The only other times you should consider folding is when an extremely conservative
player who never blu s has been calling towards a draw hand the entire hand and now it
looks like he has hit his card. Or when there are two or more players who start betting
and raising on the river, you can be sure that at least one of them holds the goods. You
can make a case for folding here.
Pot odds dictate that you bet or call on the river, unless you are practically positive you
are beat.
Chapter 9 - Betting
(Return to Contents)
Nobody is always a winner, and anybody who says he is, is either a liar or doesn't play
poker.
— Amarillo Slim
A bet is a declaration that either:
a)"I have the best hand and I'll wager money on it" or
b)"You have a poor hand, and you will fold if you are
forced to wager on it”
Typically, players are supposed to bet when they have a good hand. Players who don't
have good hands are supposed to fold. Of course, if it was this simple, there would be no
need for this book. You might as well wager on Tic-Tac-Toe. Most players play contrary to
this idea, attempting to be a cunning or deceptive player. Don't fall into this trap when
you are just learning to play.
Your betting strategy should be built upon this simple idea, but you must know when to
stray and bet in situations when you otherwise wouldn't. Here are some situations you
should start looking at to improve your game:
Blind-stealing
When you are in the dealer's position, and only you and the blinds are remaining in the
game, a raise is often called "blind-stealing". This is because the blinds may fold, whereas
if you didn't raise but simply called, the blinds would simply check. It’s a good way to
make a buck or two, but will never make you rich. It’s more of a way to end the game fast
and have a new hand dealt with more players (and more money).
The steal-raise
Online Poker Winning Strategies Revealed # 24