Observing the game before joining it can be helpful.
Recently I decided to play on a certain Internet site, one of these promising projects with great software, which I have never appeared on. Before I start playing, I usually watch the game for a while in order to catch the style of my future opponents and get an additional advantage in the game. All this is much easier to do on the Internet, because the process is much faster there than in real life, and besides, it is possible to view the hand history. Of course, in doing so, you sacrifice the opportunity to observe the physical behavior of the players. Nevertheless, in both real and virtual life, pre-game observation allows me at the initial stage to avoid mistakes associated with a lack of information.
It was a $ 30-60 game. In the first game I watched, several players, including the button, limped before the flop, the small blind supported, the big raised, and then everyone called.
The flop came 9-8-3 offsuit. The small blind checked and the big bet bet. The player in early position folded, the player to the right of the button made a call, and the button went up. The small blind folded and everyone else called.
The turn brought the four of the next suit. Two players to the button checked and the button bet 60 bucks. The big blind check-raised, the third player folded, and the button bet third. The big blind supported her.
The river showed a 3. Both players checked. The big blind showed two tens, and the button, showing everyone else how unlucky he was, showed 9-8 offsuit - he made two pair on the flop, but the river dashed his hopes.
Seeing only one hand played, I already knew that I had got to the right place. The game I watched was disgusting, and it’s the difference between your skill level and your opponent’s skill that gives you the edge.
I was already overjoyed when I saw the player open 9-8 offsuit. The art of hand selection is key to winning, and 9-8 offsuit is not the kind of hand you can expect to win. Further, the rally of two tens also demonstrated the inability to play.
But I liked the big blind raise he made before the flop with two tens in his hand. I know there are many who disagree with this approach, but I love to raise because in the event of an empty flop that gives me an overpair, with my image as a tight player, I can dissuade other overcards from continuing to the turn (which would be case is correct). They'll have to assume that I might have two aces or two kings, and that by calling, they'll get the second strongest hand. However, if you are perceived in such a way that in such a situation they will follow you with overcards, it would be wiser to say “check” before the flop.
What I really disliked was the big blind's support for the flop raise with dozens, which he did with the intention of checking-raising the turn, because many players in this position raise and then buy a free card on the turn. When you flat-call a raise with the intention of checking-raising the turn, you run the risk that your opponent will simply check and you will lose potential income. By placing your third bet on the flop, you take the initiative from your opponent. The critical point to always keep in mind if you are hoping to lure your opponent into a trap by check-raising is determining if your opponent has the opportunity to buy a free card.
By simply calling, he gives the next caller 15 to 1 current odds to call, which determines whether it is correct to call with weak hands. If, instead, the player with tens goes to the third bet, he will push harder on the weak hands and force those that would support one bet to fold. Also, it would be correct for him to support two bets with a wide variety of hands on such a board. Whenever you get to fold a player whose correct action would be to call and continue playing, you benefit. A player with tens would risk one bet in order to get rid of someone, eliminate the possibility of another player buying a free card, and, perhaps, with a better hand, increase the pot.
I also think he should have placed a bet on the river. Most likely
The button's hand is 9-8, which the player with tens has already bought. More importantly, from the way the trade was going, the button probably guessed that the big blind was holding an overpair and simply checked after him.
And if he raised the player with tens, then he would think about the fact that the button could have a set (although the player with 9-8 would most likely raise the bet before the flop, if he had 9-9 or 8-8, and therefore a set is not very likely), and would face a difficult decision. Although, if you avoid any development of events in which you have to make difficult decisions, you, without any doubt, refuse certain benefits, and, consequently, earnings.
After just watching the game for a while, I already had good information about some of my opponents. I learned from the chat that the 12'000$ player was a sports bettor who snatched the pot of a winning player, knew a little about poker, but he was lucky. I saw that one player raised any cards when he was in sixth or later position. I saw a player in the big blind call two bets with 5-2 suited. I felt the table even before I bought my chips.
And all this increased my advantage, which in turn increased my expectation, thereby having a positive impact on my subsequent income. Despite this, in two hours I lost $ 300, but poker is poker, and this is a topic for another article.
Author: Roy cooke
English 
Russian