Best Online Texas Hold'em Casinos in South Africa
Texas Hold'em has been the king of casino games since 1959 and it’s still the top pick for both online and in-person casinos everywhere. People dig the simple rules, especially when they can play on their phones.
South African players usually have a tough time finding poker sites they can actually trust. The cool part is that it’s totally legal for them to play all kinds of Texas Hold’em, whether that’s live dealer tables or normal online games, and they can even use their own ZAR money. Plus, these sites hook players up with sweet bonuses like free spins and deposit matches, and newbies can practice without putting any real cash on the line.
This guide breaks down the top online Texas Hold'em spots in South Africa. It covers what makes each site cool, the kinds of tournaments they run, and the betting styles you can pick from—like No-Limit, Pot-Limit, and Fixed-Limit.
List of Texas Hold'em Casinos:
Operator
|
Bonus
|
Features
|
Claim Now
|
---|---|---|---|
100% Match
Up to 3000 ZAR |
|
|
|
100% Match
|
|
|
|
100% Match
|
|
|
|
100% Match
Up to R1000 |
|
|
|
100% Match
Up to $100 |
|
|
|
Welcome bonus:
Up to 10000 ZAR |
|
|
|
Welcome package:
+ 150 Free Spins |
|
|
|
100% Match
Up to 500€ + 100FS |
|
|
|
500% Match
Up to $2800 |
|
|
|
100% Match
Up to 100€ |
|
|
|
Welcome package:
|
|
|
Understanding Texas Holdem Poker in South Africa
Poker in South Africa is kind of a weird combo: the laws are strict, more people are getting into it, and the places you can play keep shifting. What’s cool is that South African players sometimes have to follow special rules that change the way they play Texas Hold’em.
Legal status of online poker in South Africa
South Africa has some pretty clear rules about Texas Hold’em. The National Gambling Act from 2004 says online poker is a no-go. Section 11 spells it out: “You can’t run or offer any interactive game unless the Act or another national law says it’s okay.”
Back in 2008, the National Gambling Amendment Act wanted to let people gamble online. The idea crashed because regular casinos and the groups that fight money laundering weren’t into it. In 2010, the North Gauteng High Court had the last word and said online gambling is totally illegal, even if the websites are hosted outside South Africa.
If you break these laws, you’re looking at some serious consequences. You could get hit with a fine as big as R10 million or even land in jail for up to ten years. And it’s not just the companies running the games—regular players who join illegal online gambling can get nailed too.
So, the law has a few loopholes. If a bookmaker in South Africa has the right license, they can legally run online sports betting. Same deal with poker: you can play it at casinos that have their paperwork straight. Every province has its own gambling board, and that board is the one that hands out the licenses to casinos that want to offer poker.
The law is pretty clear, but the cops don’t always crack down. So far, no South African who’s played poker on foreign sites has actually been charged. Everyone just calls it a “gray area,” where people keep logging into offshore sites even though it’s technically against the rules.
Growth of Texas Holdem popularity
Texas Hold'em is blowing up in South Africa even though the law still puts some limits on it. Right now, it’s the poker game everyone’s playing. Numbers from the third quarter of 2023 show the apps are doing great—WSOP Poker: Texas Holdem Game hit a high of 99,000 rand in late June 2023.
Other poker apps were also crushing it around then. Zynga Poker – Texas Hold'em was pulling in about ZAR 55,800 every week near the end of July 2023. Texas Hold'em Poker: Pokerist kept climbing and hit ZAR 46,800 by mid-September 2023.
South Africa’s gambling scene is totally taking off. In the 2022/23 year, people bet a crazy R815.1 billion, which is 45.6% more than the year before. The total money the industry actually kept, called gross gambling revenue, hit R47.2 billion, up 36.9% from the previous year.
This surge in poker interest happened because:
- Better internet connection – now more South Africans can hop onto online gaming platforms.
- Mobile tech keeps blowing up, and because of that, way more people can play poker on their phones now.
- More tournaments – stuff like the South African National Poker Championship – have helped more people notice the game.
- Global success – South African players taking home big international wins has gotten everyone back home super hyped.
Texas Hold'em is popular with all kinds of players. Newbies dig it because the rules are super easy to pick up, and the pros love how much strategy you can squeeze out of it. It also runs great on phone casinos since it’s way less complicated than other poker games.
