July 12, 2009
5 Card Stud is a game that has lost its popularity recently, but is still seen at online poker rooms. This game is still played and can be very profitable to a player who can pay close attention to their surroundings and follow a basic 5 Card Stud strategy. This is one of the only games where every player only holds one hidden card so the observant benefit very much at this game.
Know When to Fold
This is one of the easiest poker games to know when you should fold. If you cannot beat the cards that are face up of your opponents then you should get out of the hand. It is very simple. Your opponent might have a trick up their sleeve with their hidden card, but for the most part you will be able to make your decision about what to do base solely off of their face up cards.
In 5 Card Stud the worst thing that you could do is to stay in a hand longer than necessary when you know that your opponent has you beat on the board. This is a huge mistake any time that you do it because it is normally so obvious. There will be times that you will be beat by the hidden card, but for the most part focus on their up cards when deciding to continue or not.
Dead Cards
One of the most basic 5 Card Stud tips is to study the dead cards. Imagine sitting and waiting for a card that you just watched your opponents fold two of. You could be in an obvious position to save yourself some money, but due to lack of paying attention to the dead cards you will continue to play and lose money when you do not get the card that you need.
When you are playing shorthanded games it is easier to focus on the face cards that have been revealed because there are fewer of them than full ring games. Being able to follow all of the dead cards is a big part of following a basic 5 Card Stud Strategy.
Learning Pot Odds
One of the most important basic 5 Card Stud tips is to learn pot odds. There are a lot of times that you can’t simply look at a situation and instantly realize what the correct play would be. When you apply your pot odds to the equation it makes the decision a lot more black and white.
Learning pot odds will not only help you in bettering yourself at 5 Card Stud, but to almost all poker games. The more you calculate pot odds the easier it becomes and is incorporated into your thought when making one play over another.
July 11, 2008
Flopping the nuts during a poker game or tournament is very rare. When the opportunity does arise, though, it is vital that you get as much money in the pot as you can. When you know you are going to win the hand, it is important to make as much money as you can. When you have a hand that can’t be beat, you have to have the ability to get as much money from your opponents that is possible.
When you have flopped the nuts, the hand becomes all about your competition. When you have a hand that can’t be beat, the game becomes about the other player and making the right moves that gets him to put his money in the pot.
When you flop the nuts against a conservative player you will have to play differently than if you were playing against someone who will call you at every opportunity. While flopping the nuts is great, there are times when you won’t be able to make a huge amount from the pot.
Slow playing against aggressive players is the best bet when you flop the nuts. If they are going hard pre-flop, you have to play wisely in order to maximize your winnings. A lot of action before the flop generally means there will be some good action after the flop.
If your opponent raises before the flop. It is best to let him bet after. By you checking it tells him you do not have a strong hand and you are worried what he might have. You have the nuts so you want him to think he has you beat.
If there isn’t a lot of action before the flop, it could mean your opponent does not have a strong hand and a big bet after will scare him off. Either checking or putting in a small bet will let you know what kind of hand he has. A quick call could mean he has a medium hand or is on a draw. A reraise could indicate he either has a decent hand also or is trying to bluff.
The most important thing when you flop the nuts is getting the largest amount of money you can from your opponent. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to get to excited. Letting your opponent know you have the better hand will cause him to fold, leaving you with nothing to show for extraordinary hand. Keeping calm and not giving off any tells is the key to getting paid off.
You also need to be aware your opponent may have a better draw. And even though you have the nuts you can still possibly loose the hand. Depending on the cards out there say a possible flush or anything that can beat your hand. You might want to come out with a big raise. To insure he does not draw out on you. It all depends on the situation. Having a good idea on the way your opponents play and watching for tells will help you immensely. Most likely your hand is going to win but you still need to be aware of other hand possibilities.
Flopping the nuts is the hard part. Knowing how to play them and getting paid off is the fun part.
April 28, 2008
Some of the trickiest hands that you will come across in Texas Hold’em are small pocket pairs. They can be fairly hard to understand and you may have a hard time making decisions when you look down at a couple of small matching cards. There is a pretty set way that you should play these hands and once you get the experience you will realize why you play the way that you play small pocket pairs.
When to play Small Pocket Pairs?
The most important thing you need to know is that small pocket pairs are not good in a full game unless you hit a set with them. What you also must know, is that you are not very likely to hit a set. Still, when you do hit a set it will pay off more than you could imagine. Most of the time it is the last hand that your opponent will put you on and more times then not, it will lead to an all-in situation. You will get paid off on sets, more than any other kind of hand when it is a set made from your pocket pair.
With that said, you might be wondering when a good time to play would be. There are three things you should think about before making the choice to play small pocket pairs. The first thing would be how much money is in the pot? The next question would be how much money is likely to be put into the pot? Then, lastly; how much money do I need to put into the pot? Now, this is really just basic pot odds and implied odds, but you may not know what those are yet. So for now, just ask yourself those questions. If there is a lot more money to be made than there is to be risked; you should call.
When not to play Small Pocket Pairs?
This is basically just the opposite of what was said above. If you are not getting good odds, you should fold. The worst time to play a small pocket pair would be in an all-in situation before the flop. You are a huge underdog, most likely against most all-in hands at a full table. That is why you only play when you are getting great odds. If you do that, it will be worth it to call, because you will hit a set enough to make up for all the times you do not hit a set in that situation. It is all about the numbers.
Overall, smaller pocket pairs are perhaps the biggest misleading hand in poker. A lot of people assume they are something better than they are. If you do not hit a set, they are going to lose most of the time. If you play them the right way, you will be able to make a lot of money from small pocket pairs. If you over use them, you will lose a lot of money.
