Online Poker Strategy and Poker Tips

Texas Holdem. Hold'em Poker Rules and Winning Strategy Tips

The basic Texas Holdem strategy and how to play Hold'em tips shown here are those that are generally agreed to and recommended by the experts on limit Holdem poker. The rules for Texas Holdem vary from most other Hold'em type games in that the players are dealt only two cards, and can play either both, one, or no cards from their two downcards to make the highest ranking final hand.

An understanding of these playing strategy basics is needed for all levels of competitive play, however. . . solid intermediate, and expert poker usually requires extensive research of the more advanced game tactics and plenty of hours of actual casino and online playing experience.

Holdem Poker Rules

Highest hand wins || Players may use one, both or neither of their hole cards to make their highest hand || Ace plays both high and low for straights || Three raise limit per round || Cards speak

Hold'em Strategy

General Hold'em Strategy:
Hold'em is basically HIGH card game. The players holding two good high cards have the best chance at the best hand or a draw to the best hand after the flop. Only play strong hands, that will stand a raise or multiple raises, from early betting positions. Play medium strength and other playable hands from the later positions if you have a good chance of seeing the flop at a reasonable price. Play strong high hands MOST of the time, and play them very aggressively. Take all the raises you can get. If you don't thin out the competition, you reduce your chances of winning. Plus, your aggressive play before the flop can add credibility to any strong play you might want to use on the next round if a garbage flop falls and you want to try a steal. Be ready to fold your high pair if you get a lot of action with a threatening flop.

Definitions:
HIGH CARDS - A thru 10 (Aces, Faces and Tens)
MEDIUM CARDS - 9 thru 7
LOW CARDS - 6 thru 2
SUITED PLAYER HAND (S) - Both cards of the same suit.
SET - Three of a kind with two of the three in your hand. (One in your hand and two on the board is "trips".)
NUT HAND - An unbeatable hand. Sometimes called a "lock".
FLOP, TURN. RIVER - The community cards in the order of distribution. See top illustration.
FAST PLAY - Bet, raise and re-raise to get as many other players out as possible.
SLOW PLAY - Just check or call along to keep other players in the game to increase the pot odds.
CHECK-FOLD - Check when you can and fold if you are bet into. Gladly accept all free cards offered.

Strategy Tips:
Fast play high pairs and very strong hands before the flop. This puts more money in the early pot and encourages weak and garbage hands to fold that could get a lucky flop and beat you.
Don't draw to the low end or both ends of a straight. If a 9 8 7 flops, you want to be playing the J 10 and not the 6 5 or the 10 6. (The low part is commonly called the "ignorant" end of the straight.)
Unconnected Medium and Low Cards are Usually Unplayable. This includes suited cards that can't flop a straight . Both ends of a straight such as 9 5 fall into this very weak catagory.
Play starting low pairs cautiously . 66 down to 22. Usually not from an early seat and from the late positions, only when the price is right. If you don't flop a set or quads you should usually fold.
Play aggressively when you have a two way draw after the flop. If you can make a straight AND a flush or trips etc., usually bet/raise your hand.
Bet an Ace or two high overcards after a garbage flop (a three suit "rainbow" with unconnected medium and low cards). Usually fold if someone raises.
Watch out for uniform flops , like 8 7 6, they can easily turn into straights that can overtake your high pair or other good hand.
Check the raisers chips. Players that are close to all-in often rush the betting just to get all their chips in a sink-or-swim last hand.
Beware of Suited Flops that can make a completed flush. In this case, you should usually hold the nut in that suit, or have trips or two pair that can fill up..
Get caught bluffing once in a while. It is a way to vary your play and not be too predictable. You win pots that you don't deserve when your bluff works. You lose a few chips when it doesn't work but it will get you calls from weaker hands down the line when you have a strong hand and need the action.
Study your opponents , especially when you are not playing hands and can pay careful attention. Do they find more hands to play than they fold? Do they bluff? Can they be bluffed? Do they have any "tells" (give away mannerisms) that disclose information about their hands etc.

