Minimizing Risk By Managing Poker Pot Sizes

By Bill Kernow

Every move you make during a hand has an implication on the size of the pot. It's critical you keep this in mind because a majority of the confrontations that you are involved in should be small pots compared to your stack size. The point is to avoid getting involved in large pots, unless you are certain you are strongest in the hand.

So you need to take a close look at your actions during a hand and be able to comprehend what the result of checking, calling or raising might be. Even though you might have the best hand when you make a bet, that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to have the winner on the river. In order to manage pot size, you also need to understand the real strength of your hand based on what community cards are out there, and also the profile of your opponent.

Reckon also if you are going to make a raise or re-raise, that the style of opponent you are playing actually has the experience to fold - when they really should be laying it down. I've seen many players in online tournaments look at a fair strength draw on the flop, and resolve to just let it ride. Of course, that's going to be a large pot and even though you're ahead, you will oftentimes get drawn out and find yourself losing a big hand, or even worse. You really want to avoid this, particularly in the early tournament levels when there is no reason to become short stacked save for a huge suck out, when the blinds are so low.

Pot size also affects your reads, and how accurately you can put your opponent on a hand. if a pot is large and your opponent is calling you can be reasonably sure they are holding something of value (or maybe they are just a calling station!) Larger pots will be tempting for many players, but the added risks involved mean extra possibilities for bluffing with a less than ideal hand.

Now that leads to the most significant advantage of controlling the size of the pot, which is that you get to see all five cards on the board before you really decide what to do in terms of your hand strength and your opponent's propensity to make an error. Potential draws or paired boards exhibit themselves to dangerous spots but could either turn into big hand for you or help you slow down and save you some tournament chips.

Managing the pot size needs emotional discipline, effective profiling, and an experienced understanding of community card texture. Conversely, it is one of the most common misplays your adversaries will be making, and presents an lucrative opportunity for you to double up. - 31897

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