New Players Have Outs

Sitting down at any poker table can be intimidating to the new player. At a table of 9 players, it’s very likely there will be several decades of combined poker experience amongst the rest of the players. This is not only true for live poker, but also for online poker.

So how can a newbie stand any chance against a table of seasoned vets?

Well one thing every new player has going for them is the fact that their moves will almost always be unorthodox. A new player usually won’t know when it’s time to raise or even how much to raise. This plays well into their favour and experienced vets will find it difficult to read which hand a new player may have.

Another way a new player can give themselves a bit of an advantage is to check out some beginner poker strategies so they aren’t completely in the dark when approaching their first table. It also helps to play some online poker for free at any of the various online poker sites.

Size Matters When Betting in Texas Holdem

Picture this: You flop top pair/top kicker and there is a straight draw on the table. You’re first to act with two players after you who limped into the hand, what do you do? Shoot the hostage!

Wait, wrong movie.

In situations like this, it’s important to know when you can draw more money out of the rest of the table, and when it’s time to shut the door and take the pot while you still can; even if it is a small pot. In my last post I mentioned that “many people will often pay small amounts to see if they can draw into a good hand” and this is exactly the situation I was referring to. It’s also safe to say that the only hands which can beat you at this point are two-pair and three-of-a-kind, both of which are fairly unlikely.

If the pot is say, $3,000 and you bet the minimum of $1,000, then you’re giving anyone on a draw odds to call. If however you were to bet the full amount of the pot, or even slightly more than the pot, you’re making a statement that you will not allow the rest of the table to draw into the hands they want, at least not without paying for it. You have to remember that even if there is a player with an open-ended straight draw, the odds are in your favour to winning (at roughly 3:2 for this flop) so anyone on a draw will likely not call you unless they are a massive chip leader, or they are crazy. Even still you make it a tough call for them.

As far as someone re-raising you, generally speaking, the only players who are going to do so in this situation are players with two pair or players with trips. So right away with the right bet, you can easily determine who has what and very likely take down a pot while you still can. While it will not work everytime, in the long run it should increase your overall winnings in Texas Holdem.

Check out Bodog’s poker tips for more useful info on how you can increase your game.

Practice Makes Perfect

If you’re anything like me, then by now you’ve lost a great amount of money playing Texas Holdem and are starting to worry that you will soon lack the funds necessary to fuel your binge drinking and that you will soon be embraced by the foul cloud of sobriety. What? You mean it’s just me?

Oh well.

Believe it or not I do have a point here; it being: instead of wasting your precious drinking money on another’s liquor supply, why not get in some practice for free online? After all, like anything else in life, the more you practice, generally the better you get. Combine this with regular poker tips written by professional players for the everyday amateur such as yourself (and especially me), and you should be well on your way to turning your poker game into a profitable experience.

Check out Bodog’s Online Poker to play for free and practice your game. Good luck, and see you at the tables.