By Christopher John Sharpe

No-limit Hold ‘Em is the new giant of the poker world. Any day of the week I can flip through channels and find two or more poker shows going, and they’ll all be featuring no-limit Hold’ Em tournaments. Because tournaments are becoming so common and are so cheap to play, I see a lot of fresh faces at the tables, trying to bring their own slant to the books they’ve read on strategy.

Today I’d like to discuss the blind steal. Any young kid who’s heard a thing or two about poker knows that in order to stay alive in a tournament, you’ll have to rob both the rich and the poor. Liberating them from their blinds isn’t always easy, though; it’s a matter of finesse and timing.

Winning Texas Hold Em

Everyone knows that the button is the last line of defense for the positional blind steal. (The small-blind gets last stab at the pot if the button passes, but we’ll get to that.) The advantage of trying to steal on the button is two-pronged: a) the blinds have random hands that are likely not worth playing, and b) the button gets to see how they act, on the remaining betting rounds, before deciding how to proceed.

However, this play has become so common that it is obvious when employed too frequently. Good players will take a stand often enough in the blinds by going porcupine; they’ll hurt you if you mess with them too often. It’s best to let a few stealing opportunities pass you by so that it won’t be obvious when you’re raising with garbage.

Limping on the button as the first player in is also an option, and is underused by most typical players. You should never be afraid to see a cheap flop in position against the blinds. A better place to steal is one or two spots to the right of the button. Your intentions won’t be as obvious, and by raising in those spots you might “buy” position by causing the button to fold.

The small-blind has the last chance to steal, but will be out of position against the big blind if called. Far too many players try to steal in the small blind after the rest of the table folds. Against any good player, limping from the small blind when you choose to play should be your general rule of thumb in these situations; however, the occasional steal is still called for. Against players who fold too much, go ahead and up the frequency of your steals.

Stealing blinds is a necessity, but it is a careful balance of deception and aggression. Don’t be so quick to fire that automatic raise.

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No-limit Hold ‘Em theory is extremely complex. The fact that you can bet any amount you want to makes for unlimited variables, and few but the keenest math experts can grasp it all on the fly. While it’s tough to do advanced equations at the table, there are a few concepts and numbers that I feel are necessary to compete successfully.

Pot odds are the most important key to any poker problem. Pot odds are represented as a ratio between the size of your current risk vs. the size of your potential reward. For example, if it costs you $20 to see if you’ll win a pot of $100, then you are looking at a 5-1 payout. Your pot odds are then 5-1. Pot odds, by any name, are critical for any investment ideology.

Once computed, pot odds can and should be compared to any information you can successfully quantify. For a simple example: if you must have a 6 to win on the last card, with one card to come, then your chances of winning are about 11-1. (You have one chance to hit one of four cards, taken from 46 unseen cards; 42: 4 = approx. 11 - 1.) If you are being offered a payout of more than 11 - 1, you should attempt to hit your long shot. If you are being offered less than 11 - 1, you should not invest.

To figure your total odds, sometimes you have to take into account the money you might be able to get into the pot on future betting rounds. This is called calculating your “implied odds.” Using the previous example (in which you needed an 11 - 1 payout), if you we were faced with calling $10 in order to win $80, you would fold since your pot odds would be only 8 - 1. However, if you were certain that when your hand got lucky you could get $40 more on the next betting round, you could profitably call the $10; your eventual payout would now be $120 - $10, or 12 - 1. This is why it’s extremely important to observe your opponents. Everyone reacts differently.

At the heart of any gambling endeavor there should be 2 key questions: how much am I risking, and how much do I stand to get paid? Not knowing the price of your wagers will leave you floundering in the dark.

If you need money now, like I mean in the next hour, try what I did. I am making more money now than in my old business and you can too, read the amazing, true story, in the link below. When I joined I was skeptical for just ten seconds before I realized what this was. I was smiling from ear to ear and you will too.

Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program.

http://www.makeamilliondollarsayear.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_John_Sharpe
http://EzineArticles.com/?Winning-Texas-Hold-Em—Pot-Odds-in-Practice&id=1970403

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