Hand Selection
The factor that separates the fish (luck players) and the professionals is hand selection. Hand selection means the ability to choose what hands to play by understanding the hand groupings. Obviously T9 looks attractive to play, especially if it's suited but should you play it? Depends on what type of Hold' Em game you're in and how much the bet is. Look at where it ranks in the hand rankings. Playing that hand has increased risk, which introduces the concept of kickers.
Kickers
A kicker is your other card, the lower card in your hand. For example, if you play A9, your kicker is 9. If the board has a 9, your kicker is the A (since you now have a pair). Therefore if your opponent is playing AT and the board has no helping cards for either of you, your opponent will win because their kicker is higher (their T versus your 9 since you both have an A). In the same token if your opponent is playing K9 and the board hits a 9 then you will win because your kicker is higher. In the event that you are playing 2,7 and your opponent is playing 4,5 and the board consists of 5 cards higher than either hands (ex 9, J, K, A, 8) This will result in a tie, as both players will use all 5 cards on the board for their hand. Another example would be if the board has 2 pairs and you are playing A9, your opponent has K9, you would win since you're a kicker is better than your opponents K kicker.
Bluffing & Bullying
Bluffing is a big part of poker. It is the art of making your opponents think that you have them beat by assuming a betting style as if you had the hand or making the pot odds extremely hard for your opponent to call.
There is one theory that seems to hold up when put it to the test but goes against human nature. The theory is this: the weaker your hand is, if you play it, the bigger you have to bet. The reasoning is actually pretty simple...you are forcing your opponent(s) to fold. When the flop hits, you have to play it like you got it. This is called bluffing. To some this is an art form. Basically, if your opponent has hit something on the flop that is not top pair or better you may be able to make the pot odds too high for them to find out if their hand will hold up at showdown. If they have hit top pair or better or even nut (the highest hand, for example, a nut flush would be the highest flush possible) draw then they'll play it regardless of what you do. You are in essence betting that your opponent does not have the cards to beat you. Your only tools is counting outs and previous betting trends that your opponent has shown. This is a very powerful tool but not for the weak of heart or low stacks as you have to be aggressive all the way through.
Bullying is using your chip stack to make the pot odds so unfavorable that your opponent can't call with a weak hand or semi strong hand on the principle that if they call and lose, they're out of the tournament. Bullying is a natural tool that every chip leader and or large chips stacks will use when faced with a lower chip stack. Their cards can be anything, knowing their betting styles from previous play can help you decide how to play.
Positioning
Now that you know the principles of hand strength (ranking), outs and pot odds, you now need to be able to bet your hand using your position. Remember the principle, the weaker your hand, the bigger you have to bet should you decide to play it. Especially, if you're in late position or even SB position. The reasoning is, if you're in late position and there has not been any raises and you're last to bet, with a group 3 or 4 hand you could raise to force the blinds to fold, it would be hard for them to call your raise if they have weaker hands or hands in groups 3 or 4, if you make the pot odds unfavorable. On the same token, you don't want to raise big if you're in mid position and especially early position with a weak hand as you have many other opponents to contend with. For example, if you have 9Ts, pre-flop and in early position or under the gun, you don't want to raise because there are 9 other players waiting to react. You can count on at least 1 other player holding an A or K. So from the start you are behind and dependent on the board to help you win. You can directly influence the number of opponents you have by understanding and playing position. Playing positioning will allow you to play more hands and to bluff. For example, if you're in a heads up situation, holding either an A or K. That is a really strong hand and should be played aggressive pre-flop. Carnegie Mellon University's computer science department has shown that AK loses much of it's strength after the flop if nothing hits. Click here to read it.
Tilt
Don't forget to study human nature, which brings into the game, the term tilt. This happens when a player gets so upset that it clouds his playing judgment and he starts to play poorly. This can happen if they get rivered, bluffed, getting runner, runner meaning their opponent hit two cards on the turn and river to win or ridiculed by other players. Some players deliberately talk trash, criticise or ridicule other players play in hopes to throw them off their game. Keep this in mind and use it when a player chases and hits on you. You don't have to necessarily say anything bad or derogatory, just let them know that they beat you by luck. Most players will know that luck is a part of the game and if you rely on it, you will lose in the long run. So by letting them know, they will either stop chasing as much or keep chasing either way in the long run you'll get them, in the short term, you will have to be a little more careful if they continue to chase. Either way, try not to tilt. Also, be very careful about the language you use, should you decide to participate in the chat. All sites will ban offensive language some even offer an incentive to report offensive behavior/language.
