![]() |
Casino & Gambling Information |
|
|
Texas Holdem Tournament Poker Strategy - Betting Is Communicating
The "Language" of Poker Bets We humans are very perceptive creatures. We are able to communicate in many different ways with one another. By saying something, by saying nothing, by shrugging our shoulders, by winking, delaying, etc. These are all forms of communicating. Do you realize that when you place a poker bet you are actually communicating something to the other players? Understanding what you are communicating with your betting, and understanding what the other players are communicating with their bets is one of the cornerstones of good poker play. By mastering this form of poker communications, you will find yourself becoming a truly formidable poker player. If you ignore this betting language, you will consistently lose - it's as simple as that. When a player calls, it often just means they're limping to see the next card with the hope of improving their hand. When a player checks, it typically means they're not too happy with their current hand, and would like to see another card before making any move. Yes, they could be trapping, but that's the exception, not the rule. When a player bets, they're communicating that they like their hand and they want some action, so they're risking more chips in order to take control of the action or just take the pot. Whether this communications is "real" or not depends - upon what style of player they are: tight, solid, loose, maniac, etc. and how this player communicates. If you've been paying attention (like you should be), you'll have a pretty good idea of how "honest" this player typically communicates (bets/plays). Aggressive players who play a lot of hands and raise a lot to drive people out of pots can be generally considered "dishonest" and can't be trusted to communicate (bet) honestly. Tight/solid players are relatively honest, usually betting more in accordance with the true strength of their hand, making them easier to read most of the time. Learn to read these different player's betting signals and you'll be amazed at how much your game improves. Decide how "honest" or "dishonest" you want your betting signals to be that the other players are reading from you. Try mixing these signals up a bit so the other players can't quite tell what to expect from you and it'll help by causing them to make more mistakes against you, resulting in bigger winnings. Now, let's have a look at an example situation. Let's say you're in a game with 9 people at the table, and on the button, so you'll get to act last and have the most information to work with. Your starting hand is good, but not great, such as a 67 spades-suited connector. The action comes around and half of the players have dropped out, and several players have limped in. You go ahead and limp in as well, wanting to see the flop like everyone else. The flop comes: 4s, Jc, 9d - not exactly what you'd hoped for. The first three players check. The 4th player throws out a bet of 3 times the big blind. So, where are we? Ignoring your hand for just a moment (since we're talking about betting and communicating - right?), everyone except the 4th player communicated that they didn't really like the flop, then the 4th player placed a decent bet. Is he trying to steal the pot or does he now have a pair of Jacks? Since we've been watching these players' style of play all along, and we quickly realize that this is a fairly tight player, we would correctly conclude that this basically "honest", tight player has hit that pair of Jacks. On the other hand, if the 4th player had instead been playing loose with lots of bets and raises, stealing many pots and pushing people around quite a bit, then they can't be trusted since they're fundamentally "dishonest" with their betting communications patterns. See how this works? Now, about your hand. You need to fold either way here, since the odds of you making a flush or straight aren't good, and there's an overpair of Jacks that's possible and likely based upon what's being communicated (and someone could also be trapping that checked, too). So, what are you communicating with your bets? Are you even thinking about that? Before you fire out a bet, you need to consider what "message" you want to send the other players, and make sure your intended message gets through, in order to affect the other players' actions and control the outcomes more often. What are the others communicating to you with their bets? What kind of "communicator" are they? Honest or dishonest? Consistent or variable? How much do you believe what they're telling you? Are you really listening, or just looking at your own hand too much? So, Betting Is Communicating. Become truly fluent in this "poker language" and you'll be amazed at how much it boosts your winnings. Good luck! Rick Rick Braddy is an avid writer, Texas Holdem player and professional software developer and marketer for over 25 years. His websites and Texas Holdem poker software specialize in helping people become better Texas Holdem poker players. If you're a poker player, be sure to visit his Texas Holdem website today and learn how you can play better Texas Holdem, too.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
