When you first start a poker tournament, you normally have a wide range of playing styles facing you, from wild overbetters to calling stations. Unless you are able to isolate conservative players, making bluffs into this blend of players is usually a bad idea.
The first task when starting any new tournament is to get an idea of the type of players you are facing, this will help guide your playing style, especially when you have aggressive players at your table. Some players will call a lot of big bets on second pair or unlikely draws, outright bluffing without first knowing the texture of the table is definitely a high risk manouver.
Over time, a couple of things happen. Calling stations with non-premium hands will be chipping out as people adapt to their playing style. Wild players, barring a run of luck, will have quickly gone out. The tournament players that remain are now more likely to believe bluffs.
If, over this time period, you have been playing a tight game, and only betting out on reasonable hits or draws, hopefully earning some chips, other players will have starting noting your playing style. When you make it to showdown, win or loose, your cards are going to be reviewed by the other players. Make sure your bets made sense, you bet out when your king hits, re-raised on two pairs, etc. You want other players to believe that when you bet, especially big, you have a big hand.
The combination of loosing players that call far too many hands with your own tight play will lead to bigger bluff opportunities later on. It typically takes a very strong bet to take a player off of top pair, early on in a tournament some players are prepared to go all in. But later on in a tournament, with a player you have seen over 75 hands with, you may have earned the right for a huge bluff that takes a big pot down.
All bluffs should make sense, if you are in a pot and an ace hits on the turn, you can make a big raise here representing the ace. Your bluff stands a much better chance of being believed than earlier on in the tournament.
Early on in a tournament, even the most well executed bluff can be called by bad players. Earning the right to bluff certain players can take time, but can also pay off well in the critical mid tournament stages.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Looking for opportunities
As you move beyond basic poker play, understanding the value of pairs, knowing odds on draws, adapting your play to other players, you rely on the actual strength of cards less and less as you start to seek opportunities.
You begin to increase your winnings not by having stronger cards, but by looking for other signs that indicate you may still be able to win the hand.
Rather than sticking to any specific playing strategy, you being to adapt your play to the playing style on the table, and the players on that table.
Poker moves from a game about cards to a game about players, seeking opportunities to lighten players of their stack.
The easiest players to play are rocks, conservative players who always wait for premium hands and only bet or call bets when they hit.
If you are on the button or small blind, and a rock is sitting in the big blind, any raise will take down the blinds from that player unless they have a hand. It doesn't matter what you have in your hand, a rock in the blinds is a clear steal indicator.
Even if they call, if the flop does not have an ace or two or more face cards, then the odds are they have missed. A modest continuation bet here will also take the pot away from the rock. Any calls or raises and you are facing a strong hand. So time to get out unless you have the same.
Another key area, particularly in the starting stages of a tournament, is to establish over aggressive player all in range. Of course, if you have either of the big pairs, you are going to be calling an all in from any player. If there is a player who is aggressively looking to double up however, you spend the time establishing range on this player, and getting ready to call their all in on a strong pair like 9s or 10s.
The classic continuation bet trap works as follows. An aggressive player makes a pre-flop raise. You call. The flop comes down. The aggressive player makes a continuation bet. You call. They check on the turn. You make a bet the same size as their continuation bet. They fold. This is another opportunity to seek. Is there a player who makes continuation bets every time they re-flop raise? If so, this technique can be used to take their chips when they miss.
Increasing your winnings by seeking opportunities marks the movement from a poker player relying on luck and good cards to a poker player relying on skill. In extreme cases, I have doubled up over time or more without having a single hand. Of course, the players I am playing are what provide this opportunity, careful analysis can increase your winning ratio.
You begin to increase your winnings not by having stronger cards, but by looking for other signs that indicate you may still be able to win the hand.
Rather than sticking to any specific playing strategy, you being to adapt your play to the playing style on the table, and the players on that table.
Poker moves from a game about cards to a game about players, seeking opportunities to lighten players of their stack.
