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Knowing When to Fold Great Poker Hands

Every poker player has been there. You flop a great hand and make every smart move that is possible throughout the entire hand only to have your opponent draw to a better hand on the turn or the river. No matter how great your hand might be, poker hands are only as good as what they will beat at a showdown. Knowing how to get away from a great hand when you know that you are beat is one of the skills that separate the champs from the chumps.

The first step to knowing when to fold great poker hands is to avoid the mistake of becoming pot committed. Pot commitment occurs when a player feels defends the chips he has contributed the pot to the point that it affects his decision making. For instance, if a player lands a great flop and puts a great deal of money into the pot only to find that an opponent has probably gotten lucky along the way, it can be difficult to get fold even when you know that there are poker hands out there that have you beat.

Not knowing when to fold great poker hands is particularly dangerous if you have gone on tilt. When a poker player has passed the point of pain after a couple of bad beats, landing a decent set or flush on the flop can lead to serious trouble. Even the best poker players degenerate into average gamblers when they are on tilt, and the desire to recover some of your losses can lead to a bad call even when a player knows that his hand has been cracked. It only takes one ill advised raise against a player with the nuts in a hand to make a bad run of cards turn much, much worse.

When you get lucky and hit a great poker hand, it is important to remember that it isn’t over until somebody rakes in the chips. Even when you try to shut down a hand with a large raise, you will sometimes get called by an amateur who will get just plain lucky as the hand progresses. Remember, the money that you put into the pot is no longer yours, and there is no reason to get committed to the pot when you know that you are beat. In the world of poker, a smart lay down is just as respected as any other smart play.

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