What type of poker player are you?

When you sit down at a poker table in a casino, chances are you have never seen any of those players before. So what do you know about them? Absolutely nothing. Or do you?

It’s natural to stereotype players who we know nothing about. If you know nothing about them, you immediate look at their appearance. Are they male or female? Young or old? What are they wearing? Are they in a suit, or do they have a hoodie and sunglasses on? Are they wearing sponsored poker apparel? Do they have expensive jewelry on? Are they ranting like Phil Hellmuth or running their mouth like Mike Matusow? Are the completely silent? Drinking? Flirting with the cocktail waitress?

Like it or not, you are being judged by the other players in the same way. For instance, if you’re a young, attractive woman, chances are that you can bluff more often and get guys to fold, simply because women in poker are sometimes stereotyped as weak and predictable.

In order to improve your game, it is important that you understand what type of poker player you are and what type of players your opponents are. If you know how others view you at the table, you can use this information to your advantage. Poker player types fall into four basic categories. Which one are you? Better yet, which one are you most of the time?

Motivation (level: advanced)

1. If you decide not to do something harmful to your poker bankroll, and you stick to your resolution day after day, you might one day be in the wrong frame of mind, make a bad decision, and do the harmful thing. To avoid this (as Mike Caro University of Poker advises), you should…

(a) use a stream-of-consciousness approach to let your good thoughts put your bad thoughts in a virtual “locked nest of inordinate security”;

(b) punt;

(c) divide yourself into two entities — one who makes the rational decisions at home and one that goes out to follow orders, but cannot give them;

(d) find someone who will act informally as your advisor, always on call and willing to be at your side within 20 minutes of any infraction.

2. Which is the only reasonable statement below?

(a) Married poker players almost never bluff, so if you’re married, you can surprise opponents by making bluffs — which is a self-motivating endeavor;

(b) About half the players go on tilt sometimes in their poker careers; the other half don’t, and that other half are mostly winners;

(c) If you believe strongly enough in your poker abilities, you will win for any period of 17 weeks or longer;

(d) You should keep in mind that you earn money when you correctly fold a hand, even though you lose the pot.

3. If you talk about how badly your luck is running…

(a) you can create a bond with your opponents by seeming honest, and that will help you win;

(b) you set a trap by surprising your unsuspecting opponents when you finally get good cards.

(c) you motivate many of your opponents and cause them to play better, because they may think, “Hey, there’s someone unluckier than I am — someone I can beat”;

(d) that’s bad, because you’re wishing for bad luck by dwelling on it, and if you wish hard enough, bad cards are more likely to be dealt to you.

4. The statement, “Sooner or later, any player is definitely going to be a lot of money ahead at poker for life, if he just studies a little and stays motivated” is…

(a) false, because most players won’t have the tools to win by just studying a little, even if they stay motivated;

(b) true, because a little study is all it takes, if you’re intelligent and friendly;

(c) false, because even if a player studies enough to win and stays motivated, he’s probably going to lose, even to the weakest players;

(d) all of the above..

5. If you have a conservative image and are believed to be a “tight” player, you won’t be called as often when you hold big winning hands…

(a) true;

(b) false

6. If you have a liberal image and are thought of as a “loose,” fun, and confusing player, opponents sometimes will give you extremely weak calls as gifts that they wouldn’t give other players…

(a) true;

(b) false

7. You’re more likely to win if you …

(a) imagine you’re being paid by the hour, rather than by pots won;

(b) keep your bankroll divided into 55 segments and never lose more than 1.33 segments per session;

(c) fold the hands that have given you psychological agony in the past, even if these seem like powerful hands now;

(d) pretend you’re invisible.

8. One powerful path to poker profit is to…

(a) give your opponents “permission” to play poorly by playing poor hands and showing them, with the intent of making those opponents think you play these hands more often than you do;

(b) leave the table for at least 12 minutes every hour;

(c)bluff each player at least once in a session;

(d) all of the above.

9. Imagine you’re in a home game and you think you might be getting cheated, but are unsure. You should usually quit the game, because you won’t be playing your best poker while you’re worried about it…

(a) true;

(b) false

10. Which statement is true?

(a) If you’re a skillful player, you can motivate yourself to play better simply by understanding and believing in the power of probability;

(b) You shouldn’t be concerned with winning or losing streaks;

(c)Most players exaggerate their bad luck when they relate what happened to them when they lost at the poker table;

(d) All of the above 

Motivation (level: intermediate)

1. Complaining about your bad luck will have no predictable influence on the quality of cards you’re dealt in the future… (a) true;
   (b) false.
   
2. Bringing a serious demeanor to the table… (a) makes you a more profitable player;
   (b) helps you get more calls;
   (c) will make it easier for you to bluff;
   (d) all of the above.
   
3. Money you don’t lose… (a) can be spent just the same as money you win;
   (b) isn’t worth saving when you’re more than 100 minimum bets behind in a game;
   (c) isn’t as important as money you win, but is still valuable in the long run;
   (d) is money saved, but can’t buy anything
   
4. Against weak opponents, you should often… (a) refuse to communicate;
   (b) play looser than usual;
   (c) play tighter than usual;
   (d) communicate only about poker strategy.
   
