Some random poker theories
I’ve been looking back over some of my hand histories of the last few weeks in an effort to gain some value from the beats. I realized that many of the times when I lost a hand, I made errors when I should have known better. I guess it just takes repetition for some poker lessons to sink in to my thick skull.
I want to list some common sense poker guidelines that I find are easy to forget in the heat of battle. Maybe if I write them down, I won’t be as likely to forget them again.
* Ace-King is a very good preflop hand, but it’s not usually worth pushing all in with preflop in cash games. Sure there’s a time and place to do it, especially when I want to four-bet, squeeze play or resteal with dead money trapped between you and the initial raiser. But most of the time, you’ll either win a small pot or lose a big one.
* Game selection is one of the most important things in poker that will determine your success at the tables. I don’t play to become the best poker player in the world. I play to grow my bankroll and make as much money as I can. I believe that it’s a false statement that you need to play better players in order to learn. I learn just as much from the fish. There are often good players near the fish anyway, but that doesn’t mean I want to get involved in pots with them. I’m happy to play all my pots with the fish.
* Ax suited simply doesn’t play well out of position, even many times when I think I have the odds to call. Just fold these types of hands. You’ll be better off in the long term.
* I should put in a raise at some point when I’m either way ahead or way behind, especially when I may be dominated. The raise will either take down the pot, tell me I’m beaten, or buy me a free showdown. Being a calling station just doesn’t work in poker. Watch the pro players sometimes. They don’t call, they bet and raise.
* All-in bets are many times more likely to get called than large pot-sized bets because they look more like bluffs.
* While a loose-aggressive image may be my ultimate goal in shorthanded NL games, it’s playing tight-aggressive where I will make the most money. Most of my profits will come from recognizing and taking advantage of my opponent’s mistakes.
* If I check the turn with a weak hand that I think is likely best, I have to call a river bet most of the time because my check will frequently induce bluffs no matter what the river card is.
Dont Agree? Let us Know. We love hearing your thoughts and picks!
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