Think, then Act When Playing Poker
By: JOHN ANHALT

Get in the habit of making your self STOP for a second, and ask yourself why you are about to make the play you intend to make, then act on your hand. This may seem very basic, and it is, but sometimes it becomes almost automatic to just bet certain hands, play particular flops in a certain way. If you don’t get in the habit of really THINKING about your hand before you act, you will begin a bad habit that is sometimes not easy to break. Before you act on your hand think about the following:

1. What was the action like pre-flop? Was it a limped pot, or was there a small raise with lots of calls? A raise and re-raise? 2. Did the flop hit your hand? How well? 3. Did the flop likely hit your opponent? How well? 4. Is your opponent likely strong or weak? 5. Are there lots of draws on the board? 6. How many outs do you have if you are currently behind? 7. What’s the best card you can see on the turn? 8. What is the worst card to see on the turn?

If you can get in the habit of running a script through your head before you act, you will be well on your way to becoming a winning player. All of these questions are important to ask each and every time.

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