Tournament Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
Jacks
Jacks Pocket jacks are the bane of most casual players. The trouble with pocket Jacks is, that they look like a big pocket pair, but usually play like a medium pair. When I have Jacks, I will always raise pre-flop, to thin the field as well as test for bigger pairs. However, I will be ready to fold them if I run into a lot of action, pre-flop, or post flop, if I do not make a set.
Even if the flop looks harmless
Even if the flop looks harmless like 10 - 9 - 5, I will be on the alert for signs that some one flopped a set or has a pocket pair bigger than Jacks. For this, you need to have a good read on your