Allow me to get into what I call, "The Fourth Bullet Syndrome."
Okay, so lets take the two best types of starting hands in No-Limit Texas Holdem, either painted cards, or pocket pair. When I say painted cards, that would mean, either ace-king, ace-queen/jack, king-queen/jack. And when I say pocket pair, I mean any pocket pair, even with duce's you are starting out better than most opponents.
The scenario...
Either way, you start out with one of these hands, lets say Ace-King, and you raise. Your raise should limit the amount of people in the hand, hopefully taking it down to two or three people. Flop comes, you don't hit. It's checked to you, you bet again. You get called by both players. By this time you're thinking if they called pre-flop raise and after the flop bets then they either hit the flop or they got a pocket pair, either way, your ace-king is no good...or is it?
Well there are some things you have to consider here. They called your pre-flop raise, yes they did, but with what? If they're playing like regular people, who are playing to win then you can limit their hands to either high cards, suited connectors, or pocket pair.
Now, pre-flop if they do have high cards, then they cannot have you beat (remember, we're still playing Ace-King), the best they can have is the same value as you. Remember, they could have called your pre-flop raise with king-queen, king-jack, or queen-jack, either way in those three cases you have them beat (probably dominated). If they have a big ace (outside of the king) then you have them dominated. Use this information as you play the hand. Remember this, there is a statistical chance of 66% that your opponent will not hit the flop. As the person with the high value hand, it is your job to bet out your opponent when the chances are he doesn't have a hand. Get him to fold before he gets one.
If your opponent is holding a pocket pair, then they have you beat. You have to find a way to manipulate the hand to get them to fold. Flop comes and its low, anywhere from 2-9, they probably still have you beat. At this time you have to wait for a scare card. On the turn if you get a pair, paint, flush draw, or straight draw, you have all the reason, as well as you should, bet again. They could still have you beat, and all you're doing up to this point is bluffing, semi-bluffing at best. After the river comes, do you have it in you to bet again. It could be that this final bet dictates whether or not your opponent folds.
Now you're stuck in the zone. Do you fire away again for a final time after 5th street with absolute nothing, but high cards? Your opponent probably didn't hit. He could have been on a draw, if so, you have to get him/her to fold. Another scenario, your opponent could have it bottom pair, and thinking you didn't hit with your high cards, called you down, hoping that you're not going to make him pay with that bottom pair. Let me tell you right now, if someone is calling you down with bottom pair you better make'em pay for it!
Your betting is kind of dependant on what is on the board. If the board is not high, or maybe one or two painted cards, then it is reasonable to believe that your opponent did not connect and you still have the best hand, so in which case, you should bet to get your opponent to fold. If there are 3-4 painted cards on the board, and you didn't hit, you may be beat. You can bet again sending you opponent a message that you still have them beat, I suggest betting hard and betting strong. Give them something that's not in their best interest to call.
Watching what you are betting and raising throughout the hand is also key. At a $25/$50 blind level, I call someone who raises to $200, and they bet another $200 on the flop, and maybe the same on the turn, their hand will begin to reek of continuation bet. This is commonly done by the inexperienced player. A good re-raise can take them off the hand. On the other hand, some of the more experienced players try to get creative with their continuation bets, but believe me when I say they are out there everywhere. A continuation bet will be done on every poker table you play on.
Bottomline is, many people will raise with a big ace pre-flop. Many of them will follow up that raise with a bet after the flop, no matter what it is. Some of the more aggressive players will continue to bet with nothing after the turn. But when someone is still being called at that point, it can literally make or break you to send that river bet, the fourth attempt, that final message to represent whatever hand you want to represent. A good player can see through attempts to fire away at pots, but most players will not think anyone will have it in them to make a final bluff on the river.
Remember, representation before taxation.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Chapter 2 - Raising, and Other Initial Pointers
The Memo…
Intelligence, for your poker game!
In this chapter I just want to discuss some of the basic principles that first came to my mind. Some of these are the more common questions you can hear from people who aren't as experienced in the game. One of the more important aspects of this game, is raising. I'm getting into it early because of it's importance, but best believe, it will be revisited.
