Free Online Poker Easy And Fast Poker Odds Formula
Most poker players, free online poker in particular, don’t like the “technical” parts of poker like odds. I mean doing that means doing math and lets face it math without a calculator or Excel is bad for many of us!
Unfortunately the reality is that to succeed in poker this is a key part of the game that you have to master, especially if you have any aspirations to play live money games.
The big problem for non math wizards is that it is genuinely hard to do it in alive game in your head.
By way of example:
Suppose you hold 8-7 and the Flop comes 5-6-A. You want to know your odds on hitting a Straight later.
Should you use a rigorous mathematical solution, you are going to construct this nightmare:
The cards which will help you are the Four and the Nine. There are upto 8 such cards left in the deck. The odds of your getting them later is P (1-P)Q, where P is the probability of hitting your hand on the Turn, and Q is the probability you will hit at the river. It is P (1-P)Q because (1-P)Q is the probability that you will hit on the river if you don’t complete your hand on the Turn.
Now here are the values for P and Q.
- P = 8 cards still on the deck that will help you divided by 52-5 = 47 remaining cards = 8/47.
- Q = 8 cards still on the deck that will help you, since you didn’t complete on the Turn divided by 52-6 (since there are six cards already out, your hole cards and the Board) = 8/46.
The overall answer is 8/47 (1 – 8/47)(8/46) = .170 (.829)(.174) = .170 .144 = .314 = 31%. You have a 31% chance of hitting your Straight later.
Ouch, that’s fun and beyond the majority of us! However, in a table you usually do not have a calculator (and even if you do you still need to know what to input into it 
.
And many poker players just know the outs, but not really much of basic probability theory. How is this? An out by the way is any unseen card that, if drawn, will improve your hand win chances.
Here then is a much simpler, easy way to work out odds
Why don’t we try an approximation formula:
- You divide 8 by 50, because 47 is near to 50, and get 16.
- Double it again so you get .32.
- It’s a reliable estimate.
- All things considered, poker players, in games, do not need exact solutions; they want only a hint as to where they’re standing.
- In this case “about 32%” is a nice enough answer.
So, in the Flop, here’s the approximation:
- Get the number of your outs, then multiply it by 4, then affix a percent sign.
- That’s a reliable approximation percentage of your hitting the hand.
- During the Turn, if you still have outs, multiply it by 2, then affix a percent sign.
- Preflop, when you choose to push all-in, you usually don’t have to do this since you will rely mainly on pure hand strength.
The best way by far to perfect your odds skills is to play poker online free at http://www.NoPayPOKER.com, there you can get it wrong a hundred times and never lose money! Of course there are odds calculators of allsorts about that can help and do the real complex stuff but these won’t ever help you if you want to play live so it’s best to learn it for yourself if you have any ambition to move beyond free online poker and win proper money.
Free Online Poker Lesson On How To Win Using Poker Calling
The poker call is one of the most misunderstood and badly played moves in both money and free poker online and Texas Holdem.
Players who call to much are referred to as “calling stations”, and they tend to lose more often than not, however their calling is not the reason they lose their chips. The lose because they do not call at the right times and places.
During this free poker online article, we’ll explain to you by way of example how to use calling in poker correctly.
Are there right reasons for calling?
The reasons you may call may be the same reasons that an aggressive player would use for betting. Here are some example situations where you may use the poker call.
- As an example, if you have A-K in a board of 10-3-K-7-8, if you’re first to act, you bet; you don’t check and call.
- You value-bet. However, if you’re not first to act, what do you do if someone bets?
- Do you raise? Now, right reasons for betting are not-so-right reasons for raising. As you still have a hand you don’t raise but neither do you fold.
The rule now, for the above hand, is:
- If you are first to act, you bet.
- If you are not first to act, and someone bets, call an amount less than or equal to the amount you intend to bet if you are the first to act.
- When the amount is greater, you fold. This rule applies only when you have a hand.
- Without a hand, like just Ace-high, you bet, but you fold to a bet.
