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Poker Games doesn't have a basic strategy like blackjack
or video poker. The best way to play a particular hand
will change with every games and every player. For example,
a showdown is not necessarily the preferred outcome.
Tight (conservative) players with rags (poor hands)
will quickly fold rather than put money in a pot that
someone else will ultimately win. A good poker player
with a bad hand will sometimes turn this to an advantage
and steal the pot with aggressive betting. The same
player with a good hand will lure unsuspecting bettors
into the pot with tentative betting. Of course, other
good poker players will recognize this obvious ruse
and wager accordingly. It turns into an intricate games
of, "He thinks that I think that he thinks that
I think that he thinks that I have four kings. But I
know that he knows that I know that he knows" And
the games goes on.
SLOW PLAYING
Check-raising is playing a hand weakly in order to raise
later in the same round of betting. It is possible that
you will win the pot right there when you check raise.
At the very least, you will probably reduce the opposition
to one or two players, which is what you usually want.
SLOW PLAYING VERSUS CHECK RAISING
Slow playing is not the same thing. It is playing a
hand weakly on one round of betting in order to suck
people in for later bets. Typical slow plays are to
check if there has been no bet or just call a bet rather
than raise. In other words, you take no action beyond
what is necessary to stay in the pot. You give nothing
away about the strength of your hand.
When you check-raise you usually want to reduce the
number of your opponents, but when you slow play you
are trying to keep as many players in the pot as you
can, expecting to collect later bets from them as a
result of your early deception. Obviously, since you
are not worried about having many players in the pot
and are not particularly concerned about giving them
free cards, you must have a very strong hand to slow
play - much stronger than a hand with which you would
check-raise. In seven-card stud it might be three-of-a-kind
on the first three cards or a flush or full house against
one pair. In hold 'em it might be the top set of trips
after the flop with no possible straight or flush draw
showing. In draw lowball it might be something like
a pat. |
