General No Limit Holdem Advice
No Limit Holdem doesn't have to be hard. Follow these strategies for a sound strategy. We assume you're familiar with basic rules.
Play the best hands.
As a rule, beginners to No Limit Holdem should play only very good hands when they start playing. Playing no less than suited face cards and big pairs will make your poker much simpler. It will help you avoid complicated situations that need careful judgment. Most beginners care nothing for pot odds. If you don't want to be bothered by it, then play only the best hands. You'll have less to worry about.
This tightness also applies to early tournament poker play. Early in the tourney, your goal is 1) win more chips without losing any, and 2) survive while the suckers are weeded out. By folding a lot, you let the rest eliminate one another. When you do play, it's a sure thing since you play only good hands.
Raise instead of calling.
A common mistake among beginners is not raising enough. If you are willing to call a hand, you might as well raise it. Raising has many benefits. It makes other players fear you for your aggressiveness, for one. It makes your good hands more profitable. It lets your opponents know they will pay heavily to stay in the game. And it limits the number of players in the game so you increase your chances of winning.
Raise to make others pay to play you. Since this is No Limit, raise as much as is safe for your chip stack. Raise 3-6 times the big blind if you can afford to.
If someone bets to you, always raise if you have a solid pocket pair. If you have a marginal hand, or if there are many callers before you, you will want to raise less. In other words, if you're in late position or the button and several called, they are likely to call a raise and at least one of them must have a real hand there.
Bet big and don't slow play often.
A check-raise is good, but you shouldn't slow play if there are many players left after the flop. Don't risk someone else making a stronger hand than yours. The pot goes up quickly in No Limit Texas Holdem, so you will make money anyway.
Sometimes though you will want to slow play. This is when you have a hand that's very tough to beat, like quads or a straight flush. If you are known to bet big when you like the flop, it's easy to make them fall for your slow play.
Play lesser hands in looser tables.
A lot of poker players are casual only. Look for victims among them. If you find a table of loose, careless players, pounce on it. The no-limit rule will let you milk them for money real quick. When you know you are up against calling stations, play more hands. You will find you can win with even a top pair with a good kicker, a two pair or a low set.
