by Joe Sunstrum

Created on: May 13, 2007   Last Updated: May 20, 2007

There are a few pointers I am going to give you here that might help you win the next time you play Texas Hold'em. I am not guaranteeing that you will win but some of my strategies have worked for me.

Always keep you emotions in check. If you watch the great players they never get frazzled when they get a bad beat. If you lose a hand just chalk it up to "that's playing poker". If you don't do this you might play a hand that you wouldn't normally play just because you are playing mad as opposed to smart.

Read all you can on the subject. The more knowledge you have on the game and the nuances of the game can only help you. I suggest reading strategies from the great players like Scotty Neugen. Guys like Scotty have been to the biggest final tables and know what they are talking about. There are many books on odds, feeling and position.

Feel the table out before you jump in a on a big bet. Try to play tight at the start of a game (tight means don't play in every hand) and see what others are doing. This will give you a read on opponents and whether they always play and how they are betting. You may not win a lot of chips at the beginning but at least you will have chips to play later on.

Play your cards. If you don't have it and someone is calling your bluff get out of the hand as fast as you can! You will just be giving your chips away.

If you get the feeling you could be right. Sometimes when you play you get a feeling about your cards. The good poker players go with their gut more times than not. It might mean that you are taking a risk but you get no reward without risk.

Don't buy into the "I never win with such and such a hand". If you think you have a powerful hand the odds are in your favor. Just because your bullets burned a couple of times before you still can't shy away from the dominant cards. If you think you are going to lose with the hand you got then you have already lost. Good poker players will read you like a book!

Keep your emotions in check. If you wear your heart on your sleeve you will never be able to become a good poker player. Your emotions give your cards away and a good player will eat you up for breakfast.

Learn the odds. Know what beats what and what the odds are getting a card you need on the flop, turn and the river. If you play the odds you will win more than you lose, that is why they call it odds. Know how many out cards you have available left in the deck, if you are chasing a flush or straight this is critical.

Make sure you look at

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