RELATED ARTICLES
Do You Know the Best and Worst Roulette Bets? Do You Know the Best and Worst Roulette Bets?The outcome of every spin of the roulette wheel is independent of any other and is not influenced by prior spins.Even if you have ten black numbers after ten spins, the chance of getting red in the next spin is the same as to get black. Video Poker - The Basics After Blackjack and Craps, video poker gives you some of the best odds in the casino if you play it right. It combines some of the fun of a slot machine with some of the fun of a table game, all without rushing you to play. Be Careful or Your Poker Nuts Will Get Crushed! The origins of the phrase "poker nuts" are uncertain although it is thought to have come from old slang meaning "delightful thing, practice or experience". It is a "delightful thing" of course, because in Texas Holdem the poker nuts is the best possible hand that you can have at any point in the game. Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy - Winning vs. Aggressive Players The Texas Hold'em poker phenomenon has taken the country by storm. There are reportedly over 100 million active poker players worldwide. Compulsive Gambler's Journey To Day One Stop Gambling Its day one and this was the most exciting day in Justin's life. He made the choice to stop gambling. Would You Bet on Your Brand? - Three Strategies for Winning at Brand Poker It seems you can't turn on the TV without seeing some sort of World Series of Poker contest. Poker, especially, Texas Hold 'Em, has become extremely popular. Baseball is Back! What are your goals for this season?In another week the boys of summer will be back in action for another season of Major League Baseball. During the start of each sports season I like to evaluate how things went the previous season, and set my goals for the upcoming season. Asian Handicaps Explained The most common way to bet on football in the UK is with 3 way betting (sometimes called 1X2). The three options are home win, draw and away win. Online Poker - Learn to Play for Free, and the Chance to Win Real Cash Prizes All of the online poker rooms offer you the opportunity to play poker without risking a penny of your own money. You just download and install the software, open an account and then login. Fancy Winning A Million Pound Jackpot? Slot machines have become over the last hundred years, one of the most popular games in land-based casinos. This popularity has now spread to online casinos increasing the amount of people playing slots by millions. Holdem Starting Hands Top starting hands should be raised and played aggressively. AA, KK, QQ, AK, JJ, AQ, these hands are most likely to be the best before the flop. The Secrets of Basic Craps Tournaments Pssst.. Three Card Poker Betting A player must be aware of how to place bets in three card poker. The playing area both live and online will have three areas where you place bets. Virtual Casino Etiquette There are a few points of virtual casino etiquette that one should adhere to when gambling online. Just like being at a real life social event, it's good etiquette to be polite and courteous to everyone else in the gaming room. Casino Food 101 Over the years, the various gambling games and the gambling joints or the casinos have undergone a change, making the experience riskier, adventurous and unique in itself. An often overlooked, but yet important component in the entire casino experience is the food. Simple Jacks or Better Strategy Tutorial Statistical Arbitrage strategy applied to Video PokerIntroductionJacks or Better is a popular video poker game available at many online casinos. When collecting casino matched deposit bonuses, it counts towards wagering requirements for most online casinos, has a high payout, and a large jackpot. Discover YOUR Online Poker Room As all the poker sites on the internet call themselves poker rooms so that is what I'm going to call them too.The first thing you have to do to check out a room is to download their software. Learn How To Manage Your Roulette Bets For Greater Profits! Many players seek to increase their chances of winning at roulette by using roulette systems, but there are two reasons why they don't work.Roulette Is Random Game Of ChanceThe house always has an advantage because roulette is a game of chance. Amazing Lottery Secrets - Just the Facts! When it comes to Lottery Secrets, we've discovered amazing and powerfulinformation, that we feel anyone who plays their respective lottery shouldbe aware of. Did you know that the greatest percentage of lottery playerschoose to "quick pick" their numbers?If you knew this bit of information you might want to reconsider. Here to Stay - Cyber Casinos and Their Benefits The obvious advantages of gambling in a cyber casino are certainly the most decisive factors for most people gambling on the Internet. As opposed to gambling in a land based casino, one doesn't need the formality and etiquette requirements, specifically required in the larger, more expensive and more popular land based casinos. |
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |