Poker Theory: Mastering Your Poker Skills

Know the Strength of Your Poker Hand

The most important part of poker is knowing the value of your hand. While it may seem basic, it is the fundamental building block of how a hand will turn out. Knowing whether or not to raise a given hand in a certain position can be tricky. There are a number of factors that come into play, and any strategy can only be generalized because every game is different based on the players at a table.

The Power of Position

For simplicity I will assume that those reading are familiar with the difference between a poor, marginal, and strong starting hand. As you get closer to the button, marginal hands become stronger and more profitable to raise pre-flop. For example, raising with a hand like A-J or K-Q as the first player to act is generally a poor decision because it is likely that someone behind you has a better hand, and even if they do not, you do not have the positional advantage to see how they will act when the flop comes. However, on the button, as the last player to act, these hands become very strong and I believe should always be raised. With a hand like this you really don’t want many if any callers. You’d be happy to just take down the pot of a few big blinds. Ideally, you’d want someone with A-X or a low pocket pair to call so that you can get them off their hand easily. What you don’t want to have happen is someone with A-Q or A-K call you with either of these hands because then you have serious kicker problems. Fortunately, in most cases, someone with that strong a hand will raise before you and you can let your hand go.

Playing Pocket Pairs

Pocket pairs also become more powerful in later positions. These hands though can be raised in nearly every position if you are a good post-flop player. If you get a lot of callers you can hope to catch a set and double up through someone and if you get just one or two callers you can probably play them off a hand. I prefer to limp in at early position and raise in later position.

Powerful Pocket Pairs

Even with a hand like A-A or K-K, I prefer to trap later players by limping in at early position. You need to be able to let a hand like this go though if it goes unraised with a lot of callers, especially if the board is connected and suited. I like to raise a lot of pocket pairs, especially when I haven’t been playing many pots because it sets up opponents to call me when I do have a strong hand soon thereafter.

Don't Play Predictably

There is no predetermined amount that should be raised for any given hand. The way I think about it is as to whether or not I will raise, regardless of the relative strength of my hand. I raise A-A the same way I raise K-Q or even a junk hand. You don’t want to give the opponents any patterns to read. After you’ve decided if you will raise, the amount to raise should be based on the number of callers that have entered the pot before you. I believe that the very minimum that should ever be raised is 4x the big blind. In an online poker game, I would recommend 4x the big blind without any callers, and an additional big blind for every caller ahead of you. At a casino I never raise less than 5x the big blind. Often I will have one or two callers in front of me and then I bet 6x the big blind. The rational is that the more money is in the pot, the more a player will be willing to call before the flop.

Isolate Players Pre-flop

You need to isolate the number of opponents to one or two. If you have more callers than that, you lose the ability to force people out of the pot after the flop. One of the biggest mistakes I see is when people at casinos only raise 3x - 4x the big blind consistently. People will call with even low pocket pairs and suited connectors and with 5-6 people in the pot, the initial raiser seldom holds the best hand, even with huge pocket pairs. Pot building raises pre-flop are an excellent way to lose your entire stack.

Know the Strength of an Opponent’s Hand

Another key component of playing well is being able to read your opponents. You need to be able to put your opponents on a variety of hands at every stage. Much of this comes from the information that you have been building on them during a session. It is vital for success to pay attention to every hand that occurs, especially ones that include pre-flop raises and calls.

Remember Patterns

You’re looking for cards, or if not cards, patterns in play that can narrow down the strength of the hand that each player could hold. You might find one player ends up breaking off another with two suited cards that are not connecting. This would allow you to consider that player a loose caller. Some players might only raise one in thirty hands, and thus you know when they raise they are holding a large hand. Others may not raise at all, and you need to be able to recognize those players too so that post-flop you know only to get serious with them when you have a very strong holding. You need to decide what type of player(s) you’re against in a pot. The more players in the pot, the more difficult it is to place them all on a hand because of all the possibilities of implied odds. For this reason again you want to play against only one or two people in any given pot.

Example Hands

Example 1

Player A calls a pre-flop bet and has to act first. Flop comes 2-7-J. Player A bets out of position. Player A usually has top pair or possibly a pocket pair just short of the Jack. You should usually reraise a player who does this because then they will put you on a set of jacks or an overpair and they cannot make a profitable call.

