No-Limit Texas Hold'em : The New Player's Guide to Winning Poker's Biggest Game

by Tom McEvoy; Brad Daugherty

• ISBN13: 9781580421485
• ISBN10: 1580421482
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-03-23
• Publisher: Cardoza

Summary

You've seen them push mountains of chips in televised tournaments into the middle of the table. You've gasped in awe when they raked in huge pots on gutsy bluffs or stacked off against each other in heads-up action with the championship and millions of dollars on the line. This is the playground of the world's most famous poker players, the world of no-limit Texas hold'em, poker's biggest and most exciting game. Brad Daugherty and Tom McEvoy, World Champions of Poker, show you how to join the elite ranks of million-dollar, no-limit hold'em tournament winners and cash game players. They begin by outlining the winning principles of no-limit Texas hold'em and then fill in the blanks by teaching you the four major skills you must master to win at no-limit hold'em. Whether you are an experienced limit poker player who wants to learn how to play no-limit hold'em -- or you're a rookie who has never played a single hand -- No-Limit Texas Hold'em will guide you to the winners' circle far faster than you ever imagined. Brad and Tom are looking forward to shaking your hand at the championship table one day very soon! Book jacket.

Author Biography

Tom McEvoy, the 1983 World Champion of Poker, has won millions playing tournaments and is considered one of the best tournament players in the world. He is also co-author of seven other titles Brad Daugherty, the 1991 World Champion of Poker, was the first player in World Series of Poker history to win $1 million. He has won countless tournaments and is one of the most feared poker players today in both brick-and-mortar and online tournaments

