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A Beginner's Guide to Texas Hold'em
A Beginner's Guide to Texas Hold'em is not an introduction to the basic rules of Texas Hold'em. Instead, this guide is focused on helping you understand the game better and give you some tips on how to become a better Texas Hold'em player. We hope you'll find it intriguing.

Texas Hold'em is the king of all poker games. And it requires a ton of skill. But still the most skilled player in the world can't beat a lucky strike. So anything can happen. But we thought we'd guide you through the most essential strategy assessments.


Start at the Bottom
Even if you turn out to be the biggest poker talent the world has ever seen, you are best off starting at the bottom. Playing low stakes limit games or tournaments is a good way to get a lot of hands under your belt without taking too big a risk. Sure limit games can be tricky and lacks the element of bluffing, but as a newcomer bluffing is probably not the thing to try. Limit games are much more controlled and less risky to experiment a little with. And as in all things, experimentation is a good way to learn fast.


Don't trust your $1000000000 Play Money Stack!
If you've won a ton of money playing with play money you probably got what it takes to become a good real money player too. But the games differ a lot. So don't jump into a high stakes real money game expecting to kick butt. But you are probably set to take on a low stakes game. Because sometimes they are even wilder than play money games!


Starting hand Value
Your two pocket cards, or hole cards, are the only factors that separate your hand from the other players' hands. So learning how to play them is vital. An AA (ace-ace) combo simply has a much greater chance of winning than say a 7-3 combo. Play the good starting hands. Fold the bad.


Position Play
Being seated in “late position” in a poker game is a huge advantage since you then get to see your opponents make their moves before you have to act yourself. To become a good player, one must understand, and learn to take advantage of this advantage. A good starting hand in an early position may actually be a worse hand to play than a bad hand in late position.


Fold
No matter the betting round, if you have nothing and can't draw to anything, fold faster than Superman on laundry day. It's as simple as that.


Hand Nicknames

By following these simple guidelines you'll be better prepared for the thrill, rush and excitement of online poker!

Sit in before everyone else does.

Common Mistakes in Hold'Em

It's a tired cliché, but practice does make perfect, and poker is no different. There's a major learning curve in the game, and like most things in life, you're bound to make a whole mess of mistakes on the road to perfecting your game. And a lot of those missteps in poker's most popular game, Texas Hold'em, come on the turn and the river. Just learning the basics of poker won't take you far in the card clubs, casinos or online games. There are several common mistakes players make that can easily be avoided with a little patience and know-how. One major slip-up players make is calling too many raises on the turn . The biggest problem with calling a raise on the turn is you have in essence committed yourself to calling on the river, too, searching for a hand that pays off big. If you're going to call a raise on the turn, make sure you will call the river if your hand does not improve. If the answer is a no, be weary of continuing the hand unless you are confident you are being bullied out of the pot with a bluff by the player raising. A good gauge to go by is that most players who raise on the turn have at least top pair, and often two pair of better. If you don't have a strong potential to beat that on the river, then it's likely a good time to fold. Once again, however, the type of game you find yourself in and opponent characteristics make a big difference on your turn move. In a tight game, an aggressive opponent will sometimes bluff on the turn with a raise if he's in a heads-up situation. This is where reading the other players become critical. If you find yourself in this situation and have a mediocre pair, you may occasionally bypass the general rule of folding and call the raise. While calling a raise on the turn too often is a common mistake, just staying in the hand after the turn is a bigger one. Many players who start out with a strong hand of A-K, A-Q or K-Q, think they have to hang in, even after an unfavorable turn. That A-K looks great, but if the flop is 3-7-10, all the gleam comes off those hole cards. If you miss the flop in Hold'em, the odds of you having the best hand at the showdown drop dramatically. It breaks the heart to fold such strong cards as A-K after missing the flop, but if you have no shot at hitting a straight or flush, and it's obvious your opponents are working with a pair or better, save some money and muck your hand. The river is the final destination of any hand, but it still has the potential to blow up in your face. The best players in the world reach the river by having what it takes to win. The overwhelming majority of the time, you don't get to the river be bullying and bluffing. You usually have the nuts. And if you don't, a nervous twitch, different inflection in your voice, a bead of sweat or inconsistent eye movement may give that fact away to the player you're going heads-up with. Every card and bet leading up to the river means something, so by the time you get there, a good opponent has a relatively good idea as to what you're holding. So one of the typical mistakes on the river is that bet that comes out of left field. It's a bet that's totally unexpected, based on how you've bet on the flop and turn. This often can be a clear sign of a bluff. Another bad move on the river is always betting or raising when you think you have the best hand . If , for instance, you have top pair, and read your opponent as missing a flush or straight draw on the river, betting will only force them to fold and you'll miss out on their bet. Consider checking on the river, which may trick your opponent into thinking they can bluff their way out of the situation. If they take the bait, pounce. A good river rule to stick to is only raise or bet when you have better than a 50 percent chance of winning if your heads-up opponent calls.