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A significant component of the game of poker, even free poker games is the ability to walk away from a table at the right time. For example, you’ve settled in for an eight hour 1-2 No Limits game. Your starting bankroll is two hundred Dollars. You have been playing for only 2 hours and are up to 600 dollars, should you walk away?

Or, on a less positive note, after two hours you’re down 300, and had only budgeted that much as your maximum allowed loss. Do you go get more money from the ATM or bail out and go home on a bit of a downer?

These scenarios are simple and get repeated every day, thousands of times on poker tables and websites globally and, the bottom line is, you need self discipline and awareness of your bankroll else you can lose very badly. There have been times when I have sat down at a poker table, won 500 in 2 hours, and then ended up losing it all during the next 6 hours.

Often times I am set on playing for a certain period of time, and will not call it quits until that time is reached. Discipline is a component of my game that I must continue to work on if I plan on seeing positive results at the poker table.

Let’s explore another scenario. I have been playing at a 1-2 NL table for 2 hours, I am stuck 600. Over the next 6 hours, I claw my way back to almost even, and am down 30 dollars.

What should I do? Seeing that I made my way back to almost even, should I continue playing due to my hot streak? Or seeing that I was able to make it back to even, should I just call it a day and walk away with a minimal loss?

Often times I make the mistake of continuing my play, only to end up losing the money that I worked on getting back. My advice based on personal experience, it is best to walk away after hours of clawing your way back from a large deficit.

Here is one more scenario for all of you to contemplate. You are at a table that is throwing chips around like they have no value attached to them. Players are going all in with Ace rags and they are losing hundreds of dollars and do not seem to care.

They clearly have big bankrolls or more money than sense if they look like they’re going to play so recklessly for hours. Your bankroll is small, but you feel that this may be an opportunity for you to double up or even triple up.

Is this type of table ideal? Or are you better off to play at a tighter table with more skilled players?

I have often made the mistake of staying at a table of reckless players with a minimal bank roll. When I lose a 200 dollar pot, I am half way to losing my entire bank roll. When those reckless donkeys lose 200, they pull out more cash like its monopoly money.

The bottom line is that a good skilled player should not fall to the temptation of playing with reckless donkeys.

In summary I strongly advise that you play games with tighter, if better players and win more small pots as opposed to taking large risks on bigger pots and maybe losing your bankroll totally. In addition to this start small and play free poker first to learn the in’s and out’s of the game. As they say, learn to walk before you run then, when you are fully ready you can play for real money. If you are a total novice then good free sites will have play free poker sections which I advise you check out before playing.

In any type of poker game from free poker games upward you’ll find strong experienced players who can effortlessly switch gear and play approach throughout the tournament. At the same time they’re also very good at spotting changes in behaviour in other players. So as well as playing unpredictably themselves they can also spot unpredictable play by others and either set counter traps or just use the knowledge to avoid getting knocked out by ambushes.

In this free poker article we’ll look at an example of this sort of play in which the players “suspicion itch” avoided an expensive experience at the hands of another cunning player.

BLINDS 3k/6k

PREFLOP:

A has As-Jd and raises to 16k

This is often a standard raise from early position. But notice B’s audacious, but well-timed reraise:

B has Ac-7s and reraises to 45k

B’s plan may be to take any joiners to the Flop and then attempt a large continuation bet (also known as C-bet) if other players check on the Flop. By reraising he also deters others from coming in which makes the C-bet more effective. In this example though the reraise was not enough for C:

C has 10d-10c from BB and calls 39k (Pot 117k)

At thus stage A might imagine that B had something such as A-K. Also, B has position over A, so A folds.

FLOP: 10s-4c-Qh

C bets 30k

C has a Set and now makes a very small bet! A Set should be played strongly here, because there is a probable Straight draw on the Board (a K-J or A-K will be OK enough to call a 30k bet on a 117k pot). Probably what he was hoping for is that B will interpret this as a C-bet, a bluff, and, considering how aggressive B was preflop, B will continue on his aggression by raising. This will produce a good spot for C to move all-in at.

