Poker Strategy

Poker is game played with a 52 card deck. There are many variations of the game, but every poker hand is made up of five cards. The winning hand is the one that is highest on the hierarchy of poker hands, although there is a variation known as Hi-Lo where a low hand has the potential to win the pot.

The stakes and betting rules for each game are agreed on before play begins. Most games require initial ‘forced bets’, either an ‘ante’ or a ‘blind’, before any cards are dealt.

Depending on which variation is being played, the cards are dealt in their agreed upon number by the dealer. In informal and home games, the dealer is the player to the left of the player who dealt the previous round, each player taking it in turn. Online and in casinos where there is a dedicated dealer, the position of the first player is marked by a ‘button’ which rotates to mark the theoretical dealer and the cards are dealt in the same rotation as they would be in an informal game, as if the ‘button’ player were the dealer. This is to ensure the fairness of betting principles and positional equality.

Once all the players have received their first round of cards, betting opens. In games with ‘up-cards’ it’s usually the player with the lowest showing hand who places the opening bet. In games where the cards are all hidden, the player to the left of the dealer or ‘button’ is first to bet. The opening bettor may ‘check’, leaving the responsibility to the next player and so on until someone has put a bet into the pot or every player has ‘checked’. Once a bet is placed, the other players must either ‘call’ the bet, putting in an equal amount, raise the bet or ‘fold’ by forfeiting their involvement in the hand and previous bets, antes or blinds. If a player raises the bet at any time, then those who have already bet must, in turn, meet the new bet or ‘fold’. Many games have a limited number of raises while others have none.

In certain games there is an opportunity to discard a number of the initial cards and receive an equal number of new cards from the dealer. This usually gives way to a second round of betting. In other games with either ‘community’ cards or in stud games when no discarding is permitted, there are more opportunities to bet since each card or a series of cards preludes a new round of betting.

Once all the cards are dealt and all the bets have been placed, the winner is the one with the highest hand unless all the other players have ‘folded’ in which case the last player in the game is the winner. This is true for most poker games excepting Hi-Lo and Lo games. In a Hi-Lo game the pot is split between the highest hand and the low, or in a Lo game the player with the lowest hand wins. Cards only need to be declared if a player has ‘called’ the final bet of another player (or players) and it is a matter of the highest hand, otherwise the cards need not be declared. This facet of the game in conjunction with the betting system allows for a great deal of deception or ‘bluffing’.

TIGHT PLAY AND LOOSE PLAY

Tight play is generally characterised by playing fewer hands on the strength of good cards. A tight player will usually only bet good opening cards and will more often fold weaker hands.

Loose play is characterised by playing more hands less aggressively. The loose player is less susceptible to bluffing, since they are prepared to stay in and make a hand from later cards. Different variations of poker dispose to these two contrasting styles of play. Omaha Hold ‘Em, for example, is a game in which good hands are formed later in the game and which benefits from Loose Play, whereas the Texas variation has a limited range for a good starting ‘hole’ cards and is often played tightly.

POT ODDS AND IMPLIED ODDS

Pot odds are the mathematical probability you have of receiving the card or cards you need. As an example, if you have two same-suit cards in the hole for a game of Texas Hold ‘Em and the ‘flop’ gives another two of the same suit, then there are a possible nine ‘out’ cards which will let you make your flush, since there are thirteen cards of each suit in the deck. A quick way of calculating the approximate percentage of getting another card of the same suit is to double the number of ‘out’ cards and add one. This would give you a nineteen percent chance of getting your card, which is one in five. Of course, if this chance is worthwhile depends on the ‘board’ cards and what hands other players might be going for. It also depends on your investment in the pot. If you are paying a smaller percentage to win a larger pot, then it is worth your while to stay in providing your proposed hand is worthwhile. But if you are paying a considerable proportion of the pot and can only make a small profit, then the odds are not good. If you have a one in five chance of getting your card it is not worth staying in if you are or will be contributing more more than one fifth of the pot. The less you are contributing to the pot in relation to the chance you have of making your hand the better your odds.

To understand Implied Odds, you need to be aware of the Pot Odds. The real difference between the two is that at certain stage of a game the pot odds might not be in your favour, but if there are more rounds of betting to come the projected odds are differ to the Pot Odds that currently exist. These projected or Implied Odds might swing the percentages your way. To make an educated guess as to who will stay in and what sort of betting might transpire and then to calculate the probable Pot Odds of the next round of betting is what Implied Odds are all about.

POKER STRATEGY - BLUFFING AND SLOW PLAYING

It is to the players advantage to mislead his opponents as to his own hand and, similarly, to force his opponents to give up information about their hands. Bluffing, the deliberate misleading as to one’s hand, may be part of a long-term strategy and nurtured over a long period of game play. It is primarily characterised by playing as if one had a better hand, thus attempting to induce players with better hands to ‘fold’. To be implemented successfully it needs to be used at the right time. The regular use of bluffing makes the bluffer vulnerable as opponents can use this predictability to their advantage.

‘Slow-playing’ is another form of deception differing from the ‘bluff’ in that it is characterised by playing stronger hands as though they were weak. A very effective strategy which works well in conjunction with well timed ‘bluffing’ and is invariably part of the good players long-term strategy.

POKER STRATEGY - AGGRESSIVE PLAY AND PASSIVE PLAY

Aggressive Play is the practice of betting and raising, especially at the beginning of the hand, to make players fold who might otherwise stay in for a ‘check’ round. The idea being that aggressive betting implies a good starting hand for whichever variation of poker is being played. The fewer players left in a hand, the greater the probability of your hand being the winning one, but Aggressive Play should be used cleverly and not all the time. It is generally accepted that Passive Play, the art of betting enough to keep other players in the game and raise the pot, allows a more detailed approach to betting and forces opponents to make mistakes while you learn to understand their hands. Passive Play takes more focus, but if used properly in conjunction with calculated bluffing and Aggressive Play it will pay off in the long run.

POKER STRATEGY - TELLS

A legendary aspect of poker which is characterised by being able to read an opponent’s idiosyncrasies in order to judge whether they are bluffing. Certain players may have things they do which give their strategy away. The longer you play an opponent the more likely you are to discover their quirk. Some players have a physical ‘tick’ and some just play differently. These are valuable traits to discover and most poker players do their utmost to avoid giving themselves away in this manner. Some very astute players can use their own 'tells' against you if they know you can see them.