Poker strategies http://www.mmg.name How to play poker Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:35:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 Know when to fold http://www.mmg.name/main/know-when-to-fold/ http://www.mmg.name/main/know-when-to-fold/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:35:53 +0000 admin http://www.mmg.name/?p=22 Sometimes you know that there is no scope of winning and you just have to fold down the cards of your hand. But some other times, you just fold your cards without thinking anything. For example, if any of your opponents raises and re-raises the bet before the flop, you just fold your cards without taking a chance. At least, wait for the flop to get opened. Take a chance and participate in the game actively. Don’t let the opponents show their aggression. Keep on thinking during the game. Suppose, the flop gets opened up and it is QKA suited, you have to calculate all the probabilities in your mind. But if there is a big bet by someone, you are probably beaten up. If you know that any of your opponents is having a Q, K, or A, then to beat them you have to throw a J. Your opponents may also have T-x suited or J-x suited in their hands. In that case they will easily make a flush. When you are looking towards a big bet and there are already three suited cards on the board, the probability says that you are beaten up. In such situations, it is better to accept the defeat and fold the cards. Betting some more of your chips will not help at all. You just have to get yourself understand that you have lost some of your chips during the raising and re-raising and it is meaningless to lessen your stack for justification of the previous raises and re-raises from your side. Poker is totally based on probabilities and it is not that the game will go in your favor every time. It is not necessary to call and raise every bet. Try to identify the moments which require a fold from your side. You can’t raise the bet having lower cards in hand.

]]> http://www.mmg.name/main/know-when-to-fold/feed/ The real importance of raising a bet http://www.mmg.name/main/the-real-importance-of-raising-a-bet/ http://www.mmg.name/main/the-real-importance-of-raising-a-bet/#comments Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:34:27 +0000 admin http://www.mmg.name/?p=20 Raising is of prime importance in any game of poker. The winning amount solely depends on raising of bet. Most of the times, raising a bet directly implies that you have good cards in your hand. If you raise the bet, your opponents will make a call only if they have good cards in their hands. And if any of your opponents raises the bet, then you should re-raise it only if you like your hand. Never let your opponents see the flop for cheap, especially when you are having a good set of cards at hand. This is because they might get some of the cards which they need to make a set, or a pair, or even a straight. Don’t give openings to the opponents by simply passing the call. Take a look at your hand and go for a raise accordingly. Your ultimate goal is to win handsome profits by pulling your opponents’ money in. Don’t let others win so easily. Try to get some players out before the flop gets opened. It is better to play against a single opponent than three or four different opponents who are just waiting for the flop to get opened.

]]> http://www.mmg.name/main/the-real-importance-of-raising-a-bet/feed/ How to handle a bluff http://www.mmg.name/main/how-to-handle-a-bluff/ http://www.mmg.name/main/how-to-handle-a-bluff/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:33:22 +0000 admin http://www.mmg.name/?p=18 Never try to play bluff in the beginning rounds of the game. Because if you are caught bluffing in the preliminary rounds, you will probably lose all the influence. In the starting rounds, you have to play in a very sophisticated manner. These are the rounds on which winning of your future hands depend. You have to create a very positive image on your opponents. You have to make them believe that you never bluff. This will enable you to steal the pots with complete impunity in the future rounds. Sometimes you are playing against the same players every fortnight, or every week or even every night. Creating a positive image in front of such people can be really very advantageous. Don’t try to make very big sized bluffs. Play the bluffs sensibly so that you are never caught. Keep this in mind that if you are caught even once, you will never be able to play with the same opponents again. A bluff which is executed successfully can ideally win the whole of the pot. Whereas, it may take many hands to win the same pot if played legitimately. Also, if you know that your opponent is smart enough to catch you, then bluff slightly less. Build your own reputation as a good and sensible player, and never let anyone know that you also play bluffs. By doing this, you will be able to execute your bluffs very easily.

