marți, 27 iulie 2010

No Deposit Poker Bonuses

Titan Poker Bankroll from PokerNetOnline.com

The PokerNetOnline.com Titan Poker Bonus:
$50 Instant Bankroll
$100 extra bonus after earing 4500 players points.


Go to the PokerNetOnline.com site and click on the ‘Register’ button at the top of the page. When you do this you will be taken to a page that will tell you how many bankrolls are still available. PokerNetOnline.com give out 200 free bankrolls at Titan Poker every day.
If the daily limit is reached you will have to try again the following day.
Click on the ‘I Agree’ button if you agree with the terms. The following pages will walk you step-by-step through the signup process and will tell you exactly how to download the Titan Poker software and claim the free bankroll money.
It should take about 2 days for you to receive the free bankroll cash into your new Titan Poker account. If you do run into any problems there is a forum on the PokerNetOnline site where you can ask for help.
Get your free bankroll from PokerNetOnline.com NOW!




RIVA POKER - $10 FREE BONUS FOR NEW PLAYERS

$10 upfront free
No deposit required
Free Casino Bonus offer
Not open to US Players
Claim it here

The Riva Poker No Deposit Bonus of $10 is a straight up $10 free for all new players.
There is no extra or pending bonus with this free money, but players receiving this bonus are also entitled to a free $10 bonus in the Riva Casino too.



FullTilt Poker Bankroll from PokerStrategy
The PokerStrategy FullTilt Poker Bonus:
$50 No Deposit required
$50 extra ‘pending’ bonus.
The Provider:
This FullTilt Poker free bankroll is provided by PokerStrategy. Learn more about PokerStrategy in our PokerStrategy review.
How to get it:
To begin your FullTilt Poker free bankroll claim you must first register a member account with PokerStrategy is a ‘poker school’ type of site. This means that in order to claim the bonus you will be required to take and pass a poker quiz.
The PokerStrategy site will take you step by step through the procedure for taking the quiz and claiming the free bonus. Not only that, but they will help you to become a better poker player with their various poker strategy articles and poker training videos.
It is important that you realise that PokerStrategy offers only one free poker starting bankroll to its new members, and that they give you the choice of four poker rooms that you can get the bankroll at.
So you will need to choose which room of the four available that you would like to receive your bankroll money in. Take your time and choose carefully, as some of the available rooms are currently only offered at PokerStrategy and some are available elsewhere. Read the PokerStrategy review to learn more about the choices available to you.
If yo do choose to claim the PokerStrategy free bankroll at FullTilt Poker, then the procedure is clearly laid out for you on the PokerStrategy site.
Click here to visit PokerStrategy
PokerStrategy GIVES YOU:

Free Poker Bonus
– Mansion Poker 50$+100$
– Titan Poker 50$+100$
– Party Poker 50$
– Full Tilt Poker 50$+50$
– PokerStars 50$+100$
First Deposit Bonuses :
– Party Poker 30% up to 150$
– Titan Poker 200% up to 600$
– Full Tilt Poker poker money 100% up to 600$
– InterPoker 100% up to 500$ +30% rakeback from PokerStrategy
– Mansion Poker 100% up to 500$
– Everest Poker $200
– Bwin $500
– PacificPoker 125% up to $475
– Unibet Loyalty bonus: 30%-40%
– Cake Poker 100% up to $500
– Betfairpoker Bonus 100% up to $1.500 + 30-37% rakeback

Detailed instructions how to get free poker and find PokerStrategy quiz answers.


1. Register by our LINK on PokerStrategy site.
2. Check your e-mail. And confirm the registration by using verification number in e-mail.
3. Choose the type of poker bonus – we need free poker “Get your starting capital” .

4. Select the type of poker you want to play – NoLimit, Limit or Tournaments (SNG). For beginners we recommend SNG.
5. Attention. Now you need to read all articles for selected poker game type (SNG for you) in the section for beginners, because you need to find PokerStrategy qitz answers. It is desirable to read the articles, they describe the poker rules and you need this informations for PokerStrategy quiz. Articles are written very simply and in detail.
6. To pass the “PokerStrategy quiz” – 20 questions in 60 minutes. It is not difficult. The PokerStrategy quiz consists of simple questions, taken from articles for the entry level. After all, you do read them? All PokerStrategy qitz answers you can find there. Questions are displayed on top right.
You can always find the answer looking at the articles, if you are forget something. For example, you choose the type of game Tournaments (SNG), you should open all the articles for beginners (basics of poker and tournaments) – 6 articles, it is desirable to open the article in different browser windows. Simply copy part of question and with the help of search (Ctr + F) looking for at the pages – it saves time. Main – not nervous you have a few attempts to get free poker money. If the “PokerStrategy quiz” you answered correctly by less than half the questions (10 of 20) – you do not pass PokerStrategy quiz, do not worry – you can try to pass it within the hour, but this time take on the study of theory. Without it you can never win. If you carefully read all the articles and try to remember and reflect on them – you always have done PokerStrategy quiz. Next step to free poker money 150$ from PokerStrategy.
7. Passed PokerStrategy quiz. Now choose a poker room. We recommend Mansion Poker. But in principle, you can choose any, just in the Mansion Poker you can faster withdraw yours free poker money.
8. Download and install the software. Create new Account in poker room. Follow all the instructions on the “Mansion Poker: step-by-step guide”.

9. IMPORTANT Do not forget to enter the bonus code PS150 . Without it you do not get no deposit poker bonus (free poker ). Warning!!! Bonus code can be different, take a look at website PokerStrategy after the poker room of choice (see the section step-by-step guide to install).
10.Finish the registration at PokerStrategy. Return to the PokerStrategy site and enter nickname your account at Mansion Poker. Enter the missing data in the same way as you entered them when creating an account at Mansion Poker. This data must match to get you free poker bankroll 150$ (free poker money).
Congratulations if you did everything correctly, passed PokerStrategy quiz, register a new account in poker room, then within 48 hours free poker money 150$ will be transferred to your poker account. And if the money does not transfer?
1.Check your mail, you probably received a letter from PokerStrategy to request additional verification. Sometimes they are asked to send a photo copy of yours ID’s.
2.If there is no letter – you should write in PokerStrategy support. Also, describe your problem to us in Contacts section. We will try to help you
Get Now free poker bankroll from PokerStrategy – $150



Cake Poker Bonus from YourPokerCash
October 6, 2008
The YourPokerCash Cake Poker Bonus:
$50 instant poker bankroll no deposit required
$50 more in pending bonus released in $10 increments as points are earned.
The Provider:
Your Poker Cash is quite a large free poker bankroll provider, with currently six free bankroll offers at different poker rooms.
How to get it:
Go to the Your Poker Cash and open an account there. You will need to verify your ID to YourPokerCash so take care to use accurate personal details.
If you are from one of the accepted countries, then just click on the Cake Poker free bankroll Your Poker Cash homepage and follow the instructions for claiming the bankroll.
It can take quite a while to be approved for the free bankrolls at YourPokerCash, so be patient.
Claim your Cake Poker Free Bankroll NOW!Your Poker Cash


PokerSourceis by far the biggest provider of free online poker bankrolls. At the present time they have seven different offers available.

