A simple trial-and-error method works well with all kinds of activities, including Texas Holdem Poker. For example, if you play soccer, you can improve your shooting skills through practice. When you hit the gate, you try to understand what made you strike well and when you miss, you avoid what you believe had caused that miss.

However, in Texas Holdem Poker, this trial-and-error method works slightly different – even a right decision may actually lead you to a loss, because you can simply be on a bad run, while even a wrong decision may lead you to success just because you get lucky. Well, let’s take a look at these game situations:

Example #1.

You have 8 and 7 of spades and the board is A of hearts, 10 of clubs and 6 of clubs. Say, there is $12 in the pot and the bet is $10. Clearly, in this particular situation you should definitely fold, because your pot odds aren’t nearly sufficient to call.

Let’s just imagine you call anyway. The turn brings miracle 9 of diamonds and the river gifts you with a harmless 2 of diamonds. You come to the showdown holding the nuts and grab a huge pot. Does this win make your original decision a good one? Obviously not!

Your decision was clearly a mistake, which, however, brought you a decent-sized pot. Analyzing this hand you shouldn’t focus on the result – you must realize that such decisions will cause you to lose money in the long run.

Example #2.

In this example you have the same 8 and 7 of spades and the board is Q of clubs, 6 of diamonds and 5 of hearts. Let’s say there’s $12 in the pot and, of your opponents goes all-in for $6 and the rest of your opponents fold. You decide to call and the turn and the river bring Q of spades and K of hearts. Your opponent shows A and Q of diamonds and grabs the pot.

Although you may be upset with the result, you should also realize that you’ve made the right decision, because you are only contributing a quarter of the total pot and you have roughly a 1:3 chance of hitting the Straight, which means that you have positive pot odds and should make that call, just as all decent Texas Holdem players do.

The purpose of these examples is to explain you that even though wrong decisions may lead to victory and vice versa, those who make right decisions will be successful in the long run. That why when you either analyze your own plays, or try to evaluate your opponents don’t look at the result of a particular decision. Instead, consider if that move can be effective in the long run, because even an incredible luck can even out and only wise Texas Holdem players end up with most chips.

Also recommended:

1. Omaha Hi/Lo Strategy
2. Going on tilt in Texas Holdem Poker
3. Texas Holdem Jargon
4. River Betting in Texas Holdem
5. Advanced Limit Texas Holdem Strategy for Shorthand Games