After The First Plays - Betting Bigger On Texas Holdem
Are you enjoying gambling in the Texas Holdem No Limit
Tournaments? Want to know how to advance to win out on top?
Learn from these techniques to improve your game.
Middle of The Game - Are You Still In This Texas Holdem Contest?
If you're still in, it's time to tighten up. If you've been
following this series of articles, this should have given you a
lead over most of the players that simply play high cards. If
you are holding above average chips you need to tighten up
significantly.
To change up, play only premium hands, meaning only pairs
(low-medium pairs in the hope of catching a set only) high face
cards and suited connectors only if there are many players to
the flop and you can see the community cards at minimal cost.
Patience is the virtue of the middle game, and it can be a long
boring place to be.
The advantage of tightening up is that come the final part of
the game; people will have you down as a rock and fold to your
raises. This is a problem when catching good cards in
mid-tournament but it's a Texas Holdem Strategy that pays off
later when you are looking to pick up sizable blinds around the
bubble (the part of the game when many players are trying to
make it into the junior prizes).
Don't be frustrated that your chip advantage over the average
player has been diminished during this period to the point where
you now hold average chips. If you have more that's great, but
most often I find my chip stack falls to average during the
middle section.
Finally Hitting The Good Players In Texas Holdem
The final part of your Texas Holdem Tournament begins just
before the bubble explained above. You now have achieved a table
image of being like a rock - good. This is exactly what you want
come the end of a tournament.
Blinds will likely be around 200/400 at this stage so the period
of seeing speculative flops has well and truly ended. You now
need to open up to steal some pots. Start by opening on lousy
cards - a decent sized bet will have most folding as you've sat
quiet for a good deal of the tournament.
Usually players will fold to this a couple of times. If you can
do this in relatively quick succession then not only will you
have picked up lots of chips but if you actually hit a hand say
within 2 or 3 hands of those bluffs then your opponents will
think you're now bluffing.
The perfect situation is a high pair shortly after a couple of
bluffs, although this is unlikely. You now need to get into pots
with all high cards (two picture cards or higher) and pairs. If
you hit top pair then bet it hard.
Using statistics, you will be unfortunate to lose such a hand as
by this stage there will be many people who are short stacked.
Short stacks will look to go all in early with Ace high or post
flop with any matching pair. If your Holdem hand is higher than
middle pair you should win. Even if you lose it will not be the
end of your evening's poker because by their nature short stacks
do not have many chips.
Using Your Chip Lead to Your Advantage In Texas Holdem
At any stage in the game you may have a significant chip lead.
If this is true, then you need to use it to your advantage. This
is really easy to do at the end of a tournament because your
opponents are fighting for cash positions and will fold all but
the very best hands. Remember, most people can bluff once; many
people do not fire a second or third bullet.
Really successful No-Limit Texas Holdem players do this
regularly - the extra chips taken for these bets are well worth
it because you increase your chance of catching a hand and the
probability of bullying your opponent off his increases.
Following this poker strategy you should be able to suck up
hands regularly, and you have the cushion to survive some
losses. Your strategy must change if you come across another
equal or larger chip stack. Learn to recognize the need to back
off the occasional hand when these players call your bet at this
stage in a game.
Blinds are going to be there, so sitting on the sidelines will
not be an option. If you catch good cards at this stage, more
than any other, you will be a major beneficiary.
Hopefully the use of these poker strategies will, on occasion,
get you to a final table. Once there you need to realize that
the players you are now confronted with are good, or very good
at Texas Holdem. At the very end, it is lady luck who will
determine the outcome. Good Luck!