Reasons to Raise or Call...

Getting a good (and by 'good' I mean effective and comprehensible) advice on poker strategy is not such an easy goal to achieve. There are many strategy tips out there and all of them are boasting their high quality. However, soon enough you realize that the vast majority of these tips and recommendations are of no value at all. So, what an average poker player is to do in order to get some valid info on smart poker play?

Well, that's a tough question... So, I've decided to do some serious research on the issue. It took me some long time, but, finally, I found this poker guide with pretty useful tips (I actually tried some of them out and they worked for most of the time) on what to do at the tables.

The first set of tips gives you an idea when it's a good time to call. Here they go:

A. You should call when you're trying to see more cards. When you happen to hold a drawing hand, you can get the correct pot odds by calling and having some more cards exposed.

B. You should call when you're trying to avoid a re-raise. Only you calling would deny the original bettor his right to re-raise.

C. You should call when you're trying to conceal the real value of your hand. If you happen to hold a good hand, you might want to keep this fact to yourself in order to keep your opponents in the pot. Scaring other players out of the pot means lessening the potential pot size.

D. You should call when you are planning to bluff later on in the game. Such a move is sometimes called a long-ball bluff. Calling on an early round of betting can prepare the ground for a successful bluff on a later phase in the game.

The second set of tips presents you with situations when raising is the best move. Here they go:

A. You should raise when you are holding an unbeatable hand and you seek to get more money in the pot. This move is called 'drawing for value' and it enables you to win a more impressive pot.

B. You should raise when you have a killer hand and are trying to kick your opponents out of the pot. Such a move may help you protect your hand by driving your opponents out of the game and denying them the opportunity of improving their own hands.

C. You should raise when you are trying to get a free card. If you have a drawing hand, your opponent may check to you on the next round of betting, giving you a chance to get a free card to improve your hand.

D. Finally, you should raise when you are trying to get information on other players' hand strength. Say you have an uncertain hand and need some additional info on your opponents' hands, you would be granted this information if you are called.

I hope that you'll find these tips useful...