Tips to Strengthen Your Texas Hold'em Game

Tired of losing money to your friends at your weekly Hold'em game? Sharpen your game with these easy-to-follow tips and watch your bankroll grow.

1) Don't be so attached to your money. This is likely the hardest obstacle for most newer players. If you are worried about losing, you won't be betting like you should. You have to be willing to make calls that may cost you, and to bet out on hands that you know aren't likely to be winners. If you are too attached to your chips, people will know that you aren't bluffing when you bet big, because they are aware of your tight playing style. Players will also more frequently bluff you out of your potentially better hand because they know you're scared to call them.

The easiest way to make this change is to simply not play with money you can't afford to lose. If you bring 20 bucks, then consider it lost and play as if it's no longer your money. You can then feel much more free with the money that you do have, and start making moves against your opponents that your fear would have otherwise stopped.

2) It's OK to fold. Everybody picks up monster Texas Hold'em hands before the flop, but only the best players can figure out when to lay them down. It's easy to get attached to a pretty hand, but if something in your gut is telling you that you're beaten, either before or after the flop, get away from it. Ace-King can win you a lot of money, but you can also go broke if you fall in love with it and the board doesn't pair you.

The only hand that is completely safe pre-flop is pocket aces, and even then, the flop can completely change that. Be aware of what your opponent can possibly have, and if you are getting warning signals, get away from the hand. Better to lose a small pot with them than to lose your entire stack due to your pride.

3) Think through the tough calls. Take your time if you're about to make a big call or a tough laydown. Talk yourself through the hand. Did your opponent bet big pre-flop and then check the flop? He might be setting you up. Did the river card complete a flush draw and now you're facing a huge bet? What hand did you put them on after the flop? Think about previous hands, what they had, and how they bet them. Often by thinking out the possibilities, a much clearer picture of your situation will be painted in your head and you can make a more reasonable move than simply acting on your first impulse.

4) Limp in to multi-way pots. If more than 2 or 3 people have joined into a hand before the flop, put yourself in, even with a terrible hand. You are getting a lot of value out of your call because, on the chance that your hand hits big, you will have a much larger payoff. Also, if multiple people are calling their way into a hand, and you have 2 low cards, chances are good that your opponents have similar hands, and your low cards might find a straight or trips while their cards are all taken up by each others' hands.

Another move to keep your opponents guessing is to call a pre-flop raise with a good low-card starting hand, such as a 6-7 suited. By calling their bet, your opponent will likely put you on a pocket pair or 2 high cards, and if the flop comes out with a straight draw or trips for you, they will be taken completely off-guard. This also plants the seed of doubt in their head for future calls that you make. If you only call with premium hands, they will always expect that from you and will play accordingly. You never want to be predictable at a poker table.

5) Watch the players, not the cards. When the flop comes out, watch your opponents rather than the cards themselves. The cards will still be there; your opponent's reaction may only be noticable for a quick moment. Read their eyes as the flop comes out; If they get big, they might have hit big. If they lean back and look casual, or start chatting with someone, they most likely are no longer interested and can be bluffed out.

Playing your opponents is the hardest part of Texas Hold'em, but if you use these tips, you can start to learn how to read their bets, their reactions and their overall style. Use this to your advantage, especially if you play with the same group of players each week. Poker habits are hard to change, and if you pick up on a tell or a tendency, you can extract a lot of money out of them before they figure it out.