How To Play Texas Hold ‘Em

Basic Gameplay

Basic lingo:

• Dealer Button - a disc or other object that identifies the player holding the dealer position.

• Dealer (Best Position) - The final person to receive a card in the rotational deal, last to act in the betting rounds.

• Blinds - pre-deal bets designed to ensure action on most hands.

• Hole Cards - the cards dealt to each player that only they can see.

• Communal Cards - the cards that make up The Board, shared by all players

• The Flop - the first three communal cards exposed

• The Turn (4th Street) - the fourth communal card exposed to the players

• The River (5th Street) - the fifth and final communal card presented.

• Showdown - the final revelation of remaining players’ hands and determination of hand-rank winner.

 LESSON ONE:

What you’ll need (card, chips, players, a dealer button)

How to play - from the movement of the dealer button to showdown. (see video)

ORDER OF HANDS

1. Royal Flush

2. Straight Flush

3. Four of a Kind

4. Full House

5. Flush

6. Straight

7. Three of a Kind

8. Two Pair

9. Pair

10. High Card

Tier 1 - Premium Hands (Top 2%):

• Pocket Aces (AA)

• Pocket Kings (KK)

• Pocket Queens (QQ)

• Ace-King suited (AKs)

These are monster hands. You should almost always raise with these, regardless of position. They're strong enough to win without improvement, but can also make powerful combinations.

Tier 2 - Strong Hands (Next 5%):

• Pocket Jacks and Pocket Tens (JJ, TT)

• Ace-King offsuit (AKo)

• Ace-Queen suited (AQs)

• King-Queen suited (KQs)

These hands are very strong but vulnerable. Raise with them in most positions, but be cautious if you face heavy resistance.

Tier 3 - Playable Hands (Next 8-10%):

• Pocket Nines through Pocket Sevens (99-77)

• Ace-Jack suited, Ace-Ten suited

• King-Jack suited, King-Ten suited

• Queen-Jack suited

• Suited connectors like Jack-Ten suited, Ten-Nine suited

These hands have potential but need the right situation. Position matters greatly here.

Tier 4 - Marginal Hands (Next 10-15%):

• Small pocket pairs (66-22)

• Ace with weak kicker (A9-A2)

• Broadway cards offsuit (KQ, QJ, JT)

• Lower suited connectors (98s, 87s, 76s)

These are speculative hands. Play them selectively, primarily in late position or when you can see the flop cheaply.

Tier 5 - Trash (Everything else - roughly 65%):

• Unconnected, unsuited low cards (72o, 83o, J4o)

• Weak offsuit hands with no coordination

Fold these immediately. Don't get creative. These hands lose money in the long run.

Position

THERE WILL BE AN ENTIRE LESSON ON POSITION, BUT FOR NOW, THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY:

The later you come in the betting order, the more powerful you are in the hand. In Early Position (first 2-3 seats after the big blind) you act first throughout the hand, which is a major disadvantage. Play only premium and strong hands here.

Why? Because 6-7 players still act behind you. Play tight here: Tier 1-2 hands.

Middle Position (next 2-3 seats): You have slightly more information. You can add some Tier 3 hands to your range: suited face cards, faces and aces, suited connectors like JTs or T9s. Still proceed with caution.

Late Position (button and cutoff - the seat before the button): This is where you print money. You act last post-flop, meaning you see what everyone does before making your decision. This is huge.

In late position, you can play a much wider range.

The Blinds: You've already invested money, so the math changes slightly. You can defend your blind with more hands if the raise is small, but don't fall into the trap of "defending" with garbage just because you've posted a blind.

Here's a practical rule: tighten up in early position, loosen up in late position.

Other Key Factors

Beyond hand strength and position, consider these factors:

• Stack sizes:

  • Deep stacks (100+ big blinds): You can play more speculative hands like small pairs and suited connectors because there's room to win big pots when you hit.

  • Short stacks (20-40 big blinds): Stick to stronger hands. You don't have room to maneuver or waste chips to see cheap flops.

• Table dynamics:

  • Tight table: Everyone's folding? You can loosen up and steal blinds with marginal hands in late position.

  • Aggressive table: Multiple raises? Tighten up. Only play premium hands unless you want to gamble.

  • Passive table: Lots of calling, little raising? You can see flops more cheaply with speculative hands.

• Opponent tendencies:

  • If the player to your left is very aggressive, tighten your range—you'll face more pressure.

  • If players behind you are weak and passive, you can expand your range.

• Are you in a raised pot or unraised pot?

  • Unraised pot: You can limp or raise with a wider range.

  • Facing a raise: Tighten significantly. You need a stronger hand to call or re-raise.

  • Facing a re-raise: Unless you have a Tier 1 hand, strongly consider folding.

Mistakes that cost beginners the most money:

Mistake #1: Playing too many hands I cannot stress this enough. The biggest leak for new players is entering too many pots. Remember: folding is not losing. Folding is saving money for better spots.

Mistake #2: Falling in love with Ace-anything Ace-Six offsuit is not a good hand. Neither is Ace-Three or Ace-Eight. Just because you have an ace doesn't mean you should play. Aces with weak kickers get you into trouble—you make a pair of aces and lose to someone with a better kicker.

Mistake #3: Ignoring position Playing Jack-Nine offsuit in early position is asking for trouble. The same hand on the button against timid players might be fine. Position transforms hand values.

