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1. His Big Tip
Pump it or dump it, never limp in before the
flop. Either fold or raise, otherwise you are
telegraphing weakness. Never call as the first
player to enter the pot before the flop. If your
hand isn’t strong enough for a raise then it’s
too weak for a call. This makes it harder for
your opponents to read you, and impossible for
the big blind to ever see any cards for free.
2. Folding If
you fold you lose nothing. If you call
you must have a hand that expects to win
money, and if you have a hand which is good
enough to call then why not raise? Raising
forces your opponents to make decisions when
they are out of their comfort zones.
3. Re-Raising When your opponent is playing too tight
before the flop you want to punish them by
raising more often. This will push them into a
place they don’t want to be. The only time
to restrain from re-raising is when you expect
to be re-re-raised out of position.
4. Pay Attention Don’t switch off when you muck your hand.
Pay attention all the time. Every hand that
your opponents play gives you information
about them and how they are likely to play
future hands. Watch how experts push weaker
players out of their comfort zone, and pick up
on inexperienced players repeated mistakes.
5. Position & Bluffing
A -10 isn’t much cop in first position,
but it's a monster hand in last position if
the betting has been checked all the way round
to you. In limit games don’t bluff, in no
limit bluff outrageously!
6.Medium Strength Hands
Don’t bet if you have one. Raise with
strong ones, bluff with bad ones but throw
away those in between. When you have what you
think is best you hope to get called. When you
have the worst hand you want to bet frequently
as a bluff hoping for the better hand to fold.
An average hand doesn’t work either way.
7. The Turn
In no limit its ok to call and not raise on
4th and 5th street, but
always re-raise if you can smell weakness in
your opponents. Don’t be afraid to take on
small raises but don’t take on a raise ten
times the big blind, let them have the pot
unless you have the nuts.
8. The River
There are only 2 reasons to bet the river.
The first is to bet for value e.g. a bet you
expect to win even if you get called. The
second is to bluff even when you’re hoping
your opponent will fold a winner. If you have
a hand that has neither of the above then just
check.
9. What am I doing?
Before making any play ask yourself the
question what are you trying to accomplish??
In the case of betting on the river, you are
hoping for your opponent to call with a worse
hand or fold a better one.
10. Early Tournament Play
Build up your chips. If there are buy-ins
then stick your neck out. If it's a freeze out
then don’t risk to much early on. If theirs
to much slow playing then don’t slow play
drawing flops, as it just gives drawers a
chance to beat you. Keep people guessing to
avoid giving your strength away, make the same
raise every time but vary your playing style.
Don’t give away your hand by playing
straightforward poker.
11. Middle section play
Don’t worry about going broke, you have
to build up your stack. Look for tight or weak
opponents raise them and push them around.
Raise with even an A – 2 if there are fewer
then 4 callers behind you. Going broke is no
big deal as there is always another game. Just
think of Poker as one big long game. Be
daring, the very best way to survive is to
take risks.
12. When you’re getting close to the money
Tighten up and try and avoid confrontation
over big pots. If your one of the bigger
stacks put pressure on the smaller ones by
underbetting the pot by between 50% to 70%. If
the flop looks scary drive out the drawing
hands by betting big.
13. When you’re in the money
Speed up and play loser, but avoid marginal
confrontations and be careful about going all
in.
14. Three Handed Games
If you’ve got a big stack put pressure on
others with big bets or raises. Conversely If
you’ve got a small stack don’t let that
happen to you. Make a stand, play sparingly
but bravely
15. Heads Up Play
Tournament strategy no longer applies. Don’t
be to passive the best way to survive is to
accumulate. But if you haven’t got the hands
let your opponent run over you without taking
risks. Wait for the big hand and then slam it
in.
16. If your stack diminishes
Don’t assume your beaten and don’t let
yourself be blinded out. Count how many blinds
you can survive, and make your move while
keeping enough for later blinds.
17. The Final Word
Don’t blame bad luck when you lose, and
claim its skill when you win. Thinking you
have nothing to learn is the surest way to
guarantee that you earn exactly that –
Nothing !!
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