Professional poker players often rely on their skillfulness in figuring what their opponent is playing in any given hand. If you’re able to do this with acceptable precision, your choices at the poker table will invariably become lucrative over a period of time. However, determining your opponent’s hole cards is certainly one of the more complex aspects of the game to master. These are a few tips to help you progress to being a good hand reader.
If there is a single guideline to follow for improving hand reading, is to watch every player’s move, even when you aren’t in the hand. This is valuable online or in live play because it isn’t just facial or physical tells you are watching but betting patterns as well. When your opponent plays out of his customary pattern, then you must stop and ask yourself why. Typically this means his hand is unusual too, indicating quite good, or very poor.
Monitoring your opponent’s positional play will permit you to formulate solid assumptions about the potency of his hand. If he plays a lot of hole cards, his positional play won’t mean much, but if he is usually tight, strong hands from early position are rather customary, while opening up the range in later position.
Watch your opponent’s response to the flop. Glaring at the flop is regularly the result of his cards improving. Turning away, or a rapid check frequently implies a potential draw or total miss. However, if he raised preflop and big cards come on the flop, be guarded of a trap.
t’s important to consider the impact of the pot or betting action is going to have on his stack, or tournament hopes. If he is normally a tight player and is prepared to risk more on the hand, then you can sensibly presume he is strong. If he appears determined to keep the pot small, then the pot is very likely yours to take. Loose players are tougher to read in this instance, and it’s more important for you to have a winning hand than to even bother trying to understand what they have.
IExamine how the action changes according to what comes on the flop. Keep an eye on conviction that turns hesitation, or reverse. Run through guessing your opponent’s hand before they show their cards. Again, you don’t have to be in the hand, but you do have to examine the flop and follow the betting activity. Doing this consistently will permit your evaluation of hole cards to become rather precise.