Mistake #4: Overvaluing suited cards Yes, suited cards can make flushes, but you'll only complete a flush about 6% of the time by the river. Don't play Queen-Three just because they're both hearts. Suitedness is a bonus, not a reason to play garbage.

Mistake #5: Playing for the blinds you've posted You posted the big blind, someone raised, and you have 9-4 offsuit. Fold. Don't throw good money after bad. That blind is already gone—don't lose more trying to defend it.

Final advice: Start tight. Play only Tier 1-2 hands for your first few sessions. Once you're comfortable and understand post-flop play better, gradually add Tier 3 hands in good positions. As you gain experience, you'll learn when to expand further.

Remember: poker rewards patience. Wait for good cards in good positions, and you'll be ahead of 80% of recreational players right from the start.

Fold a lot, and when you do play, play with confidence.

Flush Draw Detection:

• Two cards of the same suit: Someone could be on a flush draw.

• Three cards of the same suit: Someone may already have a flush.

When you see two suited cards, remember: flush draws will complete roughly 35% of the time by the river. More than one in three times.

Straight Possibility Detection:

• Look for connected or semi-connected cards

The gap rule: The closer together the board cards are, the more straight possibilities exist.

Reading the Flop - Part 2: Paired Boards and High Cards

Paired Boards:

• If someone has the third card (trips), they're crushing almost everything.

• If no one has trips, the highest unpaired card usually determines the winner.

• Bluffing is easier on paired boards in late position because it's less likely anyone connected strongly.

High Card vs. Low Card Boards:

High card board (A-K-Q, K-Q-J): Many players will have connected with these cards..

Middle card board (9-8-6, 10-7-5): Fewer players connect with these.

Low card board (7-4-2, 6-3-2): These are the driest boards. Most players didn't come in with these cards.

Key insight: The higher the cards on the board, the more likely someone has a piece of it. The lower the cards, the more likely everyone missed.

Evaluating Your Hand Strength on the Flop

Category 1: You completely missed

Get out if anyone bets into you. Look at a free card if one is offered.

Category 2: You have a draw Really requires understanding of pot odds (in a later session) but generally speaking, flush and straight draws (three-to-the straight, three-to-the-flush are NOT draws) should be pursued if it’s not too expensive. Remember to look for higher straight or flush possibilities and a pair on the board means there could be a full house happening.

Category 3: You have one pair On a dry board, you’re probably golden. On a wet board, proceed with caution.

Category 4: You have two pair or better You’re likely in a strong position going into the Turn but your equity dips quickly with a wet board. If you hit the full house on the flop, be aware of your betting position and build the pot.

The golden rule: Assess your hand strength relative to what the board makes possible. Top pair on a dry board is gold. Top pair on a coordinated board is vulnerable.

Reading the Turn and River

As the turn and river arrive, constantly reassess the board.

Turn Card Analysis: The turn adds a fourth community card. Ask yourself:

Did it complete any draws?

Did it pair the board?

Did it create new draw possibilities?

River Card Analysis:

Key questions:

1. Did the flush come in?

2. Did the straight complete?

3. Did the board pair?

Example hand progression:

• You have: Q♥ J♥

• Flop: Q♠ 9♥ 4♥ (You have top pair and a heart flush draw)

• Turn: 2♣ (Blank—nothing changes, you're still ahead if your top pair is good)

• River: 7♥ (You made your flush! But is it the best flush? If someone has the A♥ or the K♥ and any other heart, you lose.)

The more coordinated the board, the more dangerous it is. The more disconnected and rainbow, the safer your made hands are.

The lesson: Board reading is dynamic. Constantly reassess as each card arrives. Think about what your opponents might have based on the board, not just what you have.

Master board reading, and you'll make better decisions than 90% of players at the table.

Now get out there and start truly seeing the board. Good luck!"

Advanced Betting Tactics

Some advanced moves can elevate your game. Others just make you look fancy and may impress and intimidate less experienced players who will be forced, then to ask questions at the table about how things work.

The Straddle: This is an optional blind bet made by the player to the left of the big blind (or sometimes the button in button straddle games).

Before cards are dealt, the straddler posts double the big blind. This makes them the last to act pre-flop, and it increases the stakes for that hand.

Example: Blinds are $5/$10. The straddle is $20. Now everyone must call $20 to enter the pot, and the straddler can raise when action comes back to them.

Why do it? It creates action and bigger pots. If you're a strong post-flop player, you want bigger pots. It's also fun and loose.

The downside: You're posting $20 without seeing your cards. Mathematically, it's -EV (negative expected value) over time unless you're much better than your opponents.

The Blind Check (or Mississippi Straddle/Sleeper Straddle): This is a rarely-used tactic where the big blind announces before the flop that they'll check no matter what when action comes to them.

Why? It guarantees you'll see the flop for free if no one raises. It's a psychological move that encourages limping (calling the big blind) rather than raising.

This is uncommon in modern poker and not allowed in many casinos, but you might encounter it in home games.

Check-Raise for Value: You check with a strong hand, hoping someone bets so you can raise them and build a bigger pot.

Example: You have a set (three of a kind). You check, an opponent bets, and you raise. They're committed now and might call with a weaker hand.

Check-Raise as a Bluff: You check with nothing, an opponent bets, and you raise to make them think you have a monster.

