No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH) is the most popular form of poker since early 2000s.
Target Audience for this article:
- DEFINITELY NOT PROs or absolute Newbies who don’t know 3-of-a-kind beats 2-pair.
- Amateurs/Semi-Pros who play poker quite often; but couldn’t WIN that often.
- Online players whose bankroll don’t see an upswing and often go broke.
- Players who have huge swings; they make a killing one night and lose it all other night; Looking to stabilize their game.
- Anyone in a Multi-Table Tournament (MTT); who wants to solidify their ABC mode without trying fancy moves against poor players who don't have any idea to even understand or appreciate those moves.
Entering the Game
- When you take a seat in a new game, take time to settle; sit-out till big blind or even longer; to categorize the opponents as TIGHT/LOOSE and (AGG)ressive/(PAS)sive.
- Take notes on unusual play; if a player bets/raises with QQ ignore that, everyone would do that. Make a note, if a player re-raises pre-flop with 66, if he bets from late position with just the TOP pair, etc, if the player colds calls every PFR (pre-flop-raise) with suited connectors, if he limps in with huge hands like AA/KK, etc.
- Don’t OVER-DO the taking-notes section. Make it brief (tight/loose; agg/pas; PFR frequency; post-flop play; ANY UNUSUAL PLAY); use acronyms.
Pre-Flop
In General, if someone raised pre-flop -> Determine raisers range (based on his position and aggression) and play everything above that range. But, it is not that simple, TILL YOU KNOW UR OPPONENT WELL.
In General, Re-raises are often valid. Beware getting into a RE-Raised pot... u need VERY-GOOD (AA KK QQ AKs AKo JJ TT 99) starting hands to enter these. If BOTH the opponents are ultra loose-agg who raise OFTEN, you can add few more hands (AQs AJs AQo AJo ATs KQs 88)
Statistically the Hands and their Expected Value:
PF hands with + EV: 55+,A3s+,K8s+,KT+, AT+,SCT+,SHJ+,Q9s
PF hands with 0 EV: A2s,K7s,89s,8Ts
PF hands with -0.1 to 0 EV: 44,33,22,A9,A8,K9,K2s+,Q5s+,SC5+,SH6+,J8s,T7s,QT,Q9,JT,J9,T9
Get-in based on pos and opponents.
Early and/or Aggressive: play TIGHT (*AK9s *PP8 As PP7- SC7" SH7" J9s")
Late and/or Passive: play LOOSE (*AK9s *PP8 *As Ks PP7- J9s Ax K8 SC7" SH7)
Legend
* -> to enter (call/re-raise) raised POT; if un-raised so far, you raise with these hands.
" -> Play it at times. But not always.
PP8 -> Pocket pair of 8+
As -> suited Ace
Ax -> any Ace
AK9s -> An Ace or a King with suited 9+ (K9s, AJs, KQs..)
SC7 -> suited connectors with top card 7+ (67s, 78s, 89s..)
SH7 -> suited Hole cards with top card 7+ (57s, 68s, 79s..)
(PFR -> Pre Flop Raise)
THROWING AWAY TRASH-hands (in full ring game) is always a good idea. When you are in a tournament 4-handed, where you just play your opponents, you can play any hand you like. But in a Full-ring-game (9/6 handed) or early stage of a MTT tourney, remember, someone always has a playable hand.
- Since you won a Huge pot once with 42s (4-2-suited) doesn’t mean you always play when you get 42s. If u do so, the huge pot you won goes meaningless. Over a span of time you’ll lose more than that huge win.
- You folded 62o (6-2-offsuit) pre-flop, the flop is 6-6-2. It doesn’t mean you should play your next hand no matter what. If your hole cards are 73o next hand, fold it again; if u call with 73o on tilt, it negates your previous fold of 62o.
Flop
FLOP is the place where the BLUFF and Gamble take place mostly. C-bet from an Agg player is typical, it doesn't give any info, stick to the Pre-Flop read on these opponents. If you are the Pre-Flop-Raiser, you should know when to c-bet and when not to.
The concept of C-bet is continuation bet you do on flop; being a pre-flop raiser.
- If u raised pre-flop with AQo, got called by 3 players… flop is 7-6-9 (2 spades); against 3 other players it is not a good idea to C-bet in this drawy board.
- If u c-bet on a rag flop like 2-5-8 rainbow(all-different-suits), you are representing a over-pair like QQ; so always beware of what you are representing here, and what other players are thinking about your hand. Good Tight players might fold AK here; some loose greedy players might call with any two over-cards like A9/KJ.
Chk-FOLD
- Completely missing flop; against more than 1 opponent.
- Draws against huge bets by AGG opponents.
- 2nd pair or less against any bet from TIGHTEST PLAYERS. Though it is bluff, never-mind, since they are tight enough, you can let them get away with it.
Chk-CALL
- predictable and mathematically callable bets; against passive opponents while drawing
- 2nd pair against typical Aggressive opponent who C-bets. The opponent should be a kind who slows down post flop. Beware, if he is a kind who fires all 3-barrels and even moves-all-in, it is better to give-up early.
BET
- To-drive-out-draws against tight opponents (kind of opponents who FOLDS! typically good players. IT is not a good idea against Bad loose callers, it is better to control the pot against them)
- For-value against loose and/or agg opponents
- For-Information against passive opponents.
RAISE
- If you sense weakness in passive/folding opponent
- For-Value (TPTK,2-pair,over-pair,set,etc) against loose or aggressive opponents
- You are in Draw and you need a free River against a passive opponent. If he re-raises BIG give-up the draw.
