Advanced Poker Strategy -
Understanding Whether Dynamic Value of Hands
Justify Playing
The dynamic value of
hands is one of the most contested aspects in
poker. This is because no standard has been set
to determine the hand ranking. A key reason for
this is that hand value tends to vary with the
number of players in the pot. It can be
difficult to determine how to treat your
starting hands when the dynamics shift in the
game. So, when the game alternates between
becoming tight and loose, the number of players
in the pot will also vary. In such a situation,
ideally your game should be based on your hand
and the number of players against whom it can be
used. Here are the types of hands that you may
have in the game:
Suited connectors
Play with a suited
connector only if the pot odds are in your
favour, as this is the key reason why you should
do so. In addition to this, the pot should have
more than three players in it. If you are
playing a multi-way pot using suited connectors,
the possibility that you may have a straight or
flush with the potential to win when hit, are
significant.
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Small pairs
The value of a small
pair can change tremendously when the game's
dynamics change. A situation in which the small
pair has the potential to win is when the
opponent's hand lacks the potential to hit any
card on the board. Here, you can use the pairs
and play into a multi-way pot. Typically, such a
hand poses two possibilities. Firstly, you may
not hit a significantly effective hand with them
on the board. Secondly, you may hit a
considerably good hand such that you have a
straight, flush or three-of-a-kind. So, when you
play with the small pairs, your key goal should
ideally be to turn the pot odds in your favor.
Big hands
A big hand typically
has pairs like K-Q, A-Q and A-K and is extremely
useful in games that are short-handed. Ideally,
with this hand by the flop, you should attempt
to bring the pot down. You can also try to
discourage your opponent from seeing the turn,
by making it extremely expensive. If you hit the
board with a big hand, ensure that your
opponent's hand is one that can be beaten, if
not he will most likely draw against you.
Large pairs
A large pair is that
which has J-J or better. Also known as a premium
hand, it has an extremely high value in poker,
as its ability to win is independent of the
cards on the board. You can value raise this
pair pre-flop if your intention is to take
several players out of the round. However, the
decision to raise should be based on your
assessment of the possibility of your opponents
having hands that have the potential to win if
the street has a scare card. If this happens,
another player will be able to win the pot at
this stage - despite you having the highest
chance of winning it until then.
So, play this hand
cautiously especially when a considerable number
of players are still in the pot by the river.
You can prevent this from happening if you make
high raises at the flop such that the players in
the pot reduce. Then, re-raise players after you
have been raised. This will increase the price
of seeing the flop. If you continue to raise at
the flop it will further cut down the players at
the pot.
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