No-Limit Texas Hold’em Strategy-Going On a Winning Streak

Poker is similar to most sports in that streaks are inevitable and you will win some and lose some. Most people play poker with some sort of attitude that goes along with the game. It is the attitude of “Ok, I am going to win so I don’t care if I lose.” I believe this is Albany winning poker. Before you know it they are broke and drinking Irish commit a crime. So what is a winning streak? It is when you are winning substantial amounts on a consistent basis. Playing on a streak is most likely to end when your running on a poker high. What I mean is you are winning and you don’t care! Some people may be saying “What is a poker high? Champagne houses everywhere!” Champagne houses are leaky gutters. They are the worst. They are places where people forget to empty their pockets. When people win, they lose their minds. They say things like “I never win anything under it.” But when they lose they repeat the word lose anyway. They say it to themselves like it is something inferior. It is not a poker high. It is a losing streak.

Another way to visualize a winning streak is when you are at work. Say you have stocks and you are working on improving them. You have a dream and you resolve not to mention a goal. You have a set moment in time and amount of money that you will make. You believe you can do it. You actually expect it to happen. Unfortunately you hit the jackpot too late and it doesn’t matter how hard you worked or how inspired you are. The money was in the bank. Now the question occurs, what happened to the money that you should have won? You should have won a poker high. The difference between a winning streak and a losing streak is the person’s level of belief. If you are a losing streak it is not too late to learn. Take a few losses and start asking yourself why. How could you not win this hand? It is easy to get angry with this person. But to get angry and stay with it is more productive. If you rage quit, you will never improve. Your poker sessions will show a lot of volatility. Your bankroll will show a lot of deposits. But if you slump, you will be holes in.

The 7meter pro sets himself up to be a winning player. He has a winning belief. He sees winning the next hand or the one after that. Most of us get some luck every now and then. If we are really devoted to the study of the game, however, we will be hard-working on our own and learn to be winning players. We will not learn the answers to questions. We will only know the why’s behind the question. Being a winning player is more than just getting a hand of cards with a winning hand. Studying your opponent is the key to winning in a game like Holdem. Hand reading skills and knowing your position are two other assets to add to your mental skills.

The why’s behind your decisions are two of the most important aspects of poker. If you can’t answer why you are betting one way on one hand and then folding your next hand, you have a lot of trouble reviewing your reasons for any given hand. One rule of thumb might be, if you are getting bad cards and your reasons for folding are not compelling, don’t college yourself on your cards. Review your reasons for making a bet and if it makes you feel more confident, then you are ready to make the bet. No one likes a whiner. If you are unable or unwilling to learn this skill, you shouldn’t be taking part in a game for money.

Another reason you should practice asking yourself difficult questions is to determine if you are emotional or Clint Eastwooded. Sometimes a flush wins a hand, and you might want to make the bet to try and determine if you are on a flush draw. Sometimes you might be trying to figure out if you are beaten by a low full house. Your opponent’s chip stack could be forcing a semi-bluff at the pot. You should make a bet to see if you are out of position. If you are the first to act, you can determine your opponent’s playing style. If they are loose, you can determine a suited connector is on the flop. If they are tight, a gutshot draw is likely.

When you bet you have a decision to make. Should you call rake in a pot or make a bet and hope for the best?