No Limit Holdem. - No Limit Texas Hold'em Strategy

No Limit Hold'em is the most popular form of online poker, and every major online poker site offers the game.  If you can master the game you'll be able to make a lot of money at any hour at the online poker sites.

No Limit Texas Hold'em Strategy

Target Audience

This article is geared for new to intermediate players. I'm writing this article for typical casino no limit games and ones you will find online: $25, $50, $100, $200 buy-in games. If you play higher then what was just listed then most likely you'll already know everything below. This article is not about tournament play all though some of the concepts apply to that as well.

Who Are Your Opponents?

Who are your opponents is the number one concept that should dictate your play. But wait, shouldn't I be telling you which starting hands to play in which position? What about all those hand grouping tables? Forget all that nonsense! Most poker books fail to mention that you should adjust your game based on the people you are playing with. Instead they talk more about hand selection, position, odds, etc. Those concepts are all important but in my opinion, changing your style of play based on your competition is the most important lesson in no limit holdem. Unlike limit holdem which is very mechanical, no limit holdem affords a good player many more options. If you are playing well, you make your moves depending on whom you are against. I'm mentioning this concept first because it is thread that runs through all the other tips including everything from hand selection, to how much to bet, to when to bluff. So don't forget this one!

How Much To Bet

If you already know how to play limit holdem, one issue you'll be faced with when playing no limit is the question of how much to bet. Let me start off by saying what is typical. Let's say you are playing in a $100 no limit buy-in game where the blinds are 1/2. It would be normal for people to raise anywhere from $6-10 preflop. You'll see people raising different amounts, sometimes much more then that or just doubling the big blind, but by and large it is usually about 3 or 4 times the big blind. So is that how much you should raise? Maybe, maybe not. How much you should raise preflop depends on who you are playing with and what you want to accomplish.

Seven Card Stud.

A good sound Seven Card Stud Hi Lo Strategy requires playing good starting hands along with a good amount of concentration and being aware of the cards that have been dealt to your opponents. If you can do these three things - play good starting hands, concentrate, be aware - then you should be able to develop into a good Seven Card Stud Hi Lo player. I do recommend giving Seven Card Stud a try and get familiar with that game before moving on to the Hi Lo version. The major difference between Seven Card Stud Hi Lo and Seven Card Stud is that the Hi Lo version splits the pot between the best Hi hand and the Best Low hand. The best low hand can not contain any card higher than an eight.

Starting Hands
The most important decision you will make at the table will be deciding what starting hands to play. Good poker players are selective about the starting hands that they will play.  Most new players tend to play far too many hands and end up losing money.

As part of my recommended Seven Card Stud Hi Lo Strategy you will base your decision to play the hand only after looking at your starting hand and after looking at your opponents up cards.

If you notice that cards that are important to your hand have already been dealt to your opponents you may want to consider folding and saving yourself money.

Ok, now it is time to move on to specific starting hands.

The best starting hand that you will ever be able to start out with is an Ace, two and three all of the same suit. Low suited cards that are close to one another gives you the best chance at getting the high and low hand in Seven Card Stud by hitting a straight flush. Low cards that are connected or near connected but not suited (unsuited) gives you a possibility of a straight.

These are the cards that will give you the best opportunity to 'scoop' the pot meaning that you win both the high and low hand and win the entire pot.

Three Aces, Kings, and Queens give you a good opportunity to win half the pot. Additional strong hands to win the high hand include high cards that are suited and either connected or near connected.

Middle sets - hands that contain three of a kind of middle cards (9's, 8's 7's) can be playable depending on what cards your opponents are showing and what you think that they might have. Don't play these hands to just stay in the game if you think you are likely beaten.  Save your money for the next hand and fold.

When you feel that you have little chance to win you are always better off folding and saving your money. Poker players that win money are the ones who know when to fold and save money. The key to winning money in poker is to minimize the amount of money on any hand that you lose and to maximize the amount of money that you win.

