The following Texas Hold’em poker tips apply to lower value poker tournament games, anything up to R100 buy-in. Above that players tend to be of a better standard so sticking to these poker tips would have less of an impact on the game.

However, on the low value tables the following will stand you in good stead and should help you to progress to the later stages of most poker tournaments that you enter. Please bear in mind that while these are a good solid set of guidelines, you need to use your judgement in each game and be prepared to change your strategy to suit the mood of the poker table.

Texas Hold’em Tips:

1. Play tight. The most important tip when playing tournaments at the bottom end of the money scale is to adopt a “tight” game. This means that you only play hands that are very good to excellent; pairs, AK, AQ, AJ, KQ and suited connectors. It is very hard to stick to this rule and you will need to be extremely disciplined in order to pull it off, but if you do it will win you more money than almost anything else you can do.

2. Be Aggressive. When you do get a hand that you are going to play, the number two most important poker tip is to bet it aggressively. Don’t limp in and “see what happens”, put down strong bets that force all or nearly all of your opponents to fold. Every player left at the flop has a chance of beating you – even the “no-hopers” who are calling with 10-6 or J-4. Anybody can hit a lucky flop so it’s vital that you remove as much opposition as possible. Remember too that your AK or AQ isn’t really much of a hand unless you catch something to improve it.

3. Don’t go all-in. Too often you see poker players making crazy decisions like going all-in in the first couple of rounds of a tournament to win nothing but the blinds. Consider this scenario: You start with 1500 chips and blinds are 20 and 10. You are in mid position and have been dealt AA. Now there are some players who would go all-in here in the hope of getting a call and doubling up. Don’t do it, it’s crazy! If everyone folds you will have risked 1500 chips to win only 30, a fiftieth of your stake! At best the odds of you winning the hand would have been about 1/3 or 1/4 and you have risked it on a 1/50 gamble. Not good.

Please remember that these Texas Hold’em poker tips are just guidelines, not hard and fast rules that need to be obeyed at all times. Always use your discretion and think on your feet.