Preflop Raising By Position Part 2: Late Position

Preflop Raising Range Part 2: Late Position

The cutoff and the button are the 2 most profitable positions at the table in shorthanded no limit holdem. As we get closer to the button, our VPIP should increase exponentially as winrates are far higher in these 2 positions.

Cutoff

Now we only have one person with position on us. If the button is a straight forward tag, we can really take advantage of our position by raising an extremely wide range of hands. We can open all suited 3 gappers, ace x hands, offsuit connectors and big offsuited broadways such as Kto. The tighter the players behind us, the wider range we can open from the cutoff.

Conversely, if there is a good aggressive player on the button who is 3betting our cutoff raises frequently, we need to tighten our raising range. If a player is using their positional advantage to put pressure on us, we can adapt and play a smaller range of hands.

In the cutoff, we should be raising about 32% of hands.

Button

When we are on the button, we have the luxury of knowing we will be always be the last to act postflop. In this position, we should be raising a massive range, composed of almost any two cards under the right table conditions. If the blinds are folding a lot to steals, we can open any 2 suited cards, all ace x and king x hands, all offsuited connectors, off suit one/two/three gappers.

Against more aggressive players, we should tighten this range according to how often they 3bet preflop. If they call a lot preflop we should decide to raise based on how they play postflop. If someone calls and check folds most flops, we can continue to raise a wide range. If they play back a lot postflop, then we should stcik with a  tighter range.

Overall, as a generality, we should be opening between 40 and 55% of hands on the button. A loose button opening range is demonstrated below:

Preflop Raising By Position Part 1: Early Position

Under the Gun (UTG)

This is the position where the action starts. With 5 players still to act a raise here is usually given more respect as it represents a strong hand. If we are the first into a pot  preflop, the best preflop strategy dictates  that we should always open for a raise in shorthanded no limit holdem games. This is because it balances the top and bottom of our raising range and because continuation bets work more effectively due to the perceived strength of our hand based on our preflop raising position.

Generally, our raising range should be tighter from under the gun. We will potentially be out of position (OOP) to 3 opponents postflop so we need a stronger hand range to compensate for this.

We should raise all pairs from 22 to AA. Some poker players like to limp with small pocket pairs in order to hit a set. However, this preflop strategy is highly exploitable as they fail to balance their preflop limping range and most competent opponents will adjust accordingly. Raising preflop also starts to build a pot for the times we hit a set on the flop.

The rest of our preflop raising range should be suited aces (A2s+), suited broadways (QJs+), AQo+   and all suited connectors as low as 56s. There are also some grey area hands that we should raise at some tables – AJo and KQo.

As well as this range, we should also open some suited one gappers some % of the time – 68s, J9s, 79s and some suited 2 gappers (47s, 58s) as these are strong implied odds hands that will rarely be dominated by someone's calling range preflop.

One commonly asked question relates to the profitability of opening suited connectors from early position. Players check their tracking software and find they are losing money from raising suited connectors. Is this a mistake? Are suited connectores bad hands to raise preflop? No. We open suited connectors for a number of reasons:

1. They can make very strong hands postlop
2. We can flop big draws that we can play aggressively and thus win more without showdown
3. They increase our VPIP and PFR numbers to create a more aggressive image in the eyes of the other players at the table

The 3rd point above is the most important one. The reason we open suited connectors is to create a looser and more aggressive image. As a result of raising more hands preflop, we are far more likely to get 3-bet and to be played back at lighter. The money lost from raising these hands is more than made up by the amount of extra money we win from our big pairs and sets.

We should almost never be opening ATo or QJo preflop. The reason we raise queen jack suited but not queen jack offsuit is because the extra few % points in hand strength makes a huge difference postflop, as we can flop stronger hands and draws that we can play aggressively to show a higher winrate.

For grey area hands – KQo, AJo – we need to look to our left. We should always be aware of who has position on us. Furthermore, we should know the cold calling and 3betting ranges of the players who have position on us. The blinds are less important as they will be inclined to play more straightforwardly vs an utg open as our range is tighter and they are out of position.

When there is a fish in the blinds we should be opening more grey area hands. ATo/KJo under the gun is almost exclusively a fold, but is almost a ways an open when there is a fish in the blinds who will call with dominated hands preflop. The reason we normally fold these hands preflop is because the cold calling/3betting range of the players to act after us will always be a range that dominates us rather than the opposite way round. At looser tables where players play too many hands we should be open raising more hands that can flop top pair with good kickers. The one exception is if there is a tricky player in position who is squeezing or 3betting a lot.

