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Casinos> Gambling Articles > The Worst Mistake Made in Shorthanded Poker Games
The Worst Mistake Made in Shorthanded Poker Games
Shorthanded poker play is more fun than full ring games.
They require more bluffing, strategy and there is a lot more action.
Shorthanded games are also more profitable.
Most players in simply don’t understand shorthand game
strategy, even at limits of $50 to $100 dollars. The biggest mistake made is
calling a raise when playing against only one opponent. When playing
shorthanded games, it is imperative to re-raise or fold, except when playing a
big blind.
Re-raising is usually the better play because you are making
sure the blinds are paying a good price to get into the pot. Re-raising puts
pressure on the person who originally raised to hit his hand. If you don’t have
a pair, the flop will only give you a pair one third of the time. When you
re-raise, you force your opponent to hit a hand. This is to your advantage and
prevents you from hitting a hand.
By re-raising, you obtain a lot of knowledge about your
opponent. Most opponents refrain from capping unless their hand is premium.
When they make the decision to either raise or cap, you immediately know
whether they hold a strong or weak hand. If you call the first raise, you get
no information or knowledge about your opponent’s hand.
By re-raising you also obtain information about the flop;
most of the time your opponent will check to you before he reacts. If you’ve
re-raised before the flop, your opponent is less likely to try tricky moves and
there will be fewer bluffs. If your opponent check raises, it’s a good
indication that the flop has hit his hand. However, use caution. There are
always exceptions to the rule. Experienced shorthanded players are careful not
to let the strength of their hand be known. They may cap pre-flop or check
raise the flop when they hold nothing of value. A re-raise before the flop
gives you a lot of knowledge.
Position is golden in shorthanded games. The only exception
is when you are in the small blind. Still, you should re-raise or fold because
of the other reasons explained here.
Why do the majority of players call raises? They may think
their hand is good and have no knowledge of what their opponent holds. All of
the reasons in this article explain why you can re-raise when you have an
inferior hand and still be able to make a profit. Re-raise with hands such as
10 – 9 suited, 8 – 8, and A – 10. This forces your opponent to hit the flop.
The next time you play in a shorthanded game and are up
against a lone opponent, either re-raise or fold. This decision will make a
huge impact on the end result. You’ll be amazed at the outcome.
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