Key differences between live and online Texas Holdem
So, if you're a South African player hunting for the top Texas Hold'em casinos, you gotta understand how live games and online games aren't the same. These differences totally switch up the way people play and the strategies they build.
Game Speed and Volume Live poker and online poker don’t run at the same pace. In a normal no-limit cash game at a casino, you’ll see about 30 to 40 hands every hour. Online, one table usually deals 60 or more hands in that same hour, and if the table is short-handed it can go even faster. Plus, online you can open up extra tables and play them all at once, which you just can’t do when you’re sitting in a live game.
Information Availability Players pick up different kinds of info depending on where they’re playing. In live games, you can spot physical “tells” – little habits people don’t even realize they’re doing that give away how strong or weak their hand is. These can be facial expressions, the way they sit or move, what they say, or even how they handle their chips. Online, though, you can’t see anyone, so you have to pay attention to how they bet and how fast they make their moves.
Betting Patterns and Sizing So, online and live games don’t use the same bet sizes. Online, most people open for about 3-4 times the big blind, and if you’re in late position you might see a tiny 2.5x or even a min-raise. Live, though, the first raise is usually way bigger—like 5-7 times the big blind, and in crazy games it can hit 10x. Because of that, your stack depth and your whole game plan change depending on where you’re playing.
Player Skill Distribution Skill levels are totally different between online and live games even when the stakes look the same. The pros say a solid NL10 (10¢/20¢ blinds) online player would probably crush most NL200 (R2/R4 blinds) live games. The reason is that online tables pull in way more grinders and sharks, especially once the stakes go up.
Environmental Factors Live poker has a bunch of social stuff that you just don’t get online. You’ve got the casino vibe, people chatting, and all the table talk going on. It also takes way more patience since the game moves slower and you can’t hop between a bunch of tables at once.
Accessibility and Convenience You can hop online and play whenever you’ve got Wi-Fi. These sites never close, unlike real casinos that shut down at night. That’s a lifesaver if you live way out in the sticks or if travel’s off the table for a while.
Cost Structure Money just doesn’t work the same way in live and online poker. When you play live, the buy-ins are usually higher and the house takes a bigger cut. On top of that, you’ve got to cover gas or flights, hotel rooms if it’s a tournament, tips for the dealer, and food—all stuff online players can skip.
These differences help South African players pick the right platform and tweak their game plan. Each format has its own perks and hurdles that fit different players’ needs, schedules, and skills.
How to Choose Top Texas Holdem
Finding a solid Texas Hold’em site can feel like a pain when there are literally hundreds of them popping up everywhere. Don’t just fall for flashy bonuses or a huge list of games. You’ve got to dig a little deeper to land on the right online casino that actually works for your poker style. Here’s how the serious players narrow it down to the best spots for Texas Hold’em.
Evaluation methodology and criteria
The pros who review the best online Texas Hold’em sites don’t just wing it—they follow a tight checklist. That way, their picks are based on hard data, not just flashy ads.
First, we make sure the site is actually legal and safe. Then we sign up, drop in some cash, play a bunch of games, and cash out to see if everything runs smoothly. Doing it ourselves gives us real numbers on how the platform performs.
A solid review checks out the games you can play, how many people are on the site, whether the app crashes, how quick you get your money, and how fast the support team answers. Most review sites have a crew with different talents so they can cover everything from every side.
The current standards favor platforms that excel in these key areas:
- Game variety and reliable software
- Player numbers and table access
- Banking choices with ZAR support
- Bonus rules and betting requirements
Reviews also check what South African players actually care about, like local payment methods and currency choices. Sites that accept South African rand (ZAR) score higher because players don’t get hit with extra currency conversion fees.
Ranking factors explained
A few big things decide which Texas Hold’em casinos land on the “best” list. When these pieces line up, players stay happy and the site keeps doing well for the long haul.
Security and licensing are the starting point for every ranking. The best sites lock things down with stuff like SSL encryption, tough firewalls, and other protective tech. Big-name regulators like the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, and Curacao keep an eye on these places so players stay safe.
Good software really matters when it comes to rankings. Nothing kills a poker game faster than the app freezing right when you’ve got pocket aces. The top sites run on rock-solid software that almost never crashes or lags out. That’s extra important in tournaments, because one glitch can wipe out your shot at the prize.