Overall, we should raise between 15 and 17% of hands preflop from under the gun. This range is illustrated below. We can add some suited one gappers such as J9s/79s to get closer to 17%.

Under The Gun + 1 (UTG+1)

Our utg+1 raising range will be similar to our utg raising range. We should raise all the hands we raise from utg as well as some more suited one gappers. UTG grey area hands become raises UTG+1. This is because there is one less player to act after us and as a result of card elimination, there is a smaller chance someone behind us has a hand that dominates us. Similarly, KJo and ATo become grey area hands for this position.

Most players tend to group utg and utg+1 together as early position. There is an invisible divide in a lot of peoples’ minds between these 2 positions. Raises from these 2 positions are given a lot of respect and players are less likely to play back light. For this reason, we can begin to open up our range more, particularly if the cutoff and button have this thought process.

Overall, we should raise between 18 and 21% of hands. A sample range is shown below.

Introduction to Preflop Play

The foundation of a winning poker strategy is based around a strong preflop game. For this series of  articles, we will be focusing on preflop play in 6 max or shorthanded no limit Texas Holdem games.

With the ever increasing popularity of poker training sites and poker coaching, most players are improving their preflop game. It is very important to understand how the preflop strategy sets up the rest of the hand.

Currently, online poker players have an abundance of information available to them about the other players at the table. They obtain this information using datamining software, tracking tools and heads up displays (huds). A player's hud will show statistics on every player at the table. We need to be able to use and manipulate this information to force our opponents into making mistakes.

Firstly, let's take a look at 3 important statistics that are displayed in a hud: 

VPIP – Voluntarily Put in Pot

This is the % of hands a player is playing. It is the % of times a player elects to put money in the pot preflop.

The higher a person's VPIP, the more hands they are playing and of course a lower VPIP means they are playing less hands. 

PFR – Preflop Raise 

This is the % of times a player raises preflop when they are entering a pot. When VPIP and PFR are close together, it means a player is cold calling very little preflop and is either raising or folding when they enter a pot.  

WWSF – Won When Saw Flop 

This is the % of times you win a hand when you see the flop.

These 3 statistics are all closely related and can be used to garner valuable information about a player.

As VPIP gets higher, WWSF will intuitively get lower. A higher VPIP means we are opening a wider, thus weaker range of hands preflop. As a result, it will be harder for us to make hands after we raise. Because of this, we will win less hands postflop.

By contrast, as our VPIP gets lower, our WWSF figure will get higher as a result of playing a stronger hand range.

It is said that the true skill of a 6 max poker player can be determined by multiplying his VPIP by his WWSF figures. 

These articles will discuss preflop starting hand ranges and how to exploit the tendencies of the other players at the table in order to devise a winning preflop strategy.

 The best way to approach this is to start in the first position, more commonly referred to as under the gun (UTG) and work around to the big blind, constructing a perfect preflop opening range for each position based on game conditions.

Poker Terms - Common Phrases and Acronyms

In poker, there is practically a library of poker terms that are commonly used. For the uninitiated, these terms can sound like a completely different language, when a poker player says, "I flopped a belly buster on a rainbow board", when they are really saying that they have an inside straight draw, after the dealer dealt the first three cards, all of which happen to be a different suit.

Watching enough televised poker, like on the World Poker Tour, you can start getting a feel for the poker terms that are most commonly used, but sometimes you'll run into a term that makes you go "Huh?". As with most industries or games though, these colorful terms are part of what makes a game inclusive and special to it's players. Poker is no different at all and being able to shoot the breeze with poker lingo can be a pretty fun thing to do when you are familiar with it.

If the list below isn't comprehensive enough, our friends over at Poker Terms have put together a poker slang and lingo guide that puts ours to shame. They have around 1000 poker terms in their dictionary and it's growing all the time. In addition to the basic introductory terms, they have some really obscure societal references and also a bunch of online poker forum jokes. Check it out if you get a chance.

So, to help out the novice poker players, here is a list of poker terms, supplied by the nice people over at Party Poker.

Common Poker Terms

Aces Full
A full house with three aces and any pair.