The other two subjects here, "betting into dry pots" and "betting pocket pairs", aren't as important, but are worth mentioning. They may also be revisited from time to time. This is just a response to an initial inquiry by some others I recently have come in contact with.
Raising…
First, I can't tell you enough how important raising is in a No Limit game. It is common for the beginner to believe that the reason to raise is to get more money in the pot when you believe you have the best hand. There are many reasons why one should raise, but the afore mentioned reason is probably the least important.
Poker is a game of information, the more information you have the stronger your play increases. For instance, if you raise pre-flop, you gain information from any opponent who is willing to call your raise. Your raise narrows down the possibilities of what cards your opponents are holding. This is one reason why many pros would agree that calling big blind pre-flop serves no purpose, because you gained no information.
It's good to raise, it's a way of letting your opponent know that you have a better hand. The more you raise, the more information you get. Then you also take the lead on a hand and if you're leading the hand, it really increases your chances of winning the hand.
A good raise can also narrow down the field. When playing hold'em the most likely winning hand is one pair. Because of this you want to do everything you can to create a situation in which when you flop a pair it is good. The best way to do this is to limit the number of opponents in the pot with you. Even Aces prefer to play 2-3 handed because that greatly increases the likelihood they will hold up without improvement.
You have to make sure you raise is substantial enough so that people know that you mean business. For instance, raising the bet twice as much is similar to doubling a big blind. That's okay if that raises is a 50-60 percentage of your opponents stack, but otherwise you have to believe that your raise will be called and you accomplished nothing other than getting more money in the pot, a pot that you could still lose.
Betting into a dry pot...
When someone is all-in against more than one opponent in a tournament, there are certain rules among the players in the hand. These rules are more of an "unspoken agreement".
By betting on the flop and 4th street you can make your opponent lay down a hand that could potentially outdraw you on the river. This can be a disaster if your opponent's hand would've beaten the all in opponent and you lose in a show down to the all in opponent. Now you are down the exact same amount of chips (and one step shorter on the ladder of prize money), but are playing against more opponents than if you would've checked it down.
People who know the game tend to get upset when a bet is made, because the better is seemingly intentionally attempting to keep a player in the tournament by significantly increasing the all-in players chance of staying in the game, when the purpose is to eliminate players. After all, this is tournament play, in the end there can be only one.
There are some instances where betting into a dry pot is okay, such as after 5th street, if you know with out a doubt that you have the best hand with a high flush, trips no draw, top two pair with no draw, boat, quads, etc, but you have to have to nuts to make that bet of value.
Betting pocket pairs...
When you are dealt your pocket cards and you look to see that they are the same, it's always a good feeling. But what you should do with the cards you are dealt is dependant on what opponents have done ahead of you.
The higher tiered pocket pairs (AA, KK, QQ...), usually should be raised no matter what. Sometimes it's even good to re-raise.
Middle tiered pockets (JJ, TT, 99, 88...), are usually great to raise with, especially if you are the first to raise. If you're facing a raise, depending on your nature of play, you may want to call with those cards. Unless it's a steep raise, or a big re-raise you're facing, you should at least see the flop.
Lower tiered pockets (77, 66, and below), are conditional. Just like the middle tiered pairs, you should raise with them, usually only if no one has raised in front of you. The only way you can win with those hands is to take the lead in the hand and stay in the lead, otherwise once you lose the lead you lose control, and then you should fold.
Intelligence, for your poker game!
In this chapter I just want to discuss some of the basic principles that first came to my mind. Some of these are the more common questions you can hear from people who aren't as experienced in the game. One of the more important aspects of this game, is raising. I'm getting into it early because of it's importance, but best believe, it will be revisited.
The other two subjects here, "betting into dry pots" and "betting pocket pairs", aren't as important, but are worth mentioning. They may also be revisited from time to time. This is just a response to an initial inquiry by some others I recently have come in contact with.
Raising…
First, I can't tell you enough how important raising is in a No Limit game. It is common for the beginner to believe that the reason to raise is to get more money in the pot when you believe you have the best hand. There are many reasons why one should raise, but the afore mentioned reason is probably the least important.