5. You will win more money if you appear to be a weak player… (a) true;
   (b) false
   
6. Which attitude best conveys how you should handle opponents you feel sorry for in a game? (a) You should avoid getting involved in pots with them;
   (b) You should try to destroy them at the poker table, knowing that you always have the option of giving the money back after the game;
   (c) You should quit the game until they leave;
   (d) You should talk to them at the table, trying to motivate them.
   
7. Your only mission in a poker game is to… (a) win pots;
   (b) create the right image;
   (c) play hands selectively;
   (d) make good decisions.
   
8. When other players seem to be taking turns going on tilt (which means playing poorly), your best option is to… (a) bluff more often;
   (b) pass your turn;
   (c) tighten up on your hand selection;
   (d) all of the above.
   
9. When you’re not comfortable with the game, you aren’t able to make the same quality decisions as when you are comfortable… (a) true;
   (b) false.
   
10. Which statement is false… (a) luck at poker will tend to even out over the years;
    (b) luck at poker is unlikely to be exactly equal for two players, even over a long period of time;
    (c) after two or three months of playing poker, you should be able to determine whether you’re likely to be a lucky or unlucky player over the years;
    (d) a bad losing streak has no bearing on the quality of cards you’ll be dealt next hand.

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Answers and explanations (with questions repeated for convenience)
Motivation (level: intermediate)

1. Complaining about your bad luck will have no predictable influence on the quality of cards you’re dealt in the future… (a) true;
   (b) false.
   Answer: (a). It’s true that complaining about bad luck will have no predictable influence on what cards you’re dealt next. However, complaining about bad luck does have consequence. It makes your opponents believe they can beat you, so don’t do it.
   
2. Bringing a serious demeanor to the table… (a) makes you a more profitable player;
   (b) helps you get more calls;
   (c) will make it easier for you to bluff;
   (d) all of the above.
   Answer: (c). Bringing a serious demeanor to the table will make it easier for you to bluff, which is one of that image’s few benefits. Against loose, carefree opponents, though, a serious demeanor is likely to bring fewer calls and earn less money overall.
   
3. Money you don’t lose… (a) can be spent just the same as money you win;
   (b) isn’t worth saving when you’re more than 100 minimum bets behind in a game;
   (c) isn’t as important as money you win, but is still valuable in the long run;
   (d) is money saved, but can’t buy anything.
   Answer: (a). Money you don’t lose can be spent just the same as money you win. Although it might not feel the same, losing $3,700 instead of $3,900 means that $200 remains in your pocket the next day and can be spent exactly the same as $200 won.
   
4. Against weak opponents, you should often… (a) refuse to communicate;
   (b) play looser than usual;
   (c) play tighter than usual;
   (d) communicate only about poker strategy.
   Answer: (b). Against weak opponents, you should often play looser than usual. Some hands that wouldn’t have been profitable against strong or average opponents will be profitable against weak ones, and you can afford to add these hands to your selection.
   
5. You will win more money if you appear to be a weak player… (a) true;
   (b) false.
   Answer: (a). It’s true that you’ll win more money in the long run (assuming you’re a skillful player) if you appear to be weak. Opponents will make mistakes because they wrongly evaluate your play. When I’m in a game, I don’t want opponents to think I’m playing well. In my case, most of them realize that I can play well, but I can still make them think I’m choosing not to. It’s always an advantage when opponents underestimate your game, specifically because they’ll call more often with losing hands.
   
6. Which attitude best conveys how you should handle opponents you feel sorry for in a game? (a) You should avoid getting involved in pots with them;
   (b) You should try to destroy them at the poker table, knowing that you always have the option of giving the money back after the game;
   (c) You should quit the game until they leave;
   (d) You should talk to them at the table, trying to motivate them.
   Answer: (b). Poker isn’t a game where it’s right to show mercy. It’s your duty to act only in your own selfish interests, avoiding directly or indirectly assisting opponents. If you feel sorry for opponents, you can always refund the money you won later.
   
7. Your only mission in a poker game is to… (a) win pots;
   (b) create the right image;
   (c) play hands selectively;
   (d) make good decisions.
   Answer: (d). Your only mission in a poker game is to make good decisions. Everything else takes care of itself.
   
8. When other players seem to be taking turns going on tilt (which means playing poorly), your best option is to… (a) bluff more often;
   (b) pass your turn;
   (c) tighten up on your hand selection;
   (d) all of the above.
   Answer: (b). Just because your opponents seem to be taking turns going on tilt doesn’t mean you have to participate. You can pass your turn.
   
9. When you’re not comfortable with the game, you aren’t able to make the same quality decisions as when you are comfortable… (a) true;
   (b) false.
   Answer: (a). It’s true that you won’t be able to make the same usual quality decisions when you’re uncomfortable. If something bothers you about a game, it’s often best to quit.
   
