Poker Strategy

Stemming the Debt Flow of an Addiction

Poker is addictive. Much like alcohol, cigarettes or even some serious drugs it can totally screw with your life if you let it consume you. I’ll even admit myself one of the hardest moves you make in the game is quitting or walking away; especially when you’re winning hand after hand. But, just like the famous saying goes, “quitting while you’re ahead is not the same as quitting”.

There are hundreds upon thousands of poker junkies out there who scrape around to find enough money just to jump into their next game. It may sound ridiculously silly, but it’s unfortunately very true. They bet their lives away until they completely run out of money, and eventually they begin borrowing it or stealing it from the wrong sources. Some of these men even have families to support, and other mouths to feed, as with most of us who love the game. It is highly possible for anyone to become addicted to the game of poker; therefore it is very important that all players learn to make their poker trips a privilege and not a necessity.

The most important thing to remember is that you are no poker pro like Chris Ferguson; as much as you’d like to be, you don’t make a living off of poker. Even if you do in rare circumstances, then you need to follow this tip as well. Winning a large stack of money in a game can get your heart-racing and your adrenaline pumping; the excitement of the moment is always fulfilling. This spur of the moment ecstasy of sorts can alter your thinking and push you to bet more and more. The best decision to make especially if your luck has been terrible all night, is to grab your nice big stack and walk away while you have money. A lot of players get lost in the game and let their winnings go to their head, and eventually they throw away everything they won, plus the money they put in, and wind up leaving with nothing. Plenty of people talk about how much they hate quitters, and they may even give you nasty glances when you collect your stack but none of that should matter. Quitting with a large stack of money you just won, or collected over time is much better than being forced out with nothing left. Even if you don’t win the game, you are still considered a winner for walking away with a good amount of money; after all that is what poker is about.

Another point that needs to be established for many players, especially aggressive ones, is that everyone should set a personal limit for themselves before they even enter the casino, poker rooms, or hop online. It is very easy to run to the cashier and pump more personal money into the game when your emotions are running high. It’s this type of tendency that spawns a terrible addiction to the game. As aforementioned above it can even cloud your judgment so much that you forget you have a family back home, or even in some cases ignore the fact, and all your money winds up sinking down the drain. For those players who are already there, with very little money left to gamble, the important move you need to make requires you to understand that poker is not always as important as you think it is. Poker can always be set aside for later, and even for those who have a terrible addiction sometimes poker needs to be set aside permanently. Never endanger your own life or the lives of others just to play a game.

Beginners’ of the sport can also become easily addicted; often it happens without them knowing. For those who are first starting, to remain safe novices’ should only play low-limit tables to keep their losing streaks to a bare minimum. You never want to hop in at a table with a $1,000,000 limit and find yourself face to face with nothing but veterans and pros that squander your stack and leave you nothing.

Remember to stay focused even after losing and not let your emotions gain control of your actions. If you have lost, and you have run out of the extra money you brought with you to play with. Don’t add in more and drop yourself into debt; just walk away for the night and go home.

Poker is fun and time-consuming but there is no reason it should be life-consuming. Don’t let the game pull you in and get you addicted. Stay ahead of your emotions and desires and plan everything out before you take a trip to the casino. Really, casinos don’t care about your life they just want your money and the same holds true for online poker venues. They’ll keep taking it if you give it to them no matter what your debt ratio is. If you’re losing terribly and your money is slipping away, then pick up what you have and get the hell out of there before you dig yourself a grave.

Tags:
Poker Addiction, Poker Tips

When To Bluff

Deception is poker.

This is a very true and simple fact that will never disappear in the world of poker; there is just no winning without the use of deceiving opponents. The idea is to make opponents in many cases believe that you have cards you really do not; whether that be convincing opponents you have a really good hand when you don’t or vice versa. Part of that deception is the skilled art of bluffing.