Game variety is also super important. The best sites have all the main Texas Holdem styles—No-Limit, Pot-Limit, and Fixed-Limit. They also set up tables with different buy-in levels, so both casual players and the super serious ones can find a spot that fits.
Player traffic basically decides how fast you can jump into a game and how fat the tournament prizes are. Solid poker sites have enough people online so tables fill up right away and you’re not stuck waiting. The pros look at how many players are logged on at different times to make sure South African users can always get a game going.
Payment options are a big deal. The top sites hook South African players up with tons of ways to get money in and out fast. If a site pays out quickly and the verification is easy, it climbs higher in the rankings.
These days, mobile gaming is basically a must-have. Studies say that betting apps have made gambling way easier to get into, and the same goes for poker sites. If a platform has solid iOS and Android apps or at least a site that works well on your phone, it climbs to the top of the list.
Reputation and trustworthiness
When you're choosing an online Texas Hold'em site, the site's rep is the biggest deal. Some of these places are just out to rip you off instead of giving you a fair game.
You can tell which sites are legit by looking for a few things. First, they’ve got real licenses from well-known regulators who make sure the games are fair. Their rules about accounts, fixing problems, and playing responsibly are easy to find and actually make sense. Plus, they keep you in the loop about software updates, tournaments, and promos.
Experts say you should check:
- How long they’ve been around (older sites are usually safer)
- Good companies usually tell you who actually owns them.
- We had some outside experts check out their random number generators.
- Tools and Help for Staying Safe While Gambling
Player reviews are super helpful for seeing what actually happens, but you gotta read them carefully. The pros don’t freak out over one bad comment—they look for patterns, since even the best sites mess up sometimes. They also double-check that the reviews are legit, because some rivals will drop fake hate just to mess with the competition.
Security is another big deal when it comes to trust. The legit Texas Hold’em sites lock down your personal and money info with solid protection. They run SSL encryption, safe payment setups, and tight privacy rules.
South African players should stick to sites that actually follow the international money-laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) rules, but still run smoothly. Those checks can make withdrawals take a little longer, but they keep legit players safe.
Bonuses and promotions for players
Bonuses are what make the best Texas Hold’em casinos pop compared to the rest. If you know how these deals work, you can grab more perks and steer clear of the sneaky fine print.
Most Texas Hold’em sites hand out two kinds of bonuses. First up, no-deposit bonuses: they toss you a little free cash without asking for a deposit. These are on the small side (think ZAR 90 to ZAR 360), but they let you test the site without risking your own money. Then there are deposit-match bonuses, which can be bigger because the site matches whatever you put in, usually 100% up to a set limit.
Here’s the deal: whatever you put in, they double it, but only up to ZAR 9000.27. So if you drop in ZAR 3600.11, you score another ZAR 3600.11 on the house. Go all the way to ZAR 9000.27 and you’ll get that same amount again as a bonus. Anything past ZAR 9000.27 still just gives you the max bonus of ZAR 9000.27.
You can’t just cash out these bonuses right away. First, you have to “unlock” the money by playing hands (which creates rake) or jumping into tournaments. How fast and how hard that unlocking part is depends on the site.
Smart players check these bonus details:
- How fast bonus money becomes real cash
- Which games count toward clearing
Sites also keep things fun with promos that never really stop. You’ll see reload bonuses, rakeback deals, tourney tickets, and VIP perks for the regulars. If you’re chasing the best bang for your buck, hit the “happy hour” promos to knock out those bonuses quicker.
Extra cash isn’t just extra cash. It lets you test new moves and rack up experience without betting the farm. Most of the time, that practice is worth way more than the bonus itself.
Experts say you should always keep a bonus running. If you play without one, you’re basically leaving free money on the table while you’re already having fun with poker.
Detailed Review of Each Top Texas Holdem Casino
After we really checked out a bunch of online poker sites, we ended up with five awesome places to play Texas Holdem. Every one of these casinos has its own cool twist, but they all still give serious players exactly what they’re looking for.
Wazamba Casino
Wazamba Casino is kind of a big deal for Texas Hold’em because it mixes poker with a cool theme that feels more like a game than just another gambling site. The company behind it is Rabidi N.V., and they run everything under a Curacao license (registration 15179, e-gaming license 8048/JAZ). So you get this fun, immersive poker vibe while still knowing they’re following the rules.
