I think that most of us understand that playing Texas Hold’em poker is like playing a game of chess with chips. The difference being that you as a poker player can be any of the chess pieces you wish. This line of thinking is extremely powerful when used correctly. Poker strategy comes in all shapes, sizes and forms. There is no one particular style of play that makes a player a great player. It is only when the style of play is merged with superior skill and solid poker strategy that it becomes potent. One of the things that I like to study in any poker player is their ability to get a call when they have a made hand on the river. So many times I see players online as well as live either under or over bet the pot without getting the desired results. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Count those Chips
You cannot make good value bets without understanding how many chips your opponent has. Seriously, you need to either ask for a count or get one verbally when you are not sure. The reasoning behind knowing your opponents chip count is that it gives you the information you need to make the correct bet size when you have the best hand on the river. Let’s take a look at how this plays out below:
Hero $15,000 chips [A][K] (Middle Position)
Villain $22,000 chips [8][8] (Button)
Situation: You are midway through a 180 player multi-table online poker tournament. You get involved in a pot holding Ace King and each of you has hit a hand. The blinds are $600 / $300
The flop comes down [Q[8][T] and your opponent checks his set of eights.
The turn brings a [X] and your opponent checks again. The river is a [J}!
Your opponent, feeling he has the best hand, decides to bet out $4000 making the pot worth $7,050. Now is the time when knowing your opponents chip count makes a huge difference. The first question you should be asking yourself is “what kind of bet can I make that my opponent will call?” Armed with the knowledge that your opponent is about even in chips with you at this point you can begin to narrow your options. There was a standard raise pre-flop and only one caller. You know if you push your entire stack that your opponent is more likely to fold than hold on to his setoff eights as he tends to be scared out of pots from time to time.
Finally, you decide to raise it up to $9000. Your opponent thinks about it and reluctantly calls.
Summary: Because you had the knowledge and understanding of how your opponent tends to not like to put all of his chips in the middle without the nuts you were able use that information against him. There is no value in making a value bet that never gets called.
Shoving is not always the best move when you have the best hand. Remember, poker requires constant evaluation and re-evaluation based on the poker players involved. What may get you a call with one player may not be the correct play against a player that has a different style. Throughout the course of the poker tournament or cash game it is up to you to determine what and where the optimal play is based on your understanding of the players involved.
In cash games the thinking can vary. My cash games tend to fluctuate between being very tight and aggressive to very loose and aggressive. That means you need to be aware of those dynamics and adjust your game accordingly. Having said that I have witnessed many all-ins on the river that seem to get called regularly. I know that may seem strange to those that do not play live cash games regularly but it does happen a lot more frequently than one might think. In any event pay attention and make your value bets good ones. In the long run your game will improve and so will your chip stack.
Curtis Mayfield III