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Poker strategy XIV – protection play

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:18:59 +0000

An important gambling strategy, which is popularly used in poker games, is protection play. When a gambler opts for protection play, it means he has a decent hand with the chance that it is vulnerable and not strong enough. In this case, the gambler may lay a bet that would either induce his opponents to fold or to call at a time when pot odds are favoring the gambler and not his opponent. In this way by protection play, it is profitable for the gambler. However, if it turns out that the protection ploy fail, then the gambler’s opponent gets the advantage and his made hand becomes useless.

The main difference between protection play and bluffing play is that unlike in the latter situation, the player does not depend only on the opponent’s decision to fold and can also go for a showdown if necessary; only his hand is not strong enough and he cannot opt for slow play.

The application of protection play tactics is evident in games with several players. A case in point is when a player has a decent hand but may be beaten by a combined hand of his opponents when each of them draws an out, although individually they cannot beat the player. In this case the player may go for protection play, whereby the wager he lays can induce one or several to fold and if any opponent still remain for a showdown, the player’s odds of winning becomes better.

When a gambler is playing all-in and an opponent puts such a bet on the table that many players in the game folds, it is advantage for the all-in player who now has lesser number of opponents to beat. This is an example of indirect protection play. Another form of protection sometimes used by poker players is when they put an object like a specialty chip on his cards to prevent the dealer from taking away his cards by mistake or fouls committed when discarded cards get mixed up with player’s cards.

Poker strategy XIII – isolation play and position play

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:18:42 +0000

A particular kind of strategy in poker games often employed by skilful gambler is the tactics of isolation play. This is evident in games where there are several players vying for the pot. When one of the players start raising the bet in order to force several other opponents to quit the game by folding till only one particular opponent remains and the two of them take part in a one-to-one final showdown, it is an example of isolation play. An application of isolation play is mostly seen when the game table has a super aggressive player who often plays with weak hands. It is also used effectively against players with a drawing hand. In tournament poker games, when a player’s stack of chips is in the verge of being exhausted and the player to stall elimination, starts playing desperately and aggressively, isolation play is favored by many strategic poker players.

Position play is a very important and sometimes under-rated strategy in poker games. It is obvious that the way players are seated in a game table is bound to have an implication on the tactics employed by the players and the outcome of the game. Depending on how a player is seated, he is either in the early position or in the late position. A late position player is said to ‘have position’ as others or most of them have already decided and acted, based on which he can make his decision and act. On the contrary, an early position player is at a disadvantage and is said to be ‘out of position’ as he must decide and act before his opponents. Since almost all poker games that depend on position play, are played in a clockwise manner, the player has the advantage over his opponents seated to his right side unless it is the initial betting round and the game is played with blinds where contributing to the pot is a must.

Poker strategy XII – more drawing play

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:18:28 +0000

Drawing play is a type of strategic play in a game of poker and has many formations. For example, when a player has a flush draw, it means he has a hand of four cards belonging to the same suit that can be improved with a draw. So, a flush draw, often called the four flush has nine possible outs, since total cards in any suit is thirteen.

A hand that is holding an outside straight draw or open-ended straight draw has six cards with the middle four cards in a sequence. So, by another sequence card on any one of its two ends, the hand may improve to a straight hand. An outside straight draw has only eight possible outs. The straight draw completed with an ace card is not accepted as an open-ended straight draw since the ace card can only complete either the top or the bottom side of the straight and not both. When someone is holding cards in such a sequence that drawing an out in any of its middle position can complete a straight hand, it is called an inside straight draw. Since the probability of receiving an out in an inside straight draw is half of an outside straight draw, only four possible outs can complete the hand. In case a player has a double inside straight draw, it means he is playing a 7-card game and has two instead of one middle position card missing in sequence. In such cases receiving an out for any one of the two positions can complete the hand and there are eight possible outs for this situation.

There are several possible situations when a hand, even if it is a made hand, needs to draw to improve the strength and ensure a win. Another example of a drawing play is the situation when a player needs two outs to complete a strong hand, which is called a backdoor draw or runner-runner draw.

Poker strategy XI – drawing play

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:18:03 +0000

Drawing in poker takes place when a player is dealt an incomplete hand and needs further rounds of dealing to complete the hand. This incomplete hand is called the draw or drawing hand and the term is generally used in context with those hands whose initial strength is of weak value. This can be contrasted with the concept of a made hand where the player already has a decent hand and stands the chance to win even without drawing, that is receiving his remaining cards. However, when a drawing hand improves, it can defeat an initial made hand that has not added to the value of the hand. Again, when a player’s made hand is so good that nothing that the opponent may draw may beat it, then the second player is said to have made a dead drawing. A case in point is when one draws to a straight or a flush hand while the opponent has a made hand of full house. Moreover, drawing play is beneficial as additional cards not only helps a weak hand to improve but can make an already good hand unbeatable.

The card that is yet to be dealt but can potentially improve the drawing hand and make it the winner is called an out. Drawing play is advantageous to those players when there is a greater probability of getting an out than the pot odds. When a card is an out for a particular draw, but is not considered as such when the chance of getting an out is calculated, then it is a dead out. The reason why a card, which is an out, becomes a dead out is either because the same card has as much chance to be drawn by the player with a weak hand as by the player with the better hand or because the card has by some manner been revealed.

Poker strategy X –steal play and defense play

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:17:46 +0000

In games of poker, the term steal is often used as an alternative expression for bluff. However, the term has a very specific application and in those games which need ante or blind play, the concept of an ante steal or a blind steal comes into use. When a player raises an ante or a blind bet with a hand with which he should not have normally raised, hoping that his opponents would have a weaker hand than him preventing them from calling, and he actually wins without any further play, then he has performed an ante steal or a blind steal. This strategy of play is commonly used in the closing stage of a poker game where most hands gave been folded or in those variations where not many players are involved. However, raising under any condition of the game is considered steal play and the strategy may be employed by enterprising poker players. A case in point is someone who has a large chip stock and suspects his opponent of trying to steal the pot, can stop that attempt by himself-re-raising in a form of aggressive play. By doing so, the player is not only giving himself a chance to collect the blind and ante wagers and also the opponent’s chips when he folds, but also preventing the opponent from raising and therefore limit the player’s chances to win.

Moreover, in tournament games of poker where ante and blind pattern of play is prevalent and the wagering rockets up, steal play is a favored tactics by many gamblers. It is not possible to make large winning by steal play but frequent use of this gameplan can allow players to make a sizeable gain if unchallenged.

Defense play is a crucial counter-strategy in poker games and becomes effective to check aggressive play like steal. So, a player may call or re-raise if his neighbor resorts to repeated steal play whenever he is wagering a blind as such aggression is often a bluff tactics played with an inferior hand.