Basic No Limit Holdem Poker Strategy


In this poker article we will discuss some important strategies when playing No Limit Texas Holdem Poker, which is by far the most commonly played US online poker game, whether it’s online or at a land-based casino. The game is such a simple game to learn, yet so complex to master. The reality is that your entire stack can be at risk with every decision you make, during any point in the hand. A no limit hold’em poker player faces some tough decisions on many occasions and if you can’t deal with the pressure of making decisions for lots of chips, then this game is probably not for you.

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Handling the swings and dealing with the in-game pressure is what differentiates the men from the boys on the poker felt. A solid competent no limit poker player doesn’t buckle under the pressure. Regardless of the amount of money on the line, they think about the hand in a logical manner, playing the hand on its own merits.

More than anything else, the decisions you make, especially in the big pots, will determine whether you are a winner or loser in the games. Don’t get me wrong. It’s incredibly important to always be applying pressure and winning lots of small pots, but if you make a big mistake, which ends up costing your stack or a big portion of it, then winning those small pots will all be for nothing in the end.

When it comes to playing No Limit Texas Hold’em, players generally have four choices to make: bet or call, check or fold. You also have the option to raise the bet if they so desire. To make a wise choice, the player must take into account every option available to them, and then decide on the line that will extract the most value. Or the option that will likely get a fold when you expect to have the worst hand. If the gains are greater choosing one option over another, make the bet. Playing poker, whether it’s online or love, is all about taking the most +EV decision.

If the probability of having the best hand are in your favor, and you can expect the player to call with a worse poker hand – bet as much money as you can to get a call from them. If they fold their hand, don’t worry about it, they probably had nothing they could call you with, but if they have a hand, just not as good as yours, you want to extract the most you can from their hands.

Don’t make the novice mistake of getting trappy with your big hands. It just prevents you from getting more money into the pot when you have the best of it. You see so many beginners slow playing hands like Aces, only to allow lots of players into the pot, and a chance to catch up and crack the Aces!

Poker players need to understand that there is a lot psychology involved during a no limit holdem game, and being mentally prepared for the upswings and downswings that are naturally part of the game is very important if you expect to do well. This means that you need to be aware of how you’re traveling in any poker session, if you think you’re starting to go on TILT due to a bad beat or things not going your way, then you need to quit the game.

Also, think about the types of players you are playing against, as they all require very different strategies. When playing against thinking players, which isn’t going to be often when playing at a land-based casino, sometimes you have to give fake tells in order to throw off the other players, not just for when you’re bluffing but when you actually have a good hand. You want to make it more difficult for your opponents to be able to read you and the strength of your hand.

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