Bet Texas

• Texas Sports Betting. Texas is the second most-populated state and with so many people comes plenty of interest in sports and sports betting. While Texas is not the most progressive state in its views towards gambling, the state is open to legalizing sports betting.A bill was introduced in February 2019, however, it has yet to make any headway and sports betting is currently not available.
• Texas online horse betting is absolutely forbidden under state law. The Texas Racing Act expressly mentions that bettors must physically be at licensed facilities to place wagers. Texas Online Sports Betting With the exception of fantasy sports, no sports betting is permitted inside the state of Texas.

Texas has laws in place against virtually all forms of gambling, with the notable exception being horse racing and dog racing. Penal code 47.01 defines a “bet” as “an agreement to win or lose something of value solely or partially by chance”. Texas betting options are limited amid a general aversion to most things gambling across the state. Daily fantasy sports and parimutuel horse racing betting serve as the only forms of wagering that are tolerated in the state. The legality of daily fantasy sports is uncertain at the moment, but most major DFS operators are active in Texas. Texas Governor Opening The State And Ending Mask Mandate. Season 2021 Clip (01:27) 2 hours ago. BET BUZZ: Texas Governor Opening The State And.

Sports betting for Texas residents is available through online sportsbooks only at this time. Texas has not managed to pass any legislation to bring land-based sportsbooks or regulated mobile sportsbooks to the Lone Star State. Thankfully, online sportsbooks can legally operate in Texas as there are no state laws that ban online sportsbooks from operating. This allows Texas residents to bet on their favorite teams across multiple sporting leagues. Texas is home to several sports teams including the Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Houston Rockets, and several collegiate programs. Sports betting fans are able to wager on all Texas teams, as well as any other team across all sports.

While retail sports betting is not available, lawmakers could be tempted to launch such a market following the losses the state suffered following the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas lawmakers could potentially follow many other states who were vehemently against launching legal sports betting but changed their minds during the pandemic. Lobbyists are currently working on a bill that would allow local sports teams to hosts their own licensed sportsbooks in their stadiums. HB 2070 is the bill signed by Republican Rep. Dan Huberty and If passed could see legal sports betting launch in January 2022.

While this is still a while away from bringing sportsbooks to the Lone Star State, local sports betting fans are still able to place action as the legislators work things out. In addition to online sportsbooks, Texas is surrounded by states with legal sports betting. New Mexico and Arkansas have already launched sports betting, and Louisiana passed sports betting in its legislation, although they have not launched yet. The future For Texas sports betting is still up in the air, with the bill in its early stages.

However, local sports betting fans can still wager on all of their favorite franchises both local and out of state thanks to online sportsbooks. Texas sports betting is legal, and there is a multitude of options available to players. Sports betting fans do not need to wait to bet on sports as there is a seemingly endless supply of sportsbooks legally able to offer sports betting within the state. The future outlook for a Texas sports betting market is a promising one, with local lobbyists pushing a new and promising sports betting bill.

Legal Texas March Madness Betting

College basketball is already big and there are many fans who wish they can be at some of these intense games. The fact that March Madness is around the corner only excites players and lets them know that money will be everywhere for them to win. Online sportsbooks will have all the games that will be going on as they always have and this will mean that players will have many options per usual. It is known that Texas is one of the best teams that will have a chance to win the NCAA title and players here will be taking their chance on this team. The fact that the legal online March Madness sportsbooks in Texas will have all types of betting like prop bets, parlay bets and others.

Legal Sports Betting Sites Accepting Texas Residents

Now, while you’re waiting for land-based Texas sports betting to open up, there’s no reason to miss out on any of the action. There are hundreds of legal sports betting sites accepting Texas residents right this minute. That being said, you don’t just want to pick one and be done with it – there are things to take into consideration, like the variety of games and wager types available, as well as betting limits and added perks like signing bonuses and mobile betting.

We’ve gone ahead and done the research part of this for you. After having personally tested a plethora of online sportsbooks, we found the top four for you. These sites have the largest selection of games covered, meaning you’ll have more options than you know what to do with. You’ll also find additional perks that make each of these sites unique – from live betting to mobile apps, these sites truly are the best of the best when it comes to sports betting in Texas.

Can’t choose just one? Keep an account at all of these books. This will allow you to shop lines and ensures that you find the absolute best payout for each and every game you wager on. No matter if you have one or four accounts, these legal sports betting sites accepting Texas residents are the best choice for you.

Bovada - Fastest Sportsbook Payouts For Texas Residents

It’s all about speed when it comes to Bovada sportsbook. Whether you’re looking for the fastest payouts or the fastest lines during live betting, you’ll find them right here at Bovada. You have several withdrawal options with Bovada, and none take longer than two weeks to reach you. If you choose to conduct transactions using cryptocurrency, your payout could reach you within 24-48 hours of your request being processed.

You’ll also find the faster live lines at Bovada than any other sportsbook. Fans of live betting know that it’s all about speed. The faster those lines are presented, the more action you can get in on. Live betting is just one of the many perks that make Bovada a world-class sportsbook. You’ll find tons of wagering options available for you at the pace that you prefer.

