This article is going to teach you five must-know facts about Texas Hold’em. If you are a new player you will gain a wealth of information from this post, and even old grinders should find an interesting point or two. By the way, if you are brand new to the game, learn the rules of Texas Hold’em before you read this article., or most of it won’t make sense. Ok, enough fluff – let’s get into it:

#1 – Grow a Pair

Texas Hold’em (especially when played in the No Limit fashion) is not a game for the faint of heart. There are a lot of raises, bluffs, all-ins, and monstrous pots that require aggressive, precise decision-making. Because of this, if you are a timid poker player you may as well not even sit.

Playing carefully may work well in Seven Card Stud or Five Card Draw, but you have to get in there and mix it up at the Hold’em tables or you will get muscled out of pots and the blinds will eat your stack alive.

#2 – Limit and No Limit are Far from the same

Hold’em is normally played in either Fixed Limit (usually called “Limit”) or No Limit form. Fixed Limit games require an entirely different skill set than No Limit games. To be a successful Fixed Limit player, you have to be extremely quick on your feet, have good mathematical skills, and not be afraid to make seemingly foolish plays.

Fixed Limit is a very mechanical game, because players use pot and implied odds to make their decisions more so than betting patterns and bet sizes.

On the other hand, No Limit requires more heart, courage, and feel to win money. One wrong decision can cost you your entire stack, so you have to be very careful about getting all-in. Also, if you play too passively, the other players will pick up on this and hammer you out of pots non-stop.

#3 – Air Bluffs (for the most part) are Foolish

An “air bluff” is when you completely miss a draw, have nothing more than a high card, and make a large bet in an attempt to steal the pot. The reason air bluffing almost always fails is because when an amateur player air bluffs, an experienced player can almost always sniff it out because the amateur’s betting patterns don’t add up. When a player check-calls on a drawing board all the way, then fires a huge bet when a blank hits on the river, it is almost a guarantee that the player is bluffing.

Of course, once you gain more knowledge of the game you will recognize good spots for total bluffs, but until then, keep the chips on the rack when you have rags.

#4 – The Continuation Bet Makes or Breaks Tournament Players

If you are a tournament Hold’em player, the continuation bet is the most important weapon in your arsenal during the early-middle stages of the tournament. Players rarely have a 100BB+ stack during a multi table tournament, so there isn’t much room for post flop play in a raised pot.

If you are in a raised pot and don’t have many chips behind, the continuation bet will either make or break you. If you miss the flop, you have to make a very tough decision on whether to C-bet and try to take the pot, or check-fold and give up the preflop raise. Knowing the best times to C-bet and the best times to let hands is what separates the men from the boys in MTTs.

#5 – Tools are huge in Texas Hold’em

If you are an online Texas Hold’em player and are having trouble moving up from $1/$2 NL to the higher levels, it is time to start analyzing your play a little more in depth. Instead of just remarking to yourself when you make a bad play, wouldn’t you like to have data and statistical reports that will show you your errors?

This is where the new generation of poker tools comes into play. Hold’em players have access to statistical trackers such as PokerTracker and PokerOffice. Both of those tools track every single one of your hands, and spit back gobs of data about your play. Then, you can analyze the numbers to see where you’re losing money, where you’re winning money, and how you can increase your win rate. We highly, HIGHLY recommend getting PokerTracker or PokerOffice if you are serious about online Texas Hold’em.

Thanks for reading our article, I hope you now know more about Texas Hold’em, and win more money at the tables. This article was provided by our friends at PokerRules.net – the best place for learning dozens of poker rules.

#1 – Video Poker Can Be Beaten

The first fact on this list is the most important – and that is that video poker is the only casino game that can actually be beaten in the long run. The ROI or return on investment for certain video poker games can exceed 100%, meaning that it is more than a break even game. Every other casino game in the house will have an ROI of less than 100%, meaning that for every $100 you put into a machine, you’ll (on average) get less than $100 back.

Of course, the ROI isn’t automatically over 100% for video poker or the house would take a beating. Rather, you have to play the right games with the right pay tables with perfect strategy if you want to have any chance of being a winner. It’s not an easy feat, but I personally know several players who play video poker as their sole source of income.

#2 – Different Games have Different Payouts

As I just mentioned, only certain video poker games have the possibility of being profitable. To give a few examples, Deuces Wild, Double Bonus, and Double Double Bonus all have potential to be 100%+ games, while Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, and Tens or Better will never pay over 100% no matter how well you play. The reason for this is the different rules associated with each game, and also the different pay tables that are used for each machine.

