Reading Mistakes at the Poker table better

Everyone knows to be a really good poker player; you need to be able to put your opponent on a hand. Yet some of the worst players can do exactly that. But where do they go wrong? They fail to act on that read for many different reasons.

How many times has a player called your third raise preflop when you have the image of a stone and pocket aces, only to be called all the way and then hear “I knew you had either pocket aces or kings.” What is wrong with their game if they can read so well? Well, it is usually one of the following:

1. Calling to prove they read you right

You have A 9 spades and raise preflop. The tight player re-raises you from the small blind and you call. The flop come A-8-3 with no spades. The tight player bets, you raise and he re-raises. You say to yourself that you are beat and he has either AK, Aces up or trips. At best you have 3 outs to catch a 9 and beat his AK or two pair. With 3 outs, you are a huge dog to win and should fold but most players call to see the turn and then call to see the river knowing they are going to lose. No surprise at showdown when you lose but at least you read him right.

2. To show the bad beat you took

You are dealt Js 10s and the flop is Jd 10d 7h. You bet and it gets 3 bet. The turn is an 8h and you continue to call to the river. The two players in the hand cap the betting and you call. The river is the 3c and you call down again to see one player hit top pair and a gut straight draw on the flop, the other had a flush draw and gut straight draw and hit it on the turn but you call the river betting so you can show how bad you were beat.

3. Change of heart

You know your opponent is a solid player and you have A 9 again. The flop is A 10 8 and your opponent bets and you call. You suspect you are beat but want to see if they will check the turn to see if maybe you are winning. The turn is a 6 and now you call and the player bets. You call because you picked up a gut straight draw even though you were going to fold if he bet. If you suffer from good reads and bad follow through then you need to improve on this portion of your poker game or you will never rise to be a top notch player.