The popularity of Texas hold ’em has exploded during the recent pandemic that had most people restricted to their homes on lockdown for months at a time. In 2020, the number of online real money poker players increased by about 43 percent. At the same time, the number of first-time players went up by more than 200 percent.
Texas Hold ’em has been a popular version of poker for decades, and new players are always joining the tables. If you’re one of these new players or just need to improve your game, some tips might help you become a better player and increase your chances of winning.
1) Have Discipline
If you’ve ever heard a poker player talk about having a bad beat, it usually started because of a mistake they made. There are many ways you can improve your game with different tactics and skills, but none of that matters if you’re not a disciplined player.
Everyone should have at least a basic strategy long before sitting down at the table. Only remain at the table as long as you’re playing your best, and don’t let emotions affect your actions. All of the skills and strategies you apply to the game mean nothing if you don’t have self-control.
2) Position Is Key
Understanding table position and how it works in your favor is significant in Texas hold’em. The best position is the “button,” which means you’ll be the last person to bet in every round. This position gives you the ability to make better-informed decisions.
The small blind is considered the worst position, meaning you’ll have to play first in each round. You can sometimes use this to your advantage if you’re an aggressive player, but everyone agrees that playing last is a much better position to be in.
3) Play Fewer Hands
Many players use aggressive strategies while playing in fewer hands. This means that you should develop your pre-flop plan only to play the best hands and be disciplined in keeping that strategy.
You can use pre-flop charts to see the best hands, but playing in too many can lower your chip stack. On the other hand, you can be more aggressive when you’re only playing top hands.
Knowing that you have the best hand is always better than hoping you have it.
4) Learn Your Opponent’s Habits
Knowledge of your opponents is essential in a winning poker strategy. Try to learn their play patterns and take advantage of them.
For example, if you know you are up against a tight player, you don’t want to challenge them with a mediocre hand if they start betting aggressively. The chances are that they will end up with the winning hand, and you’ll be minus a lot of chips.
Understanding how opponents may bet at the table is one of the best skills to have. It’s also one of the hardest to master. However, reading your opponents correctly will undoubtedly lead to bigger wins.
5) Don’t Go On Tilt
This is one of the biggest reasons players are unsuccessful at Texas hold’em. Going on tilt means that you become frustrated if you go on a losing streak and, as a result, start making bad decisions.
If you find yourself in this situation, it’s best just to walk away from the table and take a break or just stop playing altogether and come back another day.
Poker can be an emotional game, and a player needs to learn to recognize when their emotions are getting out of control.