So if B believed that C did a continuation bet, then he should respond by raising. However, at a 117,000 pot, what size should a continuation bet be? Half the pot? Comparable to the size of the pot? Is a small bet a C-bet? (Looks suspicious).

B is now able to think, rightly, that C had a strong hand when he called B’s preflop reraise (another suspicion), and then C strengthened his hand through the flop, and so is value- betting (third suspicion!).

B cannot raise this (if he did C will push all-in); also, B cannot call this for he has Ace-rag which is nothing, and so B folds. Good usage of a suspicious activity detector ability!

And so there ends the lesson, maybe not so much a how to play poker for beginners one as it is a bit in depth but if you’re more experienced I am hoping this resonates with you. To get more practice and learn better how to spot shady actions but without risking money it is a great idea to play poker online free tournaments at quality free online poker sites sites before you risk money on your hunches.

Strong money game and free poker games players often amaze me with their ability to put their opponents on hands with incredible regularity. We all do this to some extent but even the good players can over use this tactic on occasion especially in poker tournaments and you can lose chips as a result. It is a particular danger if you are playing when tired. Read here what one player did; probably he is already exhausted so he committed an untimely mistake, I hope seeing this will help you avoid such a situation and save you some money or if you’re in free poker games your chips.

BLINDS 3k/6k

PREFLOP:

A has Kd-Kc, raises to 16k
B has Ad-9d, is on BB, calls10k (Pot 44k)

A’s standard raise (about 2.5x the big blind)  raise is intended to hide the actual strength of his hand. B’s call is discounted, so he makes it.

FLOP: 9c-5h-Qh

A bets 22k
B calls 22k (Pot 88k)

The 22k bet seems like a continuation bet in a Flop which is not so likely to hit anyone, and at this point B may think A is on a draw (a Flush draw or a Straight draw) and so calls in order to try to improve his hand.

TURN: 9c-5h-Qh-7c

A bets 109k

What did A want to do with his 109k bet in a pot of 88k?

Let’s see, before we see what B does:

Question: Was he signifying that he hit a Nine-high Straight?
Answer: Possibly, since there are 2 Flush draws on the table that could threaten his Straight if he keeps going to the River. He wants to end the hand, or he wants to give insufficient odds for anyone with a Flush draw to call. Or, maybe he is representing all of these.

Question: Might he have A-Q or something?
Answer: No idea! Perhaps I put him on the hand at the Flop though I wasn’t putting him on it after the Flop. Would he pile up 109k on just A-Q? What if I have K-K? He doesn’t know what I have; I called at a reduced price from the BB. Also, favorably, he may have a 10-9 or J-9, and I have a huge advantage.

Question: What else do you think he had?
Answer: A Flush draw or a Straight draw. Either way my pair of Nines is leading, so I call.

Question: Even though it’s for all your chips?
Answer: This is the best hand I’ve had for hours!

B calls all-in 109k (Pot 306k)

B forgot to think that A may have K-K or A-A. Based on the theoretical question-answer set above, Bs answers mean that on looking at the table B believed that As cards are related to the table so as to Pair up one of As cards and make a 5-card hand (Straight or Flush) or a possible 5-card hand. The fundamental error being made is that B was only thinking about the board and not what A’s hand may be and, in doing so forgot to put A on other hands that might not be so readily matched to the Board cards. Plus, being tired he compounded the error by calling with a marginal hand to get it over with and the result was being knocked out of the game.

So make sure when you play not to overplay and play tired and if you are keep back to basics or play free poker else your body and mind may play tricks on you. And if you are new to poker online then you do get mind fried more quickly so try some how to play poker for beginners games and free poker coaching first before stepping into extended tournament poker games.

Gambling (playing risky hands in important situations) in poker tournaments is generally a bad idea but there are times when you might want to and in this free poker games guide you’ll learn when and how. The question of when to gamble is easy to answer. The time is in the knockout stages, when you need to get rid of opponents as in the example below.

