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maximum pressure. Pros hate the all-in move pre-flop since it takes their skill out of the game. It also makes it easier for you since there are no other decisions needed. Example: You have A♠-10♣. It is late in the tournament. You have $40,000. The blinds are $800-$1,600. A poker pro who has been outplaying everyone at the table has $80,000. In middle position he raises to $5,000. Everyone folds to you on the button. The players on the blind are tight. What should you do? Move all-in. Make the pro decide if it’s worth risking half his stack. There are players who are overly aggressive pre-flop and call re-raises. And, there are players who are overly aggressive pre-flop and fold to a re-raise. Try to take advantage of both types of players. You need to accumulate chips, and these players are an opportunity to add to your stack. Embrace the risk in the game.

Flop Moves: Floating 51. Identify opponents who tell you if they are strong or weak by their betting patterns. Get heads-up against these players by floating, and when they check their hand, a bet will win you the pot. Floating is calling a bet from an opponent you believe is weak in order to take the pot away with a bet (bluff) on a later street. One way to find weak players is to identify their betting patterns. Weak players will size their flop bets to correspond to the strength of their hand. For example, a weak player will make a pre-flop raise, and then bet a small percentage on the flop if he has a mediocre or weak hand. He feels he is obligated to make a continuation bet, and simply follows through with his plan. But if he gets called on the flop, he will give up and check on the turn. If you have position on this player, you can call him with almost any hand. What he does on the flop and/or turn, will tell you how to play the hand. You are not playing your cards. You are playing his betting patterns. Example: You have x-x. It is the middle of the tournament. You have position on a player who you want to float since you know how he plays on the flop. The flop is A♠-6♦-4♦. Your opponent bets 50% of the size of the pot. What should you do? You know your opponent will make a continuation bet, and will check the turn if he missed. You call his bet on the flop. When he checks the turn, you will take down the pot with a bet. The flop is A♠-6♦-4♦. Your opponent bets 30% the size of the pot. This looks like a probe bet from this player. Raise the bet on the flop. The flop is A♠-8♦-4♦. Your opponent bets the pot. What should you do? A bet the size of the pot means he has top pair. Fold. If you are out of position, you can also float by either calling the bet and check-raising the turn, or calling the turn and betting the river when your opponent checks the turn.

Flop Moves: When to Lead Out 54. Even if you are in the worst position, lead out with a bet when you have a pair against two or less opponents. You need to be aggressive when you are against two or less opponents. The reason is that if you hit a pair on the flop, the likelihood that your opponents have also hit a pair is reduced. If you check, and your opponents also check, you have missed an opportunity to win the pot. This play will not work as often if you have three or more opponents in the hand, and if there are multiple draws on the flop. The reason is that the more opponents, the less likely that everyone has missed. And with a flop with multiple draws, your opponents my decide to play their draws. Example: You have A♥-10♥. It is early in the tournament. You have $4,000. The blinds are $50-$100. In an early position, you call the blind. Another player, with $2,800, calls. The player on the button, with $6,500, raises to $400. The blinds fold. You call the raise, while the other caller folds. There is $1,050 in the pot. The flop comes Q♦-10♣-4♥.