Poker Tips - Mike Caro University Poker Strategy

Mike Caro is capping his career as the world's foremost poker authority by launching a school for serious players - Mike Caro University (MCU).

MCU will merge Mike's own research with the collective wisdom of other great poker minds into a one-of-a-kind learning center teaching poker strategy and psychology. In addition to instructional courses, MCU will serve as a central force for popularizing poker, maintaining its integrity and standardizing rules.

A Good Time To Bluff

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One of the best times to bluff is when an opponent is staring you down, reaching for his chips, or otherwise threatening to call. While opponents who are trying to discourage your bet by threatening to call, MIGHT actually call, they don't have hands powerful enough to raise. So, what remains are usually hands that they will be reluctant to call with. They will either call -- reluctantly -- or fold. Usually, in limit poker games where the size of the pot dwarfs the size of the bet, an opponent acting in this matter will fold often enough to give your bluff attempt an expectation of profit.

Adjusting To Wins And Losses

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Many of your opponents will treat you differently when you're winning than when you're losing. That's because they're conscious of luck and fear you more when you're "running lucky." When this happens, everything is as it should be in the universe, and your opponents are easier to control. You can bet marginal hands for value that you wouldn't be able to otherwise -- because you'd be afraid that these same opponents would be inspired by your losses and would raise aggressively or play deceptively.

It's true. When you're winning, your foes are apt to be docile and well behaved, and this allows you to press every hand for maximum value without fearing that they'll get maximum value for their hands, too. But, wait!

What's the best way to adjust, depending on whether you're running good or bad? Simple. Most of your decisions in poker will be "borderline," meaning that the decision isn't especially clear.

Do this: When you're conspicuously winning and faced with a borderline decision between checking and betting, bet... AND between calling and raising, raise.

But... when you're conspicuously losing and faced with a borderline decision between checking and betting, check... AND between calling and raising, call. These adjustments works like magic, and they're pure profit.

Are Kings Almost As Profitable As Aces In Hold'em?

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Kings are nowhere near as profitable as aces in hold 'em. Although the difference is much slighter between smaller adjacent pairs, such as eights and sevens, there's a very large gap between aces and kings in terms of profit when played correctly. Averaging all situations together, figure aces to be worth about 40 percent more than kings.

Don't Be Aggressive When You're Losing

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You don't have the same intimidation factor over your opponents when you're losing as you do when you're winning. For that reason, you'll make more money, or lose less, if you ride out your losing streak by reverting to a conservative game plan.

When the cards bring you out of it, your opponents will be intimidated again and you'll be able to manipulate them with faster action and fancier plays. Remember, you shouldn't be superstitious or believe that the cards will continue to be hot or cold. But that's what many of your opponents think. So, take advantage of it by being more aggressive when you're winning and less aggressive when you're losing and opponents are inspired and less likely to play poorly.