Not all offers are available to players from all countries, but with so many bankrolls available most players are sure to find one that suits them.
Party Poker - $25 + $25
Absolute Poker - $50 + $50
UltimateBet - $50 + $50
Titan Poker - $75 free
FullTilt Poker - $25 + $25
Winner Poker - $25 + $50
Bodog Poker - $25 free
Players are allowed to claim one bankroll every six months.
The available bankrolls change regularly, with new ones being added and older, less popular ones being discontinued.
Members are automatically notified when new free bonuses become available.
The requirements and age restrictions vary from poker room to poker room so it is best to check the PokerSource site for up to date terms.
JoinPokerSourcehere to claim your free cash.


Poker770 No Deposit Bonus reduced


As of the 1st 2010, the Poker770 $50 Dollars free promotion has ended.
The original bonus included $7.70 in free cash upfront for all new players at Poker770, plus an extra $43 in tournament tokens.
Now they have stopped giving the tournament tokens, but at least they are still continuing with the $7.70 for free, no deposit required, for all new sign ups at their poker room. You can read more about this free poker money bonus from Poker770 here.

The Poker770 Free Bonus:
The bonus is broken down into the following parts;
$7.70 in cash
$22 in extra bonus cash
$20.90 in entry fees to special tournaments
The Provider:
Poker770.com is not a bankroll provider; it is an online poker room that currently has a no deposit poker bonus offer available.
This free poker bankroll is not quite a straight-forward free $50 poker cash bonus either. Normally, Poker770.com runs a free bonus promotion of $7.70 for all new players, and this is a ‘limited time’ extension of that offer.


Cake Poker Bonus from YourPokerCash


The YourPokerCash Cake Poker Bonus:
$50 instant poker bankroll no deposit required
$50 more in pending bonus released in $10 increments as points are earned.
The Provider:
YourPokerCash is quite a large free poker bankroll provider, with currently six free bankroll offers at different poker rooms.
How to get it:
Go to the YourPokerCash and open an account there. You will need to verify your ID to YourPokerCash so take care to use accurate personal details.
If you are from one of the accepted countries, then just click on the Cake Poker free bankroll banner on the Cake Poker homepage and follow the instructions for claiming the bankroll.
It can take quite a while to be approved for the free bankrolls at YourPokerCash, so be patient.




Great free poker bankroll form BankrollMob– get more then $9000 free bankroll no deposit.

Site BankrollMob is real treasure for Bonus Hunter – here you can get the total up to $ 10 060 free poker bankrolls (including no deposit casino bonuses ), as well as exclusive first deposit bonus up to $ 31183! The site has issued more than 170 393 bonuses, and it is really profitable and works. You can get access to exclusive freerolls in all poker rooms, and an opportunity once a day to guess the number from 1 to 999 and win up to $ 100 instantly.
You can get $2420 free poker bankroll, deposit free bankroll can get in 15 (!!!) most popular poker rooms.
Get your deposit free bankroll from BankrollMob- free poker cash:
1. Party Poker - free poker bankroll $100.
2. PKR - free bankroll no deposit $25. Attention!! Only here you can get a starting free poker bankroll at PKR poker. And deposit free bankroll 100% up to $ 600.
3. Pacific Poker – free poker bankroll $50.
4. No deposit bonus Titan Poker - $150.
5. Mansion Poker free bankroll no deposit $150
6. Bwin Poker – great free bankroll no deposit $1255. Only for residents of Denmark and Sweden
7. Players Only - no deposit free bankroll $50.
8. 10Bet Poker – free poker bankroll $15.
9. Absolute Poker - BankrollMob free poker bankroll 100% up to $500.
10. Full Tilt Poker – $100 free bankroll no deposit.
11. Action Poker FIRST DEPOSIT BANKROLL 100% up to $2500.
12. Vulcan Poker free poker bankroll $160.
13. BetRaiser – free rake
14. Victor Chandler – $35 no deposit free bankroll from BankrollMob
15. BigBet Poker – FREE BANKROLL NO DEPOSIT $10 + $320

How to get free poker bankroll from BankrollMob, step-by-step guide to getting free bankroll no deposit.

1. Register by LINK on site BankrollMob
.
2. On the registration page BankrollMob
fill in all fields, enter your real data. And we click “Continue”.
3. Now BankrollMob need to check your personal data. All human beings are prone to fraud, and many want to get a few free poker bankroll immediately. You need to pass Phone Verification (Free) or send a copy of a passport or driver’s license. We recommend that you complete Phone Verification, it takes 2 minutes of time. Click on the “Phone Verification (Free)”

4. Check your phone number. Press «Call NOW» and you call a BankrollMob’s phone robot. He said the verification code -3 digits. Repeats 2 times. Write the code and enter it on the next page, click «Verify!».
5. After successfully passing Verification (Phone or upload Driver License/Passport Verification) you will able to go to the last step and you will very soon be able to request free bankrolls.
6. In the menu «BANKROLLS», select the appropriate bonus. Carefully read the description and follow the instructions.



The new PokerTime has a much fresher, modernized appeal, while maintaining and advancing its identity as an established brand that is still being enjoyed by avid poker fans.
Streamlining the interface of the site came as an integral necessity to the remake. With continuous promotions and never-ending tournaments a default for this popular online poker room, it had become critical to introduce a more user-friendly interface to facilitate a better user experience. The navigation has been enhanced in order to support this necessity.
Another exciting addition to this repertoire is the presence of PokerTime’s own resident poker pro, Oskar Silow; players can link to his personal blog to get the lowdown on superb and insightful articles, submit questions for him to answer and also follow his progress in live online poker events.PokerTimelatest promotion is the ground breaking Poker Points Challenge! This promotion consists of two leaderboards valued at USD70,000 every month! Blue and Bronze players can compete in the Super Points Challenge where USD20,000 is shared among the top 500 players. Silver, Gold and Platinum players can compete in the VIP Points Challenge where USD50,000 is shared among the top 200 players.
Newcomers to PokerTime can also take advantage of the USD10 free bonus…no strings attached! In addition to this, new players will get a 100% match bonus up to USD500 when they make their first deposit and will also be invited to take part in 5 exclusive freerolls.
If you’re also interested in a place that rewards loyalty, you will automatically be registered for the Poker Players Club. While earning Poker Points, players can also improve their Poker Players Club level from Blue to Bronze, Silver, Gold and the ultimate level – Platinum. It’s really simple to earn Poker Points, membership is free and registration is automatic, so all you have to do is play!
Player support ranks very high on this Poker facility’s priority list. Trained service professionals are available 24/7/365 for player convenience and can be contacted at support@pokertime.eu, through live chat or by dialing the toll-free number for your region.
Using the latest Microgaming software, PokerTime sports a slick, innovative player interface that offers a diverse range of action-packed games.
The site is constantly evolving in order to present the best service possible. From banking techniques and pay-out methods to VIP relationship managers and new games, PokerTime
are always looking at putting players first and providing them with as much action-packed Poker excitement as possible.

