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Top 10 hold 'em tips
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30-03-2010 6:46pm#1As a starting off player, I got a couple of books and DVD's on hints and tips for the game. Below I will compile the top 10 which I found relevant to my status. Feel free to criticise or compliment them - I'm only starting off myself and they may be the worst tips ever, but I think they are decent.
1) Never look at your cards until you have to. This may give away a slight hint to other players' to what you have. When it's your turn to bet/call then look at them and keep your poker face on.
2) An opponent's neat stack usually means they only gamble with a decent hand - conservative player.
3) An opponent's untidy stack usually means they are willing to bet and raise alot - aggresive player.
4) Play tight early on. This will enable you to not lose too many chips, while giving you time to observe how other people play.
5) Only bluff on the turn. Many experianced players can tell if a player is bulling on the flop or pre-flop. It's alot harder for someone to tell a bluff on the turn.
6) Don't call on 'distant' cards eg A7. Alot of the time the flop fails to connect with your hole cards. But if you're feeling adventurous, by all means go for it.
7) Never call on 'suited distants' eg 3 9 diamonds. This works out the same way as point 6 alot of the time.
8) Before play commences, may sure you have 'starting standards'. This means have a certain lowest point you will join a hand with. This also avoids a player losing too many chips.
9) " While being faced with an opponent's bets, would I rather fold or raise the bet with the hand I'm currently holding? "
If you ask yourself this question and the answer is raise, at least you can call the bet. Whereas if the answer is fold, just do so straight away.
10) Your tips have to go here.
Sorry if these tips don't help you, I think they helped me alot.
I'd just ask please post all of your tips here and I will compile one mega-list.
Thanks.1
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Is this what this forum has been reduced to.0
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RichieLawlor wrote: »Is this what this forum has been reduced to.
So people are now not meant to help out others here, no?0 -
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As a beginner myself, that's what I was told to tell others as they would understand it.
Do you not see the apostrophe's outside the term?
Usually they show it's 'not exactly right.'0 -
hey chubby leave him alone , i need all the help i can get .RichieLawlor wrote: »Calling a hand 'suited distants' makes baby jesus cry
At least thats what my parole officer said.0 -
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Ok then I agree. The thread isn't the best of a title choice.0
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And I'm also sorry that I don't know 100% of all the poker terms.0
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RichieLawlor wrote: »Is this what this forum has been reduced to.
What, people acting like arsehol*s to people just starting out posting here?
No, it was always like that, wasn't it?
This is boards.ie
This is the poker forum
It is for members of boards.ie that are interested in poker.
Get over it.0 -
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Never mind some of the more obtuse answers Doyler.As a starting off player, I got a couple of books and DVD's on hints and tips for the game. Below I will compile the top 10 which I found relevant to my status. Feel free to criticise or compliment them - I'm only starting off myself and they may be the worst tips ever, but I think they are decent.
1) Never look at your cards until you have to. This may give away a slight hint to other players' to what you have. When it's your turn to bet/call then look at them and keep your poker face on.
This rule only applies to live play obviously, not online! It is also advice I have never really understood, since if you look at your cards under the gaze of everyone else - in other words if you wait till the action reaches you - then you're going to run the risk of giving your hand away anyway, no? My advice would be to mix it up so people can't tell when you'll be looking. Also, it is important to look at other people so you need to balance the whole thing between not giving yourself away and observing others. Play with a technique till it feels right. There's no hard-and-fast rule.
2) An opponent's neat stack usually means they only gamble with a decent hand - conservative player.
Very player dependent, and most probably too general a tip to be useful. However, if you can put this trait into an overall pattern of "conservative" tendencies you notice from a given player, then you might be on to something. Beware too of players giving off false tells - a loose player purposefully keeping a neat stack for example.
3) An opponent's untidy stack usually means they are willing to bet and raise alot - aggresive player.
Ditto
4) Play tight early on. This will enable you to not lose too many chips, while giving you time to observe how other people play.
Generally reasonable advice
5) Only bluff on the turn. Many experianced players can tell if a player is bulling on the flop or pre-flop. It's alot harder for someone to tell a bluff on the turn.
