When to fold...

[Ausangel]

"When playing at online poker sites one of the tougher things for players to do is fold. Everyone thinks they can draw to a winner or they think their top pair is always good. It gets even tougher to fold a good hand.

The reason you would fold a good hand is when you just know you are beat. Players hold onto pocket aces or pocket kings regardless of what comes up on the flop. Players hold onto losing hands even though they know they are probably behind in the hand. It is very difficult to fold sometimes in online poker but it is something you must learn to do if you want to be a successful online poker player.

When you have the second best hand at the online poker table you are going to lose more often than not. Recognizing that you need to fold this hand is one of the strengths of a good player. It takes guts to lay down a hand you know is a loser but sometimes it has to be done.

What we need to do when playing Texas Holdem poker at online poker sites is to not play those troublesome hands at all. A starting hand with an ace and a small kicker or a hand like K8 is just looking for trouble down the road. The kickers are just too weak to win a late hand showdown. Avoiding playing these starting hands is a good way to avoid trouble and avoiding having to fold a good, but not great hand.

When playing online poker you are not always going to know right away that your hand is weak, but after the flop you probably will have a better idea. The biggest problem that many players have is getting rid of what was a strong hand, but now has turned into a weak one. Remember those aces and kings we talked about earlier? If you happen to hit your set on the flop you are in great shape, but on the turn another flush card comes up that makes it four to a flush on the board. How good does that set look now? You are now almost assured that someone has the flush and you are beaten. You have to fold your set. It is not easy to do. Folding hands that should have been winners but now look like losers is one of the tougher things to do when playing poker.

Let�s say you have those aces again and the flop is 9, 10, Jack. You now have a straight possibility right off the bat and if the turn card is a 6, 7, 8, Queen, King or Ace then it is almost a given someone has a straight and your aces are done. You still might be ahead in the hand, but you are sure not going to feel very confident. If someone did hit the straight you have lost and will be throwing money away.

Folding is not an easy thing to do, but you have to recognize when you are probably holding the second best hand. Professionals seem to know this more often than average players. If you want to get to their level you always have to be aware of the board, and understand when you just have to fold. "

Comments?

[stepoff]

i think it's called reading hands aus correct? if you get a good read on hands it is wise (but hard) to sometimes fold those pocket kings, aces queens ect. you are correct, if you have pocket jacks and the flop is AAK, and players start to raise, chanses are some 1 has you beat. we all have had these hands praying for the 3 of a kind, or the magical straight only losing to a higher straight or full house. i call it experience, but some never lern..

[teebs]

What a great post Aus. I couldnt agree more. You see a lot of people hanging on till the river with their top pair crap kicker... Sometimes it is hard to fold, but if you know you're beat, let it go. (unless you're in a hand with me hehehehe)

[future2112]

its a great post, Aus, but we got to remember when playing free chips peeps will call with anything. the amount of times ive seen peeps win a pot with trips 6s, as an example holding 6 2, is probably nearly every night i play. what makes it worse is peeps say "6 2 is my fav hand". . however, folding a monster hand as described in your post, i can certainly relate to and have done so on many occassions.

[Pocket_Ducks]

Snap fut, i've seen me fold big pockets and hands on the flop, it's all about ur read on the other player. I'll admit i've not always got the read right, I still regret folding my top pair with A9 when delboy shoved with his J's

A lot of people on this site I notice can't resist a draw, and the thrill of the chase. Suited cards must be called with, and if you hit 2 of that suit, you are going to call any sized bet, even if all-in... Just to see if you can hit your flush...
Everyone who does that is marked down as a donk in my notes

When ur beat... ur beat

kwak

[teebs]

I partly agree with your post ducks. If im holding 2 high suited cards, and the flop hits 2 cards of that suit... I am no doubt check raising big or all in. No point in calling to then fold.

[Pocket_Ducks]

So you walk yourself right out of at least 60% of tournies you enter... awesome

kwak

[teebs]

So how does the Duck play a strong flush draw then? :P Calling a pot sized bet on the flop to then find out that you still havnt hit your flush on the turn... then facing another big bet on the turn, folding, and finding out you would have hit the river. :P

The check raise on the flop will in most cases get top pair to fold... If u do get called, your in good shape for a double up.