Poker Sites

LIST OF NO DEPOSIT POKER BONUS CODES
Here's a list of no deposit bonus poker rooms that we have available. Just visit our no deposit poker bonus section and choose Your favorite offer or click directly on one of the poker rooms below to be taken to the no deposit poker coupon code. Always make sure to read the terms and conditions BEFORE You download any poker software, because You will not be eligible for future offers once You downloaded. Your account will be verified before You get the free poker money, so by trying to get a bonus that You aren't eligible for You will only be banned from future offers.

NEW!!! Noble Poker NEW!!!
Bet Most Poker
PlayersOnly ( US and Canada ONLY )
Carbon Poker ( US friendly )
Walker Poker ( US friendly )
Virgin Poker
Cake Poker
Poker770
Action Poker
Red Kings
Party Poker
Titan Poker
Ultimate Bet
Full Tilt
Absolute Poker
Victor Chandler
Pitbull Poker
CD Poker
Interpoker
Mansion Poker
Unibet

There are many sites on the Internet that will help You to learn poker, no matter if You are a beginner or are playing poker for a while already. I strongly recommend to take a look at the Poker Strategy Site, because they got all it takes to become a successfull poker player. With articles, videos and live coachings they got something for everyone, no matter how You prefer to learn poker.

The second source for free poker money to build Your bankroll are freerolls. All day, every day a freeroll is running. While most of them are not worth playing in them, because the prize pool is to small and the number of players is to high, some of them are a good source of free poker money.
Go to our freeroll section to find some very lucrative freerolls to play in!

Do a search for poker forums and freerolls and You will find many forums that offer private tourneys. You can find freerolls with up to $1000 prize pool and only 150 starters this way. Especially when You are playing tight poker in these tournaments then You can get in the money regularly.

You can also find great private tournaments by just checking the private tab in Your favorite poker software. You can see who is running private tourneys and then join these forums or websites to be eligible to enter their freerolls.

Now that You have some poker accounts funded with some No Deposit Poker money and some freeroll winnings in Your account, let's maximize your free bankroll. And there's nothing more easy than that. You just have to change poker rooms from time to time.

Once that You can withdraw Your Bonus or have won something in a freeroll You should cash out this money and deposit it at another poker room. The new poker room will give You a first deposit bonus on Your money, often up to 100% and sometimes even more. You can double Your poker bankroll instantly just by switching the room You play at.

Party Poker

Party Poker no deposit bonus - $50 free

Pokerstrategy is the biggest site that offers no deposit bonuses. You can get $50 free on party poker but you will have to pass a poker quiz.

1. Visit PokerStrategy

2. Pass the poker quiz

3. Get $50 free on Party Poker

Riva Poker

Riva Poker offers $10 no deposit poker money



Riva poker is another new poker room that offers free poker money.

1. Visit Riva Poker and register

2. Send an email to promo@rivapoker.com and as subject type in “WELCOME10”. This way you will get $10 free on your poker account.

Visit Riva Poker

Poker 770 - $50 free

Poker770 - $50 free

There is a no deposit bonus on Poker770 again. You will get a total of $50 in poker bonuses.

1. Visit Poker770

2. Register and contact the support to get the bonus

Full Tilt Poker - $50 free money

Full Tilt Poker - $50 free money - US players accepted


FullTilt Poker is the second largest online poker room in the world. Luckily there is a site that offers free money on FullTilt Poker. You will get $50 bonus and US players are also accepted.



2. Register there and get the bonus.

Visit FreePokerCashBankroll

365 Bonitas Poker

- $6 no deposit - US players welcome

365 Bonitas Poker is a new poker room and they offer free poker money for a limited time. Players from all around the world are accepted, there is no country restriction and you don't have to pass any poker quiz or make an ID verification. You just register and get the bonus. Here is what you have to do:



2. Register, login and go to PLAYER ADMIN > BONUSES > and enter bonus code "NEWAT365"

3. You will get 10 x $0,60 SNG coupons which will expire within 3 days. Make sure you use them all.

Cake Poker Review 2010

Cake Poker overview 2010.

Cake Poker is a great option for rakeback players due to its high 33% fixed rakeback percentage and acceptance of US players. However, the room is let down by primitive software (doesn't work with PT3, HE or Mac computers) and tougher than average competition.

Great room for rakeback + bonus. 33% rakeback, which is higher than most.
Decent amount of traffic to work with, but not a crazy amount.
Poor software and tight competition due to Cake being a popular room for rakeback grinders.
The main reason why you would want to play at Cake Poker is for its handy 33% rakeback deal and the easy to clear $600 bonus. However, the presence of this rakeback deal and lower than average player traffic means that you will bump in to a fair number of tough grinders during your stay.


Cake Poker competition and traffic.

Decent amount of traffic.
There are more tight players and fewer loose fish at Cake than at most rooms.
You won't have any trouble finding a seat or multi-tabling at the lower stakes NL Texas Hold'em games. However, you will struggle to find a suitable variety of tables to play at as soon as you go past the $200NL stakes.

The main problem with Cake Poker is that the rakeback deal attracts the sort of players who are most likely to be regular grinders, and are therefore very tricky to beat. There will always be a handful of poor players floating around the room, but the volume of these players is far lower than at rooms like PokerStars.

It is possible to make money playing at Cake Poker, but you need to have very strong game and be able to use your table selection skills well to get the most from your sessions.

Visit the Cake Poker website


Cake Poker bonus.

Cake Poker offers a 110% up to $600 bonus to all new players at the poker room. No bonus code is needed, as the bonus is automatically given to all new players. Just make sure to enter the sign up code RAKEBANK when creating an account to get rakeback to go along with the automatic bonus.

Cake Poker bonus details.

