There are lots of strategies in Texas Holdem. People will give you advice on how to play, but the problem is that strategy might work for them, but not you. We each have a different tolerance for risk and losing money. I will not give specific strategies here, but some general guidelines that will make anybody's game better.

1) In a No Limit cash game, never buy in short. Always buy in for the maximum allowed. You never want to be in a position where you hold the nuts but only have $50 left in your stack. If you are uncomfortable buying into a 2/5 No Limit game for $500, then perhaps you should move down a level.

2) In a cash game, the blinds are NOT worth stealing. If you have bought in for the maximum amount, by stealing the blinds, you have increased you stack by 1%. Big deal. Why take the risk with 82o? The blinds are allowed to have good hands too. However, if you have a solid hand, then by all means, raise!

3) After the flop, calling is the WORST option you have. Usually, the correct order is RAISE, FOLD, CALL. There are certainly times when calling can be correct, but in the log-run, raising or folding is more profitable. Not only do you force your opponent to make a decision, but you will force him to make incorrect decisions.

4) Beware of the under-the-gun limper. If a person limps UTG, you should be on red-alert. By definition, a person should only be coming into the pot with a super-premium hand. If they have one of those, then they should be raising. BEWARE!

5) Beware of people who limp then raise preflop. This is a strong indication of Aces or Kings. Many people like to make this play. If you see it, you should strongly consider getting out of the pot.

6) Minimum raises are the worst raise that you can make. Preflop raises should be 3-5x the Big Blind. If somebody raises in front of you, NEVER minimum raise. If you want to raise a raiser, you should raise 3x their last bet. By min-raising, you give the person pot odds to call with literally ANYTHING. If a person min-raises, it usually means that they are a weak player. If you see a strong player min-raise, you should be RUNNING. It means he has the nuts and wants to get paid off.

7) Do not bet the river with marginal hands if it is checked to you. You will only be called by a hand that can beat you. Save your money. If somebody bets infront of you, then you have a decision to make.

8) A check-raise is a sign of great strength. Always make a note of who will check-raise at a table. Also note how often they do it.

9) Holdem is a game of position. Position is the most overlooked factor when playing. Never forget your position both preflop and after the flop when playing a hand.