1) Elements Of A Hand

Question 1

What does elements of a hand refer to?

Answer 1

The questions you must assess in order to make a good play with your hole cards and position.

Question 2

How many elemental questions must you consider on each hand?

Answer 2

Eleven.

Question 3

What is the first question you must ask each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 3

What is the status of the tournament?

Question 4

Why is it important to ask what the status of the tournament is?

Answer 4

As long as the cut-off point for prizes is distant, play remains normal.

As play gets closer to the cut-off point and there are fewer players, they tend to be more conservative and preserve their chips. Good players become more aggressive and see this period as the best chance to steal some easy chips.

Question 5

What is the second question you must ask yourself each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 5

How many players are at the table?

Question 6

Why is it important to ask how many players are at your table?

Answer 6

A full table, 9-10 players, generally requires tighter play.

Short tables, 6 players or less, hand requirements shrink and there more opportunity to pilfer pots.

Question 7

What is the third question you must ask yourself each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 7

Who are the players at your table?

Question 8

Why is it important to ask who the players at your table are?

Answer 8

Are they conservative players, aggressive players, or a mix of the two?

The most profitable style at any table is usually the opposite style of the other players at the table.

If the table is aggressive, be conservative. Pick a good hand and be prepared to go all the way with it.

If the table is tight, move out and try to steal a few pots.

Question 9

What is the fourth question you must ask yourself each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 9

How does your stack compare to the blinds and antes?

Question 10

Why is it important to ask how your stack compares to the blinds and antes?

Answer 10

If they are tiny compared to your stack, you can survive many rounds without playing and can choose your hands more carefully.

If your stack is only a few times more than the blinds or antes, then you must become aggressive to compensate.

Question 11

What is the fifth question you must ask yourself each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 11

How big are the other stacks at your table?

Question 12

Why is it important to ask how big the other stacks at the table are?

Answer 12

If you have a large stack compared to the other players, you can probably bully them around. You have the ability to completely eliminate them so they have to respect that.

If your stack is middle of the pack, you can still somewhat bully the smaller stacks, but be weary when going against the bigger stacks.

If you are the small stack, you have to pick a spot and try to double or triple up.

Question 13

When should you consider the elements of a hand?

Answer 13

On every new deal.

Question 14

What is the sixth question you must ask yourself each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 14

Where do you sit in relation to the aggressive and passive players?

Question 15

Why is it important to ask where you sit in relation to the aggressive and passive players?

Answer 15

Your pot stealing chances are enhanced when you have passive players reacting to you.

With aggressive players sitting behind you, the right strategy is to play fewer hands, but play them more decisively.

Question 16

What is the seventh question you must ask yourself each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 16

What bets have been made in front of you?

Question 17

Why is it important to ask what bets have been made in front of you?

Answer 17

The only absolutely strong hand before the flop is a pair of aces.

All other hands have to be evaluated in terms of the betting that has already occurred.

A pair of jacks is a good hand when several players in front of you have folded, but if you’re facing bet-raise-reraise, it’s likely to be second-or third-best.

Question 18

What is the eighth question you must ask yourself each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 18

How many active players are left after you act?

Question 19

Why is it important to ask how many active players are left after you act?

Answer 19

The more potential action, the more cautiously you play.

Question 20

What is the ninth question you must ask yourself each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 20

What are the pot odds?

Question 21

Why is it important to ask what the pot odds are?

Answer 21

When making a bet, you are always comparing the odds offered by the pot to the odds of making your hand.

You always want the pot to offer you better odds than the odds of filling the hand you’re drawing to.

You’re also watching the odds you are giving to your opponent as he tries to make his hand, to see if you can deny him the odds he needs to call.

Question 22

What is the tenth question you must ask yourself each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 22

What is your position at the table after the flop?

Question 23

Why is it important to ask yourself what your position will be after the flop?

Answer 23

It’s bad to act first in a hand, because you have to act with no new information about your opponents.

It’s good to act last, because you get to see what your opponents have done, hence gaining information, before you have to make a decision.

Question 24

What is the eleventh question you must ask yourself each time you are dealt new cards?

Answer 24

What are your cards?

Question 25

Why is it important to know what your cards are?

Answer 25

Because sometimes they will be how you win the hand and other times the other factors will win you the hand.