Beating Hold 'Em: Proof of Success

In this tournament, I placed 1st of of 90. I used my skills that I shared with you below to achieve results. Try it out yourself!

Beating Blackjack: Basics & Rules

My Mom and Father are going to Las Vegas, Nevada this April to hit up some of the casinos, see the sites, and hopefully have a good time. While golfing with my Father, he told me he was planning on only playing the slots. My reaction, as you can imagine, was that I didn't believe he would be fully experiencing Vegas casino's if all he did was play the slots. I asked him why he was only going to play the slots, and he said that he didn't recall how to play any other games, and did not want others at the tables getting frustrated for him for his lack of experience (which if anyone has played blackjack in the casino, experienced players get very angry when amateurs don't make the right call). I told him, that he doesn't have to play Texas Hold 'Em, he could just play blackjack, it is very simple to understand, and the strategy is just as easy to remember (FYI: this is not going to teach you how to count cards... yet, I am still trying to figure that out myself). That is why I am writing about how to play blackjack, Vegas style. Here you go father:

BlackJack Basics

Each player is playing against the dealer or house, and tables can consist of 6-8 seats. Every player must place a bet in the circle given, there is generally a minimum bet that is required in order to receive cards. This is very key for a newcomer to the game of blackjack, you do not want to be at the higher stakes tables, instead go towards the lower stakes tables first (which unfortunately will be the hardest tables to get on). The best tables to go to are called "shoe" tables, where 6 to 8 decks are used, and all hands are dealt face up, allowing the dealer to guide players into what their next move is (NOTE: If a dealer is pressuring into decisions, or making them for you, you have the right to tell them to stop!). 

When you find your table, and you are seated, wait for the hand to be over, and place your money in your spot in front of you (you may have to wait for the deck to be re-shuffled). When you are how much you want to buy-in for, remember that the general rule-of-thumb is to buy-in 5 to 10 times the amount of that you will bet on average.

      EX. if you plan on betting around $5.00 a hand, you will want to buy-in with anywhere from $50.00 - $100.00.

This does not need to be followed to be successful, but it allows you the most cushion.

Now, when you are ready to make your bet, place it in the circle in front of you, and you are ready to begin.

Blackjack Rules/Basics continued...

Each player who has placed a bet will be dealt a card, going in clockwise formation. You can think of a blackjack table as a clock, the dealer is always 12 o'clock. In low-stake games, you will be dealt your cards face up, while the dealer will have place the first card face down, and the second one so that you can see it, allowing the players to strategize their move (see Beating Blackjack: Strategy). Each card represents a value, and the goal is to get as close as you can to 21 without busting, or going over 22 because if you bust, you automatically lose.

      Card Values

A: 1 or 11 however you want to use it (ex. A 5 = 16 or 6)

Face Cards (J, Q, K): All equal 10 (ex. J 7 = 17, Q 8 = 18, K 7 = 17)

All Other Cards: Represent their face value (2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, etc.)

Just like I said before, order is clockwise, remember, you are only playing against the dealer (also known as the house). When it is your turn to decide what you want to do, you have Five (5) options which include:

HIT: You ask the dealer for one more card (ex. 5 5 HIT 10 = 20, 6 7 HIT 10 = 23 BUST)

STAND: You believe you have the dealer beat with your two cards, and do nothing (10 10 STAND = 20)

DOUBLE DOWN: You double your bet, and receive ONLY 1 Card (7 4 DOUBLE DOWN + 10 = 21)

SPLIT: You split your two cards, double your bet, and receive however many cards as you would like. 

Each hand is separate (ex. 10 10 SPLIT 10 7 STAND = 17, 10 3 HIT 10 = 23 BUST)

SURRENDER: You feel as though you are beat, and don't want to risk your whole bet, so you surrender half automatically, and the dealer takes your cards. (ex. You have 10 4, Dealer shows Ace, you surrender $2.50 of your bet, and your hand is taken)

If You Win/Lose

If you beat the dealer, either have higher cards, or they bust, they double you're bet. If you lose, they take your bet. Let's say you bust, and the dealer busts, you still lose your money. If there is a tie, it is called a "push" where nothing happens. If you get 21 with your two cards dealt to you, you get "blackjack," which means you earn your winnings + 1/2 of your original bet. If the dealer gets blackjack, they automatically win. If the dealer shows an Ace in the beginning, some casinos let you buy insurance, which is up to 1/2 of your original bet. If the dealer has blackjack, you will lose your original bet, but get paid back 2:1, but if they don't, they take the insurance. Insurance favors the casino's significantly, but if you have a bad feeling, it is not a bad bet. If you and the dealer both get blackjack, it is a push. *Rememeber* getting 21 (ex. 5 5 HIT 4 HIT 5 HIT 2 = 21) is not blackjack, and is only 21, so you do not get 1/2 of your bet. 