Poker is a game of information, the more information you have the stronger your play increases. For instance, if you raise pre-flop, you gain information from any opponent who is willing to call your raise. Your raise narrows down the possibilities of what cards your opponents are holding. This is one reason why many pros would agree that calling big blind pre-flop serves no purpose, because you gained no information.
It's good to raise, it's a way of letting your opponent know that you have a better hand. The more you raise, the more information you get. Then you also take the lead on a hand and if you're leading the hand, it really increases your chances of winning the hand.
A good raise can also narrow down the field. When playing hold'em the most likely winning hand is one pair. Because of this you want to do everything you can to create a situation in which when you flop a pair it is good. The best way to do this is to limit the number of opponents in the pot with you. Even Aces prefer to play 2-3 handed because that greatly increases the likelihood they will hold up without improvement.
You have to make sure you raise is substantial enough so that people know that you mean business. For instance, raising the bet twice as much is similar to doubling a big blind. That's okay if that raises is a 50-60 percentage of your opponents stack, but otherwise you have to believe that your raise will be called and you accomplished nothing other than getting more money in the pot, a pot that you could still lose.
Betting into a dry pot...
When someone is all-in against more than one opponent in a tournament, there are certain rules among the players in the hand. These rules are more of an "unspoken agreement".
By betting on the flop and 4th street you can make your opponent lay down a hand that could potentially outdraw you on the river. This can be a disaster if your opponent's hand would've beaten the all in opponent and you lose in a show down to the all in opponent. Now you are down the exact same amount of chips (and one step shorter on the ladder of prize money), but are playing against more opponents than if you would've checked it down.
People who know the game tend to get upset when a bet is made, because the better is seemingly intentionally attempting to keep a player in the tournament by significantly increasing the all-in players chance of staying in the game, when the purpose is to eliminate players. After all, this is tournament play, in the end there can be only one.
There are some instances where betting into a dry pot is okay, such as after 5th street, if you know with out a doubt that you have the best hand with a high flush, trips no draw, top two pair with no draw, boat, quads, etc, but you have to have to nuts to make that bet of value.
Betting pocket pairs...
When you are dealt your pocket cards and you look to see that they are the same, it's always a good feeling. But what you should do with the cards you are dealt is dependant on what opponents have done ahead of you.
The higher tiered pocket pairs (AA, KK, QQ...), usually should be raised no matter what. Sometimes it's even good to re-raise.
Middle tiered pockets (JJ, TT, 99, 88...), are usually great to raise with, especially if you are the first to raise. If you're facing a raise, depending on your nature of play, you may want to call with those cards. Unless it's a steep raise, or a big re-raise you're facing, you should at least see the flop.
Lower tiered pockets (77, 66, and below), are conditional. Just like the middle tiered pairs, you should raise with them, usually only if no one has raised in front of you. The only way you can win with those hands is to take the lead in the hand and stay in the lead, otherwise once you lose the lead you lose control, and then you should fold.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Chapter 1 - The Essential Basics To Texas Holdem
How To Play
Many people have watched Texas Holdem tournaments on television and it looks easy to play. However before you race down to the casino and sign up for a high stakes tournament you need to learn the basics of the game and get some playing experience in low limit games. The matches you see on television are No Limit Texas Hold’em games. That means that at any time a player can bet all of his chips. This is a great format for tournaments but as a beginning player you will want to first learn to play Limit Texas Hold’em. Limit games have structured betting rounds and you are limited to the amount of money you can bet during each round. More precisely you will want to play Low Limit Texas Hold’em as you learn the game. Some of the low limit games you will find in the cardroom are have a betting structure of $2/4, $3/6 $4/8.
After you gain experience you can move up the higher limits or No Limit if you desire, but you must learn to walk before you can run. Let me explain the game and then give you some winning tips to get started.
How to Play
Texas Hold’em is a deceptively simple game to learn but a harder game to master. Each player is dealt two personal cards and then five community cards are turned up on the board. You make the best five card hand using any combination of the seven cards. For this example we will use a low limit structure of $2/4. There are four betting rounds and the first two have a limit of $2 and the last two rounds have a limit of $4. You must bet or raise only the amount of the limit for that round.
