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The G-Spot: Pleasure Your Poker Playing Profits

Putting Opponents on Actions

By By Tony Guerrera

Poker is about much more than just your cards. It's also about how your opponents play. Putting opponents on hand distributions is a big part of determining how your opponents play, but it's only half of what you need to do when you read your opponents. You also need to predict how your opponents respond to your actions:

1.) If your hand compares unfavorably to your opponents' hand distributions, lines of play may exist that will force your opponents to fold often enough for you to show a long-term profit.

2.) Suppose you're in a hand of no-limit hold'em, and you put an opponent on a range of weak hands that are all better than your hand. For example, you missed a straight draw with 87, and you put your opponent on ace-high or bottom pair. Many foes will fold to bets on the river with such hands "but not all of them." Bluffing is only a good play if your opponent is the type who will fold such hands.

3.) If your hand compares favorably to your opponents' hand distributions, size your bets such that you extract value or take pots down immediately depending on what the circumstances dictate..

4.) Know when you're against a tricky opponent capable of inducing a mistake from you when you have a good "but not" great hand. Ideally, when in such a situation, you should employ lines of play that allow you to see showdowns relatively easily and cheaply. You don't want to fold too many winners; simultaneously, you don't want to lose lots of chips in big pots when you're beaten.

Once you're able to put your opponents on accurate hand and action distributions, you can have complete control over your table. You'll know how to make as many chips as possible with your very good hands, you'll know how to maximize value while minimizing losses with your decent "but not great" hands, and you'll find ways to win chips even when you're not getting good hole cards or hitting flops. To be a good player, you need to be good at accomplishing all of these tasks.

Tony Guerrera is the author of Killer Poker By The Numbers and coauthor of Killer Poker Shorthanded (with John Vorhaus). Visit him at www.killerev.com.

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