Absolutely wrong. 100% wrong. First, hard and fast rules about specific technical strategic points like this are almost always a bad idea in hold'em. Second, don't be so prescriptive - instead learn the strategy and take it from there. When you know the strategy of the game, you'll be able to tell whether raising the flop is a good idea or not - yon won't be relying on a turgid rule. Never say never.
6) Don't call on 'distant' cards eg A7. Alot of the time the flop fails to connect with your hole cards. But if you're feeling adventurous, by all means go for it.
Again, dispense with the hard-and-fast certainty. Instead learn WHY playing that hand is bad. If you understand that, then you will be folding for the right reason, not because of some "rule". For example, say we can identify 2 reasons why playing A7 is a bad idea:
1. Your A will be dominated too often when you get into a big pot
2. If you do hit your A, it is hard to get paid off by non-A hands
Now, if you understand this, then you are in a position to deviate from this strategy...not because you are feeling "adventurous", but rather because you can see some reason that alters the 2 assumptions above. For example, your opponants are really terrible and will play A2 to A6 so much and pay you off with their 66 when you hit your A or 7. In this case, A7 might be a profitable hand....so you play it. Because you understand WHY the hand is generally BAD to play, you can adjust your reasoning to sometimes play it, not to be "adventurous" but because the reasons not to play it have changed.
And, once again, never say never.
7) Never call on 'suited distants' eg 3 9 diamonds. This works out the same way as point 6 alot of the time.
Ditto-ish the points I made above, except that 39 is so awful a hand you should actually, erm, ahhhh, never play it! Never say never. Usually.
8) Before play commences, may sure you have 'starting standards'. This means have a certain lowest point you will join a hand with. This also avoids a player losing too many chips.
Well, yes. This is called your opening range...the "range" of hands you will play preflop for a call, raise, re-raise or fold. Every player has a basic list of hands they play depending on their position, their opponents, their stack size and a hundred other variables.
9) " While being faced with an opponent's bets, would I rather fold or raise the bet with the hand I'm currently holding? "
If you ask yourself this question and the answer is raise, at least you can call the bet. Whereas if the answer is fold, just do so straight away.
Just junk this "tip" entirely. It's total nonsense. There are far more solid approaches to deciding what to do with a hand than depending on this, frankly, garbage tip.
10) Your tips have to go here.
> Position is to poker as water is to swimming. The longer you leave your poker career without fully internalising and accepting how important position is the longer you'll be waiting to make money
> When you have a good hand BET THE BLOODY THING!! Bet with good hands, fold with bad hands. Don't get into the fish habit of betting when you have nothing and checking when you have a hand, trying to be "tricky". That's losing poker.
> When trying to work out what your opponant has, you have lots of things to consider, but never lose sight of perhaps the most important factor: the action they have just made. Many players seem to factor in their read, position, hand ranges, gameflow....and then totally ignore that the player has just, say, raised. Which is really a key piece of information.
> As a beginner, play tight. As you get better, play more hands.
> The No. 1 reason poker players fail: bad temperament. That encompasses tilt control, bad bankroll management, bad manners, playing when drunk or tired, losing concentration etc. This might seem like "soft" advice, but it's not. It's as hard as poker advice gets.
> Might add some more later0 -
RichieLawlor wrote: »Is this what this forum has been reduced to.
Yeah it's pretty sad what this forum has been reduced to, and by this; I'm not referring to the OP. I'm referring to the fact that people like you, who were one of the old regs, feel it is necessary to come back here from IPB and troll new posters who are only learning the game.
Everyone starts out as a beginner and everyone goes through a learning curve in the game. I'm sure you were no different so how about cutting the OP some slack.
Fair play to Treehouse for taking the time to do up an excellent reply to the OP.0 -
I'm gonna address two of these, the rest are either plain wrong, or obviously right.
Firstly, only bluffing the turn. Thats nonsense. Game theoretically, you should be able to bluff every street. If you don't, your ranges will be unbalanced towards strong hands, and you will likely either weight your betting and raising ranges on other streets either towards monsters, or you will try and incorrectly adjust and go for thin merges. Its way best to have some bluffs in there too. They just balance out your strong hands. Bluffing only the turn is completely nonsensical.
Next one is, "" While being faced with an opponent's bets, would I rather fold or raise the bet with the hand I'm currently holding? "
If you ask yourself this question and the answer is raise, at least you can call the bet. Whereas if the answer is fold, just do so straight away.