The easiest players to play are rocks, conservative players who always wait for premium hands and only bet or call bets when they hit.
If you are on the button or small blind, and a rock is sitting in the big blind, any raise will take down the blinds from that player unless they have a hand. It doesn't matter what you have in your hand, a rock in the blinds is a clear steal indicator.
Even if they call, if the flop does not have an ace or two or more face cards, then the odds are they have missed. A modest continuation bet here will also take the pot away from the rock. Any calls or raises and you are facing a strong hand. So time to get out unless you have the same.
Another key area, particularly in the starting stages of a tournament, is to establish over aggressive player all in range. Of course, if you have either of the big pairs, you are going to be calling an all in from any player. If there is a player who is aggressively looking to double up however, you spend the time establishing range on this player, and getting ready to call their all in on a strong pair like 9s or 10s.
The classic continuation bet trap works as follows. An aggressive player makes a pre-flop raise. You call. The flop comes down. The aggressive player makes a continuation bet. You call. They check on the turn. You make a bet the same size as their continuation bet. They fold. This is another opportunity to seek. Is there a player who makes continuation bets every time they re-flop raise? If so, this technique can be used to take their chips when they miss.
Increasing your winnings by seeking opportunities marks the movement from a poker player relying on luck and good cards to a poker player relying on skill. In extreme cases, I have doubled up over time or more without having a single hand. Of course, the players I am playing are what provide this opportunity, careful analysis can increase your winning ratio.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Real life poker tells #3, preparing for battle
There is a general category of poker tells called "preparing for battle". There are a few different tells that all mean the same thing, we will go over these below. But first, knowing the motivation for preparing for battle can help you know when the other player has a strong hand.
Preparing for battle simply means you are getting ready to seriously play your hand, and that your tells or group of tells indicate this. So, pre-flop preparing for battle includes any tell that means you are getting ready to play the hand, shifting your seat position from relaxed to attentive, moving or leaning your body closer to the table, looking at your opponents around the table carefully before making a bet.
Post flop, the signs may be even more obvious as more of the hand has been revealled. If a soldier is preparing to charge, they would typically inhale, their shoulders would raise, and they would lean in. The same happens post flop if a player has a hand they are definitely interested in continuing to play, that is, most likely, their hand has either hit big or has significantly improved.
So, if player shows the following tells, they are preparing for battle, getting ready to play their hand in a serious way:
1. Big inhale when the flop hits.
2. Moving from a slouch to a more attentive position at the table.
3. Looking over other players and chip stacks carefully before making a move.
4. Looking at the players they feel are their competition in the current pot and looking down at them with their chin and nose up. This tell is also sometimes combined with the inhale. It means I think I have you beat and am now planning a chip extraction strategy. (the opposite to this tell is lowering their head and looking down when the flop hits, this indicates lack of interest in the flop or hand).
5. Placing hands or arms on the table when they were formerly at the players side, on their lap.
Generally, any tell that shows an increased level of interest in the hand than the players baseline behaviour is one that falls into the preparing for battle category. This can generally indicate strength to you, and you can adjust your game accordingly.
Preparing for battle simply means you are getting ready to seriously play your hand, and that your tells or group of tells indicate this. So, pre-flop preparing for battle includes any tell that means you are getting ready to play the hand, shifting your seat position from relaxed to attentive, moving or leaning your body closer to the table, looking at your opponents around the table carefully before making a bet.
Post flop, the signs may be even more obvious as more of the hand has been revealled. If a soldier is preparing to charge, they would typically inhale, their shoulders would raise, and they would lean in. The same happens post flop if a player has a hand they are definitely interested in continuing to play, that is, most likely, their hand has either hit big or has significantly improved.
