MATTHEW ROBINSON

Weblog: Giving insight into online poker

Hand values vary depending on game type

TOURNAMENT Poker and Cash Poker, two sides of  the same  coin; well, at least until you scrutinise how hand values completely change in the two.

A typical all-in pot in tournament poker will often see two players in a coin toss, Q-Q vs A-K for example, or one pair dominating another, A-A vs K-K.

In cash games, however, you rarely see the same scenario
play out.

In those games, big hands dealt pre-flop such as A-A and K-K, will win small pots pre-flop or lose massive pots thereafter.

This is because players do not make the correct adjustment when playing cash poker and overvalue pairs.

Suited connectors, (5-6 of hearts etc), and small pairs (2-2
through to 7-7) decrease in value during tournaments because of the blind structures and the expense of playing them.

Racing Post Poke: practice play

  PICTURE: Racing Post Poker  

But in deep-stack cash game poker, the implied value of these

hands are huge due to the amount that can be won if your
hand improves. Hitting a straight, or a set, after calling a
pre-flop raise from an opponent, who is holding a big pair or two
premium cards, will give you the opportunity to take them to the cleaners.

Crucially, you must acknowledge that these hands play best in multiplayer pots due to the implied odds involved.

Invariably, big underdogs do improve, an open-ended straight
draw means that you are just under 5-1 to improve by the
river, and to hit a set - three of a kind - on the flop, you'll be
facing odds of around 8-1.

By playing sensible positional strategy and working the odds
in your favour, you'll be sure to increase the amount of winning
sessions.

Play cash and tournament poker at Racing Post Poker now