Basics Of Poker Strategy

Basic Texas Hold'em Strategy. These are the basic Texas Hold'em strategy articles from ThePokerBank's strategy section. If you're just starting out as a Texas Hold'em player, these are some of the most important concepts that will need to familiarize yourself with. Poker strategy is a set of choices that describes players' actions in poker. It outlines a plan to maximize the profit in a poker game. The characteristics of poker strategies are influenced by game-theoretic properties of poker, such as imperfect information and the element of chance. Consequently, mixed strategies, methods of deception, and probabilistic considerations are common. Our main goal is to introduce you to trustworthy poker sites, but we also want you to win as much money playing poker as possible. Our team has experienced and successful poker gambling writers who know the basics of winning poker strategies.

During the first decade of the 2000s, poker’s popularity soared as the general public watched Chris Moneymaker win the World Series of Poker main event in 2003. The explosion of internet poker that followed made the game more accessible to everyone around the world, regardless of their proximity to a casino.

During those early days of the poker boom, most poker strategy would be considered by today’s standard very basic, and sometimes just completely wrong. As more money flowed into the game and more people were willing to play poker at higher stakes, some players took the opportunity to advance strategy to the next level.

Those players developed what is commonly referred to now as a game theory optimal (GTO) strategy and it’s steadily making its way to the masses. Through his book Modern Poker Theory, released in 2019, poker pro Michael Acevedo tried relaying these advanced theories to the masses in a way that is easily relatable to those who have never heard of the concept.

is a former mathematician and was a part of the team that developed one of the most advanced GTO solvers on the planet. He plays mostly online and in some of the biggest tournaments that online poker has to offer. Card Player sat down with Acevedo to discuss the basics of the strategy lined out in his book.

Steve Schult: Let’s dive into your background. When did you decide to play professionally and how quickly were you moving up in stakes?

Michael Acevedo: I quit my job to play professionally in 2013. Back then, I used to play live no-limit hold’em cash games, but due to bad bankroll management, I busted almost all of my bankroll by June 2014. I barely managed to get accepted by an online staking group that offered me coaching and a bankroll to play $5-$10 multi-table tournaments.

I watched over 200 coaching videos in the first three months. After six months, I was already beating $22 tournaments and got the opportunity to have a coaching session with Jon Van Fleet, known online as “Apestyles.” I was lucky and became friends with him. He invited me to his weekly GTO study group with some other world-class players such as Stephen Chidwick, Elio Fox, Dylan Linde and Martin Kozlov.

Then I very quickly moved up in stakes. Soon, I was beating $55 tournaments and started coaching lower stakes players. About one year after starting my online quest, I was beating $109 and $215 buy-ins.

SS: Where are you in your poker career right now? What are your main games and stakes?

MA: For the last year and a half mostly been playing during the big online poker series such as SCOOP (Spring Championship of Online Poker) and WCOOP (World Championship of Online Poker) where I mostly play tournaments ranging from $55 up to $2,100. I have an average buy-in of $360 with the occasional shot to $5,000 and $10,000 championship events. I also go every year to the World Series of Poker where I play live $5-$10 and $10-$20 no-limit hold’em cash games and tournaments ranging from $500 to $5,000, along with a shot at the main event.

I would potentially like to get in the super high rollers and live poker, but I think I would have to start off by putting in a lot more volume than I have so far, start traveling and there are also a lot of bankroll considerations. I’ve never been a grinder and I also enjoy coaching and creating poker content. So, for now, I’m very happy with my current stakes and I’m not sure about giving up my lifestyle and coaching to pursue the glory.

SS: Your book seems to focus on GTO strategy. For someone who might not have heard of this before, what are the basics of GTO strategy and how does it differ from ‘old school’ exploitative strategy?

MA: In the poker world, GTO is used as a synonym of the mathematical concept of Nash Equilibrium. Maybe the easiest way to think about GTO or Game Theory Optimal is in the sense that GTO is a strategy that cannot be beaten. So if all players at the table played GTO, they would break even and the only winner would be the casino due to the rake.

