PokerTripps

With all the different tells one can observe it can become overwhelming.  One school of thought is to have a handful of tells (top 5 for instance) that you can observe on each player.   One of the biggest questions I get is…..Which tell is the most important.  Well, this is a hard one.  There are a lot of “important” tells.  But I do have a #1.

     My number one poker tell would be to go for the throat.  What I mean by this is, look at the players throat.  If he is bluffing, his heart will be pumping more than it should.  If its a big bluff for a big pot, you should see the increased heart palpitations in his neck.  This is what is known as the “Fight or Flight” response.  It is an unconscious behavior, which we all have.  It is very hard if not impossible to control. 

     So when you want to know if your opponent is making a big bluff……remember…..go for the throat.

     One of the most common mistakes most beginners do is going “all-in” way to often.  While this is a great way to push your opponents into making a big decision,  you always have to understand what cards are out there that can beat you. 

     Case in point……You flop a straight and start betting.  All players fold but one.  On the turn, one the player makes a nice size open bet.   You raise, and the player calls.  When the last card is turned, the first player checks.  What do you do…….

      Now is the time, if you hav’nt done so already, to figure out how many cards are out there that can beat you.   Remember, that it only takes one out for you to lose all your money.  Is it worth losing the tournament, or cash on hand on this one hand ?  Instead of checking you decide to go all in, player calls and wins having flopped a higher straight.

     If you checked on the last round of betting you would have lost the hand but not the tournament.  So think twice before going all-in or it can be your last hand of the night.

PokerTripps.com recommends : Caro’s Book of Poker Tells

This is one of the best books out there on how to read your oppenent.

This is one of those books you read again and again……its a must have in your poker book collection.

PokerTripps.com recommends : Harrington on Hold ‘em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play

Publisher’s Notes
First Line: “Dan Harrington is one of the most respected no limit hold ‘em poker tournament players in the world and his back-to-back final table appearances in the 2003 and 2004 World Series of Poker are proof of his results. His HARRINGTON ON HOLD ‘EM series is arguably the most comprehensive and useful analysis of tournament strategy available on the market. In the first book in the series Harrington discusses various playing styles (from conservative to super-aggressive), how to analyze various situations, and the basic ideas behinds pot-odds and betting. The book also includes numerous specific examples, often drawn from real life situations, that help the reader understand and implement optimal strategy.”

PokerTripps.com recommends Doyle Brunson’s Super System II

Book Description
The Most Anticipated Book In The History of Poker

Super System 2 gathers together the greatest players, theorists, and world champions and expands upon the original with more games, new authors, and most importantly, more professional secrets from the best in the business.

Poker’s Greatest Players Share Their Secrets

This superstar lineup is led by Doyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker Champion, nine-time WSOP gold bracelet winner, and the greatest poker player of all time. His hand-picked roster of expert collaborators includes: Daniel Negreanu, winner of multiple WSOP gold bracelets and 2004 Poker Player of the Year; Lyle Berman, three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner, founder of the World Poker Tour, and super-high stakes cash player; Bobby Baldwin, 1978 World Poker Champion and president of Bellagio; Johnny Chan, two-time World Poker Champion and nine-time WSOP gold bracelet winner; Mike Caro, poker’s greatest researcher, theorist, and instructor; Jennifer Harman, the best female player in the history of poker and one of the ten best overall; Todd Brunson, winner of more than twenty tournaments; and Crandell Addington, a no-limit hold-em legend.

The Complete Masterpiece of Poker

     An advanced concept for playing poker is Money Management.  What is the size of the pot relative to your stack (your cash on hand)?  By saying that its 10 dollars to call or 1,000 dollars to call is all based on the percentage of what your total stack is.  For example, saying that its 500 dollars to call when you have 75,000 dollars does not seem like a lot.  But when all you have is 1,000 dollars, that’s 50% of your stack.

     Deciding on whether or not to make a call requires you to make fast calculations of what the pot odds are relative to your odds of winning.  Early on in a Texas Holdem tournament, the blinds are extremely low and you will be playing more hands.   The percentage of the blinds to your stack makes most minimum bets an easy call.  But as the game progresses and the blinds start to increase, you must be constantly looking at your chips in relationship with others.