Example 2

Player B calls a small (3x) pre-flop bet with a few additional callers. The flop comes with two of the cards the same suit. The action is checked to Player B and he makes a bet of around 25% of the pot, possibly smaller. This usually indicated that Player B is on a flush draw or a straight draw and is attempting to build the pot in case their card comes. Again this player should be raised if you see this read, they cannot call profitably for their flush draw.

Example 3

Player C does not raise often but in this hand has raised just 3x the big blind. The flop comes ragged such as 4-6-10. This player then bets 75%-100% of the pot, even with 4-5 callers initially. This usually indicates that the player had a large pocket pair initially and was trying to build the pot. You hope to have limped in with 4-6 or have a set. In this case you should come back over the top or smooth call in position because this player will have a hard time escaping their poorly played large pair.

Example 4

Player D also does not raise often but has in early position and has been called by someone in late position. They raised a significant amount and the flop comes with at least one face card. Player D however, checks. This either indicates that the player had a pocket pair that is lower than some of the cards on the board, or more than likely they hit a large hand like 2 pair or a set. You can either throw a small bet out to see if they reraise you, or check it to hit a straight or flush.

Know what Other Players Think You Have

The area of poker that really defines how great a player you are is how you present the strength of your hand to those around you. Generally you want to have them think your hand is the opposite of what it really is, strong if it is weak, and weak if it is strong. However, there may be times when you want your opponent to know how strong your hand is to get a better read on the strength of their hand. It is extremely important that you know what the opposing players on the table believe you have so that you can play in a way that forces them into bad calls.

Poker Players Perceptions of Your Style

How other players read the strength of your hand is based on a few factors. First, the number of hands you play over a time period will dictate their overall impression of you. If you have played only a very few hands, say 10% or so, then when you decide to raise people will think you have a very good hand. Not only does this help you by giving you the advantage in the hand, but it also lets you know the relative strengths of your opponents hands because if think you are strong, they can only be calling with a very strong holding themselves. Unfortunately, when opponents think you are tight they are also more likely to fold to you pre-flop, and you will not get any action.

Never Show a Hand for Free

Secondly, the hands you show opponents will give them a read on how you play post-flop. This is why you never want to show a hand, ever. If you manage to bet everyone out of a pot with just a flush draw or ace high and show them, they are going to have patterns in their head from the way you played the hand which will give them an advantage in the future. Once again though if you know this information, then you can intentionally play in a similar style with a much stronger hand and trap them.

Don't Create your Own Patterns

Lastly, the number of hands you limp or raise on will also give a read as to the types of hands that you play. You may be the type of player who never raises any hand, which allows people to put you on stronger holdings without a raise, or you may be the type of player who raises any playable hand, which allows people to put you on weaker holdings pre-flop. If you know they have you pegged as one of these two players you can use it to your advantage to limp in with weaker hands or to raise with the very best hands to induce a re-raise.

More Hand Examples

Example A

We have been raising any playable hand and have gotten A-Q twice in a row and now have 9-9 one off the button. Three players limp in, including one who seems visibly angered. You raise and all players fold except the angry one who decides to go all in. You call and he shows 6-6, trying to make a play. By getting a number of strong hands in a row, players will start to think that you are stealing pots. It is important to know this though because if you pick up something like A-10 in that situation, you may not want to raise since a player who might have you dominated could have limped in and now will call. When you make the opposing players aggressive, you need to be comfortable with the relative strength of your hand so that you don’t double someone up needlessly.

Example B

You have been folding for the past two hours and have yet to get a strong hand, or even something like A-J. You look down two spaces off the button and see 9-10s. There are three limpers and you raise. The table folds and you pick up 4x the bb. This is a perfect example of knowing how other people perceive you. Since you have not played a hand in a while, they are likely to put you on something like queens or above. This will setup the next big hand that will hopefully come soon to get some callers. Even if you do get a caller or two in this situation, you can then put them on a very strong hand, possibly as large as J-J or A-K and you have a very strong drawing hand and position to play with.

Focus On Making the Right Plays

If you can master these three elements of poker, you will win money in the long run. Remember however that there is always an element of luck in the game, whether it be the relative starting hands that are given or hitting the flush draw on the river. Short-term you may lose, but do not give up. Evaluate your own play and improve. Devise your own strategies and vary your play to find out what works best. The game is always adapting and growing, and no two tables play the same way. There is always more to learn at Poker.