Bluffing involves much more than just tricking your opponents with the cards in your hand; it also involves everything from your stature, mannerisms and even facial expressions. While bluffing, you always want to make sure not to give away a surefire tell that you are or aren’t bluffing. For many novice players this is very difficult to do; emotions can be very tough to control, but it can be done. However, the toughest decision to make regarding bluffing is simply, when to do it?

When do you bluff? There aren’t many places that lay down just what circumstances make it a good time to bluff. The following list of situations however call for just that; a bluff.

The most obvious situation is when you are one of the last few players in the pot. With less players still in, it also means less winning hands. Typically, this means that your opponents are doing the same exact thing; bluffing. This situation can also be very dangerous, especially if one or two of your opponents decide to stay in and call your bluff; it can get costly very quickly. As always, before bluffing make sure you have the best possible hand to bluff with. For example, you have a hand with King or Ace high; this makes it the highest possible hand at the table provided everyone else has nothing.

You’re in one of the last betting positions and everyone else has checked. Subsequently this could also mean that one of your opponents is planning to use a check betting strategy at some point which would mean they more than likely have a good hand. In most conditions however this particularly means that your opponents are bluffing or have nothing in their hand as of yet. This type of bluff is more common and there is more of a chance that your opponents will call; meaning it could also become a very costly bluff.

When the first three cards of the flop are terrible; or provide no good possible hands. If the flop is bad; this generally means that everyone has a bad hand unless of course they drew a pair. Keep in mind however the hands around the table could get more powerful with later flops; meaning this type of bluff should not be prolonged or backed with large bets. It wouldn’t be smart of a bluffing player to be persistent in this situation either; if an opponent bets large then you should probably drop out.

You bet big pre-flop and then miss after the cards drop. This situation is one to be decided heavily on beforehand. The other opponents will not know you missed; and if you keep betting in the sense of a bluff they may even fall for it and think you hit a jackpot. This can get extremely dangerous however if you are called; or an opponent believes you are bluffing. Many a player has been knocked out because they did not fold while they still had chips in their stack.

When all but a few opponents have folded pre-flop. This generally means one of two things; the opponents that are still in either have a very good hand, or they are heavily bluffing. This situation can be tough to gauge in many cases and should only be followed when the opponents that are still in are tight with their stacks; meaning this bluff should never be pursued against aggressive opponents.

You’re opponents are tight with their money. This type of bluff should not be used to gain a profit however, but merely to learn the type of opponents you are up against. Only bet enough to remain in to the end, and don’t raise the stakes unless you are sure of a very good hand. As mentioned before this type of bluff should be used to decipher the type of opponents at the table; aggressive, passive, heavy betters, etc. This will allow you to see if they bet only when they have a good hand or if they bet more frequently. It is always important to know what you are up against in the game of poker.

On the river, as a last resort. This certainly is not a bluff to be used if your stack is low; or if you are in danger of dropping out of the game. It should also be heavily thought out. In most cases by the river opponents have acquired higher hands; winning hands. This instance should not be used often and is not common, except in novices who have no grasp of the sport. If you bet big and miss on the river, then there is a chance you may be able to push your opponents into believing you still did acquire a good hand. As with the other types of bluffs this is dangerous; but it is more than likely the most dangerous bluff especially if your opponents call or raise the bet.

When there is a pair on the board. In many situations a pair on the board would mean that another player has a three of a kind or two pair. This situation is also one that should be pursued with extreme care however; especially if an opponent calls or bets. They could be bluffing as well, or they could certainly have what you are pretending to have in your hand. If an opponent calls, then raising the bet even more would not be recommended.

As you can see with all these types of bluffs, bluffing in general is dangerous if a player is not aware of what they, and their opponents, are doing. A bluff requires a very high understanding of the game of poker and is not to be used fluently and absent-mindedly. More importantly a good player should always assess the situation completely before deciding to lay chips down based on a lie. Then again, a poker game cannot be won without the use of bluffing somewhere; poker is the ultimate form of deception.

