I’ve been a poker player since I was a teenager, I’ve played for money in casinos and lots of fun money free poker at home. For the last few years though I’ve focused most on free poker sites. Initially this was easy and fun but as time has passed I found it getting harder and harder to win, after thinking long and hard I realised that I’d become stuck in a rut I now call the “Easy Play” trap.
The trap is where you get into the habit of playing every single hand in the belief that it is the only way to win. You post and play every hand praying the flop with give you a hand. The problem with this play – You lose – and everyone playing with you learns how you play. The problem is most common I find on free texas hold em sites where, due to the very low or even no risk nature of the poker games it is easy not to be bothered. OK, if all you want is some fun free texas hold em play it’s no problem (though I would say that getting whipped frequently takes the fun away!) , but if you have any sort of ambition to improve and win proper money later, even go pro, then this is a fatal trap to get stuck in.
Then last year I started playing what I call “SMART”. “SMART” players think of the odds of playing each hand based on your starting hand. The two cards in your hand give you an idea of what your chances of winning before the flop.
“SMART” poker means as follows:
Singles – A – K – Q – J
Married – AK – AQ – AJ – A10
Average – 10 10 – 9 9 – 8 8 – 7 7 – 6 6
Rare – AA – KK – QQ – JJ
Terrible – 2 7 – 2 8 – 2 9 – 2 10 – 3 8 – 3 9 – 3 10 -4 9 – 4 10 -5 10
Singles should be played with cards of the same suite.
Playing singles with low off suites can be risky because some times it is the kicker which means a win. Watch the flops to see how the cards are falling as if there are more small off suites hitting with a single you may want to try.
Married and Rare hands are your better possible starting hands prior to the flop and requires that you think first. Going all in with a Married or Rare hand prior to flop is good but can also be a killer. Watch the other players for a while and get an idea of what they play before going up against them.
Average poker hands are good to begin with but the flop truly provides a picture of how you will play your hand. On an average a third will fall with the flop when holding a small pair. If not, and there is a small bet, try the turn but never the river as odds are against you.
Terrible are poker hands I try not to play because they normal are losing hands. True you might get lucky but if you do not have any money in the pot why waste the time and money on a chance. High blind and there is no raise, yes play, however low blind, forget it and wait for a better hand.
During a recent live game I was down to 80 in chips with the blinds at 10 – 20. I was not getting a hand and we were down to three players. Being “SMART” I came back and won the money.
And how do you learn to play “SMART”…The sensible way is to learn your skill on free texas holdem poker sites. Don’t get put off or sidetracked by all the Easy Play “farm animals” you’ll find trapped on such sites, that is part of the territory in the land of free texas hold em. Then, once you have demonstrated consistent winning ways move up to low stakes games and stay there until you repeat the success and then move up again…WSOP one day, who knows!
