Poker Choreography

You take a seat at a no-limit casino poker table where all of the other players are strangers. Do you usually have a game plan or a specific strategy?

For example, if you normally tend to play “tight aggressive” (play mainly premium hands and bet them boldly), you might want to play a few loose hands during the first two or three rounds to disguise your style. And of course, if you get caught bluffing, that is often a good PR investment.

An opposite approach is to fold most hands and play extremely tight during the first few rounds. And try to show off most of the very premium hands that you do play. After you have established yourself as a “locksmith”, then you can often steal quite a few extra pots.

Another specific example of using this “psychological momentum” is when raising all-in before-the-flop with big slick (ace-king). Many experts believe that the “fast” approach yields the best percentage winrate with an ace-king – which is sometimes described as “the second most dangerous hand in hold’em” (pocket jacks are worse).

One of the arguments for playing big slick fast is that the opponents usually fold to an all-in bet or raise more than half the time. That folding likelihood is significantly increased if the opponents have been preprogrammed to believe that you usually have pocket aces or pocket kings for your all-in preflop raises.

I was recently at a bridge tournament in Memphis, where, after the evening bridge sessions, it was merely a short drive to the Tunica, Mississippi casinos. After playing several hours at a lively $2-$5 no limit hold’em table at the Horseshoe, I had gone all-in before the flop twice – with pocket kings and pocket aces. My pocket kings had held up and my pocket aces had not been called. But I proudly displayed them anyway.

During the next several hours, I held big-slick three times. I was able to raise all-in before the flop all three times. Twice I was not called and the third time I flopped a king and won.

Although not all of your opponents will notice what you and the other players are doing, when you look around the table, you will often notice that some of the better opponents are also looking around – and probably looking at you. So it makes sense that you should give them something to look at. Thus, whenever you make a play that varies from your usual style, you should publicize it as much as practical.

Another very basic aspect of your game plan is your “loved versus feared” image. Do you usually “go with the flow” and play like “one of the guys,” or are you usually considered to be a “maverick?” Notwithstanding the old adage which says to play tight in a loose game and loose in a tight game, it is often advantageous to be “friendly” and do what everybody else is doing – just do it better. Although a clever maverick can sometimes thrive against some hostile forces, occupational hazards do occur more frequently when everyone is out gunning for you.

If there is a hostile presence in the game, it is clearly best to maneuver seats so that they are sitting on your right. And of course it is quite advantageous to have a “friendly” person sitting on your left. On nights when the good cards are scarce, it is very helpful when friendly opponents say, “go ahead, take it,” when you are speculating or bluffing.

Every now and then, you will look around the table and see a big sign hovering over the pot which says “TAKE ME.” So you should certainly try a bet – especially when you are “among friends.” Note well that being “nice” is almost always the best percentage play and hence should be part of your game plan. Nice guys are allowed to win more pots. And even Machiavelli would have to agree that at the poker table, it is better to be loved than feared.

In poker, as in most other endeavors in life, you know what you are trying to do, so you should have a realistic game plan to accomplish it. ♠

Formerly a career lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice, Mike Cappelletti has written numerous books on poker and bridge, and is considered to be one of the leading authorities on Omaha. Mike has also represented the U.S. in international bridge competition, and he and his wife were featured in a four-page Couples Section in People magazine. His books include Cappelletti on Omaha, Poker at the Millennium (with Mike Caro), and Omaha High Low Poker.