Playing Texas Hold'em Online, The Professional Guide - Chapter 3

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO JUST WANT TO GET STARTED NOW!

If you are anything like me, you just want to get to the good stuff. So, let's jump right into the game and the Food Chain system.

Sure, there are rules to learn and techniques to understand and all kinds of interesting tips on betting and odds. This book is full of strategy and background.

But I just want to jump into the game itself as a starting point. How can you be a winner? OK! Let's start with an example of how this system works. Then you can learn about the details more at your leisure.

The 'Food‐Chain Theory' of Online Texas Hold'em Poker!

Fish, as they are called in Texas Hold'em, are prey.

Fish are the losers and the beginners and the sloppy players who get eaten everyday by the bigger fish. In nature they are called 'prey'. Thank goodness for the fish. They sustain the entire poker 'food chain'. Without fish, there would be no monster pots or big paychecks and the game would not be nearly as interesting nor as profitable.

Don't get me wrong. Everyone is a 'fish' in the beginning and there is no way around this essential truth. Everyone gets burned and eaten repeatedly when they start to play poker. Everyone loses on even the best 'nuts' hands.

This book is about how to get out of the 'fish' category as quickly as possible and start taking money home. p>

A note about the research that backs this book.

The book you are reading, unlike most of the poker books available on the market today, is not based on anecdotal examples and table stories told by the 'old pros', a few lucky winners or guys who have spent decades learning the ropes; the majority of them playing the old fashioned 'bricks and mortar' version of the game.

I am a Computer Programmer with an intense love for Poker (and other games) where there is a strong component of skill involved. This book is all about the science of Poker.

Card Shark, our research team, has gone through millions of lines of code, data results and analysis on billions of played hands of Poker. A good percentage of this research was sourced from the same online casinos you and I play at every day. The rest came from reputable sources such as Carnegie‐Melon University where grad students have been running computerized Texas Hold'em simulations for years. Our theories are based on solid mathematics, proven odds calculations and the results of some very interesting computer studies.

At least three major research studies over the past three years have generated over 5 billion virtual hands of Texas Hold'em poker.

You would have to play poker every day for several million years to experience that many hands. (I know you're trying to live a healthier lifestyle but I'm not betting on anyone's chances to make it that far!)

Most of the strategy in this book is based on this new exciting research PLUS some good old‐fashioned table sense based on over 20 years of reading great card players.

You may be surprised by what this new research shows. I know I was.

The better the information you have about what is really happening with the cards and the table, the faster you will get out of the 'fish' category and into the winning zone. We open up the big black online poker box and show you the insides. What could be more fun?

Here's the question we hear every day. How much money can you make?

Again, based on recent surveys, a good player can make $40,000 to $50,000 per year playing medium $3‐$10 stake games.

A real expert, a SHARK, can make $100,000 or more per year – and hundreds do.

Let's start with the results of a recent computer analysis.

Imagine what we could learn about this game if we created a 'virtual' 10‐player Texas Hold'em table, programmed the players in different ways and then just let them play for a few thousand years.

With some of the test runs we would use very aggressive player behaviors just to see how that type of combination of players effects winning and losing. In other examples we would us e a very tight and conservative group of players to see how that affects the game over a period of time. Billions of hands were then played and analyzed again and again over several months. More than many lifetimes of play.

Here is the simplest form of the results of this research based on your chances of winning with the first two-hole cards.

Player Type, If you are a beginner, you are fish. If you are more interested in playing than winning, you are fish. If you don't do your homework and completely understand how the odds affect your chances then yes Virginia, you are a fish.

But even good players can become fish during play. Tournament play is a good example where the game can change radically depending on the number of players left in the game. If you start to panic or get short‐stacked, you may unintentionally revert to 'fish' tactics. As a beginner you will tend to 'act' like a fish – you may stay in the pot longer than your hand would justify. You may raise when your cards are not that strong. Fish are typified by a playing characteristic called 'loose'. Looseness implies a disregard for card odds and a general lack of knowledge about the other players. Combine this looseness with aggressive behavior and you have one of the most interesting creatures at a Poker table – a 'maniac'.

