Tag Archives: position
Casino Games: Poker Intellectual Component. Part Three. (Page 1 of 2)
Similar advantage can be also achieved in poker. To the position advantage in poker we can refer the factors of your position with relation to your opponents, the availability of varied membership and the number of opponents continuing the tournament, your aggression, the size of opponents’ stacks and so on. From all of the arts of poker the most important is the creation and realization of position advantage. Here it is as important as in chess.
The conclusion is that an intellectual analytic effort is present both in chess and in poker but they are not alike as the position advantage differs in quality.
The third type of an intellectual effort is connected with the analysis of the part of a game situation which is not connected with the game process itself. This type includes taking into account the psychological peculiarities of the duel.
Strictly speaking, this psychological element is not as widely used in chess, mainly because of the game information which is fully open to both opponents.
In poker the psychological element is very important indeed. It provides almost the half of success of the player. The restricted type of information in poker makes the players only deducing it and it can be done only by observing your opponent. And here you meet a great chance to misinform or manipulate him or create the psychological pressure upon him, and etc. We can name at least three aspects of a psychological element that are often used by experienced players.
Firstly, it is watching for the “signs” of an opponent and the “sings” that you send him. Secondly, one uses the continuous assessment of the psychological state of opponent. Thirdly, one may cause the psychological pressure upon the opponent in order to impose one’s will on him.
To summarize the aforesaid we can say that both games are intellectual fights but their profiles differ. From the three component of an intellectual effort – logical, analytical and psychological, the most important ones in chess are the first two while in poker the last two. But the analytical component dominates in both the games, which is quite understandable because these two games are intellectual.
And finally there is the last comparative observation. In chess, the role played by psychology, is far less important than the role of logic and analytics. Chess in this sense appears as the game of spirit. Irrespective of the state of mind the player must and can find the way to victory, with this way not depending on human feelings and emotions. Chess is the philosophy, the game of aristocrats of a soul.
In poker the role of psychology is more important especially in comparison with logic. The moral state of the opponent, their feelings and emotions not only influence the course of game but change the way to victory. In this sense poker is a game of plebeians, the battle of human passions.
Both, philosophers and plebeians, we are all human. Moreover, in our life in turns we become these and those. Both the games are beautiful, both are worth your attention under condition that your intellect needs a check in a battle with equal ones, in other words, under condition that you are a human being.
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.