POKER AGGRESSION The majority of no-limit hands do not get as far as the showdown. Compared with low-limit or fixed-limit games the size of the bets in no-limit create much larger pots and players in the main don’t want to risk large amounts without the comfort and security of strong hands. This situation presents the chance for exploitation, using bluffs or semi-bluffs to steal pots. If you’re lucky enough to be faced with weak, tight opponents with healthy piles of chips in front of them, this is definitely a time for aggression. The kind of opposition described is unlikely to invest heavily unless they actually have premium hands, so attack the pots aggressively. You’ll win a high percentage of games. The lesson works just as well the other way round. If you find yourself up against aggressive opposition in a no-limit game you’ll be subject to a lot of bluffing. Allow them to bluff away until you land a premium hand, then set your trap, lure them in and snap it shut. Generally, aggression is the most successful style of play because it provides you with dual weaponry. Weapon one: Aggression is well rewarded if you have a great hand as it tends to drive the pot higher. Weapon two: Aggression with a weaker hand still has the potential in a majority of cases to fold the opposition. A tight player who only calls with a good hand probably has to go all the way to the showdown in the hope of reward, narrowing his chances of a high percentage of successes considerably when compared to a dual- option aggressive player. The over-riding principle governing the above actions is your reading of the type of opposition facing you. Intel wins games.
TIP OF THE DAY One of the most infuriating players I’ve ever played against always used to bet the size of the pot no matter what happened. It was impossible to tell if he was bluffing and had nothing, or held a flush or a straight. He liked to be known as the Mystery Man and that’s how I think of him. If you always make low bets when you’re bluffing and big bets when you’re holding a nut hand, your opposition will pick up on it as a major tell. If you’re a Mystery Man with a solid betting strategy you’ll keep them confused and irritated which improves your odds every time.