110% up to $600.
No bonus code needed. Bonus is automatically given to all new depositors.
You get 7 FPPs for every $1 paid in rake.
10,00 FFPs needed to redeem the full $600 bonus.
Bonus released in $10 increments.
You have 90 days to collect as much bonus as possible.
On its own, the Cake Poker $600 bonus is actually a very attractive one. When you combine the bonus with a solid 33% rakeback deal, you stand to save a large amount of money that you would normally pay through rake during the bonus period.

This means that Cake Poker is a very profitable room to play at whilst you clear the bonus (as highlighted on the poker bonuses page). I would go as far to say that the 33% rakeback + bonus just about makes up for the poor software and tighter competition at Cake Poker.

Visit the Cake Poker website

Top Rakeback Room

Full Tilt is the top rakeback poker room with its 27% rakeback paid weekly. But what sets Full Tilt apart from the numerous other rakeback poker rooms there for you to choose from?

Why is Full Tilt the top rakeback room?

Highest traffic.
Best software.
Some of the softest competition.
Full Tilt ticks all of the most important boxes when it comes to running a great poker room. Full Tilt comfortably has more traffic and better software than any rivaling rakeback room. The high volume of traffic also means that there are plenty of poor players at the tables to keep the games nice and soft.

Even without rakeback Full Tilt would still be one of the top two rooms alongside PokerStars, so the presence of the 27% rakeback deal is just an awesome bonus.


What if I already have a Full Tilt account?

Unfortunately if you already have an account at Full Tilt it is not going to be possible to sign up for rakeback there. It's annoying, but trust me when I say that you are in the same boat with many other players that signed up to Full Tilt before they realized that they could get rakeback.

Don't worry though, there are plenty of other impressive rakeback rooms out there. The next best options to Full Tilt rakeback are:

Ultimate Bet rakeback
Cake Poker rakeback
Ultimate Bet is popular US friendly rakeback room and Cake Poker has a high 33% weekly rakeback deal. Of course, these rooms are not quite as good as Full Tilt, but they are still great rooms to play at and offer some very attractive rakeback deals of 30% and 33% respectively.

Texas Hold'em Hand Guide

The Texas Holdem hand guide below will take you through each stage of a poker hand from the preflop round to the river, and give you a brief overview of the strategy you should try and employ as well as the thought processes behind making profitable decisions at each stage of the hand.

Knowing how to play a poker hand well from start to finish is not an easy skill to learn. Many players can play certain rounds well, but struggle on others. It is important to learn how to play each round profitably.

The individual Texas Holdem strategy articles found on this sitePokerStrategy will help to fine tune different aspects of your game, but it is here that you will find the fundamental principles behind playing a winning Texas Holdem hand. There is also a list of useful articles at the end of each guide for further information on different concepts and plays that you can use at each stage in the hand.

Preflop strategy

Before the flop is where it all starts, so learn how to get the foundations started correctly. This article focuses on good starting hand selection, along with key position tips and a quick guide to optimum preflop betting


Flop strategy

Many of the decisions that you will make at the poker table will be based on the flop or will stem from the flop later in the hand. This article highlights the importance of being able to identify the different textures of flop and the best strategies for dealing with them.


Turn strategy

The turn is often forgotten about in the Texas Holdem strategy world but can often prove to be a very important street. So don't forget about it and learn how to play it well.

River strategy

Now all of the cards are out and its time to make the best 5-card hand possible. Pick up some key tips on how to play when you have the best of it and when you have the worst of it.

Tips on playing a hand in poker

Playing a good Poker hand is not always easy, as there are always going to be opportunities to make mistakes along the way. Use the tips in this article to help yourself make more profitable decisions on each betting round.

Playing a hand in Texas Hold'em.

These articles are quite lengthy, but they are actually as condensed as I could make them without leaving out any tips or strategy that I thought was vital to being able to play each betting round successfully. However, although these articles should prove to be a handy guide for you, you should try your best to learn from them, and not rely on using them every time you make a decision at the Texas Hold'em poker table.

Try not to refer to these guides too often whilst playing poker. Learn from these articles as best as you can and use your own judgment when making decisions at the poker table.

Being able to stand on your own two feet and make decisions for yourself is what is going to help you develop into the best player that you can be. So be prepared to eventually move away from using guides, and try to use your head as much as you can during play. Ask yourself questions like:

What do I expect to achieve with this play?
What am I going to do on the next betting round if I make this play?
How do I think my opponent is going to react to this play?
The more questions you ask yourself, the more refined and calculated your plays will be. A winning poker player is a thinking poker player, so you're going to have to use that logic of yours if you want to win money. If you do not use your head, you may as well play online casino games instead PokerStrategy.

Poker is a game of skill, so use your ability to get the better of your opponents.

Preflop Strategy

Preflop overview.

Before the flop is where it all starts, where you are forced to make your first important decision depending on all of the variables involved with the hand. It is important to make good, solid decisions before the flop, as it will form the foundations for how the rest of the hand will be played out.

If you make a high-quality decision before the flop, you will set the tone for the rest of the hand and give yourself the best opportunity to get into a moneymaking position. However, if you make a bad decision before the flop, you may well set yourself up for a big loss by getting yourself into a sticky position or missing out on a potentially rewarding hand.

Start as you mean to go on in every hand. Make quality plays at the beginning and continue throughout the rest of the hand.

Therefore after you have been dealt your cards preflop, it is important to take your time to evaluate all of the different variables in the hand, and not just make decisions on the cards that you are holding. It is important to consider your position and the type of opponents you are playing against, as well as know the correct starting hand requirements. So make sure you think very carefully before every flop and build the foundations for a profitable hand by making the correct preflop strategy decision.

Preflop starting hand selection.

Choosing which hands to play and which hands to fold is fundamental to playing a winning poker game. The best hands to play in Texas Holdem are:

Big pocket pairs: AA-TT
Big suited connectors: AK, AQ, AJ, KQ
Big connectors: AK, AQ, AJ, KQ
These particular combinations of cards have the best chances of winning than other cards, so if you stick to these you will find yourself in more profitable situations after the flop. It is possible to play other combinations of cards successfully, but if you are a beginner player then it is advised to stick with the big cards until you find your feet at the poker table.

Preflop position strategy.

Your position in the hand is an incredibly important variable that you should be aware of in every hand, yet it is something that is all too often forgotten about.

The dynamics of play are slightly different in the preflop betting round, as the small and big blind will be last to act, whereas they will be the first to act on every other betting round. However, the general principles of position will remain the same, as you want to try and play more hands where you have position over your opponents than in positions where you do not.

This means that you should avoid playing too many hands in the blinds or in an early position, as being one of the first to act in each hand can make things very difficult unless you are holding a premium hand. Be very careful when playing in the blinds, and don’t feel as though you have to enter more pots in these positions because you have already committed money to the pot. It is far safer to let marginal hands go rather than to call raises with half a holding and play out of position for the rest of the hand.

