Level 1 - Basic Dashboard For a Novice Part 2

These are some further basic things for a poker player at Level 11:

1. Never try to bluff a pot if there are more than 3 opponents still in the hand. A bluff has its best chance of working against only 1 opponent, and then becomes progressively less likely to work as you face more opponents. Easy logic - because it is more likely that someone will have a hand that they feel is worth a call. There is a good time to bluff: If everyone checks the flop and you are near or on the button, if the turn comes and everyone checks again to you then you should bet regardless of what you hold and regardless of how many players are still in the pot, but this is a special case. But as a general rule, never try to bluff for the pot when there are 4 or more of you still in it.

2. When I talk about tournament levels, I mean the level of the blinds. So "first 3 levels" refers to the first 30 hands dealt out in a tournament. In tournaments you compare your stack to the blinds - first and foremost. All strategy is going to be based on the size of the blinds. So, when the blinds are $10/$20 and you have $1000 in front of you it is acceptable to play loose and stay in the hand for only $20 with nearly anything (provided you know it will only cost you $20 - that is why you have to be more careful when you are in early position: you can call for $20 but someone on your left makes it $200 - now you`ve thrown away $20 for nothing). When the blinds are $100/$200 and you have $1000 you are waiting for a HUGE hand because every bet you call costs you 20% of your stack, at the least.

3. Not all drawing hands are worth chasing to the same extent.

If you hold 9-T and the flop comes 3-7-8 you have an open-ended straight draw. This means that either a 6 or a J will make a straight for you. That gives you 8 chances to win and is worth playing for (under the right circumstances...a future lesson). If you hold 9-T and the flop comes J-K-A you have a gut-shot or inside straight draw. This means that a Q will give you a straight but it is the ONLY card that will give you the straight. You have 4 chances to win, and shouldn`t chase these hands, because your chances of hitting the hand are so much smaller.

Play them only when it is very cheap to do so. Do you see that certain straight draws are twice as likely to hit as others?

Most people don`t see the difference.

3b) This one is important - never draw to a straight that isn`t the best straight on the board. This one is key for NOVICES.

Let`s say you hold 7-8 and the flop comes 9-T-2. You`re playing because it is open-ended and on the turn you hit the J. You get excited because you have a straight. You need to realize that there is plenty of danger here. You have the LOW end of the straight. Anyone with Q-K has a bigger straight and will crush you. Anyone with a Q will have the potential to crush you if the river brings an 8 or a K, and you won`t see it until you are out of chips. With this example you really want the 6 to hit because that would have given you the nut straight. The J brings you possibility but also danger. NEVER EVER BET when you have made the lowest end of this straight: 8-9-T-J is a the board and you hold the 7. This type of board, which has 4 consecutive cards and you hold the bottom end is very dangerous and you should be careful.

It is called the ass-end of the straight, and you should never be at that end.

4. Two-pair in no-limit hold `em (when the board is NOT paired) is a VERY STRONG hand.

When you flop two-pair and the board is NOT paired, you are usually going to win the hand. This is key to remember, especially when you played in one of the blinds with crap cards. You hold 8-3 and the flop comes 8-3-2. You are winning here 95% of the time. If someone was betting before the flop, representing a big pair and you hit this kind of flop it is a fucking jackpot of a hand. Think about it: You hold KK and the flop comes 8-3-2. You are sure you`re winning and will be willing to bet it all that you are winning. This by the way is the #1 reason NOT TO SLOW PLAY big hands before the flop.

Imagine you just called before the flop with KK because you wanted lots of players because you thought that would = more money. Ok, so I stayed in the big blind for free with 83. Guess what? I just knocked you out of the tournament for GOOD, all because you wanted to make a few extra chips, AND you`ll tell everyone it was a "bad beat" and a "suck-out". But it wasn`t at all, it was bad play by you. You ALLOWED me to stay in and beat you.

5. You can allow five players to stay in at $20 a head. Or raise to $100 and get 1 caller. You are ALWAYS better off with the second outcome.

The idea of allowing other hands to stay in is the worst one of all in no-limit poker. Other hands improve and beat you all the time. 1 caller not only narrows down the opponents, but you also KNOW what he holds, more or less. If I raise it to $100 and get all the $20 callers to fold except 1 we can be pretty sure he has high-cards but not paired high-cards (he would re-raise). He might also have 2 suited cards, and he might have a weak A. This is a lot to go on, especially if we bet after the flop, regardless of the flop, and then see where he is. Eventually we can work out EXACTLY what he has. If you face 5 opponents it is very hard to work them all out, and you`ll only know you`re beaten at the end when you flip over the cards.