Tags:
Bluffing, Poker Deception

Bet Accordingly

It’s the last move in the round; pre-river and you have decided that you want your opponent to fold because you know they have nothing and there’s quite a large pot sitting before you. You know for sure the opponent will fold if you toss in your whole stack; so you go all-in. At this point in time you have made a terrible mistake; you did not size your bet accordingly.

In that same situation, imagine the move that was just made is overturned and the opponent wins the hand…then you are out completely when you could have at least still had a few chips to toy around with. The reason this is all being said, is because every player needs to learn how to place a bet that is complimentary to the situation. If you are aiming to push your opponents into folding you do need to place a substantially larger bet; but you do not necessarily need to bet it all. A bet worth 25%, 50%, or even 75% of the total pot will knock out as many opponents as an all-in call. The simple fact of the matter is that if your opponent is planning to call, they will more than likely call regardless of the amount you throw down on the table. So if you’re going to do it, why not at least tread carefully and leave yourself some chips still on the table in the event you do lose the hand? It’s this kind of thinking that will get you through to the last rounds of any poker game.

Remember that age old fact that poker is a game of deceit, and exploitation? That’s exactly what every player needs to remain perfectly aware of. Every player in the game of poker thinks they’re so much better than they really are; and everyone, including the veterans, makes mistakes. You must assume at all times that there is a big chance your opponents know exactly what you are going to do and have been using that to their advantage. Not to mention that poker is a game of chance and there is always that possibility, no matter what, that you can lose the round even with some of the best possible hands. So you must always plan for a loss just as much as a win when you are betting. A great question to ask before placing a bet is; will I be able to continue further even if I do lose this hand?

At the complete opposite end of the spectrum; it happens often where a table of veterans watches an inwardly smirking novice throw down a large bet with every flop of the cards; they know that this happy little novice must have a good hand. The veterans assess the situation carefully and realize they no longer have the highest hand possible at the table so they all fold and the novice is left collecting his own stack of chips with no interest. The hand was completely wasted because this particular novice did not place their bet properly.

In order to place a complimentary bet a player must learn to assess their next move carefully. If you think your opponents have poor hands and you want to capitalize on that fact then place a higher bet. The reason for this is because the bigger bets are what count in this situation; if the opponent calls your larger bets, but folds later you will still make more money than if you place small bets over time and keep the other players in. However just like the situation mentioned at the very top if you want your opponents to fold you must bet a large amount; but the amount doesn’t always have to be your full stack.

You must also keep in mind at all times that even though it seems as if your opponents are chasing your tail; they may not be. Always plan for a loss just in case, that way if you do lose it won’t take you down as far in the ranks as it would have.

Tags:
How to bet, Poker Strategies

It’s All About the Benjamins’

Everything in poker is driven around one single aspect; money. Money is everywhere in poker; and it is constantly flowing throughout the game. It trades hands and changes amounts, sometimes even in the thousands. Most players forget how much money means while playing the game; and focus more on other aspects such as strategies, moves, and opponents. A veteran of the sport knows that the importance of money and how much is involved should never be forgotten. In fact what sets most experts apart from novices is the fact that they play differently based on how much money they actually have in their stack. A good player makes sure the stack is always near the maximum limit; but at the same time when it is low not to throw it away to opponents.

Strategies and individual moves also play a big part in the overall poker game; but it is very important to note that they should be complimentary to the amount of money a player has in their stack. For instance, a player with a smaller stack that is running out of total available money should never bet aggressively or adopt an aggressive strategy. In fact they should do almost the complete opposite; fold as much as possible and only remain in the round when they are absolutely sure of a winning hand, even then they more than likely should just call opponent’s bets rather than make their own. This will enable them to build their stack back up safely. On the other hand players with a very large stack should not hoard all they have; they should re-structure their strategy to work with the amount of total they have obtained. In many instances a player with a large stack can put more on the line often without worrying about opponents; especially if those opponents have very little money in their own stack.

