Please vote for this guide if you find it useful...or not :(

This guide is written to help those people who have basic knowledge about the rules of Texas Hold 'Em Poker but just can't seem to win. Newbie poker players always complain about not getting hands and constantly having bad beats.

Here are 10 tips to help you break through that plateau:

1. Rule number one is the most important rule of all: DO NOT gamble more than you can lose. In other words, don't play a $100 cash game if you do not have $100 to spare. I've seen several friends and family spiral into this pitfall as theystart to lose large amounts of money and eventually their loved ones. 
2. Don't play too many hands. This is a common pitfall that I see many beginning players succumb to.
   
• Unless you're getting pocket pairs constantly, I suggest that you fold your mediocre hands (Queen-2, Jack-6, etc.). Have a little patience and wait for strong hands (Ace-King, Ace-Queen, high pocket pairs, etc.).
  
3. What distinguishes an experienced poker player from your run-of-the-mill fish is the ability of the pro to recognize his position relative to the dealer.
   
• How many people are behind you to act? How big are the other chip stacks compared to yours?
  
• Position is important in poker. The dealer has the advantage as he/she is the last to act after seeing what everyone else in the hand does.
  
4. Avoid going on "tilt" after getting a bad beat. Every once in a while you'll get beat with a ridiculous hand. It happens to everyone. Just take a break for a while and calm your mind.
• I recall having pocket rockets (Ace-Ace). The flop came, and there was an ace. I bet hard consistently, and I still lost to a runner-runner flush.
  
5. Try playing both online poker as well as live poker. There are obvious differences between the two, and improving your play in one can help the other.
   
• In online poker, players tend to be more liberal in terms of calling bets so it's unlikely that you'll bluff anyone out unless it's an all-in bet. 
• For live poker, physical tells come into play.
  
6. The general rule for reading poker tells is that Weak equals Strong, and Strong equals Weak.
• People are generally bad actors, especially amateur poker players.
  
7. Practice establishing a routine while you are playing (e.g., betting patterns). 
• Try not to deviate from your routine. Good poker players will take advantage of your tells.
  
• Pay attention to your hands while you play (as well as everyone else). Everyone works hard on their "poker face", but a lot of people forget to work on their "poker hands". You won't believe how many times I've seen newbie players place their chips into the pot with trembling hands (which could indicate a sign of strength). 
• A friend of mine once told me that tend to play with my chips more whenever I have a weak hand so I stopped fidgeting with my chips during a hand. Evaluate yourself and find out if you have any subtle or obvious physical tells. 
  
8. Learn how to calculate pot odds.
• For example, let's say there are 80 chips in the pot. Your opponent bets 20 chips. What are the pot odds? It's simple. You have to put in 20 chips for a chance to win 100 chips so the pot odds are 5:1. So if the pot odds for the hand that you are trying to obtain (e.g., flush ~4:1) is lower than the pot odds, it is generally favorable to make the call. There's a lot more to pot odds so consult other resources.
  
9. Remember the reason why you play this game. It doesn't matter if it's to pass the time or simply to get away from your spouse or kids.
   
   • Don't be the stiff in room that just sits there quietly with a blank stare. Engage in some conversation with your fellow poker players.
   • After all, poker is a game. Have fun.
10. Vote for this guide, and I'll guarantee that you'll win at least 1 hand next time you play Texas Hold 'Em Poker.