Smart Aggression
Today I stumbled upon an article by Daniel Negreanu at Pokerdog.org, and, since Negreanu is one of my favorite players, I read the article with much interest and a willingness to learn. The topic was aggression, a skill that is very important to master in poker.
Poker commentators on television, poker books, and my poker buddies all preach aggression aggression aggression. I’ve always felt that it was bad advice. Like anything, extremes can lead to trouble. Granted constant aggression is better than passivity. Aggression brings fear to your opponent, either forces them into a difficult decision or forces them to stay away from you. The problem is that eventually someone will hit the nuts and let the aggressive player bet themselves into a hole.
Negreanu talks about when to be aggressive and when to play with more caution. Selective aggression. Smart aggression. It all comes down to reading the player and the situation. One way, Negreanu suggests, to practice reading players is by playing blind (without looking at your cards) when you’re on the button. This forces you to play your opponent rather than your cards. If he checks the flop and shows weakness, then you bet, no matter what your pocket cards are.
To read Negreanu’s article, “Passing on Aggressive Play”, click here.
Daniel Negreanu, poker, aggression, poker tips
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