Some beginners of the sport also need to realize that money, even in its vast importance, is merely a tool. In order to win money from your opponents, you must bet money, and in many cases not only just bet it but lose it as well. Other beginners must learn to save money as opposed to throwing it on the table recklessly. It’s tough to grasp both sides of the argument completely and not remain on one of the extreme edges. Some players hoard their money and are afraid to lose it, while others bet everything they have and lose entirely too much of it. In order to become a veteran, you must embrace both aspects and center yourself in-between the two boundaries; and at the same time learn to remain cool while altering your strategies based on how much total money you have.

One of the scariest instances during a game is when your stack runs low and you are cornered into slowly dwindling away your chips. At this point you must learn to remain calm and keep yourself as highly focused at the table as possible. Never bet it all simply because you are running out. Take your time, assess every move more carefully and be absolutely sure before you call or raise. As mentioned before remain in the round only when you have to; only when you are absolutely sure you have a winning hand. Poker is all about lies, tricks and deceit and opponents will certainly use your lack of total money as an advantage to gain more whenever they have the chance.

Tags:
Poker Game, Poker Strategies

Aggregating Mistakes are Deadly

Poker, in a sense, is a long term game, meaning that no single round decides whether you win or lose. You can be forced out in a single round, but the overall reason would be due to poor choices in rounds preceding that. On the same note, just because you’ve won the last four rounds in a row doesn’t necessarily mean you will end up at the final table in the tournament. It is very important to keep a focused state of the mind while playing. You must remember to stay situated on the current round at hand, and in many cases the very move you are making at the moment. In terms of the overall game; later doesn’t mean a thing because there may not even be a later. You may even knock yourself out within the next few rounds with a very simple mistake. In poker, mistakes can be very deadly especially if they compound.

A good analogy for mistakes in poker would be that they can be like lies. You start out with one very small lie, but soon after someone realizes you lied; the lie then gets bigger and bigger and more lies compound upon each other as you fib more to keep the original lie in check. Eventually you find yourself caught up in a huge web of tangled shams and there’s no way out because you’ve dug such a deep hole. That is exactly how mistakes in poker work. They aggregate over time until either you finally run out of money; or you get knocked out. Take this example for instance; a few moves before you bet, or raised when you shouldn’t have and instead of backing out when you get the chance you decide to stay with your original move and very quickly plummet yourself through a losing hand; with much less money than when you started.

Don’t be afraid of mistakes either; everyone makes them even veterans of the sport, after all mistakes are what make the game profitable. The whole idea of the game is to play on your opponent’s weaknesses and use their mistakes to your advantage. No one is perfect however, which obviously means you will make mistakes of your own. The key is not letting your mistakes get any bigger than they should be. A veteran of the sport knows when to fold the good fold, and understands that sometimes losing even just a few chips isn’t the best decision in the long run. You need to pick and choose your battles carefully and you certainly don’t want to remain in the round if there’s a great chance the pot will be passed along to one of your opponents’. Learn to differentiate between the hands you should substantially back with chips, and those you should just sit out of. It makes perfect sense that if you’re giving away a few chips at a time and never get any back that before long you’ll be taking yourself out. So you definitely don’t want to bet or call every round and you most certainly don’t want to remain in often because then you’ll just be tossing away cash.

The common thinking of a novice close to the river when a large pot is before them is that they should remain in, no matter what it takes, especially because they’ve already bet so much. This is the exact series of compound mistakes that hits players and drives them out of the game. In the long run, you want to donate the least amount of money possible to your opponents’ because this will increase your chances of continuing in the game further. Which roughly translates to focusing on the move at hand and not betting, or raising, simply just because you already have so much invested. If you make a mistake, back out when you can. Don’t let your mistakes aggregate upon one another because then you will quickly find yourself standing in a very deep hole with no way out.

Tags:
Poker Mistakes