Ace-High
A five card hand that contains one Ace, with no straight or flush or a hand with no pair in it.

Aces Up
A hand that contains two pairs, one of which is Aces.

Action
Checking/Betting/Raising. A game in which players are playing a lot of pots is considered an "action" game.

Active Player
Any player who is still in the hand.

Add-on
A purchase of more chips (optional) at the end of the re-buy period in a tournament.

All-In
When a player bets all his/her chips.: In online poker, you may be deemed "All-in" when you are disconnected (even if you have chips remaining).

American Airlines
Two Aces.

Ante
Money placed in the pot before the hand is begun.

Bad Beat
When a hand is beaten by a lucky draw.

Belly Buster
A draw and/or catch to an Inside Straight.

Bet
To place chips into the pot.

Bet the Pot
When a player bets the amount of the pot.

Bicycle
A straight that is A-2-3-4-5.

Big Blind
A designated amount that is placed by the player sitting in the second position, clockwise from the dealer, before any cards are dealt. (Players joining a game in progress must post a Big Blind, but may do so from any position.)

Big Slick
A hand that contains an A-K.

Blind
The bet(s) that must be made by the two players sitting directly to the dealer's left which will start the action on the first round of betting. The blinds are posted before any cards are dealt. (A "Blind" bet is one that is made in the dark without looking at your cards.)

Blind Raise
When a player raises without looking at his hand.

Bluff
To make other players believe that one has a better hand than he/she might otherwise have by betting or raising when they do not have the best hand.

Boardcards
The cards that are dealt face-up in a poker game for all players to see. In flop games, five cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table. In Seven Card Stud, four cards are dealt face-up in front of each player.

Bottom Pair
When a player uses the lowest card on the flop to make a pair with one of his own cards.

Broadway
An Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10).

Bring-In
The forced bet made on the first round of betting by the player who is dealt the lowest card showing in Seven Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better. In Razz (Lowball) it is the highest card showing

Bring It In
To start the betting on the first round.

Broomcorn's Uncle
A player who antes himself broke.

Bullets
A pair of Aces.

Bump
To raise.

Button
Also known as the dealer button, it is a small round disk that is moved from player to player in a clockwise direction following each hand, to theoretically indicate the dealer of each hand.

Buy-In
The minimum amount of money required by a player to sit down in a particular poker game.

Call
When a player chooses to match the previous bet.

Call Cold
To call both a bet and raise(s).

Cap
To take the last of the maximum amount of raises allowed per round of betting.

Cardroom
The room or space in a casino where poker is played.

Case Chips
A player's last chips.

Cash Out
To leave a game and convert your chips to cash.

Check
When it's a player's turn to act and there has been no action in front of them and he opts not to bet, he "checks."

Check-Raise
When a player first checks and then raises in a betting round.

Chop
To return the blinds to the players who posted them and move on to the next hand if no other players call. It also means to "split the pot".

Collusion
When two or more players conspire to cheat in a poker game.

Community Cards
Cards that are face-up and used by all players.

Cowboys
Two Kings.

Dead Man's Hand
Two pair - Aces and Eights (Wild Bill Hickock was shot in the back while playing this hand).

Door Card
This is the first exposed card, or "up" card, in a player's hand in Stud games.

Down Card
Hole cards. Cards that are dealt face down.

Doyle Brunson
It's a Holdem hand consisting of a 10-2 (Brunson won the world championship two years in a row on the final hand with these cards).

Draw Lowball
Form of poker where each player is dealt five cards with the option of discarding one or more and replacing them with new ones and the low hand wins.

Draw Poker
Form of poker where each player is dealt five cards down with the option of discarding one or more and replacing them with new ones to attempt to make a better hand.

Drop
Fold.

Ducks
A pair of Twos.

Deuces
A pair of Twos.

Early Position
Position on a round of betting where the player must act before most of the other players at the table. (It's considered the two positions located to the left of the Blinds.)

Fifth Street
Also known as the "river" card. In flop games, this represents the fifth community card on the table and the final round of betting. In Stud games, this is the fifth card dealt to each player and represents the third round of betting.

Five-card Draw
A poker game in which the player is dealt five cards down. They have one draw to replace them and the best high hand wins the pot.

Five-card Stud
A poker game in which each player is dealt five cards, one down and four up, with betting after 2, 3, 4, & 5 cards.

