Today’s Texas Hold'em Strategy is about using implied odds. Specifically we will be discussing who to use this poker strategy against. First of all, implied odds are something that a brand new player should be aware of, read about, learn, but not put into practice for awhile. This is because in the hands of an amateur, trying to figure out implied odds and how future bets work into a hand is something that they would need the amazing Kreskin to pull off. Basically what you are doing is calling a bet on the flop based on the bigger bets that will be made if you connect on your draw. For those without experience it becomes less of a poker strategy, and more of a way to justify a bad call. In short, no good Texas Hold'em strategy is based on wishful thinking. Be sure you understand pot odds, and how they are calculated before you tackle the use of implied odds.
If you are somebody who uses implied odds properly, you will find they are most successful against Tight Aggressive Players. The main reason for this is that in a post flop situation, a TAG is probably working with a playable hand. This means that they will burn chips to defend their cards and you can more reliably include their activity into your calculations. Traditionally TAG players will also give you more opportunities in the early stages to see cards on the cheap. From a poker strategy standpoint this does nothing but help your drawing hand.
The predictability of the TAG players makes them an ideal target for implied odds. Just make sure you know what you are doing with them before you try them on anyone.
That is the Texas Hold'em Strategy for today.
