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Learn to play Texas Hold'em
Poker like 007 with these tips and strategies which
will help anyone defeat the likes of Le Chiffre...
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Poker Tips
16th December 2006
When James Bond is sent to the Casino Royale to defeat Le Chiffre,
a villainous banker to the world's terrorists, the dual is not
with the usual guns and gadgets, but with hands of cards. In
an update to Ian Fleming's original 1953 novel where the action
took place over a game of Baccarat, the 2006 film features the
popular game Texas Hold'em Poker.
 Click
here to read the previous MI6 Training manual on the rules of
Texas Hold'em Poker
General Strategy
Hold'em is basically high card game. The players holding two
good high cards have the best chance at the best hand or a draw
to the best hand after the flop.
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Only play strong hands, that
will stand a raise or multiple raises, from early betting positions.
-
Play medium strength and other playable hands from the later
positions if you have a good chance of seeing the flop at
a reasonable price.
-
Play strong high hands most of the time,
and
play them
very aggressively.
-
Take all the raises you can get. If
you don't thin out the competition, you reduce your chances
of winning. Plus, your aggressive play before the flop can add
credibility
to any strong play you might want to use on the next
round
if
a garbage flop falls and you want to try a steal.
-
Be
ready to fold your high pair if you get a lot of action with
a
threatening flop.
Above: Official Casino Royale poker
cards and chips produced by Carta
Mundi |
Definitions
HIGH CARDS - A thru 10 (Aces, Faces and Tens)
MEDIUM CARDS - 9 thru 7
LOW CARDS - 6 thru 2
SUITED PLAYER HAND (S) - Both cards of the same suit.
SET - Three of a kind with two of the three in your hand. (One
in your hand and two on the board is "trips".)
NUT HAND - An unbeatable hand. Sometimes called a "lock".
FLOP, TURN. RIVER - The community cards in the order of distribution.
See top illustration.
FAST PLAY - Bet, raise and re-raise to get as many other players
out as possible.
SLOW PLAY - Just check or call along to keep other players in
the game to increase the pot odds.
CHECK-FOLD - Check when you can and fold if you are bet into.
Gladly accept all free cards offered.
Starting Hold'em Hands
The starting hands shown here are in general power order groups
with names that are easy to remember.
The Strongest Starting Hands:
PAIR of HIGH CARDS - AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010
ACE and HIGH CARD SUITED - AK(S), AQ(S), AJ(S), A10(S)
FACES SUITED - KQ(S), KJ(S), QJ(S)
ACE KING - AK
Medium Strength Starting Hands:
FACE TEN SUITED - K10(S), Q10(S), J10(S)
MEDIUM PAIRS - 99, 88, 77
TWO HIGH CARDS - AQ, AJ, A10 (ace king ranks higher, above), KQ down to J10
ACE and MEDIUM SUITED - A9(S), A8(S), A7(S)
MEDIUM SUITED CONNECTORS (No Gap/One Gap) - J9(S), 109(S), 108(S), 98(S), 97(S)
down to 75(S)
Other Conditional Starting Hands:
LOW PAIRS - 66, 55, 44, 33, 22
ACE and LOW SUITED - A6(S), A5(S), A4(S), A3(S), A2(S)
LOW SUITED CONNECTORS (No Gap/One Gap) - 65(S), 64(S), 54(S,) 53(S) (lowest)
Above: Official Casino Royale poker
cards and chips produced by Carta
Mundi |
Strategy Tips
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Fast play high pairs and very strong hands before
the flop. This puts more money in the early pot and encourages
weak and garbage
hands to fold that could get a lucky flop and beat you.
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Do not
draw to the low end or both ends of a straight. If a 9 8
7 flops, you want to be playing the J 10 and not the 6
5 or
the 10 6. (The low part is commonly called the "ignorant" end
of the straight.)
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Unconnected Medium and Low Cards are Usually
Unplayable. This includes suited cards that can't flop a
straight. Both ends of
a straight such as 9 5 fall into this very weak category.
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Play
starting low pairs cautiously. 66 down to 22. Usually not from
an early seat and from the late positions, only when the
price is right. If you don't flop a set or quads you should usually
fold.
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Play aggressively when you have a two way draw after the
flop. If you can make a straight AND a flush or trips etc, usually
bet/raise your hand.
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Bet an Ace or two high overcards after a
garbage flop (a three suit "rainbow" with unconnected
medium and low cards). Usually fold if someone raises.
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Watch out
for uniform flops, like 8 7 6, they can easily turn into straights
that can overtake your high pair or other good
hand.
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Check the raisers chips. Players that are close to all-in
often rush the betting just to get all their chips in a sink-or-swim
last hand.
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Beware of Suited Flops that can make a completed flush.
In this case, you should usually hold the nut in that suit, or
have trips
or two pair that can fill up..
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Get caught bluffing once in a while.
It is a way to vary your play and not be too predictable. You
win pots that you do not
deserve when your bluff works. You lose a few chips when it does
not work but it will get you calls from weaker hands down the
line
when you have a strong hand and need the action.
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Study your opponents,
especially when you are not playing hands and can pay careful
attention. Do they find more hands to play
than they fold? Do they bluff? Can they be bluffed? Do they
have any "tells" (give away mannerisms) that disclose
information about their hands?
Above: Official Casino Royale poker cards
and chips produced by Carta Mundi |
The Numbers
| Probability of being dealt suited cards |
23.5% |
| Probability of flopping a flush when holding two suited
cards |
0.8% |
| Probability of flopping a flush draw when holding two
suited cards |
10.9% |
| Probability of hitting a flush draw (both turn/river,
needing one card to hit) |
35% |
| Probability of hitting an open-ended straight draw (i.e.
4 straight cards, need one on either end to hit on turn
or river) |
31.5% |
| Probability of hitting a gutshot draw (inside straight
draw) on turn or river |
16.5% |
| Probability of being dealt a pocket pair |
5.9% |
| Probability of hitting a three of a kind or quads at
the flop when you hold a pocket pair |
11.8% |
| Probability of being dealt AA |
0.45% |
| Probability of making a pair with one of your hole cards
(example: hitting an ace or a king if you hold AK) |
32.4% |
| Probability of hitting two pair on the flop with each
of your hole cards (example: hitting both an ace and a
king on the flop, when holding AK) |
2% |
| Probability that at least one of your hole cards is an
ace |
14.9% |
Probability of no one holding
an ace, assuming you do not have an ace. Note: this can
be used for any
card.
| # Players |
Probability |
| 2 |
84.5% |
| 3 |
70.9% |
| 4 |
59% |
| 5 |
48.6% |
| 6 |
39.7% |
| 7 |
32.1% |
| 8 |
25.6% |
| 9 |
20.1% |
| 10 |
15.6% |
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Probability someone else does not have an
ace, assuming you do have an ace, by total number of players:
| # Players |
Probability |
| 2 |
88.2% |
| 3 |
77.5% |
| 4 |
67.6% |
| 5 |
58.6% |
| 6 |
50.4% |
| 7 |
43% |
| 8 |
36.4% |
| 9 |
30.5% |
| 10 |
25.3% |
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Related Articles
Play
Poker Like 007
Casino
Royale Coverage
James
Bond 101 Articles
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