Knowing how to play your hand is a significant factor in how many chips you can extract from your opponent. Poker, in many ways, is a game where you must be an actor. You act in a certain way to make your opponent think about you the way you want them. Poker is all about manipulating how people think of you and the hand that you have. The minute you’re able to control your opponent’s thoughts, you’ve got their chips in your stack.
Why is checking so crucial if you have a big hand?
People expect you to come out swinging if you have a big hand. What does that mean? It means you will bet over the top in an attempt to win the pot if you hit something big on the flop. What will your opponent think if you check on the flop? Your opponent will immediately think that you have nothing, and they will try to win the pot. What they do at this point is throw a bet out there big enough that they think it will cause you to fold your hand. It’s a common method you see situs poker online players do all the time.
Check raising makes your opponent think you’re trying to steal chips from them
So, you check the flop, and now it’s your opponent’s turn to bet. They come out with a bet, and now is your time to pounce. You raise their bet an amount that makes them think something is suspicious. You hope that your opponent has a big enough hand that they aren’t going to lay it down. If they were trying to steal the pot with nothing, they’re more than likely to fold right away. You extract chips from them when you otherwise would’ve gotten nothing.
Reraise if they come over the top
Let’s say that you raised and your opponent re-raises you. What do you do? If you’re playing judi togel online you go back over the top. If you have the absolute nuts after the flop, it makes no sense why you would slow play it at this point. Your opponent either has a big hand, or they are trying to bluff and steal the pot. If they do have a big hand, you’re going to get paid off. If it’s a bluff, what they’re trying to do is safe face and looks strong. None of those matters to you since you know nothing can beat your hand.
Checking on the flop confuses your opponent
Checking is one of the best moves in poker because your opponent can’t put you on anything. You are the most dangerous at the poker table when people don’t know what hand you have. That’s why the best poker players always mix up their game and play a variety of hands. It’s when your opponent has no idea what’s going on that they’re the most vulnerable. It makes complete sense for you to do your best to disguise your hand’s strength as much as possible.