• No Limit Poker Cash Game Strategy Against

GTO comes from words Game Theory Optimal, which refers to a strategy that cannot be exploited. No matter what strategy our opponent picks, when you play GTO poker strategy nobody can find a counter strategy that wins against you in the long term. That doesn’t mean that GTO is the most profitable strategy to use though. Video 1 of my series on how to beat 1/2 live poker cash games. Poker Strategy 101! This video series applies to players who are having trouble at $1/$2 NLH.

This time around we're going to get a bit more specific and provide you with some tips on how to beat the smallest buy-in no-limit hold'em game that you will find in most live casinos in Las Vegas and the rest of the world, $1/$2 game.

How Much Should I Buy In for?

The first important tip we can give is to buy in for the maximum every time, unless the game is uncapped and doesn't have a maximum. It is completely reasonable that you might feel a bit timid with the idea of plopping down $200 or $300, but this will give you the best chance in the game. At first, your instincts might tell you that buying in for the minimum amount will help you to get your feet wet while losing as little as possible, but if you've gained enough confidence in yourself to finally take the leap into a live game, remember to also exude hat same confidence when sitting down. Even if you are going in a casino playing for the first time, your mind should always be focused on winning and doing everything you can to boost your chances of doing so. Buying in for the maximum is the first step in doing this.

*Note that some rare $1/$2 games will have an uncapped buy-in. In those cases, we would suggest buying in for 100-200 big blinds, or simply looking to find another game with a bit more structure.

There are a few reasons why you want to buy in for the maximum. In general, most $1/$2 game play in two very distinct ways; either very tight or loose-passive. In the former, it's often hard to win a big pot without coolering someone else at the table, and in that case you want to be able to win the maximum. In more loose-passive games, having the larger stack when you buy in for the maximum will allow you to have a bit more maneuverability. For example, say you buy in for $100 in a $1/$2 no-limit hold'em game. You call a raise of $8 preflop, then fold on the flop. A few hands later, you call another preflop raise for $8, but this time, you call a bet of $10 on the flop, then fold on the turn. Just like that, you have lost over 25% of your stack. If you buy in for the max, you will be able to wade through these small hits to your stack.

Also, having a larger stack means the passing of the blinds won't take so much of a toll on you. One round in a standard $1/$2 no-limit hold'em game costs for $3. If you buy in for $100, that $3 is 3% of your stack, whereas if you buy in for $200, that $3 is 1.5% of your stack.

Preflop Aggression

Often, cash games and tournaments differ when it comes to preflop aggression; many lower-limit cash games play passively while tournaments have heightened aggression due to the increasing blind levels. In tournaments, taking down blinds and antes can be crucial for one's tournament life, especially as the stakes continue to grow. In a $1/$2 cash game, the blinds always remain the same and there are no antes.

It is often best for lower-limit cash games to play a tight-aggressive game. Playing more premium hands and playing them strongly is a great way to start off on the right foot and have success. Splashing around in too many pots with more marginal holdings is not something a beginning player should do. We all see Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth on television playing some pretty creative hands, but we must remember that we are not Ivey and we are not Hellmuth.

Avoiding the Unusual

As a last bit of advice, let's take a look at common raise sizes for these games. If you're going to be playing the tight-aggressive form of poker that we recommend, it will be good to familiarize yourself with an amount you should be raising to when you pick up pocket aces. Oftentimes in a standard $1/$2 no-limit hold'em game, preflop raises are to an amount of $10-$15. Once in awhile, you'll have someone who makes an even larger raise size to $20-$25, but that is unusual. If a player makes an oversized raise, it is usually the sign of a scared player who has a monster hand and wants to protect it. Don’t get tricky with these players. Just sit back and wait until you have a premium hand and happily invite them to put a lot of money into the pot.

Cashing Out

After your done playing, hopefully you'll have the welcomed problem of having to find a few racks for your chips in order to carry them to the cage. In most $1/$2 no-limit hold'em games, a winning session of around $50-$200 is normal and should be considered successful, especially if this was your first attempt at playing in a live casino. Don't be intimidated by others saying that this isn't successful, or the ones who look like they are winning several hundreds of dollars — those days will come. It's much more important to focus on your play and making the best decisions possible at the table than the end result.

