Using Deception in Texas Holdem
Since the boom of televised poker everyone playing at a Texas Holdem table knows how to play basic poker. You can also assume that the better players know how to figure out how many outs they have and the percentage that gives them to hit their hand. So, how do you gain the advantage over other players at the table when you are playing your run of the mill ring game? Deception! Deception is the key to not only keeping other players off balance, but to winning more money than anyone else at the table.
How do you deceive people in a game that five cards are right in the middle of the table for all to see and your cards are exposed to everyone when you win? It’s actually very simple. Here are a few easy ways to use deception as your personal tool to earning extra money.
When playing, do not talk too much. Every time you say something, you give information away. The less you talk, the tougher it is for someone to pick up how well you know the game and how you may be playing. Let the other player try and guess if you know what you are doing. Anytime they are thinking about something else other than the current hand, you gain a slight advantage.
If you are basically a tight player, do not stack your chips in perfect stacks and in a nice triangle or square. That’s exactly what tight players do. It may be hard for you because real tight players are usually very neat and tidy people, but by having un-even stacks and even having a small pile of un-stacked chips, you create an image to people that is opposite of what you will be doing.
Pick a hand early in the game or soon after joining the table and misplay it or play cards you normally wouldn’t. Choose a hand that gets checked to the river or costs only a few dollars and show your cards at the showdown, even if you know you lost the hand. Showing a 3-6 off suit or low pair with high cards on the board will do wonders later.
Raise pre-flop with lower suited connectors. This tactic is very useful once or twice each time you play. It creates the assumption that you have a very strong hand. A pocket pair or A-K. Now this deceptive raise opens the door for you to win a smaller pot if an Ace or King hits the board because players will assume you’ve hit one or both of your hole cards, but it really opens the door for you to win a large pot when you flop a straight or flush draw. The other players will assume a flop of 2-7-8 did you no good and when you bet your 5-6, they are going to think you are just trying to buy the pot. Huge pots are generally won with weaker starting cards.
In conclusion, deception in poker is a weapon you must learn how to use. In a game where everything else is pretty even, deception can tilt the balance of power at the table slightly in your favor. When this happens, you end up winning a hand or two more per session, which results in a bigger win than normal or a small win when you normally would have lost.