The platform’s bonus setup is pretty sweet for poker fans. When you sign up, they double your first deposit up to R8000, toss in 200 free spins, and even give you a bonus crab. The rules are chill: you just have to bet the deposit plus bonus 35 times before cashing out, which is the same deal most legit poker sites use.
South African players get a nice perk with Wazamba because the site lets them use ZAR straight up, so they don’t have to pay any currency swap fees. You can drop in cash right away with Visa, Mastercard, or InstantEFT, and the minimum is just R200. When it’s time to cash out, the site handles it through a few different ways, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The platform works great on phones. You can jump into Texas Hold'em on your phone or tablet just by opening the site in your browser—no extra apps needed.
1win Casino
1win Casino has been around for seven years and is already a solid name in the Texas poker scene. It runs on a Curacao license (8048/JAZ2018-040) and has pretty much every kind of poker you’d want, with Texas Hold’em as the main focus.
At 1win, you can jump into a bunch of different poker games. They’ve got Caribbean Stud, Omaha, Chinese Poker, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold’em, and Seven-Card Stud. Every game has easy-to-read rules and strategy tips, so whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been playing for a while, you’ll know what to do.
The platform’s bonus system is actually pretty sweet. New players can score a 500% bonus spread over their first four deposits, and the max you can walk away with is 14,000 ZAR. Right now it works like this: 200% on the first deposit, 150% on the second, 100% on the third, and 50% on the fourth. Just remember, you have to drop at least 700 ZAR each time you deposit.
Banking is pretty chill with Mybux, you can start with just 19 ZAR. Visa and Mastercard are pickier, they want at least 192 ZAR. Most of the time, your money lands back in your account within a day, which is what most places do anyway.
YesPlay Casino
Yeah, so YesPlay Casino has a ton of live poker tables, and that’s why it’s one of the best spots online for Texas Holdem. They put Texas Holdem right at the top of their poker list, calling it “the clear winner” whether you’re playing in person or on the web.
YesPlay’s version of Texas Holdem is pretty solid. They say the rules are “super easy to learn,” but the game still feels “fast, exciting, and gives good rewards” if you’re actually good at it. If you’re from South Africa and used to playing in real casinos, this setup makes the switch to online pretty smooth.
The platform’s live poker games make it feel like you’re actually sitting at the casino table. The Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board license shows that YesPlay has to keep things fair and square.
When you sign up, you’ll get a 100% bonus that matches your first deposit up to R3,000. Just remember, you have to bet the bonus amount 47 times before you can cash anything out. Most of the games that count are slots, but a few live dealer games are included too. The platform also gives you 10% of your losses back, up to R1000, and you only have to bet it three times before you can cash it out.
CasinoDays
CasinoDays gives you a solid Texas Hold’em setup online, with tournaments that are easy to jump into and plenty of game choices. Even though it’s only been around for three years, it’s already teamed up with some of the best game makers out there.
When you make your first deposit, the casino will double it all the way up to R15,000 and also toss in 100 free spins on the “Book of Dead” slot. Just drop at least R300 to get the deal, and remember you’ll need to bet the bonus amount 35 times before cashing anything out.
The site has a ton of game choices, like No-Limit, Pot-Limit, and Fixed-Limit Texas Holdem. Tables fill up fast, so you’re not stuck waiting around, and tournaments run without any hassle.
South African players get a boost because the site lets them use ZAR for banking. Most cash-outs land in your account within a day, which shows the platform really cares about keeping players happy.
Betway Casino
Betway Casino is basically the oldest and most trusted name on our list of best online Texas Hold’em sites. It gives you the full poker package and promises “a super exciting time online,” with tons of different poker games to choose from.
Ultimate Texas Hold'em is the star of the casino’s poker lineup, letting players dive into strategy and go head-to-head with others. The whole thing runs super smooth on phones, since every game is tweaked for mobile so you can jump online anytime, anywhere.
The table games section is set up so it feels like you're actually sitting in a real casino. South African players can put money in and take money out using a bunch of different payment options.
Betway’s solid rep and tough setup give serious Texas Hold’em players a place they can count on for steady, quality games.
