1. If you've ever played seven-card stud, you know that medium pairs, such as eights and nines, can be a profitable way to start. But these small pairs are much less profitable in Hold'em and can actually lose money. That's because, if ANY higher card hits the board, it's likely that an opponent has made a pair of that rank by using just one card!

2. In Hold'em it's harder to catch up to an opponent than it is in seven-card stud. In seven-card stud, you might start with a pair of sevens against your opponents pair of nines. Then you might catch a pair of kings to win. But in Hold'em, if you catch a pair of kings to go with your pair, it's on the communal board and you BOTH improved to kings up. So, don't get excited by what you see on the board, unless it helps you SPECIFICALLY.

3. You need to be very selective about the cards you start with in the early positions in Hold'em. The powerful advantage for your opponents of being able to act after you (what we call "positional advantage") remains through all rounds of betting after the first. This means that beginners should only play their premium hands when they're first to act after the blinds -- hands like ace-ace, king-king, and ace-king. And you won't get those very often. So, usually, you'll simply fold early.

4. Have patience and don't let yourself go on tilt.

5. Don't play in a game that is too tough for you (opponents are much better) or too high for your bankroll (if you can't afford to lose, you can't play
your best).

6. Don't get married to a hand. (You must be able to throw your hand away when it is obviously beaten no matter how good a hand you started with.)

7. Keep good records.

8. Money management. Don't play above your comfort zone.

9. Fit or fold! If the flop doesn't hit your hand or have some sort of way to use it or hinders it, FOLD! Two black aces into a heart flop of 8-9-10 with lots of betting and raising must be mucked! A-K has to generally be folded if
the flop contains neither an ace or a king.

10. Play happy, not when you are tired, sad, pissed off, bored, etc. If you can't be fun to play with, don't play!

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