Advanced Poker Strategy
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Reading Your Opponents
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Deceptive Plays
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Single Table No Limit Tournaments
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Multi Table No Limit Tournaments
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Knowing When to Quit
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Advanced Mistakes
Reading Your Opponents
Most players have certain definite tendencies. With practice, you should be able to figure out approximately what they hold, before they turn over their cards at the showdown. You must gather all the information you have on your opponent from previous hands and try to determine what he/she is now holding from the way the present hand is being played. You won't always be right, but that is part of the joy of the game.
It is important to observe how often each of your opponents sees the flop. Players who see the flop rarely can be counted on to have good starting hands, especially when they are in early or middle
position. Alternatively, players who see the flop fairly frequently will often have poor starting hands.
When you get to see an opponent's cards in the showdown, replay the hand in your mind. Make a mental note if he/she played the hand in an over aggressive or unusually passive fashion.
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Deceptive Plays
Avoid being an easy read
It is important to read your opponents, but don't forget that your more astute opponents will be trying to read you. Try to avoid playing a certain kind of hand the same way every time. Don't be too mechanical.
Semi-bluffing
A semi-bluff is a bluff made while holding a strong draw. If you don't hold a good hand after the pot, but you have a straight or flush draw, you can make a bluff. If your opponents fold, you win, and if they call and you hit your hand, you can possibly win a big pot.
Slow playing
Slow playing is to make your opponents think you have less of a hand then you actually do. If you flop an ace high flush, a high straight, or another very strong hand, there is no need to scare people out of the pot because there is little chance of someone hitting a better hand than you. Thus, you should wait to the turn or maybe even the river to bet at the pot. Slow playing can earn you some big pots, but you have to be careful not to try it too often. A good time to slow play is when you hold the nuts and you want to let your opponents hit something on the turn or the river, so that they will call your bets or even raise.
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Single Table No Limit Tournaments
Sit & go tournaments usually take place on a single table and have a maximum of 10 players. Play begins as soon as all players are seated (seats are assigned randomly) and continues until the one winning player remains. Prizes are usually also awarded to the runners up.
The best way to play a sit & go tournament is to get ahead quick and stay ahead. This way, you become the feared player at the table and that can give you the advantage you need to go all the way. If you don't get good cards early in the tournament, hang back until you hit something big and try to win a big pot later.
When the blind levels are small, you want to see a lot of flops. Try to trap someone and win a big pot, but be careful not to play things like high pairs too aggressively. When there are a lot of players in a hand, you have to be aware of the possibility that someone could easily hit a set or two pairs. It's best to play conservatively until you're the one that hits the big hand.
When the blind levels are high, your best strategy depends on how many chips you have. If you are short stacked, you should wait until you are dealt a good hand and then go all-in. Don't wait for the best hand, just gamble with something like any pair or two high cards. You're in a position that you need luck to get back in the game. If you have a large stack, you should keep playing and try to win small pots, but avoid a confrontation unless you are sure you have the best hand. You don't need to gamble when you're large stacked.
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Multi Table No Limit Tournaments
Multi table tournaments have many players spread across many tables, they have set starting times and players must register in advance in order to play. All seat assignments are randomly drawn prior to the start of the tournament. As play progresses and players are knocked out, the remaining players are moved to different tables in order to keep them full. Tables will break down from the highest numbered table to the lowest numbered tables. The transferring of players from one table to another (as a result of tables breaking down) is done in a completely random fashion. This process continues until only one player remains.
Since you don't have to finish in the top 3 positions to win a prize in multi table tournaments, it's best to play conservatively. If you are able to hang on until the late stages, you will get a prize and make a profit. If you're dealt good cards and you are sure you have the best hand, of course you should try to win a big pot. However, you should wait for a good starting hand. Don't try to see a lot of flops in the early stages of the tournament.
Toward the end of the tournament, you should switch gears and gamble more. If you want to win the tournament, you're going to have to make some big calls before the flop and get a little lucky. Remember that the blinds get very big and players will go all-in frequently when they are short stacked. If you have a hand that's better than marginal, you should call a few of those and try to eliminate your competition. However, if another player calls the all-in before your turn, don't call unless you have a very good starting hand. It's best to let other players battle it out when possible. Remember that in multi table tournaments, it's not as important to win money as it is to have other players eliminated. You want to finish in the top positions.
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Knowing When to Quit
Remember that to be a winning poker player, you don't have to win some money at every sitting. You have to be able to accept that you will loose on some days. When that happens, it's important to be able to quit. Don't be fooled into thinking that you had bad luck for so long that you must get lucky eventually. This kind of thinking will only bring you more frustration and loosing. Even the best players are defeated on some days. What makes them great is that they're able to accept it knowing that they played the best they could.
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Advanced Mistakes
Playing too predictably
If you always play certain hands the same way, players at your table will eventually learn your betting patterns. You should try to throw people off by mixing up your still at times. This is especially important when you play at the same table for a long time and you feel that the other players are decent.
Not considering your opponent's hand
The strength of your hand is not important in poker; what is important is the strength of your hand relative to the strength of the other people's hands. It is essential that you grasp this concept in order to be a successful poker player. You should avoid concentrating too much on the strength of your hand and consider what your opponents might be holding. For example, if you hold a pair of aces when to flop turns 6-7-8 suited and you are following a bet and a raise, you must realize that, although you had the best starting hand, your hand now has very little value.
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