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If nobody at
Early and Average positions stays in the game than you can try so-called
"attack on blinds" or Raise at the Last position (it is not necessary with
the strongest hand) aiming to win blindly put bets. In this case, Blinder
should follow the usual strategy of the game in Early position - Call with
the corresponding cards otherwise - Pass.
If somebody Raised on Early/Average positions before You, you should expect
your opponent to have a strong hand. The majority of experts agrees that
simple call is not optimal in such position. The weak hand, certainly,
should be Folded, and with average cards the Raise in response is justified
- Re-Raise. Opponents may throw off the cards and the victory (together with
blinds) will be yours. Call is recommended only with very strong hand with
the purpose to continue trade and to increase the amount of money in the
pot.
When should you Raise yourself? Hold'em is aggressive game, and it is
impossible to win a lot of money by simply accepting other's bets. Sometimes
it is necessary to take initiative in your hands. It depends on psychology
and your opponents experience, but usually it is worth to Raise with a pair
of A, K, Q, J or 10, with same suit A with K, Q or J, or K with Q, and also
with mixed suit A with K or Q, or K with Q.
Already
mentioned "Attack on blinds" (Raise in the Last position when nobody Called)
can be made with any Pair, A with any card, K with Q, J, 10 or 9. Thus there
is a hope that blinders will fold, and if someone will continue playing,
after the Flop you have a good chance to have the strongest Hand.
So, the first round of trade has passed, we do not Pass, and remaining
opponents have not Raised. It's time for the Flop.
Game after the
Flop is considerably less formalized than it was before. Certainly, the
subsequent two community cards may change the situation, but after opening
the Flop the player can see 5/7 or 71 percent of his possible cards. And
this right has been acquired during only one round of trade - to see the
remaining 29 percents one has to pay much more. Therefore the first advice:
if the Flop has not coincided (has not improved your hand) - Pass. Sure it
does not concern the situation when all opponents have told Check,
and it's silly to miss an opportunity of receiving something for free (the
fourth community card, the Turn). Therefore, Check on early
positions, but if some of the opponents Calls - Pass immediately. Exception
should be made only if you have a large Pair, and the Flop most likely does
not go to anybody. However, one should play very cautiously in order not to
encounter with the large bet those "any two cards" which may win. The world
of poker is full of Heart-breaking histories about a pair of A, that have
loosed an enormous large sum to absolutely empty hand, which has managed to
build the second weak Pair on the River. However, to raise the pot to some
large size even with the highest pair on the bad Flop (the Flop has not
improved your hand), one should play too self-confidently. And
self-confidence in poker is the direct way to poverty.
Generally, you
should not play the weak pair (7-s and lower) if your cards have not
improved on the Flop and, especially, if large cards have opened. Though,
when bank is big enough and you should put a relatively small bet hearts, you
can try. In general, in boundary situations your decision should be
determined by the ratio of the bet to pot, and also the presumable force of
your opponent's hand.
The Flop
may coincide differently. If in five cards one have Royal Flush, Straight
Flush, Four-of-a-Kind, Full House or Flush with the greatest possible senior
card in the hand, one should worry not about a win or loss, but about how to
collect more money to the pot from the opponents. Those, who with a
Four-of-a-Kind after the Flop afraid the Turn and the River may bring the
higher Four-of-a-Kind to the opponent, should better choose another hobby.
For example, embroidery.
But,
unfortunately, similar coincidences are seldom (for our hands, but not for
"the enemies"!). More often he Flop does not give you anything (I repeat
again - Pass at once) or gives a vague hope for Straight or Flush. In this
case the advice is the following: Pass if you do not have four cards from
Flush or bilateral Straight. The probability of buying two necessary cards
on the Turn and the River is minimal. After the Flop you should only play
four-card combinations, then you will have two rounds ahead to receive one
necessary card.
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