[OP66fozzy]

Aus, don't you think you should reference your source ? You wouldn't want Byron Badd getting angry with you lol.

[jayccin]

never fold just call with anything,

[rad6]

Originally Posted by teebs

So how does the Duck play a strong flush draw then? :P Calling a pot sized bet on the flop to then find out that you still havnt hit your flush on the turn... then facing another big bet on the turn, folding, and finding out you would have hit the river. :P

The check raise on the flop will in most cases get top pair to fold... If u do get called, your in good shape for a double up.

EEEEEW I have no problem putting down AA or KK but for some reason I hate and mean hate putting down a good flush draw. Sometimes you just have to go for it and letting fate take its chances.

[rad6]

Originally Posted by OP66fozzy

Aus, don't you think you should reference your source ? You wouldn't want Byron Badd getting angry with you lol.

oh who cares Aus was a great post.Bubble burster fozzy.

[Pocket_Ducks]

A flush aint a flush 'til you hit it... I am wary of putting a lot of chips in when I have nothing, which is a [bad] habit of yours teebs

I don't call bet sized pots with draws often... only when i'm big stacked do I do that... I don't like to think i'm putting my tourney in jeopardy by banking on being lucky.

Put that in yer notes

kwak

[teebs]

Well I understand your point of view. However, check raise with the nut flush draw, especially if you have to overs to the board is pretty standard tourney play m8...
But hey, everyone has their styles

[chuckster66]

Let me put this very simply,there are so many flushes delt out here,that i am defo gonna take my chances!(and btw i hit more than i miss)

[Ausangel]

Originally Posted by OP66fozzy

Aus, don't you think you should reference your source ? You wouldn't want Byron Badd getting angry with you lol.

I used Quotation marks ..and I knew you would find it easy to google the source would you like to comment on the article fozz?

[sandokan23]

You are right here Aus. Folded AA yesterday because i knew it was a lossing hand.

It isnt easy, but play so many hands, whats one more fold.

[OP66fozzy]

Originally Posted by Ausangel

I used Quotation marks ..and I knew you would find it easy to google the source would you like to comment on the article fozz?

For you Aus, sure, I'll comment.

Personally, I think it is a poor article.

"one of the tougher things for players to do is fold" - errr, no, that is one of the easiest things to do in a game of poker, whether it is online or not.

"Everyone thinks they can draw to a winner or they think their top pair is always good" - do they, I don't think so.

"The reason you would fold a good hand is when you just know you are beat" - you don't say, who in their right mind would carry on playing a good hand when they know they are beat ?

"It takes guts to lay down a hand you know is a loser but sometimes it has to be done" - ????? what is he talking about, it takes an idiot to carry on playing a hand that you know is a loser.

I could carry on, but need to go out now.

For me, that article did not give me any tips to improve my game at all, but I do appreciate you posting it.

[stevo_58]

Originally Posted by OP66fozzy

Personally, I think it is a poor article.

For me, that article did not give me any tips to improve my game at all, but I do appreciate you posting it.

Hope you don't mind be quoting an edited version of your post fozzy.

Like you it did not give me any tips to improve my game, which still needs improving by the way lol. However, I don't think it's a poor article. I'm inclined to think it's aimed at mainly beginners. Without exception every single time I go online and play I see lots of people doing all of the things mentioned.

Like you I also appreciate Aus posting it......................oh hang on a minute....................no I don't. What are you doing Aus, have you gone mad????????...Don't let them all know where they are going wrong, how am I going to win their money if they improve their game?

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!lady shhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Nice post Aus

[Ausangel]

I'm inclined to think it's aimed at mainly beginners. Without exception every single time I go online and play I see lots of people doing all of the things mentioned.

Well, actually Stevo, I might just have been trying to drop some hints by posting this article written by Byron Badd..and maybe it was after a frustrating day on the tables...get my drift?