Poker Magic

Never, ever, ever go all-in pre-flop unless your table is down to only two or three players. If you go pre-flop all in with a table full of players, especially decent ones, you are basically risking your entire bankroll to win a relatively small sum, the blinds essentially and whoever called them. With a full table there is a good possibility that you are not the only one with a good hand, or at least what some of the players would consider a good hand, because you’re facing up against a lot more cards. If you narrow the field and get one or two callers, there is always the chance that one of them wind up beating you and you are still eliminated.

Instead of going all-in, make a large enough bet to discourage people from hanging around until the river, looking for a flush or a straight. Make people pay with an inferior hand, and that’s the way to win in Texas Holdem at the poker tables. Good luck, and stick to the strategy.

There is a good article on poker pre-flop betting that will explain this strategy a lot better.