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While many new poker games were introduced over the years, Texas Hold’em remains by far the most popular version.
The word on the street has it that Hold’em has become too tough to make a living at, but that’s not necessarily true. In fact, there are still plenty of ways to win big by playing Texas Hold’em poker exclusively, although it is true that Hold’em has evolved and is not as easy to beat as in the early days.
To help you with this, we are bringing top Texas Hold’em tips to help you win at this popular game in 2022, whether you are a new player or an experienced Hold’em grinder.
We aren’t going to focus on the best ways to play your cards in every situation, as there are plenty of great poker strategy guides of this type. Instead, we will take a look at some of the other things you could be doing to improve your win rate and gain an edge in Texas Hold’em.
The truth is that every poker game out there is different, and there is no perfect way to play poker in every situation. Instead, Texas Hold’em is a very situational game, and things like who is at your table and how tight or loose the game matters a lot.
The best Texas Hold’em players out there know how to adapt to their table and the general player population of the casino or site they are playing at, maximizing their win rate in the process.
To become the most profitable player you can be, you will want to make many adjustments depending on the players you are playing against instead of focusing on a perfect balance and things like GTO poker strategy.
While these concepts have some merit at the higher stakes, you will want to exploit your opponents to the maximum and often make plays quite distant from what a poker solver might do in lower-stakes games.
Bankroll management is an important part of being a successful poker player, but this does not mean you should never take some risks and try to get to the higher stakes faster.
In fact, there are some situations where taking shots is perfectly reasonable, and this is usually true when a really good game comes up at higher stakes than what you normally play.
One of the best Texas Hold’em tips anyone can give you is to play against fish as much as you can, and fish sometimes like to sit in higher stakes games.
For that reason, you should not be afraid to sit down with them even if the buyin is slightly steep for your bankroll and try to utilize the fact they suck at poker.
Sure enough, you will end up running bad and losing a few buyins every now and then, but more often than not, you will be the winner in the game. When this happens, you will have won way more than you would in your normal games, and this will propel your bankroll to new heights and give you some amazing new opportunities.
On top of that, you will boost your skills and build that valuable experience for your future games.
There is probably nothing that will hurt you more in poker than being results-oriented, tilting over the losses, and telling everyone around you your bad beat stories.
Great poker players rarely talk about hands in terms of how lucky or unlucky they got and rather talk about correct Texas Hold’em strategy and how hands play out over the long run.
Things like coolers, two outers, and bad beats are all a natural part of poker, and if you play enough, they will happen quite often.
As an online poker player, you will hardly ever play a full session without having at least one disgusting beat, so learning to accept these and laugh them off is crucial.
Also, you should remember that you have dished out your fair share of beats over the years and that the cards always do even out in the end, whether you are playing live or online.
Poker players often forget that edges in poker are slight and that every extra bit counts in the long run.
If you are playing Texas Hold’em online, you should get the best rakeback/VIP deals you can get to maximize your hourly win rate.
Similarly, if you play live poker games, you should look for places that appreciate your business and are happy to give you something back.
All of this adds up, and you will definitely feel the impact of the extra edges you find by exploiting everything on offer if you are playing poker for a living.
Just keep in mind that there is a fine balance between perks and game quality, and you should not abandon a very soft game just because there is no rakeback. It’s all about calculating your bottom line and realizing where you are making the most money for the time you invest.
Perhaps the biggest flaw of most poker players is that they cannot make the right laydowns even if they know they are beaten.
Sometimes you will be playing and facing a bet or raise that is simply never a bluff. Despite having a reasonably strong hand in absolute terms, you should be able to fold it and move on to the next.
Yet, too often, players will throw in the chips knowing they will never see them again. What’s worst, the bets in these situations tend to be pretty big as they happen on turns and rivers.
If you can avoid making a few calls like this every month, you may win an extra few buyins, which can add up and impact your win rate in a very real way.
There is more to being a successful poker player than just learning the best Texas Hold’em strategy and playing your cards right.
Meeting the right people and surrounding yourself with winners will give you opportunities to learn from the best and possibly get into some amazing games.
If you can be friends with the right people, you may get opportunities to play very soft games for reasonably high stakes.
On the other hand, if you are secluded and try to always do it all on your own, you may get into situations where people don't really want to play with you, and your options quickly become limited.
Being friendly and approachable is very important in live poker circles, and being a part of the online poker community can serve you greatly if you prefer to play poker over the internet.
Bluffing is a critical part of the game of poker, and it's OK to lie to everyone at the table except yourself! You should always try to be 100% fair and objective with yourself.
What we mean by this is that you should try to objectively assess your ability and your opponents' skills in any game and act accordingly.
If you are playing at a very tough table while better games are available, you should try to get into those other games and stop having an ego contest with the other regs.
Even if you are a slightly better player than someone else, it doesn't mean you will make a lot of money by playing them in the long run.
You should be honest about what's going on and try to find games in which you are a big favorite to win, as this will skyrocket your winnings more than any Texas Hold’em strategy you can apply.
If you have been playing Texas Hold’em for many years, there is a good chance you have a solid poker strategy that works against most players in your games.
However, if you are too rigid about your strategy, you can also become quite easy to exploit by observant players. This is why the best players out there are always changing up their Texas Hold’em strategy and introducing new plays and ideas.
By adapting your game and always throwing something new at your opponents, you will be able to remain unpredictable while still playing an exploitative style of poker.
If someone floats a new idea by you, don't be afraid to apply it in the game and take a chance. Even if it doesn't work out, you will have learned something new about poker that may be of value at a later point.
You may have heard the stories of degenerates playing 16 hours a day and never doing anything else, but the truth is that those people are not the real winners in poker.
Even if this approach can make you a winner in the short run, you will eventually crack and either stop producing results or stop playing altogether.
Instead, you should aim to live a relatively balanced life, playing a reasonable amount of hours and allowing yourself to do other things that make you happy.
On top of your playing hours, you should dedicate some hours every day or week to studying poker. Your leisure time is also important, and sleeping a healthy amount every day will definitely make you a better poker player.
If you want to be a real champion, you should follow the same kind of routines that successful sports players follow: putting in hours to practice, playing, relaxing, and being healthy.
Finally, your personal relationships can profoundly impact how you play poker, as playing in a bad mental state is a recipe for disaster.
If you are going through an emotional upheaval of any sort, you should probably take a break from poker until you feel better and can properly focus on the task.
Many great poker players eventually lost their passion for the game and quit it because they were no longer finding any enjoyment at the poker tables.
Poker can be a very repetitive game, and if you are playing an appropriate Texas Hold’em strategy, you will often be doing nothing but folding for hours on end.
This is exactly why poker is not a game for everyone and why you should decide whether this is really what you want to do for a living for the foreseeable future.
If poker is something you only enjoy on occasion, that’s perfectly fine, and you should still play it as a hobby or a way to socialize with your friends from time to time.
Just remember that you won’t make it as a professional poker player if you don’t manage to maintain a passion for poker and enjoy playing the game.
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