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Texas Hold’em Strategy

Welcome to the Texas Holdem strategy section where you'll find a full range of Texas Holdem poker tips for all skill levels. Articles are split up into beginner, cash game and tournament sections, with shorthanded, full-ring, MTT, SNG and essential tips all included.

An In-Depth Guide to Hand Ranges in No-Limit Hold'em

If you don't know how to put your opponent on a hand range in poker these days, you don't stand a chance. Read our complete guide to poker hand ranges here!


How to Play Draws Correctly in Poker Using Implied Odds

Hitting a big draw and stacking someone is one of the most satisfying parts of poker. Calculating implied odds properly will help you do that. Here's how.


How Not to Suck at Poker: Track Your Results

Even the best and most honest poker players tend to fudge the truth about their true poker results. But that won't help you pinpoint the leaks in your game.


How Not to Suck at Poker: Play Fewer Hands

Improve your poker skills immediately! This 10-part beginner strategy series explains simple, effective Texas Hold'em tips to learn to win at poker, now.


How to Beat Variance in Poker Live and Online

Variance is a term that describes how far your poker results spread around the mean. Less variance, then, means fewer swings. Here's how to control it.


How to Put Your Opponent on a Range in Poker

Thinking in "ranges" is THE most critical step to improving your poker game. Here's how to put your poker opponents on a range of hands in every situation.


Poker Workshop: What 6 Pros Do in a Standard Spot with QQ

Want to learn the best way to dissect a poker hand? Grab a pen and work through this standard tournament spot with QQ. Then read 6 pros give their takes.


How Not to Suck at Poker: Pay Attention at the Table!

Sit down at any poker table and you'll see virtually every player looking at their phone or watching an iPad or TV. This is a HUGE mistake. Here's why.


How Not to Suck at Poker: Talk to Better Players

One of the most profitable things you can ever do in your poker career? Talk to poker players who are better than you. A lot. Here's what to talk about.


All You Need to Know About Fold Equity in Poker

Understanding how to make your poker opponents fold at any point in a hand (Fold Equity) is critical in making you a winning poker player. Learn how now!


How to Play Pocket Jacks in Poker: A Beginner's Guide

Pocket Jacks is a hand misplayed a lot by beginner poker players. But Jacks don't have to be a curse. Here's how to avoid the pitfalls of playing jacks.


Poker Workshop: When is an Aggressive Turn Shove Worth It?

Is an aggressive turn shove, like this one I made in the WSOP Monster Stack, too high variance at a point when I could have played a lot more patiently?


How to Beat the Poker Bully: Think Math, Not Ego

If you're being bullied at the poker table the first question to ask is 'why?' And then 'Is it everyone or just me?' Here's how to stop being bullied.


How to Bluff in Poker: Probe Bets, Blocker Bets & Float Bets

There are two types of bluffs in poker: semi-bluffs and "pure" bluffs. Here's how and when to make pure bluffs including probe bets, blockers & floats.


How to Calculate Pot Odds and Equity in Texas Holdem

Good poker players know exactly what their pot odds and equity are in every pot and play accordingly. Here's how to calculate those two critical numbers.


The Turn: Pot Odds for Fourth Street

Players who rely on memorized Hold’em odds and outs, rather than on an understanding of where the numbers come from, limit themselves to playing a game exclusively based in “on the flop” odds. - PokerListings.com


How to Size Your Poker Bets Properly

How big should I 3-bet? What's the right bet to induce a bluff? How can I avoid giving enticing pot odds? Here are some easy rules of thumb for bet sizes.


Are Poker HUDs Overvalued by Poker Players?

Using a heads-up display backed by a database of hands will help you. But using a HUD won't magically turn you into a winning poker player. Here's why.


Poker Tips from Pros: How to Play Flopped Flush Draws

It’s time to stop waddling around like a duckling when you flop flush draws in cash games. Poker pro Timothy Reilly explains how to avoid big mistakes.


How Not to Suck at Poker: Play in Position

"Position" is the single most important and valuable commodity in poker. There are 4 main reasons why. Learn them right here and improve at poker, fast.


