1. Never draw to low end, or sucker end, of a straight. You’ll get the card you want only to be beat by a bigger straight. Draw to nut straights only, if you’re getting proper odds.

2. Play more aggressive when you have position on your opponents. Being last to go gives you an edge against everyone else; take advantage of this and win free chips.

3. Don’t call a raise in the big blind just because you have something invested. Your position is poor and you’re most likely up against a good hand that has a higher winning percentage.

4. Make large bets when you think you have the lead. Don’t let your opponents draw cheaply on you. Bet half the size of the pot so draw hands will be making a mistake to call.

5. Read hold’em books and document your play. Organization will make you a winner.

The resolutions for poker players are the same every year. They always resolve to only play in games that are the right size for they’re bankroll. They want to have a year of not going broke, and stakes selection is the way to achieve that.

They also resolve to stop tilting out when it runs bad. Controlling negative emotions is something that every serious player tries to improve and conquer. I hear this one every year, but it’s the toughest one to achieve.

The other common resolution is to read more educational material that will make us better players. We resolve to study the game more so we can learn a new trick or gain a better understanding of the theory of the game. Many players try to improve their mathematical side of the game, as many players are lazy, and take years to finally learn the “math of poker”.

I don’t think that poker is losing its mainstream appeal. The industry had a slight hiccup with the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, but it continues to grow to this day. Poker is on television every evening on one channel or another, and land-based tournaments are growing every year. Even with all the interference that online poker sites have to deal with in the United States, the WSOP is growing every year.

Poker is being used as a fundraiser for charities and needy organizations more than ever before. Home games are still common among friends, and marketing of the game hasn’t slowed down in over a year. New poker books are still being published and online player numbers are still growing internationally.

The game needed only to drop the negative reputation it carried for 200 years. Poker is like rock and roll; it’s here to stay.

Learning to play Texas Holdem is only educational to a degree. You can read books and follow strategies that other professionals write about, and most of this information is good. But playing poker the way someone else tells you to will only take you so far. To become an elite player you have to develop your own style and a skill-set that fits your own persona. Originality is a powerful weapon if you have the intellect to develop some at the tables.

The best poker players are able to make decisions based on more than just their cards and what mathematics and strategy may dictate. A good poker player is factoring every piece of information available during a game, and playing at a level above cards and bets. Learn what’s successful for you and play your game. Following your instincts will add an important factor to your game, on top of the strategy.