The Start
To start a new hand, two "Blind" bets are put up or "Posted." The player immediately to the left of the dealer puts up or "posts" the small blind which half the minimum bet one dollar. The player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind which is equal to the minimum bet which is two dollars for this game. The rest of the players do not put up any money to start the hand. Because the deal rotates around the table, each player will eventually act as the big blind, small blind and dealer.
The Opening
Each player is dealt two cards face down with the player on the small blind receiving the first card and the player with the dealer button getting the last card. The first betting round begins with the player to the left of the big blind either putting in two dollars to "Call" the blind bet, or putting in four dollars to "raise" the big blind or folding his hand. The betting goes around the table in order until it reaches the player who posted the small blind. That player can call the bet by putting in one dollar since a dollar blind was already posted. The last person to act is the big blind. If no one has raised, the dealer will ask if they would like the option. This means the big blind has the option to raise or just "check." By checking the player does not put in any more money. A rookie mistake sometimes occurs here. Because the blind is a live bet live, the player with the big blind has already put his bet in. I have seen some players throw their cards in not realizing that they are already in the hand. Another rookie mistake is betting or folding your cards when it is not your turn. You must wait before you act.
The Flop
After the first betting round is completed, three cards are dealt and turned face up in the middle of the table. This is known as the "Flop." These are community cards used by all the players. Another betting round begins with the first active player to the left of the dealer button. The bet for this round is again two dollars.
The Turn
When the betting round after the flop is completed, the dealer turns a fourth card face up in the middle of the table. This is called the "Turn." The bet after the turn is now four dollars and begins again with the first active player to the left of the dealer.
The River
Following the betting round for the turn, the dealer will turn a fifth and final card face up. This is called the "river," and the final betting round begins with four dollars being the minimum bet.
The Showdown
To determine the winner, the players may use any combination of their two hole cards and the five cards on the "Board" (Table) to form the highest five-card hand. In some rare cases the best hand will be the five cards on board. Don’t count on this happening too often. In that case the active players will split the pot. A sixth card is never used to break a tie.
Some Winning Tips
Before the Flop:
Starting Hands:
Position, Patience and Power are the key to winning in Texas Hold’em. The most important decision you will make is choosing to play a starting hand. One mistake a beginning player may make is playing too many hands. Being aware of your Position in relationhip to the dealer is important in Texas Hold’em. You normally would need a stronger hand to act from early position because you have more players acting after you who may raise or re-raise the pot. It is important that you are Patient and wait for Powerful starting hands to play from the correct position.
The player to the left of the big blind acts first before the flop. He along with the other two players to his left are in early position. The next three players are middle position and the ones after that are in late position.
The blinds act last before the flop and first after it. Here are some guidelines for stating hands that I recommend you play when you are starting out. They are fairly tight but will give you a good foundation to work with until you learn a little more about the game.
In Early position
Raise with A-A, K-K and A-Ks from any position. (s denotes suited cards) Call with A-K, A-Qs, K-Qs and Q-Q J-J, T-T and fold everything else.
In Middle position
Call with, 9-9, 8-8, A-Js, A-Ts, Q-Js, A-Q, K-Q
In Late position
Call with A-Xs, K-Ts, Q-Ts, J-Ts, A-J, A-T and small pairs. (note x denotes any card) It takes a stronger hand to call a raise than it does to make with one, If there is a raise before it is your turn to act you should fold. Why put in two bets with marginal hands?
Note:
Many players will play any two suited cards from any position and they will play an Ace with any small kicker. These hands are losers in the long run and you should avoid getting into the habit of playing them. They are traps that will cost you money.
The Blinds
Once you post your blind the money no longer belongs to you. Many players feel they must defend their blinds by calling all raises even with marginal hands. Don’t waste additional money on marginal hands. Also, don’t automatically call with the small blind if you have nothing. Saving a half bet will pay for your next small blind.
The Flop
Deciding whether to continue playing after seeing the flop will be your second biggest decision. It can also be one of the most costly decisions if you continue after the flop with an inferior hand. It is said that the flop defines your hand. That is because after the flop your hand will be 71 percent complete. Where does this figure come from? Assuming you play your hand out to the end, it will consist of seven cards. After the flop you have seen five cards or 5/7 of the final hand, which is equal to 71 percent. With this much of your hand completed you should have enough information to determine whether to continue. Poker Author Shane Smith coined the phrase “Fit or Fold. If the flop does not fit your hand by giving you top pair, or better or a straight or flush draw, then you should fold if there is a bet in front of you. If you played a small pair from late position and you do not flop a third one to make a set you should throw the pair away if there is a bet.