But fortunately for us, no one can play perfect GTO. First of all, because the full solution of the game hasn’t been found yet and might never be found due to its complexity. And second, because it is very tough to always play in such a balanced way. Computers can do it and play every single combo on its range with mathematical precision, but for us humans, that is simply not possible.

Currently, we have the software powerful enough for computers to find really good approximations to GTO in, pretty much, an unlimited number of situations within any given set of parameters. These approximations are good enough to beat even the best human player. Since GTO cannot be beaten, any strategy that deviates from GTO will either make the same amount of money than GTO or lose money to GTO. This is what makes GTO strategies so enticing. Imagine playing a strategy that cannot lose to any other strategy.

Back in the day, most players had serious leaks in their game. Playing an exploitable style without much thought on your own leaks was very profitable. But as the average players become more skilled, the ratio of good players to bad players constantly increases. This leads to smaller edges because vigilant villains are trying to exploit us at the same time as we are trying to exploit them and we no longer have the luxury of being able to ignore our own game.

SS: To expand on that, I’ve heard players talk about how they use a mixture of GTO and exploitative strategy. Basically, they are deviating from GTO when they feel it is optimal. Is this basically what GTO has forced exploitative players to evolve into? How do you approach the game? Strictly from a GTO perspective or do you mix both styles?

MA: As I mentioned before, nobody plays perfect GTO. This opens the door for playing exploitatively when your opponents have leaks in their game. You can deviate from a core balanced strategy to further exploit your opponent’s weakness to increase your profitability, but by doing so, you also open yourself up for exploitation. In general, you should strive to be balanced and as unexploitable as possible when facing very tough opponents, while at the same time being able to max exploit weaker players. The best players in the world are the ones that can do this.

SS:GTO strategy is very math-oriented for obvious reasons, but are you able to work out those numbers at the table? Are you doing mental math or is it more about doing the work away from the table and having a feel for what is right in the moment?

MA:GTO models aren’t indented to be followed blindly, but instead to help us improve our overall understanding of the game so we can make better, more educated decisions that will translate into higher profits over the long run. This is achieved by putting in the work off the tables.

SS: One of the concepts that you touch on in your book that is starting to become more mainstream is range vs. range equity, as opposed to hand vs. hand equities. You’ll hear the term ‘range advantage’ thrown around a lot now. In-game, when should you be thinking about range vs. range as opposed to hand vs. range?

MA: Both are really important. The key idea is that you must always play your hand in the context of your whole range. I see a lot of players making the mistake of only thinking about one.

SS: You have an entire section of your book dedicated to teaching players how to use different poker software. How important is using this software in becoming a better player? How high can you go in stakes before you have to start messing around with solvers?

MA: That’s a tricky question. Most of the youngest top players in the world use GTO solvers or the data derived from them in one way or another. But there are still some old fashion players like Patrik Antonius, who I met recently and had the pleasure to help get up to speed with the latest advancements, who have never messed with solvers themselves. Yet they can still crush the highest and toughest cash games.

SS: In the last decade, poker strategy has taken huge steps forward and the games have gotten much tougher as strategies become more sophisticated and robotic. Do you worry about this at all? As players get closer and closer to solving the game, do you think the game will stay popular and beatable?

MA: Yes and no. Some variants such as heads-up sit-n’-goes and heads-up cash are almost dead. Other variants like six-max cash games and jackpot sit-n’-goes are dying. Multi-table tournaments will still be beatable for a long time due to their complexity and live poker, on the other hand, will probably never die.

I think we can draw a parallel with chess. It has been many years since computers are better than humans at chess, and even though Grandmasters can memorize the first 20 moves of any known opening, there are still big tournaments happening all over the world. And the people who love chess will keep on playing it for as long as they enjoy it.

If poker has something on its favor compared to chess, it’s the excitement and the thrill of making a big hand, running a sick bluff, or winning a lot of money or a prestigious title. And that cannot be taken away no matter how tough the games get and probably the most important thing about poker is that on any given day anyone can win. Amateurs can take on world champions and have a really cool story to tell for the rest of their lives.

