27 PLAYING THE PROGRAM STEP-BY-STEP Let�s start with an example hand. If there are terms here you don�t understand, you can check the Dictionary in the back or the Introduction To The Game chapter.
Ready? The three basics you need to understand before you bet one cent on any Texas Hold�em game.
1) Check out the other players! Are they good or lousy? Check out the section called �Watch Who You Play With� and then make 28 notes on the strength of each player. I have supplied a system you can use to determine their ability to play.
2) Decide on the right spot at the table. Very important. Probably one of the most important decisions you will make in the game.
You will find a lot of tips in the chapter on �Table Position�.
3) Make sure you have enough chips. Stack size does matter in this game. You will find tips on how to decide on how much to play with this later in the book.
OK! You�re seated. You have �read� the table and the other players.
You have enough chips to win. Now what? From this point on, just follow our system.
In this example you are dealt a King and a nine.
Your first question will be � how good is my hand? Well, we�ll tell you. Refer first of all to the Opening Odds Chart at the end of this book.
Look up K9 from the chart (which you will keep by your side when you play.) The odds of winning with these two cards is 14%.
29 Now look at the pot. What is the total now? This is easy because the computer keeps track of this for you to the penny.
Let�s say the pot total is $80.
14% of $80 is $11.20. (This is our Pot Odds calculation. This tells you how much you should bet based on what you have.) So you match the bet of $10 and you are in. (Ten dollars is less than your $11.20 limit. You �underpaid� to stay in the game.
Now the others keep betting. It gets back to you again and the pot is now $120.
What�s 14% of $120? Around $17.
You�ve already bet $10. That leaves $7. (Your first bet on that round plus $7) You need another $10 to stay in.
According to my rules then, you should fold.
Now the $3 difference is not much. You might decide to go to the $20 if necessary. But don�t go any further. The odds are against you and you are over-paying for the cards you have yet to see.
Now you are playing scientifically and based on well-understood odds. This is how the pro�s play. They watch the other players.
They watch the other cards. And they know the math.
�The secret to winning Texas Hold�em? Beat the odds by knowing the odds.� Insider Tip 30 You need to beat the other players by knowing the odds better than they do. Now let�s learn more about the secrets of online poker.
Let�s get back to our two pocket cards.
Here�s the FLOP.
Now you�re pretty excited. You just ended up with a pair of Kings. Is a pair of Kings good enough to win? Are you ready to bet the farm? Do you have the Nuts? �50% of Texas Hold'em pots are won with a pair of 9�s or better.� Insider Tip So that sounds good. Except there is a partial straight on the table.
At this point, after the FLOP, there are THREE things to consider.
31 What do the other players have (Tells)? What are my odds of getting a winning hand? What will it cost me to see the next card? Back to the first point.
What do the other players have? Short of those x-ray glasses they used to advertise in the comics when you were a kid, how will you know? This is the art of the �tells� � evaluating the other player�s cards.
First, look at the odds for the other players.
In our game, there is a 2 card straight on the table. Another player needs to have a 56 or 69 or 9T in any suit and they are close to a straight. (Later on we will show you exactly how to figure out the exact odds.) It is very likely that someone at the table is 1 or 2 cards from a straight. And they still have two more cards to fill that straight.
Clearly, you need three-of-a-kind to stay in the game. Another King.
As far as you know, there are 2 other Kings in the deck (you never count what you think someone else has in their down cards).
32 The odds are simple to calculate.
There are 17 cards dealt (based on 3 down and 7 players with 2 cards each).
You need 2 out of 17 cards = 11.7% odds.
The betting starts and you can see the pot is $180 when it gets to you.
How much can you bet? 11.7% of $180 = $20.
If you know that you need another King to win, the most you should bet to see the next card (based on what you know) is $20.
You have one other very valuable bit of information at this point.
You can see how others are betting. This should give you a good sense, combined with your reading of the table before you started, of what kind of hands they have.
Let�s see the next card � the TURN card � a six of hearts.
33 WHAT WOULD YOU DO AT THIS POINT IF YOU KNEW THAT ONE OF THE OTHER PLAYERS ALREADY HAD A STRAIGHT? You would fold. Right? Well - never bet on �the come�.
�A cardinal rule in poker - if they�ve got you beat and you know it, fold now.� Insider Tip Yes, you may get a card to improve your hand but so can they, so unless you can see the next card for free, don�t waste your money.
The question is, how do you know what the other player has? Are you making the determination based on how they are betting? Maybe they�re Bluffing.
You know you can�t beat a straight with a thrip (Three Of A Kind).
On the other hand, beside the PAIR of KINGS, you have four cards in a straight � 6,7,8,9.
Why you should not play anything below AT off suit? Why it�s best to have A5s and below or ATs and above over something in the middle like A8s? 34 Any Ace unsuited hand below AT can be big trouble in any kind of game.
Some people might even consider AT and AJ difficult hands too but for the games you are going to be playing in they are adequate starting hands.
The reason A8, A7, A5 all suck is because you really can't hit much to win. Take A8 for example.
Your Kicker isn't that great, the 8, and you have no chance of hitting any straights or flushes. The only way you can win really is to hope that they have a weaker Ace then you do and you catch one.
Playing poker is like investing in the stock market.
You want to put your money into great stock that has a chance to deliver a good return. A8 isn't that kind of stock.
Now to answer the question of ATs and above and A5s and below versus A9s A8s A7s A6s.
The first ones work because you can also make a straight with them. I would take A5s over A8s because the A and the 5 can work together to make a straight, unlike the A8s.
35 When you play weak Aces though like A5s, you have to be extra cautious if you catch an Ace on the flop.
You won't be sure if your Kicker is good or not so you'll have to give the next step some thought. Playing these only in later positions can help you make better decisions because people will check most likely if they don't have the A or that hand beat.
Why do hands like AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ work best at smaller tables? Imagine a scenario where everyone is in the hand, and you look down and see two gorgeous red Aces? Your pulse starts to race. Then you look up to see that everyone has already called. At this point you have to know that your chances of winning are slim.
Power hands like this rarely win when there are that many people calling pre-flop. Why? How do you improve this hand? In big all-in pots Two Pair rarely wins against flushes and straights.
So what do you do? There�s only one tactic left. You could check Raise on the flop instead of betting right now. The idea would be to try to force 36 some of the other players to leave. Limiting the field would increase your chances to win.
Why are hands like KT�s, QJ�s JTs, 89s,79s, and 46s better when you have a full table of players in? You can almost never get into trouble with these kinds of pocket cards. If you hit something, it�s likely to be quite strong. If you don�t get the cards you want, it�s easy at this point to fold.
Try that with a pair of Aces! With those kinds of cards you are married to the pot � usually to the bitter end. A hand like JTs and 89s are ideal for playing against big all-in pots. Our advice is to always Raise to build the pot.
The reason these favour big pots is because they are always drawing to flushes and straights.
Make your hand . . . and you will be hard to beat.
SUMMARY FOR THE BEGINNER - Read the table.
- Play very tight, especially in the beginning.
- Start with enough chips.
- Bet based on what the pot odds are (never over-bet the pot) - Watch the odds for upcoming cards.