For those of us who like to play no limit poker on a regular basis, it is important to us no less than an edge over our opponents. When we combine this with our stockpile of poker chips, excellent bankroll management skills, and superior knowledge of our opponents tendencies, we can often come out on top at the end of a session, or possibly even come out ahead during a session.
Sometimes this edge comes directly from the cards that we play. shorten to SB and greater to BB, these cards can be anything from the most premium cards, to the worst cards. But we know the limits are set a certain way, right? Some tables minimum bet starts at say 3x the big blind. So out of position with AA, AK, AK, 5XBB raise, people may go all in thinking they can steal the blinds. This makes sense in certain situations, but not in all situations. You will not win every poker hand in poker. This one mistake can be the difference between winning and losing.
For example, if you limp into a hand with nine undercards and find yourself behind, you are probably going to get raised. You need to make a move somehow. You don’t tell yourself to get raised every time you limp. Tell yourself to get raised in late position with ace king offsuit. The flop misses you, but you drive the turn and win the hand.
Position also matters with ace king. If you are in early position with ace king offsuit and limp into the pot only to be raised, you are probably going to get a call. You need to act before your opponents do. Get a card from the flop and a card on the turn to follow up. Many times I will see ace king limp into a pot and then get raised. The termis applied to players limping into pots, calling raises, or checking in hopes a hand will move to them. (Often this is ace queen on the flop) If you limp into a pot, you are hoping your opponents will move in on you. against ace king you really need to limp at least three times the big blind to qualify. (I usually only limp if I plan to fold after the flop) Remember your limp is not a comment on your hand, it is a comment on your position. If you are in early position and no one has raised in front of you, you can limp with most hands. In middle or late position, you can also limp with your normal raising range.
Limping into a pot with ace king offsuit is a good way to see a flop with some strength. If the flop misses you, you can win a lot by checking the turn. Your ace high is still scary, and your white faced ace is still good enough to crush many players, especially those who move all in before you.
In the same situation, you are more likely to get a continuation bet than a raise from your opponent. Your opponent may think they have you behind them and check the flop. Another possibility is that your opponent thinks they have you beat and they bet the turn. You now need to decide whether to call or not.
To call is the same as calling a Bolagila. You want three or four players in the pot. They can’t just keep throwing in chips and not expect you to call. If everyone is checking, you can call and surprise them. Your opponent may have you beat, but in the long run you’ll be ahead.
To raise is another story. In this situation you want to make a raise to try and get more money in the pot. How much depends on the size of the bet in front of you. For example, if everyone is checking, a five dollar bet is probably light. If someone puts in a six or eight dollar bet, you can raise 10 dollars and hopefully get some callers. The reason this play works is the chances of someone having AA are 10/36 or 1.3 to 1. Those odds are not so good if you have a $300 chip stack, but if you only have $150 in front of you, it is better to raise $150 dollars, of $300 or $500, depending on your preference. If you want a call, you can continue to be conservative and wait for a strong hand.
Why continue to play tight poker? Poker is designed for the cautious player to win, and long-term success depends on having a big stack. Successful players know that sometimes you will have to play aggressively, especially early in the tournament. Aggression helps to win the tournament in the same way as it helps you in cash games and Sit N Go’s. If you have everything else working in your favor, why play cautious poker? Successful players play aggressively.