Pokerwiner.com → Within poker principles
Or even a poker draw like then if he raises, I’m going to reraise, and he’ll either raise again, or maybe even just call, planning to raise me on the turn. If he raises again on the flop, I’ll just call, then probably try to check-raise on the turn. If he just calls, (on the flop) I’ll bet right into him on the turn as he expects me to, so that he can raise and I can make it three bets.
Comments:
The average player uses a standard approach to the hand which, while not really bad, fails to achieve maximum profit. The advanced player adjusts to the individual player and situation he faces, thinking about ways to extract more money from the hand. He might have chosen a different approach, may be even the same one used by the average player, against a less aggressive opponent, or with a different flop. Most important is that he thinks ahead in more detail than the average player. He considers his opponent’s likely actions at various stages in the hand, planning ahead a sequence of actions designed to exploit them.
Final Comments
Some common elements stand out in the sample poker hands above. While certainly not a complete list, we can see that some of the qualities that separate the advanced player from the average player include:
1.A greater fund of knowledge. This leads to an awareness of a greater number of relevant variables and their implications in the play of a hand.
2.A more fully developed habit of thinking through situations as they arise at the table.
3.A well developed tendency to think about what opponents are thinking.
4.A better developed ability to think ahead during hands. This includes the tendency to anticipate opponent’s thoughts, as well as their actions.
5.A greater sensitivity to the need for situational, player specific adjustments.
These are but some of the abilities that you can develop or strengthen through serious study of the game. I hope you see that the pay off makes it work the effort. And if you are already beyond the “advanced” level illustrated, you know that even the effort to learn just a little more can pay off better than most poker players imagine.
The Strategic Moment in Holdem / One Way Not to Fold /
Beating the Berserko: Preflop Against a Maniac /
On Into the Storm: Playing the maniac After the Flop
One Reason to Reraise a Maniac / A Simple Read / Countering a Good Reader
Thinking About What They’re Thinking / Out On the Edge
Considerations in Two Blind Stealing Defense situations
Easing the Transition to the middle Limits: Part I
Easing the Transition to the middle Limits: Part II / Multiple Changing Images