In poker, just like in the fair game, one always needs a mentor and a strategy to emerge as a champion. That being said, it is also important to study the strategies of our opponents and understand their personal strategies in playing the game. In poker, its all about winning the4000k jackpot.
I would like to talk about two of the most discussed issues that players often discuss, the early and the late stages of the game. Let’s take a look at both aspects of the game and discuss how you might be able to improve your poker performance in these crucial phases.
Early phase strategy
Like any other games, pokerbo is also a game of observation on how other players perceive your actions and your reactions. As a strong player, it is not advisable to play your strong hands blindly. However, for the purpose of practice, it is good to bet and raise accordingly when you are sure that your hands are good.
There a couple of options to consider for a good early stage strategy. One is to raise with a good hand. Most aggressive players play only 3-4 standard bets. This means that you need to open the pot raise with a good hand. A good hand in this situation might be AJ+, AQ+, or KQ+. You will see the heads up between two aggressive players and you will be able to make the call and limit the loss. The second hand is a call to see the flop or fold. This is the situation we want to avoid.
There another strategy to use in the early stages is the continuation bet. Most aggressive players will bet on the flop after its a raise. You need to be extremely careful when he bets again on the flop. Do not draw for a straight or a flush.
The early stage is the best time to take down the pot. However, you cannot rely on luck, chances, or your skills at the early stage. Players tend to play conservatively then as they have enough chips to get beaten if you pull a monster. So rather than trying to pull a great hand, you need to play it safe and wait for a good hand.
There’s a rule I follow that goes along with this concept. If I have a gut feeling that my opponent is cheating, I wait for a high card on the flop then a check or fold. Once a card comes that supports my theory, I then bet aggressively in response to the bet.
Late phase strategy
Here you can take risks. You may call in the beginning to see the flop and get lucky, call a raise on the flop then check/fold when its a safe bet to do so. Do not call in the beginning until you have shown strength pre-flop or you may find you are called by a gut-shot straight, a flush, two pair, or an over card.
Typically, the late phase or the end phase is the time when you want to be playing some risky cards such as a high pair, A-A, K-K, Q-Q, or an Ace or King. These cards put you in a position to win a large pot when you hit the set they produce. They can also make your opponent fold if you overcook a hand.
Sometimes you will find you have a weak hand and your opponents have a good hand. At these moments, if you count your opponents and determine if the odds are in your favor, you may want to use the side pot to call for a larger bet. You can always save the entire bet until you hit your set. When you do hit your set, you should bet/raise for the rest of the hand.
Of course, this Inside references article is not about how to play specific hands. It is about representing your hand so that when you do hit “the nuts” you will win more than the amount of money put in to the pot pre-flop.
