Modern Times
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Friday, April 11, 2008
By David Williams
Real Poker Training
The game of poker is constantly changing. The evolution of the way no limit holdem was played in the 70's 80's and 90's up through today is completely different. The game has seen its most dramatic changes in the past couple of years.
The "Moneymaker effect" as some call it, began the influx of new players coming into the game. The increase in popularity of online poker, changed the game again sometime between 2004 and 2006, and in the past year or so, I would think you could heavily credit sites like Real Poker Training and online schools for making the next move into modern poker.
If you took a look at a solid poker players game 5 to 10 years ago, the player's minus a few who really "got it" like Doyle, Chip, Hellmuth, etc., the player's games were virtually all the same. Wait for the nuts, or close to it, and go up against someone else with the nuts, or close to it and the winner was the one who caught their card, or bluffed like they had it, and then the pot was decided.
Now, there are many moves, most of which derives from what live players call "the internet player" that all evolve from old moves, with a more aggressive approach.
Some of these moves are mentioned in training videos, or done without explanation, so I thought I'd go over a few in no particular order, and discuss how to use them effectively:
Re-Steal counter moves: (Inducing the Squeeze play, Early Position: Convey Strength)
One of the main moves that the aggressive online player has perfected has been the re-steal from the blinds. This move derives from knowing that a more experienced player will often try to win the blinds and ante's when he finds himself in late position in an un-opened pot. The blinds then pick up and this tendency and attempt to exploit it by re-raising from the blinds, and showing strength, while putting the original late position raiser to the test.
Two ways to counter this now widely popular move would be to:
A: Raise in early position with suited connectors or marginal hands more, to convey strength to your opponents, and follow though on the flop if you're called.
B. Flat call in late position with a monster if the pot HAS been opened before you, to try and induce a blind to make the squeeze play at you. You can then trap the squeezer into a pot they might be committed to, and they likely have air.
Using these two variations of playing hands to an aggressive table likely to attempt re-steals can counter a modern move with a more modern move.
I will open light from early position now, just to change gears and vary my play, and I use the old thought process that early position raises equal strength to my advantage.
Betting to be raised:
Online, since you have the luxury of playing so many different stakes, you can get a feel for what the low-limit players will do, and in the same day, or even at the same time if you're into multi-tabling, play at a mid to high stakes table and get a feel for how they are playing as well.
I have found that what allot of low to mid limit players like to do when they are learning the finer points of how to properly be aggressive, is be recklessly aggressive. They are the players you often run into that try and take pots away from you at all times, whether it is via a three-barrel, or a seemingly well-timed check raise, etc., they love to put on the pressure, because they are incorrectly reading articles and advice on "be aggressive and you win at poker." I love when these types of articles and tips get filtered through, because for every person that reads them and gets out of them what they truly mean, there are five to ten others that assume that means to basically fire at will! That's how we make our money at the tables!
So, with this reckless aggression comes the need to try and fight for every pot, cash game or tournament. So my counter move to this is bet to induce a raise.
If I opened late with 99 and the flop comes 9-Q-4, chances are, if I bet strong, as I often do like to bet sets on the flop nowadays, then someone with a Q or a straight draw is going to call me, and everyone else will likely bow out. But in modern poker, If I bet 1/3 or the pot, instead of 75% to 80%, now all of a sudden Ace-high and pocket 7's feel the need to play sheriff and try and take this weak looking bet and make me pay for attempting to bluff them with it. Am I bluffing? Obviously not, but that is what the bet makes aggressive players think I guess.
Overbetting the River:
Similar to the under bet is the over bet. If you make an pot size or bigger bet on the river with a made hand, the players that are at the intermediate stage of their poker-learning often think to themselves "good players always talk about value betting the river with a good hand," or "wouldn't he want to bet an amount I could call if he held better than me?" Then you get the HERO call from the guy with Ace high or middle pair, who claims he wouldn't have folded if I bet less! If I bet less! This is the beauty of players that have just begun thinking about the game, because they haven't graduated to that higher level of thinking yet.
There is always a move for every move, and a counter for every counter move. That is what makes poker a game that you can truly never master. The game today might be different by tomorrow, so always try and think ahead so that your game doesn't get left behind.
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