Summertime poker games can definitely pass the time quite fine, but you want to make sure that you have your wits about you. There will be plenty of players in the game that are easy to beat, which might give you a false sense of confidence. But watch out, as there are players that are waiting for you to have your guard down. That’s when they’re going to strike. They might let you pick off all of the weaker players, only to beat you in the final rounds.
The reality of poker is this: there is a vast difference between finishing first and finishing second. And don’t get us started on the difference between finishing second and finishing third, or any of the other places. The money drops off, leaving you frustrated. After all, if you’re going to put part of your bankroll into SnG tournaments, you might as well get good money out of it.
The nice thing about SnGs is that you don’t have to put too much money into it in order to get a good ROI. You do, however have to be aware of the heads up battle. You don’t want to get all the way down to the end and not have any idea of what to do. If you’ve been taking a break from poker for a while, you might be a little rusty. So here’s a quick guide on what to do, how to play, and your thoughts during the game.
First and foremost, you need to make sure that you’re thinking a bit ahead of each and every hand. Some players feel that you should just react to whatever the other player is doing at the time. But this sets up a rough time for one big reason: you’re not going to be able to discount bluffing. Bluffing can throw off your strategy. A lot of players bluff at the heads up stage. Instead of just going with whatever the other player does, put in some strategy on your own. Push if you have a great hand. This isn’t the time to back down, or try to play a monster hand soft. You must push in when you have something big. Yes, there’s a chance that the other person is going to back down. That’s what you want. You’re basically sending them the message that you’re not to be messed with.
Eventually, someone will make a play that they shouldn’t. This is where the game will ultimately be decided. You want to wait for your opponent to go in when they really shouldn’t. Give them the illusion that you’re at a weak position, and they’ll dive in. Their assumption is that you’re on the rocks, but this assumption will be the end of them.
It can take time to practice this, and that’s okay. Go for some free poker games where you can really practice your strategy. Your perfect strategy will fall into place if you give it some time!