Sometimes hands are awful to raise with, and awful to fold, and extremely clear calls. What does this question make of them? Obv this is just misapplied nonsense.0 -
Well lads yes I am a beginner and maybe them points are ridiculous but as a beginner I thought they may have of some value. I would just also like to thank the lads who cleared up them concerns.0
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And I'm also sorry that I don't know 100% of all the poker terms.
Action
When a player stays in a hand, giving action to the round.
Ante
A small bet put in by each player.
All In
To put all the rest of your money into the pot.
Backdoor
Catching the turn and river cards to make a hand.
Bad Beat
To have a hand that is way behind and has little chance of winning, "catch" an unlikely card or cards to beat the much stronger hand.
Bankroll
The money a player has to play with is their bankroll.
Bet
To wager.
Bet the Pot
To make a bet equal to the pot size.
Big Blind
The larger of the two blinds, the blind that is put in by the player 2 seats left of the dealer, except when 2 players are left, then the dealer is the small blind.
Big Slick
Nickname for the hand of ace-king. One of the best starting hands in texas hold'em.
Blank
A card in the community cards that does not affect the players hands.
Blind
A forced bet for the first two positions at the table. The small blind is put in by the first position and the big blind is put in by the second position. The only time this changes is when there are 2 players left, at this point the dealer is the small blind.
Bluff
To act like a hand is better than it really is.
Board
The community cards, the cards shared by the players.
Boat
A nickname for a full house, a set and a pair.
Bottom Pair
A pair that includes the smallest ranked card on the flop.
Broadway
Ace high straight.
Bullets
Two aces.
Burn Card
To discard the top card from the deck. This is done before the flop, turn and river.
Buy The Pot
Make a bet that causes the other players to fold without having to show your cards.
Buy In
The amount of money you pay to enter a game.
Call
To put in the amount of money equal to the bets before you. Once everyone at the table has called or all the money is in the pot, play continues to the next round.
Cash Game
Game using either currency, or poker chips exchanged for currency. You can leave the game at any time with your money as opposed to a tournament where you play until you win or are knocked out.
Check
When no one has bet in front of you and you do not bet.
Check Raise
To check and have the betting come back to you (not everyone checked or called) and you raise. This can be a sign of very strong cards, that a player was slow playing but since someone raised they are now raising even more!
Chop
When players decide to end a game early and split up the winnings between whomever is left in the game.
Color Up
Exchanging smaller chips for higher valued chips, this can happen when there are a lot of chips and blinds have grown to where smaller chips slow a game down because of all the counting.
Community Cards
The cards dealt face up and used by everyone to form hands.
Connector
Cards in which two cards are one apart in rank.
Dead Man's Hand
Aces and Eights. Hand known from Wild Bill Hickock's last hand.
Dead Money
Someone who plays in a tournament but doesn't have a chance of winning so they are just contributing to the better players.
Dealer Button
A marker that indicates who is currently the dealer.
Draw to a Hand
Starting with cards that are 1 or 2 cards away from a hand and with the cards coming up making that hand.
Drawing Dead
No matter what cards come up at this point, you are drawing dead and can not possibly win.
Early Position
First player to act in a betting round.
Family Pot
A hand in which all the players call before the flop.
Fast Play
To play aggressively.
Fifth Street
Also known as the River, the fifth community card.
Flop
The first three community cards, put out face up.
Flush
Poker hand where all the cards are of the same suit.
Flush Draw
Poker hand where 4 cards are of the same suit and one more of that suit is needed to obtain a Flush.
Four Of a Kind
Four of the same ranked cards, for example 4 Kings.
Fourth Street
Also known as the Turn, the fourth community card.
Free Card
The turn or river card in which you don't have to call a bet.
Free Roll Tournament
Tournament with free entry for prizes.
Full Boat
Another name for Full House, a set and a pair.
Full House
A set and a pair.
Gutshot Straight
A straight that is obtained by drawing a card that is inside the straight run.
Heads Up
When only 2 players are left in the game.
High Card
Poker hand is the highest card in the hand.
Hole Cards
Two cards in players hand.
In Position
Playing after another person.
