----------------------------------- PokerGuru 31.03.2006, 23:57 HOW TO WIN TEXAS HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ONLINE ----------------------------------- WINNING TEXAS HOLD'EM NL ONLINE Hello, dear Crushers! The first thing I must do is to apologize to you for taking so long to get this article in. I apologize. The second thing I must do is to explain to you why it is late. If you will recall, I told you not long ago that I would rather not post a feature article at all than to post one that I thought would not help you that much. Well, I have written three articles before this one that I threw in the trash rather than post. Now I know this is not the way most feature writers talk to their readers. But I also told you once that I fit in the category of "holding back nothing" and allowing you to see what I see behind the lines -- in the pro poker lounge or in my office desk drawers. Reading this style of writing might take a little getting used to, but it is the only way I can do it. I just never learned to walk on eggshells, nor am I interested in learning. Since learning is the subject here, I guess I had better turn now to some teaching, huh? I do, however, want to tell you one more thing. The reason this column is sometimes very difficult for me to be satisfied with enough to post is because I am trying to teach you the way pro poker players do it -- and at the same time keep its language at a level that a beginner can easily understand. Okay. No more explaining the why of it. Let's just get down to it! Our goal is to make each of you, at whatever level you are now, able to start making money often enough playing poker that you feel comfortable raising your play to higher stakes and might even begin thinking about playing poker as a well-paid full time job. We have already ruled out luck as much of a factor. That is good because I could never teach anybody how to be lucky. But I sure can teach you the skills you need to begin winning far, far more often than you lose. I am discussing poker at a single table here. Not at a tourney. There is a difference in how you should play the two. And I reccommend by far that you spend most of your time playing at a table that is not involved in a tournament. It is much easier to win against 6, 8, or 9 opponents than it is to win against a whole field of tournament entries! Do play tourneys once in a while, though. Just do it mostly for fun at this stage in your career and save your money to invest in stakes for the "ring" games. Much, much easier to win! Also, stick with No Limit Texas Hold'em. Several reasons. That is where you will find the most players who have no idea what they are doing -- the ones who think they can depend on luck. They see that No Limit Hold'em is the game played on television and they know that is the game that is dominating poker all over the world. And that is where most of their knowledge ends. I say that because they have been playing only as long as poker has become so popular, which is really just a couple of years. And it has not yet occurred to most that, like anything else, you have to have a good bit of knowledge about it to be successful at it. YOU are doing it the RIGHT WAY and you are by far in the minority......what will soon become the "winning" minority because the majority cannot be winners. You are willing to educate yourself before you start putting much money into it. What could be more intelligent? Tongue in cheek, I think, I will say that is why you are a minority, the winning minority. What majority do you know that is willing to study before acting to a great extent? By the way, it is easier to win online than at the land casinoes. Just trust me on that little-known fact. Trust me, also, when I tell you that no online poker site at which I have ever played (most of them) has ever been "rigged" or dishonest. Why should these huge poker sites even try to cheat when they get the same amount of rake dollars, no matter who wins at the tables on their sites. They simply have no financial interest in who wins. The rake they get is for providing us the place to play, bringing a whole bunch of people together who want to play, and keeping all our records for us. I consider that a fair deal all around. Now that you know where to play and what to play and are learning how to play, you already have an advantage. But now.....about how much to bet. To start with, play at the tables that have the lowest blinds at that site. When you begin to get bored with winning only pennies, move up to blinds of 10 cents and 25 cents. The play will be much more exciting at the 25 cents and 50 cents tables -- because that is where most of the guys who don't know how to play but are greedy and feel lucky will be playing. By now you should know you can make mincemeat out of them! There are also plenty of them at the 10 cents and 25 cents tables. My personal rule for deciding how big the blinds should be at the tables I play on any given night is this: I always start at low stakes games, even now, and the minute I start to become bored, I move up. The reason is this: Feeling bored is a form of being on tilt, which means disaster for any player in that condition. We all must ALWAYS guard against playing while on tilt, because more often than not, we are not aware when we are. But you can bet the other players are watching and they will move in for the kill when they see you approaching tilt! So play at tables where the stakes are just barely high enough to keep you excited.......and then play VERY, VERY conservatively. I reccommend that you not try to beat your opponents. Instead, sit back, relax, fold about 3 out of 4 hands you are dealt, and LET THEM, in their "lucky" eagerness, BEAT THEMSELVES! If, as soon as you are dealt the first 2 cards, you think you might have to fold at some time during that game --- NOW is the time to fold. Why put your hard-earned money into the pot for awhile, building it up for somebody else, and THEN fold? If you have to fold, the sooner, the better. At every game I play, online or at a land place, I make sure to tell myself 2 things just before I sit down. One of them is, "A hand not played is a hand not lost." I don't actually count the number of times I fold pre-flop, but it always turns out to be about 3 out of 4 hands. And remember that I make my living doing this! Don't get overly excited when one of your hole cards is an Ace. I never play a hand where I have one Ace and anything under 9 unless they are the same suit. If they are the same suit, I will start playing with a suited Ace and any other card (suited!), but if anybody raises on the first round, I FOLD. I also fold them if no more than half of those at the table folded. Now we are getting down to the nitty-gritty of playing I was telling you about last time. What to hold and what fold. Remember this about Aces: A big pair of them can be beat by just three 2's. A pair of Aces is still JUST a pair. However, if you are dealt a pair of them as hole cards, stick in there until there have been 2 or 3 raises or until only the river remains to be dealt, whichever comes first. Anf if there is only