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You Have To Lose To Win


GOAT - �What the hell is Goat talking about? You have to lose to win?? Sounds like Goat has been munching on too much grass.�

You gotta lose to win. You have to risk chips, in the right situations, to win chips. Sometimes you will lose more chips than if you would have just folded when you didn�t hit the flop and someone bets before you. What are these plays then?

I guess my best answer is it depends on what you personally like to play aggressively. I don�t know that answer, I�m just a rook myself, but I want to learn how to play better.

Let�s say you�re a fan of Ah 10c (as I am in certain situations). 10 handed game online at Partypoker and you are 2 from the button. Not great position, but pretty good. UTG folds, 2nd folds, 3rd calls and 4th raises to you�. What do you do here? Lot�s of people would fold it and save in essence 1 big bet, or call 1 big bet to see how the old flop falls. If you�re comfortable folding here, go ahead and fold no problem. But if you would just like to call it, Instead, try risking 2 big bets for some �pot ownership� type displays. Raise it, make it 3-bets to go. Now if you are in a loose table, you could likely have 2 more callers behind you� or just as likely they could all fold. I would count on the Big Blind calling w/ a drawing hand, so watchout for him if he just calls to the river and there is a possible draw completed.

Anyway, right there you raise it and you find out where you stand. If you get a re-raise, someone probably has high pockets or A/Ks. Your raise puts you at a potential advantageous position after the flop. In more flops than not, you miss, right? So do I. Sometimes I hit great though. Regardless, you�ve just put yourself in the position to win the pot after the flop. Let�s say that the big blind calls along with 1st and 4th seats.

Flop: 4s 8s Qd

Ok, so that pretty much sucked. You�ve a 2 outer for a straight, it�s rainbow, board.
First position checks.
Seat 4 bets out into you.

Now I�d ask myself 2 questions. First, Is this guy for real or is he trying to take it from me? That depends on how he has been playing. I recommend taking notes (partypoker features a �notes� section available, USE IT). Poker is a game about feel� if this guy is a �Mouse� More or less if this guy never bets unless he has hit top pair, I�d probably fold right there� or the more likely story would that this guy is with 2nd pair or a draw.

So, what do you do here? Again, it�s feel, maybe raise it up. If the Bigblind didn�t hit something he will fold and my guess is first position will have the check/fold button already pressed. When it gets back around to 4th position, he could likely fold it right there giving you the pot as well. Not too bad, you just took down a nice little pot, and a little pot is always nice.

So you go ahead and raise, saying �No sir, you�re 9�s and your drawing hand are weak. My A/Q is much more powerful�.

The big blind folds his spade draw.

So now it�s up to 4th position to act. If he was totally bluffing he folds, if he was on a decent draw he folds or calls, if he has a strong hand he raises. If he raises you there, he�s probably got ladies with a high kicker. He�s re-raised you twice, I would in most situations fold unless I got a read on the player, then I try to go with it. Remember, this is about learning, if you don�t lose some chips you won�t win some.

Let�s assume for further discussion�s sake, that he calls your bet to see the turn

Turn: 5s

Current board: 4s 8s Qd 5h

Ok, if he was on a draw that card didn�t help. In a lot of the online passive (lower limit games, where rooks like me dwell) you will get a check here. Why? Because you�ve represented that you�ve got this hand, you�ve raised twice. He didn�t hit his draw he checks. He might even have a pair of 8�s and is leary of you having a Q, you�ve certainly represented that you have a strong hand. He might even a have a pair of jacks or lower in the pocket. If he checks to you, a bet is certainly in order. You are giving yourself the opportunity to win the pot right there. What if you checked it and an 8 comes on the river? What if you check it and an K comes up, did he just hit his K/8? Risk some chips to win some chips I think. Bet it and see. Again, you have the opportunity to win the entire pot for 1 bet right here. Lot�s of people will call in the lower limit games on the river because of �pot odds�. Try and win it there.

Well, this dude just won�t go away. No respect for you whatsoever. Quite likely on the old flush draw. He calls your bet again, deciding see the river.

Ok, so now it�s river time. You are still in the advantage here at this point. Regardless of how the river turns out, you get the last move.

River: 5d

Final board 4s 8s Qd 5h 5d

So, you�ve got a pair of 5�s with an A kicker. My guess is I�m up against a stronger pair, but he doesn�t know it. He�s got 8�s with a K or maybe a J. He checks to you and now its up to you. For one more bet you have a chance to win this pot right here, and it�s a pretty sizeable pot. On the other hand, will this guy really fold with the pot this size? You�ve played the hand aggressive so far, you�ve gotta bet it again at the river. Again, give yourself the chance to win it. A check leaves it up to the cards and I would have to think that I�m probably beat. So bet it again. Again, putting yourself in position to win. My guess is unless he has just been smooth calling you all along he will either call or fold. More times than not he will call. Yeah, but you only need to win a few of those pots to make it worth your wile to try it on occasion. Lose some, win some. My experience has shown me that by making aggressive plays similar to this is that I win the pots before we reach river. If I�m aggressive pre-flop and right after flop then when I make my bet/raise on the turn that I�ll win lots of pots right there.

