Texas Holdem Game Analysis

So what did you think of the example game?

Who played well and who played badly?

Did Ant deserve to take the pot or did he just get lucky?

What would you have done differently?

The fact that there are so many different ways to play a hand of poker is what makes the game so intriguing and the chances of playing exactly the same game of poker twice in your life are very slim.

By looking at an example game its possible to learn about the different styles – styles which will be mirrored when you sit at the table for real.

Lets have a look at each of our famous players and see how they did each time they were faced with a decision. This is just one idea of what they could have done differently.

THE FIRST ROUND

DISCS
is the first player to act and what he does depends on what cards he has, the information he has about the other players and his position at the table.

He has the worst possible position in the first round of betting. In a face to face game he may be able to gain some idea about what kind of hands other players hold by reading them but not in online poker. Discs has no information to work with, all he knows is that Bobby and Chad have bet blind.

There are 1326 different two card combination starting hands in hold'em, most of which aren't worth a second look and should be folded straight away.

DISCS has what is thought of as the fifth best starting hand in hold'em. At this stage of the game all DISCS knows is that he has two jacks. He has the choice of folding, calling or raising. Some players would fold in this position. Whilst JJ is a good hand it is also a risky hand. The worst hand you can hold is the second best at the table.

JJ can easily be beaten and DISCS must fear any over card, anyone with AA KK AK A- K- Q- . Although JJ is the fifth best starting hand with five opponents there is a chance that one of them could hold one of these starting hands.

A strong play here would be to raise. This would help DISCS to find out information about other players and how they rate their hands before his next decision. A raise can be seen as buying information and influencing others decisions. Players with weak hands and those who need to draw some cards to make a good hand are more likely to fold as others raise. Another play here could be to attempt a check – raise. Check to give the illusion that not a very good hand is held and hope that another player raises and then re- raise. This could build a bigger pot or may have more influence on people folding than an initial raise which could see all other players call.

AYE

A poor starting hand not worth playing unless perhaps you have posted the Big Blind and then it could be worth checking at no extra cost to see the flop.

TBONE

Not the sort of hand you want to play from mid table position. Vulnerable to anyone else holding K or better. Even if he makes a pair of Kings or better he only has a four kicker. Tbone calls but this has to be a mistake and a waste of a dollar.

ANT

Ant has the best position at the table. He will be making the last decision in the following betting rounds and will therefore have more information available to him before making his decision than any other player.

Some players think holding this positional gain is a good reason on its own to make a raise pre flop. He has landed a very good starting hand too. Surely he is right to raise here. Its difficult to see any other call unless looking to fool DISCS into thinking he doesn’t hold much of a hand.

Sometimes a call may draw others into calling thus increasing the pot but of course increasing the chance of someone else drawing a better hand. With a good starting hand it pays to be aggressive before the flop. Good play from ANT

BOBBY

Is it worth a dollar fifty in the pot to see the flop?

The odds don’t stack up. With suited cards you have around an 11/1 chance of making a flush. So if there is a lot of money in the pot it might be worth the bet.

He is also in the worst position at the table. BOBBY should fold and wait a few minutes for the next hand.

CHAD
has been dealt the sort of hand that many players would pay good money to stay in the game with. But that money is better spent waiting for a better staring hand. Patience is the key to winning at this game in the long run. As ANT has raised and two other players are in, CHAD should fold.

DISCS
now has the benefit of knowing that there are only four other players left in the game. ANT could have a strong hand as he raised. BOBBY and CHAD may have something but they may just be wanting to see the flop as they have committed blinds to the game. TBONE is unlikely to have that good a hand or he would have raised.

A good play here would be to raise. This could force out any players who don't hold strong hands and are hoping to draw a decent hand and test ANTS previous raise. Did ANT raise just because he holds position or does he have a good hand? A re-raise now would help DISCS to find out. Are CHAD, BOBBY and TBONE just hoping for a good flop? Well it looks like it – a re- raise might get rid of them.

A re- raise could win the pot for DISCS right now. Poker is partly about using the information you have to make your best judgement and using your betting to help obtain more information In the end he decides to call ANT and so does TBONE.

THE FLOP

A good flop for BOBBY. He now has four suited cards and needs just one more heart from the remaining two cards. He has a round a 38% chance of making his flush now. These are now good odds. So good that a raise would be the call here.

CHAD
also has a good flop. He has 8,9,10,J and needs either a queen or a seven to make his straight and has about a 34% chance of doing so. Again, good odds but what CHAD needs to realise in this position is that even if he makes his straight it still might not be good enough.

The cards indicate there is a good chance of someone making a higher straight or a flush. IF he is going to play for the straight, perhaps a raise would be the bet.

By checking, both BOBBY and CHAD are indicating to their opponents that they don't have that good a hand and still need to improve it, which indicates they are on a flush or straight draw.

By raising here, not only can they improve the odds they are betting for, but also keep their opponents guessing as to what they are up to.

DISCS
with 3 Jacks is right to raise now and probably regrets not raising pre flop. Unless someone holds AA or KQ, Discs must be winning at this stage. If anyone does hold an ace , king or queen then Discs needs them to fold as they could make three of a kind aces or a straight.

ANT
may have made a more powerful play by raising. While he has a pair of Aces he has to fear KQ AA 1010 JJ or two hearts but he holds the top pair and highest kicker. A raise now may force out those still looking to draw something.

But ANT is worried as it looks as though DISCS has had a good flop. He thinks DISCS must have something like AJ A10 A- AA JJ 1010?

Although surely he would have raised with AA in round one? If ANT thinks he is beat he should fold, if he thinks he's on to a winner he should raise. A call is a weak play.

THE TURN

CHADS
raise here is a clear tell that he has made his straight. A raise earlier in the game would have avoided this or a check here could trick his opponents.

DISCS
still on 3 Jacks must realise CHAD is on a straight now and if so its time to fold. This is why DISCS should have raised aggressively from the start. By not doing so he has let CHAD and the others in with a chance of drawing a hand. If DISCS thinks CHAD has made a straight he must fold now.

ANT
still has a pair of Aces

A call by DISCS now is almost as big a tell as CHADS raise. Surely he cant have anything – its clear CHAD has a straight? Or is CHAD wiser than we think and bluffing a straight. But surely DISCS should either raise – if he is better than straight or fold.

ANT thinks DISCS is beat but calling is a bad move at this stage of the game. ANT should fold if he thinks he is beaten or raise if he thinks CHAD is bluffing.

THE RIVER

CHAD
should have worked out he could be beaten with that river. But a raise is the bet at this stage – he is unfortunate to be beaten on the river but maybe he should have folded before the flop?

DISCS
wastes another call. This is typical of a huge number of online poker players – still betting when they know they are beaten but not wanting to admit defeat.

ANT
got the draw he needed for a AKQJ10 Straight– a fortunate river card and one of only four which could have saved him.

Next time he might not be so fortunate.