Your position can often play a more influential role than the strength of the cards that players are actually holding, so try and keeping the upper hand by combining good position with good cards.

The cards listed above in the starting hands selection section can be played from almost any position, but you should try and tighten up your starting hand selection in the earlier positions. So as a general rule, you can play with a wider range of the top starting hands in later positions than you should in the earlier positions in the hand.

So the top strategy tips on preflop position are:

Always be aware of your position in a hand
Try to avoid playing out of position unless you have a strong holding
You can afford to loosen up your starting hand requirements in later positions
Don’t feel committed to playing hands when in the blinds
Preflop betting tips.

When the action reaches you before the flop, you will be faced with the decision to either fold, call or raise. If there has been no raise before you, then a call will simply mean matching the size of the big blind, which is also known as ‘limping in’. This is generally not a good play, as if you are entering any pot in Holdem you will want to be making a raise and show aggression.

If you are limping in with a hand, you are either entering the pot with a sub-standard hand or you are playing a premium hand too weakly. So the real question you should ask yourself if you are first to enter the pot before the flop is; “Am I folding or am I raising?”

The majority of the time you should either "pump it" or "dump it". Avoid limping in by simply calling the big blind.

Preflop bet sizing.

If you decide that you are going to enter the pot, you should be looking to make a raise of about 3 or 4 times the size of the big blind. By making a minimum raise you are letting opponents with marginal hands come in cheaply, and you are almost defeating the object of making a preflop raise.

The idea of a preflop raise is to reduce the amount of players who follow you to see a flop, as it is easier to make profitable decisions when there are fewer players in the pot. So make sure to come in with a strong 3 or 4 BB raise, and increase the size of the raise if you find that a lot of players are still calling these raises with marginal hands or if other players have limped in before you.

If there has been a raise before you, you must now consider whether you should fold, call or raise. If you have a poor or marginal starting hand you should look to fold. If you have a good starting hand like the ones mentioned above you should be happy to call and see a flop. If you have one of the top starting hands like AA or KK, should re-raise to help try and get as much money into the pot as possible.

Limping in.PokerStrategy

There will be a few cases where limping-in will be an acceptable play. This will normally be when there have been a number of other players limping-in before you, and so you will have better odds to see a flop.

The best hands to limp in with are strong drawing hands such as suited cards with an ace or king, or any connecting cards that can make a straight. You are not looking to make top pair in these limped multi-way pots, as they can often land you in trouble. So aim to play hands that can land you a very strong holding or a strong draw, and then comfortably fold on the flop if neither of these materialize.

Top strategy tips for preflop betting:

Don’t be afraid to bet or raise
Make solid 3 or 4 BB raises when entering an un-opened pot
Increase the size of your raise if other players have limped or are calling stations
Avoid limping with mediocre hands
Only limp if you have a potentially strong hand and others have limped before you
Other preflop strategy tips.

If you are playing in a shorthanded game such as a 6-max table, you can afford to reduce your starting hand requirements so that you can see more flops. If you stick to the starting hand requirements mentioned above, you would probably find that you are folding too often and missing out on opportunities to win money. So you can afford to play other hands such as AT, KJ, KT, QJ and so on.

Strategy articles will take you so far, but training sites will take you further.

When making your decision pre flop, you should also consider the type of players who you are playing against. If you notice that a tight player has made a raise, it is likely that they have a very strong hand, so you should re-evaluate the strength of your cards in this hand. Similarly, if a loose player makes a raise, it is more likely to be profitable to be call with a decent hand as you could well be holding a stronger hand than them.

It is important to not be afraid about making bets or raises before the flop. It is important to be aggressive in poker, as it is a winning style that all good players adopt. If you are afraid to make bets and raises when you should be, then you will be making unprofitable decisions and you will find it hard to ever win money from the game. To help accustom yourself to being aggressive, you could try dropping down in limits where there is less money at stake, so that you can become comfortable with playing aggressively and notice the advantages of an aggressive style over a weak playing style.

River Strategy

River strategy overview.

When you make it to the river (which actually happens a lot less often than you might think), all the players have been given the final card on the board with which to make their best 5-card hand. River strategy is different to strategy on other betting rounds because with every other street there are always more cards to come to help players improve their hands, but on the river you are stuck with what you are given.

The river betting round is free from all the complications of pot odds, implied odds and all other types of mathematics that are involved with drawing hands.

However, this does not necessarily mean that the river is an easier round to play. River strategy can become very tricky as players will either ‘have it’ or they won't, and so the players who don't make the hands that they were hoping for will sometimes make one last effort to try and take down the pot with a big bluff.

Therefore to play the river well, you should always think about all of the information you have gathered from each street in the hand you played against your opponent up until this point to help influence your decision

How to play the river.

As I just mentioned, you have to think about the way your opponent has played the hand on each street to help inform your decision on how to play on the river. The more information you have, the more pieces to the puzzle you can fit together to build a bigger picture of what your opponent may be holding.

By the river it is often likely that your opponent will have given off enough information through the way they have played to indicate what kind of hand they are holding, so it is just a case of thinking through the hand and looking for it.

Always take your time to evaluate all of the plays that have taken place up to that point on the river. You can find a lot of useful information if you think about the hand carefully.

If your opponent has been playing as if they had a drawing hand on each street, and then comes out with a bet when the river comes with a card that could not have helped them, you can be fairly sure that they are bluffing be happy to call their bet if you have a decent hand. Similarly, if an opponent has been playing very aggressively on previous streets by betting and raising but plays very weakly on the river by checking, you can happily sense they are trying to trap you and trying to induce a bluff.

Position on the river.

Playing the river can be a lot easier if you have position over your opponent. Acting after your opponent will prove to be a huge advantage on the river because you can see how your opponent reacts before making your final decision. When you reach the river you will be in one of the following situations regarding the strength of your hand:

You are confident you have the best hand.
You are confident you have the worst hand.
You are unsure about whether you have the best hand.
The first two situations are easier to play in, both in and out of position, but things can become very tricky when you are not sure about whether or not you have the best hand. So here is a quick guide on how to play in or out of position when in each of the situations mentioned above.

Playing the river in position.

- You are confident you have the best hand.

If you are confident you have the best hand, you want to get as much money from your opponent as possible. This means that you should definitely bet and raise to get more and more money into the pot. It is better to make big pot-sized bets on the river rather than smaller bets to try and entice your opponent into calling. It will be more profitable to make big bets even if your opponent calls less often, as it is explained in the article on maximizing value.

- You are confident you have the worst hand.

