I was taking people to be lying to me at the poker table because in the same situation I would be lying to them. Many a time I broke even or lost in a session simply because I had called my money off through silly suspicion. At the time I did not even realise what was happening but it is clear to me now that my personality was taking over in marginal situations.

Once I cottoned on to what was happening to me then I quickly adjusted and my poker earnings sky rocketed. I am the type of person who would miss a great opportunity simply through mistrust. The flip side of course is that I am highly unlikely to get ripped off because I will simply not trust a person enough for them to get their hands on my money.

But it was this same mistrust in my personality and paranoia that was literally killing me whenever I was playing Hold’em online. It is exactly the same if you have an impulsive streak to your nature. You need to ask yourself if you are acting impulsively whenever you play poker. You see, in the online poker arena the pace of the game is that much quicker. The side effect of this is that you are having to act that much quicker and when you act quicker you do so with less thought.

OK you say, you knew that and I have to admit that it is obvious. But how many people are aware that their natural personality starts to take over when the amount of time to think is limited. What I suggest that you do is to have a very serious think about yourself. What things do you like and what things don’t you like. What things annoy you and do not be afraid to look very harshly at yourself.

If you have masochistic tendencies then admit it to yourself at least. Try to make a list of descriptive words that fits your personality and then try to assess how each one is pertinent to poker. This is a seriously good exercise because the results could earn you a very substantial amount of money or save you a very substantial amount of money which amounts to the same.

So take some time out and have a good think about yourself and what kind of person you really are, once you know this then you will be aware of what you are likely to do in marginal situations and you can be ready to combat your own poker weaknesses.

When I spotted my flaw it earned me a lot of money and this is why I am telling you to do this exercise because it could just do the same to you.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

It is the same with maniacs (loose aggressive) as their constant barrage of bets, raises and re-raises make them formidable opponents. They know that given the right type of timid opponents then they can make them fold all sorts of mediocre hands and they can end up taking pots down with absolute junk.

It seems that whenever you bet they raise or whenever you check they bet. When you are running cold then they tend to absolutely murder you. The thing is with loose aggressive players is that their constant aggression has two distinct advantages. Firstly they take advantage of timid and cautious play. The second advantage is that they also beat players who are running bad!

There is a third advantage as well and that loose aggressive play can play huge dividends as well in other ways because it can seriously tilt players when you outdraw them or you are sitting there with a big hand like AA on the very hand that they decide to play back at you with. This is a very interesting yet often overlooked factor of loose aggressive play.

You make a raise with AA after raising or re-raising the last ten hands. Your opponent in the cut-off is starting to get a little steamed that you are denying him opportunities so he raises and you four bet him…they have Q-J and shove which you call.

Here in this instance your previous play has tilted them into overplaying their hand and getting stacked. So how do you combat loose aggressive players? Well for a start you are far better off having position on them. You can then attack their range rather than them attacking yours. You will have position on them rather than the other way around. Re-raising to isolate will give you a strategic advantage.

Although do be aware of loose aggressive players who simply refuse to be bullied in this way and play back at players who three bet them. Another option may be to leave the table as well and this is an option that is rarely exercised. If you are constantly getting your steal raises called or three bet or you are getting pots taken away from you post flop by loose aggressive maniacs then you need to make the proper adjustments.

If those adjustments are not very palatable then your best remaining option may be to leave the game. If more players left poker games or sought out a new seat then more poker players would be winning poker players. Making money in online poker is a complex variable of interwoven factors that carefully interact with each other to create an online poker strategy that will make you money.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

Just the other day, I played no limit at Poker Stars. At some point, I was not allowed to do the raising and all. Blinds by the way were $100/$200.

With Qt of hearts, I was small blind. Eventually, for 200 two players called while for $100 I called. Later on, big blind checked, thus leaving him $435 left by which was in chips. Flop came and was Kc 9c Jh, hence providing me the straight. After analyzing everything, I then placed a bet of $400 while big blind raised all in to $435 without any doubts. Other two players called then the raise. When my turn to act came, I was permitted to only call the $35 and take note, without raising. By the way, other two players were not all in as long as I can remember.

Why do you think I was only allowed to call the $35? I don’t totally understand. I believe I should have been given the chance to raise.

Thanks and great site!

I hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,
Herb
Herb,

The reason that you were not allowed to raise is because the big blind’s raise was less than a half the size of the required raise amount. This actually does not constitute a true raise.

I’m just wondering if a player who is posting the big blind can actually ever raise before cards are even dealt, particularly when in no limit holdem. In some of the games I was able to witness, players with few chips left should put in what they still have prior to the dealing of the cards.

Any idea on the stuff I’m troubled of?

Thanks,
Bob Llewelyn
Bob,

The only person that could “raise blind” and get away with it would be the first person to act after the big blind. Some people will do a “straddle bet” which is a third blind that is used to force action. Players in other positions may not do this. The reason the first player to act may is because they are first to act and it’s their action anyway.

Say in a heads-up action, there were two players and the blinds were at 400 & 800. Player 1 was the small blind and then player 2 was the big blind. Eventually, player 1 called the big blind and then expressed verbally he’d raise. Player 2 then went all in and so player 1 folded. By the way, player 1 was not given the chance to say how much he’d raise.

So now, what do you think happens next right after player 1 folded? At some point, I thought that player 1 should raise but I don’t know how much. What do you think?

In advance, thank you.

David White
David,

Player 1 must raise. Since he did not declare an amount or push any chips out, he is only forced to put a raise in of the minimum, which is the size of the big blind.

Let’s assume that in a standard game, I have pocket Aces. Eventually, I placed a wager that I feel just right for me to have callers. Then four players call my bet and quite as expected no one raised.

I’m wondering, what if the player to my right makes the last in the series of calls, can I bet one more time? Or else the betting finally ended the instance flop was expected? Honestly, I would like to continue making small wagers inexactly to keep milking chips from my opponents at the table. But I believe that the betting has finally ended because there was no raise at some point.

Now, in the event there are no raises right after an initial bet was pushed through, can the initial bettor begin another betting round? In case yes, is there a limit with regards to the number of times this can happen? Any idea?

Thanks for your time spent on reading this. More power!

Simon Lloyd
Simon,

Once you bet or raise, you may not act again during that betting round unless someone raises you.

Before I lay down my question, I would like to thank you for creating and maintaining a site like this one. Thanks for all the efforts!

For my question, well say at a table, 100-100 blinds. Then player A is the big blind, 200. There is player B who will go all in for 150. Finally, there is player C who will raise to 400. Later on, player A who is the big blind will fold. What do you think should happen next? Player C will match the 150 all in of player B?

Also, I’m wondering, what if player B wins, is he going to take home the pot including the 200 of the big blind? Or else just the 150 as the 50 will go to player C? What do you think?
Thanks!

All the best,
Del Wilhelm
Del,

Player C will only have to match the 150 of Player B. The most that player B can win from each player is 150. The extra 50 from player A would automatically go to player C he calls the all-in bet.

I’m wondering, what if a player throws over his cards face up preflop without saying it, should he therefore call all in bet or what?

I’ll be glad to hear from you soon.

Thanks,
Joe Powers
Joe,

If a player throw their hand in preflop and do not declare anything when it is their turn to act, first ask them what their intended action was. If it was to fold, then the hand is folded. If it was to bet, raise, or call an all-in bet, then that’s the action.