Do you have a Plan?
I have done many articles lately about powerful hands, and mistakes poker players make. And after thinking long and hard about this, it comes down to one thing really: Do you have a plan? Now, i could go very general, and talk about a plan for the tourney you’re entering, or the major MTT, or even the 2 hour multi table cash game; i’d like to get a lot more narrow. Do you have a plan, hand for hand?
Pre-Flop
Most people who read poker books are bombarded with charts, and scales, statitstics and probabiltiy about every starting hand combonation out there. AK is really good, A6 is not so great, 72 is the worst hand in poker. We all know those basics, but many poker books are sorely lacking in outlining exactly how to formulate a plan hand for hand. What happens if you have AK and miss your flop entierly?? Fold, right? It really depends….
An Example
Your opponent raises from middle position and you call with pocket nines on the button. The blinds fold and now it is just you and your opponent left in the hand. The flop comes Kc-6s-10d and your opponent leads out for a two thirds pot sized bet and you fold. In this situation then your entire plan for the hand revolved around hitting a set and getting paid off. But this was such a narrow line of vision in how you are playing the hand that you have actually played the hand badly. Your opponent held A-J but their pre-flop aggression and flop continuation bet forced you to fold.
What to Do?
Is folding a bad option here? The way the hand was played, it was the only option, really. But, with the only plan for the hand being to hit a set on the flop and get paid off you’re short changing yourself (and there is no guarentee that your opponent will pay you off enough to make the risk worth it!).
A much better play would be to re-raise with your 99′s preflop, that way when you do hit your set, your opponent is more pot commited, and you have a much better chance of stackign them. It also signals to your opponent that you’re stong and instead of them being in control of the hand post flop, they will likely check to you for you to put your continuation bet in. If you held AJ, missed your flop and checked to an aggressive button, you’d probably be folding as well.
In Conclusion
Develop your post-flop skills by having a plan. Close up the leaks of putting in a great pre-flop bet and not backing up your play with a plan of how to finish the hand; dont be afraid of letting it go if you know you’re beat, plan be damned!