Kicker
After matched hands, the top high card. For example if both players have a set of Jacks, the player with the next highest card has the top kicker.
Late Position
Final players to receive cards.
Limp In
To call pre-flop.
Limit Game
A version of texas hold'em in which a player must bet/raise by the current blind amount.
Live Blind
When a player has a forced bet and the player still has the option of raising when it is their turn.
Live Cards
Cards that are not matched up with an opponent, so matching either card improves your hand.
Low Limit Game
A small stakes game.
Middle Position
Player that acts half way through the round.
Muck
To fold the hand.
No Limit Game
A version of poker in which a player may bet any amount of chips (up to the number in front of him) whenever it is his turn to act.
Nuts
The best possible hand. When a player has the nuts, no one can beat their hand.
Offsuit
Cards with different suits.
Open Ended Straight Draw
Hand with 4 cards in a row and a possible card on either side of the straight.
Outs
The possible cards that will allow you to win the hand.
Over Card
A card that is higher than any card on the board.
Over Pair
A pair that is higher than any community card rank.
Over the Top
To bet over another bet, also known as a reraise.
Pair
Two cards of the same rank, for example two Jacks.
Pocket Cards
The card in the players hand.
Pocket Pair
Two cards of the same rank.
Position
Position of the player at the table, how far into the round the player has to act on his/her hand.
Post a Blind
When a player puts in money for the forced blind. The small blind is put in by the first position and the big blind is put in by the second position. The only time this changes is when there are 2 players left, at this point the dealer is the small blind.
Pot
Money that is in the current hand that the players are playing for.
Pot Committed
A point when the player has so much money into the pot, they will continue to stay in no matter what.
Pot Limit
Texas hold'em where a player may bet up to the amount of money in the pot.
Pot Odds
The amount of money that is in the pot compared to how much money the player has to put in to stay in the game.
Protect Your Money
To bet so that weaker hands fold, this will keep the number of players against you down and stop weaker hands from getting lucky.
Push
A tie in the game.
Rags
Bad cards.
Raise
To bet.
Rake
An amount of money taken out by the house.
Rebuy
An option to buy back into a tournament after you've lost your money.
Represent
To play a hand in a way that represents a certain hand.
Reraise
To raise a raise.
River
The fifth and final community card.
Rounder
A skilled poker player.
Runner
Sometimes referred to as runner-runner, meaning that both cards on the turn and river make the players hand.
Satellite Tournament
A tournament which awards a seat at a bigger tournament.
Semi-bluff
Bluffing without a strong hand, but a hand that can still be drawn to.
Set
Three of a kind.
Short Stacked
When a player has very little money compared to other players.
Showdown
When all the players show their hands at the end of a round.
Side Pot
A pot that is created since a player has all their money into the pot and at least two players are left betting above the all in players bet.
Slow Playing
Playing a strong hand weakly.
Small Blind
The smaller of two blinds, which is put in by the player left of the dealer.
Splash the Pot
To toss chips into the pot instead of keeping the chips in front of you. This makes it hard to keep track of bets.
Split Pot
A pot that is split by 2 or more players since they all have the same hand.
Stack
The stack of chips a player has.
Straddle
An optional extra blind bet which is made by the player one to the left of the big blind which is twice the big blind. It is basically like having 3 blinds.
Straight
A hand with 5 cards in sequence.
Straight Draw
A hand with 4 cards in sequence, with at least 1 card left to be flipped.
Straight Flush
A hand with 5 cards in sequence all of the same suit.
String Bet
Betting where the player puts in a certain amount of chips, then adds more after increasing the bet. This is not allowed since string betting could be a way of getting a reaction from your opponents.
Suited Cards
Cards that are the same suit.
Suited Connector
Cards that are the same suit and are off by one in rank.
Tell
Something that a player does that gives away information about their hand.
Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same rank.
Tilt
A player that is playing recklessly.
Top Kicker
After matched hands, the top high card. For example if both players have a set of Jacks, the player with the next highest card has the top kicker.
Trips
Three of a kind.
Turn
The fourth community card. Put out face up, by itself. Also known as "fourth street."
Two Pair
A hand that contains 2 pairs.
Value Bet
A bet for value, when a player wants more players to call the bet to get more money into the pot.0
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