Limit Holdem Strategy: The 5 Golden Rules

Strategy is the most important part of Texas Hold’em Poker and here we will provide you with all Texas Hold'em Poker Strategy Tips. A lot of poker players are ready to jump onto the table and go up against seasoned veterans without any training or practice. It isn’t much of a surprise though when they lose and burn out.

Tournament strategies differ from cash games strategies because of the nature of how these formats play out. There are five basic strategies that one should be aware of while having a go at any poker game. Whether you are new or an experienced player, having a strategy prepared in your mind before you sit at any table is good for the game while every game or round may have their own tactic - the overall game plan or strategy should remain the same.

1. Starting with Opening Hands

In Hold’Em games, each player starts with 2 opening cards also called the hole cards. The pair together is called an opening hand. Opening hands are one major component in a poker strategy. But it is not that simple as they are also dependent on starting position. You could have a strong starting hand but if you're not closer to the best starting position, you are advised to not make any raises.

Not only this, but your opening hands payoff can also be affected by the number of players in a game. Usually the more the number of players, the lower the payoff. It is generally inversely proportional. But a lower number of players also increases your chances to bluff your way to win.

Finally, the strength of the hand a player holds is also important. Certain combinations, specific to each round, are more advisable to be played than others. Usually an Ace paired with another high strength card is a good hand that can be played. Additionally, the opening hands also help you identify better connector cards in the following rounds. So when you first start playing poker it can be helpful to use a starting hand chart as a point of reference

2. Bet Sizing with Confidence

Bet sizing relates to the value of the raise you place over a hand. This is one factor in a poker game that can directly impact the amount of money you are going to make. Placing smarter bets based on specific rounds is advisable.

 A general thumb rule to size your bets is to evaluate other bets around you and stay within a similar range. Especially in No Limit games, Bet Sizing is an important part of a poker strategy.

Placing out-of-range bets in initial rounds can be risky as you may lose all that money. But in later stages this tactic might sometimes force other players to fold, leading you to a win.

Bet sizing can also give some insights about a player to help you make the right decisions, usually by identifying some betting patterns. This knowledge only comes with experience and this is what separates pro players from the rest. Hence the term confidence is used as this can hide/trick your opponents about some of your intentions. This action is coined as bluffing and is a common tactic used to force other players into taking certain unfavorable actions.

3. No Limping Allowed!

Some of the best Texas hold’em poker players online immediately raise the pot when they first enter the table. This open raise is then accompanied by a call, fold or a 3 bet - depending on how the first person is perceived. Limping means to give the blinds a free pass to the flop, it also helps in the situations where you have weaker hands and want to keep a close eye on others.

1. Nature of the game is to either hold or fold, so the people who are limping too much are probably holding weak hands more than they should.
2. If more than one player at the table has mediocre hands and both start limping then there is a confusion running around on the table as everyone is making smaller bets and spoiling the flow of the game.
3. If a player is out of position and limps his way back to the position then they may be running at a high risk of losing their chips. The value from each hand is important and you may not earn back soon if you keep limping.
4. Do not be the debt money in a pot, this happens when a player folded after the first few bets and his contribution is now part of the pot that the winner gets.

4. Knowing When to Fold

Folding is an action when a player decides to forfeit the game. This decision usually springs out from the player realizing that he/she does not have good hands. Knowing when to fold is one of the most important strategies in poker as it can instantly decide if you’re going to lose any extra chips. In other words it helps you keep your money intact. 

For instance, one way to look at it is by using some simple math. A player who recognizes and folds 5 times during a session of play can save 5x. But, if the same player calls 5 times and fails to win these bets then that’s possibly (5x + 5) out of pocket overall.

Usually players come up with theories in relation to the percentage of value in the pot in order to decide whether or not to fold. These days there are many such theories available in the poker literature, but it's basically a maximum percentage value derived in relation to the number of players and your position. Hence folding and deciding to live to play another day can be crucial in order to avoid losing money. And once again, use a starting hand chart as a point of reference can help you make this decision.

5.Using Position

The word position is used very commonly by all the poker players and creators but the importance is not easily understood by everyone. Let us help you learn what position is, because it plays a major role in a player’s success at the table.

• If you are positioned in a manner where others make their move before you then you are already one step ahead of those players and you know what are the possibilities with which your opponents decided their moves. This benefit is generally available to anyone in the middle or late positions.
• Whenever a player is in right positions then they have more information in hand and lesser variables to deal with, they can attack the blinds in their own way and dicate the flow of the game with a wider range of hands. From a right position, there is a bigger number of starting hands that you can play and this alone can be a difference maker in big games.
• Position can go on and become you greatest asset in the game by allowing you quit game before wasting money when you see everyone going big after flop and you have weaker chances, or can make you bluff after seeing the confidence of all players.

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