Texas Hold’em Strategy

Like seven-card stud, you’ll need to know when to continue your hand by judging the value of your first two cards. To play Texas hold’em well, you’ll need to be patient, be able to read players, and have a little bit of luck. If you want to cut your losses and maximize your profits, you should stay only on these two-card hands:

1. Any high pair (ten, jack, queen, king, ace).
2. Any ace and king of any suit.
3. Any ace and queen of any suit.
4. Any ace and jack of any suit.
5. Any king and queen of any suit.
6. Any queen and jack of any suit.
7. Any jack and ten of the same suit.
8. Any king and ten of the same suit.
9. Any king and jack of any suit.
10. Any ten and nine of the same suit.
11. A pair of nines.
12. Any queen and ten in the same suit.
13. Any nine and eight in the same suit.
14. Any eight and seven of the same suit.

By playing only when your first two cards are in the list above, you’ll minimize your losses. By keeping to the above list, you’ll play only when you have a reasonable chance to win the hand. You’ll still need to get lucky and get some good community cards to go with your first two cards, but at least you’ll be off to a good start.

Learn to read the other players and their betting styles. Someone’s betting style might be to stay in every hand in the hopes of drawing a good hand. Knowing this when you’re still in can be very profitable to you. As in seven-card stud, it’ll take some time to learn how to read players, but once you develop that skill, you’ll be a much better Texas hold’em player.