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Texas Holdem Intermediate Strategy

April 28, 2009

Texas Hold-em is a game won by the application of intense strategy ans strict discipline. There are many aspects of a Texas Hold’em Strategy that can be employed to decrease losses and increase profits. In this article, we will discuss a Texas Hold’em Intermediate Strategy, meant for players who are already quite familiar with the game.

We’re going to assume you have already read our section on Beginner Texas Hold’em Strategies, covering the importance of Starting Hand Selection, and choosing what type of poker player you wish to be – Loose/Passive, Loose/Aggressive, Tight/Passive or Tight/Aggressive.

If you missed this article, or would like a brief refresher, please read the following:

Texas Hold’em Beginner Strategy

In this Texas Hold’em Intermediate Strategy, we will cover three key elements – knowing the Nuts, Sequence Betting and avoiding chasing a pot with the Second Best Hand.

Texas Hold’em Intermediate Strategy – The Nuts

The “Nuts” is the best possible hand a player can have, according to what is available on the board. For instance, the Flop comes down with three hearts, the Nuts would be a Flush. It is very important to be able to determine the Nuts after the Flop, Turn and River. You simply need to determine what Hole Cards could be added to the Community Cards to make the best possible 5-card poker hand.

If you have the Nuts, take advantage of it. Slow play the hand and draw as many chips into the pot as you can. If you notice another player who made a small bet to start, then bets heavily after the Flop, Turn or River, it is usually safe to assume they have the Nuts. This will save you a lot of lost chips in the long run by bowing out early and waiting for a better hand.

Texas Hold’em Intermediate Strategy – Sequence Betting

This section refers to how you should bet, according to your position, your hand and the current betting round.

From early position, you want to be very careful about making large bets. You are not afforded the opportunity to see how confident your opponents are in their hand. In early betting rounds, do not limp in, as it causes late position bettors to see you as a weak player. They will place a large bet to scare you away from the pot, and you have no way of knowing whether they are bluffing, or really have you beat. Instead, place a medium bet to let them know you mean business.

From late position, you have the best opportunity to scoop the pot. If no other player is showing confidence in their hand, and you have marginal holdings, place a large bet to force them to Fold. If one or two players remain in the hand, you still have those marginal holdings that will hopefully improve. You will have the choice whether to Bluff and steal the pot, or – with a monster hand – make them think you are bluffing to draw more chips into the pot.

As you reach the latter rounds of betting, on the Turn and River, your position becomes less relevant. More often than not, there will only be a few players left in the hand anyway, as all tight players will Fold Pre- or Post-Flop. If you have the Nuts, place medium bets/raises to keep players tossing chips into the pot. A low bet will make them suspicious, while a large bet may cause them to Fold. A medium bet relays that you are on a good Draw hand, but haven’t hit it yet.

Should have have a good hand, but not the Nuts, place a large bet to make others think you have the Nuts. In most cases they will Fold, unless they have the Nuts, or a monster hand. As you get into an Advanced Texas Hold’em Strategy, you will learn how to read your opposition, making these decisions a bit easier. If you suspect your opponent has you beaten, Fold out and save your chips for a better hand, rather than suffering a big loss.

Texas Hold’em Intermediate Strategy – Chasing with Second Best

This is one of the most dangerous situations in Texas Hold’em, and often results in the largest chip losses in the game. Be very careful that you don’t place large bets and raises with the second best hand, when your opponent is showing all the confidence of holding the Nuts.

For example, if the board is showing 5s-3h-6h-Jh-Qh, and you are holding the Kh, you have the Second Best possible hand. Anyone holding the Ah will have you beaten. Many less experienced poker players will see their King-High Flush as a monster hand and continue betting to the showdown with no regard for the their opponent’s actions. However, if your opponent is willing to Call those large bets and raises, it’s safe to assume he has you beaten.

Hands like these often result in an All-In bet. Do not let yourself chase a pot with the second best hand or you’ll end up short-stacked, if not ousted from the game entirely.

Once you’ve applied each of these Texas Hold’em Intermediate Strategies with a consistent level of success, it is time to upgrade to the next level. Please see our Advanced Texas Hold’em Strategy for more information.

Texas Hold’em Advanced Strategy

Written by Rob · Filed Under HORSE Poker Strategy 

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