Texas Holdem - Analyzing the Flop

May 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Most of your important decisions in Texas Holdem poker take place on the flop. That’s why the ability to analyze the flop is essential for your long term results in Texas holdem poker.

You will not get anywhere in Texas holdem if you aren’t able to read the flop properly. Reading the flop means knowing what hands it makes possible, knowing what your own possibilities are as well as your opponents’. You must also understand how the texture of the flop influences the game, that is, how threatening the flop is - to you as well to your opponents.

There are a number of patterns you need to be looking for on each and every flop. They may show up alone or in combinations. Each of those patterns, or structures, gives rise to a certain type of post flop play, all of which you must learn to master.

Let’s walk through those patterns one at a time.

Possible straights

If there are three cards with two gaps or less between them, someone may have a ready-made straight. For example, if the flop comes 9-8-5, T-9-8, or 3-2-A.

Of course, the chance that someone actually has a made straight depends on what precise cards arte required. Q-J-T makes a lot more straights than 7-5-3, since it’s much more likely that someone who has stayed in to see a flop has A-K, K-9 or 9-8 than 6-4 in the hand. Hands like 6-4 are very often thrown away preflop.

This kind of board is pretty infrequent though, and if it’s you who have the straight, you typically won’t get a lot of action from the opponents, since the straight is so obvious and the pot is usually relatively small at this stage.

Possible flush

If all three cards are of the same suit, someone might have a made flush. Just like with the straights above, this doesn’t happen often, and if you have a flush here you often won’t get paid a lot, unless an opponent has another flush that is lower than yours. Which is really rare.

When you flop a made straight of flush, you may be tempted to slow play it in order to entice a bet from another player rather than scaring everyone off. That might be okay, but don’t overdo it. Your hand is never the absolute nuts, there are always cards that may come on the board that will look really bad for your hand.

For example, if the board pairs, your flush may not be good anymore, or if you have a straight and the board flushes.

Pairs on board

With a pair on the board, a lot of dangerous hands become possible: quads and full houses as well as trips and two pair. Once the board is paired, the value of straights and flushes go down, the value of straight draws and flush draws too.

If you get a lot of action on a paired board, you must be able to lay down for example a flush. At the same time, a paired board is a good bluff opportunity, both for you and your opponent. So don’t fold your flush automatically. Think it through!

Also remember that when a pair is on the board, hands like three of a kind and two pair are much weaker than if the board is un-paired. You may be up against one of those super strong hands just mentioned, or else someone may simply have the same trips with a better kicker.

Straight draws

If two board cards are within two gaps or closer, someone may have flopped a straight draw. This means that if you have a made hand, like two pair or trips, you’ll need to protect your hand. Meaning, you have to bet properly to put any drawing hands to the test.

This doesn’t mean that you should bet twice the pot or even move all in, that may be a bit over-protective. Just make a well sized bet so you don’t give away free cards to the drawing hands. Then, if a card arrives that could have filled someone’s straight, then you need to decide if it’s actually the case or not. It’s not easy to separate made hands from bluffs - but that’s poker.

Flush draws

Flush draws are possible as soon as there are two cards of the same suit at the board. Just as with straight draws, a made hand needs protection through a decent bet.

If you flopped a flush draw yourself, you should be aware that there are usually nine cards in the deck that will make it for you, which means you have odds 4-1 on the next street and 2-1 if you get to see two more cards.

Also realize that if you make a flush on a later street, you’ll often not get paid very much since the flush is pretty obvious. People notice when there are three hearts on the board, and they typically won’t give you much action. Unless they happen to have a strong hand, like a lower flush.

Straights are often much harder to see. Imagine a flop of A-8-4. You bet out with A-K and get one caller. The turn comes a 6. The pot is getting bigger, and you want it. You bet and the opponent re-raises. Would you really put him on 7-5? It’s pretty hard to believe. Also, players often may not even notice that a straight has become possible.

If a player draws to a straight and a flush simultaneously, there may be as much as 15 cards that fill at least one of those hands.

Of course, both potential straights and potential flushes give players opportunities to bluff. If you consider drawing to a flush, check if a straight draw is also possible, in which case you have a second way out if you don’t make your flush: representing the straight.

