Think about what you’ll be WILLING to bet.

Then, think about what will happen after the next cards and then the ones after that…and then the ones after THAT…and so on. It’s all about anticipation. If you anticipate the different scenarios BEFORE they happen, you will prevent big losses. And when you stop losing big hands, you’ll get to KEEP the chips you win. And that will help you finish in the money virtually every time and lead you to a successful poker career.

Of course, like I mentioned earlier, anticipation is just ONE of the crucial skills you’ll need in order to kick ass at Texas Hold‚Äôem poker.

How to Stop Losing Big Hands 2

We talked about why it’s CRUCIAL that you learn to ANTICIPATE your bets and your opponents’ bets BEFORE they happen. I’d like to share with your part TWO of how to prevent big losses and that is:

DON’T GET GREEDY.

Successful poker players all have one thing in common:

They understand the PSYCHOLOGY of greed, and how powerful it really is. Let me share a story with you how *I* fell victim to greed the other night at my local $1-2 no-limit game and how it emptied my pockets. Here’s how it went down. I get dealt pocket 6’s and am sixth to act. Josh is first to act and makes it $5 to play. Drew and Brett are next in line and call Josh’s pre-flop raise. The action is to me, with the pot size at $18. There’s no doubt I’ll play this one and hope to spike one of my sixes. One other guy behind me calls the bet. Okay, flop comes out: Ah, 9d, 6s. Perfect.

I’ve just spiked my 6’s and there’s an ace on the board, which I’m sure someone is holding. It looks like I’m going to rake a HUGE pot at this point.

Josh comes out firing, as I expect. I immediately put him on AK or AQ. Brett folds and Drew calls Josh’s $20 bet. Who knows what Drew has; I can never put him on a hand because he’s the maniac at the table. He’ll play just about anything. He’s probably sitting on 10-J, looking for a runner-runner straight draw for all I know.

Needless to say, he’s not the guy I’m worried about. Actually, I’m not really worried about ANYONE at this point. I just flopped trips and all I’m thinking about is how to milk these guys for all their money.

I decide to not slow-play the hand. I want to find out where I’m at so I re-raise Josh’s bet. I’m confident I’ll get a call. I know Josh won’t fold if he has the ace, like I think.

“Make it $50″, I say, as I push in my red chips. The guy behind me folds and the action is back to Josh. He thinks for awhile as he shuffles his chips. “I call”, he says. Drew, however, doesn’t hesitate one bit. He throws in his chips with some frustration and splashes the pot.

I’ve done everything right so far. I’m very well-positioned to rake in a huge pot. The turn card comes…4 of diamonds. Now the board reads: Ah, 9d, 6s, 4d

So, the 4 doesn’t scare me at all. Josh and Drew both check this time because I’m in control. “Seventy five” I say, in a rather DEMANDING voice that makes it sound like I’m trying to buy the pot. Josh mucks his hands, which he later told me was an A,J. So, he made a good lay down. Drew, on the other hand, thinks for a moment before calling my $75 bet. Now I’m feeling GREAT about this hand.

Josh was the guy I was really worried about, not Drew. Drew’s probably got pocket 2‚Äôs or something crazy like that. Who knows?

The river card is a 2 of diamonds. Now I hope Drew DOES have ducks! If he does, I’m going to take the rest of his stack. The board now reads: Ah, 9d, 6s, 4d, 2d Drew checks to me. I see the backdoor flush on the board, but I throw out another large bet anyway.

Million Dollar Poker Star

learn and earn

Think about what you’ll be WILLING to bet.