So, if player shows the following tells, they are preparing for battle, getting ready to play their hand in a serious way:
1. Big inhale when the flop hits.
2. Moving from a slouch to a more attentive position at the table.
3. Looking over other players and chip stacks carefully before making a move.
4. Looking at the players they feel are their competition in the current pot and looking down at them with their chin and nose up. This tell is also sometimes combined with the inhale. It means I think I have you beat and am now planning a chip extraction strategy. (the opposite to this tell is lowering their head and looking down when the flop hits, this indicates lack of interest in the flop or hand).
5. Placing hands or arms on the table when they were formerly at the players side, on their lap.
Generally, any tell that shows an increased level of interest in the hand than the players baseline behaviour is one that falls into the preparing for battle category. This can generally indicate strength to you, and you can adjust your game accordingly.
Playing medium aces
Once you move beyond understanding the fundamentals of playing poker, raise or fold more than you limp, staying in hands after an aggressive player makes a continuation bet, and, most importantly, winning, you can start to increase your range depending on situation and win hands with less than strong holdings.
Medium Aces can lead to increases in your stack by learning the other players style and capitalizing on that style. Of course the tight player who raises preflop is a good reason to get out of the hand as your Ace 8 is probably beat, but in many of the games I play (3-5$ sit n gos) there is still far to much limping that can mean your Ace 8 is actually the strongest hand.
One of the first leaks poker tracking software identified in my game was limping. It doesn't seem like much to simply pop in a blind and see where the hand goes, but, over time, you can end up loosing significant amounts of chips. I was loosing about 15-20% of my potential profit on limping with weak hands. Don't do it unless you have a specific strategy against another player in mind.
So, if you are at a table with limpers, you first need to establish limping range. Players who are in too many pots with limps over time typically have a range that includes weak aces or any two face cards. In either of these cases, your Ace 8 is ahead. There is also a certain alure to a Weak ace that is suited. The potential of the nut flush or the even less likely wheel adds percieved value to the weak ace. So, too many people play these hands. Identify them.
Then, when you have a medium ace, you can call their limp and be ahead. The best situation is to hit that ace and have them dominated. Or, make a convincing raise and potentially take down the pot right there, and be ahead if they don't.
When you are in later position, a medium ace can be a good semi bluff hand, if you have a limp or two in behind you and players ahead of you who do fold to raises, then you can make a decent raise and often take down the pot right there. If someone who has not yet acted however calls your raise, depending on their playing style, you can be reasonably sure that you are not ahead at the time.
If your raise has been called, then you actually are more interested in hitting your kicker than the Ace itself, since a called raise may imply a second stronger ace. Since a high pair would most likely re-raise you pre-flop, your are more likely to be against a strong ace or a medium pair. You may of course do a continuation bet regardless of the flop texture, following your pre-flop raise and hoping the other player folds. Hitting your ace in this situation means you have to procede carefully and assess the other player. You have to be willing to fold if the other player shows no fear of your raises or raises significantly themselves (and they are not a maniac).
Medium aces are not likely to win big pots unless, like any other hand, you hit two pair or better. However, in the case of lots of pre-flop limps and predicatable opponent behaviour, you may actually be ahead and calling or raising with that ace can end up giving you a positive expected value.
Medium Aces can lead to increases in your stack by learning the other players style and capitalizing on that style. Of course the tight player who raises preflop is a good reason to get out of the hand as your Ace 8 is probably beat, but in many of the games I play (3-5$ sit n gos) there is still far to much limping that can mean your Ace 8 is actually the strongest hand.
One of the first leaks poker tracking software identified in my game was limping. It doesn't seem like much to simply pop in a blind and see where the hand goes, but, over time, you can end up loosing significant amounts of chips. I was loosing about 15-20% of my potential profit on limping with weak hands. Don't do it unless you have a specific strategy against another player in mind.
So, if you are at a table with limpers, you first need to establish limping range. Players who are in too many pots with limps over time typically have a range that includes weak aces or any two face cards. In either of these cases, your Ace 8 is ahead. There is also a certain alure to a Weak ace that is suited. The potential of the nut flush or the even less likely wheel adds percieved value to the weak ace. So, too many people play these hands. Identify them.
