Archive for the ‘Online Poker School’ Category
The Poker Flop
May 19th, 2009
Choosing to play a starting hand is the biggest decision you will make while playing Texas Hold'em. Deciding whether to continue playing after seeing the flop will be your second biggest decision. It can also be one of the most costly decisions if you continue after the flop with an inferior hand. It is said that the flop defines your hand. That is because after the flop your hand will be 71 percent complete. Where does this figure come from? Assuming you play your hand out to the end, it will consist of seven cards. After the flop you have seen five cards or 5 / 7 of the final hand, which is equal to 71 percent. With this much of your hand complete you should have enough information to determine whether to continue.
Deciding to continue playing after the flop is not as easy as choosing a starting hand. There are only 169 two-card combinations for starting hands, but there are 19,600 three-card combinations that can appear on the flop. Combine this with the two cards in your hand and there are 2,598,960 five-card combinations that can be made. After waiting patiently for the correct starting hand, the sad reality is that most of the time you won't like the flop.
Poker writer Shane Smith coined the phrase, "Fit or Fold." You will want to use this criterion when deciding to continue playing the hand. If the flop fits your hand, you will continue playing it. If the flop does not fit your hand, you must fold. The flop can fit your hand three different ways.
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Tags: card combinations, costly decisions, flop poker, online poker
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Calling A Poker Bluff
May 18th, 2009
Just because you will not be doing much bluffing does not mean there won't be any going on in the game. Some players in low-limit games think that bluffing is an important part of the game and they will try it whenever possible. If there is a maniac in the game, this player may try to run over other players by raising and bluffing. If it succeeds, he will keep doing it. You can't call these players with anything just to try and catch them bluffing. Wait until you have a legitimate hand and then nail them with a raise of your own.
Be aware that many players will try to bluff on the river. If they have a busted draw, they may try betting or raising to win the pot. If you have a legitimate hand, and there is substantial money in the pot, you should call. If the pot contains $90 and it will cost you $6 to call a raise, you are getting 15:1 odds. It is better to lose $6 if you call and lose, than to forfeit $90 if you toss away the winning hand.
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Tags: game, online poker, substantial money, winning hand