Best Texas Scratch Offs 2020

SportsBetting - Sign Up Through Your Smartphone + Bet

SportsBetting.ag knows that you’re a busy person, and trying to find the time to sit down at a computer and create an account can sometimes be impossible. That’s why this online sportsbook allows you to create your account on your smartphone or tablet, as well as on the computer. You’ll be able to access SportsBetting wherever you are and place your bets whenever is most convenient for you.

As if that weren’t enough, SportsBetting also provides players with a $25 free play credit for using their mobile app. So not only can you benefit from the convenience of setting up your account on the go, you’re essentially getting paid the first time you play on your mobile device. SportsBetting is known for its incredible betting opportunities, and you won’t be disappointed by the many other benefits they offer their players. What are you waiting for? Get online today to begin the best sports betting in Texas you’ve ever experienced.

BetOnline - Everything But Betting On Texas HS Football

When it comes to betting on sports online, why not go with the site that’s literally named after the name of the game? BetOnline sportsbook has been providing legal, fun sports betting opportunities to Texas residents for years. Not only will you be able to find lines on professional sports, but you’ll also find betting opportunities on more college games than you’ll know what to do with. BetOnline has some of the most incredible wagering of any online gambling site period. When you’re at BetOnline, it doesn’t matter if it’s your first time betting or your thousandth time. They’ve got something for everyone, and a fully trained staff that can be reached 24/7 to help you if you really need it.

When it comes to betting, it’s not just about the games that are covered. It’s also about the wager types available and the betting limits you have to operate within. At BetOnline, you’ll find the largest selection of traditional and exotic wager types around. Additionally, betting limits are adjustable, which means you play at whatever level you’re most comfortable with. We’ve just barely covered the tip of the iceberg, so head over to BetOnline to find out what other goodies they have in store for you, like signing and deposit bonuses, free plays, and much more.

MyBookie - A Top Tier Texas Sportsbook

MyBookie is an excellent sportsbook for all kinds of bettors, and in a state as large as Texas, that’s a wide net to cast. MyBookie prides itself on providing all sorts of odds, from the latest moneylines on the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans to the most recent Houston Rockets spread to wagers on who will win the 2020 presidential election. Whatever you want to wager on, you can find it at MyBookie.

MyBookie also offers live and mobile betting, and these two can be used in concert to great effect. MyBookie’s wagering allows you to place bets from anywhere, using almost any device, and wager on almost any game. Shoot, forget about just games, you can wager on almost any event! All of these factors combine to make MyBookie one of the premier sportsbooks for Texas bettors.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Texas?

Land-based sports betting in Texas is not currently legal, and more than likely won’t be for a long time. Despite the fact that Texas lawmakers lose out on close to two and a half billion dollars annually to casinos in neighboring states. There is no indication that they plan to expand gambling in the Lone Star state. As neighboring states begin to legalize sports betting, expect that deficit to grow even larger.

The heavily conservative mindset in the Texas legislature right now is going to carry over into the 2019 legislative session. Lawmakers who do introduce sports betting bills likely will not have the support needed to pass a law that would legalize Texas sports betting. That being said, anything can happen, and so we will diligently keep an eye on what happens during the next legislative session. Optimistically, there could be legal sports betting in Texas within the next year. Realistically, expect it to roll out within the next 3 to 5 years. It’s going to take a lot to make sports betting legal in Texas.

While we wait for old-fashioned lawmakers to come around on the activity, there are still sports betting options in the state. Online, offshore sportsbooks do not fall under the jurisdiction of state laws, and can legally offer sports wagering to Texas residents. Additionally, because there are no laws on the books when it comes to dealing with online, offshore sports betting, TX residents are free to wager as much as they like at online sportsbooks that are based in overseas countries.

What Cities In Texas Have Sportsbooks?

While sports betting in Texas has not been given the green light to operate at land-based locations yet, we know that lawmakers will eventually have no choice but to legalize it eventually. When that does happen, we believe that it will likely be housed at a Native American casino. There is currently one Class II casino and one High-stakes bingo hall operating in the state. These seem to be the most likely venues for Texas sports betting.

The Casino – called the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino – is located in Eagle Pass, Texas. This city is on the Texas-Mexico border, located just east of the Rio Grande. You’ll find bingo, video gaming terminals, and live poker at this establishment. The bingo hall is located across the state in Livingston, Texas. Just an hour outside of Houston, Livingston has plenty to do for everyone. The bingo hall is called Naskila Gaming. If more sportsbooks are allowed to open in Texas, we will update this list to include all of the cities in Texas that have sportsbooks.

Southern Texas Region:

South Eastern Texas Region:

Legal NFL Betting In Texas

With two professional teams of their own and one of the largest collections of fans in the world, is it any surprise that Texas residents are some of the biggest supporters of legal NFL betting in their state? While you won’t find any action at bars or casinos in the state, you will definitely find thousands of TX residents participating in sports betting on any given Sunday afternoon. For legal sports betting options in Texas, you’ll want to head over to an online, offshore sportsbook. These websites provide legal NFL betting in Texas, as well as an overwhelming amount of other legal sports betting opportunities.