- Don’t call with Ace-high (unless from curiosity).
Let us try another hand.
You have 8-7 and the Flop is K-6-9. Your options are to check-call or bet. As your hand is not complete betting is the better option as you can hope to make the other player fold.
- If you check-call, however (or call a bet), you may send a message to your opponent that you are on a draw, and then your opponent may keep bullying you later.
- Nevertheless, you need to complete a powerful hand, so you call.
- Just make sure you have the pot odds to call, however.
- If your opponent continues bullying you once you complete the Straight, you can raise.
Now, in another hand, you have A-6 in a Flop of 9-6-2.
- Since the flop comes small cards, anyone with big cards will fold to a bet.
- You can bet your Sixes. And you can also call with it, especially if your opponent decided to end the hand right there with A-Q.
- You are able to call, and later, if your opponent is constantly working you with small bets, you may call each small bet, because your odds are still acceptable.
- In addition, you may pair your kicker or your Six if you call.
Lastly, if you have Q-Q in a Flop of Q-10-10, you’ve got the other guy dead.
If your opponent bets, and you raise, the chances are greater that your opponent will fold than not.
- For the reason that although your opponent could have A-Q, it is not likely since you know there are three Queens already out.
- Also an additional Ten is less likely for a similar reason.
- Your opponent may have K-J or A-K (for a useless Straight draw) or a Flush completer.
Give the opposing players openings to finish their hands, this way you hope to tempt more action from them. If an opponent completes the Straight or the Flush later, you will have the advantage. So keep calling, until everyone escalates.
This also applies if you feel your opponent has the spare Queen or Ten. You may let your opponent just bet and bet till the river, where he thinks you’re calling since you just had a Queen or a small Pair, so at the river you may move your chips in.
Now, what’s misguided with calling stations’ calling beliefs?
- First: they call even with the pot odds against their favor. They generally chase inside Straight draws and so they lose their chips over time when they keep doing so.
- Secondly: they call big bets with modest, but marginal, hands even if they understand they’re beat. In a flop of 9-6-2 above, A-6 may call, but only if your opponents’ bets are small. But in front of a large bet, fold A-6 because you might not win against 9-x if you cannot pair your kicker or turn Trips.
Calling stations are the ones always calling with small pocket Pairs in the presence of overcards.
- Third: they generally imagine that every player is bluffing so they are usually tempted to call even with Ace-high. Quite simply, they call a bluff or something that seems like a bluff.
I hope this gave you some good insight into the use of calling in poker. When you play try to look for similar situations where you can apply the call artfully and be aware of when not to use it.
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And look for the free poker online blog at http://www.nopaypoker.com/articles for free poker online training guides for all levels from how to play poker for beginners to seriously advanced.
The guides and lessons are 100% free, you do not even have to join NoPayPOKER or play any of the free poker games. Though quite frankly you’d have to be crazy not to as it is free and risk free and you do get a free bankroll just for showing up!
Learn To Play Online Poker And Manipulate Other Players So You Win Even With Bad Hands
You may play $1000 Buy in, you may play free poker games but what you do not do is just play your cards. You also play the player, or to put it another way, you aim to manipulate other players so that they do what you want them to do. The desired end result of course is that they give you money!
Playing the player has 2 sides. On your side you are trying to read your opponent, classify their style, of play, motivations and actions and play your cards in accordance with your conclusions.
In regard to the other players you aim to play them in order to misdirect their attempts to play you, to have them make incorrect conclusions about your style, motivations and drivers.
To learn how to do this lets look at an example of playing the player in action from a WSOP event.
BLINDS 50k/100k
1) A has Ac-Qh raises 350k
2) B is on big blind, has Kc-Js, calls 230k (Pot 880k)
K-J is usually a bit weak to call a raise. Moreover, B doesn’t have position over A, but he calls because he wants A to guess.
From the big blind, generally we just call because we are on a discount, so we might have 6-5, 10-8, and a bunch of other indeterminate hands which require guessing.
