How to Know When and What Two Cards to Play in Texas Hold Em

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

If you are a Texas Hold Em fan, you might want to check this article if...

• you don't know what types of cards to play,
  
• you don't know when to bet,
  
• you make huge bets when you have absolutely nothing.
  

In this article, you will learn what to bet and what cards to bet.

Steps

1. Always bet when you have pocket cards. You might get lucky on the flop and flop a set. Even bet on pocket deuces and pocket threes.
   
2. Bet if you have two cards of the same suit in your starting hand. You'll have a better chance of making a flush.
   
3. Never throw away an ace
   
4. Play any face card with a seven or higher. (Q8, J9, A7)
   
5. Fold if you have two cards of 6 or less offsuit. Suited is ok.
   
6. Fold if you have an offsuit with a deuce.
   

Tips

• Let's say you flopped a pair of fives. The flop is king, nine, five. The turn is an Ace. You might want to fold because you don't have a great chance of winning with monster cards out there.
  
• Even if you have nothing to the turn, large bets and bluffs can cause your opponent to fold, even if they have the best hand.
  
• If you flop an open-end straight or open-end flush draw, most things happen on the turn. That's why it's called the turn, because most action is this card.
  
• One way I know I can make a straight is to (if you don't have a face card) subtract the lower card number from the higher card number. If the difference is four, you can make a straight with 3 more cards. (10-6=4 can; 8-5=3 can't)
  

Warnings

• Unless you have pocket queens or higher don't go all in right of the bat. Your opponents could flop a set or triples and you would lose if your cards don't come up.
  
• Unless you're a dunce, you should all know to conceal your cards so that your opponents can't cheat or see.
  
• Don't make a face that says, "I have a great starting hand!", almost everybody reads your face and then folds.