Texas Holdem Betting Strategies

When you throw out Texas Holdem betting strategies from the poker table, Hold em is nothing more than a game of luck. Notwithstanding, when the monies are down holdem turns out to be a game of skill and mental toughness

The game of Hold'em requires two forced bets (per round) called the big blind and small blind. When the action comes around to you in a clockwise progression, you have one of four choices:

1. Bet - When you are "under the gun," you place an amount of chips equal to the big blind. This goes into the pot.

2. Call - Calling is matching the total amount of the prior bet.

3. Raise - To call a raise requires you first match what another player bet. Afterward you can "raise" to whatever amount you choose.

4. Fold - To fold is simply dropping out of a hand. Nothing to win. Nothing to lose.

As soon as you are seated at the poker table, you will quickly see there are two extreme bettors.

1. Manic - The Maniac pushes the action, whether he has a hand or not. At first, the Maniac is quick to double or triple his chip stack. After all is said and done, the need for action often leaves the Maniac knocked out of tournaments or reloading his account.

2. Passive - The Rock often checks or calls and never raises unless he has a monster hand. Due to his lack of aggressiveness, the Rock constantly loses chips and is sooner or later out of the tournament and having to replenish his account.

Texas Holdem betting is not just throwing chips into the pot, or paying to see the flop. Actually, there is a strategy, which should be involved. David Sklansky said there are five reasons why you place a bet:

1. You want to get more chips in the pot.

2. You want to drive other players out.

3. You want to bluff (or semi-bluff).

4. You want to get a free card.

5. You want more information on the other player (s).

Here are five poker betting strategies you can use to improve your Texas holdem poker play.

1. Value Bet: With the feeler bet, you are prodding for information. The feeler bet will always let you know where you stand in the hand. If you never bet, you will never know what your challengers are holding. It is for this purpose you use it to get a "feel" for the strength of your hand also the strength of your opponents hand.

2. Stealing the Blinds: A strategy worth developing in poker is taking down uncontested blinds and pots! Stealing the blinds over time will win you more money than you will lose. There some things you should consider before you begin stealing the blinds is the type of players at the table, your own table image, sensing weakness at the table and the size of the bet.

3. Check Raise: This is also known as trapping. The check raise works by acting weak in hopes of hiding your strength. With any luck, this will prompt a bluff or at least a misinformed bet from your opponent to get him to place his chips to the pot.

4. Continuation Bet: The Continuation Bet is showing strength before the flop, most frequently with over cards. Oftentimes you will miss the flop, but continue to show strength through betting, as if you have a real hand. The recipe to successfully pulling off the continuation bet is to limit your opponents down to one or two at the most. Here is the rule of the continuation bet: If you make a pre-flop raise, you must bet after the flop. Period. This includes when you do not hit your cards. Do not be one of those morons who raises with Big Slick before the flop...only to check after the flop when it comes out garbage. Players who do that are faint of heart.

5. Squeezing: You squeeze when you think someone is on a flush or straight draw but does not have it. Raising in this circumstance may keep the player from staying in the hand, not wanting to put at risk his stack on the likelihood of missing his straight or flush. Be careful, unless you already have a strong hand, this type of poker betting strategy could fail.

Try putting into practice these five Texas Hold'em betting strategies and watch your Holdem game improve.