5 Texas Hold’em Strategies EVERY Beginner Should Know

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In this poker lesson I break down several key strategy fundamentals — including which hands to play and when to bet, raise, bluff, or fold.

If you're new to the channel, my name is Nathan "BlackRain79" Williams and I am a 10+ year professional poker player and 3-time best selling author.

Poker is fundamentally a game of skill and I believe that focusing on the basics is the most effective way to improve your game.

IG: @officialblackrain79

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Disclaimer: This video does not include any real money gambling or promote any gambling sites. It is intended for educational purposes only. Most people lose at poker over the long term. The information provided here is not a guarantee of success. Individual results may vary.

[FrdSpud]

Love the vids Nathan. Keep 'em coming. Suggestion: can you do a video on how to identify various player types?

[Thaihandmade-wdmh]

The trouble with low stakes online poker is that you are very likely to be at a table with 4 or 5 fish who call everything. No matter how smartly you play, if 4 people call you down to the river one of them is going to get lucky and crack your AA.

[cornycob]

been trying to learn poker way more, binge watching all your videos but I keep running into the problem of being TOO aggressive. How do I gauge when to back off a hand when being aggressive. Like in the first example what happens if the person calls after I raise again? Do I raise in the turn or should I just fold if there's nothing? Thanks in advance :)

[ericsmith]

Three things I really started focusing on that greatly helped my game:
1. When there's no pre-flop raise yet, I really only try to limp in the small blind (cause of the inherent pot odds of already being half in) . Otherwise, good enough to call should be a raise
2. If you're the pre-flop aggressor and you hit your flop, lead out more often than check. Most players will assume it's a c-bet bluff
3. When deciding to bluff or not, think of your hand like a novel. Would a bet fit with the story you've just told? It also helps when the script is flipped. If your opponents lead out at the river, how does their story they've told not only that hand but during the session fit with that river bet?

[harrysboard]

Nathan appreciate you, can you do a video on your 3 bet calling ranges?/4 bet ranges be useful to see this

[Bill-jg]

Whats a good online place to play for us reaidents?

[JABINVA]

The everybody gets dealt the same amount of good hands/bad hands is what has been killing me lately. I have just been card dead for a long time. 7 1/2 hours of play last time and I only got AK twice, nothing paired with an ace higher than 9 otherwise and my highest pocket pair was 7’s. In 7 1/2 hours! It’s hard to stay disciplined and not get frustrated.

[pridemyselfwithnontrolling]

Nathan are you on YouTube anywhere playing poker?

[gwoody]

The hard way is often the best way to learn. Being told doesn't always result in understanding why you do something.
Information is not Knowledge.
Knowledge is not Wisdom.

[Gooner]

i wanted to play aggressive last tournament. i did. but after the first break i got 0 playable hands. 0. i went from big stack to lowest stack before final table and therefore went out first final table. what should i do next time if i have 0 playable hands? was i just unlucky?

[msmrepo]

I have never had 4 of a kind playing poker with people in front of me.
Online I have had 2 4 of a kinds in 1 game! Seen so many others getting it to.

[T-roc]

The only slight disagreement i have here is how often you get called down with 2nd pair or better blasting off with overcards. Not sayin you're wrong on that but it happens A LOT.

[josemontes]

Tip #3 - the other day I got dealt a pair of jacks and after the flop I had the over pair I went all in since I was down to my last couple chips after the showdown I got beat by pocket kings💀

[badbeatbilly]

If you can't spot the fish at the table, that means it's you. 😉

[RadioClassics]

BlackRain, I need help. You always talk about fish calling. Well, my stupid opponents fishs always call me and call me until they hit the damn straight on the river.

[kenengel]

Watch out. I've had issues with being too aggressive. Players will start calling you light. I've recently lost stacks with AK to players calling down 3 streets with a pair of 4's. You have to change it up.

[PyrrhicPax]

Tip #1) Play aggressively DOES NOT work for me. Whenever i try to call their bluff, they arent bluffing, and whenever i push a bad hand, they have a better one.

[fontyyy]

I find if I get "bored" and start playing trashy hands I end up playing weak and passively because I'm scared.

[Elmar-dt]

You cant choose your table on pokerstars in spain. If you sit down, you dont like it and go away, you will be blocked for 20 minutes. I wish I could choose tables, but you cant anymore

[bermando]

The fish knows exactly how you are playing and what your range is based on your actions. You have no idea what he has. So who is better?