The Turn
If you think you have the best hand after seeing the Turn card and are first to act, then go ahead and bet. Many players will try to get fancy and attempt to check raise in this position. If the other players also check, you have lost a bet or two. In low limit games the straight forward approach is usually the best as there are plenty of players who will call you. Make them pay. Why give them a free card if you don’t have to.
If another player raises on the turn and you hold only one pair you are more than likely beaten and should fold.
If you get to the Turn and you hold only two unsuited overcards (two cards higher that any cards on the board) with no flush or straight draws, then you should fold if there is a bet in front of you. Too much money is lost by players who hope to catch a miracle card on the river. The best hand you can make with two unsuited overcards is a pair which will probably lose anyways.
The River
If you have been playing properly you will not see the river card unless you have a strong hand that is a favorite to win or you have a draw to a winning hand. Once the river card is turned over, you know exactly what you have. If you were drawing to a hand, you know whether you were successful or not. Obviously if you do not make your hand you will fold.
As with the Turn you should bet your hand if you are first to act. If you bet and the other player folds then they more than likely would have just checked if you had checked in an attempt to check raise.
When you get to the river there are two mistakes that you can make. One is to call a losing bet, which will cost you the price of a bet. The other is to fold your hand, which will cost you all the money in the pot.
Obviously folding your hand will be a far more costly mistake then merely calling a bet. If there is a slight chance you may have the winning hand you should call. I’m not advocating calling with nothing but you should call if there is a chance to win.
Reading The Board
Your ability to read the board will help make you a winning player and it is not hard to learn. Since Texas Hold’em is played with community cards turned up for all to see, you can easily determine the best possible hand that can be made from the board cards and two unseen cards. It is extremely important that you learn determine how your hand stacks up against the other possible hands that your opponents may hold. Two situations should send up a red flag when you see them.
If there are three suited cards on the board someone can make a flush. If a player raises when the third suited card is turned over you should be wary of continuing. If there is a pair on the board a player can make four of a kind or a full house.
Pay Attention
When you are not involved in a hand you should still pay attention to the game. You can gain valuable information about your opponents simply by observing what hands they play. It’s easy to determine the players who plays and suited cards, or single aces by watching the hands they turn over at the end. That brings me to one final tip.
NEVER SHOW YOUR HAND if you don’t have to. If you win the pot because everyone else folded you are under no obligation to show your cards. You don’t want to give away any information about yourself if you don’t have to And player who turn over their cards when they don’t have to are doing just that.
Many people have watched Texas Holdem tournaments on television and it looks easy to play. However before you race down to the casino and sign up for a high stakes tournament you need to learn the basics of the game and get some playing experience in low limit games. The matches you see on television are No Limit Texas Hold’em games. That means that at any time a player can bet all of his chips. This is a great format for tournaments but as a beginning player you will want to first learn to play Limit Texas Hold’em. Limit games have structured betting rounds and you are limited to the amount of money you can bet during each round. More precisely you will want to play Low Limit Texas Hold’em as you learn the game. Some of the low limit games you will find in the cardroom are have a betting structure of $2/4, $3/6 $4/8.
After you gain experience you can move up the higher limits or No Limit if you desire, but you must learn to walk before you can run. Let me explain the game and then give you some winning tips to get started.
How to Play
Texas Hold’em is a deceptively simple game to learn but a harder game to master. Each player is dealt two personal cards and then five community cards are turned up on the board. You make the best five card hand using any combination of the seven cards. For this example we will use a low limit structure of $2/4. There are four betting rounds and the first two have a limit of $2 and the last two rounds have a limit of $4. You must bet or raise only the amount of the limit for that round.
The Start
To start a new hand, two "Blind" bets are put up or "Posted." The player immediately to the left of the dealer puts up or "posts" the small blind which half the minimum bet one dollar. The player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind which is equal to the minimum bet which is two dollars for this game. The rest of the players do not put up any money to start the hand. Because the deal rotates around the table, each player will eventually act as the big blind, small blind and dealer.
