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There are three factors that are big contributors to profit and these belong to what is known as “3 P’s of Poker Prosperity”. You can actually get an edge if you know these 3 P’s and be a winning, successful poker player.

3 P’s of Poker Prosperity

Patience

The very first contributor to profit is patience. If you’ll come to think of it, there would be nothing else that can destroy the profit potential like lack of patience. Thus, it’s important to always keep enough patience. When you start to enter to many pots with marginal hands, stay too long though signs are clear you are beat or draw to long-shot hands, be careful as you might already be losing your patience. Remember that because of lack of patience, you might get yourself into strings of bad beats.

Planning

To get a profit from your bankroll, it will help if you will make a plan. Plan out how you will play big pair after a raise, how to cope with a losing streak, when to quit if a game is too tough, how to change your play when the mood of the game changes or the like. Do your homework. Although making a plan won’t guarantee you a profit, it can keep you organized and well knowledgeable of the things you need to do under certain conditions or situations.

Position

Position is indeed an important contributor to profit. It’s vital that you know how to correctly use whatever position you have. Like for an instance circumstances put you in the last or near the last to act, know what you should do to make a profit. Nonetheless, know that you should bet in order to win the pot. Thus, take advantage of your being last or near the last to act.

Hello,

First I would like to commend you for this nice site. Keep up the good work.

Well, I’m actually here to ask you something. I’m just a newbie and have actually tried playing small pocket pairs recently. The experience was really intriguing.

At a certain table, I had 22 with a similar flop of 2 6 T rainbow. Unfortunately, because other players who called preflop had 66, I didn’t win such hand. Also he called post flop. I thought I then bet the river but later on discovered things went differently, also called post flop.

After the flop I was really troubled. I was thinking what if someone started with starting hands like 55, TT, 52s, T5s and even T2s that was being slow played and could eventually beat me with a draw on the turn or else on the river.

Now, is it the nature of the betting scenario that creates the confidence to play small pairs or is it an odds or probability scenario? Any thoughts? By the way, any specific way I should play small pocket pairs? Most of the time, I play limit holdem tournament style.

Thanks and more power!

Regards,
Phillip
Phillip,

Small pairs in limit are usually playable, sometimes to a raise in later position. You still want to hit the flop hard with them. When you do flop your set, bet your hand aggressively. The odds of a player flopping a set is around 11% so don’t worry about another player flopping a set too. It happens and when they flop a bigger set, you will lose usually, but that is just part of the game. Most of the time, you will win a nice pot with your set.

Hello,

My apologies if this was already asked before, when should I hold ‘em and when should I fold’ em, after the flop? I believe you once discussed about when to fold but it’s a bit far from what I want to know.

Now, say I have a low wired pair and I don’t hit another on the flop, do you think I should still draw through the turn and river? And in case I have suited connectors and get two more suited on flop, draw as well through the turn and river? Or if not just fold?

Another thing, about the pot odds, is it actually the only determining factor of when to fold? And can you please give me more examples about what you are trying to imply when you discuss the pot value in correlation to your percent chance of hitting based off of outs in pot odds? It will be much appreciated.

By the way, your site is so great and helpful. Thanks a ton!

All the best,
Kent
Kent,

When you have a small pair and miss the flop, it is time to get out unless the bet is really small or there is a lot of money in the pot. As far as drawing to the flush, if you have pot odds to call then you can draw to the flush, otherwise, get out.

When you are figuring pot odds, first you need to figure out the percentage of hitting your hand. That is done on the flop by multiplying your outs by 4 and if you are on the turn, you multiply your outs by 2. This gives you the odds that you will hit your hand. To figure out pot size percentage, divide the amount of your potential call by the amount of the pot before your call. This will give the percentage of the pot you need to call. If the percentage of hitting your hand is greater than or equal to the percentage of the pot that you need to call, you had pot odds to hit your hand.

Hi,

Most of the time, flop appears and I don’t yet have anything good like a strong flush draw or an open-ended straight draw. Then at some point where I already have lots of outs to bring me a hand I will feel pot will be granted to me. However, I typically check when such thing happens. I also mix up a bit of betting stuff to my style so that players can’t nail down any patterns. But my approach wasn’t effective one time. I expected to hit but I end up frustrated, no hit at all. I thought of checking however I may look like a weak one.

In your case, how often do you bet a draw as opposed to checking it with a hope of getting a free card? And do you know all the best pots to bet on a draw? Lastly, when you can’t hit on the turn and/or river, what’s the best way to go on?

I’ll be glad to hear from you soon.

Thanks in advance!

Warm regards,
Tristan
Tristan,

When you are in position and are on a draw, those are the best times to bet to try and get a free card. That way, players will tend to check to you on the turn. When you are unable to hit on the turn or the river, if you do not have a hand, you can either try to fire out a bluff at the end or check it down and save your losses. A lot of this will depend on the player that you are against and the likelihood they will fold to your bet. Now chances are you will be bet into on the river if you checked on the turn. In this case, you likely should fold.

Hello,

Thank you very much for your prompt reply. It was very much appreciated. But I just want to clarify something. The game I mentioned was a 5/10 structured Low Limit Holdem and not a No Limit one. Well, I play No Limit but only friendly home games with some close friends way back then. Most of the time, I can hold my own as I can actually protect my strong cards when they hit.

In casinos, usually I get run down until the river and then lose most of the time. Do you think I should just stick with my game plan that involves playing only premium hands in early position and drawing hands in the back when I can actually see the flop cheaply? And for a looser table, loosen up my starting hands?

By the way, I typically buy-in with $300 for the structured 5/10 table, do you think this is already fair enough? Do you have any suggestion or piece of advice for me about how I can improve my skills and earning potential?

Before I forget, is it bad to play cards like A,7o? If I were to consider it in theory, it’s a poor starting hand, however I oftentimes win with such hand.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Many thanks,
Lance
Lance,

Your strategy sounds like a good on for most scenarios. If you have a particularly loose table, you may want to modify it a bit. Part of the problem with you being run down is that you may be encountering a player that is chasing you down with proper odds etc. If you hit a pair or flop a draw, it is improper to fold in many cases since the pot is laying such a big price in most cases.

You can pick up a copy of Ed Miller’s book Small Stakes Holdem to try and improve you Limit Holdem game.

A-7 offsuit is a poor starting hand, but if you can see it cheap, such as in the blind or in a table with several limpers, sometimes it can do well. It is easily dominated, so don’t fall in love with playing the hand.