Copyright 2005 Full
Tilt Poker
July 11, 2005
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Lessons)
Poker Lesson: Not
Playing By The Book
Author: Phil Gordon
Once I am involved in a hand, many of the actions
I take after the flop are automatic, or nearly automatic. Therefore,
the most important decision I have to make in No Limit Hold 'em
takes place before the flop:
Should I play the two cards I've been dealt?
When I first started learning how to play, I reviewed
the standard charts that suggest which two cards to play from
each position. But while they provided useful guidelines, the
charts don't tell the whole story.
Poker is not a game that is best played by the numbers.
Poker is a game of situations.
In blackjack, there is always a correct decision
to be made - a "perfect strategy." Once you have compared
the strength of your hand against the dealer's "up"
card, the odds will -- or at least should -- dictate whether you
should hit, stand, split, etc.
Poker, however, is a game of incomplete information.
There are many factors to consider that go above and beyond what
"the book" tells you to do. Some of them include:
- My opponents' tendencies
- My state of mind
- My opponent's state of mind
- Our respective stack sizes
- My image at the table
Computer programs can look up hands in a chart.
Real poker players analyze situations and make their own decisions
after processing all of the available information. I might raise
with A-J from early position in one game, and fold the same hand
from the same position in another.
A good chart can help give a very specific set of
circumstances, namely:
- You are the first person to voluntarily put money
into the pot and are going to come in for a raise of about three
times the big blind
- You don't know much about your opponents
- All the players at the table have an average-size stack
- The blinds are relatively small in relation to the size of the
stacks
When the above things aren't true, you'll want to
look beyond the charts.
If you're a new player, these tables are a great
place to start. The more poker you play, however, the more comfortable
you will feel letting your experience and your instincts serve
as your guide.
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