Being aware of what cards the other players have been dealt and what they are doing (betting, raising, calling) is very important when playing Seven-Card Stud. You need to pay attention and see if cards that are important to your hand have been dealt. Also, see if any of the other players have a pair showing or if it looks like they may be on a flush or straight draw.

After every round you must try to figure out what each player has, did the last card that they receive help them, what are the cards that will improve your hand, is your hand good enough to win or what is the likelihood that you can make a hand that will win.

After the final card is dealt its time to figure out what your opponent has relative to your hand. Look at their up cards and see what the best possible hand that they could have is. If you are sure that you are beat fold.  If not then you can at least call the final bet especially if there is only one player left in the hand. At this point you would only be risking one big bet for the chance to win at least half the pot. But do be careful when chasing half the pot because oftentimes the risk may not be worth it to turn a small profit.

Seven Card Stud Hi Lo takes a lot of concentration but with a little practice you can be a winning player.

Omaha Poker.

Omaha Hi-Lo looks confusing but do not worry, even pro casino dealers sometimes have trouble determining the best hand. You have to look for the high as well as low hands with many card combinations so its easy to sometimes get a headache, but when you get used to the game, you'll mature in the ability to spot potential draws and winning combinations.

With four cards in your hole , many players have trouble laying down weak hands because it appears that they always have something worth chasing. Because of this, beginning players can often be considered a favorite in lower-limit games because they may simply be more disciplined in their hand selection. The split-pot structure between the Hi and Lo hands can create an illusion that one can play many hand combinations, but the reality is that superior players will consistently make good choices in hand selection.

Position strategy is much the same as standard Texas Holdem in that you can choose to play lesser hands in late position if the pot hasn't been raised. Strategy is also the same as Texas Holdem in the fact that the flop should fit your hand. If the flop misses your hand you should consider releasing your cards.

Omaha Hi/Lo Preflop

The critical skill in Omaha Hi/Lo is hand selection. Bluffing and Reading are of little value in Omaha 8. Also, before you decide to call with your 4 cards, ask yourself a what kind of flop would best fit your hand.

What if you've been raised?

Bluffing isn't much of a factor in Omaha Hi Lo so if you've been raised after the flop, there is a highly likely possibility the raiser probably has one of three hands:

• The Best possible high hand
• The best low hand with a draw to a high hand
• A high hand with a draw to a good low.

In this case you need to credit your opponent with a good hand. In all forms of poker, you need a stronger hand to call a raise than to initiate one. Call only if you believe you have a stronger hand. If not, you need to make the right choice and release it.

Razz Poker.

Razz Poker is a fun game, yet requires much patience. The best way to win is to steal the antes when the opportunity presents itself, and this depends on several key decisions:

Starting hands

Put very simply, a starting hand worth betting on in the 3rd Street will have 3 cards between Ace and Five, not including pairs. Playable starting hands for betting in the 4th Street should include 3 cards between Ace and 7, and marginal ones will have 3 cards between Ace and 8. Any hand with cards above 8 is not worth playing.

Up Cards

Observing other player's up cards is a good way to determine whether or not you have a strong hand. For example, If you have 3 cards from Ace to 9, and there are no other up cards with a value lower than 9, then it is likely that you have the strongest hand in 3rd Street. Even if you receive low pairs, as long as other players are receiving high up cards, you can still probably take the pot.

Folding

If your hand is not strong in the beginning, it is not worth continuing – you will just waste chips. Again, Razz is a game of patience.

Live & Dead cards

Unlike in other poker variations, Razz favors dead cards. This is because you don't want to get pairs in your starting hand, so any same card on the table for another player will ensure that you don't get any.

Ante stealing

There are several easy opportunities for a player to steal the ante:

1.When the bring-in player is seated to your left and everyone has folded – complete the bet and take the antes and bring-in home.

2. When you have the lowest up card.

3. When you have the second highest up card and everyone has folded.

Aggressive play

Razz is not a game of slow play. Of course, patience is required, yet when you do get a good starting hand, play it aggressively, because even if you get a poor card you will still be able to call on 4th Street with a good first hand.

