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The Basics - 6 Betting - 5 Playing With Conviction

The document discusses playing poker with conviction by betting or raising rather than just calling or checking. It recommends backing your judgment by betting when you think you have the best hand and folding when you don't. Playing this tight-aggressive style gives you opportunities to win pots without showdown by getting other players to fold. The key is to choose strong starting hands and play them aggressively by betting or raising to build large pots.

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74 views3 pages

The Basics - 6 Betting - 5 Playing With Conviction

The document discusses playing poker with conviction by betting or raising rather than just calling or checking. It recommends backing your judgment by betting when you think you have the best hand and folding when you don't. Playing this tight-aggressive style gives you opportunities to win pots without showdown by getting other players to fold. The key is to choose strong starting hands and play them aggressively by betting or raising to build large pots.

Uploaded by

Opawesome
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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5.

Playing with Conviction


pokerstarsschool.com/lessons/playing-with-conviction/692

Back to module : The Basics

6. Betting

When the action makes its way to you during a poker hand, you are usually faced with
the following options: to call, to bet or raise, or to fold. You sometimes also have the
option to check.

Most new players tend to play too passively and opt only to check when they have the
chance or to call an opponent’s bet. They also tend to “limp” pre-flop, ie, to match the
big blind rather than raising it up. This allows other players to enter a pot cheaply and
possibly out-draw you.

During the Poker Basics course, you have learnt how to assess your hand, both pre-flop
and after the flop, and also how to determine whether you have a draw or a made hand,
and what to do with it.

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There is one more crucial thing to add: Don’t be afraid to use your knowledge while you
are playing. Don’t have a crisis of confidence. In short: play with conviction.

Back Your Judgment


The best strategy for the tight-aggressive player is usually to bet or fold. You should
spend your time around the poker table trying to determine what cards your opponents
are holding, and how they compare against your own. If you think you have a better
hand than your opponent, you should bet or raise to build a big pot. If you think your
opponent has a better hand, you should probably fold and lose the minimum.

Calling suggests uncertainty and it gives your opponent the chance to make a bluff
against you. It also suggests that you have not thought hard enough about the state of
the pot in progress. Rather than taking an uncertain middle route, calling or checking,
you should have the courage of your convictions: bet if you have it, fold if you do not.
You have and get top two pair on the flop. You should bet and raise aggressively to get
more money in the pot. You have and get third pair on the flop. You are probably
behind and should get out of the hand without losing any more chips.

Two Ways to Win a Pot


Betting and raising are also preferable to checking and calling because they give you
another way to win a pot. In order to win a pot at showdown, you must have the best
hand. But you can also win a pot if you manage to persuade all of your opponents to
throw away their cards. If you are the last player to remain with cards, you will win the
pot without a showdown.

Only betting and raising gives the opportunity of a pot ending before showdown. If you
only check or call, you must have a big hand to stand any chance of winning.

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This is why you should play with conviction as part of a tight aggressive strategy.
Choose good hands to play and play them hard.

Join us on our Discord channel.

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