Ways to beat the Pot Odds
Keep this in mind at all times; see to it that you have a better knowledge of the size of the pot, when you are involved in a hand. Imagine, you are involved in a hand where many players have put large amount money into the pot; the hand almost certainly has first-rate pot odds. What I’m about to share with you is a method that will provide you knack in beating the pot odds.
Recently I was playing a hand at the final table of a no-limit tournament. I was dealt pocket 10′s and played it aggressively. My opponent checked to me every turns and then called all bet. Then, right after the river came, I was holding a pair of tens and eights with a flush draw on the table.
A bet of $50 was lead out by my opponent. This got me thinking about the probable flush, although it just requires an extra $50 to win over the $500. If this guy had a flush, he would certainly call any raise I was going to make. Using the rules of pot odds, I decided to call and was able to bring in a pot of $625. This happened when my opponent turned over his awful pocket 7′s.
Here’s another one, not awhile ago, I was playing in a tournament, again, when a player moved all-in before the flop. I was confused as I couldn’t see any reason for this player to move all-in, when there was exactly nothing that would be consider a win for having to move all-in. I was victorious as I was dealt with a monster hand. Sadly, there was actually nothing but few blinds for the player to win; it was a waste of effort.
Try not to put your chips in danger, for the sole purpose of wining over small pot. This is just a reminder as this might be tempting to some people. How other people play their hand will depend on the size of the pot. Your opponent will not fold, unless you make a big bet, when he has placed lots of his money to the pot. By catching a monster hand, you get your opponents pot committed then turn them into calling stations and make away with all their chips.
I notice that players are way looser compared if they weren’t pot committed. The key to this is by detaching the ending moves from the rest of the hand.
Here is something that you should try out, since it’s practically easy and it’s very effective. By forcing a break in the action you can separate the plays you make from the rest of the hand. For example, before making a move, try to get your opponent to count their chips. What you are actually doing is distracting them, so remember that it is very important to take note that you must do this casually.
On the other hand, you must bear in mind that with your own hands, you don’t have to worry about the money that you’ve placed in the pot. Remember that by placing money into a pot, it is already considered to go to whoever wins the pot. Only if you are confident enough that you have a better hand or can pull a bluff, then you must never call any bets, unless you are playing with great pot odds. The key to having power over the game is being familiar to the size of the pot and the betters who are placing money into it.