Whether you’re backing the Cowboys, routing for the Texans, or want action on an out of state team, these online books have you covered. All of the operators offer a mobile site so that you can take the action with you, whether you’re at the game or watching at home. When you’re ready to put your money where your mouth is, head over to an online, offshore sportsbook for legal NFL betting in Texas.

Mobile Sports Betting in Texas

Unfortunately for sports bettors in Texas, the state is unlikely to pass bills legalizing in-state mobile betting in the near future. Doing so would require an amendment to the state’s constitution, which will be difficult to pass. Despite this, placing bets with online sportsbooks is still perfectly legal, as these online books are not subject to the Wire Act of 1961. The majority of these overseas books feature dedicated mobile websites optimized to provide a full range of betting features, including live betting, to their mobile users. If you want to wager on the Dallas Cowboys from your mobile phone, the best thing you can do is use one of these mobile websites from an offshore sportsbook.

Legal College Football Betting

Football is practically a religion in the Lone Star State, and with 23 NCAA Division I football teams calling Texas home, there’s no lack of action to be found when it comes to legal college football betting. Whether you’re a Longhorns diehard or a loyal Aggies supporter, you’ll be able to find coverage on any Texas college football team at online, offshore sportsbooks. These are currently the only books legally able to offer action on college football. However, with the college football season likely in jeopardy, many college football bettors are turning to the NFL for future action.

The state of Texas sports betting is likely to change when Texas lawmakers legalize sports betting at land-based facilities in the state. But as we’ve said earlier, sports betting in Texas has quite a few hills to climb, and more than likely won’t be making an appearance on the books for several years. Once gambling in Texas is finally taken out of the dark ages, you’ll be able to find legal College football betting all over the state. Until such a time, use one of the online, offshore sportsbooks we recommend. These sites give you access wherever you are, making them the best Texas sportsbooks around.

Texas Sports Betting & Gambling Laws

There are a couple of federal laws that directly influence sports betting in all fifty states, not just in Texas, that you should be aware of. These are the Federal Wire Act and the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The federal Wire Act prevents people from taking wagers over state lines. The UIGEA prevents banks and financial institutions from processing gambling transactions made online in the US. This doesn’t prevent the usage of online sportsbooks, it just makes it a little tougher for credit cards to be accepted as deposit methods.

Now, when we’re looking for state laws, there’s really only one that talks about sports betting. Found in Texas Penal Code 47.01, Texas state law prevents gambling on the outcome of sporting events. Until this changes, you won’t be seeing sports betting anywhere in Texas.

The good news for avid sports betting fans is that there are still legal options available to you. Online, offshore sportsbooks like the ones recommended on this site are perfectly safe and lawful options because they operate out of countries where sports betting has already been legalized. As they are regulated by gaming commissions and a set of laws, you can rest assured that you are participating in legal Texas sports betting.

Click the following link to learn more on Texas Sports Betting Laws

Legal Gambling Age For Texas Residents

The Legal gambling age for Texas residents is 21. Whenever sports betting in Texas does get the green light, don’t expect the legal age to bet on sports to be any different. Online sportsbooks are explicit about enforcing the legal gambling age in your area when you join, so be sure that you’re not creating an account until you are 21 years old. It doesn’t matter whether the sportsbook has a different age listed - you must follow the laws of the land. So remember - when you want to place a bet on the Houston Texans in Texas, you have to be 21 or over.

Land Based Gambling In Texas

Currently, land-based gambling in Texas can take place at two locations – Eagle Pass and Livingston. In Eagle Pass, you’ll find the only Casino in the Lone Star state, the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino. This gambling venue is able to offer Class II gaming, which includes video table games, slots, and bingo.

Naskila Gaming in Livingston is currently just a high-stakes bingo hall and video gaming facility. It is presently embroiled in a court battle with the State of Texas, as lawmakers do not believe that the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas has legal right to open a gaming facility under the 1987 federal restoration law. The Tribe believes that they do have this right, under the more recent 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Naskila Gaming is able to operate while the court battle ensues, though we will be updating this page as the situation develops

Now that PASPA has been repealed, Texas Casinos and Bingo Halls would be the easiest place for Texas sports betting to open. That being said, with such an overwhelming majority of lawmakers vocally against expanded gambling in the state, it may be a while before you see any more land-based gambling in Texas.

FAQ About Online Sports Betting In Texas

1) Where are the federal gambling posted for me to read?

There are two federal sports betting laws currently on the books in the United States: The Wire Act, and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, otherwise known as the UIGEA for short. These laws can be found with a simple google search, using their names or the keywords “federal sports betting laws”. An overview of UIGEA, for example, can be found (* here https://www.fdic.gov/news/financial-institution-letters/2010/fil10035a.pdf *). You can also look at the legal code of the United States, under the year that the laws were passed for the complete verbiage. The Wire Act was passed in 1961, and the UIGEA was passed in 2006.

