Learn Texas Holdem

Some of the most fun that can be had in no-limit Texas hold'em is when you have the winning hand. There's nothing like holding Ah 5h and seeing a third heart hit the board on the turn. Some new players may assume that hands like these play themselves. In fact, in no-limit hold'em, maximizing the value of your winning hands is just as important as getting away from losing hands, if not more important.

A common mistake new players make is to go all in immediately when they make the best hand. Either they are just crossing their fingers hoping the opponent will call or they are happy to win whatever is in the pot if they don't. Before moving all in, you must assess a number of factors including: How vulnerable is your hand? How much money is in the pot? What is your table image?

How Vulnerable is Your Poker Hand?

If you hold Ts Js and the flop is 7d 8d 9s you should be much more willing to go all in than if you have 8d 8c and the flop is 8h 8s 7c. In the first case, your hand is the nuts, but can be beaten on the turn or river if a diamond comes. If a ten or a jack comes, you may end up having to split the pot or even lose to a higher straight. In the second case, you are 99 percent to win the hand. You should do anything and everything you can think of to keep players in the pot, which usually means slow playing your hand by checking or betting small. Remember that you don't have to go all in right away. You can always do it on the river.

How Much Money Is In the Pot?

If you put $500 into a pot of $25, you are wasting your dominant hand. You can do this at any time with any two cards and win the pot if the opponent does not have a monster. Your bets need to be proportional to the pot if you want action. Make pot-sized bets to massage that pot to the level you want it. If opponents stay with you, you'll usually be able to get it all in on the river sensibly.

What Is Your Poker Table Image?

If you've been playing very tight, not risking many chips, a large bet is going to set off sirens among your opponents. You are much better off making small "scared" bets and giving opponents the opportunity to raise you, at which point you should still call and check, giving them the rope to hang themselves. On the other hand, if you've been throwing chips around with marginal hands and generating the image of a maniac, getting to push in when you finally hit the monster can be your big payoff.