High cards or low cards

If the pot comes with one, two or three high cards, chances are that someone has made a connection to his or her hand. At the flop, high cards are much more likely than low cards in players’ hands, since people tend to fold hands with low cards preflop.

This kind of flop leads to a lot of action, and you have to be well aware of your chances as well as the dangers involved. Fasten your seat belt!

High cards also present you with some bluff potential, since they look scary to the other guy. Of course, this is a sword that cuts both ways.

On the other hand, if the flop holds low cards only, it’s very possible that it missed all players. If you raised preflop with a high pair, you’re probably still good after a low flop, even if it actually missed you as well. You can play your overpair strongly here.

On the other hand, the fact that it’s hard to lay down premium starting hands against low boards has given rise to a whole new strategy concept - set mining. This consists of taking flops with low pairs and hoping to hit a set. Then the idea is that your opponent who’s playing a strong starting hand will pay you off big time even though he missed the flop, since he can’t get away from his premium hand and the low board looks innocuous.

For set mining to show long time profitability, a few requirements must be in place. The opponent must have a strong hand. For example, a raise in early position from a tight opponent is a good signal of strength. Also, both you and the opponent must have big stacks, so you can win really big when you hit your set - to compensate for all the times when you miss (7 out of 8 times).

Combining the board and your hand

As a last step in the Texas holdem flop analysis, you should compare the board to your own hand. This can led you to some pretty strong conclusions.

For example, if the flop comes Q-J-6 and you have a pair of tens, the risk for straight draws is much decreased, since you hold half the tens need to form a straight. You have straight blockers.

Or if a player raises preflop, you have an ace in your hand and the flop comes A-A-5, it’s suddenly quite unlikely that the opponent has an ace - there’s only one ace left unseen.

Once you have learned to read the board, this kind of combined analysis is the next step  to perfection in texas holdem.

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Poker Positions and Why they Matter

March 23, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

In real estate, it’s all about location, location, location.  In poker, there’s a similar adage that says it’s all about position, position, position.  If you’[re not taking your position at the table into account when playing Texas Hold ‘em, you’re likely playing hands that you should have folded.
At a full table of 10 players, position is divided into four categories before the flop.  There is early position, middle position, late position and the blinds.  Players sitting in the three seats to the left of the blinds are said to be in early positions.  The three seats to the left of the early positions are the middle positions.  The two seats to the left of the middle positions are the late positions.  The blinds, of course, refer to the small and big blind positions.
The number one rule when it comes to position is the later your position at the table, the more hands you can play pre-flop.  This all has to do with information.  When you’re playing poker, the more information you have, the better decision you are able to make.  If you knew what cards everyone else at the table has, you would have so much information you would never lost a hand at the showdown.
When you’re trying to decide whether you should play your cards or fold, the earlier your position at the table the less information you have.  because of this, you should only play premium cards from an early position.  Think of it this way: you can call the big blind with anything in an early position, but there are at least seven more players to act behind you.  Are your cards good enough to call if one of them raises?  If they are not, you have basically given away some of your chips.  In an early position, you are vulnerable to raises throughout the entire hand.
If you’re in a middle position, you have seen more players bet or fold, and there are fewer players to act behind you.  This means you can play lower-valued hands because you have more information on how the hand is going.
In a late position, your list of playable hands has increased even more.  At one of the late seats, only the blinds are left to play after you.  You have seen almost the entire table play, and you should have a better sense as to who may have good cards.  You will also be in a late position in every betting round that follows, which allows you to react to how your opponents play the hand the rest of the way.
Late position is also a strong seat at the table because it is generally believed to be the best seat from which to attempt a bluff or attempt to steal the blinds.  With only the blinds left to act, you can more easily attempt to steal the blinds or attempt a bluff later in the hand because you’ve seen the rest of the table play their cards.  Pulling off successful bluffs or blind steals requires information on the rest of the table, and you always have the most information from a late position.  Bluffing or attempting to steal the blinds from an early position or a middle position can be dangerous because there are so many players left to act that can call your bluff or break up your attempt at a blind steal.
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Types of Poker Players

March 23, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

What type of poker player are you?  What type of poker player are your opponents?  If you can’t answer those two questions, you’re missing a key component of your game.  Poker players are generally classified by two attributes - tight or loose and aggressive or passive.  These combine to create the four main player types:

  • Tight-Aggressive
  • Tight-Passive
  • Loose-Aggressive
  • Lose-Passive
Most successful poker players fall into the Tight-Aggressive category.  That is not to say that all successful players are Tight-Aggressive, because that is definitely not true.  A Tight-Aggressive player will usually only see a flop with a solid hand.  That is what makes them tight.  When they do latch onto a good hand, they will bet very aggressively.  Because they are tight, they do not bluff very often, and when they do bet, they should be taken very seriously.
A Tight-Passive player is sometimes labeled as a scared player.  These players tend to only play very good hands, and they will only raise when they have a strong hand.  Since they are not risk takers, these players are better suited for limit games than no-limit games.  If a Tight-Passive player makes or calls a raise, you’ll usually want to get out of their way unless you’re holding a big hand.
A Loose-Aggressive player is sometimes referred to as a maniac because they will play almost any hand and bet and raise even when they have nothing.  These players are outrageous bluffers, which makes it difficult to gauge when they are actually holding a strong hand and when they are making a bluff with nothing.  Playing against Loose-Aggressive layers can be extremely frustrating and it can take extreme patience to take all of their chips.
A Loose-Passive players is also referred to as a “calling station” in poker slang.  These players will call almost any bet with any cards, but they seldom raise or fold after seeing the flop.  These players are almost impossible to bluff because it is so difficult to get them to fold.
Now that you know the types of poker players, try to classify yourself and your poker buddies into those categories.  The most successful poker players don’t fit into one category precisely, because they are able to mix up their play and fit into different categories during a cash game or tournament.  The more you are able to successfully mix up your style of play, the harder it will be for your opponents to get a read on you.
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Live Poker Play Tells

March 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

If another poker player is going to give you free information as to what they might be holding, you’d be a fool not to take it.  This is what tells are all about.  If you notice your opponent doing any of -the following, it’s likely something you can use to either win a pot or avoid losing to a huge hand.
Shaky Hands
This is probably the most famous of all tells because every movie or TV show that has an episode featuring a poker game uses it.  If you notice a player’s hands shaking after looking down at his cards or after the flop hits, they likely have a monster.  Unless you’re holding the nuts yourself, you should likely fold whenever you see your opponent’s hand flopping around.  If you’re a hand shaker you need to either get yourself under control or train yourself to do the same shakes when you’re bluffing.
The Speech
Using “The Speech” is all about being a good actor.  Here’s an example of what poker pros refer to as “The Speech”.  We were playing a home game the other night when one player glanced at his cards, declared that he needed a break and shoved all his chips into the middle.  I threw my low pair into the muck, but another player decided he would call.  The speech-giver flipped over A-K suited, which gave him two pair on the board with only the river to come.  he went on to win the hand proving his speech was total crap.  Whenever a player uses “The Speech”, they’re almost always full of it and have a big hand.
Betting Trends
Many bad players give away the strength or weakness of their hands by the way they bet.  Picking up on this betting trend requires a good memory, but it’s well worth it.  One trend I picked up from a fellow player made  it easy to identify his buffs.  Whenever he had a good hand, he would put in a large bet or raise about three or four times the big blind.  However, almost every time he attempted a bluff or a pot steal, his bets would be gigantic, always more than give times the big blind.  Picking up on these betting trends will help you cripple players who fall into these habits.
Chip Glances
When the cards are being dealt or the flop is being laid out, don’t look at the cards, look at your opponent.  Specifically, watch where their eyes go.  If your opponent immediately glances down at their chips, that usually means they have a hand and they’re thinking about how much to bet.  If you catch a player studying your chip stack, that also means they’ve probably got a big hand tucked away.  When they’re checking out your stack, they’re usually trying to determine how much of it they can take with their monster hand.
Questions
Don’t be fooled by players that appear clueless and ask what the bet is or if it’s their turn to wager.  Unless they truly are distracted by something, this could be an act to make themselves look dumb and vulnerable to a big bet.  This is just another fake-out by your opponents, so don’t fall for it.
Chip Toss or Chip Slide
The way a poker player puts their chips into the pot can give away how good or bad their hand is.  If a player casually tosses their chips into the pot, they’re likely trying to hide the fact that they’re holding a monster hand.  If they forcefully push their chips into the middle, this tends to be a sign of weakness.  The aggressive push is an act to try and compensate for their junk hand.
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