This is high-risk, high-reward. If they call or re-raise, you're in trouble. But if they fold, you just stole a pot you had no right to win.

The Donk Bet: This is when you bet INTO the pre-flop raiser on the flop (rather than checking to them). It's called a "donk bet" because it's often considered a weak play.

Why it's often bad: You're taking control away from the pre-flop raiser, who usually bets the flop. You're also betting out of position, which is disadvantageous.

When it works: If you flopped a monster and want to disguise it, or if you're trying to take down the pot immediately against a pre-flop raiser who might check behind.

The Blocker Bet: A small bet made with a marginal hand to prevent your opponent from making a larger bet.

Example: You have a medium-strength hand on the river. You bet small (1/3 pot), hoping your opponent will just call or fold. If you check, they might bet large and you'd have to fold.

This is a defensive, controlling bet. It's advanced and situational.

The lesson: Every bet and check tells a story. You're a detective piecing together the narrative. When the story doesn't make sense (like betting then checking twice), it usually means weakness.

Poker is a game of information, psychology, and strategy. Master the rules, understand what your bets communicate, read your opponents' patterns, and you'll have a massive edge over players who just look at their cards and hope for the best.

Now get out there, bet with purpose, and always remember: in poker, a bet is never just a bet—it's a conversation. Learn to speak the language fluently, and you'll win far more than your fair share of pots.

How to Play Texas Hold 'Em:

LESSON Five - Counting Outs / Calculating Odds

Introduction

Counting outs and calculating odds transforms poker from guessing and hoping into actual strategic decision-making based on probability.

Serious poker players have a distinct advantage over home-gamers or Vegas visitors. We understand the math.

Today, you'll learn what 'outs' are, how to count them accurately, simple mathematical tricks to calculate your chances of winning, and most importantly, how to use this information to make profitable decisions.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly calculate — or at least estimate — whether a call is mathematically correct.

What Are Outs?

An 'out' is any card in the deck that will improve your hand to (likely) the winning hand.

Simple example: You have A♠ K♠, and the flop is Q♠ J♠ 3♦. You need one more spade for a flush. How many spades are left in the deck?

There are 13 spades total in the deck. You can see 2 (in your hand) and 2 more (on the board), so 13 - 4 = 9 spades remaining. Those 9 spades are your outs—any one of them gives you a flush.

 Another example: You have J♥ 10♥, and the flop is Q♣ 9♦ 4♠. Any king or any eight gives you a straight. How many outs?

There are four kings in the deck and four eights in the deck. 4 + 4 = 8 outs.

The key concept: Outs are cards that turn your losing or marginal hand into a winner. The more outs you have, the more likely you are to improve.

Important caveat: An out only counts if it actually makes you the winner. This is called having a "clean out" versus a "dirty out." We'll come back to this.

How many cards are unknown? You see your 2 hole cards. After the flop, you see 3 board cards. That's 5 cards visible to you.

A deck has 52 cards, so 52 - 5 = 47 unseen cards after the flop. After the turn, you've seen 6 cards, so 52 - 6 = 46 unseen cards.

These are the cards that could come on the turn and river. Your outs are somewhere in those unseen cards."

Common Drawing Hands and Their Outs

A reference chart for the most common drawing situations: Memorize these—they'll save you mental energy at the table. 

Flush Draw (9 outs): You have two cards of one suit, and two more of that suit are on the board. Any of the remaining 9 cards of that suit complete your flush.

Example: You have A♦ 7♦, board is K♦ 9♦ 4♣. 

Open-Ended Straight Draw (8 outs): You need one card on either end to complete a straight. 

Example: You have J-10, board is Q-9-3. Any king or any eight (8 cards total) makes your straight.

 Gutshot Straight Draw (4 outs): You need one specific card in the middle to complete your straight.Example: You have J-10, board is K-9-4. Only a queen makes your straight, and there are 4 queens in the deck.

 Two Overcards (6 outs): You have two cards higher than any card on the board, and you think pairing either one will win.

 Example: You have A-K, board is 10-7-4. Any ace or any king gives you top pair (6 outs total).

 One Pair to Two Pair or Trips (5 outs): You have one pair and want to improve to two pair or three of a kind.

 Example: You have K-Q, board is K-8-3. Any queen gives you two pair (3 outs), and any remaining king gives you trips (2 outs). Total: 5 outs.

 Combo Draws: Sometimes you have multiple draws at once, and these are extremely powerful.

Example: You have Q♠ J♠, board is 10♠ 9♥ 4♠. You have an open-ended straight draw (any king or eight = 8 outs) AND a flush draw (any spade = 9 outs). But wait—the K♠ and 8♠ are counted in both, so we don't double-count them.

8 straight outs + 9 flush outs - 2 overlap = 15 outs. This is a monster draw—you're actually favored against most made hands!

The Rule of 4 and 2: Quick Odds Calculation

The magic trick that every poker player needs to know: the Rule of 4 and 2. This lets you quickly estimate your probability of hitting your hand.

 The Rule of 4 (after the flop, with two cards to come): Multiply your number of outs by 4 to get your approximate percentage chance of hitting by the river.

 Example: You have a flush draw (9 outs). 9 × 4 = 36%. You have roughly a 36% chance of making your flush by the river.