Texas Holdem Rules.

1. If the first holecard dealt is exposed, a misdeal results. The dealer will retrieve the card, reshuffle, and recut the cards. If any other holecard is exposed due to a dealer error, the deal continues. The exposed card may not be kept. After completing the hand, the dealer replaces the card with the top card on the deck, and the exposed card is then used for the burncard. If more than one holecard is exposed, this is a misdeal and there must be a redeal.

2. If the flop contains too many cards, it must be redealt. (This applies even if it were possible to know which card was the extra one.)

3. If the flop needs to be redealt because the cards were prematurely flopped before the betting was complete, or the flop contained too many cards, the boardcards are mixed with the remainder of the deck. The burncard remains on the table. After shuffling, the dealer cuts the deck and deals a new flop without burning a card.

4. If the dealer turns the fourth card on the board before the betting round is complete, the card is taken out of play for that round, even if subsequent players elect to fold. The betting is then completed. The dealer burns and turns what would have been the fifth card in the fourth card?s place. After this round of betting, the dealer reshuffles the deck, including the card that was taken out of play, but not including the burncards or discards. The dealer then cuts the deck and turns the final card without burning a card. If the fifth card is turned up prematurely, the deck is reshuffled and dealt in the same manner.

5. If the dealer mistakenly deals the first player an extra card (after all players have received their starting hands), the card will be returned to the deck and used for the burncard. If the dealer mistakenly deals more than one extra card, it is a misdeal.

6. You must declare that you are playing the board before you throw your cards away; otherwise you relinquish all claim to the pot.

Seven Card Stud Rules.

Seven Card Stud is a classic poker game that's been around at least since the American Civil War. It's enjoying a comeback in online poker rooms, though it's not as popular as flop games such as Holdem and Omaha.

Succeeding in Seven Stud requires a whole lot of memorizing, so playing it online can be an advantage - players can use designated software or a simple spreadsheet to remember which cards were folded. This article is focused on the basic rules, and future articles will discuss online tips for Seven Card Stud.

Stud games are different from flop games such as Texas Holdem and Omaha, since there are no community cards. Instead, each player is dealt a set of individual cards. Hand rankings are the same, and the best five card combination makes up the hand.

Omaha Hi/Lo Rules.

Essentially Omaha Hi/Lo Poker Rules are exactly the same as Omaha Rules but for a slight distinction which is the presence of the Low. Of all the internet Poker Games Omaha Hi/Lo Poker would be one of the trickiest so if you can master this you are on the way to being a great player.

Omaha Hi/Lo Poker Rules allow for two winners who share the pot. There will be a Hi winner and a Low winner. Playing Omaha Hi/Lo Poker using Online Poker is fantastic as it takes all the headache of working out what is exactly going on and trying to work out who has won what.

Just like normal Omaha, the Hi winner is the player with the best poker hand. This is exactly the same.

For there to be a Low winner they must have 5 different cards below a 9 and once again, the only way they can do this is if they use of their two pocket cards and three of the community cards.

For example, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 would be a Low hand as would be A-3-5-7-8. When there is a Low winner, the pot is split 50/50 between the Low and High winner. If the two or more Low hands are identical, they split half the pot which is a quarter of the actual pot.

Because there must be at least three different low cards (under 9) on the board for there to be an eligible low hand, if there is not the winner of the High wins the whole pot.

Each player may use different pocket cards for his Hi and Low hands and thus may win both the high and low hands on the same hand which is known as scooping the pot. This is why Aces are so valuable in Omaha Hi/Lo Poker as they are the highest card when it comes to the High hand and the lowest card when it comes to the Low Hand.

By the Omaha Hi/Lo Poker Rules the best Low hand is 5,4,3,2,A with neither flushes nor straights disqualifing the eligibility of low hands. Some variants on the Omaha Hi/Lo Poker Rules do not allow flushes for the low hand but for the most part this is not the case.

Omaha Hi/Lo Poker is the game for the online poker player who has a good grasp of calculating pots odds and recognising what is and what isn't a good hand.