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Pokermani - Spelmani - PokerBlog |
Texas Hold'em Poker lesson 1
Game and Seat Selection When entering a Poker Room, Game and Seat Selection should be forefront in your mind.
In selecting a game, you want to go where you have a handicap. In other words, if you are rated number 8 on the world's list of best Poker players, sitting at a table with the top 7 Poker players will put you at the bottom of ladder; as you will undoubtedly be the worst poker player on that table. If its money you want to win, play at a table that you know you can beat.
Once you have chosen your game and table, you must select a seat where you will get the most value for your money. How? Poker is played in a clockwise direction, and the money will flow likewise. Therefore, try to identify the big Bankroll players with loose attitudes. Very important, always ensure that they are seated to your immediate right. This way, all the betting and raising will be completed by the time the action reaches you.
Mental Preparation & Hand Selection The Game has begun. You have received your cards and now it's time to make your hand selection. This is the most critical part of your game, as this will determine your game outcome.
When making this decision do not think only of the highest overall winning combination: instead, use your cards to assist in deciding your highest valued hand using the most practical winning combination. I find it necessary to point out that Bluffing and Semi-Bluffing also pays a vital role in Poker.
Remember that if you were to play with your best hands only you would have no action when you play.
In order to benefit from bluffing in poker, you must know when and when not to Bluff, as doing so can sometimes harm your game. Bluffing in Poker is a simple matter of mathematics coupled with an elementary understanding of how to read Tells (opponents hands). Let’s say, for example, that there is a $50 pot and you bet $5 to try and steal the pot when you have basically no chance of winning. This will give you 10-1 on your money. As a result, you need a 10 – 1 chance of winning the pot. Even if you are unsuccessful on the tenth attempt, you will need an eleventh to break even. I have given you an example of a worst-case scenario in order to show that your bluffs need to be successful only a small percentage of the time in order to show a profit from bluffing. Even with the above information, there are suggested guidelines to follow when bluffing.
”You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time. But you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.”So said President Abraham Lincoln. Maybe he liked to play poker!
The reason we’re reminding you of that famous quote is because we’re looking again at the one of the things that makes poker so unique.
The Great Art of Bluffing.‘dos and don’ts’.
Some players consider Bluffing to be more important in poker than the actual deal and there is a lot of truth in this.
Look at some of the legends who have famously won with hands that look more like feet and you’ll see how important it is.
First, some ‘dos’:
DO bluff when the pot is big. You don’t need as big a chance of winning as when the pot is smaller.
DO bluff against good players. They will appreciate the opportunity to joust whereas bad players will simply call you because it’s in their mentality to be impatient and want to see the next card.
DO bluff when an opponent is not bluffing. This happens when the pot is huge and the other player knows it will take only one card to beat him. He’s unlikely to be bluffing if he’s been first to bet in a game with five or more players and expects to be called.
Now, some ‘don’ts’:
DON’T bluff when there is only one opponent and a small pot. If you check and he then bets, there is a greater than average chance that he’s bluffing himself.
DON’T bluff when you’ve recently been caught bluffing. You've been labeled as a poor bluffer already. Let them forget that hand and start rebuilding a reputation as a straight player – you’ll get another chance soon!
DON’T bluff against lots of players. Chances are that someone has something that they'll stick with. From an odds perspective, this is never worth it. < Back Next >
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