 The Rule of 2 (after the turn, with one card to come): Multiply your number of outs by 2 to get your approximate percentage chance of hitting on the river.

 Example: You have a flush draw (9 outs) and missed on the turn. 9 × 2 = 18%. You have roughly an 18% chance of making your flush on the river.

 Why does this work? After the flop, there are 47 unseen cards and two chances to hit (turn and river). Each out is roughly worth 2% per card. Over two cards, that's about 4% per out (it's not exact, but close enough).

 After the turn, there are 46 unseen cards and one chance to hit. Each out is worth about 2.17%, so 2% is a good approximation.

Practice this: Get in the habit of counting your outs and multiplying by 4 or 2. It takes two seconds and gives you crucial information.

IF you have a flush draw (9 outs) on the turn. Using the Rule of 2, you have 9 × 2 = 18% chance to hit on the river.

The pot is $80, and your opponent bets $20. The pot is now $100, and you must call $20.

Your pot odds: $100 to $20 = 5-to-1, or 16.7% (you need to win 1 in 6 times to break even).

You have 18% equity and you only need 16.7% to break even, so this is actually a profitable call even without considering implied odds!

Example 3 - The River Decision: It's the river. The pot is $200. Your opponent bets $100.

You have A-high. You think you're beat, but there's a small chance your opponent is bluffing.

Pot odds are at 25%. You need to win at least 25% of the time for this call to be profitable.

Here's the key question: Is your opponent bluffing more than 25% of the time in this spot?

If yes → Call (it's +EV).

If no → Fold (it's -EV).

River Decision-Making

Now let's talk about river decisions. On the river, all the cards are out. No more improving. You either have a winning hand or you don't. Your decision is purely about pot odds and estimating your opponent's range.

IF You Have a Weak Hand

The pot is $200. Your opponent bets $50. You have bottom pair.

 Pot odds: $250 to $50 = 5-to-1, or 16.7%. You only need to be good 1 in 6 times to call profitably.

Think: Does this opponent ever bet $50 with worse than bottom pair? If they're bluffing or betting worse 20% of the time, call. If they only bet this way with strong hands, fold.

IF You Have a Strong Hand

You have A♠ Q♠ on a board of A♣ K♦ 9♥ 5♣ 2♠. You have top pair, decent kicker. The pot is $100. Your opponent bets $150.

 Pot odds: $250 to $150 = 1.67-to-1, or 37.5%.

 Your hand beats: Any missed flush draw, any weaker ace (A-J, A-10, etc.), bluffs. Your hand loses to: Two pair, sets, better aces (A-K).

 Do you win more than 37.5% of the time here? That depends on your opponent. If they're aggressive and can be bluffing, call. If they're tight, fold.

IF you Face an Overbet

The pot is $100. Your opponent bets $200 (twice the pot!).

Pot odds: $300 to $200 = 1.5-to-1, or 40%.

An overbet often polarizes their range into "nuts or air." They either have a monster and want maximum value, or they're bluffing big to push you out.

If you think it's 60% bluff / 40% monster, call. If you think it's 80% monster / 20% bluff, fold. This is where player reads matter.

IF You Have a Marginal Made Hand You have 9♥ 9♠. Board after river: K♣ 8♦ 5♠ 3♣ 2♠.

 You have a pair of nines—medium strength. Your opponent bets $40 into a $60 pot.

 Pot odds: $100 to $40 = 2.5-to-1, or 28.5%.

 Your hand beats: Any missed draws, pocket pairs lower than 9s, total air. Your hand loses to: Any king, pocket tens or better, two pair, sets.

 How often does this opponent have worse than nines? If it's more than 28.5% of the time, call. This is a "bluff-catcher" call—you're not strong, but you beat bluffs.

 Factors that favor calling: The board is dry (no obvious draws missed). The opponent is aggressive. The bet size is small to medium.

 Factors that favor folding: The opponent is tight and only bets with strong hands. The bet size is huge.

Final Tips

Key Mental Steps:

 1.  Count your outs

2.  Multiply by 2 or 4 for your percentage

3.  Calculate pot odds (pot / (pot + call))

4.  Compare equity to pot odds

5.  Consider implied odds if you're close

6.  Make the mathematically correct decision

 Final Wisdom: Poker rewards those who make +EV (positive expected value) decisions. You won't always win, but if you consistently make calls when your equity exceeds your pot odds, you'll profit long-term.

Don't fixate on single-hand results. Just because you called correctly and lost doesn't mean it was wrong. If you had 60% equity and lost, you made the right call—variance just went against you this time.

Texas Hold 'Em: Position Play - The Most Underrated Advantage

This might be the most important lesson in this entire series: position play. If I could only teach you one concept that would immediately improve your poker results, this would be it.

A mediocre hand in late position is often more profitable than a good hand in early position.

Position is power.

Position is information.

Position is profit.

The Power of Late Position

Advantage #1: Information When you're on the button, you see exactly what all 8 other players do before you make your decision. Did they check? Bet? Fold? Raise? This tells you so much about their hand strength.

Example: You have A♠ 9♠ on the button. The flop is K♦ 8♠ 3♠. Everyone checks to you. What does this tell you? Probably no one has a king. You can bet with your flush draw and potentially win immediately.

Now imagine you have the same hand in early position and you bet first. Someone behind you might raise with a king, or call with a better draw. You're in the dark.

