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Message: [QUOTE="twizzybop, post: 369726, member: 2990"] If you play poker, you should always pay close attention to many different elements of the game. Players who are on tilt... opponentswho are on poker runs... and the size of other players' stacks are all elements that you should be CONSTANTLY thinking about... While many players are aware of these different aspects of Texas Hold 'Em, many players ignore one of the most important parts of the game... The SIZE of the POT. There are many reasons that you should pay close attention to the size of the pot when you are involved in a hand: The MOST important reason is that it will give you an accurate gauge of the RISKS and REWARDS that each hand offers. If you are involved in a hand where many players have put money into the pot, the hand likely has very good "pot odds"- which is the ratio of the money which you stand to WIN versus the RISK REQUIRED to win it. For example, I was recently playing a hand at the final table of a no-limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament... I was dealt pocket 10's and played it aggressively. My opponent checked to me every turn and then called each bet. Finally, after the river came, I was holding two pair (10's and 8's) with a flush draw on the table. My opponent led out and bet $50.00. I was worried about the possible flush, but it only required an additional $50.00 to possibly win over $500.00. I knew that if he had a flush, he would call any raise I was willing to make. So, I decided to call. Using the laws of pot odds, I was able to bring in a pot of $625 when my opponent turned over his lousy pocket 7's. The law of pot odds should be considered every time you are involved in a pot. I can't help but laugh when a player folds to a small bet on the river when they could win a huge pot if they call. You should also remember that pot odds applies to when you should NOT call or make bets. Recently, I was playing in an online poker tournament when a player moved all-in before the flop. Unfortunately, there was nothing for the player to win but a few blinds. There was absolutely no reason for this player to move all-in when there was nothing to win but a few measly dollars. Unfortunately for my opponent, I was dealt a monster hand (pocket aces) and I went on to win his money. Never risk an unnecessary amount of your chips to win a small pot. (Of course, if you are small- stacked, it is plausible to go all in when you are late in a game and the blinds are considerable.) The size of the pot will also dictate how other people play their hand. When your opponent has placed a great deal of money into a pot, he is unlikely to fold unless you make a huge bet. So, if you catch a monster hand, you should always try to get your opponents "pot committed." Then you can turn your opponents into "calling stations" and make away with all their chips. If you sense weakness, and you think that you might be able to buy a pot off of a pot-committed player, there is a way to scare him off without putting all your chips in jeopardy. I have learned that when a player is pot-committed, they are far looser than if they weren't. So, the TRICK is that you want to DISCONNECT the final moves from the rest of the hand. A good way to separate the plays you make from the rest of the hand is to force a BREAK in the action. I like to ask my opponent to count their chips before I make a move. This action forces a break in the action and also puts any bets I make in context. Let's say that I'm up against an opponent who has $1,000 in chips... If I bet $500 in this position, my opponent will realize that the bet constitutes HALF his chips and will usually fold unless he has a very good hand. However, you should remember that with YOUR OWN hands, you should never worry much about the money that you have already placed in the pot. When you put money into a pot, it is NO LONGER YOUR MONEY. That money belongs to whoever wins the pot. Period. Unless you are playing with great pot odds, you should never call any bets unless you are confident that you have a better hand... or can pull a bluff. If you have put $100 into a hand, and you are contemplating calling a $50 bet, think about your move in the context of the MOMENT. In other words, forget the money that you have already invested into the pot. Instead, if the current situation merits a call or a raise, make it. However, you don't want to make such a move simply because you have already put a large portion of your stack into the pot. Paying close attention to the size of the pot and the betters who are putting money into it is a great way that you can control the game, which is essential to WINNING texas hold 'em poker. [/QUOTE]

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