PokerWorks

It's Not All About The Cards

Practice makes perfect, or so the saying goes. One of the best ways to learn post-flop play is by forcing yourself to play in uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations that will test your ability to deduce your opponent's hands and figure out the best way to play your own. This next assignment is going to do just that.

Utilizing the betting principles of the first post flop assignment you are to do the following in at least three no limit hold em tournaments at an online site like Full Tilt or Pokerstars:

You are to limp in with any of the following hands regardless of position and whether you are first to act for the first 50 hands of the tournament:

Any pair
Any ace
Any two suited cards
Any two cards that have a gap of 3 or less (ie you would play 85 but not 84).
Any two cards ten or above

If there is a raise after you limp, you are to call any raise that is less then 5 times the big blind. You are to fold if it is over 5 times the big blind unless you have tens through aces, ace king, or ace queen suited and then you are to just call.

Post-flop you are to use your best discretion in proceeding - meaning you are to bet/raise according to your hand and your read on your specific opponents.

When you are done, answer the following questions for your own benefit:

1)    Which hands gave you the most trouble post-flop (i.e. what type of hands). Specific examples with a hand history would be helpful so we can analyze the post-flop play. Post any hand history in which you lost more than 25% of your stack.

2)    What did you think of seeing so many flops? How did it work for you? Advantages to it? Disadvantages?

3)    Opponent's reaction to your play. Were there any adjustments on their part?

4)    General summary of your thoughts of the assignment. What areas do you feel you still need to work on post-flop? Why?

Hopefully by completing this assignment and answering the above questions, you have a better understanding of how to proceed when playing a hand post flop. Up next, we're going to get into post flop positional play.

*There are plenty of freerolls to apply this betting strategy exercise in before applying it to real money tournaments. Don't be shy, give it a try!*