“ABC Poker” is the term used for a basic, straight-forward poker strategy; nothing fancy or complex, just good, solid poker. It’s the type of strategy I recommend for any beginning player wanting to learn the game. The reason I recommend Lee Jones' book Winning Low Limit Hold'em is because it advocates this type of "ABC" poker.

The main points are simple:

• Play tight preflop. Play only solid hands (with position).
• Bet/Raise when you have a good hand.
• Check/Fold when you have a weak hand.
• Call with a draw hand only when you have the pot odds to justify it.
• Don’t bluff.
• Don’t slow-play.

This may sound like it’s too simple to work, but it’s not. As long as you’re playing against weaker opponents (if you’re not, leave to find a better game), then they will pay off your premium hands. Most low limit Texas Holdem games are filled with loose/passive players. This means they will play too many hands (they are playing weaker hands than yours), and they take them too far (they will pay off your bets/raises even with the worst hand). You’d be surprised how many more bets you accumulate by betting out your flopped set, instead of trying to slow-play it.

Your opponents are bad players. Don’t try to out-think them or out-maneuver them (a.k.a. FPS = Fancy Play Syndrome). Just wait for good hands, and let them pay you off. Even after years of experience, my default play is the "ABC" play. I only deviate from that play if I have a specific reason to (read on a player, extreme pot odds, deception, etc.)

The advantages of “ABC Poker” are that it’s easy to learn, and it is the safest way to play for a beginner on a small bankroll. You should be able to produce a nice win rate, while at the same time, keep variance down to a minimum. The only disadvantages are that you may be missing out on some extra profit here and there, by not making the absolute best play. But, you will never be too far off from the correct play, or miss out on too much money.

Only after much experience, should you worry about maximizing your win rate and gaining that last little bit of available profit. I estimate that 80% of the money to be made can come from playing basic "ABC" poker. The last 20% of profit is very tough to get and requires much more skill. Ed Miller’s book, Small Stakes Hold’em is focused on getting this last little bit and maximizing your win rate.