Play Hold'em Skillfully at the Poker Tables

by Joe Hunt

If you’re relatively new to the world of poker, you’re probably confused about whether poker is a game of skill, or a game of luck.

You’ve heard all the TV announcers say that Texas Hold'em takes minutes to learn but a lifetime to master. But, then, the telecasts seem to highlight all the “miracle” cards on the river that turn winners into losers and vice versa. The crowd roars…the lucky player pumps his fist in the air…the victim turns ashen and leaves the table.

How much skill does it take to get lucky? It’s not like you’ve ever watched a chess game where two masters are battling…then a bird swoops down from the sky and flies off with a guy’s queen. That would make for great television too. But, it sure would be bad luck for the player affected.

Chess is a game of skill that focuses on a player’s ability to master the board. Poker is a game of skill that focuses on a player’s ability to master the laws of math and the behavior of his opponents. Some crazy things will happen because the laws of math dictate that they must. Over the long haul though, skilled poker players will win a lot of money. And it will come at the expense of unskilled poker players.

Here are the keys to playing poker with skill.

• KNOW THE BEST STARTING HANDS: Smart poker players don’t go into battle unarmed. Winners will often fold 65-75% of their starting hands. Bad players will just play "any two cards" and hope for the best. Sure, any two cards can win in Hold'em. They usually don’t though. And you lose a lot more money playing sloppy than you win in those lucky hands. Starting with medium-to-high pocket pairs and strong Aces (A-K, A-Q, and occasionally A-J) is the first step you need to take to put the math of the game in your favor. Skilled poker means playing when you’re favored to do well, and sitting out when you’re a longshot.

• KNOW HOW TO CALCULATE POT ODDS: This very important for getting the best value on your draws. All poker players know the thrill of hitting a flush or a straight. The problem is, they often chase those exciting hands when there’s no value to do so. If it’s just you and another guy in the pot…you’re barely going to win any chips if you manage to hit what you’re looking for. What’s the point of even chasing? The best time to go after those hands is in multi-way pots that are inexpensive to stay in but hugely profitable to win.

I won’t overwhelm you with math here. I know a lot of people’s eyes glaze over when you start talking numbers. A good rule of thumb to follow is to check and see if there’s at least three-to-four times as many chips in the pot as you have to bet to stay in. You’re a little worse than a 2-1 underdog to hit your flop or straight if you’re most of the way there on the flop (a four-flush, or an open-ended straight draw). You and just one other player are going to match each other’s bets. There’s no value in chasing. If it’s you and 4-5 other players though…then you’re getting a great return by pursuing that critical fifth and final card.

Playing with skill means making the right decisions before the hand starts based on your pocket cards, then making the right decisions in the middle of the hand. Far too many unskilled players chase flushes or straights when there’s no reason to. They’re chasing the “thrill” of winning rather than playing intelligently. Bad move! Far too many conservative newcomers get discouraged and back out of big pots because they figure the odds are against them hitting their card. That may be true…but if the odds are just a little bit against you, and the pot is huge, then folding early is a huge mistake. Over the course of several such situations, the odds actually favor you showing a profit. Stay in!

• KNOW HOW TO PLAY POSITION: The ability to act last can be a big edge in Hold'em. Skilled cardsmiths know how to “play position” as the button moves around the table. If they have to act early, they’ll only play the very strongest of hands. If they get to act late, they can some in with lesser holdings because they’ll have so much information when it’s their turn to bet.

This is one of the basic fundamentals of winning poker. The more information you have, the better your chances of making informed decisions. That almost goes without saying. If you sense weakness before you, act strong and scoop up the pot. If you sense strength, and your cards weren’t helped by the board, fold with limited penalty.

New players who have picked up the game by watching television have very little sense of position play when they first start. You see, those TV shows are edited to present the most entertaining hands. You don’t see the button move around the table. You see a hand. Then, you see a hand that happened about 45 minutes later. Then, you see a third hand from a half an hour beyond that. In real poker, position play is huge. It’s one of the most important skills you can develop.

• KNOW HOW TO BLUFF: This isn’t for the feint of heart, or for newcomers. But, of course, new players want to show the table that they’re not feint of heart, so they come out bluffing way too much! It’s amazing how many new players bluff away all of their money because they’ve seen some hands on TV where a guy made a killing.

Yes, sometimes a bluff will make your opponent fold a better hand. You’ll get excited when that happens, and get an inflated sense of your own abilities. Try it again, and somebody’s going to have the goods on you. Try it too much, and you’ll find that nobody is afraid of your bluffs at all. The strategy is useless at that point, except for the time once every couple of hundred hands that you draw pocket aces. You’ll get action on those. Won’t make up for all of your prior losses.

The key to bluffing properly is to do it occasionally, and to do it when you’re reading weakness from an opponent. This will almost always win you the pot. Anything beyond that is playing with fire. Skilled players don’t play with fire.

If you’d like more in-depth advice about playing poker online or at a brick and mortar casino, visit your local bookstore. The poker boom has led to a publishing boom. Many of the best players in the history of the game are willing to offer you powerful advice for the cost of a book or two. The very fact that there can be “best players” tells you that skill is critical in this game. There are no “best roulette players,” or “best dice rollers.” Those are games of luck. Poker is a game of skill, so you’ve got to play with skill to have any chance of winning!

Bet skillfully.

Joe Hunt