Tournament Structures and Cash Games Available
Tournaments are basically the heartbeat of Texas Hold’em in South Africa. You can hop into all kinds of events, from totally free ones to the big-money showdowns. The top casinos hook you up with tons of tourney choices and cash tables, so it doesn’t matter if you’re rolling in cash or just have a few bucks to spare.
Daily and weekly tournament schedules
The best online Texas Hold’em sites run super solid servers and never shut down the action, so tournaments are going 24/7. Every day you can hop into freerolls and centrolls, which cost nothing (or just a penny) and still pay out real cash. These free-entry games are perfect for newbies who want to level up their skills and stack a bankroll without putting any of their own money on the line.
Top sites throw guaranteed tourneys every single hour, so there’s always a game going. The big weekly events are basically the backbone of the online Texas Hold’em schedule. And yeah, Sunday is still the busiest day with all the fancy tournaments.
Here are some weekly events you should know about:
Tournament Name | Buy-in (ZAR) | Guaranteed Prize Pool (ZAR) |
---|---|---|
Sunday Mile | 1,800.05 | 216,001.00 |
Sunday Warmup | 450.01 | 135,004.07 |
Falcon | 1,800.05 | 1,800,054.33 |
Eclipse PLO | 1,800.05 | 90,002.72 |
Nemesis | 90,002.72 | 2,250,067.91 |
Big poker tours hit South Africa all the time, and one of the main ones is the SunBet Poker Tour. It bounces between three spots: Time Square Casino (Feb–March), Sun City (Aug–Sept), and GrandWest (Nov–Dec). In 2025, the Time Square leg kicks off on Feb 26 and wraps up on March 9. The Opener has a guaranteed prize of ZAR 500,000, and the Main Event is set at ZAR 4,000,000.
Buy-in ranges and guaranteed prize pools
The best online poker sites for Texas Hold’em are cool with any budget. You can jump in for just a couple of bucks, or go big and drop over 75,000 rand in the super high-roller games. That range makes online tourneys way easier to join than the ones at regular casinos.
If you're just starting out, you can hop into tournaments that cost between 5,000 and 8,000 ZAR to enter, and they promise prize pools of 500,000 ZAR or more. Most regulars go for the middle-level events, where the buy-in is around 15,000 to 25,000 ZAR and the total prize money sits between 1 and 1.5 million ZAR. The top-tier players roll with the high rollers, dropping 40,000 to 75,000 ZAR to get in, but the guaranteed payouts can hit 1.5 million ZAR.
The SunBet Poker Tournament at Sun City has something for everyone. You can jump into the Turbo event for just 4,000 rand, or if you’re feeling bold, go for the Super High Roller memorial tournament. That one costs 75,000 rand to enter, but the winner is guaranteed to pocket a cool 1 million rand.
Winners take home about 30% of the prize pool. This creates opportunities for big payouts even in medium-sized tournaments.
Cash game stakes and table availability
Cash games are basically the main thing people play every day when they hop online for Texas Hold’em. You can jump in with tiny blinds like 0.18 ZAR / 0.36 ZAR, or if you’re feeling bold you can hit the high-stakes tables where the blinds go all the way up to 9,000.27 ZAR / 18,000.54 ZAR.
The number of open tables shifts all day depending on how many people are online. During the busiest times, it’s super easy to grab a seat at the micro and low-stakes tables. Mid-stakes tables (ZAR 9/ZAR 18 up to ZAR 90/ZAR 180) get packed fast in the evenings and on weekends. High-stakes tables usually take a while longer before enough players jump in.
In Texas poker, the vibe totally changes depending on how much money is on the line. At the super-cheap tables (like ZAR 1/ZAR 2), everyone’s super chill and barely raises before the flop. Once you move up to the low-stakes tables (ZAR 2/ZAR 5 up to ZAR 5/ZAR 10), people start playing a more balanced game. Hit the mid-stakes and you’ll see way more three-bets and aggression after the flop. At the high-stakes tables, the strategies get really advanced and the ranges stay balanced.
Most tables are open from 6 PM to midnight SAST on weekdays. On weekends, the best time is 2 PM to 2 AM, but each platform still has its own rush hours.
