You’re playing in a $2-$4 no limit tournament and there are $50-$100 blinds at the table. It’s very loose, and every hand seems to be a gamble. How can you take advantage of your opponents when they’re not thinking about their cards?
This is a question most players ask themselves, but if you knew how to play MVC poker properly, you’d be able to win big money without risking a lot of chips. Even when you have a bad hand, you can outsmart your opponents and win the tournament. Here I’ll share with you 5 great tips for the next time you’re at the poker table.
- Understand the Multi- Trace theory
Trace lines probably don’t make sense when you’re playing in a tournament, but with cash games, they often prove to be very valuable. trace lines try to explain how players behave in a poker hand. It’s not rocket science, but learning the theory is important to becoming a solid player.
When you first learn the theory, you might be confused about what exactly it means. The easiest way to explain this concept is to say that you should treat your opponents like running roulette at an x-cot. Instead of looking at a single row, you should look at the bigger picture.
Here’s an example: You’re playing a single table sit and go. In this game, you have possibilities to draw anything from J-9 or 10-7 to Q-10 or 7-4. If you did, you’d basically be drawing from nothing, because your hand is complete garbage. You have no chance to improve the hand, so you should fold.
But, you may have a chance to draw something–such as a four or a five. In this case, you might hold the possibility of becoming a super-hand, such as A-A, or K-K, or even Q-Q. If you have the potential to become a great hand, you need to increase the amount of money you’re risking in the pot.
While you may have nothing to start with, you need to raise the bet in order to increase the money in the pot. You’ll see a lot of players try to limp in, with the intention of raising on the first hand. This is the worst kind of player to limp with because you’re going to lose a lot of money.
- Do not call at the end of a hand.
Ending a hand promises a lot of rewards. Calling the river means uncertainty and a lot of lowered chances of winning. This is how weak players play. The more information you can get from your opponent, the better. If you have a really good hand, make them pay for the information.
- Play with strong hands
If you have a pocket pair, or something similar, play aggressively. You’re likely to still be the favorite.
If you have some cards in the community, play aggressively. Say you have A-10 and the flop is Q-10-7. If you’re aggressive, you should by all means raise.
- Bluff sparingly and be unpredictable
Bluffing is a very interesting and effective strategy. But, you shouldn’t bluff easily, because if you’re predictable, players will simply beat you every time.
The key is to set a image as a tight player, and to do that, try out various bluffs with different types of opponents. When you’re playing aggressive opponents, you’ll pose a lot of danger because they’re likely to raise and reraise. When you’re playing calling opponents, you can steal the blinds with low risk.
- Know your position
Know in which position you are playing, and find ways to combat it. If you’re playing late, you can try various betting strategies. If you’re playing early, you can play tighter. There are pros who are always in position. You should fold a lot of hands, especially in early position.
These are the basic principles of Bola88. If you follow all these tips, you are sure to win more than you lose.