We’re here to tell you winning at poker isn’t all about fundamentals.
There are a handful of special moves that, when mastered, can make the difference between winning a little, and winning a lot.
In this ten-part beginner poker strategy series we’re going to show you exactly how to use these powerful poker moves to make more money.
Today we’re explaining the truth about soul reads.
What might look like a supernatural deduction akin to a fortune teller gazing into a crystal ball is actually a well-thought-out series of observations that lead to the correct decision.
We’ll show you how to make those big call downs with ace-high or bottom pair. It’ll not only impress the other players in the game, it’ll make you more money too.
The What: When people talk about making a soul read they’re referring to making a correct, yet very difficult decision, and doing it with a confidence that goes above and beyond the available info in the hand.
The When: The big call or the huge fold might be the hallmark of the soul read but really it’s a process that’s been going on from the very beginning of the hand. It begins as soon as you start assembling the pieces of the puzzle.
The Where: Soul reads can be made at any time in any poker game. When you nail your opponent on exactly what he’s holding and why he’s making certain actions, you are reading his soul.
The Who: To make a true soul read you need to know your opponent inside and out. What seems like an impossible deduction to the rest of the table is often possible because of what you know about your opponent and the history you’ve shared.
Soul Reads Done Right
Understanding how to read souls is especially important because it relies on one of the most important skills in poker: Observation.
Poker is a game of information, and the winners are the ones who collect the most and assemble it the best to make correct decisions.
You must observe everything your opponents do, whether you’re in the hand or not. Seeing how someone plays their draws or how they behave when they flop the nuts is crucial to making that huge read when it really counts.
When you can make observations and compare that data to what you already know about your opponent’s playing tendencies, you’re ready to take the first step towards soul-reading.
You Must Read Hands Before You Can Read Souls
The easiest way to think about hand-readin in poker is to break down all possible hands into broad groups. Those groups are called “ranges”.
A range of hands contains all the card combinations with which a player would make the same actions.
For example, bottom set and top two pair are both strong hands and would fall into most players’ value-betting ranges. Ace-high and complete air, meanwhile, would be found in their bluffing ranges.
Remember, different players have different ranges. Top pair is enough for some players to get their whole stacks in with, while a good player would have no trouble laying down two-pair in the right spot.
Hands can be broken down into four basic ranges:
Questions You Should Ask Yourself Once you can reliably put your opponent on a range you’ll be able to make vastly superior decisions at the poker table.
There’s no shortcut to perfect hand-reading but there are a number of basic questions you should always be able to answer.
Ask yourself these questions when you’re deciphering your opponent’s actions:
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