unless of course nobody raises, which means you can see the next card for free).
Example: you have 109s, flop is AK3, there are 5 people in the pot and someone raises. In this case you should fold.

2. You have a good hand
This is quite a common situation. You probably have the best hand however your hand is easy to beat. Think, for example, about a situation in which you have a top pair with a top kicker or an over pair. You should in this case raise in order to get as much money as possible in the pot and as many people as possible (who still might have a winning draw) out of the pot. In case someone raises over you (re-raise) and after that someone else raises that as well (re-re-raise), you should fold. Someone else then probably has a three of a kind or higher.

3. You have a top hand
You have a three of a kind, a street, a flush or higher. In that case the situation is different. You still want to have as much money in the pot as possible, however there is no reason to raise other players out of the pot given that it is unlikely that you will loose. Only in case of a draw on a combination which is higher than what you have you should raise enough to scare other players out of the pot.

4. You have a draw
You have a chance on, for example, a street or a flush. When you're in this situation you will have to calculate odds with respect to the pot in order to know whether or not you should call. For more information about this please check our article about pot odds.

So that was the basis! Yeah, in fact it's actually quite simple! Just remember that the more people are in the pot, the more likely someone else has better cards than you do or the more likely that someone else has the nuts (= best hand possible). Just pay attention to that! In case you have, for example, AK and the flop is AQQ, you should be way more careful when there are still 5 players in the pot, than in case there's only one left. In case a lot of players raised before the flop you're probably beaten and thus you should fold even with AK!!

Basic strategy for shorthand Texas Limit Holdem

On the internet shorthand Texas limit Holdem (6 players or less) is by far the most played poker game. In order to earn money with playing poker online poker it is therefore very important to understand how to play the shorthand version. The best style to play shorthand is different from the best style to play the longhand version:

Starting hands before the flop

When playing shorthand the hands you should play are different from longhand. Below we give you a short overview. For a more extended overview we refer to the basic strategy of longhand. The strategy for shorthand is similar, however, differs on a number of points. One point of interest is that at shorthand the value of suited cards and low pocket pairs (77 and lower) decreases. a second point of difference with longhand is that with shorthand it is often better to raise or to fold instead of calling. The last point of difference is that at shorthand the value of your cards always depends on your position at the table and of what the other players do. In case, for example, there is a raise before the flop followed by a re-raise and someone else calls, you should fold everything except for the top hands AA, KK, QQ, JJ and AK. Every time you should ask yourself whether or not you have the best hand before the flop before deciding to fold or raise.

Hands to raise or re-raise
AA, KK, QQ, JJ and AK.
With these cards you should raise or re-raise. This is because at shorthand there are 6 players max at a table, which means the risk that someone else also has AA or KK is lower.

Hands to raise
AQ, AJ, A10, KQ, KJ, QJ, J10,1010, 99 and 88.
In case nobody has raised yet, you should raise with these hands.

After the flop

When playing shorthand, if you have a good hand after the flop (top pair or better) you should always raise. Because the chance that someone else has a better hand than you is much smaller compared to when playing longhand. In case someone raises, you should re-raise. The reason for this is that players often try to get a free card on the turn by raising. Players bluff more often when playing shorthand. Whatever the reason might be, it is almost always the best to raise or re-raise with a top pair (with a good kicker) or better.

The situation is different if you have a pair but not a top pair. You then have to make an estimation of how strong your hand is with respect to the hands of the other players, which strongly depends on the circumstances. If you have for example A6 and the flop is 762, you can take the risk that nobody else has 7. You should then raise in case everyone checks. In case you have for example J10 and the flop is AKJ, you have a weak hand. That is because the chance is high that someone has an a or K. You should therefore fold. In situations like that it is always the best to fold as early as possible. Don't try another draw it will not be profitable in the long run.

Bluffing

When playing shorthand bluffing is way more important than when playing longhand. Bluffing at longhand on the low limits in general doesn't make much sense, because there will always be someone who will call (with very divergent hands). At shorthand however there are less players and it is therefore more likely that all the other players will fold.

There are several ways to bluff:

Bluff on the flop - In case you have raised before the flop, it is sometimes a good idea to also raise after the flop irrespective of whatever the flop is, though especially if there appears an a at the flop. Of course it is better not to re-raise if someone else has already raised and you have nothing. You should also be very careful for check-raisers!

