Tag Archives: hands
Poker Strategies: Playing Position I
Every professional endeavor has it own mantra. In business there’s K.I.S.S. In real estate, it’s location, location, location. In poker, it’s position, position, position.
Position impacts each and every decision you make as a poker player.
Winning poker is about much more than what your cards are. Even what your opponents cards might be. Winning poker is all about situations and position.
We’ve all been told that the value of starting hands goes way up as you get short handed. This is a function of odds and percentages. The fewer hands contesting the pot, the better the odds that your hand will/may be good. For example: pocket 7’s are much stronger 4-handed than they would be with a full table. What many beginning poker players don’t fully appreciate is the fact that position plays much the same role.
Starting hand values will vary quite a bit well before you get the chance to be short handed at the final table. This is where position comes in. Hands become more valuable (playable) later in position. We’ll take the earlier example of pocket 7’s. In very early position (UTG), pocket 7’s may be a hand you would want to stay away from. If you open the pot for a raise, as is standard, what do you do if you get re-raised by a later acting player? He’s putting you in a tough spot because he has the advantage of having position over you.
He’s able to use the information he gets by seeing your action to help him make his decision. It a huge advantage. In this situation, you’d probably have to fold. There are 2 main reasons: 1) Unless he’s a total maniac, he’s not going to raise your bet unless he holds premium cards, either a strong Ace (AK,AQ) or a good pocket pair, and 2) even if you are a slight favorite pre-flop it’s extremely likely that one or more overcards are going to come out on the flop, making it very tough for you to bet, and he’ll still have position over you.
Now, let’s take our measly pair of 7’s and move over to the button. If we get a few limpers in the pot before us, we can usually assume that no one has a good Ace. A pot-sized raise could very well win us the pot right here. If we do get called, we can be fairly certain we are slight favorites in a coin flip situation. The later we have to act, and the fewer players in the hand, the more power our hand assumes (remember the example of playing short-handed). Being in position gives our hand more potential and gives us more options, being out of position seriously limits both.
Winning Texas Hold Em Strategies
We’ve all seen the tournaments on TV. Playing for “life changing” money. If you are even a casual player you have probably wondered if it’s really skilled play or if besting a field of hundreds is all a matter of luck.
The fact is, most average people never have the chance to find out. Let’s face it, how many of us have an “extra” 5-10 grand lying around?
The good news is, there is another way. Sit-n-Go’s are “fixed field” tournaments with usually less than 100 players. You can get started for much less money and, unlike the mega tournaments, there are specific strategies you can use to greatly increase your winning percentage.
Poker Pro John Rothman reveals the exact system he uses to consistently win up to, and over, $1200 per night in Sit-N-Go Pro
My personal favorite strategy with the single-table SNG is to play very tight at the beginning of play. You can’t win the tourney on the first hand, but you can sure lose it. At the lower buy-ins many players are excessively loose and aggressive. The best way to take advantage of them is to play only premium cards.
For example, early in the tournament I’d only play starting hands like AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, AQ. The reason being that other hands are very vulnerable to getting out-drawn. Particularly in multi-way pots with more than 2 or 3 players.
As play winds down, keep in mind that the top 3 make the money (in a single table event). You can use this fact to your advantage when you get down to 5-and 4-handed play. If you’ve played tight so far, you should have a “table image” as a rock, or solid player. Now is the time to open up your game and play a wider range of starting hands, as well as to be more aggressive in your betting patterns. When nearing the “bubble”, many players will “tighten up” and start playing “not to lose”. Taking advantage of this is a good way to steal the blinds and antes.
When you make it to the money, take a look at the pay ladder. What is the difference in pay between 3rd and 2nd, and 3rd and 1st? How is your stack in relation to your opponents? If you’re not the chip leader, maybe it’s time to really start pushing with a lot of allin’s. You’ve already made a profit, now go for the title!