Texas Hold’em Poker — Advanced Tips for Pro Players

Texas Hold’em Poker is one of the most popular poker game variants for numerous reasons, probably because it has simple game mechanics that every beginner can easily understand.

More importantly, mastering the game is not hard either, and that’s precisely what I’m here to help you with today.

In this piece, I wanted to cover several important tips that will help you become a real pro Texas Hold’em player. Many of these tips are unknown to regular players, but they have definitely helped many poker beginners become real pros.

However, bear in mind that there’s a lot to learn about Texas Hold’em if you’re genuinely interested in becoming a pro player. The game is simple for beginners, but becoming a pro takes time, as you will have to commit yourself to practicing, reading books, and more. The tips we have here will definitely help, but you’ll have to put them into practice and learn more.

So, let us show you what we’ve had in mind!

# Always Consider the Math

Texas Hold’em is very much about math. The game has 52 cards and a set of unchanging rules, so if you practice, you can learn how to determine the odds and hand probabilities in almost every situation.

This might sound like an impossible task, but as you get better, it will become second nature to you.

Even though you don’t know what cards the opponents have, you can use mathematical equations to understand the situation better and come up with a play that will have the most chances of passing successfully.

For instance, at the beginning of a game, if you’re in a small blind and you don’t know anything about your opponent’s cards, plus you haven’t seen your cards, the correct action to take is to fold. That is because if you’re in the small blind with average cards, you will most likely end up losing money.

On the other hand, if you have pocket aces, the best course of action is to raise, as your chances of winning money with such an initial hand are quite high.

Our recommendations are based on different studies on poker and simple math. After all, poker is a game of skill for a reason, and it involves calculations and strategizing.

# Psychology Comes Next

Once you’ve learned how to rely on mathematics in any game of Texas Hold’em, it’s time to consider psychology. These two don’t normally go together, but in poker, they get along splendidly.

What I mean by this is that you have to start thinking on a more advanced level. You’re probably of the opinion that math is already an advanced level of playing poker. However, it’s only a prerequisite to understanding how to play the game. Unfortunately, it won’t help you learn how to read the players.

If you want to do this, you need to start considering your opponents’ reactions. You’ll have to pay attention to what they’re thinking, what they’re planning, and how they are reacting to the events in the game.

You should always be observant of what’s going on in the game and in the minds of your opponents. You’ll need to learn how players bluff, what the tells are, and so much more.

# Game Never Ends

One of the most important things you need to learn about Texas Hold’em Poker is that the game never ends.

In other words, you are not playing for a single playing session and then moving on to another one in a few days. Quite the opposite — you are always playing the same session.

Why is this important, and what does it even mean?

Well, we advise you to start thinking like this because that’s one of the best ways to keep on improving your game constantly. Basically, if every session is seen as a part of a larger, single one, you’ll always have to focus on perfecting all aspects of your game, even the ones that seem to be working seamlessly.

So, if you win in one session, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve mastered the game of poker. You’ve only won that one game — the next one is bound to be different. The math won’t repeat itself, and the players won’t robotically do the same things.

Naturally, you will still have to focus on each separate session while you’re playing it. That way, you’ll get to draw some valuable lessons that will help you improve for the subsequent sessions.

Additional Tips to Remember

• Play more against bad players who limp, call down weak hands, underbet in wrong spots, and overbet when they shouldn’t. Learn how to spot these players and play against them.
• Don’t call when all the signs point towards you losing. Don’t let your emotions guide you and fold when you know you should.
• Don’t limp in the preflop. This is not an effective strategy, even though many players believe it is.
• Give up when you know you have to, but be aggressive if you know you can win. So bet and raise until the opponents fold or you show your best hand.
• Learn how to beat different types of poker players. There are several of them, and every type can be beaten in a specific way.
• Steal the blinds more often. You can do it successfully with a lot of hands, and it’s important for you to remember that.
• Never show your hands, even after the game ends. Opponents can gain information about your playing if you do, so avoid doing it as much as you can.
• If you’re playing online, remove all possible distractions. The more you can concentrate on the game, the better you’ll play it.
• Always take advantage of good poker bonuses if you’re playing online.
• Learn how to play well in 3bet pots where the pots have been raised and re-raised preflop.
• Don’t play the game when you’re tired or not in the right mood for Texas Hold’em.

Bottom Line

As you can see, Texas Hold’em Poker is not as simple as we all believe it is, at least not if you want to become a real pro. If you want to play for fun, then using simple strategies everyone talks about will be helpful in many cases, but it won’t get you to earn a lot of money, and it won’t help you become a better player.

The advanced tips we’ve discussed, a lot of practice, reading, and learning are the things you truly need to commit to. So keep learning and start playing the game on some of the best poker sites, and soon, you’ll start seeing the improvements you crave.