one player left besides you just before the river is dealt, stay with him until he bets a huge amount unless you KNOW he is one who bluffs often. In that case, call no matter what he bets! But let me remind you of this important fact: MOST players DO NOT bluff. I should have said most good players, because the fish who don't understand the game are frequent bluffers.....and frequent losers! I suspect I have gone on with enough for one of your two notebooks for tonight, so I expect to be back right here with some good nitty-gritty stuff and much sooner than I have been! Don't be afraid to play. If you have stuck with us this long, YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES! Very affectionately, Your PokerGuru ----------------------------------- 01.04.2006, 22:55 ----------------------------------- Hi Guru..:) I am sure many will find your post and advice most valuable. It was an excellent read! DrC ----------------------------------- PokerGuru 02.04.2006, 21:07 ----------------------------------- Thank you very much, DrCrush! That is my one and only purpose, as you know ---- to be helpful to this fine group of Poker Crushers. Many of them have already won my respect as I have observed them at the tables. So much potential all together here in one site! We definitely have some who would not surprise me a bit by showing up one fine day soon at the final WSOP table! How exciting that would be for the rest of us! Thanks again for the opportunity to be their PokerGuru ----------------------------------- sunspun 03.04.2006, 02:25 ----------------------------------- Wow - I haven't had the time yet to really read this one, but there's a lot of information here! Something that I think deserves more of my time than what I have at this moment, so I'll be sure to get back real soon and study it! You obviously put some a lot of time and thought into it, and you should know you are appreciated Mr Guru!! I'm thinking I might actually decide to get serious about playing poker now - instead of just playing around with it just for fun. I've spent so much time on it now, I should be getting serious. Thanks again, sunspun ----------------------------------- PokerGuru 03.04.2006, 05:18 ----------------------------------- Dearest Poker-Crusher SUNSPUN, Now you are getting me all excited that another one of my followers is thinking about getting serious about poker! You have certainly picked the right time! Poker, especially Texas Hold'em No Limit Online is rocking the world at this time! There are more stories of "From Rags to Riches" in this category than I have ever encountered elsewhere. But be very careful. I sense a "playing-around" attitude about you, which is awesome and great .......EXCEPT when you are playing poker. Please be kind enough to do me the honor of reading my feature articles and you will see how easy it can be done, even when done the RIGHT way. LOL By the way, ALL CRUSHERS, I think my feature columns will be easiern to find in the near future. I am presently discussing it with DrCrush. Warmest Wishes, PokerGuru ----------------------------------- ALW 17.02.2007, 22:41 ----------------------------------- Hello Poker Guru, I found this article very informative and easy to absorb. There were just enough 'statistic's', do's & do not's etc.' so as not to clutter the mind , leaving space enough for me to ponder and fully take in what I've just read. Thank You. Alan P.S. Please do not feel that you have to hold back or explain your perona to any of us at anytime This is the way you have mastered the game, and therefore the way we all want to learn from you. Just like it is. Beside's, most members already know you very well. Anyhow, if the grass is green, what is wrong with saying " the grass is green,????" Your time and effort's are very much appreciated by us all. You are very important to us. We both respect and hang on your every word. Your ever loyal Poker-Crusher's ----------------------------------- sunspun 21.02.2007, 13:26 ----------------------------------- Some of your words you posted above, Guru, that I have a question about: "At every game I play, online or at a land place, I make sure to tell myself 2 things just before I sit down. One of them is, "A hand not played is a hand not lost." Sound advice there, and I still need to remind myself of that more often. I hate to fold! But my question was about the other thing! You said there were 2 things you tell yourself before every game, but I don't think you ever went on to tell us what the other was. Was that intentional ('cause I don't want to be nosy if it's something personal that you hadn't PLANNED to share). So if I'm not being nosy... I was wondering if you would u tell us what the other thing is? I just got curious about this after re-reading the post today, so thought I'd go ahead and ask. THANKS YOU AGAIN! sunspun ----------------------------------- ALW 21.02.2007, 14:14 ----------------------------------- Hi sunspun, All credit to you for paying our Guru's ' word's of wisdom ' the attention that they deserved. But now you mention it, I'd also like to know. Well done, Alan ----------------------------------- PokerGuru 22.02.2007, 06:31 ----------------------------------- Dear Sunspun and ALW, First of all, THANK YOU! Thank you for the good-to-hear and encouraging words you had for me! More important, thank you for being excellent poker scholars -- the kind that end up as pros. How do I know that? Because you are doing exactly what all high-winning pros do: you are going back and reviewing all that you have learned from the beginning.......going back and re-studying the first lessons I presented to you! Just like medical doctors have to keep going back and reviewing what they have learned about certain procedures in order to stay sharp......so do poker pros! And also the MOST successful ones of ANY profession. That is how they avoid becoming lazy in their field.......and good poker players, more than most, MUST NEVER become lazy in their learning more today AND reviewiing more of what they learned before! OR ELSE it will slowly but steadily slip right out of their memory and soon that leads to a great player becoming a losing has-been player. PLEASE don't ever let that happen to you. NO ONE can keep it ALL in their head all the time without reviewing constantly.......that is another big secret of the top players that I was getting ready to prepare a lesson on! I think you two just saved me the time of doing that.....so I can spend it leading you onward to more new knowledge! Sooooo THANK YOU! I hope all PCers read this post and get this message firmly established in their minds! Now, on to your request.......it is my pleasure. The second thing is, "Keep your mind off how much money is in the pot because thinking about it can only keep you from focusing 100% on playing the cards in your hand the best possible way! Which will be the same, no matter the size of the pot! Love to you good scholars. Your PokerGuru ----------------------------------- ALW 22.02.2007, 07:06 ----------------------------------- Thank you Poker Guru I appreciate your reply I read and I learn, Then I store and adopt