Moving on from the basics......a look at hand reading, by Grant Pittman

I can remember clearly when I first started taking the game of poker seriously.I laugh at myself now as I look back.I wonder what it was that I was thinking about while I was playing in my "novice years of poker".It wasn't math or odds or strategy and it CERTAINLY wasn't what my opponents cards were.

When a person who is new to poker sits down to play the game he/she will almost certainly be an underdog to win over any extended period of time.This will, of course, depend a lot on the average skill level of your opponents.

The game is not a straight forward one like "tic tac toe".For most players who are new to the game, aside from hand rankings and understanding their obligation to post an ante or blind, there is very little else that is routinely considered during play.I think this holds true because most players experiences before exposure to public cardroom has been to bet or call until someone shows the winner.

To survive in poker you must take your game WELL beyond this.Specifically, you need to look at your cards so that you know what they are and then move on.The real challenge in poker begins with the speed and accuracy in which you can determine your opponents holdings.Think of how well you would do if you could see what everyone held!

I consider myself to be a realist.I've heard and read about legendary hand readers like Stu Ungar and I respect this type of talent.However, hand reading is not magic and it is far from perfect.Fortunately, it is not as complicated and in depth as one may think.With that being said, I doubt if you can be a great hand reader without having a strong understanding of human thinking and behavior.

To improve on your hand reading ability you will need to focus on what your opponents are doing in your game!!!!! This will be the basis for the decisions you will make when you get involved in a pot together.To specifically break hand reading down I would look at these categories.

1) Betting patterns.....Does your opponent get aggressive with draws.Does he always wait for the turn to raise a set.Does he 3 bet preflop with AK.

2)How aggressive is your opponent.Have you seen your opponent check/call with top pair on every street.Will your opponent check/raise bottom pair on the flop.

3)Is your opponent stuck/ on tilt.This can dramatically change the overall play of an opponent.If you are playing with a tilted opponent you need to take this into account when deciding what to do when you are in a pot together.Some opponents have an "A" game that can quickly diminish to an "F" game.

These are just a few areas to focus on when you watch an opponent play.You won't learn much about the game if you do?n't watch your opponents play.It is the foundation of hand reading.

Good luck!!!!
GRANT PITTMAN