The Building Blocks of Poker: A Beginner's Guide to Pot Odds

Understanding how to calculate pot odds is essential to developing as a poker player. And, truthfully, it's not really all that hard. Here are a few tricks.


How to Play Ace-Queen: The Worst Best Hand in Poker

It's the biggest trouble hand in poker: AQ. If you want to stop bleeding money with AQ, read our in-depth article on how to play ace-queen properly.


Poker Tips from Pros: How to Pick the Right Poker Game

With so many options available in poker now, where does a beginner start? Poker pro Matt Ashton sorts through them all to find the right game for you.


What Are the Odds? A List of Long-Shot Odds in Texas Holdem

Quads over quads? Set over set over set? One outers? Find out the true statistics behind poker odds and how often "long shot" odds really hit right here.


How Not to Suck at Poker: Stop Bluffing So Much

Watch a bit of poker on TV and you might think running big bluffs every 5 minutes is how to play poker like a pro. You couldn't be more wrong. Here's why.


Are You Ever Really "Pot Committed" in Poker?

Judging by how often I hear people misuse “pot odds” and “pot-committed,” most poker players could probably benefit from an overview of it. Here it is.


How to Exploit Your Table Image in Poker

The beautiful thing about poker is no one style is “best.” But the key to success is being conscious of your table "image" and how opponents react to it.


10-Minute Crash Course in Texas Hold'em Poker

Heading to Las Vegas for the weekend? If you're going to play Texas Hold'em the next time you're in Vegas, this 10-minute Holdem crash course is essential.


Expected Value (EV) in Poker, Explained

Poker is all about making the best decisions you can with limited information. In other words, +EV (plus expected value) decisions. Here's how to do it.


Poker Workshop: Does He Have It? How to Play a Scary-Board Shove

Have you ever reached the river with the run out a straight or flush and watched in agony as your foe shoved all in? Here's what to do to save yourself.


How, When and How Much to 3-Bet in Poker

Understanding how, when and how much to 3-Bet is essential to winning in poker. But a lot of poker players don't even understand why to 3-bet. Here's why.


Poker Tips from Pros: 4 Spots Where a Call is Better Than a Raise

It's an age-old maxim in poker: The fish call; the sharks raise. But does it stand the test of time? These four poker pros explain when to call instead.


Poker Tips from Pros: Jonathan Little Makes Basic Poker Math Easy

Do you need to learn math to be good at poker? Absolutely. But it's not nearly as complex as you might think it is. Poker Pro Jonathan Little explains why.


Poker Workshop: How to Play a Flopped Set in Multi-Way Pot

Good news: You've flopped a set in a multi-way pot in a poker tournament. Now what do you do? Poker pros Ben Wilinofsky and Albert Daher share their thoughts.


Poker Math: How Sklansky Dollars & G-Bucks Help Your Game

To be a great poker player you have to learn the simple math that makes poker decisions easier. Sklansky dollars and G-Bucks are two essential tools.


Poker Trouble Spots: How to Play Second Pair on the Flop

In poker second pair (a pair with the second-highest card on the board) holds a lot of value. But it can be very difficult to play. Here's how to do it.


How and When to Make a Value Bet in Poker

Playing poker you’ll often be faced with this: when in position should you bet the river for value? The answer, as it usually is in poker: It depends.


How to Beat All Your Friends at Poker

Is there a sweeter feeling than beating your friends at poker? We break down EXACTLY how to beat any player from the aggressive "expert" to the first-timer.


How to Make Your Poker Bets Make Sense

Especially when it comes to playing online, the most important information you will get in a hand of poker is the betting story. If you can only pay attention to one thing, make it this. - PokerListings.com


How to Pick the Right Poker Hands vs. the Right Players

In No-Limit Hold'em there's no such thing as a static hand chart. But there are hands that do better against specific opponents. Here's how to pick 'em.


Why (and How) to Take Proper Notes in Poker

One of the most underrated skills you can have in online poker is the ability to take clear, concise, detailed player notes. Here are a few tips to help.


