It’s the dream of many people to plop down at a poker table like the ones linked here and play a few hands. How do you know what to do when playing no Limit Hold ’em? Should you fold your hand? What about raising right off the bat? Don’t worry; by the time you’re done reading this, you’ll understand what you should do.
It starts with table position
Table position means where you are compared to the button. The button moves around the table, determining who is in the small and big blind. The way you play your hand is determined by what your position is.
You’ll want to be far more conservative if you’re the first to act. You can be less conservative if you’re in the big blind and you’re the last to act.
Limp-in or call with small pairs
A small pair is usually thought of as anything less than tens. So, for example, a pair of 4’s would be considered a small pair. If you’re on the button, you should fold your small pair or limp in.
Limping in means you only bet whatever the big blind is. You want to limp in because you want to see a flop as cheaply as possible. The hope is that you’ll flop three of a kind, and you’ll be able to win quite a bit of money.
If you’re in a later position or in the blinds and someone raised and reraised, fold your small pair. You don’t want to get in between a raising war with a weak hand.
Raise three to five times the big blind for pocket tens or higher
A standard three-bet works well if you have pocket tens or better. You need to be careful when raising it if you have a hand, like pocket jacks, because they’re known as walking sticks for a reason. Many people fall in love with their jacks and end up going broke.
Some would argue that you should limp in with anything smaller than pocket queens. That’s your call, and it depends on where you are. If you’re in the small blind with pocket queens and everyone has only limped in, you probably want to raise it up to get some money in the pot.
What about kings?
Okay, you need to know something. If you’re playing at a table with a lot of amateurs, some will call any raise as long as they have an ace in their hand. It doesn’t matter if they have an ace with a weak kicker; they’ll play it as if they would pocket aces. So, with that in mind, you need to be careful. Pocket kings are a good hand, but they’re not the nuts, and never forget that.
Get all your money in with pocket aces
Never be afraid to go all-in preflop when you’ve got pocket aces. Under no circumstances should you ever fold pocket aces before the flop. It doesn’t matter if someone raises a crazy amount, go all in and put them to the test. There is no better hand than pocket aces.
How to play connectors
A connector is two cards that you can use to make a straight. An example would be a jack and a ten. If you’re in the right position and the price is right, don’t overlook the power of connectors. A lot of top players like to play connectors of all kinds, and that goes for even low connectors such as a four and a five.
Don’t forget suited cards
Suited cards are those of the same suite. So, let’s say you have an ace of hearts and a nine of hearts. You might try to see a flop if you can for the right price. Don’t fall in love with these hands because weak kickers can get you in trouble.
Suited connectors are the best of both worlds. An ace of diamonds and a two of diamonds is great because you can possibly have flush and straight draws after the flop. Suited connectors are the best hands you can play beyond pocket pairs, and you should see as many flops as you can with them.
It all boils down to the players
How you play your hands depends on the players at the table. If you’re playing with a loose bunch of players, you’ll want to either be a rock and rarely call unless you have a top hand, or you’ll want to play like they do. You should always determine your playing style based on who you are playing to increase your odds of coming out ahead.
Sharon Howe is a creative person with diverse talents. She writes engaging articles for WonderWorldSpace.com, where she works as a content writer. Writing allows Sharon to inform and captivate readers. Additionally, Sharon pursues music as a hobby, which allows her to showcase her artistic abilities in another creative area.