]]> http://www.mmg.name/main/how-to-handle-a-bluff/feed/ Try to read the hands of your opponents http://www.mmg.name/main/try-to-read-the-hands-of-your-opponents/ http://www.mmg.name/main/try-to-read-the-hands-of-your-opponents/#comments Sat, 02 May 2009 10:32:41 +0000 admin http://www.mmg.name/?p=16 Reading your opponents’ hands is not at all easy. This is a thing which is learnt through experience. Without any experience of the live table you can’t learn to read the hands of your opponents. You should try to understand the gestures of your opponents. Be very watchful during the distribution of cards. The first look of the opponents on their cards can give you a couple of hints. After that, look at the behavior of the players during the very first round of betting. For instance, if any of your opponents bets very hard before the flop, then probably he or she is holding TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AA, or an AK suit in hand. Any bet that is made before the flop is usually made on strong cards. Watch the gestures of that opponent at the start of the flop. If on opening the flop, the opponent takes a deep sigh, or twitches his hands and re-raises the stake, then probably he is sitting either on a flush or on two pairs of heavy cards. So, if you are holding average cards, it is better to get out of the game by folding your cards.

]]> http://www.mmg.name/main/try-to-read-the-hands-of-your-opponents/feed/ Raise the stakes slowly and steadily http://www.mmg.name/main/raise-the-stakes-slowly-and-steadily/ http://www.mmg.name/main/raise-the-stakes-slowly-and-steadily/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:31:26 +0000 admin http://www.mmg.name/?p=13 Poker is a game of patience. You don’t have to play it in a hurry. After all, your own money is at stake. Most of the newbies are in a habit of raising their stakes very speedily. Consequently, they end up with their bankroll and have to leave the poker table without earning a penny. Your main objective is to increase your bankroll. So, the best approach is to go slowly and steadily. Repeat this in your mind again and again so that you don’t commit any kind of mistake. Instead of playing in definite terms, try to play the game by wagering in percentage of your bankroll. That is, if you have a hefty bankroll, you can go for high wages and if you have a lower bankroll then you can go for somewhat lower wages. This way, you will never lose your entire money in the game. For instance, if you are sitting on the losing side, and you are aware of that your bankroll is shrinking; the most appropriate thing to do is to lower down the limits on which you are playing. Make this a hard and fast rule to never put your entire bankroll at stake.

]]> http://www.mmg.name/main/raise-the-stakes-slowly-and-steadily/feed/ The game is all about leverage http://www.mmg.name/main/the-game-is-all-about-leverage/ http://www.mmg.name/main/the-game-is-all-about-leverage/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:28:21 +0000 admin http://www.mmg.name/?p=11 Make this very clear in your mind that the game of poker is all about leveraging the table. It is actually a combination of what your opponents perceive about you and what position are you holding at the table. At the starting of the game, everyone stands on zero leverage. All the participants just focus on the table. And if all the participants are strangers to each other, no one is aware of whether his or her opponent plays bluff, or tight, or loose, or anything else. Therefore, try to gain the leverage in the starting games by folding pre-flops. Your opponents will perceive you as a classy player playing lesser number of hands. On the other hand, if you are in practice of calling very frequently to see the flop, you may lose the leverage. Your opponents will perceive you as a player with somewhat wide range. Leverage is also gained by entering the pot first. You may gain the leverage by entering the pot with the very first raise. If by chance you have re-raised the bet and you have got an average hand, think of folding your hand so that you do not lose much.

]]> http://www.mmg.name/main/the-game-is-all-about-leverage/feed/ How to play big pairs http://www.mmg.name/main/how-to-play-big-pairs/ http://www.mmg.name/main/how-to-play-big-pairs/#comments Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:26:46 +0000 admin http://www.mmg.name/?p=9 Sometimes, it happens in sit-n-go and cash ring tournaments that you have a big pair in your hand but you don’t know the right approach of playing the game. It is true that there is never a definite way of playing a chance in poker but still you have to put in your best. You have to act according to the situation and on the basis of how your opponents are betting. In case you get a big pair in your hand, the very first thing is not to limp in with the kings or aces. This will only let your opponents see a cheap flop. And if your opponents get an idea of the situation, they may just stick around and wait for another card. Your very first intention should be to thin the field. Everything that lies between half of your stack and five times the big blinds has to be encouraged in the pre-flop. Probably, you will get your hand neck-and-neck with the QQ, KQ, or AK. All the other opponents will get their hands folded. If you have Kings in your hand, and the flop don’t bring in the Ace, then you should think of either going all in or betting very high so that your opponents also get their all in. On the other hand, if you have Aces in your hand and the flop don’t present a big pair such as TT, JJ, QQ, or KK, or a flush draw or a straight draw, then also think of either going all in or betting very high so that your opponents also get their all in. Once the flop hits without an Ace, possibly KK will get you a way ahead and thus it can prove to be a profitable bet for you.