     How do I stack up?  Am I so far behind that only a miracle will save me?  Or am I in the top of the players list and I can afford to take my time.  Knowing what you have on hand and how that relates to the pot and other players is essential for success.

              
     In Poker Tells - Part I, we talked about what kind of things to look for when observing other players.  The things we can “read” about others that give an indication of what kind of a hand they are holding.  Now I would like to talk a little about the tells we give off to other players.  Yes, no matter how hard you try, you will be giving off some tells.

     Sometimes a nervous tick such as tapping your cards or how you play with your chips is a give away.  Pay attention to what you are doing when you have a good hand.  Are you looking away from your opponents?  Do you throw the chips into the pot rather than putting them in front of you?  You must be very conscious of your actions, as  good opponents will be trying to pick up a “tell” on you.  Once he/she has, you are doomed.

      Try throwing in some fake tells.  For instance, tap your cards when you have a good hand.  Do it a few times.  Then when you have a lousy hand, tap your cards.  You might see more folds than before.  Mixing up your tells, and using them to your advantage is an advanced concept that most players neglect.  Dont be one of them.  The poker table is your stage, use it to YOUR advantage.

PokerTripps.com Recommends :

Hello….and thanks for stopping by.  If you are interested in becoming a better poker player then you stopped at the right place.  My name is LIJ (Long Island John) and I have been playing poker for almost 23 years.  My favorite game like most of you is Texas Holdem.  I am glad to say Poker has been good to me over the years and I love playing and teaching the game.  So I created this website for those who wanted to learn how to play Poker (especially Holdem).  I will be updating writing new articles as I have time, so come back soon.

                                Enjoy the site and may your cards be full of aces,

                                                        Long Island John

                                    Email webmaster@pokertripps(dot)com

So you have the dealer button in front of you, what does this mean? The greatest significance is that you are the last person to act (means to bet, raise or fold). This is the most powerful position at the table to be in. You should be playing more hands than you normally would.

Alot of information can be obtained from each player. All you do is sit back and observe. You have a free ride, at least for a while, to decide to play or fold. By raising, you can put a lot of pressure on the other opponents. Forcing them to make a decision if they want to continue playing with what they were dealt.

Your opponents will be playing the same way with the button in front of them. Be on the lookout for the “on the button” player to try to steal your blinds away. They will try to steal the blinds or try to make a raise when everyone limps (calls) in.

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     Another advanced tip we should discuss is “Table Presence”.  This is how others perceive you at the poker table.  Let me explain….You sit down at a table and start off betting every single hand.  In fact, you raise most if not all of the time.  You are being perceived by the other players as being a loose (one who bets with almost any hand) player.  In contrast, another player who folds all the time unless he has a huge hand, is perceived as a tight player.  The other players will pick up on this rather quickly and look to knock you out.

    Understanding how you are being perceived at the table is very valuable information.  Did the other players see what you had at the end of the hand or did they fold and you left them guessing?  If you are being perceived as being tight, you can play almost any hand and command respect.  Raising when you are considered loose will probably generate a call if not a reraise.

Controlling your table presence, especially early on could pay off huge returns.  You can start off loose in the beginning as the blinds will not hurt you as much.  When the blinds/minimum bids increase it becomes harder to play the “loose” game.

Here are a few tips about table image :

      -     Play loose in the beginning and bet big when you have a hand.  You are more likely to be called.

-         Do not slow play when you have a loose table image.

-         Playing loose is rewarding yet dangerous.  You will pay a lot of money just to build up that “loose” reputation.

-         You can start off loose in the beginning as the blinds will not hurt you as much.     

-         When the blinds/minimum bids increase it becomes harder to play the “loose” game, requiring more skill.

-         Playing tight allows you to get away with more bluffs

-         Playing tight can cause your opponent to second guess his good hand

  Just be aware that your table presence is known early on in the game.  You can control it, or it can control you.  Either way, pay attention to how others are seeing you and act accordingly.