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Small stakes poker games vary from large stakes poker games. One of the things you'll see in large stakes games is frequent re-raising if not players going all-in at the start of a round. It's called aggression and it forces fellow players to bet or fold. If everyone folds, the aggressive player gets the pot. But even though you might think your hand isn't going to be winning hand, sometimes you might be wrong. Assess your hand carefully and be ready to raise if not re-raise as well. In small stakes poker games people are more apt to play for the love of the game. There are few 2 and 3 bettors. A 2-bettor is someone who raises the pot doubling the blind , while a 3-bettor is one who triples the blind bet. Both of these actions increase pot value and is often done by players who feel they have good cards. Fellow players at the table must increase their bets or fold. This form of betting is rarer in small stakes games. In fact, when I started playing poker, most of the time, players were passive participants in this game of chance and would wait as the rounds progressed. As I moved up, I noticed more and more of the 2-bettor and 3-bettor scenarios. These games had larger stakes. Larger stakes poker games are where you will find most of the professional poker players. They are making a living from playing Texas Holdem poker, some well into the seven figures annually. And you may find yourself playing with some of them. Experience and intuition has them thinking to go for it. And they do, even if they don't always win. There are sometimes in games, these players will go all-in with poor hands. Assessing the time of the tournament, especially near the bubble is where these players are most active. After the bubble is where players get some prize money in a multi-table tournament and most want to hold on till the bubble is finished. Even at this point, a player could cover costs or make a profit in their game. Because players want to keep their chips, few are raising, and will fold rather than risk their chips. This is where the aggressive player often lurks, much like a shark. The chips won especially deep in a tournament are often enough to reach the final table if this is done repeatedly. The antes, big and small blinds add up to a nice pot by themselves. But can you afford to sit their while an aggressive player is building a nice chip stack when you have good hands? No. The antes and blinds are making your stack smaller little by little. You can't afford to wait for a pair of Aces or Kings. You have to remember , you must play a good hand if you have one. If you have an aggressive player at your table and you're dealt a pair of aces, you should join. In fact, if you're given a pair of anything, you should go for it. These hands could lead to three or four of a kind while the aggressive player might not have anything just high cards. Likewise, if you're dealt a pair of anything or high cards, you might consider raising and being the shark too. Many people around you will fold. You'll collect the pot that is a good amount of chips deep in the tournament. Outcomes will often vary in all situations and change with the flop most of the time in Texas Holdem poker. A 2 or 3-bettor doesn't necessarily have the best hand at the showdown. If you've hedged your bets and bet right with them, you might walk away with a nice sized pot for your efforts. This is a great poker tip not only for beginners but for experienced players as well. After reading this article, I hope you conclude folding when a fellow player re-raises is not an option, when you have a good hand. If you sit out too many hands, especially deep in a tournament, you will lose due to antes and blinds and will lose chips, though slowly. Re-raise when it's warranted, for example, your hole cards are a pair of Aces or Kings. You won't all the time but most of the time. And you will be well on your way to many final table finishes.
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