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Tricky poker

Often the hand you get in Texas Holdem Poker determines how you should play it.

If you have A-rag suited on a board A-rags with two cards of your suit giving you the nuts flush draw, you have flopped a monster. Technically, you only have a weak ace if the hand was to go to showdown without catching anything else, but this type of hand is the perfect spot that you can choose how to play it, making your opponent believe that you flopped strong, flopped weak, protecting your hand or just flopped and ace.

Out of position you can check-raise the flop, which looks very strong. Though you only have one pair on the flop, the draw makes this hand the statistical favorite over many hands and you can play it aggressively, knowing you have many outs. Often a check-raise will take the pot down.

Betting out on this flop is deceptive as well as your opponents do not expect you to show strength with a drawing hand. They would think that you are protecting a hand like a medium to strong top pair or two pairs. This line might lead to extra value later in the hand if you hit your draw, then check to feign weakness, like you are afraid of the draw hitting someone.

Some the ABC way is the trickiest way. Say you call out of position with a pair or sevens. And the flop is 47Q rainbow. An opponent checks over to you or bets with a queen and you raise. On a dry textured board like that, he would never put you on a set as he figures you would slow play such a monster on such a flop.

One favorite move used by the pros is to three-bet shove pre flop with a monster. As online players love to three-bet late position raisers from the blinds, this is very deceptive. You are likely to get called with hands such as 99 and better. As your opponent would be thinking that you would not be betting that much if you wanted a caller. Reverse psychology!

Add these plays to your game to mix it up and the table will fear you.

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Friday, March 25th, 2011 online poker Comments Off on Tricky poker