Flat Call
Calling a bet without raising.

Flop
In Hold'em and Omaha, the first three community cards that are dealt face-up in the center of the table all at one time. The "flop" also indicates the second round of betting.

Flop Games
Poker games (Hold 'em and Omaha) that are played using community cards that are dealt face up in the center of the table.

Floorman
An employee of the cardroom who makes rulings and decisions.

Flush
Any five cards of the same suit.

Flush Draw
When a player has four cards in his hand of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth to make a flush.

Fold
To throw your hand away when it's your turn to act.

Forced Bet
A required bet that starts the action on the first round of a poker hand.

Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same number or face value ("quads").

Fourth Street
In flop games, it is the fourth community card dealt (also known as "the turn") and represents the third round of betting. In Stud games, it is the fourth card dealt to each player and represents the second round of betting.

Full House
Any three cards of the same number or face value, plus any other two cards of the same number or face value.

Gut Shot
To draw to and/or hit an inside straight.

Hand
A player's best five cards.

High-Card
To decide the first dealer in the flop tournaments each user is dealt a single card and the player with the highest card (based on the card and the suit order - of spades, hearts, diamonds & clubs) becomes the theoretical dealer.

High-Low
Split pot games.

Hold 'em
Also known as Texas Hold 'em, where the players get two down cards and five community cards. See our complete Hold 'em rules in our Game Rules section.

Hole Cards
These are the Down Cards in front of the players.

House
The casino or cardroom that is hosting the poker game.

Inside Straight
Four cards which require another between the top and the bottom card to complete a straight. Players who catch this card make an Inside Straight.

Jackpot Poker
A form of poker in which the cardroom or casino offers a jackpot to a player who has lost with a really big hand (usually Aces full or better).

Jacks-or- Better
A form of poker in which a player needs to have at least a pair of jacks to open the betting.

Kansas City Lowball
Form of lowball poker in which the worst poker hand (2, 3, 4, 5, 7 of different suits) is the best hand. It's also known as Deuce to Seven.

Keep Them Honest
To call at the end of a hand to prevent someone from bluffing.

Key Card
A card that gives you a big draw or makes your hand.

Key Hand
In a session or tournament, the one hand that ends up being a turning point for the player, either for better or worse.

Kicker
The highest unpaired side card in a players' hand.

Kick It 
Raise.

Kill Pot 
A method to stimulate action. It is a forced bet by someone who has just won a pot(s).

Knock 
Check.

Kojak
A hand that contains a K-J.

Ladies
Two Queens.

Late Position
Position on a round of betting where the player must act after most of the other players have acted (usually considered to be the two positions next to the button).

Lay Down Your Hand
When a player folds.

Lead
The first player to bet into a pot.

Limit Poker
A game that has fixed minimum and maximum betting intervals along with a prescribed number of raises.

Limper
The first player who calls a bet.

Limp In
To enter the pot by calling rather than raising. (The usual concept of "Limp In" is when the first person to speak just calls the Big Blind.)

Live Blind
An instance where the player puts in a dark bet and is allowed to raise, even if no other player raises. It's also known as an "option".

Live Card(s)
In Stud Games, cards that have not yet been seen and are presumed to still be in play.

Live Hand
A hand that could still win the pot.

Live One
A not so knowledgeable player who plays a lot of hands.

Look
When a player calls the final bet before the showdown.

Loose
Is a player who plays a lot hands.

Lowball
Is a form of draw poker in which the lowest hand wins the pot.

Main Pot
The center pot. Any other bets are placed in a side pot(s) and are contested among the remaining players. This occurs when a player(s) goes all-in.

Make
To make the deck is to shuffle the deck.

Maniac
A very aggressive player who plays a lot of hands.

Middle Pair
In flop games, when a player makes a pair with one of his/her down cards and the middle card on the flop.

Middle Position
Somewhere between the early and late positions on a round of betting (the fifth, sixth and seventh seats to the left of the button).

Muck
To discard or throw away your hand. It's also a pile of cards that are no longer in play.

Minimum Buy-In
The least amount you can start a game with.

Monster
A very big hand. In a tournament, a player who begins to accumulate chips after having a small stack is considered to be a monster.

No Limit
A game where players can bet as much as they like (as long as they have it in front of them) on any round of betting.

Nuts
The best possible hand at any point of the game. A hand that cannot be beat.