Turn
Here is where the game cools down when no one has a big hand or any draw. Generally, checking turn MOSTLY (not all the times) is a good idea. If u hit, Go for chk-raise. If missed, chk-fold. Thus people wd fear to bet into u in turn when u miss thus giving you a free-card often and If u hit, U can chk-raise and maximize winning. Moreover, check-on-turn and a bet-on-river will get a caller.
Chk-FOLD: When you have NOTHING and a passive opponent showing strength or Aggressive opponent not giving-up his bluff-attempts. If you know you opponent is Passive, he is almost never bluffing POST-flop (on turn and river).
Chk-CALL: When you are still on draw and a mathematically-callable-bet and YOU HAVE A POSITIVE FEELING and mainly if it doesn’t hurt your stack.
BET/RAISE
- For Value, against loose and/or agg callers.
- To convince a good agg player who called ur c-bet on flop.
- To cut-out drawing odds – again against only GOOD tight players who are capable of folding their draws. Bad player don’t do the math.
River
By here, you should know what your opponent has. If you don't, don't get committed without NUTS. A FOLD/Chk or in few cases a Call (not a huge bet, something less than 20% of your stack) is apt.
Chk-FOLD: if you have NOTHING (something less than Jack-High).
Chk-CALL: The TP/bottom-straight/etc against POOR-Agg players who bet Any Pair on River. Good players would generally check on River with something not close to NUTS (unless they are trying a BLUFF!).
BET/RAISE:
- For Value, against loose and/or agg callers.
- HOLDING close to NUTS and opponents range is really weak. You should be really careful when a GOOD (and tight) player re-raises you on river; they won’t do something like that unless they have NUTS.
General Tips
1.) Why is he calling your BETs?
- It is a genuine weakness in loose players: keep value-betting them with good hands (2P+). Don't build pots with weaker hands (TP-).
- An aggressive opponent who constantly bets and raises, smooth calls u; It might be a trap, beware. Start controlling the POT.
2.) Before Calling Bets/Raises:
- Analyze the raise is for Value or Defense (At times, QQ will re-raise on a flop 3K5 to confirm if you really have that King)
- Does he want a-free-card?
- Suspect-bluff -> though u suspect, u need to have a valid hand to call.
- Kicker-war. If you put him on the same hand, spend few seconds on the possible kicker
3.) Before an All-in MOVE; categorize it.
- For Value, against weak-handed LOOSE opponent (CALLER!) -> Calling stations preferable the one that has a hand, close to top pair.
- Bluff, against medium-hand tite opponent (FOLDS!) -> The OPPONENT should be capable of folding 2nd pair or less. Else it is useless.
4.) At any-point; be ready to give-up your weak-hand;
- When passive player shows strength
- Drawing against an AGG opponent
- Scare-card (like A/K/Q or a 3rd suit) - value bet from Good player
- You do a Tester-bet-with-Middle pair and you are raised
- Bluff-attempts against calling-stations – HUGE MISTAKE. They Call! – Give-up and save chips.
5.) Always remember why you made the move;
- You raise with mid-pair sensing bluff. But, you got re-raised - DONT get committed here. Swallow your pride and fold, unless you have a pristine read on the opponent.
- You cold-called a PFR with 67s, don’t get committed with the pair of 6 or 7. You need 2p+ to continue. CAREFUL with making 2 pair with suited connectors, it easily gives the opponents a Straight-draw or even a straight.
- You entered Pre-flop with A3s for the suit. Don’t get committed with the pair of Ace on flop (Your kicker isn’t that good).
6.) Never regret for losing cooler-hands or a BAD-BEAT;
- Anytime all-in with better hand, but, out drawn by a big underdog (like AK vs 89)
- 2 pair (one of them is a Top Pair) losing to better two pair
- hidden set losing to hidden set (basically pocket pairs making a set)
- hidden-lower flush loosing to hidden-higher flush (flush using both hole cards)
- FH losing to hidden-better-FH or Quads or Straight flush.
- Losing with Quads or Straight flush.
These are Acceptable beats. It cannot be considered to judge your skill. Of course it hurts; you can tighten-up, but never play passive like a mouse because u had a bad beat recently. Other players will start walking over you. If you cannot play your game aggressive enough, walk-out. There is always another day… another game.
REAL-LIFE lesson to adapt a good strategy;
Maniacs: a person who bluffs a lot and steal pots which he don’t deserve, don’t get to keep it for a longer time. It eventually gets out of his hand, often in the most unexpected ways (like, AA losing to 72).
Passive Strategies: A fearful person often don’t generally get even that he deserves.
- Hence, fights aggressively for what you deserve and don’t be greedy to take what u don’t. Play Tight and Aggressive.
- Bluff very little in the RIGHT situations against passive players, who are not taking initiatives and risk-averse to take the pot; which u’ll need to eventually loose back, mostly in blinds.
SHARK strategy
Here are some of the typical stats to evaluate it for yourself. These numbers are readily available if you are an online player. For brick & mortar players, they need to derive these approximately after the session. Tight and Aggression are key components of this play.
- Flop seen: around 20%
- Aggression factor: more than 5; aggression factor = (bets+raises+ReRaises)/(checks+calls) (you don’t blindly raise to show aggression. Read the player, if you know you are leading, Raise)
- Showdown-win: more than 75% (means for every 4 showdowns, u got to win at-least 3, else you lack the opponent’s hand reading abilities. Work on that)
- Cold-call: less than 5% (calling a pre-flop raise or any BET with a trash hand planning to steal the pot in later streets)
- Bluff: less than 10%
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