Texas Hold’em Poker has been one of the biggest success stories of the 21st century, with millions of people worldwide now playing this iconic game.

The 2023 World Series of Poker Main Event highlighted how diverse poker has become, with players from across the globe finishing in the money in the prestigious tournament.

Five players from Asia and the Middle East finished inside the top 100, further demonstrating how the poker world is evolving.

Gabi Livshitv was the top performer from the region, with the Israeli player pocketing a cool $345,000 on his way to finishing 26th out of 10,043 entrants.

India's Nikita Luther was another standout performer, claiming $78,900 in 96th place. She was one of the last two women in the field alongside France's Estelle Cohuet.

Many of the Asian and Middle Eastern players in this year’s Main Event honed their craft online before transitioning into in-person tournaments.

The sites featured at https://haz-tayeb.com/en/ provide an excellent platform for players to develop their skills as they strive to climb the poker ladder.

The exploits of Livshitv, Luther and others will likely to inspire a new generation of players to take up the game online, all of whom will dream of featuring in the WSOP Main Event.

With that in mind, we offer up some essential tips Asian and Middle Eastern players can use to boost their chances of becoming successful exponents of poker.

Concentrate on Premium Starting Hands

Live television broadcasts do not paint a full picture of Texas Hold’em Poker, with the players seemingly engaged in every hand that is dealt.

However, the best players tend to fold more hands than they play, preferring to focus on capitalising on what are known as ‘premium starting hands’.

High ranking pairs such as AA, KK and QQ are the best starting hands and should be played aggressively before the community cards are dealt.

While bluffing with poor hands undoubtedly has its place in poker, it is imperative to be extremely selective about the times you utilise this tactic.

Always Bet with Confidence

Anyone who wants to become a successful poker player must be prepared to bet confidently when they participate in tournaments.

Your opponents will be eager to take advantage of any signs of weakness such as limping into a pot or calling a bet when you should have raised.

Sizing your bet correctly is one of the key elements in poker, helping to demonstrate confidence in your hand and keeping the opposition on their toes.

You should always factor in your stack-to-pot ratio when making a bet. Wager too much and you could scare away opponents, but bet too little and you may regret it further down the line.

Table Position is All-Important

Many new players make the mistake of underestimating the importance of table position in poker – this is an error that should be avoided at all costs.

In simple terms, ‘table position’ is where you are seated in relation to the dealer and defines at which point in a hand you are required to make a decision.

The deal moves around the table during the game to give every player an equal amount of time in each of the game positions.

Playing hands ‘out of position’ can be a costly exercise, so always give careful consideration to this before getting involved.

Learn How to Fold Premium Hands

Country and Western singer Kenny Rogers famously used the line ‘know when to fold 'em’ in his hugely successful 1978 song ‘The Gambler’.

This mantra is a skill many poker players struggle to get to grips with, particularly when it comes to folding hands that are classed as ‘premium’ before the flop.

There will often be occasions in poker when you have been dealt a strong hand only to see the community cards leave you in a sorry state.

The ability to fold a premium hand when the evidence suggests you should is the skill which separates the top professionals from everyone else.