This hand was shown on the Flop. (Pot 980k)

FLOP: 5c-8d-10s

A has J-10, moves all-in 1.235m (Pot 2.215m)
B has J-9, to call 1.235m

It turns out that A is short-stacked but has top-pair and may double up. B has a Straight draw. It’s irrelavent if A has an overpair, a set or only a pair such as a top pair like his J-Ten, or only just an 8. B has a great chance to win if he gets the Straight, and if A does not have a Set, which A does not have at this stage that could be turned into a Full House; for this A needs running cards but is only getting 1.79-to-1 on a call, which is too little.

Fair odds will be 2.33-to-1, which signifies that B’s potential for winning is only 30% (other outs may be folded already by other players). If B knew that A had top pair, should he call? (Naturally, A may be bluffing, but even if A had A-K, B will still be an underdog.)

Pot odds may offer information, but will it offer enough resolution for B to make the challenging call? Suppose, now, we add that (a) B is below the chip average in the tournament and (b) this call is for 1/3 of B’s stack. We might should also guess that this is actually the best hand that B has obtained after numerous hands, and B is blinding out dangerously. Can this stiffen B’s resolve to make the call? In tournaments, an intricate balance between survival and accumulating chips is paramount.

B can survive by folding, but he may miss out the opportunities that a bigger stack could have. Bigger stacks can call shorter stacks who move all-in. Bigger stacks can steal blinds more frequently. He can also move above chip average. But if B misses his draw, he will be awfully short-stacked and will be more easily called if he decides to move all-in with hazardous hands, like A-J that is an underdog against a better Ace or a pocket pair.

The question, now, is this: Does B take into account the difference between 1.79-to-1 and 2.33-to-1 a worthwile price to pay to be able to obtain some of the potential opportnities a big stack can have? On a pot of 2,215,000, if B needs 1,235,000 to call he gets 1.79-to-1. But for B to call with fair odds on a pot of 2,215,000, he is meant to put only 30% of 2,215,000, which is 664,500.

There is a difference of 570,500 chips. We could transform the real scenario to a mathematically equivalent question: Would B be willing to give up an additional 570,500, theoretically, in order to enjoy the privileges of a big stack, as well as to avoid the hazards of a short-stack? Even in free poker games this would be a hard decision, with money on the table even more so.

With the problem mathematically remodeled, the solution now depends upon B’s character. Is he conservative generally? Then he can fold and wait for better hands. He might not be able to psychologically recover if he loses the hand, and might play less attentively later. But it turns out that B is a willing gambler, therefore:

B calls 1.235m (Pot 3.45m)

And then he does make the call! Not a favorite, but this is also a chance to knock out a good player.

TURN: 5c-8d-10s-2d

But, not quite yet. B has one more opportunity to try to knock out A.

RIVER: 5c-8d-10s-2d-7h

He gets it! The gamble has worked. But such grand decisions should be made only after huge considerations. If B had a bigger stack (above chip average), he should fold because he might waste away his chips on poor odds and might turn a comfortable stack into a shaky one.

Although if B had an even bigger stack – close to chip leader – he might call, because it will be just a small blow to his chips. Yet if B’s stack is equal or less than A then he can’t call if he knows A has top pair as he will likely get pushed all-in, and if that happens then there is a great danger of the opponent having a monster hand waiting to kill you off. B made his call, but only at the right conditions and even if you only play poker online for free take care before making moves like this!

You might be playing free poker games or a cash poker game, your hand is A, 10 and the board at the river is 8,6,Q,3,2.

What do you think opponent might have? It might be 7-6, Q,x or something.

However, notice the board: It contains no opportunities for Straights to form. So you can figure out that if your opponent called (just called) your last two bets which are bluffs, then you can put him on a Straight draw (possibly 9-7 or 10-9).

What you want is for him to think you’ve got a Queen, but you think you’ve got the strongest hand (lets assume that you do have the strongest hand too). And lets say that you’re not going to call a bet as you have not got anything, and you won’t raise a bettor. Should you check or bet?

Let us see the differences between the outcomes of these two actions. Suppose you are first to act, and you just check. If you do that are you sure he will show his busted Straight draw? You can’t be.

