Poker Tips

Cutting the Cards

The tradition of cutting the cards precedes the dealing of cards in poker.  It has a simple purpose that is sometimes distorted to a point of being ridiculous and sometimes annoying.  The only reason we cut the cards is to change the card on the top and the bottom of the deck, there by eliminating the possibility of the person dealing from controlling the order of the cards, or cheating.

Some people like to make 3, 4, 5 or more little piles of cards and then pick them up in a random order.  My 85 year-old mother does this for luck when she needs a good hand in pinochle.  It is fine to do with family and friends as long as you also do the reassembly of the deck.  But please don’t try it in a casino – it’s distracting and could be considered by some to be an attempt at card manipulation.

A simple cut does the job and insures an honest deal of the cards. Please keep it simple when you play poker, it is simply the best way.

Playing a Straight

In Texas Hold’em, a straight is a very good hand, but can be dangerous.  Make sure that if you have a straight, you check a few things before you think of betting all-in or bet yourself into a corner.  If you’ve made a sizable bet and are being raised, start thinking basics. Whats the old rule? Ask yourself, what is the best hand possible with the cards showing?
After the river shows, First question; Are there any pairs on the board? If not, you can rule out a four-of-a-kind and full houses. Next, are there any 3 of one suit on the board? If not, we can rule out the possibility of a flush… leaving the next highest hand a straight.

Now, what is the highest straight possible? If the board is 3,7,8,9,King – the best hand possible uses the 7,8,9 and the “10,Jack” makes the highest straight possible (7,8,9,10,J) given the cards on the board. Now if you have a 6 and 10 in your hand, 6,7,8,9,10 gives you a 10 high straight, you’re looking at the second best possible hand. You might be raised by the “10,Jack” but not likely. You having both cards to complete the second highest straight is a very strong hand indeed. While there is no way of knowing for sure, I have dropped out of hands due to over-thinking the possibilities, only to have an opponent show proudly, three 9’s… or 2 high pair and I folded a low straight that would have won, and he say’s “Oh, I didn’t even see the straight possibility.” Knowing the caliber of your competition is important too.

When the board has 4 sequential cards with openings on both ends that will complete the straight, be careful and aware that even if you have the high card to complete the straight, the person raising you could have the two top cards for the higher hand. Often good players will call instead of raise, because a raise will open you up to potentially being raised back “all in” and then you are in a pickle.

Your hand offers the 9 completing the straight = 5,6,7,8,9, their hand could be the 9 and 10 = 6,7,8,9,10.

Keep asking yourself, what is the highest possible hand and your game will improve. Now you’ve done you due diligence and you know the 9,10 will beat you… You call anyway, because you will win more times that you will lose, with that hand and if you lose, tomorrow is another day… Enjoy the game, folding is no fun…

Lowering your “playable hand standard” 

In Texas Hold’em, you must lower your playable hand standard as the playing field shrinks. For example king 4 off suit in a 10 handed game goes directly into the muck. However in a 3 handed game it looks pretty good and is playable, even if you are first to act. 3 handed you could easily be high hand with just the king high. The flop and the betting of your opponents will make the difference from there but as the number of players at the table dwindles, the lower your standards are for staying in to see the flop. Failing to make this adjustment will cost you dearly in your chip stack with higher blinds coming around at lightning speed. They will eat you alive. It is time to stretch out, see more flops and play more poker as you see the number of players lessen. Everybody wishes they could play more hands and now is your chance.

It’s simply survival