Gap Concept
This concept was introduced by Mr. Sklansky. Basically, it states that you need a better hand to call a raise with than you do to make a raise with and applies to No Limit Hold' Em. For example, if you have pocket 7's which is not a bad starting hand right and you should raise with it however, if someone has raised then you may want to fold it before you commit anymore chips in a mostly losing effort especially if there was a reraise. The reason being is that the majority of good players will only reraise with overcards and big pairs. Anyone calling a raise will have that or a medium pair at least. So if your opponents is raising with any combination above 7, they have plenty of outs to beat you with, where as you have have 2 to make trips and the hope/prayer of making a 7 high straight. Not very good odds, don't you think?
Defending your hand
This is when you have, for example, made top pair on the flop but the board is dangerous. Maybe there's a flush draw or straight draw. In instances like this, you must defend your hand especially if you are in a good position. You should bet and bet enough to make the pot odds unfavorable to people who have drawing hands. You need to chase them out of the pot. Remember, the more cards your opponents see, the higher your risk of losing. In No Limit, you must be actively watching your opponents play style, watch what people are playing and how they are betting with those hands that you do see. Remember to TAKE NOTES! This will be useful when you're faced with a dangerous board with a made hand and your opponent has re-raised you.
Defending your blinds
This concept is similar to defending your hand except when everyone else has folded and there is only the button and the blinds left in the hand. Chances are, the button position will raise with anything just to force you out of the hand, the SB position will do so as well if the button position has folded. If the SB just calls, the BB should raise to force out the SB. This strategy, of course, depends on the strength or your hand too. Also, you must know your opponents playing style. If one of the late positions just calls, they may be trying to slow play or to trap you. On the other side of the coin, if your opponent has been playing almost anything or raises a lot, the odds of them having a better starting hand than you preflop when you do decide to defend your blind is unlikely. To help you with your decisions to defend your blinds or steal blinds is an awesome tool called
Poker Tracker (click to read our summary of it).
Slow Playing
This is when you have a strong hand that you're 90% confident will win the pot EVEN if you let your opponents see more cards. You can do this by checking and letting them bet into you, then calling, or if you know your opponent is going to check if you do, you might want to consider putting in a small bet (make it look like you're limping into the pot). If the board gets dangerous, you can check then raise your opponents bet (called check-raising). Slow playing can be dangerous because you're letting your opponent see more cards at a cheap price and they could out draw you but many people do it anyways because it is the only way to maximize your profits with a strong hand. Remember you're not supposed to be playing a lot of hands so you have to maximize your winnings...remember you don't want to be losing money to the blinds, nor do you want to get blinded out in a tournament.
Trapping
This concept is related to kickers and slow playing. If you are holding a stronger hand (or kicker) than your opponent, you have them 'dominated' meaning if the board does not help either of you, you will still win. If you have correctly guessed your opponents playing style and hand, you slow play them in the beginning to get them pot committed (they put in too many chips and thus should call). Once they are pot committed OR if you've checked and they have bet into you then you have them trapped. This of course will depend on the turn and/or river cards not helping them out. This strategy is also used to maximize your winnings.
Blind Stealing
When blind stealing, make sure you only do it to the
mid stacks. They can afford to fold, the big stacks can
afford to call and the low stacks are desperate to double
up.
Check it down
This is when one player is all in and there are other
players in the pot. These players will check on all
betting rounds just to bust out the all in player. The
more hands against the the all in player the greater the
chance that player will get busted. You cannot verbally
announce this plan as this is cheating, called collusion.
Isolation Raise
When you've assessed your opponents and there is one
player in particular you want to be in a pot heads up
with, you can use this technique. Basically, out of
position you make a big re-raise against the player you
want to go heads up with. Be careful with this as you may
get caught. This is usually done against a short stack,
with this in mind another player may call because they
also have the implied odds and the checking it down
theories in mind. Which means their hand won't be a
marginal one. Remember the gap concept.
|