Then, when you have a medium ace, you can call their limp and be ahead. The best situation is to hit that ace and have them dominated. Or, make a convincing raise and potentially take down the pot right there, and be ahead if they don't.
When you are in later position, a medium ace can be a good semi bluff hand, if you have a limp or two in behind you and players ahead of you who do fold to raises, then you can make a decent raise and often take down the pot right there. If someone who has not yet acted however calls your raise, depending on their playing style, you can be reasonably sure that you are not ahead at the time.
If your raise has been called, then you actually are more interested in hitting your kicker than the Ace itself, since a called raise may imply a second stronger ace. Since a high pair would most likely re-raise you pre-flop, your are more likely to be against a strong ace or a medium pair. You may of course do a continuation bet regardless of the flop texture, following your pre-flop raise and hoping the other player folds. Hitting your ace in this situation means you have to procede carefully and assess the other player. You have to be willing to fold if the other player shows no fear of your raises or raises significantly themselves (and they are not a maniac).
Medium aces are not likely to win big pots unless, like any other hand, you hit two pair or better. However, in the case of lots of pre-flop limps and predicatable opponent behaviour, you may actually be ahead and calling or raising with that ace can end up giving you a positive expected value.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Waiting for the elevator
My wife and I were coming home from a friendly poker tournament the other night, and were discussing some of the hands in the taxi on the way home. The cab driver heard us, and started talking about poker, especially texas hold-em.
He started talking about more serious cash and tournament poker, and a player type he keeps running in to. In his view, the worst type of poker player, the type that doesn't win tournaments or gain respect, is the type who 'waits for the elevator'.
Waiting for the elevator refers to a playing style where, not only does the player wait for premium hands rather than looking for pre-flop steal opportunities, but also waits for a strong hit before taking any action post flop. They are basically waiting for a big hand before taking any action, regardless of how many folds it takes. They rarely three bet.
They other wise don't pay attention to the game when they are not in hands, not looking for opportunities or looking at another players style.
They are waiting for premium pre-flop cards followed by waiting for a hit post flop, meaning they are folding most hands before they see the turn.
They can also easily be taken advantage of, any strong bet will be folded to if they are holding less than a premium hand.
This type of player can do well against over aggressive players because the aggressive player will be facing premium cards if they continue to call. Otherwise, they are fairly easy to exploit.
There is definitely an equivalent on-line. And they are certainly easier to play, if you raise they will usually fold, if they don't, you know they have strong holdings.
I think the cabbie would be a worthy opponent in a poker tournament, who knows who you might meet at the tables... I won't get caught waiting for the elevator.
He started talking about more serious cash and tournament poker, and a player type he keeps running in to. In his view, the worst type of poker player, the type that doesn't win tournaments or gain respect, is the type who 'waits for the elevator'.
Waiting for the elevator refers to a playing style where, not only does the player wait for premium hands rather than looking for pre-flop steal opportunities, but also waits for a strong hit before taking any action post flop. They are basically waiting for a big hand before taking any action, regardless of how many folds it takes. They rarely three bet.
They other wise don't pay attention to the game when they are not in hands, not looking for opportunities or looking at another players style.
They are waiting for premium pre-flop cards followed by waiting for a hit post flop, meaning they are folding most hands before they see the turn.
They can also easily be taken advantage of, any strong bet will be folded to if they are holding less than a premium hand.
This type of player can do well against over aggressive players because the aggressive player will be facing premium cards if they continue to call. Otherwise, they are fairly easy to exploit.
There is definitely an equivalent on-line. And they are certainly easier to play, if you raise they will usually fold, if they don't, you know they have strong holdings.
I think the cabbie would be a worthy opponent in a poker tournament, who knows who you might meet at the tables... I won't get caught waiting for the elevator.
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