#3 – Different Pay Tables have Different Payouts

This one is even more important – after you find a game you would like to play, you have to take into consideration what pay table the game is using. Most games will use a standard pay table. For example, in a Deuces Wild game you should expect a Wild Royal Flush to pay out 25x your bet, and a Four of a Kind to pay out 15x your bet. In that situation, the machine is capable of paying out 100.76% in the long run with perfect strategy, making it a profitable bet. However, some machines will pay out less than 25x for a Wild Royal or less than 15x for a Four of a Kind, which reduces the max payout percentage to under 100%. You always have to be wary of machines that with alternative pay tables. Visit VideoPokerBaller.com for a full list of video poker pay tables and max payout percentages for each.

#4 – Strategy Errors are Expensive

As I mentioned in fact #1, using proper strategy is of the utmost importance if you want to win at video poker. If you aren’t using perfect strategy, you will lose at on average 2-5% of the max payout percentage. This is the difference between a profitable gamble and a sucker’s bet.

#5 – Anyone can play with Good Strategy

When most players hear talk about “perfect strategy” and knowing exactly how to play every single hand, they get scared off because they aren’t mathematical geniuses with photographic memories. Well guess what – that doesn’t matter. Fortunately for us, many websites now offer video poker strategy charts for free. These charts show you exactly how to play every single hand you come across. Of course, they aren’t 100% perfect, but the majority of them will get you within 0.1% of the maximum payout percentage. So, if you are playing a Deuces Wild game (100.76% max payout) with a proper strategy chart, you can be a winner without memorizing a single hand.

#6 – Slot Clubs Apply to Video Poker

Only the most seasoned video poker players realize that they can redeem basically the same benefits as slot machine players. Since slots have such a high house edge, the casino lets slots players enroll in slot club programs which give them a small cash back percentage on all of their wagers, lets them in on special drawings, and may even provide them with free rooms and meals at the casino.

Now, slot players are losing so much that the benefits don’t really make a big difference. But since video poker players can also sign up for similar benefits, you can add even more money onto your winnings if you are following the rules listed above and are playing at over 100% payback.

#7 – You can Practice Online

Most video poker players don’t realize that they can practice their strategy at online casinos or by using video poker training programs. Casinos such as Bodog Casino allow players to play video poker without downloading any software or even having to create an account! Or, you can buy a product like WinPoker 6 which trains you to become a better player right on your computer. By using online tools like these you can become a better player without losing real money at the casino.

#8 – Vegas has the best Games

If you are looking to play video poker seriously, and want to find winning machines, your best bet is to head to Las Vegas. Vegas casinos offer the best games with the best pay tables, and almost every casino has at least a couple machines that have the potential to be profitable. I know of quite a few casinos in Vegas that offer full pay Deuces Wild games for $0.25/coin, which can be a very profitable gamble if you know what you are doing.

#9 – Look for Promotions

One way to turn an otherwise losing game (such as Jacks or Better at 99.54%) into a profitable game is by taking advantage of casino promotions. During holiday weekends or other slow times during the year, casinos will offer extra cash back, free drawings, or even free prizes to video poker players to encourage them to come to the casino. Often times these promotions can add 0.5%-1% onto the payback percentage of a machine, which would turn a 99.54% Jacks or Better game into a profitable gamble.

#10 – Mind your Bankroll

Just like table poker, video poker is a game of fluctuations and streaks. Even if you are playing at over 100% you can easily have a few losing sessions back to back that will take a huge toll on your bankroll. We always suggest having a bankroll equal to at least two Royal Flushes at the machine you are playing, so you can survive extreme bad streaks. Don’t make the mistake of playing machines too big for your bankroll, because you’ll probably find yourself broke soon.

