Texas Holdem Limit / NL Key Poker Skills - Advanced

1. Play high pairs fast and play very b hands before the flop. This strategy places more money in the early pot and results in weak hands that might potentially get lucky with the flop and win to an early fold.

2. Never draw to the low end or both ends of a straight. If the flop is a 9 8 7, you should be playing to the J 10 and never to the 6 5 or the 10 6 in order to increase odds of winning.

3. Consider medium and low cards that are unconnected as unplayable. Even when holding suited cards that can't possibly create a straight through the flop, these cards simply shouldn't be played. Both ends of a straight such as 9 5 certainly should be included into this very weak category.

4. Use caution when considering playing low starting pairs. If you are dealt 66 down to 22, you should not play the hand from an early seat and from the late positions. Play only when the price is right. If you do not get a set, trips or fours, on the flop, you should probably fold.

5. When you have a two way draw after the flop, play aggressively. If your cards offer the chance to make a straight AND a flush, trips or similar, it is frequently best to bet/raise your hand.

6. If you hold an Ace or two high face cards, bet them after a garbage flop. A garbage flow would be something like a three suit rainbow with cards that are unconnected medium and low cards. If someone raises, you should fold.

7. Watch out for connected flops, like 8 7 6. These flops can easily become straights that can overtake a high pair or other good hand.

8. Check the chips of the player who raises. When players are nearly all-in, they frequently rush the bets to get all their chips into a sink-or-swim final hand.

9. Beware of suited flops when they can be used to make a completed flush. When this happens, you should usually hold the nut in that suit, or have trips or two pair that can fill up.

10. Occasionally, allow yourself to get caught bluffing. By doing this, you vary play and can not become too predictable. You win pots that you really don't deserve when the bluff is successful. You do lose some chips when the bluff fails but it will result in calls from weaker hands in the future when you have a b hand and can really use the action.

11. Study your opponents. Study especially when you are not playing hands and can pay especially close attention to each player. Do they play more hands than they fold? Do they bluff? Can they be successfully bluffed? Do they have any "tells" or mannerisms that give away information about their hands? All this information can help you when playing against these opponents.