This is slightly different type poker strategy article than what we usually publish on play casino, but we are hoping that putting the strategy out this way it might open more eyes and stick to readers mind better.
People are so quick to say that they were coolered during a hand but the truth of the matter is that they are the player who has not read a situation correctly.
Its hard to be able to accept that the honest truth is that you are the cause for your losses to your stack but once you realise this, you are able to analyse the thoughts that cause you to make these decisions.
I personally looked into these and realised that there are so many times that these thoughts had entered into my head and was unable to think why i had lost so many chips in a pot.
So what are these thoughts that make you place your chips into the pot and leaving you feeling that you’ve lost more chips than you thought? (obviously in some cooler situation there is absolutely nothing you can do to avoid losing chips, but indeed big percentage of the time if you take your time and truthfully asses the situation you will notice that your thought-process might be causing you to lose the pot)
1. He’s got to be bluffing me here
Ok so your thinking that your opponent is feeding you a bluff, but are you having this thought because you genuinely have a strong hand or just because the player beat you out of a pot a few previous hands ago?
This is one of the biggest misconceptions in poker, something that will see a player become more than willing to throw an inflated amount of chips into a pot on the thought that they are been fed a lie, often resulting in a loss of the hand due to the player really having a stong value hand.
2. I have so many chips in there at the moment, why fold?
You have entered into a hand and seen the flop, the flop comes down and your sat on middle pair to which you decide that your going to bet into but on the turn an over card falls. At this point the player who has only flat called has lead out with a bet.
Alarm bells start to ring in your head up you know that the player is aggressive from his previous play, so you call.
The river card falls as the same card as the turn and your opponent moves all in, leaving you with limited chips should you fold, you think that you have so many chips in the pot that you are ‘pot commited’ and you can’t fold.
Wrong!
There is no reason that you should have to place your remaining chips into the pot if you feel that you are behind at this point, okay it might leave you with a short stack of chips but why would you want to place your chips into a pot that you think that your going to lose?
Fold your cards, regroup and then launch a rescue bid to get back into the game with pokers power hands.
3. Ah, what the hell i’ve already lost $100 so whats another $40?
So you have been having a rough time at the tables and you have seen your funds slip out from under your nose, hungry for winning your poker funds back you tell yourself that because your going to reload a smaller amount than that you have already lost, there is no risk.
If you playing poker with this mentality feel free to look me up at the online poker tables because you are the sort of player that i would love to find seated opposite me at the heads up section, someone who just can’t take their losses and keep throwing reduced amounts of funds onto the table.
At the end of the day its important to remember that a loss is a loss and if you encounter one, your still losing money.
Okay it will be easier to deal with online as you don’t actually get to see the money or chips pass over to the player but in a live game situation, imagine the feeling of seeing all your money being given to someone else.
If you find that your down and out at the tables, move away and clear the lobby. Save your money and come back to the tables when your more equipt to do so.
4. Ok, once i break even i’m leaving the table
Although your showing that your determind to make back any money that you have lost at the tables during your time there, it places you in the firing line as you are less likely to make decisions based on the facts you have been able to gather during the hand and how your opponents have played theirs due to the fear of staking more of your chips.
This will result in you making lower value bets and so will encourage opponents to continue with their hands and so will leave you open to a higher chance of being beaten.
If your ready to leave the tables, do so at the point where you realise that you have had enough of the action, don’t hang on to make your money back. It might leave you feeling low as you have experienced a loss but there is no reason that you have to get that money back the same day.
5. I have pocket aces so can’t be beaten!
Considered to be the best starting hand, pocket aces do mean that you are entering into the game pre flop in a favourable position but you have to remember that even a hand that is sub standard at this point can become stronger with the flop falling onto the board should an additional ace not be dealt.
Althought the hand is the strongest starter hand, its worth nothing if at the end of the community cards being dealt your still holding little more than a pair.
If you find yourself in this situation, tread carefully.
6. I’m going all in next hand regardless of what i have
What type of approach is this to a game that features a strong bearing towards the skill of a player?
The answer to that is that its the wrong approach, such little respect for your funds or chips will result in you losing them in rapid time, especially if you act on that thought and have a hand that you would not usually play.
If you have to say this it generally means that you are shortstacked at the table, so if your playing a real money game, find the leave table button and get away with whatever funds you still retain.
If your in a tournament and you find yourself saying this then you have obviously had a rough time at the tables and your looking to claw your way back into the game. In this situation think about the hand that you have, is it really strong enough to keep you in the game?
If so then by all means feel free to risk your tournament participation on the hand but if not then simply fold and wait for a stronger hand.
Don’t feel that you can sit at the table until you get that hand? Why not place your account into sit out mode, although its something that i can’t stand, the fact that your not playing any hands means your not placing bets into the pot unless they are forced by the blinds or antes, giving your account the chance to outlast the heavily aggressive players who are out to eliminate other players in rapid time.