We hope these tips helped you a bit. If you have an adequate bankroll and follow some of these tips, you will see your profits benefit in the long run! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below in the comments section. Enjoy your first trip to a live casino and we hope you win big!

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Are you all looking for cash game poker tips? Then you’re looking at the right place because we are here to give away all the tips to win millions and millions at cash games. Though general Texas hold’em strategy for poker is the same in case of both limit and no-limit games, certain specific strategies have to be different if you want to win over and over again. This article focuses on the most important strategies required to win poker cash games in the long run while playing ring games. So first let’s get acquainted with the general rules and later we will deal with the specific ones.

General poker cash game strategy

• Position– the question of winning and losing is largely determined upon your position at the table. One thing you will notice in the long run is that you get to play each position the same number of times. Also, if you play long enough, you get the same hands in each position the same number of times. You have to be patient while playing poker cash games and wait for the correct hand in each position. You have to remember that you are throwing your opponent an advantage every time you play out of position. Also, only play a few hands while in the early and middle positions, and the majority of hands you play should be from late position.
• Table Selection– while playing cash games, you should just forget about your ego and focus on finding games that have players who are not as good as you. If you are interested in winning, it is always better to play against worse or at least weaker players rather than better players. If you look around a bit and do some research, you will see that there are a lot of poor players with lots of money who find playing with better players is senseless. Backgammon is a game that is like poker, and some backgammon players travel across the world to play with the best players once in a while.
• Bankroll Management– even if you are one of the best players, you will lose the Texas poker cash game once in a while. This is a game where one experiences both ups and downs simultaneously and can even have extended losing streaks. You need to have a good bankroll even during the low points so that when the game goes your way, you find the maximum profit. You will have to worry while playing this game unless you have an extremely lavish bankroll. The size of your bankroll should at least be 200-300 big blinds in case you are a limit player, and for no-limit players, it can be 20-30 buy in’s.
• Psychology– psychology plays a major role while playing poker; hence, you need to be learning about your opponents, game, and keep on improving your game with an open mindset. Never make the mistake of considering yourself the master of the game and try to get experience, which will help you in determining positive expectations to your advantage. You should not think about luck and keep making the best plays every single time without worrying about the results. One of the best cash game poker tips is that you should keep on making the best playing decisions to earn more and more profit in the long run.
• Know the numbers– the best of Texas hold’em cash game players in the world are the ones who efficiently understand the numbers involved in the game. The odds, percentages, outs, positive expectations, and all the other mathematical parts of the game are by-heart to them. This does not mean that they know what would happen in the game accurately but precisely means that they are capable enough to put up the best play in every and any situation for sure. You need to start improving your knowledge about the game if you only know the math involved in making positive expectation plays. You should learn how to use pot odds, outs, and keep on searching for more knowledge.

Limit Texas Hold’em poker cash game strategy

if you wish to be a long term winner in limit Texas hold’em poker cash game, then you have to keep a note of situations where you could play with positive expectations. It begins with entering the hand with better standing hands than that of your opponents’, raising your best hands to gain profit, figuring out the chances to win at every street and your outs, determining if staying in for a hand can be profitable or not, etc. if you feel that you have a strong hand which has chances of winning in the end at the showdown, then you should bet and raise at every opportunity. Also, if you are drawing towards a better hand, keep it in mind to minimize the money in the pot, and by keeping the pot odds in your favor, you could wait until you hit your hand. If you feel like having a situation with negative expectations, then avoid playing and aim at winning at least 1-2 big bets every hour.

No-limit hold’em strategy

No Limit Poker Cash Game Strategy Against

Your aim should be to win more and more money rather than winning or playing against the best players. Even though if you feel like playing against the best players of Texas hold’em cash game, then you’ll find them at the no-limit tables. The thing with limited games is that you have a set betting limit, but on the other hand, no-limit tables allow you to win or lose an amount equivalent to the entire stack you came up with at the beginning of the hand. The best no-limit hold’em strategy could be that you should play tight and aggressive until you have become a consistent winner. Playing tight means that you have to enter with a better hand than your opponents, ‘ which promises your chances to win.