Article: Sometimes Throw'em a Change-up

[Kevin]

Sometimes, Throw ‘em a Change-up
By the PokerStrategyKing

There is a common saying that goes “Things are not always as they appear.” What this simply means is that just because you perceive something to be one way, doesn’t mean that it is. Perception is just the way we ourselves see something. As a human being, we generally attach feelings to our perceptions. As a result, negative feelings tend to have stronger consequences to us than do positive ones. What am I talking about? Well, if you touch boiling water and you burn yourself, you’ll remember this and you’ll try to avoid doing it again. Translation this to poker, you will remember the times your Aces get cracked by garbage hands more often than when they take down smaller pots. Remember this concept and understand it. Because this affects all people similarly, you will be able to deceive your opponents at the poker table. .

Odd occurrences gives the perception that strange things happen at the table. This makes people forget things like positive expected value and starting hand requirements. Once people are thrown off as such, they are ripe for the taking. Odd occurrences are simply anomalies and not the norm. Eventually, all fluctuations even back to the expected way.

As a poker player, you need to use this information to your advantage when you play. If you play in a straight-forward predictable manner, you will have worse results than people who play too much. Ultimately, you win money when you can force opponents into mistakes, much like the concept of causing turnovers in football. If your opponents can usually predict what cards you hold, they will more often than not make the correct play against you. If you play by the book and you are up against highly skilled players, they will outplay you time and time again. Their ability to read your hands can be a crushing experience. What I like to do sometimes is play a mediocre hand like 8-6 offsuit as though they were aces. Then once the hand has been won, show your cards. If you do this a couple times, your opponents will be baffled by you and will be paid off when you actually do have premium cards.

You need to play in a manner in which you are unpredictable. Unless of course your opponents don’t play close enough attention that they won’t fall for your tricks. This is why you shouldn’t overdo it so that you don’t create a negative expectation for yourself. If you do it too much, you are more likely to get sucked out on with greater frequency and lose more bets.

What is the best deceptive strategy to take? Of course, that all depends on the moment. You need to take a good look at the situation and the players you are up against. You want to convey an image where you want opponents to think you are predictable when in reality, that it just the opposite. By doing this, you are opening yourself up to a plethora of profitable moves over time. If you let people underestimate your skill, your bankroll will grow and grow. You can confuse your opponents who think they’re reading you and you can make them make mistakes. This is how you handle the better players. Against the unaware, clueless opponent, you need to take a more straightforward approach and play straight up against them.

It has been said that it is almost desired to lose money when you bluff. This is because you stand to win more when you actually do hold the nuts. If you vary your play based on the current situation, you can create opportunities when you need to create them without risking much equity at the time.

If you have any comments on this article, send them to info@pokerstrategyking.com .

Until next time, may the chips fall your way.

(For more poker strategy and tips, please visit the PokerStrategyKing’s website at www.pokerstrategyking.com)