Table of Contents

Foreword by Barry Shulman	11	(2)
Introduction by Dana Smith	13	(4)
PART ONE Brads Crash Course in No-Limit Hold'em for Beginners	17	(8)
How No-Limit Hold'em is Played	17	(1)
Posting the Blinds	17	(2)
Posting an Ante	19	(1)
The Goal of Each Hand	19	(1)
The Four Betting Rounds	20	(1)
How the Betting Goes	21	(1)
Deciding How much to Bet	22	(1)
The Types of Hands to Play	22	(1)
Reading the Board Cards	23	(1)
The Bottom Line	24	(1)
PART TWO Shifting Your Thinking from Limit to No-Limit	25	(6)
PART THREE The 8 Winning Principles of No-Limit Texas Hold'em	31	(6)
You Need a Stronger Hand to Call With than You Need to Bet With	31	(1)
You Don't Need to Win a Lot of Pots	32	(1)
You Do Not Play as Many Drawing Hands	32	(1)
Your Style of Play Affects Your Chances of Winning	33	(1)
Getting to Know Your Opponents Is Very Important	33	(1)
The Button is the Position of Power	34	(1)
The Bluff is an Important Weapon	34	(1)
Don't Despair When You Get Behind	35	(2)
PART FOUR How to Determine the Strength of Your Hand: The First Winning Skill of No-Limit Hold'em	37	(12)
The Seven Factors in the Balancing Act	38	(1)
How to Determine the Strength of Your Hand	39	(2)
Early Position Hands	41	(2)
Middle Position Hands	43	(1)
Late Position Hands	44	(1)
Your Position at the Table	45	(1)
How Many Opponents You Have	46	(3)
PART FIVE Determining How Much to Bet: The Second Winning Skill of No-Limit Hold'em	49	(16)
What is Your Betting Goal?	49	(1)
Betting Guidelines	50	(1)
Overbetting the Pot	51	(1)
The All-In Bet	52	(2)
Making the Minimum Raise	54	(1)
How Many Chips You Have	54	(2)
The Size of the Blinds	56	(1)
How Soon the Limits Are Going to Rise	57	(3)
No-Limit Hold'em Betting Chart-With No Antes	60	(1)
No-Limit Hold'em Betting Chart-With Antes	61	(4)
The Normal Raise Column	62	(1)
The Trouble Stack Column	62	(1)
The Move-In Stack Column	63	(2)
PART SIX Understanding Your Opponents: The Third Winning Skill of No-Limit Hold'em	65	(6)
How to Play Against Different Types of Opponents	66	(4)
Classic Opponent Types-Tip Sheet	70	(1)
PART SEVEN Knowing When and How to Bluff: The Fourth Winning Skill of No-Limit Hold'em	71	(12)
What is Bluffing?	72	(1)
What Does "Without a Hand" Mean?	72	(1)
When Do You Bluff?	73	(1)
What Types of Opponents Are the Easiest to Bluff?	73	(1)
What Question Should You Ask Yourself Before You Bluff?	74	(1)
How Much Money Should You Bluff?	74	(1)
What is Semi-Bluffing?	75	(1)
How Can You Steal the Antes and Blinds Before the Flop by Bluffing?	75	(1)
What is the Resteal Bluff?	76	(1)
What is the Follow-up Bluff?	77	(1)
What is the Total Bluff?	78	(1)
After the Flop, Who Normally Does the Bluffing?	78	(1)
What Type of Pressure Do You Put on Opponents When You Bluff?	79	(1)
How Do the Changes in Today's Fast-Action No-Limit Hold'em Games Affect Your Ability to Bluff?	80	(1)
What is One of the Biggest Bluffs You've Ever Seen in a Tournament?	80	(3)
PART EIGHT Tournament Practice Hands: How to Select, Bet a Play the Best Hands	83	(62)
The Tournament Structure	86	(1)
Your Tournament Strategy	86	(1)
Playing Big Pairs: Aces	87	(11)
How to Play Before the Flop	87	(1)
Slow-Playing Aces	88	(6)
How to Play Aces on the Flop	94	(4)
Playing Big Pairs: Kings	98	(9)
How to Play Kings Before the Flop	98	(5)
How to Play Kings on the Flop	103	(4)
Playing Ng Pairs: Queens	107	(7)
How to Play Queens Before the Flop	107	(4)
How to Play Queens After the Flop	111	(3)
Playing Big Pairs: Jacks	114	(6)
How to Play Jacks Before the Flop	114	(6)
Playing Middle Pairs: 10-10 through 7-7	120	(5)
Playing Small Pairs: 6-6 through 2-2	125	(3)
Big Connected Cards	128	(17)
How to Play A-K	128	(4)
How to Play A-Q	132	(4)
How to Play A-J	136	(3)
How to Play K-Q	139	(6)
PART NINE Tournament Practice Flops: How to Read, Bet a Play On the Flop	145	(62)
Flop One: One High Card/Two Low Cards/Unsuited	147	(10)
Flop Two: Two High Cards/One Low Card/Suited	157	(9)
Flop Three: Three Middle Cards/Unsuited	166	(6)
Flop Four: Three High Cards/Unsuited	172	(9)
Flop Five: A Low Pair with a Suited Card	181	(7)
Flop Six: Three Middle Connectors/Unsuited	188	(9)
Flop Seven: A High Pair with a Low Card	197	(10)
PART TEN Bluffing Practice Hands	207	(20)
The Semi-Bluff	207	(4)
The Steal Bluff	211	(4)
The Resteal Bluff	215	(4)
The Follow-up Bluff	219	(4)
The Total Bluff	223	(4)
PART ELEVEN How to Play No-Limit Hold'em Cash Games in Online Casinos	227	(12)
Concentrate on These Factors	229	(1)
Carefully Select the Hands You Play	230	(1)
Practice Reading the Flop	230	(1)
Set a Loss Limit	230	(1)
Know When to Quit the Game	231	(1)
Have Enough Money in Your Account	231	(1)
Take Advantage of Your Table Image	231	(8)
PART TWELVE 10 Ways to Practice No-Limit Texas Hold'em	239	(28)
Practice Opportunity	241	(26)
#1: Watch No-Limit Hold'em Televised Tournaments	241	(2)
#2: Watch the Pros Play a Tournament In an On-Land Casino	243	(2)
#3: Set Up a Home Tournament or Cash Game	245	(2)
#4: Play Small Buy-in Multi-Table Tournaments Online	247	(3)
#5: Play Small-Stakes Rebuy Tournaments at On-Land Casinos	250	(3)
#6: Play One-Table Tournaments and Satellites Online	253	(7)
Some Tips for Playing Heads-Up	258	(2)
#7: Discuss Things with Knowledgeable Players	260	(2)
#8: Deal 100 Hands at Home	262	(3)
#9: Keep a Poker Diary	265	(1)
#10: Other Ways to Improve Your Game	265
EXTRA STUFF
Glossary	267	(12)
Cardoza Publishing Products	279