Here are some strategy gems from us here at RockStar Hold 'Em to you. Just something to show that we care. Our tips are broken up into different sections, so read them all or just jump to the section you are interested in.
Before The Flop | The Flop | The Turn | The River | Tells | Misc
Before The Flop - back to top
*Position* - Which position you are sitting in relation to the dealer is a very important aspect to consider before the flop. The more people that have the opportunity to bet/raise after you, the stronger starting hand you need to put money into a pot. Why? Because for one thing, you don't know how many people that are left actually have strong hands. When you are in late position and everyone has folded before it gets to you, you know that you aren't going to have to beat their hands. Another reason is if you make a small bet or just call a small bet, there are still several people after you that may raise, and unless you have a strong hand, you will have wasted the money you just put in.
When you are in a later position (fewer people have the chance to bet after you), you can bet/call with less strong hands because you know how many or rather how few people you are going up against.
Position is a very important aspect to Texas Hold 'Em. The majority of hands that you play should be from a late position. Below is a table that can be used as a general guideline for the majority of the time.
Best Hands - AA, KK, AKs, QQ
Good Hands - JJ, AK, 10's, 9's, AQs, AJs, A10s, KQs, KJs, QJs, J10s, AQ, AJ, KQ
Medium Hands - K10s, Q10s, J9s, 10 9s, 8's, 7's, KJ, QJ, J10, A*s,
Weak Hands - 9 8s, 8 7s, 6's, 5's, 4's, 3's, 2's, A10, K10, Q10, K9, Small Suited Connectors (i.e. 3 4s)
Any cards that are not listed here should usually not be played in any position. Unless you have a specific reason for playing these cards, don't.
When a card has an 's' after it, that means that cards are suited. The '*' means that it can represent any other card.
Early Position |
Middle Position |
Late Position |
|
| Best Hands | Re-raise any bet that has been made. If no bet has been made, make the first bet. | Re-raise any bet that has been made. If no bet has been made, make the first bet. | Re-raise any bet that has been made. If no bet has been made, make the first bet. |
| Good Hands | If you feel comfortable, bet if no one has entered the pot or call if a reasonable bet has been made. | If a reasonable bet has been made, call it. Make the first bet if no bet has yet been made. | If a reasonable bet has been made, call it. Make the first bet if no bet has yet been made. |
| Medium Hands | Fold unless you can just check. | Unless you have a reason to do otherwise, fold to any bet. | If no one has entered the pot, then go ahead and bet. If there is only a small bet with a small number of callers, call the bet if you feel comfortable with it. |
| Weak Hands | Fold unless you can just check. | Fold unless you can just check. | Unless you have a reason to do otherwise, fold to any bet. |
This is a somewhat conservative way of playing. Once you gain experience, you can (and should) loosen up your playing slightly.
The Flop - back to top
Some key things to remember about the flop:
> Don't be discouraged if the flop completely misses you. Most of the time it has missed your opponent as well.
> Think about the possibilities of what your opponents could have hit on the flop. If there are three hearts that flopped, you better consider that someone may have two hearts in their hand. If they do, your high pair is completely useless at this point.
> Keep an eye out for straight draws on the board. These are easy to overlook when you aren't going for a straight. If your opponent has a straight and you don't realize it, you could lose a large portion of your chipstack.
> Don't forget about position. It is still important here. If you are in an early position, you still will have several people that can call or raise you after you act.
> Keep in mind that it the flop contains a pair, there is a chance that an opponent has a third one in their hand. Think about what your opponent would have stayed in the hand with initially, and if it is something that is on the board, be careful when betting.
> When three and sometimes even two of the same suit flop, there's a good chance that some opponents will be on a draw. If you have already made a decent hand, it's sometimes worth making a good-sized bet to try and force the people on a draw out of the pot before they are able to actually make the hand they are trying for.
> Keep in mind that if you have a solid hand and you don't make a large enough bet, opponents may stay in and end up hitting something that beats your hand because you allowed them to stay in too long. On the other hand, if you think your hand will stand up, allowing people to continue to bet can increase your profit by putting more money into the pot.
> A great situation to be in is having a very strong hand, but having the key cards in your hand and not on the board. For example, if you are dealt QQ before the flop, and the flop comes out Q-A-8, you have a set (3) of Queens, but no one can see it or really has any reason to think you have it. Even if you bet, someone may think you have only a pair of Queens. Someone that hit a pair of Aces with that flop will more than likely think they have the best hand, even though you really have the strongest hand.
