While these nuggets of wisdom may not compare with stone tablets from on high, they’ll be of much more use at the poker table and should be a lot easier to remember. These rules are also useful for any and all poker games, not just no-limit hold’em.

I: Thou shalt play good starting cards.
In hold’em, that means you should stick with high pairs and high suited aces (A K s, A Q s). In Omaha/8, that means double-suited low aces (e.g. Ah2hAc3c), which should give you better opportunities to scoop the pot rather than playing for a split or, worse yet, a quarter. In razz, that means you should play only when you have three to an eight-low or better. When you start out with a weak hand, you’re playing uphill the whole way.

II: Thou shalt not chase cards.
This rule doesn’t mean that you should fold all your open-ended straight draws or ace-high flush draws. It means that you should choose your drawing hands carefully. It means that you shouldn’t chase draws that will still leave you with a second-best hand.

A number of inexperienced players who come to the game by watching TV tournaments think that the game is all about brave bluffs and lucky draws, but the best players know better. If the odds are against hitting your draw, or if your draw could lead to a “sucker straight” or a low flush, fold your hand and fight another day.

III: Thou shalt play within thy bankroll.
From both a financial and an emotional perspective, this is the main rule to remember. If your bankroll is only a few hundred dollars, then stick to the lower limits and weaker opponents before trying to tackle that 25/50 no-limit hold’em table.

Poker is not like craps or roulette or a slot machine. By its nature, poker is a long-term game that rewards patience over impulse and good decision-making over reckless gambling. When you play within your bankroll and win, you’ll increase your stake in steady, measurable increments. When you lose and play above your means, your roll can vanish before you can blink.

Keep these three rules in mind. Better yet, print out this page and keep it in your pocket. Either way, it’ll be a lot easier than carrying two heavy stone tablets down a mountain!