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Archive for the ‘Texas Holdem Strategy’ Category

The Texas Hold’em poker phenomenon has taken the country by storm. There are over 100 million active players around the world of poker. The popularity of poker is largely a byproduct of the technique and some recent trends: 1) online games, engage in the players and to make contacts and screens created in real time via the Internet, and 2) the general high level of television, such as the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour.

With all the poker-mania, there is an incredible lack of quality information to help people learn to play correctly and quickly to the big players. This study is the first in a series of articles on Texas Hold’em strategy to help players how to win at Texas Hold’em poker. The game of the tournament is a popular sport, fun. This article will help you understand how players to tournaments, the approach is very different from the usual “ring game” play

The type of the most frequent question: “How I can effectively with aggressive players,” Many players struggle against “crazy,” aggressive player who has the wildest game in each hand, somehow seem to draw cards from the beginning, and are often able to dominate the table.

This is what really happened in recent poker tournament. I entered a tournament at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, about 20 minutes from my home in South Florida. The weekly $ 300 tournament entry fee fills the poker room with 220 players every Monday night.

With blinds at 50/100 start-up and then every 15 minutes. I spent the first 30 minutes hanging out and occasionally limping to see the flop. The reason for “treading water” was to study my opponents and their play habits closely. There were a number of solid poker player, but soon discovered that aggressive.

I was sitting in the middle, right in front of the dealer. There were two “wild men” to my right. Both took part in hand most of the world and fought with him when they had to pull a hand. It was fun for me, and was also very revealing. I knew these guys from the beginning doomed to failure, but extremely dangerous when something caught red-handed packaging. These guys are great goals, but only if you know how to play properly. If you do this, you will end up with most or all of their chips in his stack. The key is to get your cards before anyone else.

There were some squeaky-tight players and solid, as usual. Finally, there were two players to my left who knew very well and spoke what sounded like Russian. These two played very aggressively. Rarely mentioned or discussed. You can bet or raise the pot significantly, so that played a hand, they knew they were going to bet big, and you will be better prepared to push a lot of chips in the center. Consequently, the crowded table in general, with the exception of these four players who controlled the early action and dictated the pace chart for the first hour or two. It is played with a blind devotion, commercial chips that hold each other as the rest of us just saw and tried to realize real change.

It became clear that the lunatics were playing mostly garbage hands, talks and be assertive in an attempt to intimidate everyone. They enjoyed the whole crowd to his aggressive style of betting and raising. With humor, entered into a series of clashes, which means that all trash their hands, openly exposed, for example, the software 69, Q3 suited, etc. they actually had been linked to these guys now - if only could have a strong hand. ..

Later, one of my Russian friends, “was on a bet he had placed a great attraction, then she smiled as she leaned her head back as if to say:” Go ahead. I dare you. “My middle pair was not strong enough to do with it, but I remembered this little” lesson “and my mistake. Had this tactic used many times against the other and is expected to. Also see that I realized do not see one of his alleged “good hands”, as it always screws up. If you master an aggressive player, then cleaning all these supposed “good hands”, you know you’ve found a target.

We played with the two crazy on my right is taken by the Russian contingent. It was an hour and 15 minutes - and I have not yet seen a good hand! Unfortunately, this is typical of poker.

After a few minutes to an hour and 45, which finally took a couple of cable 9 (99). Now I was expecting to give, dropping a set (TRIPS). Actually, it was: 9, K, 5 I was so happy and jumping up and down (inside). Finally I could make my train, and expected to be against one of my Russian friends, with their aggressive big stacks.

To make my case, always be delayed and confused about ten seconds, and then “checked” verbally and disgusted with my hand in a chopping motion, with a look a little. Then younger Russian moves are in a big bet with the 3000th sheets was sure I had it today. Unsurprisingly, everyone quickly turned and left the way - except me. This man had pushed everyone around and eventually he was well armed and prepared to fight on my own terms. Note that this was my “battle plan” all the time. I was deliberately targeting these aggressive characters, knowing that when the time was ripe for their ill-gotten stacks made me!

The action came back to me, so now it was just the two of us hand in hand. The two Russians said something to the other as the rest of us could not decipher. I fell behind and spinning around my head, as if struggling with my decision. Therefore, I write with both hands and said, “I’m All In.” I knew that trigger this series of measures would likely be an aggressive response from my “check-raise” makes it seem like I was trying to steal the pot! A check-raise almost always triggers a full response to an aggressive player on tilt.

He called me right away - it was so aggressive (and pot-committed) that is like a fish takes the bait and running for deep waters was - hook line and sinker! I got my pair of 9, revealing the Week 9 There was a soft murmur around the table from other players. My young Russian friend reluctantly shook hands five / trash more - he had a couple of years (with a king above the card from the card). It was definitely fishing me out of this well with his game ascertive - too often …

You see, no one that a lot of hands in poker - nobody. If someone knocks 30% to 40% or more of the time, are just “playing” a bluff. This guy thinks it has a “good” side because it has a real couple - something he often has to push everyone around you with the most aggressive, as their only real weapon in Paris.

