All great Poker Players have the ability to laydown a great hand in the heat of battle.
How many times have you seen on television a critical hand in a poker tournament that has someone faced with a big decision on calling a bet?
What goes through the mind of the winning poker player when faced with this decision?
Allow yourself to imagine a scene of you faced with a similar situation. What would you do?
When considering making a big laydown Phil Gordon came up with several factors to consider in his work “Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book”
- Is my opponents play consistent? If yes, laydown that big hand. If no, a call may be the right play
- Does this decision make me pot committed? If more cards to come do I have the correct pot odds to call. If I don’t call I have made a big mistake by giving up a big opportunity to make a big stack.
- Do my opponents respect my play? Do they know I usually have a big hand and they probably have me beat it is time to laydown but, if they have no respect it is time to call.
- Have I been forced off hands recently, if so, time to call. No time to become a pushover. If not, may be good time to laydown
- Can the opponent afford a mistake. If yes, call. If no, probably fold
Almost everyone will have to make a critical laydown to become a winning poker player. in this lesson you have learned some key factors that will help you make the correct decision for your situation.
Now take a look at your play. Do you think like a winning poker player and know what to consider when making a laydown?
Personally, I love poker tournaments because the strategy it forces you to use as the blinds increase is much more exciting than the grind of live cash games.
One strategy I have used recently is that of positional raises with a tight aggressive image. You would be amazed at the success of my bluffs and the payoffs for my nut hands. Of course it all depends on the type of player you are up against to use this strategy. Some players will call in the early stages of an event no matter what image you present.
Chris Ferguson talks about a strategy he uses to manage his bankroll.
He says to play small stakes first and if you do good and beat these games move up to higher stakes.
Never play more than 5% of your bankroll on any game and if you lose move down to lower stakes until you build your bankroll back up to afford the higher stakes.
For tournaments never risk more than 2% of your bankroll.
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