> Don't feel compelled to call if you have a bad hand after the flop, even if you raised or called before the flop. Usually this will just end up costing you a lot more money in the end.
The Turn - back to top
Some things to remember about the turn:
> Make sure you consider all the possibilities of hands that your opponents may have. Think about how the played before the flop and after the flop.
> Pay attention to possible flush and straight draws. If there are four diamonds out there, there's a pretty good chance that at least one opponent has a diamond. Same goes with straight draws.
> If you have a borderline hand and aren't sure if you should bet/raise, think about all the possible combinations on the board that could actually beat your hand. If there are several ways that you could get beat, it's probably a good idea to get out.
> Again, remember your position. If you are first to act and you bet with a hand that isn't super strong, you have a good chance of being re-raised.
> Don't be afraid to fold if you believe that you cannot win. There's no need to put in extra chips if you are just going to lose them.
The River - back to top
Some things to remember about the river:
> By this time, you should have a decent idea of whether or not you hold the best hand. If you think you have the best hand, make a bet. If someone has already bet, call or re-raise depending on the strength of your hand.
> If you completely missed a hand that you were going for (i.e. a broken straight), and you think someone has you beat, fold.
> This is where a lot of bluffs occur. If you are pretty sure that you have the best hand, don't let someone bluff you out of the pot.
> If you are last to act after someone has already raised, remember that if you call, no one can raise it any more and you can take a shot at wining the pot.
> Be careful when you are tempted to go all in here. Think about it carefully. If you do have the strongest hand, you may very well scare away any bettors that would give you extra money by calling a smaller bet. If someone is willing to call your all in, they very well may have a better hand then you, and your night could be over pretty early.
> Going all in is most effective when you have the absolute best hand, but it is likely that other opponents have very strong hands as well. For example, if there is a flush draw on the board and you hold the Ace of that suit, it is quite likely that another person may have hit a flush as well, but they actually cannot beat your Ace-high flush.
> Another somewhat profitable time to go all in is when you don't necessarily have the best hand, but you don't think your opponent does either. If an opponent has a borderline hand, they aren't usually going to risk a huge chunk of their chips, unless they think your are bluffing.
Tells - back to top
> A good rule of thumb to remember is that usually people who act strong have weak hands, and people who act weak have strong hands. This isn't always true of course, but something to keep in mind.
> Opponents who overexaggerate their movements when they are putting chips in the pot usually indicates a weak hand.
> Opponents who quietly and timidly put their chips in the pot are usually strong.
> Opponents who act exasperated, sigh, shrug their shoulders, etc, usually have a strong hand and are trying to make you think they are weak.
> When an opponent says that they have a strong hand, they are usually telling the truth.
> When an opponent has bet and then are very still and quiet, they are usually weak.
> When an opponent continues talking naturally and unforced after they make a bet, they are usually strong.
> When a player is still and quiet before he has bet, he is usually hoping that you will bet because he has a strong hand.
> If an opponent abruptly starts talking to you when you are about to make a decision (fold or call), it is usually an attempt to get you to do the opposite of what you are doing.
> If an opponent that acts after you starts to reach for their chips before it is your turn, they are usually weak and trying to make you think that they are strong.
> If an opponent that acts after you tries to look like they are going to fold, they are usually strong and are hoping that you will bet/call.
> When an opponent bets and then hides his mouth with his hands or his cards, a lot of times he is bluffing.
> When an opponent looks at a card(s) and immediately glances at his chip stack briefly, he usually has a strong hand and is going to bet.
> If an opponent has been leaning back in his chair and not playing any hands, if he all of the sudden leans up and changes his posture, he probably got a hand he is interested in playing.
Misc - back to top
Some general strategy tips to remember:
> If you get beat, don't start playing on emotion. One bad hand can lead to the end of your tournament if you let your anger is depression get the best of you. Everyone takes bad beats. Keep playing solid poker.
> Look for games with opponents that you can beat. There's no shame in playing against people whom you are better than. Playing against the best players may seem like the cool thing to do, but it's going to just cost you more money in the long run.
> If there is a flush draw on the board with high cards (A, K, etc) and a solid player makes a bet, usually they are betting with a high pair as opposed to the flush. This is because a solid player is more likely to stay in the hand before the flop with high cards.
> The same thing goes for a straight draw on the board. If there is a low straight draw, it's more rare that an opponent has hit it because they probably didn't initially stay in the hand with low cards. High card straight draws can be very dangerous because many opponents will have stayed with high cards that could have possibly completed the straight.
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