Poker News

Sam Mudaro is the Omaha Guru

[Read the first part of this article]

Continuing with examining the factors to consider when formulating our decision to fold or muck lets begin with pot size.

How much is in the pot? If you don’t know how much is in the pot you don’t know whether you are getting the proper pot odds to call. Pot odds are useful not only in our decisions post flop, but can dictate whether we even enter the hand, especially with a draw. The more money in the pot the more likely you want to call with a marginal hand that is capable of winning a big pot if you connect.

Knowing the amount of money in the pot is essential for no-limit and critical for pot-limit.

How much may you bet or raise? In a limit game the answer is clear and defined by the structure you are playing in. In nolimit the answer is variable and limited to the amount of money in front of you.

Pot-limit is a little different. The amount you may bet is an ever-changing number based on the size of the pot when it reaches you. In pot limit you may want to let your opponent do the betting for you. You will then be able to raise a larger amount when the action gets back to you. You should know how much is in the pot every time it is your turn to act.

What kind of table are you playing at: loose, tight or average?One measure of whether the game is loose, tight or average is the number of people seeing the flop, turn and river.

The higher the average the looser the game is. Other measures include: how much raising and re-raising is going on, how many players are calling a raise and or a re-raise with less then a premium hand, how many persons are chasing draws and how many will bet and/or raise with less then the nuts. If you are in a loose game you will want to call and raise with premium hands and play a little tighter then your tightest opponent.

You may raise freely with little concern that all your opponents will fold. You also do not want to bluff as you will get called with less then the nuts. In a tight game you may be able to bluff your opponents off the best hand if a scare card falls. You may figure your opponent has the goods when he bets into you. Do you have position over your opponents? If you are last to act, position will let you know what it cost to call since you are last to act. Position may let you represent a hand you don’t have when it is checked around to you.

Position may let you buy a free card on the turn when you raise from the button after the flop and it is checked around to you. Acting last will allow you to raise thepot when everyone has limped in, presumably with a less then premium hand. You may then be able to steal the pot if all high cards fall and you lead into the field of limpers.

What kind of read do you have on your opponent? This is one of the areas where most players seem to lack knowledge, skill and or discipline. A read is not necessarily the observance of some subtle bodily function such as a person’s breathing rate or their pulse rate determined by watching the arteries in their neck. There are indeed very obvious tells as well as very subtle ones. Let’s take a look at a few obvious ones, which are only obvious if you know to look for them.

a) Would your opponent fold to a re-raise? We have all seen this type of player. They complain every time the pot is raised. They have limited funds and don’t want to risk too much on any hand. A re-raise usually drives them out unless they have a premium hand. Either way you gain information.

b) Has your opponent been pushing marginal hands? You know the type. They are super aggressive. They will raise with draws, bottom pair or when a scare card hits. They hate to see a free card. This is the perfect individual to have at your table when you are looking to checkraise or save a bet on the turn.

c) Does your opponent consistently bluff? This type of behavior is also easy to spot. Your opponent bets or raises on the river and when you call they immediately muck their hand without showing it. They may even offer a comment such as ‘I missed’ or ‘Good call’. This player will usually stay in the hand if you let them do the betting.

d) Does your opponent bet draws? This individual will lead at the pot if they have 4 to a flush, straight or low. It sure is nice having them in the hand when you have the nut flush draw and it gets there. They are so concentrated on making their flush they will also fail to notice that their flush card has also paired the board.

e) Does your opponent show down the nuts? It doesn’t take long at a table to identify the rocks. They enter pots with only premium hands. They will bet or raise with only the nuts. When a rock raises pre-flop and comes out betting on the flop you need to sit back and ask yourself what do they have?

So what have we learned? Pay attention to your opponents. What you observe may save you money or allow you to earn more.

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