FLOP 4d-5h-3d
B bets 535k
Because small cards fell, B now wants A to think that his call from the big blind hit the Flop, and that his hand may well include those indeterminate hands like 5-4, 8-5, or even 6-7, or two Diamonds. But what did A think?
A raises to 1.8m (Pot 3.215m)
B needs 1.265m to call
Here, A thought that B’s bet was just a continuation bet, and with small cards falling A’s belief is reinforced that B is just trying to finish the hand. How would small cards likely hit B?
Additionally, B has been playing aggressively all night (stealing pots, etc.) so B could be betting with something (which is not likely with small cards falling) or with nothing. B could be playing just about anything, especially from the big blind.
At that point, A gambled that B has nothing. He could also have assessed that if B had something and goes all in later then he can move out fast. So he raised to try B’s strength.
B folds
B folds, because, indeed, he has nothing, and if he calls, he will be committed to continue. (Had B moved all-in then it will be a good all-in, for A could still be guessing at this point what B’s hand was. But B’s cards were not strong enough.)
Also, he folds, because A raised from late position, which allows for a wider range of hands, like even 5-4 or two Diamonds.
Poker, indeed, is not simply a game of good hands versus good hands. Experienced poker players will win with bad hands under the right conditions.
We give credit to B for first trying to win with a bad hand, a good effort to play he player. Unfortunately for B, A did the playing the player task superbly too, having noted previous actions and motivations and related that to current con text and probability and so played out to win well.
Summing up
I know this may seem like a lot to take in all at once, the fact is though that while poker is an easy game to learn it is hard to be very good at, hence the crazy stupid “chip flinging” you will come across on many poker sites.
Yes it is mad that so many players play with so little skill, but it is also very good news for you as a player who is learning to play correctly. The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves in low stakes real money games as well play free poker games sites that pay out real money like NoPayPOKER and happily build your skills and bankroll!
To make this work first, learn to play online poker on free poker games tables where you can learn while you lose but without losing real money, then once ready to can move up to low stakes and start to get rich!
Free Poker Online Success Tips on How to Tell What Hand Your Opponents Have
Whether you’re playing free poker online or at the money tables, the achievements you have will be linked to how well you can use psychological tactics to your advantage. The free online poker games can turn out to be decent money making buy in games and competitions further on.
Using psychology in poker gives you an edge that can make the difference between winning and losing. In fact, I play the players more than I play the cards.
There are loads of psychological scenarios to consider which is as significant as knowing your place at the table: the chances and numbers involved in making a hand, pricing the pot and running a trap.
Good poker psychology is based on two things: intelligent observation, and common sense. Psychology also calls for old-fashioned ham-acting and some high pressure salesmanship. If you put it all together right, you’ll win at poker, whether it is the weekend family game or high-stake poker.
However, it goes almost without saying that you must know the people you are playing poker with; if you don’t know them, you’d better start studying them, because if you really know and understand your fellow card players, you can decide how to play your hand even before the second turn of the cards. Knowing how the other players play is a fundamental sharp poker strategy.
Remember a persons eyes are the path to their soul, and although appearances deceive the eye it’s knowing how to notice any giveaways which counts for all.
There are many signs and bodily giveaways or as the pros call it- tells. An opponent could start becoming a ‘chatter box’ if they hold good cards. Another example could be if a player seems restless to get into the action or a different opponent could become silent if they’re holding decent cards.
If you were playing against me however you wouldn’t know the cards I was holding as I maintain a consistent level of conversation. I also enjoy playing the fool- as the tells of most novice or standard players have is remarkable. For instance I wouldn’t give you a dime to look at these players cards and call them out. As they would have inevitably by now told me by their body language what they’re holding.
Some of these psychology pointers you will have realised only apply in real world games where you can see eye to eye but others, such as the chat (or lack of chat from a normally chatty player) speed of action and so on are very applicable to paid and free online poker games. So if you don’t already do it start to observe, think and observe more and think you way to more winnings.
