Sometimes when we've got the nuts we want to rush our chips into the pot. It's important to take our time not only to keep our opponents guessing, but to make sure we're making the right move at the right time.
Professional players such as Scott Fischman claim they take the same amount of time to make every move. Whether the move is a fold, call, or raise, Fischman recommends giving yourself the same amount of time to act in order to not give anything away.
WSOP 2003 champion Chris Moneymaker also mentioned in his book that in his inaugural tournament, before every move, he counted to 10 in his head, then acted on his hand.
Everything.
If you act too quickly, you might be weak. If you act too slowly, you might be strong. Think about the quick call. When someone calls your bet immediately postflop, chances are they're on a draw and are willing to pay to catch.
Giving tells like this away to your opponents will allow them to catch onto your game and play hands against you based on the time it takes you to act on a hand.
Not only will acting in the same amount of time reduce tells, but it will also give you some time to reflect on the hand and make sure you are making the right decision.
So what are some tips you can use to control your timing?
(1) Do what Moneymaker and Fischman do: give yourself some time to act. Give yourself a minimum of 15 seconds to think about the hand and then act on it.
(2) Ask yourself questions to make you think about the action. Phil Gordon, in his Little Green books, recommends asking yourself the following questions: How are my opponents playing? What are some of the hands my opponents are likely to hold? What do my opponents think I have? Am I in good or bad position?
(3) Don't make up your mind until it's your turn to act. Preflop, wait for everyone else to act ahead of you and pay attention to their actions. If you don't look at your cards before it's your turn, you won't have a preconceived image of what you would like to do with this hand. Say you've got 9-9 and look immediately as soon as you've gotten your cards. It's a solid midpair and you're prepared to call any amount to see if you can hit your set. However, if the two tightest players at your table raise and reraise, are you still going to call? If you look down at the nines at that point, you bring new information into the hand and can fold with ease.
What about postflop? Say you're in position and the flop misses you completely. Everyone then checks to you. Are you going to check still? Keep your mind clear of the action you are planning on taking until it's your turn. Don't already have it in your mind that you're ready to check or fold. Think about your position and decide if it's beneficial to fire at this pot considering the other players that remain against you.
(4) Just think! Poker is about making correct decisions and thinking when it's your turn to act will ensure that you're playing optimal poker and making correct decisions. All your bets and actions will be deliberate and have a purpose. You can rationalize your opponents' actions and recall what has happened in the hand, which will lead you to making an educated move.
So take your time at the table. Think about what you're about to do and once you come up with your action, you'll know it'll be the right one.
POKERMANTIS.COM
No comments:
Post a Comment