2) What about the gambling laws written by the Texas Legislature?

If you visit www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us you can search for the laws directly. You will need to know what the names of the laws are, or what year they were passed in to help narrow the search down. Every Texas gambling law can be found on its legislative website.

3) Is Bovada legal in the state of Texas?

Yes, Bovada is legal in the State of Texas. This well respected online sportsbook is a fantastic choice for Texas residents, as it provides some of the best and fastest lines for sports betting in the country. You’ll find everything you could possibly want at this online sportsbook. Texas sports betting never looked as good as it did on Bovada.

4) Are there any caveats to depositing with a credit card?

Using a credit card to make deposits at online sportsbooks is usually convenient, but sometimes fail. This is because of the UIGEA, a federal sports betting law that prevents US banks from processing gambling transactions. Because of this, we recommend using prepaid cards for deposits. The funds have already been processed and transferred to the card. So long as the card is enabled to make online purchases and overseas transactions, you will not be subject to any further trouble depositing into your account.

5) How many sportsbooks can I join from this list?

You can join each sportsbook if you so choose. There are no limits on how many different sportsbooks you can join. What there is a limit on is how many accounts you have with a single sportsbook. You are only allowed to have one account per book, so that you’re not cheating and driving odds up or down, or trying to accept extra bonuses.

6) How fast can I receive my winnings from these sports wagering sites?

The speed with which you receive your winnings depends entirely on what payout method you choose. In the ever-changing digital world we live in, you can now be paid by these online sportsbooks using cryptocurrency. If you choose this method, you’ll receive your payout within 24 hours of the request being processed. If you choose a more traditional payout method, like a check in the mail, it will take a little longer. No payout should take more than 14 business days to reach you unless specifically stated when you choose that method. If it takes longer than that, contact customer service.

7) How secure are these sports betting sites?

We have personally tested these sites ourselves, and find that they are extremely safe. They not only use the most up to date security software, but they also use encryption software that keeps your personal information between you and the person processing your payments. The sites we recommend are highly secure, offering the safest online sports betting in Texas.

8) Has a Texas bettor ever been arrested for gambling on sports over the Internet?

No, a Texas resident has never been arrested for gambling on sports over the internet. This is because of the way that federal sports betting laws have been written. The two current sports betting laws, the Wire Act and the UIGEA, both penalize the person or persons taking the bets, not the person placing them. Unless you are operating a sportsbook, you will not get in trouble for betting on sports online in Texas.

9) Who authorizes and regulates the betting sites to be found here?

The sites that we recommend are regulated and authorized by the governments of several countries. We recommend sites that operate out of Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, and the United Kingdom, as they have been operating legal sports betting the longest. These sites accept US bettors legally and safely under the guidance of their own gaming commissions, which have been given operational powers by their local government.

10) What about taxes? Must they be paid on the gambling winnings I earn from these online sportsbooks?

Taxes are, unfortunately, one of the only unavoidable things in life. Yes, you will have to pay taxes on the gambling winnings you earn from these online sportsbooks. You can itemize them or report them as income, depending on how much you earn. You’ll need to file a form called W2-G, as well.

This website was built with help from USAOnlineSportsbooks.com. Check out their website if you live somewhere other then the great state of Texas.

Poker is a lot like sex. Everyone thinks they are the best, but most don’t have a clue what they are doing. — Dutch Boyd

It is very true, but hopefully by and reading our Texas Holdem Strategy section you will at least have a clue how to do well at one of them!

One of the great benefits of poker is that it is quite easy to learn the basics. The rules are quite simple and allow easy access for beginners. However, on the other hand, it is a tough game to master; there’s always something to improve upon or learn.

The basic strategy below should provide you with the groundwork for developing a dominant poker game. We link to some more advanced material throughout for anyone that is further ahead of the trend.

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Table Of Contents

• Preflop Texas Holdem Strategy
  • Starting Hand Types
• Postflop Texas Holdem Strategy
• Texas Holdem Strategy: Betting and Raising

Preflop Texas Holdem Strategy

Your preflop poker strategy forms the foundation of your game. Your first decisions will be made preflop during a hand, so it is important to get these decisions right. Thankfully this is one of the easier areas of the game to understand.

So to help you understand let’s take a quick example (click the picture to see the full replay):

We have JTs (J = Jack, T = Ten and the ‘s’ after JT means both cards are of the same suit. An ‘o' after the JT would refer to off-suit)in the first position under the gun (UTG) on a six-handed table with $1/$0.5 BB and SB. We have to decide what to do: we can raise, call (otherwise known as a limp) or fold. There are a huge number of factors which we need to take into account, and unfortunately, I won’t be able to cover them all. But I will try to cover the most fundamental factors in the coming paragraphs.

Firstly, it is very common to see new players play too many hands. They believe that they can outplay their opponents post-flop and turn a profit even with the weakest hands. This belief isn’t the case and often is the main reasons a new player loses money when starting out.

