All-in on No-Limit:
If you go all-in on any hand and you
do not have the nuts (a hand that cannot be beat) you might as well be
playing a slot machine. Sure, the pocket Aces are the best possible hole
cards, but when betting your entire chip stack before seeing a flop be
advised that ANYTHING can happen. It is wise not to go all-in pre-flop
regardless of what you have unless you are sitting at a very tight
table.
Some internet players will use the all-in as an attempt to
bluff others out of smaller pots. Let them have it, because a small pot
is really not worth the risk (commonly calculated as pot odds). If the
size of the pot is substantial, and you have most of your chip stack in
it already, AND you have a decent chance of winning the hand, then you
should go all the way. But consider, trying to bluff a large pot with a
weak hand will
usually result in a loss. As I stated earlier, beware of a player who
has checked a bet, and then comes back with an all-in on the next turned
card. Many times this is a sucker bet, don't be the sucker.
Finding The Right Table:
You want to find a table with loose
players. Look for tables where the players see the flop at least 60% of
the time or better. The worst table to be at is one that has nothing but
tight players seeing the flop 40% or less. Very tight tables lend to
very small pots. When there are big pots involved you better have the
cards and plenty of chips because it is almost impossible to bluff a
tight table. Since you are learning to
becoming a conservative player your mission is to find all of the loose
gamblers!
When you have found a good table to play, watch a number of
hands go around before you sit down. This gives you an opportunity to
observe the playing styles of your opponents and will lend to some of
the online tells I discussed earlier. Targeted the tight players, play
more sequence straights and aggressively steal more blinds. When you see
loose players in on a hand then YOU should tighten up - slow play, bait
and trap, etc. Let them have the smaller pots and then hit them heavy
with an all-in winner. Again, know your opponent, study his habits, and
you will stand a better chance of taking all of his chips.
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