Advantage #2: Pot Control When you act last, you control the pot size. Want to see a cheap card? Check. Want to build a big pot with your monster? Bet. Want to bluff? You can do it effectively because you know when no one else has shown strength.

Advantage #3: Stealing Blinds Late position is where you print money by stealing blinds with weak hands. If everyone folds to you on the button, you can raise with a wide range—even junky hands—because you only need to get through the blinds.

Advantage #4: Playing Post-Flop with Confidence When you have position, you can see free cards when you want them. If your opponent checks to you, you can check behind with your drawing hand. If they bet, you can call or raise knowing exactly what they've done first.

Without position, you're constantly guessing. Did they check because they're weak or because they're trapping? You act first, so you never know.

Advantage #5: Maximizing Value and Bluffing Effectively When you have a strong hand in position, you can extract maximum value because you can size your bets based on your opponent's actions.

When you're bluffing in position, you can see when opponents show weakness (by checking) and pounce. Out of position, you're bluffing blind—you might bet into strength, or check and then face a bet anyway.

Bottom line: Position is worth about 20-30% in expected value. A hand that loses money in early position often makes money on the button. That's how powerful it is."

The Disadvantage of Early Position

Problem #1: No Information When you're under the gun, you act first pre-flop and first post-flop. You have zero idea what anyone behind you will do. Will they fold? Call? Raise? Re-raise? You're flying blind.

Example: You have K♠ Q♠ under the gun. You raise. Three players call, and one player re-raises behind you. Now what? You've committed chips, but you have no idea if your K-Q is good. You're in a tough spot.

If you had the same hand on the button and saw everyone fold to you, you'd raise with confidence and likely take down the blinds. Position transforms the same hand's profitability.

Problem #2: Playing the Entire Hand Out of Position When you check, you invite bets. When you bet, you risk running into strength. It's exhausting and expensive.

Problem #3: Vulnerability to Aggression Players in late position can push you around because they know you're weak (by virtue of seeing you check or bet small). They can raise your bets, forcing you to either commit more chips or fold.

Problem #4: Difficult to Realize Equity Even when you have a good hand, you might not "realize your equity"—meaning you don't always get to see all five community cards cheaply. Someone might raise you off your draw. Someone might bet you out of the pot.

How to Play Early Position: Since early position is so disadvantageous, you must compensate by playing tighter—better starting hands only.

• Ultra-tight range: Only play premium hands (AA, KK, QQ, AK) and strong hands (JJ, TT, AQ suited).

• Avoid trouble hands: Don't play suited connectors, small pairs hoping to flop a set, or weak aces. These hands play well in position but poorly out of position.

• Be prepared to fold: If you raise in early position and face resistance, be willing to fold unless you have a premium hand.

• Respect aggression: When someone re-raises you from late position after you've raised from early position, they're likely strong. Don't get stubborn.

Key principle: You cannot out-play the position disadvantage. You can only minimize the damage by playing fewer, stronger hands."

Early Position (UTG, UTG+1, UTG+2) - Play 10-15% of hands: Stick to the strongest hands:

• Premium pairs: AA, KK, QQ

• Strong pairs: JJ, TT

• Premium broadway: AK (suited and offsuit), AQ suited

• Occasionally: 99, KQ suited if table is passive

Fold everything else. Yes, even pocket 8s. Yes, even suited connectors. These hands are profitable in late position but lose money in early position.

Middle Position (MP1, MP2) - Play 15-20% of hands: Add some more hands to your range:

• All early position hands

• Medium pairs: 99, 88, 77

• More broadway: AQ offsuit, AJ suited, KQ suited

• Suited connectors: JTs, T9s (if stacks are deep)

You have slightly more information and fewer players to act behind you, so you can open up a bit.

Late Position (Hijack, Cutoff) - Play 20-30% of hands: Now you can get creative:

• All middle position hands

• Small pairs: 66, 55, 44 (to flop sets)

• More suited connectors: 98s, 87s, 76s

• Suited aces: A9s through A2s (for flush potential)

• More offsuit broadway: KJ, QJ, JT

You're getting closer to the button, so you can speculate more.

The Button - Play 30-50% of hands: This is where you become a maniac (in a good way):

• Almost any pair

• Any two broadway cards

• Any suited connector down to 54s

• Any suited ace

• Weak offsuit hands if everyone folds to you (pure steal attempts)

You have maximum position, so you can play a huge range profitably. If everyone folds to you, raise with literally anything to steal the blinds.

The Blinds - It's Complicated: The blinds are tricky. You've already posted money, so you get a "discount" on seeing the flop. But you have terrible position post-flop.

Small Blind: You're in the worst position post-flop. Play tighter than the button but looser than early position when facing a raise. If it folds around to you, raise or fold—don't limp.

Big Blind: You're already invested, so you can defend with a wider range against raises. Against a button raise, you can call with many hands because you're getting good pot odds. But remember—you're still in terrible position post-flop, so be prepared to fold if you miss.

Exploiting Position Post-Flop

Let's talk about specific post-flop tactics that leverage position.

Tactic #1: The Float Your opponent bets the flop from early position. You have position and a weak hand or draw. You call (float) with the intention of taking the pot away on a later street when they check.

