Take Your Texas Hold’Em Skills up a Notch
Everyone that is playing internet poker has a grasp of the basic knowledge. Everyone knows the best hand is AA and people love talking about 7,2 being the worst. Everyone knows how to check, bet, call, raise and fold, but not everyone knows how to use these actions to maximize profit.
Checking
Most weak players think checking is just something to do if you have a bad hand. Well, that is true, but it can also be a great play if you have a good hand and it can be a really good play if you have an unbeatable hand. Checking can be the most powerful tool in your arsenal if you flop a monster hand and you are first to act. If you flop the nuts (the best possible hand at the time) and you are first to act, it is a good idea to check. Then you can sit back and let someone else do the betting for you. Checking usually makes you look weak, so if you check when you have a strong hand, it can throw your opponent off guard and he can make mistake.
Betting
This is of course a fundamental aspect of poker, but it is often done incorrectly. Many poor players just bet for the sake of betting without any real strategy or reason for their play. It is very important to know how much money is in the pot and know the strength of your hand before making a bet. If you make an incorrect play, it could be the difference between getting a call when you want one and forcing a fold when you want one.
Folding
Amazingly, the players who make the best folds are the players that usually are the best. If you want to win a lot of money, you need to read your opponent and decide if it is best to play or fold. You should almost never chase flushes or straights because you will lose money in the long run. You have to be able to fold in certain situations if you want to become and elite player.
Check-Raising
This is a powerful tool if you have a strong hand or if you want to bluff. All you need to do is check, let someone else bet and then raise their bet! It makes you look like you have a strong hand. That being said, some people will not believe your check-raise and they will continue to play along. If you want to win the pot with a check-raise, but you do not have a strong hand, you need to play aggressive. If you check-raise the flop, you have to bet out on the turn and you have to bet a lot if you want your opponent to fold. It is a stressful task trying to make a check-raise bluff and it should not be attempted often. It can cost you a lot of money if done in the wrong situation.
The Turn is Where the Real Action Happens
Action that takes place when the turn card is revealed will give away a lot of information about what your opponents are holding. It can be difficult to put someone on a certain hand before and after the flop, however the turn card will sometimes help you determine how you should play the remainder of the hand. It is important to remember everything a player has done up to the point when the turn card comes out. This will allow you to further understand what cards they may be holding.
Strong Hands
If you have a strong hand, it is important you do not give it away when the turn card is shown. Remember how the hand has unveiled to this point. If you get the feeling that your opponent thinks you are weak, try and entice him to bet on the turn. Then you have the option to call or raise. If you get the feeling your opponent knows you are strong, you can either check the bet and hope he reconsiders, or you can make a crazy wild huge bet and hope it looks like a bluff. Even if you make a large bet and your opponent folds, it doesn’t matter because he would have folded to a small bet as well. However, if he calls or raises your large bet, then you are in a great position.
If you think your opponent has the strongest hand on the turn, you need to study his moves very carefully. If he checks, you should check. Do not try and bluff if you think your opponent is strong, it will not work. This is a good time to fold your cards if your opponent bets and you are on a draw. Of course you can calculate your pot odds to make the decision, but you do not want to chase a bad draw only to fold on the river. Other people at the table will pick up on this behaviour and label you as a poor player. That will not bode well for your future in the game.
Weak Hands
If you have a poor hand when the turn comes, you might still have an advantage to steal the pot. Say for example you bet on the flop and you were called by your opponent. When the turn comes, you have to have the guts to fire another bullet. Every poker player can bluff one time, but you need to be able to pick up on the situations where you need to bluff the second time to win the hand. Do not do this tactic every time, but you need to be aware that a lot of people will fold a better hand than you if you show strength on the turn.
If your opponent has a weak hand, you can usually pick up on this when the turn card comes out. You can almost always tell when someone is on a draw if they call a bet on the flop and then check the turn. Of course, they could have a made hand, but it is not very likely (especially in the lower stakes). If you know your opponent is weak, and you are also weak, you need to bet enough to get him to fold on the turn. Do not check and allow him one more chance to make a hand. Be aggressive on the turn if you think he is weak and you will win more often than not.