Learn Texas Holdem

Poker is larger now than ever before. Between online poker, expanding brick and mortar cardrooms and home games, finding action has never been easier. All this equates to options. You have options for the stakes you play, where you play them and which game you select.

One major tip I can give you is to make sure that the game in which you pick, you have an edge. This is called game selection. I know how it is, you feel like playing and you want to play as soon as you can and for as long as you can, so you take the first table that comes along. Trust me though, this isn't ideal. Not every game is a good one. Sure every game can be beat, but the real question is if it is worth your time.

Leave yourself an edge. It may be the case that the normal game you play in isn't very good today and you'll actually end up making more money in a smaller game. Or the opposite could be true, in that, your regular game sucks, but the next game up is a gem. The point is that you want to play in a game that you have a recognizable advantage, as opposed to just playing for the sake of playing. It is also important to understand what exactly an edge is, as it can change. Each of us has a style that we do well beating.

Some players favor aggressive loose games, others prefer games where the opponents are all really passive. Either of these can be good, depending on what you do best against. As you can guess, the opponent's lack of experience is the most common edge you'll find. Other edges might include if the player is on tilt and has given up emotionally, or if the player is tired, etc. Now, my last point has to do with bigger stakes. As you would guess, the bigger games have tougher players (generally). One thing that you need to avoid doing, and this will be hard, is to let your ego get in the way of your common sense.

Winning is, and should be, a confidence booster. After you have won time and time again, you begin to feel like you can take on anyone. Resist the urge to just sit down with anyone. Don't forget to leave yourself an edge. One of my poker buddies and I talk about the big game in vegas, where they commonly play $4000/8000 mixed games. Not many people can play this game, for obvious reasons. Even top pros have to pull their bankrolls together to survive in it. What we never understand though, is why anyone would actually want to sit down in this. Here you have the best players in the world playing the biggest limits in the world, so where is your edge?

The best thing I can come up with is ego. To say you play in the big game is a power trip. My advice for you is to not let your ego take you in the wrong direction. Play games where you have an edge and you'll keep beating them.