Poker strategy
Poker is a popular card game that combines elements of chance and strategy.
Players bet on their hands in a number of rounds as cards are drawn, employing various mathematical and intuitive strategies in an attempt to better opponents.
When facing an even money situation (like the one described in the previous paragraph) and holding a strong drawing hand (say a Four flush) a skilled player will consider calling a bet or even opening based on their implied odds.
By employing deception, a poker player hopes to induce their opponent(s) to act differently from how they would if they could see their cards.
David Sklansky has argued that winning at poker is often decided by how much one player can force another to change their style while successfully maintaining their own strategy.
[3] Slow-playing is deceptive play in poker that is roughly the opposite of bluffing: checking or betting weakly with a strong holding, attempting to induce other players with weaker hands to call or raise the bet instead of folding, to increase the payout.
If playing against observant opponents, then a raise with any two cards can 'steal the blinds,' if executed against passive players at the right time.
[1] Hand reading is the process of making educated guesses about the possible cards an opponent may hold, based on the sequence of actions in the pot.
Tells are detectable changes in opponents' behavior or demeanor which provide clues about their hands or their intentions.
For example, a tell might suggest that an opponent has missed a draw, so a player seeing it may decide a bluff would be more effective than usual.
By observing the tendencies and patterns of one's opponents, one can make more educated guesses about others' potential holdings.
A player can leverage their table image by playing out of character, and thereby inducing his/her opponents to misjudge his/her hand and make a mistake.
A rake break occurs when the floor-man, who represents the casino, agrees to take a smaller portion than usual for the hand.
The blinds and antes and limit structure of the game have a significant influence on poker strategy.
In tournaments, as the size of the forced bets relative to the chip stacks grows, pressure is placed on players to play pots to avoid being anted/blinded away.
[7] Leading sports psychologist, James Hazlett, then interpreted the findings: The conclusions of the study suggest that poker players can improve their strategy by considering their mindset.
Mental training techniques, commonly used by athletes, could therefore help to improve performance by working on elements such as self-control and concentration.
