Basic Strategy - No-Limit Texas Hold'em

No Limit games offer the opportunity to take home huge pots, but you may just as well suffer big losses. If you trap one of your opponents in a No Limit game you may win his entire stack. At the same time, if someone has you trapped you might have to leave the table with nothing.

The possibilities of big money swings and enormous pots make No Limit Hold'em an in some ways different game than Limit Hold'em. The importance of position is underlined in No Limit and the hand value changes. Position is a powerful weapon when it comes to trapping opponents and the decisions you make in these situations, good or bad, will have a massive impact on your stack. When it comes to hand value there are also some differences compared to Limit Games. Big connectors like AK, AQ and KQ are worth less in No Limit since they often will win the small pots but lose the big pots. On the other hand all pairs increase in value. If you hit a set on the flop you have a good chance of a big pay off on this hand.

You also have to observe the size of your and the other player's money stacks when playing in No Limit games. This will be a crucial factor in certain situations. For example, if you're holding an average starting hand (JTo for example) and a short stacked player has moved all-in you should fold. Chances are he's holding a much stronger hand than you and because the possible pay off is rather small it's not worth a call. It might be acceptable to call in this situation if the raise is made by a player with a large stack. You are probably still an underdog to win the pot, but if you know that you have the ability to outplay this opponent after the flop the opportunity to win a big part of his stack warrants the call.

In other cases you should call if the opponent has a small stack and fold if he has a large stack. If you're holding QQ and your rival moves all-in chances are he has AA or KK. It's not worth risking all your money in this situation but if only a small part of your stack could be lost you should call.

Here are some other things to think about before sitting down at a No Limit Hold'em table:

Make sure you can handle the opposition at the table. A couple of weak players are needed to give you the winning edge.
Follow strict starting hand standards. A common mistake is playing too many starting hands. In a $2-$4 No Limit Game you should se the flop no more than 20-30 % of the time. Look out for trap hands, they may cost you a lot of money.
When you hit at strong starting hand - raise. This puts pressure on your opponents with drawing hands and will give you a good position in the upcoming betting rounds. If you don't raise the risk is that one of the players "limping in" hits his hand and your strong hand is wasted. When you raise it should normally be between 70 and 100 % of the pot size. Larger raises will prove costly if you're re-raised or if someone calls with a stronger hand.
Know your opposition. Which players are strong, and which are weak? Which are tight and which are loose? Adapt your game in accordance to the observations you make. Give the tight and strong players respect by folding good hands if they raise you. When weak player enters the pot you should call and try to outplay them after the flop. However, when a weak player makes a really big bet/raise (especially on the turn or the river) you should respect that. are not as common as you might think.

When you think you have a strong hand, bet or raise. And make sure your bet/raise has the right size. Many players over bet or under bet the pot. An over bet is when you risk much money to win a small pot. An under bet is means you're not protecting your hand in a proper way. A small bet might give players with drawing hands correct pot odds to call.

If the hand isn't going your way, cut your losses and fold. This is especially true when you're holding a decent hand but are fairly certain that you're beat by one of the other players. Calling these hands down could prove very costly in No Limit Games.

Online multiplayer Poker with voice chat and webcam - World's first online poker room with voice chat and webcam which make you feel live.

Articles

Links Directory

Basic Strategy - No-Limit Texas Hold'em