by Javier Morales

Created on: June 21, 2007

Texas Hold'em might seem like an easy game, but plenty of strategy and thought must go into executing a winning hand.

It's OK to be daring at the poker table with a bluff, if you are playing five- or seven-card draw with your cards covered. The same can not be said for Texas Hold'em, considering five cards are showing from the three-card Flop, and two from the Turn and River (the last two dealt).

If you call to the end, consider that 71 percent of your hand (five out of seven cards) is showing. Why even try to bluff? To go that far with a growing pot, you must feel confident you have a winning hand. Trickery is out of the question with the amount you will be betting at that point.

The Flop (three cards shown face up after the opening round of two cards are dealt face down) is when the major decisions must be made.

If you continue after the Flop with an inferior hand, it is the most costly decision you will make. If the Flop does not fit your hand by giving you a top pair or a good shot at a straight or flush, you should fold.

If you have a small pair, say a pair of 3's, and the Flop does not provide a three-of-a-kind, your best move is to fold. Chances are another player has a higher pair or even a set. However, if you are a thrill-seeker, you can stake your chances at another 3 will be dealt with Turn or River cards.

The odds are greatly against you in that scenario, however, and not worth losing additional bets until the last call.

Another rule of thumb for the rookie player: Do not fold after the opening two cards are dealt if you are positioned with the Big Blind (usually $2 already bet) or Small Blind ($1 bet). If you immediately fold, you have basically thrown $2 away if you are the Big Blind or $1 if you are the Small Blind.

Even if another player raises the bet $2, keep pace. You might as well make the most out of initial bet and fold if you have to if the Flop provides nothing to your hand.

If you are unsure about what hands to keep or fold after the Opening Round (if you do not have the Big Blind or Small Blind), the following paragraph includes suggestions. Just a note: The two or three players to the left of the Big Blind are in the early position, the next three are the middle position and the players after that are the late position.

If in the early position, raise if your beginning two cards include a pair of aces, kings or an ace and king of the same suit. Call if have an ace-king, ace-queen of the same suit, king-queen of the same suit, pair of queens, jacks or 10's. Fold otherwise.

If in the middle position, call with a pair of 9's, 8's, ace-jack of the same suit, ace-10 of the same suit, queen-jack of the same suit, ace-queen, and king-queen. Fold otherwise.

If in the late position, call with an ace combined with any card of the same suit, king-10 of the same suit, queen-10 of the same suit, jack-10 of the same suit, ace-jack, ace-10 and small pairs.

A trap to avoid: Playing any suited cards from any position or an ace with any small card (4's, for example). Odds are these hands do not win at the end. Don't take chances with your money.

The bottom line is to play smart, as you would in any game. Try to read your opponents and their tendencies and take educated guesses as to what hands they might have based on their raises or calls after a card is revealed.

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