To survive and make money, fish need to play a very tight game. As knowledge and table smarts improve, they can increase their aggressiveness, bold with fresh winnings.

The best guide to beginner card play is to use the Fish Rule as stated in the Player Type Chart. Based on the latest computer research, fish should only stay in the hand if they have one of the top 24 pocket cards dealt.

Why? Because if they have one of these hands, regardless of the type of talent at the table, they will have an excellent chance of winning. They will also begin to understand the discipline of a 'tighter' playing style, which is based on knowing the odds and reading the table.

Betting tactics should not be an issue here and neither should the reading of 'tells' or even player position (which we will discuss in detail later).

Here are the top 24 pocket hands in any Texas Hold'em game (out of a possible 169).

Let's start off with the top of the hit parade. (The 's' refers to cards in the same suit.)

The big Top 4 – AA, KK, QQ, JJ – are ridiculously profitable at any table. Always raise and reraise with these cards. They don't come along often, so take advantage. Not raising on these cards is a sign of foolishness. Being aggressive here is a no‐brainer.

The top 16 ranked starting 2 ‐ card Hold'em hands (or pocket cards) are fundamental to winning play. They make up only 7% of all hands dealt, so it's unlikely that you will get rich by limiting your play to just these card combinations. But you need to know what they represent when they do come along.

If you compare this chart to older books on Poker you may notice an obvious variation. The latest research has shown that the overall power of AKs is slightly greater than that of KQs –especially in games where few players are left after the river.

In fact, with six players after the river, AK places 10th, while in a game with 6 players, it places 5th. This revelation was first discovered in the R&D being done using the latest computerized poker simulations in the late 90's.

JJ is another example of hole cards that vary greatly depending on the type of game they are played in. They have been highlighted on the chart for the following reason‐At a large table of 6 or more players, JJ is ranked 4th in power. In a situation where there are fewer players, the power of this pair goes down to 9th.

Game rank with only TWO players after the river (Top 10)

Game rank with SIX players after the river (Top 10)

The key decision any Hold'em player makes is whether or not to play the starting 2‐card hand they are dealt with. And if they do play, how do they play smart through the hand.

Insider Secret: "I you are a FISH, never bet on anything but the top ranked 24 pocket cards."

We would also suggest that you ALWAYS raise on the Top 10.

Raise on the Top 16 ‐ unless you think the raise is not likely to drive out other players in a very loose game.

Under very tight table conditions, only the Top 5 should be raised before the flop.

However, our advice would be if you find yourself at a very tight table, you should probably get up and go find better playing conditions elsewhere.

AK is a good example of hole cards that only do really well in a short‐handed game so you need to raise and drive out other players right away. If you can't, you will have lost most of the power and advantage of these cards.

TT on the other hand drops dramatically in power with fewer players so raising to push out weaker hands is a poor strategy.

Barracuda – The next level up from the Fish category is Barracuda. You're not the biggest and meanest fish in the sea, but you have experience and you've survived. And you're making money when you play.

The Barracuda Player can safely play the Top 40 pocket cards as listed next.

You are now in the land of the medium‐suited connectors KQs, QJs, JTs, T9s ‐ which do very well in small‐stake games as well as the biggish off suit aces ‐ AQ, AJ.

Barracuda Tip:

Pick your 10‐player table carefully. Look for players who seem to be having fun, and where at least half of them stay in to see the flop. Picking the right table is a major determinant of how well your hands will hold up in the long run.

When other players know what you're holding, you suffer tremendous disadvantage. Just playing good cards is not enough as a Barracuda. Raising AA and KK is clearly not enough. You need a carefully planned but hard to read raising strategy as well. At the Barracuda stage you begin to experiment with more aggressive play. As you will read later, timing your aggressive strategy is the key. Being aggressive with a large number of players at the table, unless they are all very conservative, will not work most of the time. And no matter how aggressive you are, if you are surrounded by sharks, you will be chum.

As a Fish you were focused on the top 10‐16 pocket cards dealt. You need to expand this now in two ways.

One, you need to be more aggressive before the flop on a wider range of cards.

Two, you need to mix up your betting strategy. As you will see later, the best player type is 'tight‐aggressive'.

