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Reading Hands
- What is the most common way to read hands in online poker?
Analyze the meaning of an opponent’s check, bet or raise, and look at the expose cards to try to judge from them what his entire hand might be. You then combine the plays he has made throughout the hand with the exposed cards and come to a determination about his most likely hand.
- Is it a mistake to put an opponent on a specific hand early and to stick to your initial conclusion no matter how things develop ?
Yes.
- Suppose when two suited cards appear on the flop an opponent raises after there has been a bet and a couple of callers, but then checks on the turn when a blank hits. What is a likely hand for him ?
A flush draw.
- In practice, what do most players try to determine ?
Whether an opponent has a bad hand, a mediocre hand, a good hand, or a great hand. (A note on tells.)
- If your opponent bets on the end, what type of hand is he unlikely to have ?
A mediocre hand.
- What is a complimentary way to read hands ?
To work backward.
- If the last card is a deuce and an opponent who has just been calling suddenly bets, is it likely that he has a set of deuces ?
No. It does not seem possible that he would have called this far with deuces in the hole.
- Suppose the flop comes K♠ Q♦ 2♣. The first player bets, and the second player raises. A third person, who is also in an early position and is a solid but not overly aggressive player raises again. Also suppose that several opponents remain to act behind the reraiser, and that this reraiser had just called before the flop. Is the reraiser trying for a free card ?
No.
- Could the reraiser have a set ?
No. He would have raised before the flop with KK or QQ, but would not play 22 from so early position.
- Does the reraiser have AKs, aK, or KQs ?
No. He probably would have raised before the flop with these hands.
- Would he make it three bets with KJ♠, KJ, KT♠, or KT ?
No.
- What possibility is left ?
KQ.
- When you can’t put a person on a poker hand, but have reduced his possible holdings to a limited number, what do you do to determine the chance of his having certain hands rather than other ?
Mathematics.
- Suppose an early position player calls and then reraises. You red him as the type of player who will initially call and the reraise only with AA, KK, aKs, or AK. What are the chances that your opponent does not hold a pair ?
He will get AA or KK 0.9 percent of the time and AKs or AK 1.2 percent of the time. By comparing these two probabilities you deduce that the chances are 4-to-3 that your opponent does not hold a pair.
- Suppose you have J♠ J♣, the flop comes A♥T♠ 3♣, and your opponent bets. What should you do if you think your opponent is equally likely to have a ten as an ace ?
You should at least call.
- If the turn card is another ace and your opponent bets again, what is your play ?
To raise if you know that this opponent would still bet if he had only a ten.
- What is another factor in reading poker hands and deciding how to play your own hand ?
The number of players in the pot.
- In addition to the bettor, if there is also a caller ahead of you, what must you do ?
Tighten up significantly because you no longer have the extra equity that the bettor may be bluffing.