Poker Hand Rankings and Dealing With Aggressive Opponents Learning poker hand rankings is the first step in knowing how to play Texas Hold'em. Hand rankings should have a significant impact on your strategy throughout a session (especially for novice players). Poker hand rankings serve as your guide so you'll know when to fold, call, raise, re-raise, and perhaps shove all-in. Generally, you only want to play the higher-ranked cards, especially when playing no limit Texas Hold'em, where your entire stack of chips can be at risk anytime you see the community cards. Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings In this game, you are dealt two cards, and these two cards are combined with community cards that other poker players get to see (and use, if they're in the hand). Here's a ranking of poker hands. (PokerStars also has a published guide of hand ranks.) 1. Royal Flush 2. Straight Flush 3. Four of a Kind (Quads) 4. Full House 5. Flush 6. Straight 7. Three of a Kind (Set or Trips) 8. Two Pair 9. One Pair 10. High Card Aggressive Opponents In no limit Texas Hold’em, a tight and aggressive strategy is typically touted by experts as the proper way to stack your chips. However, dealing with one or more maniacs at the poker table requires alternative strategies. Aggressive players typically prowl on beginners, and this is where hand rankings become crucial to your game. If you are facing one or more maniacs, you may have to re-buy several times (i.e., get more chips) since such players bring high variance to the game. If they get lucky or get dealt premium starting hands, you can see large swings in your stack. If you're playing more experienced opponents, sit back and play tight. Choose your cards wisely. If you get dealt premium hands, you'll have to play aggressively. If opponents miss their draws or are “card dead,” you can often double or triple your stack in a shorter period of time. Know that variance is part of Texas Hold’em. Keep your cool. Stay rational. Against aggressive opponents, losing is temporary. It’s easy to get your chips back, and even gain a tidy profit, by facing this type of opponent. In the long-term, a hyper-aggressive approach leads to more losing sessions than winning ones. You’ll need to be mentally strong and tough-minded in order to endure bad beats from time to time. Don’t let bad beats hurt your game and put you on tilt. For re-prints permission, contact Marv Dumon at marvin.dumon@gmail.com
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