Call or fold? The vital question that is at the heart of every poker game, should you call or should you fold?
Working out what to do in the heat of the moment, and how you make that decision, is the mark of a skilled player. If you’ve got a pair of Queens and your opponent suddenly starts raising when a solitary King comes out, what do you do?
Well, the answer to that is impossible unless you have a read on the player. Are they the type to bluff like that? Maybe they’ve worked out you have a Queen pair and are trying to scare you off. Understanding metaphysical tells can make a difference.
Working out the truth in this type of situation is where the winning player can really hold an advantage. The winner would be able to tell whether or not someone was bluffing. By “reading the energy”, looking at subtle messages by the way a player places their bets and what cards have come out for the flop can provide invaluable information.
The other thing, of course, is to be aware of how your own betting looked and mask your tells carefully, so the opponents wouldn’t know what you are holding.
Hitting this fine balance of reading your foe without being read yourself, is the mark of a real pro.
