Learn Texas Holdem

You sit down to a $3/$6 no-limit Texas hold'em game with every intention of playing tight, disciplined poker. For the first hour, you fold hand after hand, only playing your blinds. You see opponents win huge pots with hands like 56 offsuit.

You watch with dismay as the flop comes Q Q 5 after you've folded Q5 and two players go all in. Finally, you get dealt Kc 7c in middle position and you can't take it anymore. You call the $6. The player next to you raises to $15 and three players call.

You've already invested money so you call too. The flop comes Qc Ts 7h. You check and the player to your left bets $30. It's folded back to you. You don't love your hand, but there's over $100 in the pot and what if your opponent is just continuation betting with AK? You call and the turn is the Jc. You check and your opponent moves all in. He has you covered, but now with your flush draw and straight draw to go with your pair, you feel compelled to call. The river is the 2h and he turns over his AA to drag the pot. After an hour of disciplined play, you've lost your entire stack with K7 suited.

Unlikely scenario? In fact, things like this happen all the time in no-limit online Texas Holdem. Being able to remain disciplined and avoid these kinds of traps even after hours of bad beats or dead cards is what separates the amateurs from the pros. So how do you maintain discipline in no-limit Texas hold'em?

 

Maintaining Discipline in Poker Tip 1: Remember Compound Interest

 

It is a truism in poker that early mistakes compound, leading to bigger and more costly mistakes the longer the hand continues, as can be seen in the above example. Keep that in mind the next time you think that it's "only one bet," to call with your rag hand. This does not mean you must always play premium hands in no-limit Texas hold'em, but if you play unusual hands, you must have a plan, which includes an exit strategy.

 

Maintaining Discipline in Poker Tip 2: Keep Your Mind Occupied

 

If you're getting cold cards, keep your mind occupied by watching the game and trying to guess what other players hold. Catalogue whatever observations you can make about opponents so that you will be better equipped to make decisions when you are in a hand. If you are playing online poker and able to handle it, playing two tables at once can keep you in action if one table is cold.

 

Maintaining Discipline in Poker Tip 3: Stay Focused on the Goal

 

Remember that your goal is not to win the most pots, it is to win the most money. It's human nature for us to remember what our folded cards were when the flop hits us perfectly. Try keeping track of how many times out of 20 you miss the flop. Try to calculate how much it would cost you if you chose to see a flop with a weak hand. Be honest about how far you would have been tempted to go with the hand.