Poker can be a challenging game to play. It requires focus, confidence, and the ability to read people, but it can be overwhelming for new players—you’ll have a lot more fun playing if you know the ins and outs of how to play poker and nail down the basics.

Because there are so many different forms of poker, I’m only going to cover the absolute basics, but I’m also going to give you tips that will just help you become a better player generally and not quit before you get a chance to experience this awesome game in depth.

Now whether you win money playing poker or not is up to you—you get out what you put in—so if you really want to win a lot of money in poker and compete with the big boys, you have to put in a lot of time and effort (beyond just learning the basics).

If you’re still reading, I’m willing to bet that you’re serious about learning this incredible game, so keep in mind that while some of these tips will only be usable in in-person poker games, some of these tips will be usable against machines or in-person—either one.

1- Learn The Hand Rankings

Poker hand rankings indicate which possible poker hands have the most value, and to do that, you’ll need to understand how the cards themselves are ranked.

Here’s that ranking from lowest to highest:

1. Two
2. Three
3. Four
4. Five
5. Six
6. Seven
7. Eight
8. Nine
9. Ten
10. Jack
11. Queen
12. King
13. Ace

Cards also come in different suits:

• Hearts
• Clubs
• Diamonds
• Spades

Hands are created out of combinations of cards and suits. Here they are in order from least valuable to most valuable:

Basic Poker Strategy

1. High card (the highest card in your hand)
2. Pair (two 2s, two aces, two kings etc)
3. Two pair (a pair of 2s and a pair of 4s for example)
4. Three of a kind (three 7s, three kings)
5. Straight (five cards in a sequence regardless of suit, so 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 10, jack, king, queen, ace)
6. Flush (five cards in the same suit regardless of sequence, so 2, 7, 10, ace, 3 of hearts for example)
7. Full house (a pair and a three of a kind, so 2 kings and 3 aces)
8. Four of a kind (four aces, four 3s etc)
9. Straight flush (five cards in the same sequence and suit, so 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 all hearts)
10. Five of a kind (five aces, five jacks—this usually requires your deck to have a joker in it—the joker is a wild card and can be any card you choose)

Whoever has the best hand wins.

You need to have these hands memorized if you’re playing poker so that you’ll know how you’re actually faring as you play, but don’t worry—it’s easier to memorize than you think.

How To Play Poker Strategy

Pairs are the least valuable thing. Another thing to remember is that a pair of 2’s is less valuable than a pair of 3’s. The pairs move up in value as the numbers get bigger. The most valuable pair you can hold is a pair of aces. So a pair of aces will beat any other pair. But a pair of aces will lose to three of a kind, even if the three of a kind is all 2’s.

Generally, the more cards that match in a hand, the more valuable that hand will be. So if only 2 cards match in a hand, it’s not very valuable. But if all 5 cards in a hand match, for example in a royal flush (10, jack, king, queen, ace, all the same suit), it’s very valuable. So remember that the fuller your hand is, the more value it will probably has.

Also remember that the higher number each of your cards is, the more value it will have. Ideally, you will have a hand of higher value cards that is full. Having 4 kings is a great hand. A straight flush from 10 to ace is also a great hand. But a pair of twos won’t win you many games.

You’ll find it easier to memorize the poker hand rankings once you’re playing. Try to remember the methods I’ve told you for remembering the rankings and you’ll catch on faster.

2- Start with Small Amounts of Money

I know we all see the superstars of Poker on TV playing high stakes with millions of dollars at stake—most players want to jump right in and be a superstar of Poker immediately. Unfortunately, we can’t all do that. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t have a million dollars to lose.

Try to resist the temptation to start playing poker gambling for high stakes off the bat. You’ll win more money if you gambe for extremely high stakes, but you’ll also lose more money. There’s no reason to rush into playing the game.

