New players to the game of Texas Holdem often look to more experienced players for tips and strategy that can help them better understand the game. New players generally have no idea what hole cards to play, what draws are worth chasing, when to bet, when to raise, or the answers to a number of other critical questions. New players typically think any ace or king is a good hand regardless of the other hole card and want to play nearly every hand in the hopes of catching a favorable flop.

When a new player asks me for advice, the information I give them is as applicable to them as it is to players who have played for years. It's a small piece of wisdom that will make you think about your hand each and every time before you throw money into the pot. The simple thought process is "what are you trying to accomplish?" If you are playing J-4, what are you hoping to accomplish. If you are thinking of playing A-6 offsuit, what do you hope to accomplish on the flop? Would you be satisfied with an Ace? With a worthless kicker, an Ace on the flop may be the worst thing for a new player since they will have trouble throwing the hand a way even when it is obvious that they are beaten. Let's say you played pocket 9s have top set on the flop. The first player to act makes a bet and the next two players call. It's your turn to act and you want to be tricky and disguise your hand so you call as well. Again, what do you hope to accomplish. The other players have already indicated that they have a hand or are drawing to a big hand. Are there straight or flush possibilities on the board? If you thought about the what am I trying to accomplish question before making the call, you may have realized that a lot of information needs to be taken into account that supersedes wanting to be tricky. With that in mind, a call may not have been the best play. A sizeable raise could have eliminated those drawing to a straight or flush while keeping others in the pot that you have completely dominated.

Let's look at another example where being the aggressor is not the smart play. Let's say you have an open-end straight draw after the turn. Another player at the table makes a $10 bet into a $50 pot. It's your turn to act and you ask yourself the question. If you call, you are getting 6 to 1 on your money to chase a 5 to 1 hand. That's a great investment and one that will definitely show a profit in the long run. If the answer is I want to win the pot right now with a big raise, take the time to fully analyze the hand and work to determine what possible hands your opponent may have. Don't just throw money into the pot and hope for the best. Know what is going on in the hand, and make the move that best fits the situation.

Here is an example from a recent no limit cash game I was playing in Atlantic City.

At the table were plenty of loose players, a few relatively conservative ones, and about three players who I felt actually knew what they were doing. I was on the big blind with 10-4 offsuit. The action was limped around to me with three players and the small blind in the hand and I was happy to see the flop for no additional investment. The flop was 8-4-2 of different suits. The small blind checked, I checked from the big blind, and the action was checked around the table. The turn was a 10 making the board 8-4-2-10 and giving me two pair. The small blind checked and I made a pot-size bet. The next two players folded and the player in last position raised to 5 times the amount of my bet. The small blind folded and the action was back to me. By applying the question "what am I trying to accomplish" to my opponent and asking "what is he trying to accomplish", it took very little time for me to make my decision. The raising player had been playing somewhat conservative. I could not recall any previous big raise from him, so I knew my hand was no good. I decided for him to make that play he either had 10-8, a set, or he was bluffing. With two-pair, my hand was not likely to improve on the river. If I called his raise on the turn, he would likely make another big bet on the river costing me a lot more money. Since the only hand I could beat was a bluff, I folded flipping my two-pair on the table to see his reaction. I felt he wouldn't be able to resist showing the bluff if my two-pair was in the lead. As he tossed his cards face down into the muck, I was confident my decision was correct. Other players at the table, including one I considered to be a decent player, were in shock that I folded two-pair. Yet, using the "what am I trying to accomplish" and "what is he trying to accomplish" questions, I was able to make my decision quickly. As he raked in his chips, he told me he flopped a set of 8s confirming my analysis.

If you ask yourself "what an I trying to accomplish" before each and every bet you make and "what is he trying to accomplish" after your opponent makes a bet, you will hopefully eliminate a lot of costly mistakes at the table.