Players who raise constantly are a thorn in the side of most Texas Hold'em players. Part of the problem is the make-up of the game itself, and this is where you have to start if you hope to walk away from the table with more money than you started with.
It starts with the fact that players receive only two cards. It means the majority of the time; the flop will not help the raising player. It also underlines the importance of position to a player. Stated as simply as possible, if you are in late position or last to act, you have a tremendous advantage over the raiser.
This is why it is so important to study the raising patterns of your opponents. Whenever possible, try to see the cards the player raised with to get an idea of his range potential for raising.
Some of the more aggressive players will raise with almost any two cards just to try to give them an advantage over their more passive foes. These players are harder to figure out than the average player who only raises with high pairs, high cards, or high suited cards.
Let's use an example of a hand I played at BestBet Casino in Jacksonville, FL. the other evening. A player raised the pot who was not a frequent raiser. I knew from the way he played that he was a rather passive person who played by the book. I called with a pair of pocket 6s.
The flop came k-7-2. The player came out betting with a continuation bet as I expected he would. There was one other caller, and since I was in late position, I just called.
A three fell on fourth street. This time the raiser checked as did the caller. I came out betting, and both players folded.
Texas Hold'em is a fast game of visual concepts. A person who raises with pocket queens does not want to see an ace or king fall on the flop. The player assumes that if a higher card falls, he is probably beat. Some, of course, will be stubborn and call to the end only to lose to aces or kings. But some will fold, although reluctantly, to a player who bets on fourth and fifth street.
Study your opponents. It will pay off in the end.
Poker players are creatures of habit. Many are incapable of changing gears. These players are relatively easy to beat and will leave part of their stacks in your hands if you figure out how to play them.
That is why I strongly suggest that a player spend the first hour or two studying the habits of his opponents. Figure out if they are passive, chronic raisers, infrequent raisers, calling stations or whatever describes their method of play. Then take counter-measures to defeat that method.
Even good players can be affected by the board. When Chris Moneymaker made his extraordinary win in the World Series of Poker against Sammy Farha, he had just king high against Farha's pocket nines. But Moneymaker played his player and the board, which had an ace and a queen. Fahra understood who he was playing against. He realized Moneymaker was new at the game and figured -- wrongly -- that Chris was not capable of pulling a total bluff against a veteran player like himself.
Do some creative thinking when it comes to your hand and the board. You will learn strengths you never realized you had and you will accumulate chips. And that in a nutshell is what tricky Texas Hold'em is all about.
Once you have established the habits of a player, try to figure out what he might be holding when he raises. Then if a scary flop happens and if you have read him correctly, you can know what to do. Sometimes, of course, you will be wrong, but more often than not you will be right, and it will pay off when the dealer pushes you the pot.
Remember another fact about poker. When players are tired they tend to throw away the rules, and they make mistakes. That is when a relatively good poker player will go all in on something like k-j. If you have a pair, any pair, you may want to make a call. You cannot outthink the cards, and they will fall in regular patterns that even the best players cannot overcome.
Good luck. Let the games begin.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
