Poker Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
A lot of players watch top pros
A lot of players watch top pros in an online training videos talk about optimal play in a lot of different scenarios, and try and mimic that play. There is an optimal play for any given scenario given the limited information we have as texas hold'em poker players. That's what you should strive to achieve. Yet at the same time there are steps you can use to build yourself to playing optimally instead of putting yourself in situations where you have to make more decisions about your hand and compound a scenario that leaves you losing consistently. In scenarios like that, make more definitive decisions and put the onus back on your opponent to make the most optimal play. The reason you'd consider taking sub-optimal, but profitable, lines as you learn, is the same reasoning why people will generally tell you to play tighter pre-flop (tight TAG or even NIT) when you first start playing poker. It's higher EV to play slightly LAG or very LAG, but it's not the best plan to just throw yourself into the fire. You'd consistently lose, and probably not have a chance to move up the poker food chain.
Optimal Big Blind Play
Optimal Big Blind Play When you have a reasonable amount of confidence in your post flop game, look to take more flops. This is always within reason, but look for marginal regulars you think you have an advantage on, and look to outplay them post flop. If you have the slightest bit of doubt though, consider using a strategy like the one on the previous couple of pages. Slowly work yourself to optimal play.