Only Play A Small Percentage Of The Hands You are Dealt

Thus the first preflop poker strategy tip is to play only a small percentage of the hands you are dealt – the type of hands to play will be discussed further on in the text. Players who play a small selection of the hand they are dealt are referred to as tight. Conversely, players who play lots of hands are known as loose.

The vast majority of winning poker players are relatively tight, and for the most part, losing players are loose. Therefore, the first important poker strategy tip:

Preflop Poker Strategy Tip 1: Only play a small percentage of the hands you are dealt.

Luckily, JTs is in the top 12% of hands and therefore is a hand we would want to continue with, in this case. We can determine ‘how strong' a hand is using a program called Equilab. So our options are now to raise or to call because our hand is too strong to fold.

This result leads onto a second reason new players are unsuccessful – frequent limping

Limping is defined as calling the big blind instead of raising or folding. For example, you are first to act after you have been dealt two aces (AA) or like our example with JTs and instead of raising, you just call – this is called a limp.

Limping: Flawed Reasoning

Often, new players limp to see a cheap flop with speculative hands or to trap with strong hands such as AA or KK. Good winning players very rarely limp and there are many reasons why:

1. You give the other players a chance to beat you with their weak holdings. For example, if you limp with AA and your opponent in the big blind checks behind he will have a chance to outdraw you to three of a kind or two-pair. Do not give people a free chance to improve and beat your strong hands.
2. Raising with good hands builds the pot. A big hand deserves a big pot! Typically the only way you will win an opponent’s whole stack (all of their chips) is by raising preflop; winning their entire stack is what you want when you have AA or KK, right?
3. It allows you to better understand what your opponent may have. If we limp in and our opponent is in the big blind, he could have every possible hand; however, when we raise our opponent will fold some of the worse hands and the type of hands he can have become more defined. Experienced players use this to their advantage.
4. Playing speculative hands (hands which could potentially, but infrequently win a big pot) such as 64s (s = suited, o = offsuit) and T2s just is not profitable in the majority of cases, whether you raise or limp, and no matter how good you are at poker.

Preflop poker strategy Tip 2: Never limp preflop

Example: JTs Under the gun

Since limping (i.e. just calling) is not an option our only option is to raise. That poses the question of how much? In this case, we will raise to 3x the BB, so $3 and one player calls our bet as shown. We will cover the reason we use 3x later in the article.

Three times the BB is a standard raise size which we will go into later in this article under the heading “Texas Holdem betting strategy”. But first, a little more on aggression to drive home the point:

You should only raise or fold your hands when first entering the pot. However, calling with some hands after someone else has raised is fine. There are some situations where open limping is a good idea but they are so few and far between that never limping is a good starting preflop poker strategy – especially for a beginner.

This leads to another generalization of how people play poker:

Aggressive vs. Passive

In poker, an aggressive opponent is a player who bets and raises frequently. A passive opponent is a player who calls and checks often and very rarely bets or raises.

Aggression is one of the keys to success in poker for one simple reason: When you bet or raise, you have two ways to win the pot – either your opponent folds or you get to showdown with the best hand.

Unfortunately, when a player is passive there is only one way to win the pot – by having the best hand. This difference is hugely important and is the reason all big winners are aggressive poker players; while most losing poker players are quite passive.

Preflop poker strategy Tip 3: Take the initiative and be aggressive. Bet and raise your strong hands frequently and don’t rely on others to do the betting for you!

The four playing styles

In total there are four player styles:

1. Tight-Aggressive (TAg) – This player type which makes up the majority of the winning player pool. They wait for strong hands and bet and raise them hard, punishing other players who play weaker styles.
2. Loose-Aggressive (LAg) – successful loose aggressive players are few and far between. They play lots of hands and play them very aggressively. It is a tough style to play but also a tough style to combat!
3. Tight-Passive – this player type does not play very many hands and when they do the play them by calling and checking frequently. These players lose their money slowly but surely.
4. Loose-Passive – these player types just don’t like to fold. Loose passive players play lots of hands – sometimes over 50% of the hands they are dealt. They are the complete opposite of tight-aggressive. This player type is the biggest loser and where the big winners make their money.

So what hands should you play? That is a difficult question to answer since it depends on many factors – what position you are in, how many opponents are on the table, how likely your opponents are to raise, the equity of your hand, how many BB you have and how many hands you have been raising recently.

Starting Hand Types

However, there are some basic starting hands that you should almost always be playing:

Premium Hands

There are very few premium hands in poker but when we do get these hands we should be trying to build a pot as big as possible and as quickly as possible. These hands are:

AA, KK, QQ, JJ, and AK – the top pocket pairs and Ace-King. AK is considered to be a powerful hand because:

• It dominates all other strong non-paired hands (e.g. AQ and KQ),
• Against a pair, it's nearly a coin flip with approximately 45% pot equity (will win the pot 45% of the time if we are to go all-in preflop)
• It blocks AA and KK which are the only two hands which have a significant equity advantage.

These hand should always be raised and often re-raised to begin building the pot.