Semi-bluffing - In case you have nothing, though a good draw (for example chance on a flush), it is often sensible to raise. This is because you then have two chances of winning the pot: Either everyone folds or you actually draw a flush. Moreover, when playing in this manner you can frequently get a free card on the turn (= fourth card to appear on the table).

Other ways of bluffing - In general other ways of bluffing do not work at the limit versions of poker.

Common poker bloopers

The most common poker bloopers in a row.

Calling until the river without having anything in your hands. Many players hope to improve their hand at the turn or the river, which happens rarely (and even then it is possible that someone else shows a better combination). Weak player

Overestimating your hand. Playing with an Ace and a low kicker (For example A2 is a pretty weak hand. Other players with an Ace very likely to have a better kicker than a Two). Entertainment player

Bluffing too much. a killer. Someone that bluffs too much at the wrong moment will be defeated in the end. Beginning players think that bluffing is part of the game however they use the technique too many times in order to stay credible. a mistake you will have to pay for! Bluffer

Playing against too advanced opponents. When playing against an opponent that has won several bigger pots from you, the chance is pretty high that this opponent is able to "read" you. Don't try to win back your losses and leave the table. Some players really are too good to win from. Accept your loss and look for a table with weaker players. Entertainment player

Deciding too fast. Take your time and think through the possibilities of your opponent. Calling big bets too fast can be killing. Even though you think you have the best hand, always check if you haven't forgotten anything. And when checking too fast you indirectly show that you have a weak hand so never be too fast with checking either. Weak player & Maniak

Not choosing your moments properly Never call all-ins with minor hands like AJ or KQ. In case a player in an early position, with a bigger stack than you goes all-in then fold hands like AQ or 55. In the long run better hands will come by, so do not immediately put your total stack at risk. Weak player & Entertainment player

Wanting to see the flop with drawing hands. In case you'd go all-in once every five hands you will very likely never see the final table of a tournament. Raise with strong hands but do not immediately throw all your chips in the pot. Hands like AK are powerhouses, but if you do not hit anything you will loose from a pair of two's. Just be the smart player and raise in order to see the flop. When you hit a K, bet the pot. When your opponent then folds, just be happy with your small pot. Sometimes two of those pots are worth equally as one double-up, but then without the risk. Maniak

SB A K Q J T 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
A
K 24 20 18 17 16 15 14 13
Q 25 22 16 13 11 11 10 9 9 8
J 25 16 18 13 10 9 8 7 7 6 5.5
T 23 15 12 11 9 7 6 5 4.5 4 4
9 18 12 9 7 8 6 5 4 3 3 2.5
8 15 10 7 6 5 6 4.5 3.5 3 2 2
7 14 9 6 5 4 4 4 3 2.5 2 1.5
6 13 8 6 4 3.5 3 2.5 3 2.5 2 1.5
5 12 7 6 3 3 2.5 2 2 2.5 2 1.5
4 26 11 7 5 3 2 2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
3 24 11 6 5 2.5 2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1 1
2 22 10 6 4 2.5 1.5 1.5 1 1 1 1 1

Some general tips for playing Razz:

• Start with a good hand - never start with a card higher than a 7. I sometimes bump that up to an 8 but never beyond that. Remember, the objective is to get the lowest hand possible, so if you start with, say, a Queen, you've already got a tough draw.

• Pairs suck, but they don't kill your hand - If you're hand is, say, 5-5-4-3-2-A-K, you've still got the nuts (A-2-3-4-5). But if you get two pair, it's hard to draw to a good hand, so even if you have A-A-2-2-3-9-J), that means your hand is a J-high, despite all the pretty cards. You should pitch double pairs. I almost never start a hand with a pair in it, unless it's something like A-2-2.

• Bluffing is difficult - It's by no means not impossible, but it's a limit game, and you've got a lot of cards showing, so if someone bets into me and he or she has some good low cards, unless I've got them too, I tend to believe the player and fold.

• It's also easy to see when you're ahead or behind - If your hand is A-3-5-8, and your opponent has a Queen showing, you know you're ahead so far and you can bet with confidence until sixth street or even check-raise. If you have the Queen showing, you might consider folding.

