10 Tips to Win at Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold-'em has become one of the most popularly played games of poker. No one can account for it's success over other types of poker, but the televising of games on ESPN and the travel channel certainly played a pretty big role in making the game so popular. Like other types of poker games, you can win with a combination of luck and skill. Of course you ultimately need the right cards, but you can't get those every hand. However, you can still get ahead, if you follow these simple tips...

Know the nuts. "The nuts" refers to the best possible hand. In general, a royal flush would be the nuts. But with hold'em, the nuts can change with every round of betting. In hold'em, after the blinds are posted, everyone is dealt 2 cards. The nuts at this time would be pocket Aces, because those are the best 2 cards you can get. The term "pocket" refers to the two cards you are dealt. There is a round of betting and 3 more cards, the flop, are dealt. Let's say these cards are low cards, like a 2 of hearts, a 5 of spades, and a 9 of hearts. At this point, pocket Aces are no longer the nuts. Now, it would be pocket 9's, because that would give you three of a kind with the top card out there. There's another round of betting and then the next card, the turn card, is laid out on the table. Let's say this card is an even higher card, like the Queen of diamonds. Now the nuts have changed again. The nuts would now be pocket Queens because that would give you 3 of a kind with the highest card out on the table. After another round of betting, the final card, the river card, is laid out. Let's say this is another low card, like a 4 of diamonds. All the cards are out on the table now and the nuts have again changed. Now the nuts would be a 3 and a 6 of any suit. This would give you a straight (to go with the 2, 4 and 5 already out there) and a straight is higher than three of a kind. An Ace and a 3 would also give you a straight, but the 3, 6 hand would be a higher straight and would win.