Strong Hands

Strong hands are hands you should also always be raised when first entering the pot. These hands should be called when someone has already raised before you. These hands include:

AQ, AJ, AT, KQ and 99-TT. Large suited and connected hands such as QJs, JTs, are also considered strong hands. Suited hands derive their strength from being able to make flushes. However, do not overestimate the value of suited hands. Don’t play a hand just because it is suited. The value of a hand is derived from the combination of the ranks of the two hole cards. Example: AQ is much stronger than Q5, AQ is still much stronger than Q5 suited.

Preflop poker strategy tip 4: Do not overestimate the value of ‘suitedness.' Evaluate the strength of the hand from the rank of the two hole cards.

Medium Strength Hands

You need to be careful of this hand type. These hands can make you a big winner if correctly played, but when incorrectly played can cost you lots of chips. These hands include:

KJ, KT, QJ, JT and 22-88. Medium suited connectors such as 87s are also considered to be medium-strength hands.

You will play different hands from various starting positions. Details on this require a separate section – for more on the differences in the positions read position is king which will provide a “beginners starting hand chart.

Summary Of Preflop Texas Holdem Strategy

In summary, preflop you should:

1. You should play a small percentage of the hands you are dealt.
2. Never limp.
3. Take the initiative and be aggressive. Raise and Reraise your strong hands frequently and don’t rely on others to do the raising for you!
4. Do not overestimate the value of ‘suitedness.' Evaluate the strength of the hand from the rank of the two hole cards.

If all you take from this section is these four points you will still have significantly improved your chances of winning.

For a summary of preflop poker strategy see the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNgcJ4AmjGA

Postflop Texas Holdem Strategy

Once you understand right preflop Texas Holdem strategy, the postflop poker strategy becomes significantly easier. When you play weak hands from poor positions poker is quite difficult; nobody likes to play Q7 from out of position (Out of position means you act first, so your opponent will have more information than you)! However, if you play only a narrow range of hands from good starting positions, as is recommended, poker will become a much simpler prospect.

Postflop, there are many factors which we must take into account before we make a decision. The number of variables makes each decision quite complicated for a beginner. However, there are a few guidelines and concepts which can be understood which will help you in the decision-making process.

Postflop Poker Strategy – The Basics

One of the most important considerations is if we are in position (IP) or out of position (OOP). We will cover this in more detail in Position is king.

Secondly, we should be considering what our opponent may be holding. Does our opponent have only strong hands if he is a tight player? Does he play lots of hands meaning his ‘range’ of hands will be quite weak? See more on how to hand read.

A whole book could be written on hand reading, so I won’t go further into it. But it is important as a new player to begin thinking about what your opponent may have. Do not only consider the hand you are holding.

Postflop poker strategy Tip 1: Always consider what your opponent could be holding.

Next, we should consider the board texture. For example, is the board likely to have improved your hand or your competitors? Is the board likely to change very much on the turn or river? These considerations will be detailed further on in this guide.

Another consideration is how many players made it to the flop. If the flop is heads up (only you and your opponent) the strength of each hand is much better than if five or even six people made it to the flop. The more players that see the flop, turn, and river the less likely you are to win a showdown with a weak holding such as one pair. For more information on the differences between multiway and heads up pots, head over to pokernews.com.

Postflop poker strategy Tip 2: The more players there are in the hand, the less likely you are to win and the weaker your holding.

Finally, we need to consider how many chips are in the pot, how much we have left behind in our stack and how many chips our opponent has.

After these considerations, we can make a decision on how we are going to proceed in the hand.

So first let’s have a look at board texture:

Postflop Poker Strategy: Notation

Before we discuss post-flop poker strategy and board composition in detail, we need to make sure the notation is clear to everyone.

In some cases, pictures will be used to show board textures, but often just text will be employed. When describing the board with text (i.e. letters and numbers), each card rank is represented by either its number or the first letter of its name. To take an example, the board:

This texture is described by 5♥ K♣ 5♦ and is often shortened to 5hKc5d. It is sometimes shortened further to 5K5r. Here the ‘r’ means rainbow (the flop is all different suits). When the flop has a flush draw (i.e. not a rainbow board) the board could be represented by 5K5s. Here the ‘s’ represents suited.

There are many types of boards, but in general, they can be broken down into two types: dry board textures and wet board textures.

Dry Board Texture

Dry board textures are ones which the players in the hand are less likely to have connected with the community cards. Also, dry also means a board which the strength of your holding is unlikely to change over the course of the hand.

Examples of dry board textures are:

Why are these boards considered dry? Well on the K55 board there are not many hands that will change the strength of your opponent’s or your holdings. If for example, you held KQ, then the only way your opponent can now beat you is if he has:

Well on the K55 board there are not many hands that will change the strength of your opponent’s or your holdings. If for example, you held KQ, then the only way your opponent can now beat you is if he has:

If for example, you held KQ, then the only way your opponent can now beat you is if he has:

• An Ax (e.g. Ace-Queen or Ace-Seven) hand and hits an ace on the turn or river.
• A pocket pair such as 77 which hits his set on the turn or river (unlikely).
• A hand such as QJ which hits a runner-runner straight (two cards in a row – for example, the turn is a Ten, and the river is an Ace resulting a straight Ten to Ace) or runner runner full house (two Queens or two Jacks).

