Starting Hands That Make Winning the Pot Easier
February 1, 2010
A typical Texas Hold’em poker game can be divided into 3 phases, the start of the game, the middle and the end of the game. In every phase, you have to make the right choices for your starting hands as this choice can make you win or loose the game.
At the start of the game, you don’t have much of an idea of the further course of the game. The cards on the table are few and the players have not made enough moves to give anything away. In such a situation, the best thing to do is to play tight. You wait for the right time to make your moves and spend more time and attention on the game play of your opponents. By the middle part of the game, things become much clearer.
You have an idea of your own hand and the playing styles of others. You know who is aggressive, passive and so on. If you had got a normal hand at the start, it may have probably got stronger by now. As the last part of the game arrives, you have a very good idea of things. You hand has wholly come in your possession and at this point every player on the table is trying to make the best bet to get the get the pot. It is very to get blown away by the excitement and make the wrong decisions at this point. You should plan your game carefully and try to get in position.
At the start of the game, you are dealt your cards and as the game progresses, you have to make your hand stronger. You can continue to play tight or loose. In case you decide to play loose, be smart with it. Playing loose does mean chasing the bad cards, but don’t overdo it just for the sake of playing loose. Use your wits to make the most of the loose game play. In case you happen to get into a loose pre-flop, don’t let it destroy your game, change your plans and start to play tight.
You can think about making the flop in case you get feel that the blinds are low. But, you should always remember that no matter how strong a hand you have, you cant guarantee you win and other player do have a chance of staking your stake away. So, plan your flop carefully.
The best way, according to me is to play tight and keep things in control. Don’t take unnecessary risks without doing the math on them. Though it cannot be denied that math does not wholly apply to gambling as it is a game of chance, but math does apply and is very useful in making the right decisions. Keep your focus on the pot. Give it time to grow bigger. After all, what’s the use of winning a small pot? You should use your cards only when you think that it is the right time to do so.
Apart from the cards, the other thing that helps you choose you game play is the size of your chip stack. The more chips you have the more courageous you will be. But remember that there is a big difference between being courageous and being a fool. In case you have lot of chips, it is true that you can take your risks and it does not really matter if you loose a few ships in the process of winning the pot. The important thing is to keep a leash on your aggression and using your big stack to pressurize other players into making the wrong moves.
In the last part of the game, everything is clear and it’s the time for action. You should look to steal the blinds, get the cash in and exploit the weaker players who are playing loose. There will be players who will push all in as they have less chips left. Take advantage of such players and try to get their chips in.
In all the 3 phases of the game, the results depend on the proper use of wits and patience. You should use the combination of both to have the best winnings.