Odds
The probability of making a hand vs. the probability of not making a hand.

Offsuit
Cards of a different suit.

Omaha
A game in which each player is dealt four down cards with five community cards. To make your hand, you must play two cards from your hand and three from the board.

Open
To make the first bet.

Open-ended Straight
Four consecutive cards whereby one additional (consecutive) card is needed at either end to make a straight.

Open Card
A card that is dealt face-up.

Open Pair
A pair that has been dealt face-up.

Option
An option is a Live Blind made in the dark before the cards are dealt. If no one raises, the "option" player may raise the pot.

Out Button
A disc placed in front of a player who wishes to sit out a hand(s) but remain in the game.

Paints
Face or picture cards (Jack, Queen and King).

Pair
Two cards of the same face or number value.

Pass
To fold.

Pay Off
To call on the final round of betting when you may or may not think you have the best hand.

Picture Cards
Face cards (Jack, Queen and King).

Play Back
To raise or re-raise another player's bet.

Playing the Board
In flop games when your best five card hand is all five of the community cards.

Pocket
The down cards or hole cards.

Pocket Rockets
A pair of Aces in the pocket or hole.

Position
Where a player is seated in relation to the dealer, therefore establishing that player's place in the betting order.

Post
When you post a bet, you place your chips in the pot. (You must post the Blinds.)

Pot
The money or chips in the center of a table that players try to win.

Pot Limit
This is a game where the maximum bet can equal the pot.

Prop
A person hired by the cardroom to work as a shill.

Push
When the dealer pushes the chips to the winning player at the end of a hand. It's also when dealers rotate to other tables.

Put Down
To fold a hand.

Quads
Four of a kind.

Qualifier
In High-Low games, it is a requirement the Low hand must meet to win the pot.

Rack
A tray that holds 100 poker chips in five stacks of twenty chips each.

Rail
The rim of a poker table or a barrier outside a poker area.

Railbird
Someone who hangs around a poker room who watches the games and/or is looking to get into action.

Raise
To increase the previous bet.

Rake
Chips taken from the pot by the cardroom for compensation for hosting the game.

Rank
The value of each card and hand.

Rap
When a player knocks on the table indicating that he/she has checked.

Razz
Seven Card Stud where the lowest five cards win the pot.

Re-buy
The amount of money a player pays to add a fixed number of chips to his/her stack in a tournament.

Re-raise
To raise a raise.

Ring Game
A "live" game that is not a tournament.

River
This is the last card given in all games. In Hold'em and Omaha, it is also known as 5th street. In Stud games, it is also known as 7th street.

Round of Betting
This is when players have the opportunity to bet, check or raise. Each round of betting ends when the last bet or raise has been called.

Rounders
Guys who hustle for a living. This is also the name of a popular poker movie starring Matt Damon and Ed Norton.

Royal Flush
This is an Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10) of the same suit. It is the best possible hand in poker.

Satellite
It is a mini-tournament to gain an entry into a larger tournament.

Scoop
To win the entire pot.

Seating List
A waiting list. A player would put his or her name on this list if there were no seats at the table at which they wish to play.

Second Pair
In flop games, when you pair the second highest card on the board.

See
To call.

Seven-card Stud
A well-known poker game in which players get three down cards and four up cards. You play the best five of those seven cards. Click here for information on Seven-card Stud.

Seventh Street
This is the final round of betting in Seven Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better.

Shills
Shills are paid props who help start and maintain poker games.

Showdown
At the end of the final betting round, it's when all active players turn their cards face-up to see who has won the pot.

Side Pot
A separate pot(s) which is contested by remaining active players when one or more players are all-in.

Sixth Street
In Seven-card Stud, this is the fourth "up" card dealt to the player (their 6th card). It is also the 4th round of betting.

Solid
A fairly tight player (and reasonably good).

Small Blind
The amount put in the pot by the person immediately to the left of the dealer "button" prior to the cards being dealt.

Speed Limit
A pair of fives.

Split
Tie.

Stack
A pile of chips.

Stay
When a player remains in the game by calling rather than raising.

Steel Wheel
A five high straight (A-2-3-4-5) of the same suit.

Straddle
A straddle is a Blind bet which is usually double the size of the Big Blind\ (and that player may raise when the action gets to him).

Straight
Five consecutive cards of any suit.