The most important factor is that neither of these two board has many straight-draw or flush-draw possibilities. The lack of draws means that if you have a hand like A5 on the K55 board or 44 on the 742 board you are very unlikely to be beaten by your opponent if he is behind on the flop.

Additionally, dry flops are inherently difficult to hit and hence makes continuation betting as the pre-flop raiser (you raised first, and someone called your raise) especially useful on dry boards. Continuations bets will be detailed further on in this section.

Wet board texture

On the other hand, wet board textures are boards where the board is very likely to change over future streets.

Looking at the QT9s board, there are many cards which will modify the strength of many hands. If we have AQ or TT on this board we have a strong hand; but on many turn cards such as a K, J, 8 or any heart, the strength of these hands will significantly degrade. Also, there are many hand types that your opponent may have hit this board with:

• Any 8 or K is an inside straight draw (4 cards will complete the straight).
• Any J is an open-ended straight draw (8 cards will make a straight)
• The majority of opponents plays Queens, Tens, and Nines.

Therefore, your opponent is likely to continue with a large proportion of his hands on this board.

We can directly translate all these points to the 432s board; except for the last as this board has cards of lower ranks. On the 432s board, however, every Ace has an inside straight draw. Aces will be played quite frequently by most opponents.

Every other board type will be somewhere in between the dry K55r and the wet QT9s. Understanding how wet or dry a board is and adjusting your strategy correctly is the key skill at play in this scenario. For more information on board textures, see this excellent article.

Continuation betting

A continuation bet, as its name suggests, is when you follow up on your previous aggressive action with another bet. For example, you raise pre-flop and then continue to bet on the flop. Continuation bets are extremely useful postflop poker strategy for two reasons:

1. It is tough to connect with most board types; therefore player who bets first will often win the pot
2. The player who last raised pre-flop will typically have the strongest hands; thus will get the benefit of the doubt when he bets again.

The rate at which you continuation bet should be, on a very basic level, determined by the wetness of the board.

The dryer the board, the less likely your opponent hit and therefore the more often we will want to bet so that we can take down the pot.

But we should also be more prone to bet when we have a chance to win the pot when called. In other words, we have pot equity in the form of a draw or overcards.

Postflop poker strategy Tip 3: The dryer a board texture, the more likely we are to win the pot by continuation betting (cbet).

Example 1: A Good Spot To CBet

So let’s take a few examples of good examples of continuation bets. Continuation from our previous example of JTs from UTG (click the picture to see the full replay):

We opened to 3bb from UTG and got one call from the Button. On the flop of 9h7s3s, we have an inside straight draw and two overcards. This board is ranked medium for wetness and how the opponent connects; our opponent can have a few straight and flush draws as well as top pairs.

JTs is a good hand in this situation as we can make robust pairs on the turn and river and also can make the nut straight. Thus this is a good spot for a cbet as a bluff. We expect him to fold hands which are better than ours. However, if he does continue, we have a good chance of making a stronger hand with a J, T or 8.

We should keep bluffing to a minimum when playing small stakes and especially at play money poker. But in this case, it is almost a perfect situation for a bluff.

Example 2: Another good spot to CBet

Another situation for a good cbet is below:

We raised with 22 from the Button and got two callers from the SB and BB. Both check to us on the flop. This situation is a clear spot to value bet (value betting and bluffing are discussed in the next section). The flop is relatively wet, and two players can draw out us with straights and flush draws. Therefore, we want to charge them to see them next card.

Also, we have a robust hand (the second or third strongest depending on whether our opponents will re-raise KK preflop). We can get lots of value and win a big pot by betting; thus this is an excellent spot for a value bet.

Cbetting for value is a fundamental aspect of our postflop poker strategy and is one of the primary sources of profit at small stakes. Ensure you understand and utilize continuation betting fully by reading our in-depth article.

Example 3: A bad spot to Cbet

Below is a dangerous situation to continuation bet:

We raise a limper with 98s and get a call from the BB and the player who limped. The flop is terrible for us as we have a small amount of equity and this board is likely to have hit one of our opponents. Thus it is not a good spot to continuation bet (cbet), and we should check behind and fold to any future bets.

Postflop poker strategy Tip 5: Do not cbet on board textures where your opponent is likely to call, and you have little chance of improving on later streets

Continuation bets can also apply to the turn and the river. For example, we refer to betting the flop, turn and river as a continuation bet.

Continuation bets are how a significant proportion of your winnings will be generated at small stakes and free money poker. People often give up when they do not hit anything so take advantage of this fact.

Stack sizes

The number of chips you have bought in for or currently have on the poker table is known as ‘stack depth.'

If you are playing ‘short stack’ poker, it means you are not playing with very many chips on the table – for example, 40bb. We do not recommend shallow stack play. Shallow stack poker means we have fewer chips on the table and hence we can win fewer chips from the weak poker players at the table.