If he has a hand as good as J-8 or 9-6 expect a showdown. But if your opponent missed his draws, then he will try to save himself the embarrassment of being a draw-chaser by bluffing, and you will fold.

He won’t check Nine-high or Ten-high, of course. Expect a small bet which you won’t call.

If he moves first checks, and then you check, you do so in the belief that your Ace-high is the better hand. The problem though is that to show the Ace-high confirms you as a bluffer which can cause problems later as others will note this and look to run you down with hands  like small pocket pairs. So you gain chips now, but at the cost of cramping your aggressive (maybe loose-aggressive) style.

Now suppose you are first to act, and you bet. Because your opponent has a busted draw, do not expect that he will call. You still win the pot. Furthermore, because the hand ended before you show down your hole cards, then your opponent will be left guessing as to what your hand really was.

This is the position you want to put your opponent in – he has a lot of guesswork to do, and his brain will be muddled as to what you are holding and as to what you may be holding if you repeat your bluffing later.

Even someone with 9-8 may fold. Why? Because you played strongly in the Flop and the Turn – and still in the river. Your opponent might put you on the Queen or on an overpair or eve J-J; in either case, he thinks his second top Pair is beat.

If your opponent checks, and you bet, it is almost the same as if you are first to act, and you bet.

Bluffing with the best hand is nearly a contradiction in terms: you bluff only if you make better hands fold. But, in this case, it may be better to make anybody else fold – best hand or worst hand – so as to preserve your unreadability which will pay off later.

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It’s a rarer occurrence in poker, it might occur when you play free poker games or equally in big money games, when you’ve got, for example, J-9 and the flop shows J-J-9.

You check, and your opponent bets, you call. Then the Turn comes and it’s a 6, your action is to check again, and again your opponent bets. You call.

Now at the River it’s a 2. One last time you check and the opposition places a large bet, maybe even moves all-in, then you call. You finally reveal your monster J-9 against your opponents, say, 9-7.

Typically with good made hands (such as AK in a flop of A,10,3) we will bet aggressive in the hope that  the opposition will think it’s a bluff and play back. Or we hope they will put us on a draw and call us, or that they have a showdown-quality hand which is not strong enough for our hand and then call us. Or they’re not confident enough to call with their draw (say, KQ) and so fold.

Yet with powerful made hands, in particular at the Flop, such as in the J,9 example, you are able to slow play. That is to say, we play passively on the hope that our opponent will bet strongly so we can take away most of their chips.

Note that with a J-9 in the J-J-9 Flop, our checks may mean, that we may not have anything, or we may have just a draw (say, Q-10) so that they will bet on the hope that they will drive out our draw. They can’t. Our hand is like an erect statue already that is nearly impossible to demolish. The 9-7 our opponent has is decent enough to take to showdown.

Now in the above example, what we’d really like the opponent to have is Q,10. Our check might mean we’ve got nothing and they might check and go along with us or choose to semi bluff with the open end Straight draw. We just call.

Why wouldn’t we do the same with, say, A-J? Because with A-J, we have only Trips, and we do not want to give our opponent free cards to complete a Straight that can kill off our Trips. So we bet big, or raise big, and hope that the opponent folds, or at least put your opponent in the awkward situation of calling without sufficient pot odds.

But with the J,9, we just take it easy and play slow. Because if your opponent hits his Straight, then he will bet big, so you can raise him. And it escalates to all-ins and calls and in a jiffy all or most of his chips are yours!

If your opponent didn’t hit his Straight, however, your slow play might mean to him that you’re the one on a draw, and you are playing passively because you are waiting for the right cards to fall. Nope! The right cards have already fallen! He will bluff, and you can take away all you can. Or he may just be in the proper mood to bluff with any hand (say, K-9 or eve A-K) and you can take his chips.

So, with very big hands that are nearly impossible to beat, we should play it slowly because you want your opponents hand to improve into a nearly-matched hand. If they hit their Straight, for example. Should you raise them he might get scared off and not complete the Straight, and you’ll get less chips than if you’d played slow.

