Top 10 tips to win Texas Holdem before the first hand is even dealt.

Poker is a game of constant decisions. They range from the critical to the more mundane and they occur at a quick pace, often dozens of times per minute. Online card play is extremely fierce and the pressure can sometimes be overwhelming. Do I raise? Do I stay? Do I call? Do I fold? Even if a loss attributed to a bad decision is small, it eventually adds up. Making the best decisions based on the information you have at hand is the key to beating your opponents. Your long-term success in poker is going to be based on making the right adjustments at all times. Even the smallest details can mean a lot in terms of profit!

Selecting the poker table

Selecting the right poker room will be one of the most important decisions you will be making in your online poker journey. There are many different poker rooms and different offers and it can be confusing to make the best decision on where to invest your money. Whether it’s the software, the fishiness of the table or the VIP system on offer, all of these factors contribute to your win rate or your hourly rate. Select only well-known online poker rooms with excellent reputations for paying quickly and maintaining industry-accepted randomizing algorithms. Setting up accounts on different poker rooms will help in choosing the right game for you. 

Select a betting limit

One of the most neglected decisions at the poker table involves the table you will play at a certain limit.Online poker rooms have a large variety of games, with many different limits to choose from. Initially you should consider choosing the limit you are most comfortable at beating. On certain occasions of course you might want to try out the more advanced fields to improve and test yourself against the competition in higher limits. Doing this regularly, without an efficient plan, will prove to be very costly in the long run. Choose wisely and consider that the return on investment(ROI) is best at the medium limit tables.

Select your stake

When you face the decision of choosing the correct limit for you to play, you must first take your bankroll in consideration before sitting in a game. If you play poker for a living you need to be aware of your bankroll at all times and protect it much more than some of the amateurs with a high paying job. You must have 50 to 100 times the Big Blind. Any less than that and your chances of making money will plummet down. More than that will help in intimidating weaker opponents.Every time you make a decent profit, you shouldn’t necessarily be moving up a limit if the players at that limit are better than you. You will have to be self-aware on how you stand compared to your opponents that play in your limit if you want to be successful.

Select a table

Before you sit down at a poker table, spend at least 15 minutes watching the play at each table. Review some of your notes that you’ve made previously and see if some recognized players are currently present on the table. Check out at least three different table before starting. The best option is selecting the loosest table. You have an increasingly higher chance of winning in Texas Hold’em Poker if you play tightly at loose games and play in loose games mostly. Each player of course has a unique style and the key is finding games that best fit your skill set and comfort level. There are plenty of weak players and soft tables out there and it is worth your time to seek them out.

Select a position at the table

Your position at the table will prove extremely valuable in the long run. Generally you want to have the loose players on your right and the tight players on your left. This is important mainly because you will want to, if possible have position on the potential fish at the table. This theory of course is open to discussion and every player has a different personal opinion, based on his play style about the most profitable position at the table.

Take notes on the players

Poker is a game of information and having as much information at your disposal will lead to making better decisions. Recording each different play style constantly is a must if you want to be successful in poker. Taking notes throughout your entire game will prove to be very efficient in the long run. How often do they raise before the flop? Do they fold often before the flop? What’s the size of their stake? The time they take to react when it’s their turn to act. Making notes on some of the hands they play will be beneficial for making future decisions. The features on note making are there for a reason, use them to your advantage.

This article talks in detail about taking notes efficiently and improving your game off the table

Turn off chat

Chat is extremely distracting and very rarely valuable. If you want to chat, use facebook or skype, but never while you’re playing for your own money.

Turn off tv's, music and other distractions

Sitting for hours in front of the online poker tables can be extremely monotonous, most players prefer to listen to music or other kind of distractions aside from poker. Many will say that listening to music will help them remain focused, aware and performing at a higher level. But studies have proved that multi-tasking actually causes one’s output to suffer. Doing several things at once is a trick we play on ourselves, thinking we’re getting more done. In reality, our productivity goes down. Many people will neglect the fact about the music. But if you do listen to music, choose it wisely. Soothing, more ambient music has been proven to boost the cognitive function (mental functions). Let the other opponents at your table be the ones, who are distracted.

Play tight

Playing tight is fundamental when learning to play winning poker. Many people know how to play poker, but few know how to play poker efficiently profit-wise. The more marginal hands you play, the more difficult it will become for you to make decisions, which will inevitably translate into making more mistakes. Choosing the more quality holdings can make your decisions easier and limit the marginal situations, but yet again don’t take it too far. 

Take breaks

Taking breaks is important for limiting the stress you put on yourself. Playing for an hour, than taking a break, regardless of whether you’re winning or losing can mean a lot in terms of long run results. Taking a break will keep you much sharper than players who are hanging on for that one last win. When you are playing to win you need to be on your toes and thinking clearly.

If you want to learn more ways for winning in Texas Holdem poker you should check the rest of our poker strategy articles here at PokerVIP and also make sure to learn all there is to learn about Texas Holdem.