When you feel that you have the worst hand, you should be happy to fold the majority of bets your opponent makes on the river. It is unlikely that opponents will bet into you out of position with a poor hand, so always lean toward folding rather than raising in an attempt to bluff.

If your opponent checks to you, you are now faced with the tough decision of whether or not to bluff. It is in these instances that you should use all the information from the way your opponent has played up until this point to decide whether a bluff is likely to work. Always try and be at least 80% sure that a bluff will be successful before making one, and fold if you have any doubts in your mind at all.

- You are unsure about whether you have the best hand.

If our opponent checks to us, then we should almost always check behind them and turn the cards over to see who has won. This is because if you ever bet in this position, it is unlikely that you will get a call from a player that we have beat, but it is likely that we are going to get a call from a player that has us beat. So just check it down and hope that your hand is the winning one after they have been turned over.

Don't bet marginal hands on the river. You are only going to get called by better hands the majority of the time.

If your opponent is betting into you on the river in this spot.

If our opponent is betting into us, once again we have to make the decision about whether or not we should call based upon the information we have gathered from previous betting rounds.

You may also need to factor in the odds that your opponent is giving you to call, because if your opponent makes a very small bet, you may well be given the correct odds to call because of the likelihood that your hand will sometimes win. But at the end of the day, there are no concrete rules for these situations and it is just a part of poker that will take time, patience and a thorough understanding of the game to master.

Playing the river out of position.

- You are confident you have the best hand.

It is nice to feel that you have the best hand, but unfortunately we do not have position to help maximize our winnings in these situations. If you feel that your opponent has a half decent hand, you should look to make a decent bet and hope that they will call, as it is not likely that they will bet if they are unsure about whether they have the best hand.

If you think that your opponent missed a draw and has a very weak hand, it may be more profitable to check in an attempt to induce a bluff. If you bet and it turns out they have no hand at all, then you are not going to win any more money because they are just going to fold. If you check however, you are giving them the opportunity to make a bluff and squeeze out that little extra money from them at the end.

- You are confident you have the worst hand.

It's pretty unfortunate to have the worst hand and be out of position, but its not all that bad. At least in these situations you will have a clear idea about what to do… check and fold to any action. It is rarely a good idea to try and bluff when out of position in these spots, so save your money for another time. Only bet if you are incredibly sure that you can get your opponent off the hand, otherwise betting out here is not going to be profitable at all.

- You are unsure about whether you have the best hand.

Although this might seem like a bit of a dilemma, its not as bad you think. The last thing you want to do here is bet out… its one of the biggest mistakes you can make in poker when you think about it logically. When you bet out not knowing if you have the best hand or not, you are only going to get calls from hands that beat you, and you are not going to get calls from hands that you are beating. It is a completely lose-lose situation, so never bet out if you are unsure about whether you hold the best hand or not.

Never bet out when first to act on the river if you have a hand that could easily be either the best or worst hand.

The only hard part in these spots is when your opponent comes back at you with a bet. In these situations you have to once again consider the way the hand has been played out up to that point, as well as think about they way your opponent has been playing in other hands as well as this one.

If you think you have a decent chance of winning because your opponent is loose and bluffs frequently, then you have a good reason to call. However if you are not confident that you are ahead, you should be looking to fold unless you are being given good enough pot odds to make the call to see if you are ahead. It's all about practice and a good knowledge of your opponent's playing style.

Other river strategy tips.PokerStrategy

Don't bet on the river if you are unsure about whether or not you have the best hand. I know I have mentioned it before, but it is something that you should always remember. You are only going to get a call from a better hand and a fold from a worse hand, so don't make that bet!

Always think about each play that led up to this point into the hand, and use it to influence the decisions that you make on the river. There is no better tell than the way an opponent has played their hand and the information they have given you by the way they have checked, bet or raised.

Always bet around the size of the pot when you want a call when you hold the best hand. Even though you may well get called less often than if you made small bets, you will be winning more in the long run. Its more profitable to win $50 1 in 10 times than it is to win $5 8 out of 10 times. It's all about maximizing value from your hands over the long run.

Turn Strategy

Turn strategy overview.

The turn is a much forgotten about betting round that does not get nearly enough as much attention as it should. Most strategy articles seem to focus on playing the flop and river well, but leave out the turn and almost consider it to be a bridge between two more important streets.

However, turn strategy is actually a key part of any poker hand, as it is the point where the pot has usually grown to such a point from the preflop and flop betting rounds that you now will be making a decision about whether or not to commit yourself to the hand.

Most player have a decent strategy for the preflop and flop betting rounds, but have no real game plan for when the turn comes around.

The turn is almost like a continuation of the flop, but with the stakes raised a lot more. If you and your opponent have been betting correctly in previous betting rounds, you should find that any bets or plays you make on this street will commit a large portion of your stack into the middle. Therefore knowing whether to continue to fight for the hand or to let it go is a very important ability that no player should neglect.

Don't be afraid to let a hand go.

When playing the turn, it is important to stay focused and assess the strength of your hand. Many players have the problem of not being able to let the hand go because they feel that they have come so far in the hand, that is worth their while to continue to see the river. This is a terrible way to play and will cost you a lot of money if you are not able to make clear and educated decisions on the turn.

On the turn, you should be contemplating whether you are going to commit to the rest of the hand or not. It is not a good idea to muddle your way through the hand and hope for the best, so have a clear idea in your head about what you are going to do and be happy with it. You should be happy to fold a mediocre hand at this point, as you do not want to be committing a much larger amount of money to the pot with a hand that may well be second best. So learn to let go.

Always keep a clear strategy in your head for each stage of a hand and your decisions will become a lot easier.

Typical turn strategy situations.

When you find yourself at the turn, you will normally be in one of the following situations.

You are continuing with a strong hand.
You are continuing with a bluff.
You called with a mediocre made hand.
You called for a draw on the flop and missed.
You called for a draw on the flop and hit.
1] You are continuing with a strong hand.

If you are at the turn with a strong hand, you should be looking to continue the action and bet if you feel that your opponent has not improved a possible draw. At this point you have probably not been given enough information to assume that your opponent has you beat, and so you should continue to make strong bets and lay down bad odds if they are on a draw.

If your opponent comes over the top of you and raises, you will have to reassess the strength of your hand and consider folding. Not many players will raise a bet on the turn unless they have a very strong hand themselves.

2] You are continuing with a bluff.

If you made a continuation bet on the flop and got called, you are in a very sticky situation indeed. You are now faced with a predicament of whether to fire a second barrel or to let the hand go. In most cases it is better to check and let the hand go to any action, hoping that you get to see a free river card.

Firing a second barrel is a dangerous play, and it is advised that only the more experienced players attempt this sort of bluff.

