Today’s Texas Holdem Strategy is about adjusting your play to what is going on at the poker table. Live poker tends to be more subdued while playing at an online poker table is like poking a hive of Africanized, killer bees with a stick. These are stereotypes, and it is never a good idea to base ones Today’s Texas Holdem Strategy on a stereotype, right? The truth is that most stereotypes have some basis in facts and someone can plan out the Today’s Texas Holdem Strategy for their poker hand based on this. For example, most of my huge Italian family does get their hands involved during general conversation. This tells me that if I stand too close to them during an animated discussion, I risk getting a friendly fire bitch smack. My strategy at this point involves taking a step back when talking to them. From a poker strategy standpoint these stereotypes have value when it comes to adjusting our expectations on what to expect when playing live poker or online poker. Once we have established what sort of poker players we are seated with, we should play a style opposite to the one that is being displayed at the table.
A good example of this is if you are playing at a no limit holdem poker table at an online poker site like PokerStars or FullTilt, and the poker table you find yourself at is a loose, aggressive table. You do yourself no favors if your poker strategy is to match the aggression of your fellow online poker players. You are in far better shape, from a poker strategy standpoint, if you tighten up your game and take advantage of the over aggressive natures of your fellow poker players when you have relatively good cards. The problem with trying to match their aggression is that it will be more difficult to push them out of the hand. Seeing as these many of the online poker players are wired for aggression, and their overall poker strategy is akin to a game of chicken, your bets will often be met with raises, and your raises will be met with calls or re-raises.
Conversely, at a tight table, a good poker strategy is to play a looser game. These are players who take the “live to fight another day” approach to Texas Holdem strategy. If you push one of these poker players with aggressive betting, they will probably fold…unless they are holding a legitimate hand. At that point they will match you punch for punch.
While each poker hand has its own dynamic, try to play opposite to the general style displayed at the poker table you are seated at. That is the Today’s Texas Holdem Strategy for today.
