Reading Hands

1. What is the most common way to reading hands ?
Ans : Analyze the meaning of an opponent’s check, bet, or raise, and then consider the plays he has made throughout the hand, along with the exposed cards, to come to a determination about his hand.

2. Is it a mistake to put an opponent on a hand early and to stick with your initial conclusion ?
Ans : Yes.

3. Suppose that before the flop, an opponent calls after you raise. On the flop, two small cards appear, as well as two suited cards games, and he raises after you bet. An offsuit eight hits on the turn, but when you check, he also checks. What is a likely hand for him ?
Ans : A flush draw.

4. What if a flush card comes on the end ?
Ans : You should not bet into your opponent.

5. What if the flush card does not hit on the river ?
Ans : You might want to check and try to induce a bluff.

6. But what if you have only a low made and cannot beat a weak high ?
Ans : You may want to bet, since there is a reasonable chance that you can pick up the whole pot.

7. In practice, what should you try to determine ?
Ans : Whether your opponents playing styles has a bad hand, a mediocre hand, a good hand, or a great hand.

8. If an opponent bets on the end, what type of hand is he unlikely to have ?
Ans : A mediocre hand.

9. What is a complementary way to read hands ?
Ans : To work backward.

10. Suppose someone cold calls a raise and a reraise before the flop, and the flop comes A 9 J . The fourth-street card is the 6 , and your opponent is able to raise on fourth street. What is his probable hand ?
Ans : A set of aces. It does not seem possibly that this player would have called on the flop if he had something like a three-card low or a big pair smaller than aces before the flop.

11. Suppose on fourth street that the board is J 2 7 8 . The pot is multiway, and a player who called the bet on the flop now raises. Does this person just have the nut low ?
Ans : No, even though it is likely that he started with an ace-trey.

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Introduction / General Concepts / More Specific Ideas

General Concepts / Position / Low Hands / High Hands

Your Starting Hand / Starting With Big Pairs / When You Are First In

How To Play Your Hand / Play on the Flop

When You Have the Best Hand

High Versus Low in Three-Handed Pots / Loose Games

Multiway pot Versus Short-handed Play / Scare Cards

Getting Counterfeited / Getting Quartered / Playing Against Steamers

Playing Against Tight, Solid Players / Your Playing Style

Reading Hands / Psychology / Afterthought