Free Online Poker Guide To How To Semi Bluff

December 4, 2010 at 11:25 am | In Play poker online for free | No Comments
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In this free poker games article we’re going to look at the art of semi-bluffing.

A good place to start is to define what a semi bluff actually is. A full, or stone cold bluff is when you have a hand with no potential at all. But if you bluff where you have a bit of something and that’s what we call the semi-bluff.

For example, when you have a hand like Ad-Kd at a board of 6h-7h-8s-10h and you bet large or raise your opponent?s bet large, you are executing a pure bluff.

This is due to the fact that the hand didn’t get better with the Flop and got even worse at the Turn. But if you put your opponent on a weaker hand like A-Q or even a draw like A-J, then you can push him out of the pot by betting substantially. This big bluff is the only chance you have should you choose to go for it rather than fold. If he calls your bluff, then your A-K can’t stand much pressure.

Now lets say you have 7-6 and the Flop shows 5-4-J. Your opponent checks. You reckon he might just have a raggy Jack so you check. Your intention is to fold if your hand does not improve and/or if he plays aggressive, but your primary reason for checking is to catch a 3 or 8 and nail the opposing A-J, K-J or 9-9 later on.

However, suppose your opponent checks and you bet? In this situation betting has two purposes. Increasing the pot if you manage to improve to your Straight is one. Two, of course, is to nail your opponent. If he’s got nothing then he’s out of course. (With 9-9 he may move out.)

But what if he has the Jack? If he had a weak Jack (say, J-8) he may put you on a bigger Jack, say, A-J, or K-J and he may move out. Because you bet (or raise) it indicates that your pocket cards somehow fit the community cards.

Now, he may call, and you proceed to the Turn and the River. You figure out now he may have A-J or K-J. Or he may continue with 9-9.

If your hand doesn’t improve yet on the later rounds then you can pure-bluff your opponent all the way or stop.

If you hit your straight though, what then? It could be that he was putting you on a weaker Jack post the Flop (such as J-8) or he might raise with A-J or K-J. He has no idea that the Straight was completed!

He does not realize at all that the 3 or 8 made it for you. You can now crush your opponent. This is the semi part.

Here you can now win in two ways: Through the “bluff” part, your opponent will fold and you still have the pot. Or through the “semi”, both of you will show down your hands, and you win a larger pot.

Also, you can check and check until you complete the Straight, but you show your opponent your hand. The next time he will play with you, he might be scared if a similar situation arises.

If you semi-bluff, however, you still show your opponent if he decides to continue, but additionally, you can make your opponent fold so he cannot guess what you have.

Overall lesson? You can be more unpredictable with semi-bluffing so get practising! And what better place to play poker online free than http://www.NoPayPOKER.com where you don’t have the fear of losing money like you do at on money sites or live tables yet you can still win real cash on risk free free poker games.

Free Poker Guide to How to Get Out of the Losing Trap

May 21, 2010 at 11:02 am | In Poker Tournaments | No Comments
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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. No problem is it’s just for fun but a very bad habit if you have aspirations to play live or online poker for money later.

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 belonging to the same suite.

Playing singles with low off suites is dangerous because some times it is the kicker that 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 might want to try.

Married and Rare hands are your very best possible starting hands before the flop and requires you to think first. Going all in with a Married or Rare hand prior to the 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 start 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.

Now the important bit, how to learn to play “SMART”: If you are new to poker or are stuck in the trap, get yourself over to a free texas hold em site and practice loads. Be serious about your game and don’t get distracted by all the Easy Play Trap people you’ll come across. The, once you are confident and showing consistent bankroll growth you can move on and up.

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