Playing better No Limit Texas Hold'em Poker

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Playing better No Limit Texas Hold'em Poker

Let us say that four players have limped and you have 8c-7c on the button in online no limit hold’em. Firstly we need to know what strengths and weaknesses our hand has in order to play it well in all types of poker situation. Now in a multi-way pot then the suited connector gains by better implied odds because when you make a big hand then you have more players to place money into the pot.

However all poker strategies have strengths and weaknesses and the weakness of a suited connector is that you can be trapped underneath a bigger flush or make small pairs. So you are not always looking to make a flush with this type of hand and this is especially the case in multi-way pots. Or at the very least you are going to be wary of making the flush and especially in situations where someone has bet a flop like 9c-4c-2h and there have been several callers.

In online no limit Texas hold’em then you have to be wary of other players calling with flush draws.

In multi-way pots in no limit online poker then you have to be careful drawing to non-nut hands. In multi-way pots then you would much rather make a straight with 8-7s than a flush because most straights will be to the nuts while your flush isn’t. The hand plays better when you use it to say semi-bluff raise because you have the fold equity in the position plus the equity contained in the draw. Let us look at two distinct situations where you have the same hand and one where you actually make the flush and one where you have nothing but a draw.

On a board of Js-5s-2d then I would be wary of hitting my flush on the turn in a multi-way pot. As a rule then suited connectors are better at outdrawing big pairs and other hands like two pairs than they are at making a flush in situations like these. But change this no limit situation to one where you have the same hand on the button and the raiser is in the cut-off who then c-bets into you then a semi-bluff raise could take the pot down.

In these two hand examples then in the latter case you were far less likely to be up against strength and so your raise with the flush draw was a strong play that stood a very good chance of actually winning a small to medium small pot. Compare this pot to the other example where we actually make the flush in a multi-way pot but yet it has the inherent danger of getting you trapped underneath a bigger hand.

The types of hands that really kill you in online no limit hold’em are the types of hands that trap you underneath another big hand. These situations crop up with hands like pocket pairs for example when you make a set and an opponent either flops a bigger set or makes one on the turn or river.

Or as we have already seen, having a flush that is beaten by a bigger flush and a straight that is beaten by a bigger straight! So you need to try and understand the strengths and weaknesses of all poker hands on a structural basis.

Carl Sampson is a professional poker player who plays online at 888poker.