Aggressive Play in Texas Hold'em

There are many different styles of play when it comes to Texas Hold'em. I want to teach you a style that works quit well for me. Whether you are playing with your friends or playing online, this playing style works well for a lot of people and it doesn't have anything to do with how aggressive you should play, but with when you should be aggressive. That is the key.

A common mistake in poker is using the wrong level of aggressiveness at the wrong time. A lot of beginners play too aggressively and think they can bluff anyone anytime, or they have zero aggressiveness and fold all the time. Sometimes, playing super aggressive is good, other times, conservative play is best. The key is to know when to switch gears. As a general rule, you gradually turn up the aggressive play when:

Players get eliminated from the table. If  you want to "buy the pot" on a stone cold bluff, the odds that someone actually has a hand to call you (and to beat you) is much greater when there are more players at the table than when there are just 3 players left. Does that mean you should never be aggressive early in the game? Not at all. See the next situation.

You are in good betting position and players before you either checked, called small raises, or folded. Good betting position means you get to see how everyone bets before you make your own bet. The small blind and the big blind positions are good betting positions because they go last. If you are playing against 8 individuals, the blinds are at 10/20 and everyone checks, perhaps you want to raise at when you are SB or BB. This will accomplish to things: It will make a few players fold; it will indicate to other players that you "may" have a hand and therefore give you more credibility if you attempt to bluff and buy the pot on the next round with an even bigger raise.

You have the short stack. Having the short stack means you have the least chips out of all the players. It means you need to make up for lost hands and that generally means aggressive play. But don't be a fool! Other players know that the person with the short stack usually plays more aggressively so they'll often call them even if they don't have the greatest hand. Make your move at the right time.

You have the big stack. Having the big stack means you have the most chips out of all the players. Use them! If you are in the lead significantly, don't be afraid to raise when you have nothing. Don't let players see a flop for free. Make them pay! This is a good strategy when there aren't many players left at the table, and when the blinds are starting to get expensive. This way, you are forcing the short stack player to be more aggressive. If he doesn't turn it up, the blinds will eat up all of his chips. Using the power of the big stack is an effective tactic. Make them pay, but don't go crazy either: They'll beat you once in a while.

I encourage people to take things easy when the game starts. Play tight initially. First, you want to take the opportunity to study your opponents and their behaviors. You'll quickly see who's playing in every pot, and who raises constantly and who's sitting back and studying. While playing super aggressive in the beginning can pay off, it generally leads to defeat. You can get lucky once in a while, but in the long run, you'll loose more often then you'll win. Don't rely on luck.

The other benefit of studying players early in the game is spotting how people react to a raise. You can quickly identify the "pushovers" from the players who call everything. This is good information to have, because when you decide to make a move and bluff, you want to do it against the pushovers if you can. Unless they have a really good hand, they'll fold. Again, beware: They won't be playing conservatively the whole game. Watch for clues that indicate when they are changing their play style.

To conclude, I just want to say that winners are aggressive players. They just pick the right times to play aggressively. Think about it for a second. If all you do is call and check, then the only way you can win a pot is by having the best hand. However, if you raise someone, then you can win two ways: by having the best hand OR by making them fold.