Reading Hands
1. What is the most common way to read hands ?
Ans : Analyze the meaning of an opponent’s check other games, bet or raise, and then consider the plays he has made throughout the hand, along with the exposed cards, to come to a determination about his hand.
2. Is it a mistake to put an opponent on a hand early and to stick with your initial conclusion ?
Ans : Yes.
3. On third street, suppose that you raise with a high card up and an opponent showing a small card calls your raise. On fourth street,
he catches another small card close in rank to his upcard and bets after you check. You call, and on fifth street you both catch blanks. When you check, he also checks. What is a likely hand for him to have ?
Ans : A three-card low with a small pair.
4. What if your opponent catches another low card on sixth street that appears to possibly give him a small straight poker hands?
Ans : You should not fold.
5. What if he catches a blank on sixth street ?
Ans : You should bet and then probably bet again on the river if you make two pair.
6. But if he catches good on sixth street, how should you play on the river ?
Ans : You should check and call, since you still have a good shot at the high half of the pot (or you might even scoop the whole pot).
7. What if you cannot beat a small pair ?
Ans : You may want to bet, since there is some chance that you can pick up the pot if your opponents has missed his low.
8. In practice, what should you try to determine ?
Ans : Whether your opponent has a bad hand, a mediocre hand, a good hand, or a great hand.
9. If an opponent bets on the end, what type of hand is he unlikely to have ?
Ans : A mediocre hand.
10. What is a complementary way to reading hands ?
Ans : To work backward.
11. If someone with a small card up cold calls a raise and a reraise by a king and a small card, catches medium-sized cards higher than an eight on fourth and fifth streets, but is able to raise on sixth street, what is his probable hand ?
Ans : A rolled-up set. It does not seem possible that he would have gone this far with something like a small three straight.
12. Suppose on sixth street that a player who called a raise on third street has ? ? 2 
Q 6 
10 
.
Someone with a king in the door and a small pair on board bets; another player who caught an ace on sixth street and who has two other small cards up, both lower than a six, raises; and now this person calls the raise. Does he have just a draw to a six ?
Ans : No, even though it is likely that he started with three small cards.
Introduction / Starting hands / Three of a Kind Wired / Disguising Your Hand / Ante Stealing / Getting Reraised on a Semi-Steal / When an Ace Raises / When the Bring-In Raises / General Strategy / How Far Do You Go? / Fourth Street / Check-Raising on Fourth and Fifth Streets / Fifth Street / Sixth Street / Seventh Street / Position / Playing the High Hands / Bluffing / Slow-Playing / Knowing Your Opponents / Raising Aggressively / The Toughest Decision of All / Staying to the End / Pairing the Door Card / Keeping Track of the Cards / Scare Cards / An Expert Play / Another Good Play / Reading Hands / Psychology / Afterthought