Learn To Play Poker Online Free And Specialize In Poker Tournaments Or Cash Poker Games
You can’t be good at everything. In poker be it the win a lot of pennies free poker sites type or big cash it is why people become experts or specialists in their particular games.
It is the same as in the “normal” world where in our professions and hobbies and business we aim to find our niche and focus our efforts on becoming as good as we can so that we get promoted and earn more money.
So how does this relate specifically to the world of poker games?
Like this, some poker players are brilliant cash game players, while others are expert tournament players. There are some players who are very good at both cash games and poker tournaments but this is very rare.
The majority focus on one or the other because they find they are more successful in that sort of poker.
How do you determine whether cash games or tournaments are your speciality? It might not be that clear at first. You obviously need to try your hand at both, but here are a few suggestions that may help you to figure it out.
Should You Focus On Cash Games?
If you’re a patient player who looks to play only in clear +EV situations, then you may prefer cash games. Full-ring games are all about waiting for premium starting hands and extracting the most value from them in the most favourable situation possible. Thus, cash games are good for players who don’t deal with variance very well.
The biggest mistake a beginning cash game player can make is playing too many hands. You don’t want to commit too many chips in marginal situations.
The opposite can seem to be true in the late to middle stages of a tournament.
Should You Focus On Poker Tournaments
It is correct to play tight in the early stages of a tournament, but once the blinds start to escalate you’ll need to loosen up your starting requirements. Once you’re low on chips, you’ll need to look to move all-in to survive. You may also need to put yourself in situations that may –EV in certain occasions. If you’re one of the big stacks, it’s also correct to start playing looser to bully the other players. It’s all about accumulating chips to either survive or thrive in tournaments. It’s not for the faint of heart or those who can’t deal with variance.
The biggest mistake a beginning tournament player can make is not pushing all-in enough when they get low on chips. Because the price of blinds increase as the tournament goes on, your chip stack can easily get whittled away.
Tight players can’t win tournaments.
Poker Game Specialization Conclusion
If you like tight then it is best to focus on cash games. However, if you’re an action junkie, you should consider concentrating on tournaments. That being said, a tight style can work for tournaments with a few adjustments and a loose style in cash games can be profitable under certain circumstances.
Ideally do your testing in free poker that way you can learn to play poker for free and find your style while not losing lots of money in the process!
This article brought to you by NoPayPOKER. The world’s only free poker sites where you win real cash on every game. NoPayPOKER.com is the ideal place for new poker players to learn to play poker for free without risking any money at all. Experienced poker players can test out new techniques and rack up lots of free poker cash!
Play Free Poker Guide To Specializing In Poker Tournaments Or Cash Games
You can’t be good at everything. In poker be it the win a lot of pennies free online poker type or big cash it is why people become experts or specialists in their particular games.
It is the same as in the “normal” world where in our professions and hobbies and business we aim to find our niche and focus our efforts on becoming as good as we can so that we get promoted and earn more money.
So how does this relate specifically to the world of poker games?
Simply this, some people are great cash game players, while others are great tournament players. Of course, there are players that are great at both cash games and tournaments though they are few and far between.
The majority focus on one or the other because they find they are more successful in that sort of poker.
How do you determine whether cash games or tournaments are your speciality? Well, it’s not always clear. You obviously need to try your hand at both, but here are a few suggestions that may help you to figure it out.
Should You Focus On Cash Games?
If you’re a patient player who looks to play only in clear +EV situations, then you may prefer cash games. Full-ring games are all about waiting for premium starting hands and extracting the most value from them in the most favourable situation possible. Thus, cash games are good for players who don’t deal with variance very well.
The biggest mistake a beginning cash game player can make is playing too many hands. You don’t want to commit too many chips in marginal situations.
The opposite can seem to be true in the late to middle stages of a tournament.