• By 5th Street you want to decide whether you want to continue - It gets more expensive on later streets, so you need to figure out if you want to continue with the hand. You need to fold a lot in Razz, just a good starting hand doesn't mean you shouldn't fold when you are behind. So if your opponent shows all low cards and you "brick" a King, you should probably fold. In general, you should probably fold on 5th street if you are behind based on what the board shows, if you chase beyond 5th street you`ll most likely end up losing money.

• Pay attention to the board - For example if there are three 4's on the board already, your chances of hitting one are pretty slim.

• Attack bricks - On 4th street, if you haven`t bricked a facecard yourself, you should bet if your opponent bricks one.

• Stay out of trouble - you want to stay out of potentially expensive hands in Razz. Don`t play a hand like A-8-5 to a raise and a reraise for example. Avoid marginal situations that might cost you a lot of money.

This article assumes you know the rules of Razz. If you don`t, make sure you read this first.

Razz is probably one of the easiest poker games to learn for two reasons. Firstly, because it is usually obvious who has the best hand as, just like Seven Card Stud, each player holds 4 out of seven cards open. Secondly, no flushed or straights are possible.

As opposed to most other poker variants, the worst hand loses in Razz. Therefore, the basic Razz strategy is: play low cards. The best hand is called a wheel: A2345. (note that the ace counts as a one). If your highest card is a 6 or a 7, you will often win the hand, an 8 will win sometimes. With anything higher you should be very carefull.

The most important aspect of Razz is to select a good hand to play, the lower the better. As you start with three cards, the best possible starting hand is A23. Any hand with only cards 7 or lower are good to play. If your highest card is an 8 you only want to play if the other two are baby`s (A, 2 or 3) and even then you still can`t call more than one raise. All other hands should be folded!

The most important decision has to be made after the fourth card has been dealt. If your opponent is dealt a high (bad) card and you get a good one, bet aggressively! (and fold if it is the other way around). You should also bet of your opponent gets a card that gives him a pair, since he won`t be able to use that card for his hand, which means he did not improve his hand. Again, fold if it`s you who gets the pair.

It is very important to be disciplined! It can be very frustrating having to fold good starting hands again and again after being dealt a bad fourth card but not doing so can be very costly.

Here are some examples: (the cards not visible to other players are between brackets)

Example 1
Player 1 has (A3)6 en player B has (A4)6. Both players have a good hand and want to continue. Fourth street brings a J for player A and a 7 for player B. Player B knows he has the best hand and has to bet! Player A should fold.

Example 2
Player A has (74)3 and player B has (A2)7. Both players want to play and fourth street is a 3 for player A and an 8 for player B. In this case player B should bet because he has four low cards, while player A can have a maximum of three since he has a pair!

Example 3
Player A has (A2)3 and player B has (56)7. Player A has the best possible starting hand and raises. Player B calls as he has a reasonable hand. Fourth street brings a Q for player A and an 8 for player B. Player A`s hand is ruined and he will have to fold as he is behind.

If you play TAG (tight aggressive) and remember a few basic percentages you will have an advantage against most players on the low stakes. The biggest mistake you can make is to chase when behind, so make sure you fold a lot! But if you only play very good starting hands, you`ll lose money because of all the bring-ins and antes you have to pay when you fold. Therefore you should mix it up a bit and try to steal the pot when you have a low card showing

As you can see the open cards are very important in Razz. The better your open cards, the more pressure you can put on your opponent. Therefore, (78)3 is a better hand than (37)8, as you have a better chance to make your opponent fold when the 3 is showing.

Example 4
Player A has (2Q)4. A player with a K puts in the bring-in, as he has the highest card. Behind you are two players with an 8 and a 9. This is a great situation to raise and try to steal the pot as your opponents will often fold as you are showing a much lower card then they are! If one of the players with the 8 or 9 calls you, give up on 4th street unless your hand improves relative to his.

Note that if you play against very loose players, you shouldn`t try this at all. They won`t fold often enough and you will make enough money on your good hands.

If you have a good hand and you face a bet by someone else, you should raise in most situations for three reasons:

• Your opponent might be trying to steal the pot
  
• You want to prevent giving other players good odds to chase by calling
  
• If he does have a good hand you can make him fold if he gets a worse card then you on 4th street.
  
  One important aspect of Razz is to make sure you take into account the cards on the table. A good hand like (A4)6 becomes even better if your opponents are showing some of your cards, as this reduces the chance that you will pair up! Vice versa, you don`t want to see any 2`s, 3s and 5s, as you want to be dealt those cards.