Poker Player kings: How to Use Strategy to Win a Texas Hold’ Em Game In Poker

Method 1
Playing Your Position

1
Know what your position at the table means. In Texas Hold’em the dealer changes with every hand and understanding where you are in relation to the dealer will help you develop a strategy to win Texas Hold’em.^[1]
- The dealer usually has the strongest position as he has the button and the ability to bet last. The player who bets last will have the most information to work with as they’ve seen all other players bet before making a move.
- The player to the right of the right of the dealer, sometimes known as the “cutoff” can potentially be in a stronger position than the dealer as he has the ability to bet big enough to force the dealer out.
- Players in early betting positions are the weakest as they have the least amount of information to go on. However, there is a bit of a balancing out for the first round if you are either the big or small blind, as you have a bet already on the table.^[2]
2
Use your position to narrow the field. Narrowing the field means eliminating the other players for the hand. Some players will use a bet big strategy to win Texas Hold’em, and while this may work, it also means you’re more likely to lose big. Instead, try a strategy where you make smaller, smarter bets to force other players to fold.
- If you’re positioned at the top of the betting round you can make smaller bets and wait to see how other players react.
- Regardless of where you are positioned, your hand will indicate how you should proceed. Pairs are your best option and the higher the pair the better off you are. Also look to see if your cards are of the same suit as suited cards also give you a better chance and can allow for a flush.^[3]
- If you do have a good hand you can make a larger bet to force other players out, especially if you have the opportunity to wait to see how the other players have bet. For example, if other players aren’t betting very high, you can raise the pot and force a fold.
3
Let other players battle it out. If you are in an earlier position you do have the benefit of being able call and then waiting to see how other players handle the betting. If a player bets big after you’ve called, you now know that he is either bluffing, or has a good hand. Chances are other players will make moves that indicate where the pot is going.
- When you are later to act in a round of betting you are at a great advantage. This is helpful against predictable players who always check with weak hands and raise with good hands. You can play marginal hands and bet when they check to you. You can also re-raise players who bluff too much.
4
Know when to fold based on your position. Sometimes you just get a bad hand and in an early position. This is a long game so sometimes your strategy for winning Texas Hold’em involves folding and waiting until you’re in a better position.
- If you’ve already bet but see other players raising the pot and you don’t have a good hand it might be best to take the hit and fold your hand. This way when you’re in a better position in a later hand, you’ll still have your chips to bet with.
- Try not to fold before the flop unless a player is betting extremely large and you have a bad hand like a two and six. Even though this hand doesn’t look promising on its own it could create a straight, two pairs, three of a kind, or even a full house. But, if you’re in an early position and have to raise your bet to stay in with an unlikely winning hand, it might be best to fold.

Method 2
Reading Your Opponents

1
Read the table and the players. Reads are a very important part of poker. Practice putting your opponent on hands, meaning making educated guesses as to what his cards are, and profiling what type of player he is based on the hands he plays and how he plays them.^[4] With enough practice you’ll soon see that you can narrow your opponent's hand down to a few possibilities.
- This involves paying attention to players’ tendencies. Note which players like to bet big, who plays a tight game, etc.
2
Look for tells. Everyone, even the best poker players in the world will have a tell. Some players are just much better at disguising them. This doesn’t exactly mean seeing if a player itches his nose every time he has a good hand. It’s more about finding a pattern in a player’s betting and folding habits. After all, any strategy to win Texas Hold’em involves playing all the cards, not just your own.
- Pay attention to see if a player folds early when he has a bad hand. If he is suddenly betting in several rounds then chances are he has a good hand.
- Take note on the size of bets and look for patterns. If a player usually just calls or makes the minimum bet and is suddenly acting out of character that could be a tell.
- More obvious tells are head scratching, sighing, and even how the player is sitting. A relaxed player might have a good hand while a player with a bad hand might be slumping. Read body language to inform you.
3
Play the player. If your opponent is a tight player, meaning he’s careful with his bets, you can loosen up and play weaker starting hands like K-J unsuited, “bad aces” like A-3, or or a lower pair. If he comes at you with a raise, you might be beat and should throw away marginal hands.
- Perhaps you’re up against a player who is looser with his bets. You can play him against himself by baiting him into raising his bets. If you have a good hand and you know your opponent likes to bet, then go ahead and see if you can draw him out. Just be mindful that he might have a good hand as well.
4
Bluff. Bluffing is an art learned over time. If you are new to bluffing, then try doing it on smaller bets that won’t impact you too much if you lose. Focus on staying consistent with your actions, and try not to let your voice or face give you away.
- Betting with a hand that is not out rightly a probable winner is a good way to get used to bluffing. If you have an decent hand but you think the odds are good that it may improve with more cards coming down the river, this can be a great way to practice bluffing and end up being a very profitable play.
- You basically have two ways to win through a bluff. Your opponents think that they can’t beat you based on your bets and fold right away, or you keep bluffing in the hopes that you can make the best hand (usually flush or straight). This tactic works best in later position if everyone checks to you.

Method 3
Calculating the Odds

1
Play fewer hands. As long as you have chips on the table you’re in the game. Playing fewer hands is a strategy to win Hold’em that involves you waiting for the right cards.
- In Hold’em, there are a 169 combinations of hands of you can be dealt, not including hands of the same suit. suits.^[5]Only five of those hands are premium hands that will give you the best chance at winning.
  - AA
  - KK
  - QQ
  - JJ
  - AK - if they’re the same suit.
- There are fifteen hands that are considered top hands including the five above. Other combos include the Ace and face cards, along with high numbered pairs like two (2) tens.
- That means that you should focus on playing hands that are most likely going to reward you instead of trying to constantly bluff or out bet other players with a weaker hand.
2
Get rid of small pockets as soon as they don’t serve you. This doesn’t mean immediately folding if you get dealt one of these hands, especially if you’re either big or small blind and have already bet.
- Hands like 2-2 ,5-5 or 7-7 lose most of their value after the flop unless you make a set (three of a kind) so it’s better not to hold out for something down the river and just cut your losses.
- You don’t always have to fold on a small pocket as they could lead to a winning hand, but don’t let yourself get carried away just because you start with a pair.
3
Play the pot odds. If there is a large pot, say $100 and your opponent has raised another $100 then it’s usually a mistake to chase the pot hoping that you can end up with something like a flush or straight. This strategy typically has you losing more than winning.
- Don’t always chase straight and flush draws even though it’s tempting. A skilled opponent won’t let you see the next card without first paying up unless he’s confident he has your draw beat and is trying to win the pot as quickly as possible.
- While making large bets is a tactic to forcing other players to fold, sometimes a bet that’s very large can be an indication that your opponent has the winning hand.
4
Be assertive when the odds are in your favor. Remember that these strategies for winning Texas Hold’em rely largely on you being patient and taking in as many small or medium pots as you can instead of a couple larger ones. If you’ve employed the other strategies here and have waited for quality hands, you can use what you know to beat your opponents.
- For example. The odds of getting two cards that you need on the turn or the river is less than 1%. So as soon as you have a hand you’re confident you can win with, bet like you’re going to win.
- Raise before the flop and if you hit your hand keep betting, but don’t overdo it, one pair won’t often win big pots, but a high pair can lead to a solid win if you can force other players out quickly. When you play aggressively, you can put your opponents onto the defensive and can force them out making it less likely for someone to make a better hand than you.