However, if you can be fairly sure that you can force your opponent to fold with a strong bet, it may be a good play to bet again on the turn. But again, the majority of the time it will be safer to let the hand go and save your money for another hand.

3] You called with a mediocre made hand.

If you called on the flop with a half decent hand like middle pair, you were essentially calling to see how your opponent reacts on the turn. Therefore you should look to fold the hand if your opponent continues to show strength, and look to bet if your opponent checks to you and shows weakness.

Your opponent may have been making a continuation bet on the flop and is now shutting down because of your call on the flop, so now you are in a prime position to take down the pot. This is known as a ‘float play’, and it can be made with any two cards as a bluff to pick off continuation bettors.

4] You called for a draw on the flop and missed.

If you missed your draw on the turn, you should roughly use the same strategy on this street as you did on the flop. Your odds to complete your draw will almost be exactly the same, so try and get to see the river for as cheaply as possible. It is less likely that you will be given the correct odds at this point to call for your draw, so it is probable that you will need to fold your draw at this point unless you feel you have mammoth implied odds to play on in an attempt to complete your draw.

Never feel committed to call large bets on the turn to try and complete your draw. Stick with the mathematics and only call if you are getting good odds.

5] You called for a draw on the flop and hit.

If you were lucky enough to hit your draw on the turn, you are now in the mode to try and extract as much money as possible. If you are first to act, betting or checking as both acceptable plays, and you should choose the one that you think would make you the most money.

I would lean toward betting to make sure I was forcing the action and making sure that I gave my opponent to put money into the pot. If you are last to act then it is almost imperative to bet, otherwise you will be missing out on an opportunity to build the pot. If your opponent isn't going to put any more money in at this point, then it is unlikely that will be putting any money in on the river either, so make sure you try and extract as much money as possible.

Other turn strategy tips.

You should try and think about your turn decision whilst you are making your play on the flop. It is a good idea whilst on the flop to think “Okay, so if I make this play now, what will I do on the turn?” By asking yourself this question you will find yourself making more educated moves on the flop, and not feeling so lost when you get to the turn.

Flop Strategy

Flop strategy overview.

The flop is where the hand really starts to come together, and players start to evaluate the strength of their hands and make decisions based on their potential. You should always look to analyse the texture of the flop and consider what it could mean to both you and your opponents. Being able to fully understand the flop texture and what potential the cards on the flop contain is a key skill that every good poker player is looking to develop.

Being able to identify the nature of the flop and how it affects your own hand and your opponents' possible hands is key to being able to play this betting round as profitably as possible.

Flop strategy can involve all different types of mathematics; both for players with made hands and for players with drawing hands. Therefore it is important to know how to size your bets and raises to make sure that you are making profitable moves at every opportunity.

Playing the flop can range from being fairly easy to difficult depending on the situation. The flop can often be relatively simple, and you are completely happy to either fold or raise with your hand when the action reaches you. However, the flop can be tricky to play when out of position or when in a multi-way pot, so more thought may be needed to work out the best plan of action in these situations.

The texture of the flop.

As mentioned above, it is a key skill to be able to understand and think about the implications that different flops in Texas Hold'em can bring. When I use the word ‘texture’ I basically mean the type of cards that appear on the flop and if there are any draw possibilities, as different flops can bring different possibilities for the players at the table. Here are two questions you should be thinking about after every flop:

Are there any straight possibilities?
Are there any flush possibilities?
These questions simply highlight the possibility that there may be potential for players to have drawing hands. It is important to take into account the fact that some players may have drawing hands because it will affect the way the hand will be played out. This is because where normally you might expect a player to call a bet with a made hand, players may now be calling bets because they have a draw to a stronger hand.

If there are numerous draw possibilities, the flop will often be referred to as being a ‘wet board’, whereas a flop that brings very little or no draw possibilities will be referred to as a ‘dry board’. Here are two examples of typical wet and dry boards:

Wet board: T 9 7
Dry board: K 8 2

The more draw possibilities there are on the board, the "wetter" it is. Think of "wet" as meaning slippery and dangerous.

How to approach the flop.

So now that you know about the different flop textures, what sort of startegies should you use when playing the flop? Well one of the first things to consider is if the flop actually improved your hand, and you will normally be faced with 3 different situations:

Your hand did not improve.
Your hand improved.
You are on a draw.
1] Your hand did not improve.

The first situation is pretty simple to address, because if your hand did not improve then you should simply look to let the hand go at the nearest opportunity, or hope to see another card for free and possibly improve. But at the end of the day, you are not really in much shape to win money from the hand on this occasion.

2] Your hand improved.

The second situation isn't too difficult, but there are different degrees of ‘improvement’ that we have to think about. To make things a little easier, I am going to split the improved hand section up into 4 smaller sections and give a little strategy for each:

- Decent Hand (any pair, middle pocket pair, top pair with weak kicker).

In these situations I like to bet out to see where I stand if there is no action before me. If I get a call I will consider my options on the turn depending on what card comes down. If I am raised I will usually tend to fold unless I have a strong reason to believe that my opponent is bluffing. If I am faced with a standard raise then I will normally call with top pair but fold any lower pairs. I am not prepared to get involved in too much action with these hands.

- Good Hand (overpair, top pair top kicker, two pair)

With these hands I am more than likely to have the best hand at this point, therefore I will be and raise to make sure that I give the wrong pot odds to anyone looking to call with a drawing hand. You should never slowplay in these situations as your hand is nowhere near strong enough to give other players a free card to catch up, so make sure you are betting and raising to give your opponents bad odds and increase the amount of money you can win from the hand.

- Very Good Hand (set, straight, flush)

Again with these hands I will normally want to bet out to get as much money into the pot as possible. I am not necessarily looking to ‘protect’ my hand as much as before, but more to give myself the best opportunity to win a big pot. Some players will like to slowplay here, but in my opinion you will just be missing out on an opportunity to build the pot. It is also a good idea to bet with weak flushes and give bad odds to anyone who is looking to call with a high card of the same suit as the flop for a flush of their own.

- Exceptional Hand (full house, four of a kind, straight flush)

Make the most of this situation, because it’s not going to happen very often. It is in these rare instances that I will look to slowplay to try and allow my opponents to catch up, but it is not likely that I am going to win too much money from these hands anyway. So just try and extract as much money as you possibly can, but do not be too disheartened if you end up winning a small pot.

3] You are on a draw.

Now if you have a drawing hand on the flop, you will want to try and see the turn card as cheaply as possible in an attempt to complete your draw. It is not often that you will be given 4 to 1 odds (roughly the pot odds you need to call for a straight or a flush) at this point, so you will have to consider the chance that you will win more money from the hand than is already in the pot.

