How to play a weak hand strongly
Posted on July 25, 2008
Filed Under Online Poker
Playing a hand which is weak is not somthing you would normally decide to do in most circumstances, there are some moments of course though, when a hand has the possibility to improve, but is weak until it does. If I have four cards to a flush on the flop in a Holdem game, I really want to be seeing the turn and hopefully river, quite cheaply. Opponents in poker though do not usually like to give the chance for draws to improve and so I must disguise the weakness of my hand.
If my opponent is first to act then of course I’m hoping he checks, and not necessarily so that I might check behind him too. I basically expect him to raise, but if he doesn’t, then I will. This is firstly because if I check too, then the third suited card comes down to make my flush, how am I possibly going to bet out, without my hand looking like exactly what it is to my oppponent. They will read it like a book. Also if I miss my flush on the turn, my previous check makes me look weak, which of course I am, and I can hardly re raise them or call a strong bet when I have one shot left to make a flush.
For me, if your opponent checks on the flop, you have to bet out, you have to make your opponent think you connected with the flop in some way other than just picking up a big draw. If your opponent raises you here first, a small re raise is ok but you are opening the door to having your opponent push all in over the top of you, and if you are sitting there with four cards to a flush, that’s a tough decision to make.
The advantage of playing your weak draw this way though, is that it disguises your hand better, if you make your flush, your opponent will hardly think you re raised on the flop with just a big draw.
So overall I would say be aggressive with weak hands that have potential. The only exception to this in my opinion is if you are playing somthing like suited connectors in the hole, and have the chance to see a flop cheaply.
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