The Opening
Each player is dealt two cards face down with the player on the small blind receiving the first card and the player with the dealer button getting the last card. The first betting round begins with the player to the left of the big blind either putting in two dollars to "Call" the blind bet, or putting in four dollars to "raise" the big blind or folding his hand. The betting goes around the table in order until it reaches the player who posted the small blind. That player can call the bet by putting in one dollar since a dollar blind was already posted. The last person to act is the big blind. If no one has raised, the dealer will ask if they would like the option. This means the big blind has the option to raise or just "check." By checking the player does not put in any more money. A rookie mistake sometimes occurs here. Because the blind is a live bet live, the player with the big blind has already put his bet in. I have seen some players throw their cards in not realizing that they are already in the hand. Another rookie mistake is betting or folding your cards when it is not your turn. You must wait before you act.
The Flop
After the first betting round is completed, three cards are dealt and turned face up in the middle of the table. This is known as the "Flop." These are community cards used by all the players. Another betting round begins with the first active player to the left of the dealer button. The bet for this round is again two dollars.
The Turn
When the betting round after the flop is completed, the dealer turns a fourth card face up in the middle of the table. This is called the "Turn." The bet after the turn is now four dollars and begins again with the first active player to the left of the dealer.
The River
Following the betting round for the turn, the dealer will turn a fifth and final card face up. This is called the "river," and the final betting round begins with four dollars being the minimum bet.
The Showdown
To determine the winner, the players may use any combination of their two hole cards and the five cards on the "Board" (Table) to form the highest five-card hand. In some rare cases the best hand will be the five cards on board. Don’t count on this happening too often. In that case the active players will split the pot. A sixth card is never used to break a tie.
Some Winning Tips
Before the Flop:
Starting Hands:
Position, Patience and Power are the key to winning in Texas Hold’em. The most important decision you will make is choosing to play a starting hand. One mistake a beginning player may make is playing too many hands. Being aware of your Position in relationhip to the dealer is important in Texas Hold’em. You normally would need a stronger hand to act from early position because you have more players acting after you who may raise or re-raise the pot. It is important that you are Patient and wait for Powerful starting hands to play from the correct position.
The player to the left of the big blind acts first before the flop. He along with the other two players to his left are in early position. The next three players are middle position and the ones after that are in late position.
The blinds act last before the flop and first after it. Here are some guidelines for stating hands that I recommend you play when you are starting out. They are fairly tight but will give you a good foundation to work with until you learn a little more about the game.
In Early position
Raise with A-A, K-K and A-Ks from any position. (s denotes suited cards) Call with A-K, A-Qs, K-Qs and Q-Q J-J, T-T and fold everything else.
In Middle position
Call with, 9-9, 8-8, A-Js, A-Ts, Q-Js, A-Q, K-Q
In Late position
Call with A-Xs, K-Ts, Q-Ts, J-Ts, A-J, A-T and small pairs. (note x denotes any card) It takes a stronger hand to call a raise than it does to make with one, If there is a raise before it is your turn to act you should fold. Why put in two bets with marginal hands?
Note:
Many players will play any two suited cards from any position and they will play an Ace with any small kicker. These hands are losers in the long run and you should avoid getting into the habit of playing them. They are traps that will cost you money.
The Blinds
Once you post your blind the money no longer belongs to you. Many players feel they must defend their blinds by calling all raises even with marginal hands. Don’t waste additional money on marginal hands. Also, don’t automatically call with the small blind if you have nothing. Saving a half bet will pay for your next small blind.
The Flop
Deciding whether to continue playing after seeing the flop will be your second biggest decision. It can also be one of the most costly decisions if you continue after the flop with an inferior hand. It is said that the flop defines your hand. That is because after the flop your hand will be 71 percent complete. Where does this figure come from? Assuming you play your hand out to the end, it will consist of seven cards. After the flop you have seen five cards or 5/7 of the final hand, which is equal to 71 percent. With this much of your hand completed you should have enough information to determine whether to continue. Poker Author Shane Smith coined the phrase “Fit or Fold. If the flop does not fit your hand by giving you top pair, or better or a straight or flush draw, then you should fold if there is a bet in front of you. If you played a small pair from late position and you do not flop a third one to make a set you should throw the pair away if there is a bet.
