🎙️ Weekly Poker Strategy Coaching
Session #1 – 2026
Play Fewer Hands. Play Them Better
By: Hal Coblentz- Semi-Professional Cash Game Player 20+ years
Welcome to Session #1 of 2026 and the launch of my Weekly Poker Strategy Coaching Series here on Texas Hold’em Radio.
Each week, I’ll be sharing practical poker strategy—real-world concepts you can actually apply at the table. This isn’t about fancy solver talk or overcomplicating the game. It’s about thinking clearly, playing disciplined poker, and making better decisions consistently.
If you follow this series week after week, you’ll tighten up your fundamentals, eliminate common leaks, and start approaching the game with more confidence and purpose.
And we’re starting with the most important concept in poker—the one I see players ignore every single day.
🃏 Session #1 Strategy Session
Play Fewer Hands — Play Them Better
The biggest mistake I see from losing and breakeven players isn’t what they do after the flop.
It’s the hands they choose to play in the first place.. (I experienced this tonight as a matter of fact at Hustler Casino, Los Angeles )
Poker is not a game of constant action. It’s a game of patience, selection, and timing. Every hand you enter is an investment, and too many players invest in hands that simply don’t make money over time.
If you want to improve quickly, start here.
🔑 Position Is Everything
One of the first things I learned—and one of the last things many players truly respect—is position.
Your seat at the table should dictate how many hands you play.
Early Position (UTG / UTG+1)
When I’m first to act, I play tight and disciplined.
Hands I’m comfortable opening:
- AA–TT
- AK, AQ
- Occasionally AJs or KQs, depending on the table
If I’m unsure, I fold. Early position mistakes are costly and put you in tough spots for the rest of the hand.
Middle Position
From middle position, I can widen slightly—but control still matters.
Hands I’ll consider:
- 99–77
- AJ, ATs
- KQs, QJs
- Select suited connectors like 98s
I still avoid weak offsuit hands and “hope poker.”
Late Position (Button & Cutoff)
This is where I make a lot of my money.
Late position gives me:
- More information
- More stealing opportunities
- More control over pot size
Hands that are folds up front become profitable here because position gives you leverage.
🛑 I Don’t Limp
This is one habit I eliminated years ago—and my results improved immediately. Poker Pro Susie Asaacs who I met early in my poker life said something to me that always stuck. "If you can't raise, fold" is what she said. It really stuck with me and to this day if a hand isn’t good enough for me to raise, it usually isn’t good enough to play.
Limping:
- Invites multi-way pots
- Eliminates fold equity
- Forces you into guessing games post-flop
I raise with a plan—or I fold.
🧠 I Think in Ranges, Not Just Cards
I don’t ask myself:
“Do I have the best hand?”
I ask:
“How does my hand perform against my opponent’s range?”
Once you start thinking this way, poker becomes clearer and less emotional. You stop chasing hands and start making profitable decisions.
🃏 Hand Examples – How I Play These Spots
Cash Game Example #1 ($2/$3 NLH)
Position: UTG
Hand: K♠ J♦
My Play: ➜ Fold
Even though the hand looks decent, it’s dominated too often and puts me in bad spots out of position. This is an easy fold for me every time.
Cash Game Example #2 (Late Position)
Position: Button
Hand: A♣ 9♣
Action: Folds to me
My Play: ➜ Raise 2.5–3x
Now the same concept changes completely. I have position, fold equity, and strong draw potential. This is a profitable open for me.
Tournament Example #1 (Early Levels)
Blinds: 100 / 200
Stack: 40 BB
Position: UTG+1
Hand: 6♠ 6♦
My Play: ➜ Small raise or fold depending on the table
Early in tournaments, I don’t force action. Small pairs play best heads-up, and I’m focused on stack preservation—not gambling.
Tournament Example #2 (Mid Stages)
Blinds: 1,000 / 2,000
Stack: 22 BB
Position: Cutoff
Hand: Q♠ J♠
My Play: ➜ Open raise
This is a spot where pressure matters. I still have fold equity, position, and a hand that plays well post-flop. These are the spots where tournaments are actually won.
📊 Your Homework This Week
This strategy works whether you are playing live or online like many of our listeners. :
- Pay attention to how many hands you play
- Note your position when you enter pots
- Be honest about hands you knew you shouldn’t have played
Awareness alone will improve your game.
🎯 Final Thought
Poker rewards patience, discipline, and clarity.
I don’t win by playing more hands.
I win by playing better hands, in better spots, for better reasons.
Next week, I’ll break down Continuation Betting—when I fire, when I slow down, and when I shut it down completely.