INS & OUTS of Doubling Down and Splitting

Doubling Down

When you double down, you double down your original bet, so if I bet $5.00, and I double down, I have to put another $5.00 downs making my total bet $10.00. You only get one card given to you, and that is what you have to play with. If you win though, you win $10.00 instead of $5.00. If you go to my other article, Beating Blackjack: Strategy, I have information on how to make the most of doubling down.

Splitting

When you split your cards, you must pay for the split. This costs you what your original bet was. Unlike doubling down, you have two completely individual hands now, as if you are playing a second spot. You can split your cards up to 5 times, but like I said you have to pay, this would give you a total of 6 hands. So, you could bust with 4 of them, and win with 2, or you could Push with 2 win with 2 and lose with 2, etc. Once again, to see how to make the most of splitting your hand, and when to do it, read my Beating Blackjack: Strategy, article.

When the Dealer Must Hit, and When the Dealer Must Stand

The dealer has a uniform rule of Hitting when they have anything UNDER 17, and standing on anything 17 OR OVER. This means that if they have a 16 or under, they must hit NO MATTER WHAT. Also, this means that if the dealer has anything 17 or over, they must stand NO MATTER WHAT. This helps to make all tables uniform and fair, making sure that no dealer puts any strategy into the game, and allows them to make the claim that Blackjack pays 3:2. Remember that the dealer must call until he/she has reached 17-21, or busts going over 21.

So, that is the basic rules, if you want to learn more, and how to really make some money in blackjack, read my article Beating Blackjack: Strategy. Goodluck!

Beating Hold 'Em: How To Calculate Odds

Texas Hold 'Em is a game of  bluffing, slow-playing, checking, raising, calling, luck, and most importantly odds. Texas Hold 'Em is simple statistics that can be figured out in very elaborate ways, but also very simple ways. The way in which I calculate the odds is by looking at what outs I have (OUTS - the number of cards in the deck that give you a winning hand). I generally wait until the flop to start figuring out the odds in my head. The method in which I use follows the formula

(# of outs x 4) = chance of getting what you need.

EX. 
I am dealt:          10(h) (7d)
The flop is :      8(s) 9(s) (Qd)
I have 4 outs that a J with appear giving me the straight so the calculations are:


(4 outs x 4) = 16% 


This is the chance of getting a J which means that there is a 84% chance that I will be beat by a pair, and the odds are approximately 5.25:1 therefore the bet can be no bigger than less than 20% the pot. Not very good odds.



      

Beating Hold 'Em: Watching Players

The ability to watch and observe players is often overlooked in the game of poker, but is a very crucial part of any poker game. The ability to read your opponent is not easy, but when perfected is deadly. If you notice, most of the worlds best poker players look at their cards only when it is their turn, and when it's not, they are staring down their opponents.

How to do this, and turn it into success

On many online websites you can label players, and take notes on them. If you are doing a tournament, sit out the first couple hands and watch them, take some notes, and see what you come up with. This will help you to see what type of player they are (see players and their types). Once you begin play, continue to take into account when players get frustrated, when they get cocky, and when they are passive. Then, when you are faced with an "all-in" situation and you have a two pair showing, and you observed the player they forced you "all-in" is frustrated, you can see their mistake and call to hopefully take the big earning.

Another technique that I have picked up on while playing poker, is to only look at your hand when it is your turn. This does not mean go watch t.v or text, or browse the internet. It means you must watch every player, whether it is a simple fold, or a large raise (even if you have 8 2 off-suit and you know you're going to fold). This will once again help you to identify player types.

A big mistake amateur poker players make is being side-tracked. I admit, I used to do it all the time. I would play poker while my friends were in the room, and I would be watching t.v and socializing with them, not noticing my pot dwindling away.

The best poker players realize that poker is like any other sport, if you want to be successful you must put all of your attention into it. Do you think a football quarterback is thinking about where he is going to eat dinner as he is about to snap the ball? No, they are thinking about the play, where the defense is going to shift, and how they should react if they certain situations were to happen. If you can become that type of poker player, that has different strategies going through their head, reading what the other players might do, it will help you to make a decision that will benefit you, and leave the other players on their heals.