Straight Flush
Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

Structure
The limits put on the blinds/ante, bets, and raises in any particular game.

Stud Games
Games in which players get down cards and up cards.

Stuck
A player who is losing in a game.

Texas Hold'em
This is also the name for Hold'em, the most popular form of poker.

Third Street
In Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud 8 or Better, this is the first betting round on the first three cards.

Thirty Miles
Three tens.

Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same number or face value ("trips").

Tight
A player who doesn't play many pots. A tight game is one that doesn't have much action.

TOC
Tournament of Champions.

Top Pair
In flop games, when the player pairs one of his down cards with the highest card on board.

Treys
A pair of threes.

Trips
Three of a kind.

Turn
In flop games, this is the fourth card dealt. It is the third round of betting.

Two Pair
A hand consisting of two different pairs.

Up Card
A card that is dealt face-up.

Walking Sticks
A pair of sevens.

Wild Card
A card that can be played as any value.

Worst Hand
A losing hand.

WSOP
World Series of Poker.

Lesson #8: In Closing

In this last chapter of this eight-part series, I want to focus on bad beats, frustration, downswings and how seemingly totally unfair this game can be.

The reason most serious players keep hefty bankrolls is because of how variance never fails to eventually knock you over, and then proceed to kick you while you're lying down. If you haven't had a meaningful downswing yet, there's a very, very good chance you haven't played for very long. Being prepared for it, both financially and mentally, is a virtual necessity if you want to go as far as you can. When I say "financially prepared for it," I basically mean that you have a bankroll that can deal with some swings, and that you've planned for the eventuality of a larger downswing happening, of such magnitude that it may force you to step down in limits. Thinking that a good player rarely loses is just plain wrong, because - quite frankly - winning poker means pushing edges, even the smallest ones. When you push a 52% chance of winning, you're going to end up losing virtually half the time. And sometimes, you're on the wrong side of the coin for an extended period of time. Of course, you could pass up the small edges and focus solely on the large edges, which would negate some of your profit, but it would also bring with it less variance. Personally, I want to play to win as much as I possibly can, and I keep a large bankroll to be able to do so.

What may be trickier to deal with is being mentally prepared for it. No one really knows how they'll react to losing half of their bankroll playing solid poker against poor players until it happens to them, I'm guessing. What happened to me was, and I think this is pretty typical, that I started questioning whether or not I was a winning player at all, if I had just had luck so far, or perhaps if I had suddenly become worse at poker. I got sick of the game for awhile, hovering with the mouse pointer over the PokerStars icon and then deciding to watch TV for awhile because I didn't want to lose even more. Bad beat, after bad beat, set of aces cracked by a runner-runner flush, big pots lost because no one ever folds, etc. I've since been through a couple of more downswings, and I know I'll keep running into them. They're inevitable. Knowing that they're inevitable is a big step. Understanding why they're inevitable means you've come a long way. Accepting them for what they are - and thereby accepting poker for what it is - means that you've reached the point you need to be at.

The problem with downswings is similar to the problem with reverse reinforcement. You may be playing well but you're still losing, which can cause you to believe that you're not playing well after all and in turn this can make you change your game for the worse. This is dangerous. In the short term, this is usually referred to as "tilt." Someone who refuses to raise his two pair on the flop when there are two hearts there, because "someone will just hit a flush and I'll lose more money," is a good example. The real problems arise when this is no longer just a state of mind that we're in for a little while, like the rest of the night or for 15 minutes or something, but when our game permanently changes because of this. 

Understanding how poker works, that mathematically and logically the universe is not out to get you, is very important in order to counter this behavior. Being able, away from the table, to rationally realize that what happened tonight was just variance, that your losses are at least smaller than they could have been had you not played as well, is imperative. When you don't have the cards in front of you, you can afford the luxury of thinking things through, mulling it over, and reaching the correct conclusion.

Unfortunately, it's not as easily done while still at the table. Short term tilt is, for me, mostly a small problem. I believe I have it under control, but of course it's still hard to smile and think happy thoughts when the same guy beats your flopped pair of aces by calling your bets to the river only to turn his third-pair-hand into two pair or trips, for the fourth time in a row. Being rational about it right then and there is really, really hard. You know that you were doing the right thing to bet, and you know that he made a mistake in calling, and in the long run you'll win a lot of money if you keep it up. But that doesn't help you right now, does it? No. You're still down for the session and you're pissed off about it. Now, leaving the table when this happens is, for most people, probably a good idea. If you find yourself upset, to the point where you know that it's probably affecting your decisions, then staying at the table is really bad. The fact that he's a complete donk and that if all other things were equal you'd be making a fortunate off of him in the long run may not be enough of a reason to stay. 