The Turn
If you think you have the best hand after seeing the Turn card and are first to act, then go ahead and bet. Many players will try to get fancy and attempt to check raise in this position. If the other players also check, you have lost a bet or two. In low limit games the straight forward approach is usually the best as there are plenty of players who will call you. Make them pay. Why give them a free card if you don’t have to.
If another player raises on the turn and you hold only one pair you are more than likely beaten and should fold.
If you get to the Turn and you hold only two unsuited overcards (two cards higher that any cards on the board) with no flush or straight draws, then you should fold if there is a bet in front of you. Too much money is lost by players who hope to catch a miracle card on the river. The best hand you can make with two unsuited overcards is a pair which will probably lose anyways.
The River
If you have been playing properly you will not see the river card unless you have a strong hand that is a favorite to win or you have a draw to a winning hand. Once the river card is turned over, you know exactly what you have. If you were drawing to a hand, you know whether you were successful or not. Obviously if you do not make your hand you will fold.
As with the Turn you should bet your hand if you are first to act. If you bet and the other player folds then they more than likely would have just checked if you had checked in an attempt to check raise.
When you get to the river there are two mistakes that you can make. One is to call a losing bet, which will cost you the price of a bet. The other is to fold your hand, which will cost you all the money in the pot.
Obviously folding your hand will be a far more costly mistake then merely calling a bet. If there is a slight chance you may have the winning hand you should call. I’m not advocating calling with nothing but you should call if there is a chance to win.
Reading The Board
Your ability to read the board will help make you a winning player and it is not hard to learn. Since Texas Hold’em is played with community cards turned up for all to see, you can easily determine the best possible hand that can be made from the board cards and two unseen cards. It is extremely important that you learn determine how your hand stacks up against the other possible hands that your opponents may hold. Two situations should send up a red flag when you see them.
If there are three suited cards on the board someone can make a flush. If a player raises when the third suited card is turned over you should be wary of continuing. If there is a pair on the board a player can make four of a kind or a full house.
Pay Attention
When you are not involved in a hand you should still pay attention to the game. You can gain valuable information about your opponents simply by observing what hands they play. It’s easy to determine the players who plays and suited cards, or single aces by watching the hands they turn over at the end. That brings me to one final tip.
NEVER SHOW YOUR HAND if you don’t have to. If you win the pot because everyone else folded you are under no obligation to show your cards. You don’t want to give away any information about yourself if you don’t have to And player who turn over their cards when they don’t have to are doing just that.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Introduction
The Memo….Intelligence, for your poker game! Why do people write? People write to copy complete thoughts, usually for a purpose. Well, that's exactly what I intend to do.
My name is Jason Gunn. I have been known to go by a few different nicknames though; Gunn, Mr. Gunn, Mr. AK47, Bad Mother F*cker, Gunn Hansen, Gunny, Gunny Highway, Gunner, Gunna, Jase, Big Jase, Train Wreck, etc...
And as for a bit about me...well, I am living in Orlando Florida. Only have been here for a short while. I just relocated to Florida for a job. I work in broadcast news. I am originally from Virginia Beach, VA. That's were most of my friends and family are located.
Essentially I have lived two lives... By day...my whole life all I ever wanted to do is work in the television business. I worked hard and intelligently and found myself working the broadcast media field. I couldn't be happier with the way my career is shaping up. I still have many dreams and aspirations when it comes to the field of mass media or entertainment. I am 26-years-old and my career is seemingly just starting. By night...I am a card player. I've known how to play poker as far as I can remember. I got serious about it after watching an episode of the "Sopranos", and finding the Executive Game quite appealing. That was in 1999, and since then, there was no turning back. To put it simply, most people use their post institutional education on the stock market or in real estate spending and making thousands. My post institutional education came on a poker table.
When I started to play poker I knew very little about the game. I knew cards, able to detect values and was able to play to the best of my ability that my knowledge of the game could give me.
