Bad Call vs Good Fold
They must be bluffing!
It is much easier to convince yourself to make a bad call than it is to convince yourself to make a good fold. You will often see players get caught up in a hand that they refuse to let go. Even when it is obvious that they are behind, players will make calls to satisfy their curiosity or to ensure that the other player was not bluffing them. A lot of the time it is a players’ ego that allows him to make these bad calls. This can be seen in micro stakes games online all the way up to high stakes cash games on TV. Phil Hellmuth would be a notorious example of a player who always thinks he is being bluffed. Instead of focusing on the correct decision, Hellmuth will often make the decision that risks the least amount of embarrassment. Sure, you look like less of an idiot if you make a bad call than if you get bluffed, but it will save you money in the long run if you accept getting bluffed every once in a while. There will be times that you simply get outplayed; it is just something that goes along with the game.
Don’t underestimate the obvious when calling
Sometimes you will be facing a river bet from your opponent that reeks of strength, but you will call them down anyway. It is those times where you know deep down that you are beat that you will often make the biggest mistakes. The consequences of making these bad calls can be tremendous. I know that I am more prone to tilt after making a bad play than after I get sucked out on. Poker has so many uncontrollable variables, why throw another one on the pile? The sooner you are able to capitalize on decisions that you can control the sooner you will be reaping the rewards.
Bluff Catchers
There is a popular poker term called the bluff catcher. The bluff catcher is in reference to a hand that is literally only capable of beating a total bluff. There are times where you might have a marginal hand that is just a notch better than the other players marginal hand; this is not a bluff catcher scenario. A bluff catcher means that you have a weak made hand that will only be able to beat (catch) a total bluff. Here is an example hand to demonstrate what a bluff catcher looks like.
You have gotten to the river with 44
The board reads 8 9 J 6 K. If the other player again fires out there is not the slightest chance that he is value betting with a hand like pocket 2s or 3s, which would be the only hands you beat. You will only be able to beat different busted draws or ace high type hands that don’t want to give up. In order to make your call anywhere near profitable in the long run you will have to have an absolutely perfect read on your opponent. Without a pristine read you are just giving your money away. There may even be times where you are up against what would be considered a bluff but are still behind. Maybe he fired all three streets with a hand like pocket 5s. The other player is likely trying to push you off pocket 10s, but will instead own you when you make the call with 4s. In essence, the bluff catcher term is attached to a hand that has practically no value whatsoever.
Learning to Make Solid Folds
Profits do not only come in the form of actual winnings, they can be found in the money that you didn’t lose as well. This is where learning to make solid folds comes into play. Making solid folds requires more discipline than folding when you only beat a bluff. Making a solid fold means that it is possible that you are just barely beat. These tiny differentials between your hand and what your opponent has will often represent a large portion of your win rate. When you get done playing a session and look back at the big hands, you will often see that one big fold (or call) was what saved or made your profit for the session. Small pots are won to sustain a positive win rate for the time that comes between big hands. It is crucial to every poker player’s success that they not only capitalize with their big hands, but minimize their losses when they are beat.
Making the Decision During Play
It is much easier to reflect on a hand after your session is over and see where you should have made a fold than it is to actually make the fold when you are playing. Athletes can train every day of the year, but if they can’t execute when game time comes that practice will have all gone to waste. The second you are dealt a hand, it is game time. All of the work that you put into your game off of the table will be rewarded with smart plays at the table. The biggest challenge to overcome when learning to make solid folds is your ego. Your ego is what will often trick you into making a call. Your mind will begin to wonder if maybe your hand was good after all when you make a fold. This is something that you will have to get past. It is not easy to do, but once you are able to accept that you are making decisions with positive expected value you will be a better player all around.
How Do you Know When to Make a Fold
This is a question that only experience will be able to solve. A novice player will have a harder time making solid folds than a pro if only for the reason that they do not know that they could be beat. I know when I first began playing I was making calls that I thought were genuinely good, when in reality they made no sense. It is all a matter of analyzing a hand piece by piece. You need to be able to accurately gather all of the data that is available to you to make the correct decision, be it to call or fold. You will not be right 100% of the time, you might not even be right 70% of the time, but if you are right just 51% of the time you will be a profitable player. Take a look at your hand, see what cards are on the board, and consider how the action has gone down. Once you do these three things you should have a pretty good idea of what your opponent is likely holding. When you have your opponent’s hand narrowed down you will be able to decide whether your hand beats it. It sounds simple because in time it will become only natural to make solid folds on a regular basis.