Poker News

Charlie Shoten

We all agree that the ability to maintain focus at the poker table separates the truly great players from the average ones. It enables you to choose and act on your best decision. I have shared some of my strategies that help me maintain my focus in my previous four articles in Poker Player Newspaper.

I hope that you are working on your ability to maintain your focus at the poker table. Feeling well, being confident, and having a joyous and optimistic mindset are traits that help you maintain your focus. It is the poisonous memories; ideas, thoughts and beliefs that we hold that interfere with our ability to maintain our focus.

They distract us. I label them Thought Terrorists and in those articles explained how I use my roadmap and Ten Commitments to help me notice and let go of my Thought Terrorists. It is a mind clearing process. No limit poker is a game of math, people, concepts, situations and luck. There are at least six conceptual ways to play a hand. Every professional player is aware of these strategies. They can be used individually and in combination to fit every situation. These conceptual ways to play give you a broader vision of the poker table and allow you to act with creativity and strength of purpose. They also help you understand the strategies of the better players as they use the six conceptual ways to play a hand against you. A game plan with many different options and strategies will make you a better player.

You will recognize more opportunities that arise where you need to and you want to invest your chips. There are only so many opportunities that arise, and missing one of the best is the same as making a critical mistake. It is the player that can see a hidden opportunity that that the average player may never consider that has a big advantage.

During a long poker tournament, you are continually looking for the best time to invest your chips. Not a good time, but the best time. Is it now, or are you likely to find a better spot in some future hand? When you focus on the following six conceptual ways to play any hand, you will have more strategies to consider. You will see more opportunities to increase your chips and be more aware of the thinking and strategies of your opponents. This also helps you protect the chips you already have.

The Six Conceptual Ways to Play No-Limit Hold’em

1. Play your cards.

2. Play your position.

3. Play the board.

4. Play the money.

5. Play the player.

6. Bluff.

Example 1: Play Position, the Player & Bluff

Notice any players at the table you have observed that you feel are predictable. Look for as many opportunities as possible to see the flop cheaply when those players are in the pot. You won’t need to have the best hand most of the time to win the pot and you can get away from any hand very fast. If you are out of position in a hand with such a player, check to let him act first and study his action and mannerisms very closely. If you see weakness bet or raise him. If you see strength, fold right away.

Example 2: Play Your Position, Your Hand & The Money.

The blinds are $200-400. Four players have limped in and have called the fifth players raise of 2 times the blind. There is $6,000 in the pot. You are last to act and you have a drawing hand of Ace Queen, or you have a pair of Tens.

Your chips of $5,000 are way below average at this stage of the tournament. Players who called an additional raise of $800 are not likely to call another raise of $3800. If you win the pot you will have doubled up or better. Go all in. You are likely to winthe pot right there or be faced with looking at 1 or 2 opponents. It is also likely you will be face up with the original raiser with an equal or better hand than you. Regardless of the flop, you will have all five cards to draw to. This is the best time for you to take a stand and risk your chips.

At blinds of $600 per round you only have one round to get your chips into the pot before your remaining chips are eaten away.

Example 3: Play the Money, Bluff the Bluffer

You are the chip leader and have been playing very aggressively. You have raised the blinds 6 of the last 10 hands. The blinds are $500-1000. You are second from the button and have raised the pot $3000. The big blind raises you $5000.

Re-raise him an amount that if he calls will force him to be committed to call for the rest of his chips to the river.

This puts special pressure on him. Only do this with an amount that you are willing to lose if he re-raises. It will be enough to stop him cold if he is bluffing or has a weak hand, while allowing you to get away from the hand if he re-raises you.

Your judgment of the player and the situation is critical of course. Notice that this strategy ignores the strength of your hand. You might even be bluffing with the best hand and not realize it.

The other players will be less likely to bluff at you in future hands.

Comments? Questions?:

Don’t miss the book, “No-Limit Life”: www.nolimitlife.net (Best Book Award: USA Book News 2005) Category: Psychology/Mental Health

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