Many low limit and newer players come to the poker table wearing blinders. They look at their two starting cards and the community board cards and if they see something that makes any type of hand they just start betting or calling. They do this without regard to what the other players may have. This is wrong and is a good way to quickly go broke if you play this way.

It is extremely important that you can determine how your hand stacks up against the other possible hands that your opponents may hold. This is known as reading the board. In Texas Hold'em, your ability to read the board is one of the most important skills you can develop.

Because Texas Hold’em players use the same five community cards you can easily determine what the best possible hand will be. The best possible hand is called "The Nuts." This is not to say one of the players will always have the Nuts, but by knowing what the best hand is, you can determine the strength of your own hand compared to it. Once you determine the strength of your hand you will have more information to make your decision about how it should be played.

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