1. Slot machines work on random number generators. Every spin result is determined the split second you press the spin button. The results are completely random. Also, the machine is programmed to provide the player with many “near miss” scenarios. This is to make you think you are getting close to winning.
2. Slot machines have a set payback percentage. This is the percentage of money that the machine will give back to the player over the long run. For example if the machine is set to 97% payback, then for every $100 put into the machine $97 of it will be given back… in the LONG RUN. Anything can happen in the short term.
3. Slot machines are never “hot” or “cold”. They pay out randomly. You may get lucky and win a little money and think the machine is hot, but if you play it long enough you’ll give it all back.
4. A slot machine is never due to pay. No matter how long you play, it doesn’t owe you anything. Many players think that if they play long enough they will eventually get the win. If they do it is because of random luck, not because of the amount of time they played the machine.
5. The new video slots are designed to get you to spend more money per spin. Yes, it may be a 5 cent machine, but if you bet 5 cents on all 20 paylines how much have you just spent? The answer is $1.
6. Online casinos like to tell you that their machines have a higher payback percentage than land based casinos. They back this up with the fact that they have lower overhead. Ha, yea don’t believe that they are nice and honest and keep their payback percentages higher. Remember, they are in the business of taking your money in the most entertaining way possible.
7. Slots are the most profitable game for the casinos. Why do you think they take up the majority of the casino floor? It’s gambling on autopilot.
8. The best strategy for playing slots, and all casino games,  is to quit or change machines after a good win. Remember that in the long run you have a disadvantage in all casino games. It’s all about the hit and run.
9. Progressive slots are slots that share a jackpot. All progressive slots are connected on a massive network. The odds are adjusted to build a huge jackpot. Thus, it is considered very lucky to win a progressive slot jackpot. It’s like winning the lottery.
10. It is possible to win at slots. People hit huge jackpots all the time. Why can’t it be you?

1. Not knowing basic strategy. Basic strategy is a set strategy that a player sticks to in order to minimize the houses edge. By sticking to this strategy, the player will lose less money than someone who plays on their instinct. It takes a lot of discipline to stick to it, but in the long run it pays. On our blackjack page is a chart that shows the proper moves to make based on what card the dealer has showing in a game of blackjack with 5 or more decks.
2. Not doubling down on your soft hands. You’ll notice from the basic strategy chart that a player doubles down on soft 13’s through 18’s depending on what card the dealer has showing. This goes back to learning basic strategy, but I have found that many players half-way learn basic strategy and can’t remember whether or not to double down on their soft hand.
3. Splitting tens. This has to be the classic blackjack blunder. A player is dealt two of the same cards that are worth 10 each, and they then decide to split them despite the dealers awkward look. Sometimes it works, but more often then not you will end up taking a winning hand and turning it into two losing hands. If you find yourself sitting on a 20, do yourself a favor and don’t split them. The table will respect you for it.
4. Not Knowing when to split. Aside from not splitting your tens, you also don’t split your fives. You also have to know when to split your other paired cards like 2,2 3,3 4,4 6,6 7,7 8,8 9,9 and A,A. Of course this is all fixed by referring to the basic strategy chart.
5. Thinking you can count cards. I am guilty of this one myself. Counting cards by yourself can rarely result in a player advantage. Most of the time you site there betting the minimum waiting for the count to get high, and it never does. It’s not as glamorous as the movies make it. Unless you have extreme patience and a team to work with, you will probably not make much money. Also, the casinos now use a lot more decks which makes it even harder.
6. Letting the other players get to you. If you have a 14 and the dealer has a 7 or higher, then by all means hit that. Don’t listen if some drunk player tells you it was the wrong play because you took the dealers bust card. They will be gone soon anyways because they have no clue about the game.
7. Playing too small of a bankroll. Don’t sit down at the $10 table with only $50. You will bust out very quickly. You need to have enough cash to absorb some fluctuations. It’s generally recommended to have a bankroll of 25-50 times the minimum bet. So at a $10 table have at least $250, but $500 is twice as good.
8. Betting too much for your bankroll. If you’ve got $500 in front of you, betting $100 a hand is a quick way to wipe out your whole blackjack bankroll. Stick to a lower bet if you are trying to maximize your playing time.
9. Playing while drunk. As fun as this is, it’s not good for your bottom line. Many people make irrational decisions while gambling under the influence. Don’t let this be you. If you are drunk, try not to bet the house at the blackjack tables.
10. Getting emotional. This is often referred to as losing your composure. In poker, they call it going on tilt. This is when you get frustrated with the game, and decide to make bigger bets to make up for previous losses. It happens to everyone. Just try to be smart and walk away from the game. The last time I went on blackjack tilt, I got up, walked around, and decided to play the $1 Wheel of Fortune slot. Two spins into the game I won $1,000. This is a prime example of why taking a break when you get frustrated can be a good thing.

Hopefully you take a few of these tips away with you to the casino. The sooner you learn basic strategy, the sooner the game of blackjack become a lot more fun.