How to control a Poker Hand
Players talk about controlling poker hands all of the time and for good reason too since it gives people an enormous advantage over their opponents. When you control a pot, you avoid making too many mistakes yourself and maximize the amount of mistakes that your opponents will make. Of course you need to keep a few things in mind when controlling hands.
The first thing you want to do is have good position in a hand. This should be obvious to a lot of players, but there are still those who make mistakes by playing out of position. If nobody has taken control of a hand and the action swings to you while in position then you need to take advantage of the situation.
Another thing to keep in mind when trying to control a hand is that you should be the aggressor. Basically, being the aggressor comes down to betting and raising rather than checking or calling. If you are the more aggressive player then you are in a better position to control the action (as long as you’re being intelligent about things).
Possibly the most important thing as far as controlling a hand goes is having enough information about your opponents. When you’ve built a solid profile on your opponents then you can know when betting and raising isn’t the best option or simply when it’s time to fold. There is no reason to challenge a rock if you know they’re probably holding the nuts.
If you’re able to do these things then you are well on your way to controlling hands. And if you can control poker hands then you will be able to manipulate pots and make more money in the process!