Texas Hold’em | Rules For Texas Hold Em

No Limit 10 players

The best way to earn money with poker is by playing (good) no-limit Texas Hold'em. When playing limit, good players can expect a positive result of 2-4 big blinds per hour. At no-limit this hourly return can be way higher. The reason for this is that, because you can bet all your money in one game (put all your money in one pot), bad players will loose way more heavily because of their bad game.

Difference in the value of hands with respect to limit

When playing NL you should play different cards before the flop. Good and reasonable hands with exception of pocket pairs and suited connectors, such as KQ and QJ decrease in value because at no-limit it is more dangerous to play them. This is because just like with playing limit, in case you get a pair with such cards on the flop, you still have a pretty big chance of losing (three of a kind, over-pair, two pair, higher kicker or draw). However, the difference to limit is that with no-limit you can then immediately lose all your money!
This does not mean that you should not play these cards. You should just be way more careful after the flop. If you hit top pair, you want to get the pot immediately on the flop because you do not want to give someone else an additional draw/chance to improve his/her hand. Therefore, you should raise considerably (approximately the pot). If then someone else re-raises you should fold (except of course in case you know for sure that the person is bluffing). When playing this way you'll know immediately what you can expect.
This rule obviously does not apply if you get a top hand on the flop (for example QQ7 whereas you have AQ). In that case you should try to get as much money as possible in the pot, because the chance that you will be beaten is very small.

Hands which increase in value with respect to limit are pocket pairs (for example 88) and suited connectors (for example 76s). These hands are good to play or even to raise. In case you get an over pair or three of a kind on the flop you can raise or re-raise. In general other players do not expect these cards and therefore these hands will be very profitable when you have them. The same goes for suited connectors. These cards are also fantastic at No Limit. Imagine you have 98s and the flop hits A98. People with, for example, AK will then considerably pay out to you. Another way to win the pot is by semi-bluffing. For example you have 98 and the flop is A76. In case you would then raise, people will think you have an A and call or fold depending on their own hand. You then have a chance of winning the pot immediately on the flop (when everybody folds) or you have a draw on a hand which your opponents do not expect. In case for example a 10 and an A fall on the turn and river, people with an A might call an all-in and thus loose all their money to you.

Betting when playing NL

It is very important to know how much you must bet when playing no limit. The best approach is to try to win as much money as possible by loosing as little money as possible at the same time. If, for example, you think that your opponent has a draw, you should bet enough money in order to get the odds of the opponent's (trade off between how much it costs to see the next card to the chance of winning and how much the amount will be in case you win) turn bad. If the opponent then calls your bet anyway and you loose you should not worry. It will mean that the opponent will loose money to you in the long run anyway because he creates loosing odds for himself!
On the other hand you should not bet too much either, given that it will make you very vulnerable to people with a better hand. As a rule of thumb you should bet the pot in case you have a good hand (top pair or better). Do not use the bet-the-pot-anyway-easy-fast-decision button which many poker sites have. Always look very careful to what other people do at any time and do not forget to take into account the position you're in!!

Another example: You have 77 and the flop is A76. You should in that case bet the pot (approximately). The reason for this is that people who will call your bet probably have an A or a straight draw. By betting the pot you make the draw for your opponents too expensive with regards to the odds. People with an A will probably call anyway so in this manner you will make money from players with an A and reduce risk because you've raised people with a straight draw (which is better than what you have) out of the pot.

Bluffing when playing NL

In order to be able to value how effective a bluff is at a table, you should look at how frequently people show their cards after the river (the number of showdowns). A high number of showdowns in general means that bluffing will be less effective, because in that case people at the table tend to call you until the river. Consider this as a rule and take this into account before you start bluffing!

In case you're at a table where everybody constantly calls, you can earn your money by always betting the pot in case you have a good hand. In the long run that will almost automatically be profitable!