Online poker is a multifaceted game, where different tactics can be used to win. One of the most underrated, yet successful, techniques every poker player should be familiar with is folding. Yes, folding!
Poker players either don’t fold enough or they fold too often – that’s a fact. Either way, when you don’t use the fold to your advantage, you won’t be able to master the game anytime soon.
Learn why you should change your folding frequency and learn exactly how you should do that while you play poker online.
The Why’s
As we’ve mentioned before, there are two types of players:
- Those who don’t fold enough
- Those who fold too often
Poker players who fit the first category are often driven by inexperience, which can lead to big losses on their part. If you don’t learn to fold in time, you can get into nasty power battles where your hand is not nearly good enough to win you the pot. And yet, once you’ve invested a lot of money in the game, it might seem as if folding will create an image of a quitter.
You should remember that there is nothing wrong with folding from time to time. In fact, it can stop you from losing all your money on a crappy hand, while making your opponents think you’re a cautious player. Once they form an opinion about your playing style, you will be able to change tactics and surprise them.
On the other hand, we have players who fold too often. If you are not prepared to raise the bet and take a risk while you have a mediocre hand, your opponents will immediately pick up on that. If they see that you only get involved in betting and re-raising when you have a killer hand, they will immediately fold, leaving you with meagre winnings.
In a different scenario, the other players at the table will realise that they can manipulate you with little problem. In result, they will bluff to make you fold, which is not a good thing in your case.
That is why you have to learn the balance between not folding enough and doing it too frequently.
Tips on When to Fold
- Understand Your Image – Do players think you’re a tight player? Or maybe they believe you are too loose when it comes to playing hands? Change your gambling persona from time to time to confuse your opponents by deviating from your usual folding patterns, and you will be able to throw them off their game!
- Understand Your Opponents – Try to read the situation at the table and deduce which players are weak and which are strong. New players are prone to reveal whether they have a good hand or not, so if they start raising - the smartest thing to do will be to fold if your hand is not as strong. However, if your opponents are seasoned players, your fold equity will be much higher. You will be able to get much closer to winning the pot if you don’t fold early in the game.
- Stay Consistent - When you raise or fold, your actions should make sense to the other players. When your game is all over the place, as you raise at one point and then fold immediately after that, you’re sending mixed messages to the other players. You need to show your opponents that you are not to be messed with, and you can achieve that by playing consistently. Even if you’ve raised pre-flop, and the other players at the table re-raised, don’t fold at this stage! Wait for the flop to make your decision. Otherwise, the other players won’t take you seriously.
In Conclusion
When you play poker online, you can choose to react in one of three ways: raise, call, or fold. Most players don’t fold at the right frequency, but if you manage to master the art of folding – you will be able to raise your chances of winning the pot!