This is known as your ‘implied odds’. All this info may seem a little overwhelming at first, but in general just try not to pay too much for your draws, and try and see the turn as cheaply as possible. If you are feeling a little adventurous, you can always come out raising from time to time with a draw to disguise your hand and keep your opponents guessing.

Other flop strategy tips.

Good flop strategy involves always trying to consider what your opponent may be holding as well as thinking about the potential of your own hand. For example, if your opponent made a strong raise before the flop, they may well have high cards like AK or AQ. So if the flop comes 8 2 4 you can be fairly sure that your opponent’s hand did not improve. Whereas if the flop comes A K 5, you can be confident that your opponent has caught a piece of the flop and is more likely to have improved.

Always try and give the wrong pot odds to any player looking to call with a draw. You can never be totally sure that your opponent has a draw, but it is better to bet assuming that they are on a draw rather than betting assuming that they aren't. By giving your opponents the wrong odds to chase, you will be making money every time they call. However, you will be losing money if your give your opponents good odds and they call.

Always assume that your opponent has a potential drawing hand. It's always better to give your opponent the wrong odds to call as opposed to good odds.

Be prepared to let good hands go. If you have a good hand but come up against a lot of action or are out of position to a raise, you should try and lean toward letting your hand go. It may be difficult to fold good hands, but it is far better to drop the hand early and save yourself from losing more money later in the hand. The best winning players wouldn't win money if they didn't fold the best hand occasionally.

Preflop Strategy

Preflop overview.

Before the flop is where it all starts, where you are forced to make your first important decision depending on all of the variables involved with the hand. It is important to make good, solid decisions before the flop, as it will form the foundations for how the rest of the hand will be played out.

If you make a high-quality decision before the flop, you will set the tone for the rest of the hand and give yourself the best opportunity to get into a moneymaking position. However, if you make a bad decision before the flop, you may well set yourself up for a big loss by getting yourself into a sticky position or missing out on a potentially rewarding hand.

Start as you mean to go on in every hand. Make quality plays at the beginning and continue throughout the rest of the hand.

Therefore after you have been dealt your cards preflop, it is important to take your time to evaluate all of the different variables in the hand, and not just make decisions on the cards that you are holding. It is important to consider your position and the type of opponents you are playing against, as well as know the correct starting hand requirements. So make sure you think very carefully before every flop and build the foundations for a profitable hand by making the correct preflop strategy decision.

Preflop starting hand selection.

Choosing which hands to play and which hands to fold is fundamental to playing a winning poker game. The best hands to play in Texas Holdem are:

Big pocket pairs: AA-TT
Big suited connectors: AK, AQ, AJ, KQ
Big connectors: AK, AQ, AJ, KQ
These particular combinations of cards have the best chances of winning than other cards, so if you stick to these you will find yourself in more profitable situations after the flop. It is possible to play other combinations of cards successfully, but if you are a beginner player then it is advised to stick with the big cards until you find your feet at the poker table.

Preflop position strategy.

Your position in the hand is an incredibly important variable that you should be aware of in every hand, yet it is something that is all too often forgotten about.

The dynamics of play are slightly different in the preflop betting round, as the small and big blind will be last to act, whereas they will be the first to act on every other betting round. However, the general principles of position will remain the same, as you want to try and play more hands where you have position over your opponents than in positions where you do not.

This means that you should avoid playing too many hands in the blinds or in an early position, as being one of the first to act in each hand can make things very difficult unless you are holding a premium hand. Be very careful when playing in the blinds, and don’t feel as though you have to enter more pots in these positions because you have already committed money to the pot. It is far safer to let marginal hands go rather than to call raises with half a holding and play out of position for the rest of the hand.

Your position can often play a more influential role than the strength of the cards that players are actually holding, so try and keeping the upper hand by combining good position with good cards.

The cards listed above in the starting hands selection section can be played from almost any position, but you should try and tighten up your starting hand selection in the earlier positions. So as a general rule, you can play with a wider range of the top starting hands in later positions than you should in the earlier positions in the hand.

So the top strategy tips on preflop position are:

Always be aware of your position in a hand
Try to avoid playing out of position unless you have a strong holding
You can afford to loosen up your starting hand requirements in later positions
Don’t feel committed to playing hands when in the blinds
Preflop betting tips.

When the action reaches you before the flop, you will be faced with the decision to either fold, call or raise. If there has been no raise before you, then a call will simply mean matching the size of the big blind, which is also known as ‘limping in’. This is generally not a good play, as if you are entering any pot in Holdem you will want to be making a raise and show aggression.

If you are limping in with a hand, you are either entering the pot with a sub-standard hand or you are playing a premium hand too weakly. So the real question you should ask yourself if you are first to enter the pot before the flop is; “Am I folding or am I raising?”

The majority of the time you should either "pump it" or "dump it". Avoid limping in by simply calling the big blind.

Preflop bet sizing.

If you decide that you are going to enter the pot, you should be looking to make a raise of about 3 or 4 times the size of the big blind. By making a minimum raise you are letting opponents with marginal hands come in cheaply, and you are almost defeating the object of making a preflop raise.

The idea of a preflop raise is to reduce the amount of players who follow you to see a flop, as it is easier to make profitable decisions when there are fewer players in the pot. So make sure to come in with a strong 3 or 4 BB raise, and increase the size of the raise if you find that a lot of players are still calling these raises with marginal hands or if other players have limped in before you.

If there has been a raise before you, you must now consider whether you should fold, call or raise. If you have a poor or marginal starting hand you should look to fold. If you have a good starting hand like the ones mentioned above you should be happy to call and see a flop. If you have one of the top starting hands like AA or KK, should re-raise to help try and get as much money into the pot as possible.

Limping in.

There will be a few cases where limping-in will be an acceptable play. This will normally be when there have been a number of other players limping-in before you, and so you will have better odds to see a flop.

The best hands to limp in with are strong drawing hands such as suited cards with an ace or king, or any connecting cards that can make a straight. You are not looking to make top pair in these limped multi-way pots, as they can often land you in trouble. So aim to play hands that can land you a very strong holding or a strong draw, and then comfortably fold on the flop if neither of these materialize.

Top strategy tips for preflop betting:

Don’t be afraid to bet or raise
Make solid 3 or 4 BB raises when entering an un-opened pot
Increase the size of your raise if other players have limped or are calling stations
Avoid limping with mediocre hands
Only limp if you have a potentially strong hand and others have limped before you
Other preflop strategy tips.

If you are playing in a shorthanded game such as a 6-max table, you can afford to reduce your starting hand requirements so that you can see more flops. If you stick to the starting hand requirements mentioned above, you would probably find that you are folding too often and missing out on opportunities to win money. So you can afford to play other hands such as AT, KJ, KT, QJ and so on.