|
Many poker games follow a familiar
pattern: a raise followed by a round of
calls. The player raising is the shark.
The players calling are the fish. Of
course, sometimes you have to limp in
and call pre-flop, but try not to do it
too often. Remember:
·
A call signals a weak hand.
·
A raise signals control.
When you have a good hand, raise. If you
call instead, then hit a draw, it will
become obvious when you then raise.
There are exceptions. For example, if a
couple of players to your right have
already raised pre-flop, you might want
to reconsider raising with your two Qs
unless there are only a couple of other
players in the pot.
A Call Signals a Weak Hand
Good players in No-Limit games recognize
a fish when they see one, and that
quickly leads to trouble for the fish.
If your hand is not good enough to
raise, it’s probably not good enough to
play.
Calling pre-flop invites good players to
stay and bet you out of pots that might
have been yours. Raising pre-flop
signals dominance, causing many players
to fold, especially if they miss the
flop.
A Raise Signals Control
Raising a hand signals control, and
other players will take note. If they
miss the flop, you’re likely to win the
hand, espeically in No-Limit games. The
low and constant pot in a Limit game,
though, changes this dynamic. Not as
many opponents will fold. In a Limit
game, you might bluff out a
short-stacked player, though.
If the round is short-handed, bet the
flop after you raise pre-flop. You’ve
already shown control pre-flop, so even
opponents who draw a hit on the flop
will play you carefully. They may not
draw a hit big enough to call your
raise.
Here’s an example of raising pre-flop to
your advantage: If two players to your
right both call pre-flop, and you’ve got
Ace-King hole cards, you raise. The flop
cards (3-J-Q) give you nothing to work
with, and one of the opponents who
limped in has 10-10 and raises. You bet
out anyway, and he immediately folds.
If your hand is good enough to play,
raise.
 |
