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
Nearly every average Draw Poker player
Nearly every average Draw Poker player has in the back of his mind, consciously or unconsciously, an answer for each of these factors. Generally speaking, few of these answers are correct. Most top-notch Draw Poker players follow a set of rough opening guides that don't vary much from the following. 1. In a seven- or eight-handed game, if you are next to the dealer and first to speak, don't open on less than a pair of aces. In a seven- or eight-handed game, second and third man should open on kings or better, fourth and fifth man on queens or better, seventh or eighth on jacks or better. 2. Should the pot be opened ahead of you, play with kings or better and fold with any lesser pair. 3. If you hold any two pairs, raise immediately, especially if you follow the opener. With queens or better don't raise if two or more players are still to speak after you. As I mentioned earlier, these are very tough rules to follow, but if followed diligently, they will reward the player with many more winning pots.
When to Open at Draw Poker
When to Open at Draw Poker You will recall my general advice in Chapter 4: Don't bet unless you think you have the best hand going in except when the pot odds are extra tempting. So that the reader can see at a glance the usual one-pair hands that have an even chance to be the best prior to the draw, they have been placed together in the following table.