Strategy To Make Your Poker Solid Or Use When You Have Lost Your Game

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Strategy To Make Your Poker Solid Or Use When You Have Lost Your Game

Of recent times due to lack of playing I seemed to have lost part of my poker game. I determined that it had a lot to do with my betting patterns, folding, checking and re-raising at the appropriate times. I compiled " Strategy To Make Your Poker Solid Or Use When You Have Lost Your Game" for myself and decided to share it on my blog to help others.

For many this list is a very basic list. To other poker players this list can help you implement new betting techniques or understand the reasoning behind making certain betting, checking or folding moves.

I hope it helps with your game regardless of what level of player you are, even the best can forget basic moves at times.

In the case that no other player has made a raise / bet - you perform the following actions for the following reasons:

CHECK

You Check if:

1) You have nothing
2) You have a marginal hand such as; an open ended straight or a flush draw and will call a raise by another player that is not too large.
3) You have a great hand and when someone bets you will raise. Using the check raise technique to extract chips and trick your opponent.
4) You have a weak hand and you intend to bluff by raising, being sure you can place your opponent on a hand so as not to trap yourself.

RAISE

You Raise if:

1) You have the best hand and want to make pot bigger
2) You have the best hand and want to eliminate competition that may be chasing better hands
3) You wish to bluff with a lousy hand
4) You wish to get respect from players on turn to continuation bet for reasons 2) and 3).

In the case that a player has made a raise / bet before it is your turn to act - you perform the following actions for the following reasons:

FOLD

You Fold If:

1) You do not have a good hand
2) You do not have the right pot odds and have a marginal hand (open ended straight as an example and the raise was too big)
3) If bluff will not work

CALL

You Call If:

1) You have a marginal hand and can make it a better hand if in the case the raise is reasonably small
2) You have a great hand and want the other players to call to build the pot

RE-RAISE

You re-raise if:

1) You have an awesome hand and consider it the nuts or thereabouts
2) You can bluff your opponent out of the hand as they appear weak

Again, this may not be suitable for all players - I do however hope it has somewhat helped you. Test it out!