In recent years the popularity of poker has dramatically increased in our world of pop culture. Easily seen in the World Series of Poker attendance for their main event, 631 in 2002, 839 in 2003, 2576 in 2004, 5619 in 2005, 8773 in 2006. With the new interest, comes all types of people wanting to learn and play. This is what many have called the "poker boom". The World Series of Poker brings the game to the living room of the world in ways that were never thought of previously. That first year in 2002 the world saw an everyday accountant become a millionaire by playing his cards right.
For me personally, my "boom" came when that one episode of the Sopranos aired on HBO and I saw doctor's, lawyers, gangsters, and entertainers sitting down sifting through thousands of dollars, all for one purpose, to play the game. I was immediately intrigued. It started with Big Pussy's Executive Game, an interactive game from the show's website. It eventually turned to online play, live play at home, live play at free bar leagues, then to the casinos. Pretty much finding any shape, form, or fashion where I can get my adrenaline flowing through a card game.
Compared to some, I only have limited experience as an amateur. Compared to others, I am good enough to play professionally. That being said, I dare not write to tell others what to do, or how to play. I write because I want to share my experiences, of what works in this game, what I do, and to the people who see me do it how it can be done. Again, I am not a professional, so there's really no need to take any advice that may be given here. But what I can say is, I am an advanced and knowledgeable person as an amateur in this game, I would like to help and teach any and all of those who are willing to listen.
I am Jason Gunn. And this is The Memo. Intelligence for your poker game!
My name is Jason Gunn. I have been known to go by a few different nicknames though; Gunn, Mr. Gunn, Mr. AK47, Bad Mother F*cker, Gunn Hansen, Gunny, Gunny Highway, Gunner, Gunna, Jase, Big Jase, Train Wreck, etc...
And as for a bit about me...well, I am living in Orlando Florida. Only have been here for a short while. I just relocated to Florida for a job. I work in broadcast news. I am originally from Virginia Beach, VA. That's were most of my friends and family are located.
Essentially I have lived two lives... By day...my whole life all I ever wanted to do is work in the television business. I worked hard and intelligently and found myself working the broadcast media field. I couldn't be happier with the way my career is shaping up. I still have many dreams and aspirations when it comes to the field of mass media or entertainment. I am 26-years-old and my career is seemingly just starting. By night...I am a card player. I've known how to play poker as far as I can remember. I got serious about it after watching an episode of the "Sopranos", and finding the Executive Game quite appealing. That was in 1999, and since then, there was no turning back. To put it simply, most people use their post institutional education on the stock market or in real estate spending and making thousands. My post institutional education came on a poker table.
When I started to play poker I knew very little about the game. I knew cards, able to detect values and was able to play to the best of my ability that my knowledge of the game could give me.
In recent years the popularity of poker has dramatically increased in our world of pop culture. Easily seen in the World Series of Poker attendance for their main event, 631 in 2002, 839 in 2003, 2576 in 2004, 5619 in 2005, 8773 in 2006. With the new interest, comes all types of people wanting to learn and play. This is what many have called the "poker boom". The World Series of Poker brings the game to the living room of the world in ways that were never thought of previously. That first year in 2002 the world saw an everyday accountant become a millionaire by playing his cards right.
For me personally, my "boom" came when that one episode of the Sopranos aired on HBO and I saw doctor's, lawyers, gangsters, and entertainers sitting down sifting through thousands of dollars, all for one purpose, to play the game. I was immediately intrigued. It started with Big Pussy's Executive Game, an interactive game from the show's website. It eventually turned to online play, live play at home, live play at free bar leagues, then to the casinos. Pretty much finding any shape, form, or fashion where I can get my adrenaline flowing through a card game.
Compared to some, I only have limited experience as an amateur. Compared to others, I am good enough to play professionally. That being said, I dare not write to tell others what to do, or how to play. I write because I want to share my experiences, of what works in this game, what I do, and to the people who see me do it how it can be done. Again, I am not a professional, so there's really no need to take any advice that may be given here. But what I can say is, I am an advanced and knowledgeable person as an amateur in this game, I would like to help and teach any and all of those who are willing to listen.
I am Jason Gunn. And this is The Memo. Intelligence for your poker game!
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