Because not all other things are equal, not if you're on tilt. Be honest: Haven't you ever been more prone to raising or calling a certain player because you've wanted to get back at him? Win your money back? I know I have. I try to avoid it, of course, but I can sometimes sense that feeling where I want to do it. People who seemingly have no idea what they're doing taking my money makes me slightly sick to my stomach, but it happens all the time. What's worse, I'm probably a part of the problem, and chances are you are too.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you're sitting at a table where there's this guy whose luck is just insane. He's outdrawn you on the river four times in the last 15 minutes, and you're pissed off. You're not going to take this kind of crap. So you get pocket aces, and you raise preflop. He calls two cold, no surprise there - he calls with anything that he can reasonably identify as two cards, it seems. So the flop comes, and you don't hit a set. He checks, you bet, he calls. The turn shows a brick, he checks to you, and you bet, and he checkraises. Steeming with fury, you see your chance to win some of your money back and you re-raise him. Take that you miserable luckbox! He calls. Then he bets the river, and again you raise. He calls, shows you his two pair, and drags home the pot.

Did you play it wrong? Too many unknown variables to say for sure, of course. I didn't mention anything about whether or not this player was passive or aggressive, but last time I did something like this, I didn't 3-bet the turn because I figured to have the best hand, nor did I raise the river because I thought he was overplaying a single pair or trying to bluff me. No, I raised because I wanted to punish him. And when that's my rationale for doing something, I'm better served taking a nap than playing poker. However, there's another potentially more important argument to be made here and that's the fact that he may have been correct to call preflop with 97s. He may have been correct to call on the flop with his pair of sevens, nine kicker. How do I figure? Because with the way you're playing, you're offering him implied odds of 5 big bets (10 small bets) if he hits! Before the flop, you're about a 4:1 favorite over him. When he calls two bets cold, he needs to win back at least 8 small bets in order to make his call profitable, and he has no problem doing that from a tilting player who's out to get him.

What about his call on the flop? Again, it's only one small bet in a pot of (at least) 5 bets already. He has five outs, so he needs odds of about 10:1 to continue, but you're giving him a whole truckload of money on the implied odds platter. 

If he knew what you had, he'd virtually be wrong to fold. Now, you could argue that this idiot who keeps calling you down doesn't know the first thing about odds, and that he probably can't even spell "implied." And you may be right. But the fact that he doesn't know that he's playing correctly doesn't change the fact that he does. This isn't a strategy article, so I'm not going to teach you about cutting down implied odds for people who play recklessly, but I wanted to illustrate how your desire for revenge is hurting you, especially when it gives people correct odds to draw against you.

Poker is a game of small edges. It's a little bit like operating a roulette wheel. You have the odds on your side, but someone who's always betting on black, while a clear loser in the very long run, could still win quite a heap of money over the course of one evening. You already know this. Do you understand it?

Can you come to accept it?

People who berate others for poor play, the table coaches, aren't smart players. They're not impressing anyone. The fact that the other guy got lucky when he hit his miracle runner-runner flush against your flopped straight doesn't go away because you yell at him about it. Honestly, when people get so upset about this happening that they just can't stop themselves from being rude, I always (silently) wonder how long they've been playing. It happens so often, so very often, that it's amazing how they seemingly haven't gotten used to it yet. And what's worse, they're apparently trying to stop the other guy from doing it again, when they should be rooting for him to make those calls every time! The best case scenario for a table coach is that the other players consider him a jerk. The worst case scenario is that someone who was having fun giving his money away suddenly wisens up and decides to play smarter, while everyone still thinks the table coach is a jerk.

So, being almost done with this article series, I want to take the opportunity to wish you good luck, if you decide to pursue poker seriously. There's a lot of hard work needed to achieve real skill in this game, but it certainly is doable. Of the eight lessons I've written here, I truly feel that the part about having fun is the most important, and I hope you'll enjoy the game for what it is - a game of true skill, but absolutely sickening roller coaster rides of variance.

Article series written by Fredrik Paulsson.