Winning poker strategies for Texas Holdem

How to Win
Play tight. Play tight in loose games. Play in loose games only.

Successful Betting
A bet is a declaration that either -
'I have the best hand and I'll wager money on it' or 'You have a poor hand, and you will fold if you are forced to wager on it'.
Theoretically, players are supposed to bet when they have a good hand. Players who don't have good hands are supposed to fold. Of course, if it was this simple, there would be no need for this page. Most players play contrary to this idea, attempting to be cunning or deceptive. Don't fall into this trap when you are just learning to play. Your betting strategy should be built upon this simple idea, but you must know when to stray and bet in situations when you otherwise wouldn't.

Don't Play like Others
If everyone at the Texas Holdem poker table plays the same, then no one can win. Learning Holdem by playing Holdem is a big mistake. If you learn to play Texas Holdem Poker like everyone else plays, you cannot have a long run edge.

Is the Game Too Tight?
Take notice of how many players call to see the flop each hand. With experience you will know if your game is too tight and you will know when a good game becomes too tight. You will learn which players have never seen two cards they didn't like and which players fold more hands than they play. Experience will teach you when it's time to leave the game.

Try to be the only Tight Player In the Game
You want to be the only tight player in a loose Holdem game, but often there is one or more other tight players at the table. Sometimes loose players tighten up their play for whatever reason, but that's usually temporary. You'll have to take all of this into consideration when evaluating a Holdem poker game. There's no exact way to measure it, but you can develop a feel for it.

Pot odds
Pot odds are really just another way of looking at expectation. It compares the amount of money in the pot to the amount of money you would have put in to continue playing. It helps answer the eternal question in poker strategy: 'Is it worth it to continue in this hand?' To answer that, you always have to have a sense of card odds. Lets say the pot contains $100 and you need to put in $10 to continue playing. The pot odds are 10 - 1. If you have a better chance of winning than that, it's worth calling. When the card odds are better than the pot odds, it makes good poker strategy sense to get out. Have a 25-1 chance of getting that inside straight? Time to fold.

Fold and win
A bad poker strategy is to play too many hands. Most players play way too many hands. You will win more by folding more often. This sort of discipline is difficult for the recreational player. If you read the experts' books, you will see how they preach patience and discipline, and you'll be shocked by how many hands they say to throw away. Particularly in casinos, you have to play tight - there are more players at the tables and thus less of a conscious or unconscious understanding of odds and expectation. Of course, these numbers are not often as clear-cut as in other casino games. It's likely that you would have to work with the numbers mechanically before they become second nature to you.

Bluff wisely
Another good poker strategy is to note that the bluff is not as key an element of the game as you may think. Clever deception has its manifold pleasures, but it shouldn't be done indiscriminately. As part of your poker strategy, you can use the concept of pot odds to guide your bluffing. An occasional, not-too-costly 'discovered bluff' (one that doesnt work) may also help you win bigger pots in later hands. Players may think you are a 'bluffer' and stay in when you actually do have a good hand.

Guile not Guilt
For the player seeking a profit, the secret of winning money consistently is to find games with players who play worse than you do. Successful players need weak players who obviously allow their money to be siphoned away by strong players. Guilt does not pay in poker, guile does, so make it a part of your strategy.