Friday, January 22, 2010

Bad Beats - How To Handle Bad Poker Players

By Billy Kernow

One of the biggest challenges for players struggling to improve is losing pots to adversaries who just do not know any better. You have made the time to learn the right hands to play, but sorry players seem to often defeat you playing weak hands.

The truth of the thing is that if you take the time to analyze using poker books or videos enough so that you can easily recognize yours and others errors, then it seems likely that profit should follow, and your bankroll should be increasing. Often times however, even though you do play good poker your bankroll may have nothing to show for it.

Let's come to terms with this, horrible bad beats are going to happen to you and they are usually at the hands of these types players. Now obviously, they did not invest in training time like you did and as a result have a very different view of poker than you do. They will not be playing in a fashion that can make any sense to you. At least you figured out that they don't recognize what they're doing, and that's truly all you require to start getting their money. It's best to try and avoid these players unless you have a quality hand that you can value that against them. There are definitely strategies to use against these players while not putting your own stack at high chance against them.

Pot size management. It's critical to not let the size of the pot run away from you until you know you have the best hand, or even the nuts. Weak players will play any two cards so you won't be able to gauge what they will have, which leaves the burden on you to make sure you are ahead before your chips goes in. That's when you make the saps pay, otherwise don't get involved in big pots with players who can beat you holding 83 offsuit.

Mucking your cards pre-flop. This is even more important if you're out of position to the antagonist, but even with medium strength hands you're still going to be arbitrarily guessing what he has. That can be a problem playing post flop with an freakish player.

Be patient grashopper. As terrible as they play, you may not get the cards to take him down - at least this time. Be certain though, that player is like thousands of others waiting to give you their money. If not him, patience will grant you with another sorry player that will accommodate.

Position. Playing correct position in poker against weak players is even more essential because you can get caught in expensive scenarios where they force you into an overpriced pre-flop bet, and you can do nothing but fold on the flop.

Don't bluff them a story. They cannot read the "poker story" you are trying to communicate. The board may have numerous overcards to their pocket 6's and they will still call you. Save yourself some grief and coin, do NOT bluff poker suckers.

Rope a donkey by the tail. Once you do get a lousy player in the good situation, then you need to do your best to trap him for all his money. He may want to bluff you, but he may also call a lot off too. You need to know what kind of fool he is by profiling.

Losing pots to clueless players can be aggravating, but the fact is you DO KNOW they are losers even if they are winning right now. If they don't give it back soon, they will give it back sooner or later, all you have to do is wait for your situation. - 16887

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