Introduction to Limit Texas Holdem Poker by Tyson Tanaka Oct 10, 2020 Limit Hold’em, Poker Strategy 0 comments Limit Texas Holdem poker (LHE) is a strategic game, with everything focused in the ‘Long Run.’. Introduction to Texas Holdem Strategy - 3 Concepts. Concept #1 - Pot Odds. Long-term profits in holdem come from making bets with a positive expectation. You only have a positive expectation when. The Introduction: Texas Holdem is the most popular version of Poker played today in many casinos. It’s also the version of Poker seen being played on television shows like the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker. It’s one of the fastest growing phenomenon’s today where virtually anyone can strike it rich and become a star.
Texas Hold'em Introduction Rules. A single 52-card deck is used. All cards count as its poker value. Aces may be high or low. One player is designated as the dealer, usually with a laminated marker. This person does not have to physically deal the game. However it is important that a symbolic dealer position rotate around the table.
Each player still in the game at the end will determine the highest poker value among his own two cards and the five community cards. It is NOT a requirement that the player use both of his own cards. The player with the hand of highest poker value shall win. Following are the hand rankings.
Example 1
Board: A, 2, 4, 5, 6
Player 1: J, 6
Player 2: 7, Q
Player 1 wins. Both have an ace high flush, so the second highest card is considered. Player 1's jack beats player 2's 7. The only way to have a flush tie is if the flush is entirely on the board and no hole cards are higher than the lowest card on the board in the same suit.
Example 2
Board: J, A, 7, 5, 6
Player 1: 2, J
Player 2: 10, J
Player 2 wins. Both have a pair of jacks so the singletons are considered. High highet singleton in both hands is an ace so the second highest singleton is considered. Player 1's second highest singleton is a 7, compared to player 2's 10. A 10 beats a 7 so player 2 wins.
Example 3
Board: A, A, K, Q, J
Player 1: Q, J
Player 2: Q, 2
Tie. Both have a two pair of aces and queens, with a king singleton. Some people incorrectly believe that in such cases the unused cards are considered, in this case player 1's pair of jacks beating player 2's jack/2. Only the top five cards matter. The jacks and deuce are irrelevant.
One of the most important aspects of Texas Hold'em is the value of each two-card hand before the flop. The decision of how to play your first two cards is something you face every hand, and the value of your first two cards is highly correlated to your probability of winning.
The following table shows my power rating for each initial 2-card hand in a 10-player game. The numbers are on a 0 to 40 scale. Basically, you should only play hands that are dark green, blue, or purple. Of course you should be more be more liberal in late position and picky in early position. If forced I would say you should need 10 points in late position and 19 points in early position to call the big blind. If your table is loose, as if often the case online, you can play a bit looser yourself.
Use the top table if you have a pair, the middle table if your cards are suited, and the bottom table if your cards are unsuited. Except for a pair,look up your high card along the left and your low card along the top.
Following are the links to my tables of the value of each intial hand according to the number of players. The 10-player section explains the methodology for creating the table table.
The following table shows the probability of making various hands after the flop and the correct 'pot odds.' The pot odds are the breakeven ratio of money in the pot to the amount you have to bet for the player to be indifferent about calling, assuming the player would definitely win if he makes the hand (a big if) and there are no additional bets (another big if). This table is a good starting point the player should make mental adjustments for the probability of winning without making the hand, losing with making the hand, and expected future bets. The odds of a two pair improving to a full house are the same as those for four to an inside straight.
Hand | Probability of Making Hand | Pot Odds |
---|---|---|
Four to a flush | 34.97% | 1.86 |
Four to an outside straight | 31.45% | 2.18 |
Four to an inside straight | 16.47% | 5.07 |
The next table shows the pot odds after the turn.
Hand | Probability of Making Hand | Pot Odds |
---|---|---|
4 to a flush | 19.57% | 4.11 |
4 to an outside straight | 17.39% | 4.75 |
4 to an inside straight | 8.70% | 10.50 |
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