If you are reading this article, you likely already know how to play NLHE (No Limit Hold’em) and if not, you soon will. World Poker Tour announcer Mike Sexton is famous for saying that NLHE is a game that “takes minutes to learn, and a lifetime to master” and he is quite correct.
The Basics
Each player gets two down cards and tries to make the best five card poker hand out of those and the five community cards played face up on the table and shared by the group. Play starts to the left of the dealer and moves around the table clockwise, each player must call the prior bet, raise or fold. The minimum bet is the big blind, and there is no maximum, hence the name.
This you likely already know.
But how, then, do you start to master the game? What strategy should you employ in order to hold on to your chips and cash at least, and hopefully add to them?
Playing Style
The best playing style, especially for beginning players, is Tight-Aggressive. This means that you hardly play poker at all, folding away most hands until you have what are considered the best to play- a high pocket pair, or high suited connectors (like Ace/King of spades, for example.) Once you have that hand, you raise the pot pre flop, hope you hit something good, and push hard with your chips to take down the pot. Don’t slow play and don’t bluff, not at first. You need to learn to be good at the basics before you try tricky moves.
Fit or Fold is the key
To keep from losing money you should follow the “Fit or Fold” philosophy of NLHE. After the flop, see what kind of hand you now have. Did you make a hand, such as a pair, two pair, or a set? Did you make a monster hand like flopping a straight or flush? Did you pick up a drawing hand, such as four cards to a flush or straight? If the answer to all of these questions is “no” and you are asked to pay money to keep playing (call a bet)- the flop did not Fit your hand, so you need to Fold.
These are just a few tips to get you going on your quest to master NLHE. Get these down pat, make some money, and then study up some more.
