It is important that you start your every poker game right. Thus, you must learn how you should play in early stage of a poker game.
Well, so you can think right in early stage, try to relax first and clear your mind from any worries. Be calm and be open to all possibilities. Be comfortable and try to enjoy. Never ponder on things that are out of your control like luck. Then play tight. Being tight can really help on multiple levels. But of course, still have some control over your decisions. Although playing tight can help, it can also get you into some troubles so be careful.
To play tight means playing only premium hole cards with a goal to steal blinds and eventually even buy the pot.
In early stage, playing tight may help. But then on the flip side, never try to play aggressively or too excited. Never try to swipe blinds as it won’t help. Instead try to win big blinds. In the event the blinds are very small, never raise just to win little blinds. Never try to put your chips at risk for no good purpose. Try to be patient and wait for the blinds to improve before you try to take them away.
And in case you are up for small pots, try not to make aggressive bluffs. This won’t help most especially in early stage.
When in early stage, be careful when making decisions. You can play tight but you can’t be too excited. Playing tight may work but being too excited won’t work at all. As much as possible try to be tight but be reasonable and try to consider some factors. Try to consider the condition of the table and the kind of players you are up against with.
Time will come that you will have to play in a certain short handed game. Thus, it is important that as early as now, you already know how you should play in a short handed game. Well, a short handed can be very distinct. It is still like a regular game but only with a table of less than 6 players. When table gets down to half, dynamics can be different and game can turn very tight.
To win in a short handed game, you must know how to make a lot of great bluffs. This can be your best defense considering that short handed games are typically full of aggressive players who would always bet and raise even with mediocre or weaker hands.
When it comes to the number of hands you have to play, well consider playing more hands than usual. But this is of course when you are against same opponents. You can double or triple the number of hands you would play when for an instance you are in a ring game. In case you won’t, your opponents will be up for more and more hands and the weaknesses of the game will become more visible.
About your position, well, try to exploit whatever position that you have. Remember that in a short handed game, as the hand strength and number of players go down, position becomes an effective and more powerful tool. Thus, exploit your position. Be a good short handed player by doing so. But of course, you must consider some factors first. Pay attention to the situation at the table and what kind of players are left playing. You must be careful before making a move. Be wise, attentive, and observant. You don’t like losing your bankroll, do you? For sure you don’t.
Making some bluffs and semi-bluffs sometimes can be a good strategy. Bluffing or semi-bluffing at the right time can actually be so effective that you will be able to win big bucks.
Well, your main goal when you bluff should be to confuse your opponents. You have to make them belief that you are having a certain hand although you are not. Say you have the marginal hand at best and to make a bluff about it, you have to make them believe that you have nuts. And to make this effective, you have to continuously bet and raise. Eventually, if successful, players will decide to fold and you will make your way to the pot.
On the other hand, when you semi-bluff, your main goal will still be to confuse your opponents. However, you will be into some kind of a progressive bluffing. Same as when you make a typical bluff, when you semi-bluff you have to make your opponents believe that you have a certain hand although you are not. Normally, it should be a weak hand. But unlike when you bluff, when you semi-bluff you must not run after making your opponents fold but mainly you should run after getting the chance to work out on your hand for it to become really strong and unbeatable.
On the flip side, although making some bluffs and semi-bluffs can be a good strategy and can be really effective, there are also some strings attached to it. If you happen to make some bluffs and semi-bluff at the wrong time, at the wrong situation, then you will be on great trouble that may eventually lead to you losing your entire bankroll. Thus, be very careful when making bluffs and semi-bluffs at the poker table.
Hello,
I remember you once gave an advice all about being tricky, deceptive, aggressive, and tough. In particular, I don’t understand everything about being aggressive. What is playing aggressive? And I want to become a tight aggressive one, what should I do then?
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Mirt
Mirt,
Being aggressive means controlling the action in betting and putting players to the test for their chips. As far as being tight aggressive, that means waiting for solid starting hands and then betting your hands strong. Also this means betting your hands strong on the other streets as well, especially when you hit. Sometimes being aggressive means pushing out weaker players that have weaker holdings with bluffs etc.
Hello,
Other players see me as a tight player but I feel differently as I oftentimes loosen up a bit by playing most connectors and most hands with two face cards, etc. I figure out maybe they see me as tight one when I have two aces.
On better side, I do usually end up winning money and I believe it’s because I oftentimes take some nice pots at the turn or river with a sizable re-raise and little bluffs. Lately, I’ve been trying to be more loose and aggressive however my attempts were not that successful. Some players force other players out of pots on a regular basis with relentless heavy betting which later on leads to lots of missing hands.
I tried Super System and I discovered almost the same stuff. There was just one idea that caught me, it was about pros and amateurs. Well, the difference between most of the pros and amateurs on TV is that the amateurs wait for good hands and the pros force the action and put the hard decisions on the amateurs. That’s why maybe pros are typically on top.
Now I want to know if you have any piece of advice for me? I want to be on the right track but I don’t know how will I do it when most of the good starting hands don’t seem to come along very often.
Your help will be much appreciated!
Thank you.
All the best,
Daniel
Daniel,
You need to work on loosening up your requirements for late position. Also, you need to work on identifying which players at the table you can steal blinds from when you are playing tournaments. What you are seeing on TV many times are players that are taking advantage of the inexperience or the tightness of other players. Pushing the action as they do can be beneficial in tournaments but in cash games, it can cause problems because the blinds never go up and people can just sit back and wait for hands to punish you with. You don’t have that luxury in tournaments.