Example: You have 7♠ 6♠ on the button. Flop is K♠ 9♦ 3♣. Your opponent bets. You have nothing but a backdoor flush draw. You call. Turn is a 2♥. They check. You bet and take down the pot.

Why it works: You have position, so when they check the turn, it signals weakness. You can bet and win without improving. This only works because you have position.

Tactic #2: Pot Control with Medium Hands You have a decent but not great hand—like middle pair. In position, you can check behind to see free cards and control the pot size.

Example: You have 9♠ 9♣ on the button. Flop is K♦ 8♣ 4♠. Your opponent checks. You check behind (pot control). Turn is a 5♥. They check again. You can value bet small or check again. You control the action.

Out of position, you'd have to bet and hope they don't raise, or check and face a bet. You lose control.

Tactic #3: Delayed Continuation Bet When you have position and your opponent checks the flop, you can check behind with a strong hand, then bet the turn when a scare card arrives.

Example: You have A♠ A♣ on the button. Flop is 9♥ 7♦ 3♠. Opponent checks, you check behind (disguising strength). Turn is the Q♠. Opponent checks, you bet. The queen looks like it helped you, so you might get action from worse hands.

Tactic #4: Thin Value Betting In position, you can bet smaller amounts with marginal hands because you know your opponent's actions first. This extracts value from worse hands.

Example: You have A♦ 10♦. River is A♠ 8♣ 4♥ 3♦ 2♣. You have top pair, weak kicker. Opponent checks. You bet 40% pot for thin value. Hands like pocket 7s or 8-x might call. You couldn't do this out of position—you'd have no idea if they're going to raise.

Tactic #5: Better Bluff Selection In position, you can choose optimal times to bluff because you see when opponents show weakness by checking. You're not bluffing blind.

Example: Board is Q♠ J♦ 7♠ 4♣ 2♥. Opponent checks the river. You have complete air. But the board didn't complete any draws, so your opponent is likely weak too. You can bluff with confidence because they checked—showing they don't have much.

Position allows you to be aggressive when appropriate, passive when appropriate, and always on your terms. Without position, your opponents dictate the action.

Common Position Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake #1: Playing Too Many Hands in Early Position Beginners see suited connectors or small pairs and think "I can hit a straight or set!" They play these from early position and consistently lose money.

Solution: Just fold them. Wait for better spots. These hands are profitable on the button, not under the gun.

Mistake #2: Not Raising Enough from Late Position Players wait for premium hands even when they're on the button and everyone folds to them. This is leaving money on the table.

Solution: If you're on the button and everyone folds, raise with any two cards. You only need the blinds to fold 40-50% of the time to profit immediately.

Mistake #3: Defending Blinds Too Liberally Just because you've already posted the blind doesn't mean you should call raises with junk. The big blind discount doesn't overcome terrible position post-flop.

Solution: Defend your blinds, but not with trash. Have a plan. If you call with 9♠ 6♦, what are you hoping to flop? If the answer is "I don't know," fold.

Mistake #4: Not Recognizing Relative Position Sometimes your absolute position matters less than your position relative to the aggressor.

Example: You're in the cutoff and you raised pre-flop, but the button called. If the big blind calls too, they act first and you could find yourself trapped between a better and a raiser. Late position doesn’t help you when the button is still in behind you.

Solution: Be aware of who has position on whom. If the pre-flop raiser is behind you, you're at a disadvantage even if you're in "late position."

Mistake #5: Playing the Same Hand the Same Way in Every Position A hand like K♠ J♠ should be played very differently in early position versus the button.

Early position: Fold or maybe call a raise if you're feeling frisky. Definitely don't open-raise. Button: Raise for sure if everyone folds to you. Call raises. Play aggressively.

Solution: Think about your position before deciding how to play. Ask: "Would I play this hand differently if I were on the button?" If yes, adjust.

Mistake #6: Not Three-Betting Enough from the Button When late position players raise and you're on the button with a decent hand, you should re-raise (three-bet) more often. This puts you in maximum control.

Solution: Three-bet with hands like AQ, KQ, JJ, TT, and even some suited connectors when you're on the button. You have position throughout the hand—maximize it.

Simple Position Rules:

1. If you're under the gun, pretend the rake is doubled—you need better hands to profit.

2. If you're on the button, pretend the rake is zero—you can play way more hands profitably.

3. When in doubt, fold in early position and raise in late position.

4. Position is more valuable than card strength in marginal situations.

Positional Awareness Exercise: Before acting, consciously ask yourself: "Where am I sitting? Who acts after me? Do I have position post-flop?" This one habit will save you thousands of dollars.

Advanced Concept - Table Dynamics and Position:

• Against tight players, late position is a gold mine—you can steal blindly.

• Against loose-aggressive players, position helps you see what they do before committing chips.

• Against calling stations (players who never fold), position helps you value bet.

Final Thought: Daniel Negreanu, a poker legend, once said: "Position is so important that I'd rather have bottom pair on the button than top pair out of position." He wins a lot. You should trust him on this.

Texas Hold 'Em:

Playing Styles and How to Exploit Them

Proper table strategy depends largely on understanding playing styles. If position is WHERE you play, and starting hands are WHAT you play, then playing style is HOW you play.

Axis 1: Tight vs. Loose (Hand Selection)

Tight players

• play few hands—maybe 15-25% of hands dealt to them.

• They wait for premium starting hands and fold most of the time.