Should You Focus On Poker Tournaments
It is correct to play tight in the early stages of a tournament, but once the blinds start to escalate you’ll need to loosen up your starting requirements. Once you’re low on chips, you’ll need to look to move all-in to survive. You may also need to put yourself in situations that may –EV in certain occasions. If you’re one of the big stacks, it’s also correct to start playing looser to bully the other players. It’s all about accumulating chips to either survive or thrive in tournaments. It’s not for the faint of heart or those who can’t deal with variance.
The biggest mistake a beginning tournament player can make is not pushing all-in enough when they get low on chips. Because the price of blinds increase as the tournament goes on, your chip stack can easily get whittled away.
Tight players can’t win tournaments.
Poker Game Specialization Conclusion
If tight is right for you, you would be best served to focus on playing cash games. But if you like action then tournaments are going to be your thing. That being said, a tight style can work for tournaments with a few adjustments and a loose style in cash games can be profitable under certain circumstances.
Ideally do your testing in free poker that way you can learn to play poker for free and find your style while not losing lots of money in the process!
This article is by NoPayPOKER, the perfect learn to play poker for free site for beginners to play free poker games without risking any cash. For more experienced poker players the draw is in the ability to fine tune game play and techniques in a totally no risk zone while collecting free poker cash at the same time.
Free Poker Guide to Dealing with Online Poker Fatigue.
Whether playing online playing for money or free poker can be a rewarding, but a tiring addiction. So here are a few simple (tongue in cheek!) tips to keep you playing for as long as possible.
1. As anxiety has maximised due to an overload of hope on the river, run to the fridge freezer grab an ice pack and wrap this round your head. This will dissolve the anxiety around your head, but may make you cold.
2. After spending half the night on the laptop you may notice and become concerned that the meat and two vegetables are slightly over cooked- I suggest asking your other half to get on their knees and blow on the affected area. As an added bonus you can also put your feet up.
Alternately wrap yourself up in Tin Foil to reflect the heat. This will also stop any evil aliens sending you messages.
3. In the unfortunate even of finger pain, you may wish to give this little piggy a rest. To kill two birds with one stone it would be an idea to rest your finger in an ice cream, which you can then eat afterwards.
4. During the long games with a full table you might feel like you are going to nod off. Bang a nail in the wall behind your playing chair and attach a length of string to it. Sellotape the string to your ear. That way if you do nod off, you will rip your ear off. Waking you up ready to make a bet.
5. If after a couple of days playing non stop you begin to experience back pains, repeatedly pinch both your cheeks, this will take the focus off you back, as well as give you a rosy glow.
These methods have been invented by myself and I can assure you no women, child or animal has been harmed in making these!
Always remember free poker is always a laugh but when you get online exhaustion you need to take some serious action.
The NoPayPOKER.com Free Online Poker Site Masters Guide to When to go All In Preflop
Why do players move all-in preflop during tournaments (especially in free texas holdem site tournaments) when they could just call and then hope to hit the Flop?
Well in cash games they do it to steal of course. In free poker sadly it’s more just for the hell of it! But if called, what positive factors does going all-in grant? I will look at 2 hands to analyse why:
HAND #1
Blinds: 6k/12k
A has Q-Q raises to 36k
B has 10-10 calls 36k
C has K-K reraises to 140k
A reraises all-in (Pot 989k)
B folds
C calls 643k (Pot 1.632m)
Board ended Jc-Jd-6c-Qd-3d
A moved all-in because by three-betting, he can push one of B and C from the pot, and if C (the likely caller) calls, A hoped that it will be A-K or A-x, where he has still an edge. But it turns out, C had K-K, so A was the underdog. Yet A won the hand with a Full House (Queens over Jacks).
But if A just called, what would happen then is that B would also call, and so it’s going to be a three-way pot.? On a FLOP of Jc-Jd-6c, C would have position over A, whose Queens are weakened since the Board is paired, so if one of B or C bluffs, A will have difficulty playing.
Plus if A decides to play on strong he may make B and C believe he is on a J and they may both fold. Or later on the hand, if A, who hit his Full House on the turn, suddenly played strongly, the remaining player/s may fold because their hands are not so strong enough. The result either way will be that A wins less than if he’d gone all in and taken the hand.
