Playing Small And Medium Pocket Pairs In Texas Hold'em

There are many different theories out there as to how to play small and medium pocket pairs in Texas Hold'em, but one thing is clear: a lot of players make crucial errors with these hands that end up costing them dearly in tournaments and cash games. These starting hands, pocket deuces all the way up to pocket tens, are undoubtedly very tricky and there is no one right way to play them. As with most strategic or theoretical discussions of poker the context of the hand is all-important. How many players are in the pot? How many players are left to act? What is their style of play? What is your status at the table in terms of chips, previous play, and your general table image? And those questions barely scrape the surface in terms of what you need to consider before you act. Broadly speaking, however, we can say the following when it comes to these hole cards - the most common mistakes made when playing pairs is a tendency to be too aggressive or the exact opposite, namely to muck them without a fight. These hands are often worth a speculative bet because they do have tremendous potential value. If you are in a multi-way pot with aggressive players a small pair can be a lethal weapon. Hitting a set on the flop is not only likely to be the best hand, but also is so well disguised from the rest of the table that you are likely to get paid off for having the best hand. In no-limit hold'em small and medium pocket pairs can help you take down monster pots if you isolate a single opponent who happens to hold a premium hand that isn't a pair. A lot of poker players will happily get all their chips in the middle when they hold big slick or even AQ and AJ. If you challenge those hands with 88 or 66 you are ahead, although only slightly, and these type of races are certainly very common to see. Neither player has made a mistake, but both have taken a serious risk. The problem for players who hold the small or medium pair is that they could easily be dominated by a bigger pair. A lot of players behave the same way with AK as they do with AA, so when you have a small pair it is very tough to call that type of opponent. It is interesting to note that many players are far more aggressive pre-flop with AK than they are with a genuinely big hand (AA,KK,QQ), either because they are very confident that their hand is worth whatever they have in front of them (a misguided view) or because they don't really want anyone playing back at them. It's not quite a semi-bluff because AK can potentially be a very powerful hand, but often the easiest way to win with this hand is to make everyone else fold pre-flop. In limit games it is generally unwise to push too hard pre-flop with small or medium pairs, but it is hardly ever correct to fold these hands pre-flop either. The issue here is that in a loose limit game your pre-flop raise will not scare anyone so you will still likely need to hit your set at some point in order to have a fighting chance of winning the pot. You are better off playing those pocket pairs cautiously, calling and playing passively (especially if there is a lot of action and several live hands) and taking a wait-and-see approach. The implied pot odds of hitting your hand definitely dictate that folding would be the wrong play, at least in limit hold'em games. There are times when you will be forced to lay down these hands. If you have a healthy stack and an opponent makes a huge bet in no-limit hold'em there is no reason to look him up. The best-case scenario is that you are in one of those races where you are a slight favorite, but you could easily be dominated. Isolating an opponent when you hold a small pair is an ideal strategy when your own back is to the wall - for example, you are short-stacked in a tournament. The beauty of small and medium pocket pairs is that they enable good poker players to be very creative. You can switch gears with a hand like this at a moment's notice. Say you are in the big blind with 77. Five players limp in before you and now the action is on you. It is a good situation for a strong player because depending on the context of the hand she can either limp in as well, hoping to hit a magical third 7, or she might push right now and win the hand before the flop can be dealt. It is very tough for those limpers to call a huge bet by the big blind unless they were slow-playing a monster (which does happen!) More serious errors are committed with these hands after the flop, but rarely by good players who know what they are doing. There is no crime in giving up on these hands if you miss the flop. The hope of spiking a set on the turn or the river is unlikely to be supported by the pot odds you're getting, but if there is crazy action and you're in a limit game it can of course be correct to wait and try to do just that. You should also keep in mind that opponents tend to stay in hands with high cards so if there is paint on the flop it is doubtful that you still hold the best hand - and you may have been behind from the outset, which is why playing those little pocket 44's can be so trying! Poker ResourcesFeatured Poker Rooms: Absolute Poker Full Tilt Poker UltimateBet Learn to Play Poker Profitably the right way: Sit N Go Pro Outstanding Poker About the Author: Ryan is joint editor at Online Poker Insider. Read more articles by: Ryan D. Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Evaluating Starting Hands In No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments

