winning poker strategy

You MUST play poker aggressively. But what does that mean?

Aggressive poker means that when you decide to play a pot you raise. This gives you the credibility to represent a big hand by continuing to bet after the flop. You only stop betting if an opponent makes it clear that they have a better hand that they are not likely to fold.

Playing aggressively is also a method of getting information about your opponents hand while putting maximum pressure on them. An added bonus is the advantage of possibly forcing your opponent to fold the winning hand.
For example, you have AQ and you make a preflop raise of four big blinds from the button. The big blind calls you. The flop comes down K 7 4 rainbow. The big blind checks. Some players pass on their chance to bet here. The turn comes down a Jack. The big blind makes a pot sized bet,
and wins the pot. Wrong, wrong, wrong. If a tight player fails to flop top pair or better out of position, that is often enough for them to let their hand go. For this reason, a continuation bet is
almost always a profitable play in a heads up situation. Aggressive poker also refers to the size of your bets. In the example above, you have to bet at least 2/3rds of the pot, if not closer to the whole thing.
Betting half the pot or less is considered a weak bet, and you are making it much easier for someone to call you with a small pair that they would otherwise fold.

The other benefit of playing aggressively is that it helps your table image.
If you have been raising a lot you may get paid off when you make a big hand and bet it the same way as your bluffs. So many players who play passively, and then get upset when they finally flop a full house and get no action. Why would anybody give you action if you are playing passively and then all of a sudden switch gears? The money is always much looser when you appear loose with yours.

Finally, when you are the one betting you have fold equity.
Fold equity refers to the likelihood that your opponent will fold to your bet. Using fold equity makes any hand more profitable because you add the chance of winning the pot without seeing a showdown.

If you're playing a tight opponent who will only continue if they significantly hit the flop, you have tremendous fold equity. You need to be betting as many flops as you can against that player. Many players fit this category.

The only ones that don't fit that description are very good players and really loose donkeys. Almost everybody in the middle plays that way in most situations.

There are two main things you need to do to play an aggressive style of
poker:
- Take the Lead Preflop
-Play your Hand Aggressively


Taking the Lead Preflop

If you have a good hand then take the lead by raising before the flop. Limping with a good hand can occasionally be a good play if you have aggressive players behind you who is raising almost every hand. However, only try this at a full ring table from early position. If you do it, take the
lead by re-raising, but in general it is the wrong way to play a big hand preflop.
Unless you're purposely trapping a specific player, it is better to take the lead. The biggest problem with letting your opponent take the lead is that they will likely win a larger pot from you if they hit a good flop because you will have trouble distinguishing their bet on the flop from a standard continuation bet.
If you do let your opponent fire first preflop it is a good idea to put in a reraise before the flop so that you have the lead going to the flop. This will give you more fold equity, both on your preflop raise as well as on your continuation bet once the flop comes down.
Also, the addition of three more cards can put your opponent in the lead. If you check before the flop with QQ, and your opponent checks behind you, you will have no way of knowing if you are ahead on a flop of 4 5 7. A raise would have driven out 45, 47, 57, 68, and 3 6, but your opponent can have any of these now.
You also want to be taking the lead with mediocre preflop hands when you have the dealer button (For example, pocket Nines and KJ). Taking the lead and having position makes KJ, 99, and many other marginal hands, very profitable at most tables.
Finally, taking the lead ensures that you will not end up playing a family pot against multiple players by narrowing the field. Even pocket Aces become weak against five players. With five players seeing the flop somebody is bound to hit a set, two pairs, or a strong draw.
In fact, you will find that playing AA without narrowing the field will cost you more than it will make you, because when someone does catch up on you, it's difficult to throw it away, and you will probably pay them off. Taking the lead in a hand puts you in the captain's chair for the hand, and you will find that by entering more hands with the lead you will be in fewer marginal situations after the flop.

Play Your Hand Aggressively

If you enter the hand with the lead and it is checked to you, it is correct to bet almost every time. The only time you shouldn't be making a continuation bet on the flop would be if you find yourself up against three or more players. Betting into three players is dangerous, and on most flops it won't work, unless you think your hand rates to be best.

Decide the size of your continuation bets based on the texture of the flop.
If the flop is K J 4 rainbow, and you have AQ like the example above, then you need to make a continuation bet that a player with a Jack can't call - probably close to the whole pot. You want a call, or a reraise, to establish that they definitely have a King or better, and you want everything else to fold.
Your opponent will miss the flop twice as many times than they connect with it, so betting most flops is generally profitable over the long run. You want to put the maximum amount of pressure on your opponents while disguising your big hands.
If you get called on the flop, you still have the lead for the turn, and you can proceed accordingly. This means that your opponent will almost always check to you on the turn, and you can take a free river card.