Introduction to No-Limit Texas Hold'em

   Poker Strategy

 No-Limit Hold'em is game of game of general strategy, basic tactical skills useful in all form of pokers, and a game of intense psychology.When you enter a No-Limit ring game, you need o know two things before you can really expect to roll in it:

1.Who are my opponents?
2.How many hands go to a showdown?

Types of opponents:

 Generally peopler speak of four types of players:tight-passive, tight-aggressive, loose-passive, loose-aggresive.Let's go through each of these types of players.

Tight-passives: These people do fine in a Limit game, but they won't make much in a No-Limit game.The only time these people will win is when they pick off bluffs; otherwise they won't get the value out of their hands that they should.When matched against these players.:

 1. Bluff at the flop a lot.

 2. Fold when they represent a hand.

 3. Take advantage of your control.

Essentially, you can quickly tame these players into being calling stations or folding stations.

Loose-passives: They have to hope that people continually bluff into them because these people will call freaquently with the second best hand.Calling with the second best hand is a recipe for disaster at No-Limit.


Maniac loose-aggressive: These guys will buy a fair share of pots, but then will get themselves trapped by another aggressive player and will lose their stacks in one or two hands.They lack the discipline but they love the action on No-Limit so much that they get themselves trapped too easily.

Strong loose-aggressive: These guys seem like they are horrible maniacs, but in reality, they are a very dangerous form of player.The way these types of players win is mainly by getting a good read on the opponent and then making a well-timed bet.

Tight-aggressive: This is perfect style if you whant to win.The tight-aggressive;s main roblems are that he may chased out of a lot of flops early and that he may be too easily read.

Showdown Percentage

This is a critical concept in No-Limit. Since No-Limit lend itself to bluffing, one can make a lot of money simply by stealing pots if your opponents are very passive.

Types of Hands to Play

The types of hands you play in No-Limit differ than those in Limit. This is because of implied odds. Hands like KQ go down in value because they cannot withstand much pressure.Even if you hit a K with this type of hand, you still may be losing to a set, two paid, AK, or may lose eventually to a draw.
The types of hands that go up in value or ones that you can bet with confidence: poket pairs and suited connectors. Poket pairs, do well beause they are sneaky and can often withhold pressure.Suited connectors go up in value for several reasons.First, if the flop comes weird, you generally will be paid off.

How to Bet

Many novice No-Limit players simply don't know how much to bet. Well, the concept is simple. You whant extract as much money from people who have made hands but are probably losing to you, you want to punish draws, but at the same time you don't want to be trapping yourself.

Bluffing

This relates back to the showdown percentage. More showdowns means bluffing works less.If you are in a game with a lot of showdowns, cut down on bluffing and punish them when you have the boss hand.