This characterization is based more on how the other players see you and less on your own strategy. In poker, perception is everything. You need to be seen by your opponent as someone who's style is slightly hard to read and occasionally unpredictable. Then when you do raise aggressively, your opponents will take you seriously and surrender the pot.

Be aware that in online Poker, because players come and go constantly, it's more difficult to build a reputation at the table. It's like performing on the stage; you need to exaggerate your moves a bit more than you would on a one‐to‐one basis. Because it's easier to be aggressive online, your aggression needs to be clear – that means pushing up the bets more than you would at a real table. Slow play can have its advantages here too. It tends to catch the attention of other weaker players anxious to donate to the pot. Even if you know exactly how much you plan to raise, slow do win. Let the counter click off. This is a great attention‐getting device. If after stalling, you fold, you communicate indecision on. On the other hand, if you raise heavy, you've made the move quite clear – and you've got the other players thinking.

Mental toughness is one of the keys to success as you move up the poker food chain. Being mentally tough means ignoring the other players concerns about how fast you play.

Mr. Slow Play

One of the toughest tournaments I've played in had one player who constantly ran up to the last few seconds of their available time on every turn. At first it looked like they were distracted, or playing another game online at the same time. Virtually every time it came to their turn, they would stall until the count down. Soon, other players began chatting about the slow play. Name‐calling began. One player suggested taking aggressive action against this player as a group, simply because of the shared aggravation. Which is exactly what happened. At one point, one player bet aggressively against Mr. Slow Play and went all in and lost.

Who won the tournament? Mr. Slow Play. What a great strategy. He rattled almost all of the other players with his slow det ermined pace. He went right down to the last few seconds on the clock dozens of times. The more the other players complained, the more he hesitated.

Because he was slow on every play, it was very tough to read his actual playing style. He was consistent. He also got a lot of attention. When he won, no one missed it. He managed to control l the table in a way. Table control is clearly a goal of the consistent winner.

The Shark Player will have 80 hands in their play list (see chart following) knowing that they are good hands if the flop is good flop, that your opponents will generally discount the likelihood you'll be holding them, and that they will have the will to fold on as many rounds as it takes when the flop doesn't go in their favor.

As a gambler, with these cards, the real magic is getting the right flop cards.

Based on using the Shark play list you would on average, participate in about 1/3rd of all pots at your table.

The actual number will fall in the range of 25% to 33% depending on the raising by other players.

Again, if your goal is to win, please stay away from very tight tables because no matter how well you play, only the house wins when everyone is good.

Authors Sklansky and Malmuth (S&M) have authored one of the most popular poker books to date called Holdʹem for Advanced Players. Our pre‐flop recommendations differ in many ways.

S&M has always advised raising with your strongest hands and limping (calling) with your weakest. But this a major mistake in tighter games, since your strongest hands are worth much more than the blinds, while your weakest hands are worth much less than the blinds. Folding is the wisest choice.

Also, S&M advises not raising with hands like KT after several loose limpers. The newest research however indicates you should usually raise since your hand is likely to be best and will win more than your fair share of pots (though usually not much money). S&M's argument is that fish will call correctly with gut shots (drawing one card to a straight) and pairs on the flop if you raise preflop, and you will suck more players into the pot. Raising will not greatly reduce your chance of your winning the pot, so if you will win more than your fair share of pots, you should generally raise.

Stats from a number of online casinos have revealed another S&M myth ‐ that you should raise with baby pairs like 33 even if you know the blinds will call. The odds are that you will flop a thrip more than 1 in 9 times but you will win the pot less than 1 in 9 times. Since you will win the pot less than your fair share, you should not raise.

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 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%.

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.

Insider Tip: "The secret to winning Texas Hold'em? Beat the odds by knowing the odds."

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?

Insider Tip: "50% of Texas Hold'em pots are won with a pair of 9's or better."

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.

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).

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.

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'.

Insider Tip: "A cardinal rule in poker ‐ if they've got you beat and you know it, fold now."

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?

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 flush. 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.

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 flush 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 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 favor big pots is because they are always drawing to flush 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