It’s difficult to find straightforward, conflict-free no-limit hold’em tips. Most advise uses the words “it depends” roughly twelve times. And for good reason: no-limit is a complicated game with many more exceptions than rules.
Having said that, I’ve recently been thinking, “If I had one week to teach someone without limits, what topics would I cover?” I wouldn’t strive to be 100% precise or go into detail about the game. There would not be time.
But it is not what most people want. Most folks simply want to be able to beat their usual lower stakes game. I believe I can assist you in achieving that aim through some simple, straightforward ideas.
This is what I’ve come up with: 7 Simple Steps To No-Limit Hold’em Success. The idea is to hit the high points, avoid complications whenever feasible, and overall put you on the winning track. Let’s do it.
Here are the parameters. You’re participating in a full-ring (9- or 10-handed) $1-$2 no-limit game at a nearby cardroom. The maximum buy-in is $200, and that is the amount you will play with. The players are typical of $1-$2 games in local cardrooms; they are not exceptionally good.
Play Tight
Playing tight is the simplest and most effective way to enhance your game. Tight play is the foundation of good no-limit hold’em strategy. It is the rule.
Before you can learn to break the rules, you must first know them thoroughly.
Maintain your focus. What exactly does this mean? Basically, there are two things.
Don’t Play Trash
Fold your trash hands. Most hands are trash. It’s easy to say what isn’t trash, so I’ll do that. The “Not Trash” List:
- All pocket
- Two suited cards jack or higher (e.g., K ♥J♥ ).
- AK, AQ, AJ, and KQ
Okay, it isn’t quite so straightforward. I have another list, called the “Sometimes Trash” list:
- Suited connectors (e.g., 8♣ 7♣ or J♥ 9♥ ).
- AT and KJ
- Suited aces (particularly the big ones like A♦T♦ ).
Everything else is rubbish. Don’t play trash. (I’m not going to repeat myself, but I’ll say it once here. Here are the rules. Good players can and will break them. However, before breaking the rules, you must first learn them. Furthermore, don’t let anyone convince you that obeying these guidelines would prevent you from winning; that’s nonsense.)
Most of the trash hands resemble rubbish. J♦4♣ . Clearly rubbish. So is 8♠ 2♠. Some trash collectors pretend to be non-trash. Here are some recognizable “It’s Really Trash, I Promise” hands:
- Unsuited aces (e.g., A♠7♥ ).
- KT offsuit (yuck).
- Suited barely-connectors (e.g., 9♣ 6♣ ).
- Unsuitable connections (e.g., 9♦8♥—this will undoubtedly ruffle some feathers, but in general you don’t need to play these hands).
The headliner hands in no-limit poker are pocket pairs (AK and AQ). The rest of the Not Trash and Sometimes Trash cast plays supporting roles. They make money on their own, but they also mix things up so that your opponents don’t realize you always have a headliner.
In other words, the supporting cast earns a little money on its own while simultaneously assisting you in making more money with your headliners.
So, what is the difference between the Not Trash and Sometimes Trash hands? This is the second element of playing tight.
Play Extra Tight Against A Raise
Many people play essentially the same hands for a limp as they would for a raise. This is a huge error. A raise significantly alters the math of a hand. It’s a whole different thing to call $2 in a
$10 pot with $200 stacks is preferable to calling $10 in a $50 pot with $200 stacks. In the $10 pot, you’re unlikely to get all-in until the river, and most hands will never get all-in. In the $50 pot, one pot-sized bet and a raise will result in an all-in.
When playing against a raise, prefer hands that make something quickly since they go all-in faster in raised pots than in unraised ones. The Not Trash hands indicated above (pocket pairs, large suited cards, and really large offsuit cards) all generate hands quickly. Pocket pairings flop sets, while huge cards flop top pairs. In most cases, the flop will tell you whether or not you “got there.”
Sometimes Trash Hands take a bit longer. Suited connectors are flop draws, not constructed hands. Likewise with suited aces. (Obviously, the aces can flop top pair of aces, but with a weak kicker, this does not necessarily equate to getting there in a raised pot because you could be up against a better ace.) The longer a hand takes to appear, the worse it performs in raised pots.
When calling a raise, fold all hands except those mentioned above as Not Trash. When no one raises their hand in front of you, you can usually play the Sometimes Trash hands as well.
Here is one example. You are four off the button. The person two to your right, a normal player in your game, puts in $10 to go. You got T♥ 9♥. Fold. Your Sometimes Trash hand is useless in this situation. You’re up for a raise, and five players are left to act behind you. You would fold A♣ 7♣ and A♠ T♥. You can call with 7♠ 7♣ or A♦Q ♦.
Being dominated is another factor to consider when calling for a raise. If someone gives you a pretty tight raise, don’t call in your KQ offsuit. Your tight opponent will have a lot of AK or AQ, and flopping top pair will cause you to lose your stack far too frequently. If your opponent isn’t too tight, you can call with AJ, AQ, and the other Not Trash hands.
The key message, though, is to fold your rubbish. If you play this technique, you’ll see that you fold the majority of your hands. That’s correct. Playing only the best hands gives you the highest chance of winning each hand you play. This inherent advantage you’ll have over your weaker opponents is the first step toward no-limit hold’em victory.
