Poker Strategies: Playing with Style

It seems everyone has an opinion on how you should play. However, there are very few hard and fast rules when it comes to playing Texas HoldEm and most of those are more suggestions based on the odds of a certain combination of cards coming up.

My advice for beginning players is to ignore what you see on "TV Poker". Those shows are meant for entertainment, not instruction. The hands you see are not representative. The shows have been edited and the hands chosen for dramatic value.
I've found that it is usually best to adopt a playing style that best fits your basic/innate personality. While Gus Hanson's style of play makes for exciting television, not everyone has the flair (or talent) to pull that off.

As an example, if you are by nature cautious, you should begin with a more conservative style of play (ie., tight/aggressive). While it is always good to mix up your play, forcing yourself to play too aggressive will only serve to make you excessively nervous. Perhaps even to the point that you are unable to concentrate on your opponents due to anxiety over the size of your stack and the size of the pot.

Alternatively, if you are naturally aggressive and out-going, then you should adopt a more aggressive, wide open style of play (ie., loose/aggressive) for exactly the opposite reasons. If you are an aggressive type, forcing yourself to slow down and play too tight might make you nervous because you are "missing the action". This in turn could cause you to make an improper raise or all-in against the wrong player in the wrong situation.

There is no "right" way to play. One style of play works for one player and another style works better for another regardless of the cards that are dealt.

A "rock" and a "maniac" can be at the same table and be equally successfull.
Whichever style you choose, remember that at some point you will have to "change gears" in order to not become too predictable. That is the one hard and fast rule I have found in poker. If your play becomes predictable, your opponents won't have to worry about how to read you.

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