Betting patterns.
In most cases, I personally feel that if you have a good hand you should raise the pot 3x the blinds. However, recently I have deployed the limp tactic when playing against certain people for a couple of reasons. One, to disguise my hand. Second, if I know someone is going to call anything that I put in and playing for luck with the flop, and third to set a big trap against many people.
Watching others betting patterns allows me to know when I can bluff and when I am just point blank beat. In a recent hand, I picked up pocket rockets. Since the players that are normally playing for luck had folded, and I was in position, I put out a 3x bet. I had one woman call me. This was a little shocking to me because she limped into the pot. She was also someone that folded a lot and had a tight image in my opinion. The flop came out 4,5,6 rainbow and she instantly made a nice bet of close to half the chips in the pot. With that flop I normally wouldn’t have been scared against almost anyone else at the table, but with her I knew she hit trips. With such a small bet after the flop I felt like she was trying to make sure that I would stay in with her. This time, I made a small raise, just to see where I was at and her reaction, and when she quickly called, I knew that I was beat. Turn was a queen, and she again raised quickly, like there was nothing on the board that scared her. I asked that if I fold would she show, she said yes and turned over trip 6’s. I was just unlucky. Amazing thing about this was it happened the week after, but this time I had a bunch more chips in the pot and took a bad beating.
Certain players are always looking to trap you. They are the players that limp in and then make a serious bet after the flop. Is it a continuation bet or do they have the nuts? Heads-up the first one to have a pair should win, but with many people in the pot the odds increase. I believe you catch part of the flop around 21-22% of the time. This is just my number and looking back over a couple whole games. Other players like to put in an excessive raise after the flop to seem like they hit trips or better, which will usually get a decent player to call, but not someone who knows the game. I do not like the huge raise play. For one, I think that if you happen to hit trips, and several players are in, you can make more money or chips playing it slow. Just calling someones bet lets them think your on a draw. At the same time, if two over cards to your pair comes out, a serious bet makes it look like your stealing, but you will loose some players because of the size of the bet. Slowing down is in my opinion the best bet. Let them catch up and get top pair, or two pairs, your trips are going to be the best hand.
Good luck and hope you pick up aces!!
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