There are three main factors that influence how you should play your hole cards in No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments. They are: your position, the size of your chip stack, and the size of the blinds. As a basic rule you need to avoid marginal hands that appear playable pre-flop but which can lead to huge losses in a single pot. The classic starting hands that fall into this category would be any Ax lower than AQ where both cards are unsuited, any Kx unsuited lower than KQ, and low suited connectors. The tricky aspect of no-limit hold'em both in a tournament structure and in a regular cash game is that these hands can also lead to the greatest rewards. They are extremely volatile, however, and much of the skill of no-limit is knowing how to recognize when that starting hand is a liability and when it could potentially break an opponent. This requires a great feel for the game after the flop. Naturally beginners lack this experience and nuanced understanding of the game, and so it is far safer for a novice to limit himself to playing premium cards only before the flop. The problem then becomes one of predictability - if you only raise with big pairs you are unlikely to get any action, and when you do get action you're in trouble because the rest of the table clearly knows what you're holding to begin with. If you are one off the button or on the button you should loosen your restrictions and play more starting hands, including those marginal ones, provided no one else has entered the pot showing obvious strength. To vary your play effectively you should also consider raising with these hands as a semi-bluff tactic, but no more than one in four times. Keep most of your initial raises down to between 75% and 100% of the pot. If you make it 3 times the size of the big blind to go that typically equals an 80% pot bet. This will protect you in case you get re-raised or called by stronger holdings. If there are limpers in front of you and you are going to raise then you need to make a significant bet, especially in no-limit where you have to make it punitive for other players if they intend to draw out. In that case you could raise as much as 6 times the big blind. Have a healthy and watchful respect for strong-tight players who are rarely in hands, particularly if they play the hand out of position. If a player like this raises in early position you should fold all those marginal hands, and small pairs as well. When weak players have entered the pot, you should be happy to call and take flops with them provided you can do this inexpensively. Slow playing big hands has a higher expected value in No-Limit than it does in Limit games where it is rarely the right way to play. That being said, it is a skill that takes a lifetime to master, and can easily backfire on you. As the blinds increase in tournament play you must be flexible with your evaluation of starting hands as you have to keep your chip stack well ahead of the pace set by the blinds. In tournament play you cannot wait for the perfect starting hand, and frequently you need to make your own luck. Be selectively aggressive, especially in the later stages of the tournament. Initially you should be tight at least until you have a good read on some of the opponents at your table. Try to avoid coin-flip scenarios where all your chips are at stake. This happens all the time in online tournaments where players feel comfortable going all-in on AK and equally comfortable calling that hand with any pocket pair. The winners of tournaments at all levels are usually those players who pace themselves early on, make a move in the middle stages of the event, and then start all over again at the final table by once again playing strong-tight. Poker Resources Featured Poker Rooms: Absolute Poker Full Tilt Poker UltimateBet PokerStars Learn to Play Poker Profitably the right way: Sit N Go Pro Outstanding Poker