How Not to Suck at Poker: Stop Talking So Much

Are you giving all of your bluffs and big hands away by what you say at the poker table? Here's how to make sure you give nothing away to your opponents.


How Not to Suck at Poker: Learn Basic Poker Odds

You don't have to be a math expert to be a good poker player. All you need to know are a few shortcuts to calculating the right poker odds. Learn them here!


How to Avoid Making Bad Bluffs in Poker

There's nothing worse for an amateur poker player than getting called on a bad bluff. Here's how to avoid making dark tunnel bluffs that lose big pots.


How to Find and Fix Your Poker Mistakes

Every time you make a mistake in poker, you ultimately lose money. But not all mistakes are created equal. Here's how to find and fix your poker mistakes.


How to Play Texas Hold'em Correctly Before the Flop

The decisions you make before the flop in Texas Holdem can make or break you. Here are some essential guidelines for how to play pre-flop Holdem correctly.


How to Play Hands With Showdown Value in Texas Holdem

Lots of poker players fail to see when hands have showdown value. They flush money down the drain w/ bets & raises. Here's how to get to showdown, cheap.


How to Play Combo Draws on the Flop in Texas Hold'em

Don't slow-play your combo draws in Texas Hold'em poker! Learn how to make the most of powerful combo draw hands in this Texas Hold'em strategy guide.


How to Adjust to a Tight or Loose Poker Table

One of the prime skills of good poker players is the ability to change gears. If you can adjust to each type of game you'll be successful. Here's how.


Poker Trouble Spots: Are You Way Ahead or Way Behind?

The concept of being either way ahead or way behind in a poker hand is nothing new, but as far as critical poker concepts go, it's among the least understood.


Poker Trouble Spots: How to Play KK in Early Position

When you get pocket kings in poker you usually want to play a big pot. But what about if you're in early position? Here's how to play KK pre- and post-flop.


When Should You Fold Aces in Poker?

It's easy to play big hands in poker. But the best players know how to lose the least - by knowing when to fold losing hands. Here's how to do it right.


How to Play Deep Stack No-Limit Hold'em Properly

Deep-stacked No-Limit Hold'em is one of the most complex varieties of poker. Any mistake risks losing your whole stack. These tips keep you from doing that.


How to Play AK in Poker: The Best Drawing Hand

Ask anyone and they'll tell you Ace-King, both suited and unsuited, is a premium Hold'em starting hand. So why is it such a trouble hand for beginners?


How to Optimize Your Play for Every Stack Size

How much does your stack size determine the right play in poker? Almost every time. Here's a guide to the best move for each stack size in cash & tourneys.


How to Win Big Pots in Poker (Hint: A Big Hand Helps)

This is a simple poker lesson: If you flop a big hand, you want to build a (very) big pot. If you have a weak hand you want a small pot. Here's how to do it.


How Not to Suck at Poker: Have a Proper Bankroll

Want to hold on to your money in poker? Here are some important rules to follow to keep your money safe incl. how much to have on the table at any one time.


How to Get Paid Off with Big Hands in Poker

One surefire way to pad your win rate in poker is to get the most value from your big hands. But what's the best way to get your entire stack into the pot?


Why You Shouldn't Slow-Play in Poker

"Slow playing," or trapping, in poker is a sexy move but it doesn't always work out. Here's why it's a bad idea to slow play when you've got a big hand.


How to Increase Your Aggression (The Right Way) in Poker

The big mistake many poker beginners make is confusing aggression at the poker table with looseness. Here's how to play aggressively the right way in poker.


How to Play A-J, K-Q, K-J, Q-J and Q-T in Holdem

High marginal hands like A-J, K-Q, K-J, Q-J and Q-T consistently cost poker players more money than any other hands. Here's how to play them profitablly.


How to Play Middle or Bottom Pair on the Flop

It's very common for beginner poker players to misplay middle or bottom pair on the flop, but it's actually a very easy problem to fix. Here's how to do it.