First installment on hold em. I will talk about Omaha later. I have tried to teach many very smart people how to play winning poker and have never succeeded. Takes a long time for a person to "see the game." Seeing the game is the trick which means playing each person differently.
Hold em -- quick and dirty - this should be good enough to beat most 2-4/3-6 games
Three cardinal rules:
1) Hold em is a big card game, so play big cards most of the time.
2) When you feel you have the best hand bet or raise. Do not be a calling station. Play tight and strong (power poker).
3) Play tight in early position and loose in late position (if no one shows any strength) i.e you can play weaker hands. That is called position. Most good players do not even understand this concept.
To come in, in the first three seats you need an ace/queen or better, unless it is a weak game then ace/Jack can be considered..
Starting hands:
Get a book that shows starting hand value for each position. Hold em for Advanced poker by David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth is about the best.
amazon.com
I also like TJ Cloutier as he is a great street player.
When a roving band of young guns sit down prepared to intimidate you, here is the trick to beat them. Small pairs and suited connectors.
2) Small pairs 2's to 10's and suited connectors e.g. 3-4 clubs, 6-8 hearts etc. You need to guess at least 5 players will come in (including yourself)to play these hands.
Small pairs -- no set, no bet. Throw your hand away.
Small suited connectors - you must hit four cards to a straight or flush to continue. If you do hit it, bet.
Last, if you are dealt pocket 10's through aces, or ace king/ace queen, raise BEFORE the flop and play strong.
PS: one last tip, don't let anyone push you around. If someone is leaning on you, trying to scare you with lots of bets and raises, just sit back and wait for good hands. Then when you get a good hand, meekly check into them and when they bet into you trying to scare you, come over the top. Set traps for them. Remember they are chasing you with lesser hands and in the end who shows down the best hand wins. Scare them, and you will get lots of them to drop when you bet. What they are trying to get you to do!
Rule: When I am playing a lot of poker and start looking for hands, I know it is time to leave the game. When I am against tough players. I usually only play in 5 hour increments. Mind gets too tired and I only play 14 days in a row and then take a week off.
In limit hold em, I only play Ace queen or better in first two/three positions, unless the game is weak. My biggest money maker is when I make the flop to bet out, because they expect me to do that and so they call unaware I am setting a trap.
Then I check on the turn feigning weakness and then come over the top of them on 4th street. Bet on the river, unless a negative expectation arises and they almost always call.
I do not raise with small pairs and no set no bet. If I see a man raise with small pairs in limit hold em I know he has been watching a lot of TV and gotten no limit mixed up with limit-lol.
If I am in a real tight game I will just call with big hands more often than raise so I can pull the blinds into the game. I am going in with the best hand, so I will usually come out of it with the best hand.I am against two random hands.
I play mostly big cards unless I know there will be five people in the pot then I play my small pairs and suited connectors.
ABC poker. That alone will usually get you the money.
PS I play the whole game, never just my hand. |