• Think of them as snipers: patient, selective, waiting for the perfect shot.

Loose players

• play many hands—perhaps 35-60% or even more.

• They'll play suited connectors, weak aces, small pairs, and marginal hands frequently.

• Think of them as machine gunners: constantly firing, lots of action.

Axis 2: Aggressive vs. Passive (Betting Behavior)

Aggressive players

• bet and raise frequently.

• They put pressure on opponents

• control pot sizes

• force difficult decisions.

• When they're in a hand, they're driving the action.

Passive players

• check and call frequently.

• They rarely initiate action with bets or raises.

• They let others lead and come along for the ride.

The Matrix: When you cross these two axes, you get four distinct playing styles:

1. Tight-Aggressive (TAG) - Few hands, but bets and raises with them

2. Loose-Aggressive (LAG) - Many hands, bets and raises with them

3. Tight-Passive (Rock) - Few hands, mostly checks and calls

4. Loose-Passive (Calling Station) - Many hands, mostly checks and calls

The Tight-Aggressive Player (TAG)

The Tight-Aggressive style is considered the foundational winning approach, especially for beginners and intermediate players. This is 'solid poker.'

How to Play This Style: If you're new to poker or playing in a tough game, TAG is your default. Play premium hands, bet them aggressively, and fold when you miss. It's not glamorous, but it works.

Key adjustments:

• Loosen up slightly on the button and cutoff

• Be willing to fold strong hands when the board gets dangerous

• Don't slow-play monsters—bet them for value

• Three-bet more often in position with strong hands

How to Exploit TAG Players:

• Steal their blinds relentlessly: They fold so much that you can raise from late position with any two cards. They'll give up their blinds 70%+ of the time.

• Respect their aggression: When a tight-aggressive player bets multiple streets, they almost always have a strong hand. Don't hero-call with marginal holdings.

• Attack their continuation bets: TAG players make standard c-bets on most flops. Float them (call in position) and take the pot away when they check the turn.

• Don't bluff them too often: They'll fold anyway if they don't have anything, and they'll call when they do. Value bet them instead.

• Three-bet them lightly in position: When they raise, you can re-raise with a wider range because they'll fold unless they have a premium hand.

Example: A tight-aggressive player raises from early position. You're on the button with A♠ J♠. You can three-bet here because they'll only continue with AA, KK, QQ, or AK most of the time. If they fold, you win immediately. If they call, you have position throughout the hand.

The Loose-Aggressive Player (LAG)

The Loose-Aggressive style is the signature of advanced, dangerous players.

How to Play This Style: DO NOT attempt LAG poker until you've mastered TAG. It's advanced poker.

If you're ready:

• Play more hands in late position, fewer in early position

• Bet and raise as your primary actions—don't call much

• Pay close attention to opponents' tendencies and adjust

• Be willing to fire multiple barrels (bet flop, turn, and river) as bluffs

• Mix in traps occasionally so opponents can't just call you down

• Stay aggressive but not reckless—there's a fine line

How to Exploit LAG Players:

• Tighten up and trap them: LAGs love to bet and bluff. Let them. Check-call with strong hands and let them hang themselves.

• Call down lighter: Their range is so wide that middle pair or even ace-high might be winning. You need to call with weaker hands than you normally would.

• Don't bluff them: They're aggressive, which means they're willing to call and raise. Bluffing into aggression is lighting money on fire.

• Three-bet them for value: When you have a premium hand, three-bet them. They'll pay you off because they're in so many pots.

• Be prepared for variance: Playing against LAGs is a roller-coaster. Sometimes they'll bluff you off the best hand. Sometimes you'll catch them bluffing. Stay patient.

• Play in position against them: Position is crucial against LAGs. You want to see what they do before acting. Out of position against a LAG is a nightmare. Fold anything but premiums if you’ve got one betting behind you.

The Tight-Passive Player (Rock)

The Tight-Passive player is a rock—predictable, risk-averse, and easy to exploit. Unless you are Dwayne Johnson, don’t be a Rock. (If you are Dwayne Johnson, please call me. I have a screenplay for you.)

How to Play This Style: Don't. Tight-passive is a losing strategy in modern poker. You'll slowly bleed chips waiting for premium hands, and when you get them, no one pays you off because everyone knows you have the nuts when you bet.

If you find yourself playing this way, it's time to add aggression. Start betting and raising with your strong hands instead of just calling along.

How to Exploit Tight-Passive Players:

• Steal from them constantly: They fold to aggression. Raise their limps. Steal their blinds. Bet every flop. They'll fold unless they have something real.

• When they bet or raise, FOLD: When a rock finally shows aggression, they have the nuts. Don't pay them off. Fold all but your absolute best hands.

• Never bluff them: Only value bet them.

• Don't slow-play against them: If you have a strong hand, bet it. They'll call with weak pairs and draws. Extract value.

• Isolate them pre-flop: If a rock limps, raise to isolate them heads-up. They'll call within a capped range (they don't have AA or KK or they'd have raised), so you can often take down the pot post-flop with a continuation bet.

A rock suddenly makes a big raise on the river. You have two pair. Fold it. If a straight, flush, or full house is possible, they’ve got it. They don't bluff. Save your money.

The Loose-Passive Player (Calling Station)

The Loose-Passive player—aka the 'calling station'—is both a blessing and a curse. They play too many hands and call way too much, but they rarely fold, which makes them tricky to bluff.

