“Ingredients Of Strategy”
We got to make some positive strategies before playing poker and we got to apply those strategies while playing. I’ve been playing poker for some time now and I always used to make strategies before starts playing the game. Now I am going to throw some light on the most important aspect that is ingredients of strategy.
With discipline and objective thinking, the good player takes control of poker games. With the proper strategy, he molds these games to his maximum advantage. His prime strategically tool is deception.
INGREDIENTS OF STRATEGY
Proper strategy depends on the game, opponents, and the situation. Certain phases of poker remain constant; other phases change from bet to bet, hand to hand, or game to game. The good player bases his long-term strategy on the constant phases of poker and his short-term strategy on the variable phases. Good strategy contains the following ingredients:
Strategy: Principle Ingredient:
Long range Understanding of game
Short range Knowledge of opponents Immediate action Awareness of situation
1. Understanding Game
The mechanics of poker are simple and can be learned in a few minutes. The strategy of poker, however, has infinite possibilities. Strategy depends more on proper technique than on experience. Even a novice can acquire an immediate strategic advantage over seasoned opponents by applying the DTC technique.
Long-range (general) strategy develops from an understanding of the game. The good player understands the game by appraising the -
• Quality of players
• Betting pace
• Availability of cash
• Credit situation
• General attitude and friendliness
• Areas of resistance and resentment
• bluffing attitudes
• Reasons for player turn-over.
When a player fails to appraise a game accurately, he experiences -
• decreased edge odds
• Errors and missed opportunities
• Less effective strategy.
The good player continually re-evaluates the game in order to detect changes and inaccurate appraisals.
All sorts of game and player information are in John Finn’s black leather notebook. Every month he summarizes his observations in a section labeled “General Appraisal of Game and Players”. Here is a typical summary:
The players have: stabilized over the past month, except for the continued disintegration of Scotty’s game…; he gets desperate when losing heavily and then makes poor bets and bluffs. The betting pace is gradually increasing as wild modifications are added. The betting stakes remain stable. The cash situation is good despite heavy losses by Sid, Ted and Scotty. But Ted is in financial trouble; he runs up large debts then pays them off with borrowed money. He may soon go broke.
“Resentment is building up between Quintin and Sid. Quintin sarcastically questions Sid’s honesty. Sid shouts back angry remarks about Quintin’s stinginess. This quarrel must end before it hurts the game.
“The game is in good shape and yields a substantial income. No one seems about to quit, except Ted if he goes bankrupt. But the game needs one or two new players … Aaron Smith would be a profitable addition. “
2. Knowing Opponents
Short range strategy develops from knowledge of opponents. The good player knows his opponents by appraising their -
• Personalities
• Weaknesses and strengths
• Behavior patterns
• Motives for playing
• Economic status
• Betting and raising tendencies
• Dropping and bluffing tendencies
• Areas of confusion and errors.
Some players are a mixture of two classes. Also, the of a player can change from moment to moment or over long term as shown below:
Class Change: Reasons for Change:
Over long term Increased experience Personality changes
From game to game Feelings, emotions, stakes, financial condition
From one type pf game to another Differences in understanding various games
From hand to hand winning, losing, tired, upset
During play of a hand improper perspective on different phases of betting
3. Situation and Position (22)
Action (immediate) strategy depends on the immediate situation. This strategy involves decisions about calling, opening, betting, raising, dropping and bluffing. In making these decisions, the good player correlates the following four factors to the immediate situation:
1. Estimated Strength* of Own Hand
2. Game
Pace
Temperament
Atmosphere
Time (such as first hand, a late hour, last hand)
Size of pot
Potential size of pot
3. Opponents
Indicated
