Understanding and Miss Understanding of Situations

Poker theory holds true for all of the games, but how it holds true can be quite complicated to figure out. It begins with the starting hands, and continues through all rounds of betting with innumerable situational considerations.

Many opponents do not spend much time thinking about how they should play poker. Unlike other opinions they may form in life, there is less gray area between what is right and wrong in poker. However, this does not keep people from fabricating some of the worst possible theories imaginable.

It never surprises me when I hear outlandish views on the `way things should be' in the world when I see what I thought were intelligent people butcher the game of poker and then justify it with pseudo logic!

Of course, depending upon the game, I will note the particulars in the Game Specific Errors chapters, but you can recognize the majority of mistakes in the following areas of play:

Their understanding of how important it is to play in turn. Accurate starting hand strength assessment by situation. Their knowledge as to what constitutes a strong, medium or weak hand in various situations.

Their ability to remember exactly how the play of a hand transpired. Proper play with different hand strengths by situation. Last card play. Taking into account their opponents' lack of knowledge when evaluating `play' choices. Accurately judging what their opponents think they have. Their ability to `look ahead a few moves' to how the hand will probably play out.

Again, a player who is ignorant is more likely to be predictable than a player having discipline problems. That is why it is very desirable to identify an area of strategic or tactical ignorance; you can rely on its consistency.

There are so many situations where these two competing holes in a player's game may surface that if you can figure out which `hole' you are observing, you will be way ahead of the game.

theories about poker

counter strategies indicate

innumerable situational considerations