Well, that�s all from this rook. Just play your game to learn what works for you, if this is the most idiotic advice you�ve read, well� at least you�re reading.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/you-have-to-lose-to-win.htm

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This is one of the very best Texas Hold Em articles I have ever come across.

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Texas Hold Em Article to Instantly Improve Your Game

Beginner Mistakes


Mistake #1: Playing too many hands
When people sit down in a game, they want to play. Often, this means they even will play hands like J 4. This is a cardinal mistake. Hopefully, the articles on this site will help improve your starting hand selection.

Mistake #2: Playing above your bankroll
This goes without saying. Sometimes the gambling and money aspect of poker gets to people too much. They become greedy and play in games they cannot afford or games where the competition is simply too stiff.At first, stick to a consistent, low limit. Learn how to play and beat the game before you play in higher-stakes games.

Mistake #3: Becoming too emotional at the table
Bad beats will happen. Losing sessions will happen. Annoying opponents will happen. Live with it and do not let your emotions sway your judgment at the table.

Mistake #4: Not using pot odds
If your hand needs improvement, the concept of pot odds can help you determine if you should call to see the next card on the board. Few beginning players understand pot odds, and they often call too much. This site has an article about pot odds, as well as a pot odds calculator to help you better understand this concept.

Mistake #5: Using a two-color deck
When most people think of cards, they think of two colors, red and black. The suits are displayed like this: Well, I have news for you. Some online poker rooms give you two display choices: the traditional two-color deck and a four-color deck. A four-color deck has a unique color for each suit, like this: While this may seem unusual at first, it will make things much easier on you with time.Believe me, if you use a two-color deck, there is a good chance that, at some point, you will misread your hand. You might think you have a flush when in fact you do not. Using a four-color deck is a simple way to prevent yourself from making stupid mistakes.

Mistake #6: Not following etiquette
This is a mistake that brick-and-mortar beginners make. When you want to make a raise, you should not say, "I call your bet and raise you $X." Your initial action is considered your final action. So if you say, "I call ..." it means you just want to call. If you want to raise, say "raise" and state the amount you want to raise, if it is a no-limit game (the amount of the raise is obvious in fixed-limit games).

Mistake #7: Imitating other players
A lot of people learn how to play poker by playing in a fashion similar to other people. They may just imitate others at the table, or they may try to play like a professional they saw on television. This is the wrong way to go about playing poker.Many people who play poker are simply bad at it. Imitating a poor player means copying a lot of their bad habits. Furthermore, trying to imitate what one saw on television is also a recipe for disaster. What is shown on television is almost always a tournament, and their hands are highly situational. The reasons for the professional's decision probably has little applicability to your own game.It is important to understand how to make decisions at poker. Succeeding at poker is not done through imitation; rather, it is done through understanding the complexities of the game.

Mistake #8: Superstitions
All gambling involves luck. While luck tends to even itself out over the long run, people naturally focus on the short run and on their fluctuations.Because gambling involves randomness, people will often blame or chalk up their luck to some random event that coincided with how they fared at a certain gambling session. This may be as innocent as believing in a lucky shirt. However, some people take these superstitions too far. They start to believe that if they constantly move seats or change their socks that they will somehow become the next WSOP winner.You cannot affect the "luck" factor of gambling. Luck evens itself out over the long run. The only thing you should concern yourself with at the poker table is playing well. If you play very well at poker, you will win over the long run. If you do not play well, you will lose. It's as simple as that.

Mistake #9: Overvaluing Suited Hands
Having a suited hand is a plus. However, you should not play a hand just because it is suited. The first two things to consider about a starting hand are the ranks of the cards and whether the cards are paired. These are by far the most important factors in the value of a hand. After this, you should consider if they are suited or connecting.A hand like A K is much, much more valuable than a hand like 10 3. A K is a top starting hand, whereas 10 3 should be thrown in the muck.This may sound obvious, but many beginners make the mistake of calling to see the flop with any two suited cards. The probability of flopping a flush or a flush draw with two suited cards is just under 12%. This is fairly low; you need other reasons to play a starting hand besides suitedness.

Source: http://www.pokertips.org/strategy/beginner-mistakes.php

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