Poker is not a me game like so many people often think. Players find themselves thinking, "What should I do next?" "What is the likelihood that the flop will do this?" "How much money could I make on this hand?" When they should be thinking, "They raised, they are a loose-passive player, they must have a weak hand." "They folded, they are a tight-aggressive player that means they had lower cards."

If you are able to reach that level of thinking in poker, you will see your chip stacks grow, and life will be good.

Beating Hold 'Em: Players and Their Types

Poker is a hobby played with many different styles in all different parts of the world. Players have adapted certain terms to describe the way in which they play the game, and being able to pick up on your opponent's style will give you an edge over them.

Player Types

Loose-Aggressive - These players do not care about being pushed "all-in," they will go in with a pocket of Aces or a 9 4 off-suit. The key to being a successful player in this category is to mix it up, so that you are hard to read. Generally this style of poker is played by high-rollers.

Loose-Passive - This style of play is one where the player generally calls everything they see, never raising unless they catch a break, but once they see the flop it is hard to get them to fold. This is also known as the "amateur" style of play.

Tight-Aggressive - This player is one that plays only strong hands. They will bet big when they have one, and can catch people out of position by beating a 3 of a kind with their flush. The aggressiveness come in if they don't get the cards they want on the flop, they may stay in to see if they can catch something on Fourth Street or The River. Bluffing is rare. This style of play is best suited for limit games.

Tight-Passive - This player tends to only bet on strong hands. If they are calling your raise make sure you calculate the odds (see how to calculate odds) because there is a strong chance they have a very good hand. Once again best suited for limit games.

Beating Hold 'Em: Continued Play...

The Flop

The flop is the biggest part of Texas Hold 'Em, not only do you get to see what possibilities your cards can make, but 71% of the cards are showing. So, with that being said, it is quite clear this is where the biggest moves should be made. The generic rule is that if you have the top pair showing, you want to bet so that the other players must bet to see the next card (Fourth Street).

EX. you hold AK (suited), K95 flops, you hold the highest pair, therefore you want to bet so that a person holding a 9 must bet to see if they can get a three of a kind.

You have to be careful because players may hold a pocket pair of either 99's or 55's in that instance, so use your judgement by how much they raise, and what type of player they are (see player types).

Fourth Street

Now, one more card still has to show, but at this point you should have a pretty good idea of whether or not the other players have strong hands by how much they bet on the flop. Once again depending on the card flipped, you may still want to bet with high pair.

EX. you hold AK(suited), K956 turns, you still hold the highest pair, therefore you may want to bet, be very careful because if any player holds a 78 they have a straight, read them, and there previous bets (Rule of thumb to remember is that players with monster hands generally slow play).

The River

This is the final card, all final bets will be made. No more cards are going to be shown. This is where players will continue their bluff, or try to scam you for all of your money. Be aware that the odds of having a pair are 1:2.4, so IT IS very common to have a single pair.

EX. you hold AK(suited), K9562 turns, if you have a flush bet big, don't be afraid of the other players folding, the worst thing to do is to think they are going to raise you, and you let them off the hook. If you don't have the flush then bet small, and or check, once again if raised by any other players evaluate their playing style to determine if a call is proper.

*For more examples, and what to do, see (situations) on the sidebar*

Beating Hold 'Em: Best Starting Hands

In Texas Hold 'Em the starting hand is one of the most crucial parts to a successful game. Knowing when to check, fold, call, or raise your starting hand, is what will separate the good players from the great. Here is a quick guide for you to look at, feel free to print this and use it at your disposal.

*Before reading*

Table play will be ranked by slowest, very slow, slow, medium, high, and any.

