Best Texas Hold'em Poker Strategy Guide & Tips

This article includes tips and tricks from the best Texas Hold em poker strategies. Learn how to reduce the house edge and increase your chances of coming out on top.

Texas Hold ‘em poker has quickly become one of the most popular card games in the world. A huge amount of tips and tactics have been developed for the short-term game, but if you want to win consistently then you need long-term strategy.

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We’re going to explain some of the key Texas Hold ‘em strategies that will give you the best chance of winning. Let’s start at the very beginning; your opening hand.

Opening Hand Strategy Chart

The two cards that you’re dealt are obviously only a small part of the game, but it’s vital to know what to do with them. As with everything in poker, long-term strategy relies on probabilities. Our Texas Hold ‘em strategy chart below shows what you should do with each combination to have the best chance of winning the hand.

Texas Hold em Position

Position is a very underrated advantage in poker. Basically, it denotes where you are in the betting order. In a late position, you’ll get to see how most of your opponents bet before making your decision. This is called ‘having position’ on them. As you can see in the table above, the later your position, the more opening combinations you have to work with. If you’re playing face-to-face, seeing your opponents bet also allows you to watch for tells, enabling you to bluff more confidently.

Texas Hold em Tips To Win

Betting with confidence is one of the most important rules when it comes to Texas Hold ‘em strategy. A lot of this has to do with bet sizing, so internalize these tips to win and you’ll be well on your way. There are three main aspects: pre-flop, post-flop, and bluffing.

Pre-flop

Using the table above will show you when to bet pre-flop, but how much should you bet? A good rule of thumb is to follow what your opponents have done previously. If the usual pre-flop raise is around twice the big blind, then use that as a guide.

Post-flop

If you were the pre-flop raiser, your post-flop bet is called a continuation bet, or c-bet. This should be around 50-70% of the pot and will define the strength of your hand. Too little and you risk a re-raise from an opponent, but too much and you may end up committed to weak hand.

Bluffing

Bluffing is a technique that you must be comfortable with for it to work. If you’re playing against a cautious opponent, however, it can be a huge advantage. Experiment when you have a good hand; does he fold when you bet 80% of the pot? This is another occasion where you shouldn’t bet too big. If there is the chance of a straight on the flop, a huge bet would be an obvious bluff.

Texas Hold em When To Fold

One of the best ways to get ahead in poker is to not lose money. This may seem like common sense, but not folding when you should is a classic beginners’ mistake. Folding may not increase your bankroll, but it won’t deplete it either. Don’t be lulled in by weak aces and bad positions; use the rules we have outlined on this page to give yourself the best chance of winning.

FAQs about Texas Hold'em

How can I find out what my tell is?

Tells are mostly reserved for playing face-to-face, but you may find some will translate to online poker too. The only way to really find out if you have a tell is to play against a trusted friend and analyse your game together. The higher the stakes, the more likely your tell is to appear.

What does No Limit Texas Hold ‘em mean?

No Limit poker means that players can bet as much as they have in front of them. There is no set betting limit. This will often see novice players being put out of the game very quickly when they bet big on a bluff.

Are there online tools to help me improve my game?

Yes there are. You can download poker software which enables you to input your cards and see the win percentage in real time. Some will also give you hints based on how your opponents are betting.