20 Tips for rookie players at No-Limit Hold'em.

The following are some random tips for No-Limit Hold'em Ring Games.
In no particular order:

1. Respect people representing a big hand, try not to go broke with a pair or two pair.
2. Don't get overly aggressive when board shows a possible straight or flush.
3. Protect your hand by betting/raising.
4. Raise medium pairs on the button.
5. Don't slow play or play for value, push good hands aggressively by betting/raising.
6. Slow play only the stone cold nuts.
7. Call with correct pot odds but have the discipline to fold when you KNOW you're beat.
8. Bet the nuts for value, whatever you think your opponent will call.
9. Fold draws without the correct pot odds, don't over estimate implied odds.
10. Limit starting hand requirements to good hands & live cards.
11. Call with suited connectors preflop only with 4-1 pot odds.
12. Don't bluff a lot as many players will call.
13. Don't bluff to win a small pot unless heads up and in position.
14. RAISE RAISE RAISE.
15. Play consistently and patiently.
16. Continuation bet against only 1 opponent oop or 2 when in position.
17. Don't continuation bet when board is straightening or 3 flushed.
18. If the board pairs, hit the breaks and slow down. Be wary of a potential full house.
19. Don't ever limp with good cards preflop.
20. Don't assume a pot sized bet means a bluff.

Hopefully these simple tips will help some of the newer players here to get a little bit better. Any other tips or constructive-criticism is welcome. Thanks for your time. See you all at the tables!

Interesting list def. one of a kind.

nice tips.. i think this will come in handy

I been thinking about a similar post, but mine would start with this;

Assuming you are a neophyte poker player, DO NOT believe that life is like poker.

In life you HAVE to play with the cards you are dealt, in poker you DO NOT have to play the cards you are dealt.

Thanks for the tips...I often limp in hoping to sweeten to pot...I will try raising preflop with good hands.

For a new player I would recommend never limping in with good hands. AA does poorly in multi-way pots. You want to make people pay to try and draw out on the flop with marginal hands vs your good ones.

sometimes i limp in with aa or kk but only under gun and only when im pretty sure someone will raise allowing me to reraise. and i agree with all ur other points. check out my strategy article in here also.

#19 can quickly lead to the second part of 7. 7 is the one I have the hardest time with.

As I'm writing this I am folding AK ($.10/$.25) with 4 $3.50 bets in front of me

let's see... flop 10-K-6 non suited with me
then all folds to a ($9.60) bet.

Would my K's have held up? Not sure, but I would've paid to see, and possibly (easily) lost to a pocket AA.

I'd fold there as well. You only have TPTK, just let it go. The thing about ring games is the value of top pair and two pair go way down. A good rule of thumb for newer players is to only play hard with three of a kind or better.

21. Don't start asking questions like "Ok, so I have two aces, how do I raise with these?"...and then everyone folds...that's how you raise with those.

22. Try to make a poker face and don't start smiling or tapping your foot when you hit a full house on the flop...jeeeeze.

AND 23. If you ever have a straight draw, don't count on your fingers how many more cards you need to make it...I just might hit you!

Please add if you have something else!!!

Thanks for the post if all beginners read this the Donk level would dramatically decrease cheers!

It would be nice if it did decrease...but I highly doubt that is going to happen anytime soon...

You can't convince those donks of anything...it's sad really,

very well spoken jace. good technique, and great strategy guide for beginners.

Yep, good general tips. Dont be too hasty though in wishing away the donks. They do, after all, pay for our beer/cars/mortgages*.

*delete as appropriate

21. one the biggest mistakes i make is drinking while i play. i swear that with every drink i have my play gets worse. i play more hands and try to bluff more, just all together become more careless. even if i don't feel drunk.

does this happen to anyone else?