New poker players can be intimidated by the talk of strategy. For Texas Hold’em beginners, there are charts and solvers, advantage and high-level strategy, and the popular game theory optimal (GTO) method. It can be a lot to absorb, much less put into practice at the online poker tables when still trying to dive into concepts like position and bet sizing. But remember, there is a reason why Texas Hold’Em is so popular.

Texas Hold’em online strategy can be simplified for new players and for those still mastering the basics and trying to develop a playing style. Ignore things like GTO for now, and focus on some strategy tips that can increase confidence, image, and, of course, winnings.

1. Be Patient When Playing Texas Hold’Em

Part of the excitement of playing poker is the actual play part. It’s exciting to play hands. It sometimes pays to see a flop. But as a beginner, it’s smart to practice patience in poker and wait for good hands. If those hands don’t come, wait longer.

There are ways to cure the boredom that can come with continuously folding in Texas Hold’Em. Those are included in some of the next tips.

2. Practice Calculating Game Odds

The first thing that one should practice is simple math regarding outs in Texas Hold’Em. If the player’s two hole cards are hearts, and there are 13 hearts in the deck, that leaves 11 outs.

Every hand works with a deck of 52 cards, simple math notes that the player with two hearts has 11 outs. If two hearts appear on the flop, that leaves just nine outs. In total, there are 47 unseen cards after the flop. Since there are nine that help the person’s hand, there are 38 that do not help. That’s 38 unhelpful cards to nine helpful cards, which is 38:9 and simplifies to approximately 4:1. That percentage is about 20% (four plus one is five, and one divided by five is 20%. 

• 52 cards – 2 hole cards – 3 flop cards = 47
• 47 possible cards – 9 helpful cards = 38 unhelpful cards
• 38:9 reduces to 4.2:1 (38 ÷ 9 = 4.2) or 4:1 for simplicity
• 4:1 is 20% (4 + 1 = 5) (1 ÷ 5 = .20)
• The player has a 20% chance of making a flush.

Practice helps players calculate these odds more quickly over time. It becomes automatic.

3. Take Notes While Playing Texas Hold’Em

It is more difficult to read other Texas Hold’em players online than in live poker, but there are patterns. Take notes on other players’ betting tendencies. For example, Seat 2 always raises 4x from the button, or Seat 5 times out often.

With more notes, there can be conclusions. Seat 2 always raises the same from the button no matter their hole cards, so a strong raise with a strong hand from the cutoff might stop them. Seat 5 doesn’t leave the table despite timing out often, which may mean they are multi-tabling and not paying full attention.

4. Get Aggressive with Good Hands

When the opportunity to play a good hand comes around, use a serious raise, not just double the big blind. Show the table that they better have a solid hand if they’re going to challenge that raise – a strong raise that is not overused.

When playing only good to premium hands, always raise. Do not limp by simply calling the big blind. And if raised, re-raise rather than call. Show strength and avoid Texas Hold’Em rookie mistakes.

5. Practice Button Play

After a few rounds and some notes on opponents, consider raising on the button in poker to see what it takes to prompt the blinds to fold. Or start defending blinds to see if this earns the respect of the others. Obviously, one wouldn’t want to lose too much with such experimentation, but it’s helpful to try out some basic strategies to see if one’s notes and reads on other players were correct.

6. Read The Chat But Avoid Chatting

New players tend to give away clues about their newness to others when typing in the chat box. Experienced players can recognize players who get overly excited about winning a hand or too easily upset about losing one. However, reading the chat of opponents can help determine if there is a bully at the table looking to run over others or if another player is also new.

7. Review Hand Histories

Analyze poker hands after concluding play. Look at what worked and what did not work. Pay attention to bet sizing in those situations, as well as position and holdings, outs, and any notes corresponding to those hands or others at the table. Using all of the available information is what brings the skill component into poker and allows players to consistently improve their abilities.

Register at BetMGM Poker now to play live in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.