How to Play This Style: Seriously, don't. Calling stations lose money. Period. If you're a calling station, you need to start folding more pre-flop and folding more post-flop when you miss.

How to Exploit Calling Stations:

• NEVER BLUFF THEM: This is the golden rule. They don't fold. If you bet with nothing, they'll call with anything. Save your bluffs for other players.

• Value bet relentlessly: Make big value bets with top pair, second pair, even third pair sometimes. They'll call with worse. They're ATMs—just keep betting when you have a real hand.

• Bet thinner for value on the river: Normally you might check back a marginal hand. Against calling stations, bet it. They'll call with ace-high or bottom pair.

• Tighten up your starting hands: You can't bluff them post-flop, so you need to actually make hands. Play slightly tighter because you'll need to show down winners.

• Don't slow-play: Bet your strong hands. They'll call. Why give free cards when they'll pay you anyway?

• Isolate them heads-up: If they limp, raise to play against them alone. Heads-up with position against a calling station is extremely profitable.

Adjusting Your Style Based on Table Dynamics

The best players don't stick to one style—they adjust based on the table. This is called 'table dynamics.'

When to Play Tighter:

• At a loose-aggressive table: When everyone's raising and re-raising, tighten up and wait for premium hands. Let the maniacs battle each other while you wait to pick them off.

• Against skilled opponents: If you're outmatched, play fewer hands and focus on fundamentals.

• When running bad: If you're on a downswing, tighten up to stop the bleeding. Don't compound losses with loose play.

• Early in tournaments: Preserve chips early. No need to gamble before the blinds get high.

When to Play Looser:

• At a tight table: If everyone's folding, start stealing blinds constantly. Open up your range in late position.

• Against weak opponents: You can play more hands profitably when your opponents make mistakes.

• When you have a table image as tight: If everyone thinks you're a rock, start bluffing more. They'll give you credit for hands.

• In late position: Always loosen up on the button and cutoff when antes are in play or blinds are worth stealing.

When to Play More Aggressively:

• Against tight-passive players: They fold to aggression. Bet, raise, and steal from them.

• When you have position: Aggression in position is extremely powerful.

• Against calling stations: Bet your value hands bigger and more often.

• When you have a tight image: If you haven't played a hand in an hour, people will fold to your raises.

When to Play More Passively:

• Against loose-aggressive players: Let them bet into you. Check-call and trap them.

• When out of position with marginal hands: Don't compound positional disadvantage with aggressive mistakes.

• When facing unclear spots: If you're unsure, checking and calling is often better than betting and getting raised.

Reading the Table: Within the first 30 minutes at a new table, you should categorize each opponent:

• Watch how many hands they play (tight or loose?)

• Watch how they play them (aggressive or passive?)

• Make mental notes or even write them down

Adjust your strategy against each player individually.

Advanced Style Concepts and Final Wisdom

Concept #1: Balancing Your Style The best players are balanced—they can shift gears seamlessly. You want opponents to be uncertain about your style.

Mix in some bluffs when you've been value betting. Check-call sometimes when you've been check-raising. Keep them guessing.

Concept #2: Table Image Your 'table image' is how others perceive your style. You can manipulate this.

Example: Play ultra-tight for an hour. Everyone sees you fold repeatedly. Then start bluffing more—they'll give you credit for hands because your image is tight. Once they adjust and start calling you down, switch back to value betting only.

Concept #3: Opponent Leveling Adjust your style based on how your opponents think:

• Level 1 (bad players): They only think about their own hand. Play straightforward against them—value bet when you have it, fold when you don't.

• Level 2 (thinking players): They think about what you have. You can bluff them off hands by representing strength.

• Level 3 (advanced players): They think about what you think they have. Now it gets tricky. Sometimes you need to make "bad" plays that look like bluffs but are actually value bets, or vice versa.

Concept #4: Style Combinations You can mix styles within a session:

• Play tight-aggressive for the first hour to build respect

• Shift to loose-aggressive once you have a tight image

• Return to tight-aggressive when opponents adjust

Warning Signs You're Playing Wrong:

• Too loose: You're in too many pots and bleeding chips in marginal situations

• Too tight: You're folding for orbits at a time and your stack is slowly being anted away

• Too aggressive: You're bluffing into calling stations or getting called down constantly

• Too passive: You're checking and calling too much, never taking control of pots

The Ultimate Style Advice: Start with tight-aggressive. Master it. Then slowly expand your range and add more aggression as you improve. TAG is the foundation. LAG is the advanced course.

Against opponents, remember this simple rubric:

• Tight players: Steal from them

• Loose players: Wait for hands and value bet them

• Aggressive players: Trap them

• Passive players: Bet them to death

Final Thought: Mike Caro, the 'Mad Genius of Poker,' said: 'Poker is a game of mistakes. The player who makes the fewest mistakes wins.' Your playing style should minimize your mistakes and maximize your opponents' mistakes.

If you're playing against calling stations, don't bluff—that's avoiding a mistake. If you're playing against rocks, steal constantly—that's exploiting their mistakes.

Poker isn't about playing your cards—it's about playing your opponents. Identify their style, exploit their weaknesses, and adjust your style accordingly.

Master this, and you'll no longer just be a player—you'll be a predator.