So one reason for moving all-in preflop is: Your chip stack is so low that any decent hand you have will be sufficient for an all-in (on the above, Q-Q should be played cautiously with two more players and a reraise on the Flop), and it pays to win more chips than less if you are to get back in the tournament.
HAND #2 – After some hand action
A has 8s-8h moves all-in 387k
B has 7d-7c, calls 307k (Pot 819k)
They could both have played safe.. But A decided to gamble with a common all-in hand. Common all-in hands include Pairs, A-x and any two face cards (preferably suited). So another reason is: If you don’t have A-A or K-K but a common all-in hand, you will be called also with a common all-in hand.
With Pairs vs. two overcards, it doesn’t really matter what you have, because you’re both even-money. With Pairs vs. Pairs, you run the risk of being the big underdog, but you can also be a big favorite if you are lucky. With anything else, you either have two live cards or at worst, say A-K vs A-Q, if you have the A-Q, you still have a 25% probability.
How did the hand turn out?
It ended with 5s-9s-6h-2c-8d. So A hit a Set, B hit a Straight. B eliminated A. It doesn’t matter; we can also imagine a situation that B was the one who moved all-in and A called. B hit his Straight still. But if B just decided to see a Flop, what would happen? A can push B out by representing a Nine on the Flop and the Turn so that B will fold (unless B has the courage to move all-in).
Also, if B hit the river Straight, A will be unwilling to play the Set he has. B will win a lesser amount of chips than he would (similar to HAND #1). But this example gives us another explanation.
You go all in that your marginal hand can’t be pushed away later by a more marginal hand, as a result your marginal hand becomes strong and uncontested.. Here’s a clear example, lets say it’s 7-7 vs A-10.
The board might finish 10-K-K-Q-5, with overcards there’s a Straight chance, and on a paired board the 7-7 can pressure the A-10 at some point. Or it may be 10-K-Q-4-J and the one with the A-10 will be out of the pot before the river if the one with 7-7 plays aggressively.
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Free Poker Guide to How to Bluff and semi Bluff to the Pot
Bluffing in poker is when you don’t have a great hand but you bet or raise to try and convince the other players you have a string hand and get them to fold even if they have better hands. An essential skill that you should start to practice whether you play free online poker or live room games.
Why is it important to be able to bluff?
Firstly it enables you to win with cards that are not so great.
But there is a second reason, more refined : you need to bluff to have the possibility to win big pots when you really have the best hand.
In other words, even the failed bluffs have a utility for you, because they bring your opponents to call right when you have good cards.
But you must be careful here. Bluff too much and you set a pattern up and you will always get called and will lose much more often. if you never bluff, when you have good cards and raise the pot, your opponents fold and you win a small pot.
But if you can get it right and bluff with the right frequency, you will make your opponents unsure, and force bad decisions..
6 Ways To Be a Better Poker Bluffer
1) Be careful bluffing at limited tables. On this type of table you cannot raise too much as your opponents can call your bet easier than at a No-Limit Texas Holdem table.
2) Study the other players. If there are a lot of good players then logically your chances are lower, maybe you should look for another table.
This is true because strong players respect the bets of their opponents, and have the right discipline to fold their cards even with a medium hand.
The weak player, instead, doesn’t understand that you are trying to bluff, or calls your bet just out of curiosity.
3) Aim to build a reputation on your the table. You want to make them unsure about your motives at all times, make them doubt!
For example, you can start the tournament with a lot of bluffing, so your opponents will call you a lot and you can win big pots when you have the right cards.
Or you begin ny calling only with strong cards (AK, AQ, high pairs etc). Later on you can bring in some bluffs with weaker hands as they will think by now that you must have good cards.
4) Your position is decisive and in general it is good to call when you are in the last positions, near the dealer, because you have more information about your opponents.
5) Practice! Start of on free poker sites to get the improve your skills in an environment that won’t punish you financially.
