The Preflop Mistakes You Might Want To Avoid
You might not think that a blog about stuff to avoid is a strategy (in it of itself), but it is. There is a strategy in what to avoid in poker.
Think about the foundation of a house. Building a shaky foundation is a sure-fire way to make to fall apart. The same thing can be said for 99poker.
1) Not Being Aggressive Enough
Some players (particularly, the novice players) think that being kind is the key. Yeah, not so much. Poker is not the game to play nice or be kind to. Most players will tell you to be tight and aggressive. I think I mentioned that in my last blog.
Some players like to make a play when they are under the gun. That is not going to help you. You will either be the first, last, or some player in between.
You will more than likely have at least player after you. You need to make your hand count, even if you do not have much of a hand. That requires a strategy.
There is one mantra you need to live by:
“It is good enough to raise with if you plan to call with it”.
That is why they tell you to play tight and aggressive. There is no time to be nice. Do you think the player opposite of you is interested in taking it easy on you? The player is interested in winning. He or she is not interested in being a better person.
They also assume that other players are going to take it easy on them because they are new to the preflop strategy. That is not going to happen. You should know that now.
That is one of the first mistakes beginner players make.
2)A Formula
You need a preflop formula before you make a move. You need to fix the leaks before you strike. It is similar to trying to fix a leaky ship by pouring more water into it.
How Can I Hide A Tell?
That is a common question. The best answer is to not look at your hand unless you are ready to make a move. The most experienced poker players are going to look for every sign. They will look for cues in your facial expressions and body language. Just one small tell before you are ready to make your move can ruin any chance you have.
Late position, being able to act last, allows for the collection of information on other players, observing who checks, how they bet, and perhaps read others and identify tendencies and “tells”. Acting first, being “out of position”, therefore requires an understanding that playing tight, in a more conservative manner, is a sound, safe strategy. Late position makes it easier to control the pot, staying in charge of betting, and allowing for the opportunity to bluff other players out, or claim the pot if others hesitated to bet. Playing “draws”, an incomplete hand, from a late position in an aggressive manner is recommended as they make great semi-bluffs given the possibility of making the hand on the river even if the opponent does not fold. And playing aggressively, of course, increases the pot size and leads to occasionally winning the pot uncontested.
