No-Limit Hold'em

No-limit hold'em is the game many consider the "Cadillac of Poker." It's the game we play that crowns the world champion every year and it's the game people see week in and week out on the World Poker Tour (Wednesday nights on the Travel Channel). It's fast becoming the most popular tournament game in the world.

If you're looking for something that gets your blood circulating and your heart pumping, perhaps you should try a no-limit hold'em tournament. It really is exciting. And here's the best part: It doesn't matter how high the buy-in is – whether it's the $25,000 buy-in World Poker Tour championship or a $10 buy-in online tournament – the "feeling" you get playing the game is the same.

Ah, the feeling – you are feelin' good when you make a nice laydown, when you bluff and "earn" a pot, when you make a good read and call with a marginal hand that wins, when you raise or reraise and take a pot, and, obviously, whenever you go all in and they push you the pot. Your heart pounds and your mouth gets dry while they deal the flop, the turn, and the river whenever you're all in (whether or not you have the best hand). That winning "feeling" is hard to duplicate. Some players say it's better than sex. That does, however, depend on what's at stake.

In no-limit hold'em, if you're looking to get into the winner's circle, you will learn that aggressiveness pays. Aggressive players may crash and burn more, but they also win more. Why do they do better? Simply put, bettors can win a pot two ways. They can bet and not be called, or they can bet, be called, and have the best hand. Callers, on the other hand, can win in only one way: They must have the best hand.

In my travels, players say to me, "Mike, I read the books. They all talk about the importance of good starting hands, but then I see these guys on the WPT and they seem to play anything and win. What gives?" Well, believe it or not, there is a method to their madness.

One of the most important traits of being a good no-limit hold'em player is concealing the strength of your hand. To do this, you need to play more pots and vary your play. Good players certainly do that. For example, if you play only aces or kings, you will be easy to read. You won't get action unless your opponent flops a hand that can beat you. Varying your play and changing gears is critical if you really want to become a good no-limit hold'em player.

Most players who play "Garfunkel" hands (such as 9-2, 10-3, or J-4) raise the pot preflop in hope of picking up the blinds and antes. (You don't see them calling preflop with these type hands very often.) These players aren't raising on the strength of their hand; they are raising to pick up the pot. If they do get called and then get lucky and hit the flop (for example, a flop of 7-5-4 when they hold 6-3), there is no way anyone will be able to put them on that hand.

To combat aggressive players, the ones who always seem to be raising preflop, you have to reraise them – whether or not you have a hand. This is called "coming over the top." It works especially well preflop if you're in the blind and one of these aggressive-style players raises from late position (as they invariably do). I believe coming over the top is the most powerful play you can make in no-limit hold'em. (But do not try it when you have a short stack, because the pot odds will dictate that your opponent call you.)

Try coming over the top when you're in the blind and your opponent is in late position. You'll see that it works and you'll get the feeling. There's nothing like it.

Take care.

Mike Sexton is the host of PartyPoker.com and a commentator on the World Poker Tour.