Basic Limit Hold'em Poker Strategy

July 27 2008, Jordy Veenboer

Limit hold'em is an ideal way to start playing poker, since the limited structure of the game protects you from losing a lot of money in one hand.

It's not about trying to win pots at all costs in limit, but instead you're trying to win bets and save bets in tough spots. This may sound easy, but experience shows that it's more difficult than you might think.

The key to success is always having the discipline to make the correct decisions. So whether you win or lose the hand or whether you have a lot of luck or not isn't the point. Let the bad players focus on every single hand they win or lose. You should concentrate on making the right decision at every action in every hand over every session. Stay in the moment and concentrate on whether it's correct to bet, check, raise or fold every time it is your turn to act.

It's up to you to decide what stakes to start at, so choose what suits you best. A suggestion is to have about 500 big bets to begin with. You need approximately $10 of stakes for $.01/$.02 and about $500 for $.5/$1. This might sound like a large investment for a beginner, but it's important to have this buffer zone to control the bad swings. Having 500 big bets is the perfect amount to prevent you from going broke quickly, and enables you to fight back from bad runs with solid play and plenty of chips.

If you've already read a few poker books or articles you're probably familiar with the game and have a small edge over your opponents. This is why it's profitable in the long run!

When you begin to play Limit Hold'em, you'll notice that the low stakes limit games can be pretty wild, and that some players seem to make weird decisions. It's great to win money from them, but this maniac style of play might scare away new players with small bankrolls. You won't have to worry if you are practicing proper bankroll management, as this buffer protects solid players from going broke.

The more solid poker you play, the more your confidence will increase. You'll notice that the game tightens up as the limits move up. As you gain experience you will become capable of recognizing and exploiting the weaker players, and be more adapted to playing with the better players.

If the game your in becomes loose and wild, you have to stick to solid poker principles and play disciplined from this moment onwards. Tighten up and only play the good hands and don't join into the crazy circus around you.

When you're playing at a full table with 9 or 10 people, you'd normally like to stick to a tight aggressive playing style. This means you should only raise good hands, and try to get as much money into the pot as possible while ahead. Being aggressive also can keep your opponents out of the pot if you're not giving them the right pot odds to call, which decreasing the chances of getting drawn out on.

These hands listed below are almost always worth raising. How much depends on your position and the course of action that took place in front of you:

Early position: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK

Middle position: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, AK, AQ, AJ, KQ

Late position: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, 88, AK, AQ, AJ, AT, KQ, KJ

Small pairs - playing small pairs can win big pots. For instance, if a few players are in the pot and you're sitting in late position with a hand such as 4-4, it is worth it to see a cheap flop to try and hit a set of 4's. Seeing that 4 hit on the flop can lead to huge payoffs.

Suited connectors â€" a suited connector is a hand which contains two connecting cards which are suited as well, such as: TcJc, Ts9s, 9h8h and so on. These hands have a great chance of winning big pots in late position, but keep in mind that this doesn't happen very often. You need a lot of players to call in front of you who make your hand worth playing.

Now that you have an idea on which hands you should play in what positions, we are going to take a look at what to do after the flop.

If you are playing a pocket pair, you'd like to see lower cards than yours on the flop or hit the card that gives you a set (three of a kind).

If you are playing non-pocket pairs, then you obviously want to hit those cards on the flop. AK is nice on a flop of A-7-3 but KQ isn't. What actions you take after the flop can be simplified: If you think that you're holding the best hand you should be in there betting and raising.

Checking or folding should be done when you are uncertain of where you stand in the hand. Remember to always pay close attention to the board texture to gain as much information as possible. This will help you determine if your hand is any good.

For example, if a few people start raising and re-raising like madmen on a board that shows 7s-8s-9s-Js, holding red pocket aces is worthless.

If you are playing a drawing hand like TcJc, don't excpect that it will hit the flop immediately. With this kind of hand, you're hoping to flop two clubs or an open ended straight draw. Hitting a pair doesn't often cut it with these kinds of hands.

If you do hit a big hand you should wait to raise on the turn, since bets double. Waiting for the turn to bet is a great idea, as you want other people fold their draws, or call and make the pot even bigger.

Another scenario is when you've hit a decent draw on the flop in late position. It is a good idea to raise your position, to try and buy a free card if you miss the turn. People will usually check to you on the turn after you show strength on the flop, so use this to your advantage if you are chasing flush or straight draws. Position is everything!

Another important thing to always keep in mind while playing limit hold'em, is how to play by what the books say. You can try to think accurately about what your opponents might have since you can spot the limit hold'em players who are not playing by the book very easily.

You should try to estimate the type of players you're facing, and know if they are the type of player to pay you off or take all your money. Always try to label players with all the information available. Do they play by the book conservatively? Do they play like maniacs? Are they weak passive players that can be exploited? It is always important to know these things in order to try and put someone on a hand.

These are some of the qualities required to become a better player. This basic advice also provides you with solid fundamentals to get a grip on the game, and start winning those big bets! Good Luck!

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