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HOME>>POKER TIPS>>HOW TO TRAP
How to Trap Your Opponent
One of the most
popular settings for today's online grinder is the no-limit ring game.
Online poker rooms and casinos are running more no-limit ring games
these days than the traditional limit tables. I enjoy a few hours of
this action each week. A good session of play in a no-limit ring game
can add large sums of money to your bankroll in a short amount of time.
That of course also
means that your bankroll can take a big kick in the “you know
what” in a short period of time. Therefore it's your risk
factor that is the real issue here. With a lot of money moving around,
I like to pick my battles wisely. I suggest you do the same.
The most effective way
that I have found to play a no-limit ring game is to play with the
mindset that I'm there to trap aggressive opponents. I'm not hunting
down weak prey like I would in a limit game. I'm sitting and ambushing
my quarry, one by one.
In order to accomplish
this goal I must achieve two things. First I have to have the nuts
hand, or near-nuts hand. Secondly I have to get action on said hand.
Once I achieve this, the rest is like taking candy from a baby. Can it
really be that easy? Not quite.
One common trap tactic
would be to flat call with premium hands at an aggressive table. If you
have pocket aces in middle position, instead of putting in a raise you
can just call the blind in the hopes that a late-position player will
raise after you. Once an opponent raises, you can re-raise big and
either pick the pot up there or get some serious money in the pot. A
lot of opponents will feel committed and you will periodically get
great action on your aces.
Use Bonus Code: RIVER88
My favourite trap is
the old value-bet flush draw. If I'm in a hand in early position and I
flop a flush draw, I like to bet the draw for value if I think enough
players will call. The bet is usually small, making it easy to make the
call. The bet usually allows me to control the betting until the river.
If the flush comes off for me, I can then check my winner and appear to
have been scared off by the flush card. This pattern usually gets
picked up by at least one opponent who thinks they have found an
opportunity to force me off a pot. That one works almost every time.
This type of game
requires extreme patience. It takes only one hand to bust out if your
opponent has as much money in front of him as you. You can't make
mistakes; you have to be sure you've got the best hand. Any other
approach to this game will be eventual destruction.
This will require that
you put down a lot of hands that you wouldn't normally put down in a
limit game. Dumping good cards when things get tricky is an important
part of being a winning player. The better you get at folding good
hands, the better you will fare in a no-limit environment. The risk of
calling an opponent just because you're sure he's bluffing is
ludicrous. Play the cards, not the player, unless you're playing in a
live game.
There are two types of
players at these tables. Hot-shot rock ‘n roll stars that
will eventually dump their bankroll to you, and tight poker pros that
will take what you have faster than you can say all-in. Figure out
who's who and you'll be ok.
No-limit ring games
are for when you have a lot of time to sit and wait for monster hands.
Once you have the nuts, you have to coerce your opponents to push at
you. The best tip I can give you is to check the river. Most aggressive
players can't resist the temptation of a checked river card. Good luck.
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