Or with 9-7, he may hit an additional Nine, thus giving him a smaller Full House. Another reason is that if your opponent is in such a mood to bluff that he is willing to bluff all the way, even with nothing, then you can strip off his chips, so give him that chance to bluff.

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To score bigger poker wins, be you a free poker games or big money player you have to be able to put your opponents off their balance, be able to unnerve them and make them fear what you have planned for them. Most of all you want to make them pay through the nose for any transient gains or information you have to give them and in doing so allow you to set them up for even bigger falls later.

This is not simply about bluffing. I define bluffing more a granular hand level tactical ploy whereas what we are talking about here is more in the realm of strategy.

Your goal is to force them to think that the risk of their potential gain in playing in a way that might beat you is too risky to justify. Make them fold out or make errors and/or if they do go through with it and win a hand the price they pay is to give you information on their playing style while all they get is fearful knowledge of your unpredictable playing style. Lets look at some examples of this in action.

If you have A-A and the Flop comes 9-8-3, if you bet and you get a call, you expect your opponent to have paired one of his hole cards. Your opponent may also have a Straight draw with J-10 or 7-6. In the first case, you can afford to reach showdown because your opponent is also willing to reach showdown, but is unwilling to raise or call raises, so you play semi-aggressively; check-call or value-bet. In the second case, your hand may be unplayable if your opponent hits a Five or a Queen later. In this situation you have to play your Aces more aggressively than in the first case.

How is this?
When your opponent doesn’t have something, why should you play more strongly? Precisely that, since they don’t have anything. In case one, the opposition has “something”, but it isn’t good enough to beat yours. A few value bets are a good idea as he might fold if you bet too strong. In case 2, your strong play has the aim of forcing him or her to remain in a state of nothingness. If he hits the Five or a Queen (or a Flush card), your Aces are quite unplayable if he plays-back too strongly later.

Make your opponents pay for their draws. Usually they are unwilling to pay; if you check, they check too. If you bet, they call. So: if you think your opponent is drawing, don’t check, and bet massively. Make the pot odds turn against their favor.

If they decide to call your bet, it’s time to be careful. If they suddenly take the lead during the later rounds by betting or by raising you, you have to think twice whether they are really on a draw or not during the Flop. But if they check, take the lead again. Perhaps they are still on a draw, and if they have hit it or not, they’ll remind you with their sudden and swift but all-too-readable actions, and you can fold your Aces without much remorse.

In the river, if no Straight or Flush-possible cards fall, you should bet again. Avoid showing your hand as much as possible. Your opponent can’t call here – and will fold. If you show your hand then your opponent will get a hint as to what your playing style is. So make your opponent pay for this information as well.

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Poker has become a big business that some people playing poker make it their full time job. You often see stories in the newspapers and on the television about people flying to Vegas and winning up big after having whittled away at perfecting their skills at home on the internet and competing in local tournaments. How can you make a profession by playing poker online?

Online poker is absolutely huge business. If you know what you are doing, over million dollars are excess that they handing over so that’s immense money to be won. It’s important to remember that the game of poker is a game of skill. Mastering the skill will allow you to know if you are ahead or when to quit, in this case it’s trouble free for you to make money.

Learning the whole thing you know about playing poker is the key when using the system. Skilled players can often play four different tables at the same time, and if you’re smart about the way you gamble, that means that you can be making four times as much money as if you were playing one hand at a physical table.

Imagine poker was your full time job. You dont need to commute by going to the office and you dont have to make money for sombody else. You could pick your own hours and you would actually enjoy your job. It’s something which more and more people are learning is a fun way to make money, and if you take the time to learn the best strategies to play the game, you could soon be calling poker your day job too!

Shawn has been a SNG Poker Coach and mentor for several years now. Find out more about  being a winning SNG Poker player by visiting his website and signing up for his FREE SNG Poker Training Course entitled “From Fish to SNG Poker Shark in only 17 Days” athttp://www.sngtrainer.com