Casino Games
- Online Slot Casinos
- Aviator Gambling Sites
- Baccarat Casinos
- Blackjack Casinos
- Craps Casinos
- Keno Casinos
- Crash Games Casinos
- Roulette Casinos
- Texas Holdem Casinos
- Video Poker Casinos
Strategy Tips for Texas Holdem Success Online
Poker strategy totally flips when you switch from real-life casinos to the best Texas Hold’em sites online. Winning comes down to how well you get the game rules and adjust to playing on a screen instead of at a felt table.
Adjusting your play style for online Texas poker
Playing Texas Hold’em at online casinos means you have to switch up your whole game plan. Online tables move way quicker than live ones—you’ll see around 60 hands every hour instead of the 30-40 you’d get in person. Because everything’s so fast, you don’t get much time to think, so you’ve got to lean on your gut feelings more often.
Bet sizes change depending on where you’re playing. In live games, people usually open with bets around 5 to 7 times the big blind, but online it’s more like 2.5 to 4 times. Online tables also have more players in each hand, so you should fold more often before the flop.
Since you can’t spot physical tells on a screen, you’ve gotta focus on how people bet and how fast they act. Spend a little time watching how others respond to different cards, then come up with a plan that doesn’t depend on reading faces across the table.
Bankroll management for South African players
Smart bankroll management is basically the key to staying in the game when you play Texas Hold’em. First rule: don’t throw in cash you can’t afford to lose. If you’re grinding cash games, keep around 20 to 30 buy-ins for whatever level you’re playing. Tournament players need a bigger safety net—think 50 to 100 buy-ins—since the swings can get wild.
So if you’re jumping into a game that costs ZAR 450.01 to buy in, you’ll want to have around ZAR 9,000.27 set aside. When you’re placing bets, keep each one between 1% and 3% of your total bankroll, max. Just stick to those two rules and you’re good.
- Only use the cash you’ve got left over after bills and groceries—don’t touch the money you need to live on.
- Stick to games where the bets fit how good you actually are.
- Know when to quit when you're losing
- Keep the cash you use for poker totally separate from the money you need for everyday stuff.
Lots of the best online Texas Hold’em sites let you jump in with super-low stakes, like blinds of just 0.18/0.36 ZAR. That way you can keep your bankroll under control even if you’re working with a tiny budget.
Using HUDs and tracking software legally
Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) show immediate stats about your opponents, like how aggressive they are and how often they raise before the flop. These tools can totally help you out, but not every online poker site for Texas Hold’em lets you use them.
So, in South Africa the law is totally chill with HUDs, but some poker sites still say “nope.” GGPoker, partypoker, and Unibet block any outside tracking tools. PokerStars and 888Poker are cool with them, though.
Before you fire up any HUD, skim the site’s rules real quick. A bunch of platforms now track stats for you, so you might not even need extra software. HUDs are super handy for learning how your opponents play Texas Hold’em, but you still have to know what to do with the info they give you.
Our verdict
Texas Holdem is blowing up in South Africa even though the rules are kind of messy. Big sites like Wazamba Casino and 1win Casino are making waves because they have tons of games and sweet bonuses that can hit R14,000. The whole scene is growing like crazy—players dropped R815.1 billion in 2022/23, which is a 45.6% jump from the year before.
If you wanna do well at online poker, the first thing is choosing the right site. Make sure it’s got good security, a bunch of different games, and payments that actually work. For anyone playing from South Africa, pick a site that lets you use ZAR, has fair bonus rules, and answers your questions fast. If you’re into tournaments, look for places that have buy-ins for every budget, from free rolls all the way up to crazy high-roller events that cost R75,000 to enter.
Handling your money the smart way is super important when you play. Try to keep about 20 to 30 buy-ins if you’re grinding cash games, and bump it up to 50 to 100 buy-ins for tournaments. That cushion keeps the swings from knocking you out and helps you move up the stakes without freaking out. Online, you’ll play better if you tighten up your pre-flop ranges and just stick to the usual 2.5 to 4 times the big blind when you open.
The site you pick is gonna make a huge difference in how things turn out later. First, look up what’s out there and drop a few bucks on a couple of different ones to see how they feel. Get some practice in before you start tossing in bigger money. If you’re playing from South Africa, you can totally crush the online Texas Holdem scene as long as you choose the right site and keep your game tight.