Conversely, deep-stacked play means you have a lot of chips at the table – e.g. 200bb deep.

The shallower your stack depth, the more likely you should be to go all in. In poker terms going all-in is called ‘stacking off.'

Stack depth has a profound effect on your preflop and post-flop poker strategy so ensure you are aware of your stack depth at all times.

For example, it would be appropriate to allow yourself to get all in with post-flop with top pair good kicker such as KQ on K72 if you had a stack depth of 40bb; however, not if you had a stack depth of 100bb or greater.

Postflop poker strategy tip 5: The greater your stack depth, the stronger a holding you need to stack off. Always be aware of your stack depth before entering a pot.

Before playing a hand pre-flop, you should be checking the stack depth of you and your opponents. Checking stack depth ensures you understand how many chips are at play.

One mistake often made by new players is not considering effective stack size: if you have 100bb and your opponent has 40bb then the effective stack size is 40bb; this is because your opponent can win no more than 40bb from you. Hence your effective stack size can vary from hand to hand, and you must adjust your post-flop poker strategy accordingly.

For a summary of post-flop strategy see this video below:

Texas Holdem Strategy: Betting and Raising

Betting is the fundamental aspect of poker which makes it an exciting game to play. The ability to wager money as a bluff inducing your opponent to fold is one of the biggest selling points of the game; it is the first thing people think of when discussing poker!

But it's not all about bluffing as Hollywood has led you to believe. A lot of a winning Texas Holdem strategy just involves getting your bets in when you have a better hand than your opponent.

Poker betting strategy: reasons to bet

There are three reasons why one would want to bet:

1. For value – to get worse hands to call meaning we will win a bigger pot. For example, you value bet AK on an Ace high board (such as A72) to get AQ, AJ, etc. and worse pairs to call.
2. As a bluff – to get better hands to fold so we can win the pot with a poor holding. For example, you may be QJ on the A72 board to get hands such as non-paired Kings (KQ, KJ) to fold.
3. As a semi-bluff – A semi-bluff is much like a natural bluff only that when we are called we will still have a good likelihood of winning the pot. With a semi-bluff, we have a lot of pot equity. An example of a semi-bluff would be betting or raising with a flush draw: a weak non-made hand which has the potential to make a robust hand. See more information on semi-bluffing.

Before betting, consideration should be made as to why a bet is being made. Can worse hands call our bet and provide us with value? Can we get better hands to fold? If neither is the case, you typically shouldn't be betting. This concept is integral to correctly implementing a solid poker betting strategy.

Poker Betting Strategy Tip 1: Always consider when betting, will your bet either get your opponent to fold a better hand (bluffing) or call with a worse hand (value betting).

This concept can difficult to grasp as a new player. But generally, you should be just betting with your strong hands; and if you are playing small stakes or especially free poker, keep bluffing to a minimum. People at low stakes or even play money poker do not fold; thus bluffing at these stakes is a complete waste of money.

Poker betting strategy: Bet sizing

Bet sizing is one of the most complicated parts of NLHE and is one of the most challenging aspects to grasp for a new player. For simplicity sake there a few rules to stick to which won't lead you too far wrong:

1. Preflop raise to 3 times (3x) the BB with all hands you are opening. Do not vary your bet sizing depending on your hand strength. Changing your bet sizing based on your hand strength is a sure-fire way to let your skilled opponents what you are holding.
2. The same applies when re-raising another player preflop, make your raise three times the initial raise. For example, a player in a 100Nl game might open to $3. In that case, when you re-raise him with your strong holdings such as AA or KK, make it $9.
3. Postflop bet between 1/2 and full pot size bets. That means that if on the flop, the pot is $10 you should be betting between $5 and $10. Any smaller than that and your opponent can easily call with a lot of hands. Allowing your opponent to call with lots of hands means you miss value with strong hands; also, your opponent isn't likely to fold when you are bluffing. This is a bad result either way!

For a more advanced guide on poker bet sizing see: Pokerlistings.com

A big mistake new players often make is using the same bet size as the pot grows on each street. For example: betting 5$ into a $10 pot on the flop and then betting $5 into a $20 pot on the turn. Your bet sizes should be relative to the pot! As the pot grows so should the size of your bet. Think fractions, not dollar amounts!

Poker Betting Strategy 2: As a general rule always raise at least three times the previous bet or raise. When betting post-flop bet between 1/2 to a full pot-sized bet.

These bet sizing rules aren't optimal; they are approximations. However, they should provide you with solid groundwork to get you off to a good start in your poker career.

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Once you begin to understand the merits of betting and raising and develop a more comprehensive poker betting strategy you can start to see when it is appropriate to deviate from these rules.

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See this video on value betting for more information.

Further Reading

That's it for Texas Holdem Strategy. If you are really keen on learning poker quickly, we would suggest you check out our home page for more information to accelerate your poker learning.

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There is still a lot to learn so here are some further reading:

Common poker mistakes.

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Or return to poker 101?

Last updated: 26 October 2020