Slowest - no one has called or raised before you

Very Slow - one or two people have called before you, but no one raised

Slow - one to three people have called before you, but no one raised

Medium - everyone called, maybe a small raise which forces other out

High - raises and high stakes being bet

Any - no matter what you want to raise and even re-raise

Top Hands	Call	Postion	Raise	Positon	Table Play
AA	X	any position	X	any postion	any
KK	X	any position	X	any postion	any
QQ	X	any position	X	mid/late	medium/high
AK (suited)	X	any position	X	mid/late	medium/high
AK (unsuited)	X	any position	X	late	slow/medium
JJ	X	any position	X	late	slow/medium
High Hands	Call	Postion	Raise	Positon	Table Play
AQ (suited)	X	any position	X	mid/late	slow/medium
AQ (unsuited)	X	any position	X	late	slow/medium
AJ (suited)	X	any position	X	Bluff late	slow/medium
KQ (suited)	X	any position	X	mid/late	slow/medium
KQ (unsuited)	X	any position	X	Bluff late	slow
KJ (suited)	X	any position	X	Bluff late	slow
Fine Hands	Call	Postion	Raise	Positon	Table Play
AJ (unsuited)	X	mid/late	X	heads up/late	slow
KJ (unsuited)	X	mid/late	X	heads up/late	slow
KT (suited)	X	mid/late	X	heads up/late	slow
QT (suited)	X	mid/late	X	heads up/late	very slow
99	X	mid/late	X	heads up/late	very slow
88	X	mid/late	X	heads up/late	slowest
77	X	mid/late	X	heads up/late	slowest
66	X	mid/late	X	heads up/late	slowest

*All other pairs you want to fold, they will only cost you money in the long run. You may win a couple hand here and there, but they tend to dwindle away at your pot slowly without you even knowing*

Beating Hold 'Em: Knowing Your Position at the table

In Texas Hold 'Em it is crucial that the player knows his/her positioning at the table in order to decided what to do with the bet, this along with the starting hand, is one of the key factors to being a successful poker player.

Table Positions
(9 Player Table)

Early
The first 3 spots to the left of the big blind, after the flop the first 3 spots to the left of the dealer button.

Middle
The the 4th to the 6th spot to the left of the big blind, after the flop the 4th to the 6th spot to the left of the dealer button.

Late
The 7th to the 9th spot to the left of the big blind, after the flop the 7th to the 9th spot to the left of the dealer button.

Table Positions
(6 Player Table)

Early
The first 2 spots to the left of the big blind, after the flop the first 2 spots to the left of the dealer button.

Middle
The 3rd to the 4th spot to the left of the big blind, after the flop the 3rd to the 4th spot to the left of the dealer button.

Late
The 5th to the 6th spot to the left of the big blind, after the flop the 5th to the 6th spot to the left of the dealer button.

Beating Hold 'Em: The Basics

The Game

Blinds/Starting of the game

Each player is dealt two cards (in which no one else can see except the player). There is a dealer button (dealer has no distinct advantage), a big blind, and a small blind (blinds are only posted at the opening of each hand). The small blind is the person directly to the left of the dealer, and the big blind is directly to the left of the small blind. The blinds are there to guarantee play.

Betting Order

The first person to bet is the person directly to the left of the big blind, and the betting continues clockwise. In order to play the cards you are holding, you must bet an amount equivalent to the big blind, or raise the amount to play (RAISE - to increase the bet to more than what the big blind is set to, and/or increase the bet to more than the current bet showing on the table). If you do not find that your cards are suitable to give yourself a chance of winning you can fold (FOLD - when a player decides that they do not wish to finish the hand. They no longer have to pay to stay at the table, they must wait until the next hand is dealt to gain betting entry again). Now, if the bets were not raised past the big blind, the player who posted the big blind can either check or raise the pot (CHECK - as long as the bets for the hand have not surpassed the big blind amount, the player who posted the big blind may "check" the hand which allows the play to move on to the flop. Check can also be used after the flop when a player does not want to put money on the hand, and/or they are trying to bluff the other players into betting more money). If everyone folds, the person who posted the big blind wins the pot.

The Flop

After the first round bets are completed, THE FLOP comes next. Once the bets are finished, the dealer flips over three cards face up, allowing the players still in play to see them. Those three cards are now open for use. A player can only use 5 cards. The goal it to have the best 5 cards at the table. Bets start from the person directly to the left of the dealer, and continue clockwise. At anytime it is possible for everyone except one person to fold, and if that is the case, the last person standing wins.

Fourth Street

But if the betting continues through the second round, 1 card is flipped over by the dealer, therefore 4 cards are showing , this is called FOURTH STREET. Same as always, you can only play your best 5 cards. Betting then continues.

Fifth Street/The River

Once again, and if players are still remaining we move on to the next round. This is called FIFTH STREET, this is the final card drawn, it is also known as THE RIVER.

Final Bets

Final bets are made, and if players are still present, cards are flipped and the player with the winning hand wins the entire pot (Exception, in the event of a tie, the pot is split).