The turn was and it was not five -. “He’s drawing dead” and then someone pipes and says, believe me, I want to know that if you are in a race! Force looked up when he says something in Russian to his friend -. any other violation of competition rules, as everyone is forced to speak English in the tournament table, no matter how he got up, grabbed his jacket and left after receiving some consolation from his friend.

His old friend looked at me and put something derogatory in Russian. I had no idea what he was saying, but I knew I liked his tone. He also knew that I said in the skin to reach his friend and raking in all his chips. I responded with: “I do not understand what you say because you do not speak English?” loud and clear that everyone at the table could hear me.

He muttered something about his friend … I smiled and said politely with a smile: “I have intentionally and for his friend and he fell right into it,” pushing the knife in deeper, knowing it will be gunning for me, anyway - can do just as well that my next trap is at the top. He also informed everyone at the table, every time he limped and checked, which could be extremely dangerous if it is a sign of weakness - something I later use of the blinds and antes and a lantern at the right time and steal blinds is actually reached.

After a short pause, my Russian friend noticed that everyone was watching. He looked at his chips and said, “play nice” with a polite restraint.

Boy, I was thrilled! My battle plan was definitely becoming the proven here - and my next goal was clearly observed. It was an observation careful planning and patience to wait for the right hand, then you play it right to take these highly skilled, aggressive player and rake in their chips.

About ten minutes later, at the time in the tournament after two hours of play I had my chips, 14.900 (which started with 5,000 each) was going to break, then led him to take a quick bite, a reflection on what has happened.

Back to the ten minute break, finally I have a serious departure: Cowboys (KK). I knew it was time for my new Russian friend and me to tango, so they fired a bet of 3 times the big blind: 3,000 chips, bait that I’m sure he could not refuse. Actually, it’s just - in style. Your all-in recovery occurred almost immediately, even before I have my bet on the table. He was willing to compromise and was on the lookout for me - as I expected. I had created, by his friend and then challenging his poker ego in front of everyone. He had only revenge against me - it was a totally predictable “full speed” response from this player.

This is what really is the game of poker - with a clear strategy, the patience to wait for the right hand and then run correctly. This makes poker a game of strategy and not a game of chance (for some of us).

He took over all with 8,000 chips around me 14,000. So I called all in place quickly. Everyone quickly turned and left the road.

I spent my kings looked, and then directly into his eyes and smiled. “Yes, we now have an action” Then someone said, sighed and turned over QQ - I actually had a lick of real change, this is one of the problems with this type of “semi-solid and aggressive,” the players, as my Russian. friend here, and other poker greats like Gus Hansen. You never know what to expect from them. Of course, my opponent could have pocket rockets (AA) are carried out, but I’ll KK cowboys strong each time they too, because no one can hand them face to face. I also knew this aggressive player on tilt was likely to play his hand, to improve my chances considerably.

The flop, turn and river came and went without another Queen and it was done - my cowboys stood up and has all the batteries both Russia, which includes most of the other two poor maniac chips (who lost early against the Russians). This is by far my immediately to our table chip leader with over 22,000 chips!

I went to an average stack to be the table chip leader, against tough opponents and aggressive, at least half an hour from:

a) play solid poker, tournament reasonable

b) Do not take excessive risks and high-low “tie” or hands,

c) Studying my aggressive prey and where the chips were sitting,

d) Develop and refine a plan of attack, as the game progresses,

e) patients who remained in the expectation of the right hand to my measure, and

f) The implementation of this plan with precision against a determined opponent and the conditions of my choice - not the enemy.

There was no luck involved at all - except that my opponent has AA or pull some lucky cards with a bad hand - which was easy to play the odds in my favor.

I started with a high-level strategy to target aggressive chip leader, and go after them with strong hands of the vertical position. I did this before I arrived at the casino that day, did not know that these players would be. Then my plan once perfected to ensure that the objectives of the afternoon and as I knew it would lead. No doubt helped that I have two good hands trapped in these first hours of play

Unfortunately, I lost a house full of legitimate, but it was in the top 40 - it happens that …

The key to playing against aggressive players and crazy is having a viable Texas Holdem you can use if you get some good hands. If you have a good plan, you can convert a lot of chips - a stack that you definitely need to raise the blinds and antes, and the field of competition is reduced in the later stages.

This is how I approach Texas Holdem strategy for tournaments now - at least, if the complete tables of 8 or more players, some of them aggressive and maniacs. So the next time you encounter wild and aggressive players at the poker table, prepare to have fun! It’s like Tae Kwon Do - using the opponent’s energy and momentum against them.

In the next issue we will detail the strategy of Texas Hold’em more formally, to explore together some suggestions for other tournaments to play better Texas Hold’em poker.

Until then - good luck!

Grindstone