Part of this reason I suggest starting off with low amounts of money has to do with tip #1. Tip #1 suggest learning all the possible combinations of hands before you begin playing. Playing with low stakes helps you accomplish tips #1 and #2 at the same time. I also feel it’s easier to learn the layout of all the poker hands in real games. It’s more fun to actually play poker than it is to memorize a bunch of spreadsheets.

If you spend time playing low stakes games, you’ll find you’ve learned all the poker hands and which ones are more valuable quickly and easily. Then, once you’ve learned them all, you’ll be able to move up to higher stakes games.

Another reason to start with low stakes games is that it’ll simply be less stressful. If you’re playing for small amounts of money, you won’t be as concerned about losing than if you are playing for $10 or $100 hands. Play with low stakes until you become more comfortable with the game.

3- Stay in Good Shape and Rest Well

Poker is a mental game, so if your mental state is bad when you’re playing it, your game will suffer. Take care of yourself when you play poker so you can put your best self on the table.

Humans can only take so much turmoil—if you’re drinking or tired, you’ll make mistakes that could cost you a lot of money.

People also can get stuck in patterns. If you make it a habit to play poker on weekends after a long work week, you’ll get used to playing poker tired. If you’re always drinking before or while playing poker, you won’t be the best poker player you can be. If you want to make money playing poker, you need to take resting seriously.

Make a ritual out of how you play poker. Play it on the same day every week, and make sure you get lots of rest beforehand. Eat healthy every day, and your body will be in better condition, allowing you to play at a higher level. Even working out regularly can keep you mentally fit and make you a more competitive poker player.

You may think it’s silly to stress how important this is, but it has a real impact on your game. Why take all the time to study poker and become professional if you’re not going to put your body in the best position to play the game?

How To Learn Poker Strategy

4- Learn Odds

Basic Poker Strategy Texas Holdem

Odds are that you already know what poker odds are (see what I did there). But you need to learn as much about poker odds as possible if you want to make a lot of money playing poker.

Let’s start with pot odds. Pot odds are a concept that helps you understand if it’s worth your time to continue with your hand.

In most poker games, there’s a pot (the chips that everyone has bet so far) and a series of cards that are drawn during each round of betting. Not all poker games have this, but many do. When you get your initial cards, you may not yet have a good hand, but you may be able to create a good hand with the cards that are coming.

When you don’t quite have the hand you want, you need to calculate the odds that you’ll get the hand you want.

Poker Strategy Tips

This list shows common Texas Hold Em Hands and how many cards you need to improve your hand. Here are a few different types of incomplete hands:

• Gut-shot (you need one card to create a straight, but you’re missing a card in the middle. Your hand might be 2, 3, 5, 6)—4 outs (an “out” is the card you need to get to complete your hand)
• Open-ended straight draw (you need one card to create a straight, but you’re missing a card on the outside. Your hand might be 2, 3, 4, 5)—8 outs
• Flush draw (you need one card to create a flush, but you’re missing a card of the right suit. You might have 4 hearts in your hand)—9 outs
• Flush draw & gut-shot (you need one card to create a flush or a straight, but you’re missing a card in the middle and a card of the right suit. Your hand might be 2, 3, 5, 6 all spades)—12 outs
• Straight flush draw (you need one card to create a straight or a flush, but you’re missing a card in on the outside of the straight, and you’re missing a card of the right suit. Your hand might be 2, 3, 4, 5 all clubs)—15 outs

Multiply the outs by two to find your odds of hitting the hand by the next card and multiply them by 4 to find the odds of getting the cards in the next two hands.

This tip is also related to tip # 2. If you start with low money, you’ll have a lot of chances to learn exactly how odds work without losing a lot of money. Play at low stakes until you fully understand odds.

Conclusion

Online Poker Strategy

Poker can be a challenging-yet-fun game to play. If you’re spending some time in Las Vegas, Oklahoma, Atlantic City, or any other place where gambling is legal, you’ll probably want to play poker. You can even play poker online—you just don’t want to be the one losing money at the table.

If you play with low stakes, learn hand rankings, stay in good shape, and learn the outs, you’ll be on your way to making lots of money playing poker.

What tips do you have for a new poker player? Let us know in the comments!