Get ahead in poker by reading other players hands
A fundamental aspect of playing poker is being able to read the other players hands. The crucial point here is actually reading their hand, not just making some wild guess at what they might be holding. It’s a pretty obvious statement but one that in the heat of a game is easily forgotten, even for experienced players, if you know what another players hand is – you will play differently to how you would do if you couldn’t read their hand. Experienced players never just concentrate on their own hand and what they might be able to do with it, but are constantly weighing up their opponents options too. The ability to do this is as much as much an art as a science – but one that you can learn, having mastered the basics of your own game.
The key to reading other players hands.
The key to reading other players hands is simply a combination of knowing your opponents and one of concentration; and that’s not just about concentration when you’re playing. Before you can start to read other players hands you will need to be familiar with them as players. Ideally this will be simply by observing them, without the distractions of trying to play a game too. So take every opportunity to watch them play – in games you’re not playing in. Work out the strategies they usually play; do they like to raise on a draw, do they bluff a lot, do they fold early etc? The more you learn – the better you’ll be at reading their hands.
Tips for reading other players hands.
You’ll find that reading good players is often easier than reading a bad player, which might sound odd; but bad player’s can simply be erratic, with no discernable patterns to their play. Good players, make good plays, for good reasons – all you have to do is figure them out. Three particular tips to look out for when reading another players hand are: does their checking, betting or raising always follow a particular pattern. Having got to the point of being able to read a particular player’s hands – if they become aware of this, they’re bound to try some evasive tactics. These could well usually be bluffs and semi-bluffs. If they do – look out for tactics like slow playing then suddenly check raising you or raising on a second-best hand.
Reading another poker players hand