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Pastimes : How To Win At Poker -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mario :-) who wrote (802)	12/10/2005 5:03:28 PM
From: MrLucky	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1272

I think that Texas Hold Em is often 90% luck and 10% skill. At least in online gambling. I don't know how you bet your hand of KKs but if you bet the cards it appears that you took a bad beat. For me, a lot depends upon the price of the game. A $.50-1.00 to a $2-4 game is mostly luck since people will frequently not fold a losing hand at the flop or turn. A $5-10 game seems to instill a bit more reality in the newbies to the game meaning they will, in fact, lay down a hand that should be folded. I'm far from an expert in Hold Em as most of my playing has been Stud Hi or Low.

To: Mario :-) who wrote (802)	12/12/2005 9:20:04 AM
From: Knighty Tin	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1272

Mario, What I do isn't a bluff, it's a semi bluff. I may have a middle pair, a four flush or a four straight on the flop, so I do have room to improve if somebody catches me with my hand in the cookie jar. If I am last to act and everyone checks to me, I will bet the pot. I am representing that I have top pair or better. I usually do that with one to three other players. With more than three, somebody will call, so I don't do it. When I am heads up and "zone cards" hit the flop, face or ten, and am first to act, I will bet the pot representing that I hit the zone card pair. I don't do this with an ace on the flop, because somebody who limps in is very likely to be holding a singleton ace. I win 4 out of 5 times with the semi bluff. Sometimes somebody calls and I get lucky and draw out. Sometimes they go all in on me and I have to fold. Overall, it's a winning strategy, especially in tournaments. One caveat: you have to have an image as a tight player to get the most benefit from the semi-bluff overbet. When you win a hand with aces or kings or another big hand, you may want to show them so folks know that you ONLY bet when you have a great hand. That way, when you hope to have a great hand, but don't have one yet, they'll give you the benefit of the doubt. BTW, I also lose a lot of hands with pocket kings. Somebody always has an ace and the flop nearly always produces an ace. I think they are big winners over time, but the trick is to not go all in. Make a nice raise, but don't risk your whole stack. As TJ Cloutier says, he only goes all in with aces at a full table.