]]> http://www.mmg.name/main/how-to-play-big-pairs/feed/ Playing against a maniac http://www.mmg.name/main/playing-against-a-maniac/ http://www.mmg.name/main/playing-against-a-maniac/#comments Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:25:45 +0000 admin http://www.mmg.name/?p=7 Very often, you will find maniacs on the table playing against you who are either drunk or who just want to create some action so that they can enjoy a good time. The problem is that these people are in habit of raising or re-raising every bet irrespective of the cards they are having. Their playing approach is really very aggressive and they will always try to test your bankrolls. If you play your game sensibly, then these players can provide a very good opportunity to make handsome profits. So you just have to try to maximize the winnings against such players. The question that arises here is; how to play a sensible game against such kind of crazy players? The first and most important thing is to find a seat left to the maniac, so that you can easily control the raising and re-raising of the bet whenever you have good cards. This will probably place them in complex situations especially when you are having hands like pairs, big connectors, and A-x. These hands are considered better as compared to an average hand and can be easily played for heads-up pots. So the maniac may get into trouble due to repeated raises and re-raises. Hands such as 87s’ require good combinations of indirect odds and therefore their value is decreased when a maniac is there on the table. You have to be very cautious and selective in circumstances of a firm player raising the bet and the maniac re-raising it. You can still try to raise the bet if you are having good cards at hand so that the maniac isolates you instead of playing vice-versa.

]]> http://www.mmg.name/main/playing-against-a-maniac/feed/ Bet on the basis of what your opponent thinks http://www.mmg.name/main/bet-on-the-basis-of-what-your-opponent-thinks/ http://www.mmg.name/main/bet-on-the-basis-of-what-your-opponent-thinks/#comments Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:24:37 +0000 admin http://www.mmg.name/?p=5 Most of the successful players suggest that poker is not at all a game to read others. Instead, it is a game to perceive what your opponents are trying to read out from you. For example, if you have nothing on your cards, and your opponent is able to read that you don’t have anything interesting on the cards, then he will raise the bet irrespective of the cards he is having. You have to judge all these kind of things. Before going for a check or a bet, you should always try to perceive what your opponent is thinking of you. If you have got a weak hand, and you have made your opponent think that you have got a very strong hand, then you can bet him out without any difficulty. On the other hand if you have got a strong hand and you have made your opponent believe that you have got a weak hand, then also you can make him curious for getting the hands down at the table. Always try to dominate the minds of your opponents by thinking about what they are thinking and what they are trying to get out of you.

]]> http://www.mmg.name/main/bet-on-the-basis-of-what-your-opponent-thinks/feed/ The game of poker http://www.mmg.name/main/the-game-of-poker/ http://www.mmg.name/main/the-game-of-poker/#comments Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:23:30 +0000 admin http://www.mmg.name/?p=3 The game of poker has made modern gambling a huge success. Throughout the globe, there are so many casinos and poker rooms available that almost anyone can participate and take fun out of this game. If you really want to earn some handsome bucks through this game, then you have to be a very good player of the game. For this, you have to do some kind of research work from your own side. This may include exploring more and more strategies which can be applied on the game, applying those strategies on the live table by either playing with your friends or mates, or playing online poker for free and then clarifying all the doubts regarding winning and losing the game on the table. The very first skill which is a prerequisite for becoming a good poker player is; most accurate and quick decision making skills. You have to apply your brain and then think and decide very quickly to lead the game. You have to calculate in your

mind all the probabilities of the cards that are in your hand and that are open on the table. For this, you have to be adaptable to the changes that are taking place on the table. In the game of poker, everything changes in a moment. The game can turn into your favor at any moment. To keep a track of this, you have to be very cautious. Study the game of poker as if it is a craft and you are the one who has to cultivate it. There has to be a real desire for becoming a good poker player. There has to be an inbuilt confidence within yourself when you are at the table. Confidence plays the most important role in the game of poker. If you are confident, you are done with half of the work of winning the game. Let us go through some very interesting and trustworthy strategies that can be applied while playing the game.

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