How to Read Your Opponents Cards: Part 3

The previous articles in this series have provided you with examples of different scenarios that poker players can use in order to get information about their opponents game. However, you can not always be certain in the accuracy of your reads, i.e. how you have read the strength of your opponent's hand. The following is a selection of extra ways that you can read your opponents hands.

-Making a call:
Returning to the examples that we provided in the previous articles (click links below if you have not yet read them); once again you hold a pair of Jacks. Your opponents has the position over you (for example, he speaks after you) and the board gives Queen of Hearts, 7 of Hearts, 7 of Clubs, 2 of Diamonds and 6 of Diamonds. The board is similar to before, except that this time the colour draw that seemed possible at the flop neither falls at the turn nor the river. You opponent pays you at the flop, you both check at the turn, and he bets a lot at the river. What do you do?

Here, you should follow with a certain amount of confidence. Your opponent followed at the flop, and generally he will have a Queen or an Overpair, a three-of-a-kind of 7's, or a colour draw. The crucial information is the fact that you have checked the turn and that he checked after you. With a Queen or an Overpair, the majority of players will think that they now have the best hand and in this case, they will place a bet. With a three-of-a-kind of 7's, many players will bet in order to enlarge the pot. Instead of this, the check is followed by a large bet at the river and this corresponds perfectly to a missed colour.

Beware of your opponent if he calls, checks and bets; this corresponds very probably to a bluff.

-Read a big hand:
If your opponent followed your raise before the flop, you must be wary of their hand, which is, more than likely, strong; your opponent follows your bet at the flop, the turn gives a card without much clout, and now he check-raises your second bet. This shows that he has a strong hand, many players play in this fashion when they have touched three-of-a-kind at the flop. A good player should be up to speed on this and should even fold a very strong hand.

Say that you have a King and Queen, at the turn the board becomes King of Hearts, 8 of Spades, 7 of Clubs and 2 of Diamonds, and your opponent undertakes his famous check-raise. The turn should not have changed the situation, but the fact that he already touched a good hand at the flop is sufficient to show the strength of his hand. Unless you think that your opponent is bluffing, his playing style shows that he beats your King-Queen. Do not be surprised if you see three-of-a-kind of 8 or 7.

Now you posses Ace-Ace, the board gives Jack of Hearts, 10 of Diamonds, 9 of Clubs and 3 of Spades, and your opponent has played the same style of game, in making a check-raise at the turn. At this moment in the hand, a good player will think about folding his hand. If he bets or check-raises at the flop, he could be playing with Ace-Jack or King-King, if he bets at the turn, then it shows a certain amount of insecurity in the hand. The fact that he cannot wait for you to bet signifies that his hand is superior or equal to two pairs, three-of-a-kind or a suit, and your pair of Aces is thus beaten.

-Sense your opponents uncertainty by the fashion in which they play.
Once against, you are in a situation where you raised and your opponent called the flop. If your opponent is in the first position to speak and he attacks at the flop, there is a strong possibility that he has a forceful hand. This is, of course, a generalisation, and certain opponents will bet in this fashion with a flopped three-of-a-kind. However, very frequently, your opponent missed the flop and is in the process of bluffing, or he is trying to find out if a hand such, as a medium pair, or a top pair with small kickers, is sufficient. If the turn produces a card that he finds important (for example Jack of Hearts, 10 of Diamonds, 9 of Clubs or 3 of Spades, an attack at the turn can signify a weak hand.

-Know when you dominate the hand:
If the turn appears to have changed your opponent's situation, you should give credit to their hand. Logic tells you that if your opponent calls at the flop and bets at the turn, his game was improved. The conclusion is that he touched colours or a straight, here is a typical example:

You posses a pair of Queens, and the board gives a Jack of Hearts, 8 of Diamonds, 3 of Spades and Ace of Clubs. Your opponent calls the flop, and then undertakes a bet at the turn. The best conclusion is to assume that your opponent got his Ace at the turn and consequently dominates you. Perhaps he got lucky and had followed with Ace-King, or he could be playing with two pairs. If you have an opinion on your opponent's hand, you could well tell yourself that he has Ace-8. This hand is the ideal hand which corresponds to a call at the flop with a medium pair, and now a big bet with two pairs.

-Sense when your opponent is bluffing.
Consider the inverse situation, and you have just followed pre-flop, your opponent, the raiser, continues to bet. Notice a sequence where you follow a bet, check and then bet, and this will often resemble a bluff.

For example, you follow a raise with Ace of Hearts and 9 of Hearts; the flop gives a King of Spades, 9 of Spades and 2 of Diamonds on which your opponent bets the full amount of the pot. You can logically assume that you are now ahead in the round or at least, that you have outs that will see you pass in front. You follow. The turn deals a 3 of Diamonds, you check and your opponent checks after you. The river is as weak as the turn and gives a 3 of Hearts; the board is thus King of Spades, 9 of Spades, 2 of Diamonds, 3 of Diamonds and 3 of Hearts. You check, and your opponent makes a massive bet...

Taking the logical route, you should follow, as his actions show a weak hand. The key is that he checked at the turn. If he had a strong hand (such as Ace-Ace, Ace-King or Ace-Queen) that he is now claiming to have, he would surely have undertaken a value bet, which for you means that you would not manage to get your colours.

How to Read Your Opponents Cards: Part 1 How to Read Your Opponents Cards: Part 2 How to Read Your Opponents Cards: Part 3

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