No 1 in Gambling

Doyle Brunson is credited with bringing poker strategy to a wider audience

Most poker authors recommend a tight-aggressive approach to playing Texas hold 'em. This strategy involves playing relatively few hands (tight), but betting and raising often with those that one does play (aggressive). Although this strategy is often recommended, some professional players successfully employ other strategies as well.^[1] While most poker authors focus on playing primarily premium starting hands, some authors claim that the importance of starting hands is overstated.^2]

Almost all authors agree that position is an important element of Texas hold 'em strategy. Players who act later have more information than players who act earlier. As a result, players typically play fewer hands from early positions than later positions.

The no-limit and fixed limit versions of hold 'em are strategically very different. Doyle Brunson states, "In fact, the games are so different that there are not many players who rank with the best in both types of hold 'em. Many no-limit players have difficulty gearing down for limit, while limit players often lack the courage and 'feel' necessary to excel at no-limit."^[3] Because the size of bets are restricted in limit games, the ability to bluff is somewhat curtailed. Since one is not (usually) risking all of one's chips in limit poker, players are sometimes advised to take more chances.^[4]

Lower stakes limit games also exhibit different properties than higher stakes games. Small stakes games often involve more players in each hand and can vary from extremely passive (little raising and betting) to extremely aggressive (many raises). The difference of small stakes games have resulted in several books dedicated to only those games.^[5]

Notes

1. ^ Harrington, Dan and Bill Robertie (2004). Harrington on Hold'em: Expert Strategy For No-Limit Tournaments; Volume I: Strategic Play. Two Plus Two Publications. ISBN 1880685337.
2. ^ Miller, Ed, David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth (2004). Small Stakes Hold'em. Two Plus Two Publications. ISBN 1880685329.
3. ^ Brunson, Doyle (1978). Super/System: A course in power poker. B&G Publishing Company., emphasis in original
4. ^ Ibid
5. ^ Miller, Sklansky, and Malmuth op cit. and Jones, Lee (1994). Winning Low-Limit Hold-em. Conjelco. ISBN 1886070156.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

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