Poker Strategy of Texas Hold'em - Focus on the Big Picture, Not Just Your Hole Cards
Poker Strategy of Texas Hold'em - Focus on the Big Picture, Not Just Your Hole Cards
In Texas Hold'em, when you focus too hard on just improving your hand, you may simply miss what is happening on the board. You must keep the complete big picture in mind at all times. If Phil Ivey, one of the best poker players in the world, can overlook the obvious, it might happen to you.
During the final days of the 2009 World Series of Poker® Main Event Championship, as the field neared the final nine players, Phil Ivey folded the winning hand by accident.
Phil was holding a pair of 8's in his hand. One of his 8's was a spade. He was up against an Ace-9. At the beginning of the hand, Phil had raised and the one remaining player then re-raised. This gave Phil a clue that his opponent probably held a big hand.
The river card was the Ace of spades, putting four spades on the board. This gave Phil a spade flush with his 8 of spades.
Phil checked on the river. His opponent also checked, and then said, "I have an Ace."
Without turning over his cards, Phil tossed his hand face down into the muck. Focused on the fact that the other player was likely holding two over cards to his 8's, when the other player announced he had an Ace, Phil knew that Aces beat his pocket 8's. He did not realize that the Ace also put four spades on the board.
If a seasoned pro can make a mistake like this, it's likely anyone can. There is another lesson here besides keeping the big picture in mind.
When you pay to be in the hand at the showdown, turn you cards face up, and let your cards speak. In poker, you don't even have to know you have the best hand to win; you just have to protect your cards and turn them up for the dealer to read. At this point, forget about being embarrassed because you played the hand, just show it, protect it, and wait.
In Texas Hold'em, when you focus too hard on just improving your hand, you may simply miss what is happening on the board. You must keep the complete big picture in mind at all times. If Phil Ivey, one of the best poker players in the world, can overlook the obvious, it might happen to you.
During the final days of the 2009 World Series of Poker® Main Event Championship, as the field neared the final nine players, Phil Ivey folded the winning hand by accident.
Phil was holding a pair of 8's in his hand. One of his 8's was a spade. He was up against an Ace-9. At the beginning of the hand, Phil had raised and the one remaining player then re-raised. This gave Phil a clue that his opponent probably held a big hand.
The river card was the Ace of spades, putting four spades on the board. This gave Phil a spade flush with his 8 of spades.
Phil checked on the river. His opponent also checked, and then said, "I have an Ace."
Without turning over his cards, Phil tossed his hand face down into the muck. Focused on the fact that the other player was likely holding two over cards to his 8's, when the other player announced he had an Ace, Phil knew that Aces beat his pocket 8's. He did not realize that the Ace also put four spades on the board.
If a seasoned pro can make a mistake like this, it's likely anyone can. There is another lesson here besides keeping the big picture in mind.
When you pay to be in the hand at the showdown, turn you cards face up, and let your cards speak. In poker, you don't even have to know you have the best hand to win; you just have to protect your cards and turn them up for the dealer to read. At this point, forget about being embarrassed because you played the hand, just show it, protect it, and wait.
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