Texas Holdem Mistakes

Plugging some no-limit hold’em leaks

Two common mistakes in casino that lots of average or a little below-average players make when playing poker. In this issue, take a look at two leaks that can often be found in even a good or very good texas holdem player’s game.

LEAK.1 Focusing too much on starting hands in big-bet play

Limit players know that in games like limit hold’em, a large percentage of the pots end up in a showdown. Consequently, in order to win, you usually need to have the best hand at showdown, and the best way to accomplish this is by starting with the best texas holdem hand. But in no-limit hold’em, especially in tournaments, an internet casino and/or cash holdem games in which the money is deep, a large number of pots are decided way before the showdown. This means that it is often not as important which cards you hold as it is how you play them.

They should probably broaden their horizons, and focus on some entirely different aspects of the game than they are currently doing. In general, this means they should try to play well on all streets — and not just play what they perceive to be the “correct” holdem poker hands before the flop.

LEAK.2 Too predictable/exploitable preflop raising strategy in no-limit hold’em tournaments

For no-limit hold’em tournament play, there has been quite a bit of discussion as to what constitutes a “good” size preflop raise. The common view is that raising three or four times the big blind is usually correct, and if there are one or two limpers or a holdem ante, as well, one should adjust this to about five, six, or seven times the big blind.

Now, instead of winning the small and big blinds that you were aiming to win, you have lost much more money than the amount of the blinds. And perhaps even worse than that, you will have lost these chips when in fact you may have had the best hand! If your opponents have found this exploitable weakness in your play, you can be certain that they will take advantage of it, and your theoretically good raising strategy will now have become a major leak in your texas holdem game.If people who play like this get lucky on the one or two occasions that they do get called, they might actually go on to win the casino tournament.