6) Sometimes you can make the “semi-bluff”. You bet, hoping that your opponents fold, but you still have a chance to win the pot at the showdown if there is a good turn and river. This happens, for example, when you have 4/5 flush, or 4/5 straight, or in rare cases when you have Ace-high.
Look at a semi bluff example:
You have 9 and 10 of hearts and the flop is Q-hearts , 4-clubs and 7-hearts.
In this example you don’t have the strongest hand. Your opponent has a 3 and 4 which is normally very weak preflop but in this case gives him a better chance.
So you can try to make a semi-bluff , because you have the 4 hearts cards.You bet, and your opponent starts to think about what to do.
He has only a pair, and a very low one. He thinks: “I have few chances to win.. only a pair of 4s. He is betting, probably he has the Q.. or 7.. Uhm, let’s try with another hand”, and the fold comes.
And also if your opponent calls, the turn or the river can be a hearts, so you maintain good chances to win.
The Semi-bluff is also useful to contain losses.
For example, the situation is the same above ( You: 9h-10h , Flop Qh-4c-7h ), and you decide to bet.
If your opponent is weak, he’ll probably fold. But if your opponent has the Q, if you don’t bet a little, he will probably bet a higher amount of chips, to let you fold, and you become unsure of what to do.
Call with 4/5 flush, or fold? However, to see the next card, you have to put in the pot more chips than if you bet for first.
If you bet a small amount of chips, your opponent probably just call, and you “buy” another card with few chips.
How to defend against a possible bluff?
There aren’t many choices. You can accept the challenge, or you can fold.v For this reason the bluff and semi-bluff are a very powerful weapon.
My last suggestion: if you decide to accept the challenge, restrict yourself to call is rarely the good decision. You should raise, to let your opponent think: “Uhm, it’s better to stay relaxed, my opponent has good card”.
Bluffing is a poker skill that needs practice. If you’re new to poker begin on free online poker sites and progress from there to lower stakes games and beyond as your skills and bankroll grows.
Free Poker Tips for Slow Play
Winning any type of poker be in high stakes Vegas or free poker comes down to being able to extract profit from marginal situations. The object is not (it’s impossible anyway) to win every hand played, but every hand YOU play – OK also impossible but that has to be your aim. The best way to do this is to out bet your opponents and one way to do this is the slow play.
The Art of the Slow-play
The skill of playing it slow is to intentionally gamble a smaller amount so you can hide the potentially unstoppable hand you hold and trap the opposing player with the weaker hand.
The slow gamble is different to blagging and pays out against both decent and poor opposition. Poor opposition often just gamble their cards, therefore if they have something or looking to draw they’re going to pay you off.
When not to Slow-Play
You shouldn’t slow play when there is a flush or straight draw on the board. You should only slow play when your opponent has a hand that is not likely to improve enough to beat yours. Suppose the flop is AD-7H-KC and you hold 7D-7C, and you put your opponent on an A or K. It’s usually more profitable to bet the hand aggressively on the turn.
By slow playing the turn you’re potentially loosing cash on the turn- the only sensible motive for slow playing this scenario is if you know the opposition will fold with any gamble you declare.
If you manage to get quads or a full house don’t over play the hand- if the opposition are not strategically sitting right, they don’t seem to gamble often on the river, instead they check or call. By slow playing this turn, this type of opposition wont raise or re raise on the river.
As a result continue to gamble on the turn regardless of their development. They will hardly put you on the quads so attempt to get some game on the turn.
How to Represent Your Hand
A strong bet can represent a strong hand. This is especially true when betting after the flop. If an A or K shows on the flop, you can represent an A or K in your hand by betting. Often, it is what you represent that is more important than what you actually have, especially if you have put your opponent on a medium or weak hand.
So there you have it a fast guide to the slow play. Typically it works better with money games than free poker where you’ll find many beginners who don’t pick up the nuances and throw all in regardless! But of you find yourself in a free online poker freeroll with real money up for grabs then think about how and when you might apply it.