Playing QQ In No Limit Texas Holdem

While there is no argument that QQ is one of the most powerful starting hands in no limit Texas holdem, it also can be challenging to play correctly. The trademark of a good player is one who can win big pots while losing small ones. What this means is that the best players minimize their losses when they do lose a hand and maximize their profit when they win. QQ is one of the starting hands that separate the winning players and the losing ones. When you are first to act or the first player who hasn’t limped into the pot, you should raise most of the time. There are two reasons for this. The first is you don’t want anyone to see the flop for cheap, especially hands with an Ace and small kicker. The second reason is that you need to do everything you can to find the strength of your opponents hands. By raising, if one of your opponents re-raises and/or moves all in, you will have a difficult decision to make, but you may be able to get away from the hand if you think your opponent has AA or KK. This is the absolute worst position to be in. In addition, QQ plays best against one or two opponents. You should keep all of your pre flop raises roughly the same to not give away the strength of your hand, usually three or four times the big blind. Playing QQ after the flop is usually straightforward. If you have shown strength by raising pre flop, continue to show strength until one of your opponents convinces you that they have a better hand. This includes when an Ace hits on the flop. You must bet to represent an Ace in your hand. If you check, you are giving your opponents permission to steal the pot from you, as you will have to fold to a bet. When you bet and an opponent calls or raises, you then must decide if they actually have a better hand or not. In most cases they will have a better hand because you have shown strength two times and they should respect your hand, unless you have been playing too loose. There are a few situations in which I will check after the flop. They both happen when I am in the hand with an aggressive opponent and I feel I have the best hand. The first is when a Queen hits on the flop giving me trips. By checking, rarely will a free card hurt me if my opponent doesn’t bet and this gives them a chance to bluff off more chips to me. The other situation is when the flop doesn’t have an Ace and appears ragged. My plan when this happens is to move all in when my opponent bets after I check. There is danger in both of these situations, especially the later one. Your opponent may have hit a set, in which case you will be drawing almost dead. However, I have found that the times they can’t beat my hand far outweigh the times they can, so these situations are profitable. The key to both of these is that you must be sure your opponent will take the bait and bet. Giving free cards can be harmful. I do not do this when two cards of the same suit are on the flop unless I did flop a set. When you flop a set, you have many outs to a full house, even against a flush. The other thing is that these plays do not work very well against the best competition. They will respect your hand and will be less likely to bluff at the pot after you check unless you do a great job of acting weak. After showing pre flop strength, this is often difficult. Poker Resources Featured Poker Rooms: Absolute Poker Full Tilt Poker UltimateBet PokerStars Learn to Play Poker Profitably the right way: Sit N Go Pro Outstanding Poker About the Author: Wes Young works with Tom Ake of Royal Poker Online at http://www.royalpokeronline.com Take a look at the online poker room reviews today. Read more articles by: Wes Young Article Source: www.iSnare.com

4 Poker Tips The Pros Won't Tell You

In the past few years, professional poker playing has exploded in popularity. The biggest players are winning substantial amounts of money. However, none of the professional poker players are sharing their secrets. In reality, the best players in the world aren’t doing anything really spectacular other than following basic poker tips. What makes the best players so amazing is their ability to utilize all of their strengths and capitalize on the weaknesses of others. Anyone can significantly improve his or her poker game by following these four easy tips. 1. Observe your opponents. This is probably the most crucial part of poker. When playing against someone, the more you know about them, the easier it will be for you to take advantage of their weaknesses. It is always a good idea to observe an opponent's betting habits. Some players bet extremely high when they have a good hand. Other players will attempt to make several seemingly small raises. Anyone who consistently raises after each flop might have a good hand. However, some players will try to bluff. Noticing patterns can help you adjust to the moves of your opponents. This will help you save money, and possibly have great gains. 2. Bet wisely and watch your money. Every poker player should set limits when going into the casino. The pros don’t have to worry about money so much, but the average player definitely does. Set a limit and do not exceed it. Being money conscious can help ensure that if you have a bad day at the tables, you don’t put yourself in debt. Along with managing money is managing bets. Some players like to bet high (high rollers), but this can lead to drastic losses. Some of the best players bet moderately, and increase their bets slightly when they have a good hand. The best advice for betting is “avoid the extremes.” Don’t bet too little, because you will end up losing money in the long run. At the same time, don’t bet too much because you might lose a lot of money on only one hand, and that is never good. 3. Take your time. The pros seem to think very fast, but that is because they are pros! You don’t have to make decisions too rashly. Take time to look at your hand and figure out what you have and bet accordingly. Also, take the time to survey your opponents and surmise what hands they might have. The pros are always thinking and are simply faster than the average player. It is important to realize that every poker player has to think logically and make educated guesses. 4. Know when to fold, and when to stay in. Many players do not understand the best solutions for folding or staying in. The best players understand their chances and only stay in when they have at least one type of hand. Having two face cards is a good reason to stay in, but having two different low number cards might not be such a strong hand. When observing other players, if you notice high bets from a player who does not bluff, then you should probably fold. Knowing when to take risks and when to be conservative is a very important element to being a solid poker player. The pros may seem like they are doing impossible things, but they are really just following basic tips. Poker is a game of chance, but you can always tip the odds in your favor by studying your opponents, being smart with money and betting, and thinking through your decisions. Play smart and you will notice a great increase in your poker winnings. Poker Resources Featured Poker Rooms: Absolute Poker Full Tilt Poker UltimateBet PokerStars Learn to Play Poker Profitably the right way: Sit N Go Pro Outstanding Poker About the Author:Paul Runyan enjoys writing about all things poker, including news and commentary. Learn more at http://www.geniuspoker.comRead more articles by: Paul Runyan Article Source: www.iSnare.com