10. Which statement is false… (a) luck at poker will tend to even out over the years;
    (b) luck at poker is unlikely to be exactly equal for two players, even over a long period of time;
    (c) after two or three months of playing poker, you should be able to determine whether you’re likely to be a lucky or unlucky player over the years;
    (d) a bad losing streak has no bearing on the quality of cards you’ll be dealt next hand.
    Answer: (c). The only false answer is: “After two or three months of playing poker, you should be able to determine whether you’re likely to be a lucky or unlucky player over the years.” First, cards you’ve been dealt in the past won’t help you know what ones will be dealt next, so your luck in the future is unpredictable. Second, even if luck were predictable, “two of three months” of poker wouldn’t be long enough to make a judgment.

Psychology (level: intermediate)

1. At MCU, we teach that most weak opponents often seem to call… (a) oddly, primarily with black cards;
   (b) anything that moves;
   (c) often, but almost seldom twice in a row;
   (d) less often than they should.
   
2. It’s psychologically satisfying to maintain a long winning streak. Which statement about such a streak is most true? (a) It’s important to try to keep the streak alive as long as you can afford to do so;
   (b) You might be losing money overall by extending a winning streak;
   (c) The more days in a row you win, the more days in a row you’ll probably lose in the future;
   (d) Players who have the longest winning streaks are, on average, poker’s biggest lifetime winners.
   
3. Caro’s Threshold of Misery states that… (a) You stop feeling any more pain once you’ve lost more than you expected was likely – and this can put you in a dangerous situation;
   (b) Everyone has a different tolerance for losing, and you should develop as great a tolerance as possible;
   (c) Players typically get irritated if they win too many hands in a row – thus, misery applies equally to winners and to losers;
   (d) There’s no way to keep an even disposition at poker, and trying to do so will always cause you to lose in the long run.
   
4. If you feel that you’re being cheated… (a) you’re apt to be wrong, but the feeling itself can cause you to lose;
   (b) you probably won’t be able to concentrate fully on making the best decisions;
   (c) you should often leave the game, even without proof;
   (d) all of the above.
   
5. It’s often profitable to seem like a maniac in poker, especially if… (a) you’re a “friendly” maniac;
   (b) you can avoid being caught up in the act and playing poorly;
   (c) your opponents are paying attention;
   (d) all of the above.
   
6. Most players seem to take turns going on tilt. (a) True;
   (b) False.
   
7. If you say, “I think I have a straight flush, but maybe I’m bluffing,” you’ve given your opponent an “either-or decision.” This can be effective psychology if… (a) you’re bluffing;
   (b) you have a weak hand with vague hopes of winning, but don’t want a call;
   (c) you’ve been losing consistently for at least an hour;
   (d) you have a medium-strong betting hand.
   
8. It’s better to advertise if your weak hand is similar to those your opponents might also play. (a) True;
   (b) False.
   
9. Solid players are not affected much by the table image of their opponents. (a) True;
   (b) False.
   
10. Against typical weak opponents, the best tactic is to… (a) bluff a little more often;
    (b) avoid the urge to bet aggressively with medium-strong hands;
    (c) play more conservatively than your image implies;
    (d) play a little more liberally than they do.

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Answers and explanations (with questions repeated for convenience)
Psychology (level: intermediate)

1. At MCU, we teach that most weak opponents often seem to call… (a) oddly, primarily with black cards;
   (b) anything that moves;
   (c) often, but almost seldom twice in a row;
   (d) less often than they should.
   Answer: (b). At MCU we teach that most weak opponents will call anything that moves. This means that the more animated you are, the more likely you are to be called, and the less movement you make, the more you are likely to be successful bluffing.
   
2. It’s psychologically satisfying to maintain a long winning streak. Which statement about such a streak is most true? (a) It’s important to try to keep the streak alive as long as you can afford to do so;
   (b) You might be losing money overall by extending a winning streak;
   (c) The more days in a row you win, the more days in a row you’ll probably lose in the future;
   (d) Players who have the longest winning streaks are, on average, poker’s biggest lifetime winners.
   Answer: (b). You might cause yourself to lose overall by trying to extend a win streak. That’s because you’re likely to force yourself to play longer under poor conditions — when you’re losing — and quit prematurely to chalk up the win under the better conditions — when you’re ahead.
   
3. Caro’s Threshold of Misery states that… (a) You stop feeling any more pain once you’ve lost more than you expected was likely – and this can put you in a dangerous situation;
   (b) Everyone has a different tolerance for losing, and you should develop as great a tolerance as possible;
   (c) Players typically get irritated if they win too many hands in a row – thus, misery applies equally to winners and to losers;
   (d) There’s no way to keep an even disposition at poker, and trying to do so will always cause you to lose in the long run.
   Answer: (a). Caro’s Threshold of Misery suggests that once you move beyond the maximum you expected you could lose, you stop feeling any more pain, and you’re in danger of damaging yourself further by making weak decisions.
   
4. If you feel that you’re being cheated… (a) you’re apt to be wrong, but the feeling itself can cause you to lose;
   (b) you probably won’t be able to concentrate fully on making the best decisions;
   (c) you should often leave the game, even without proof;
   (d) all of the above.
   Answer: (d). If you feel that you’re being cheated, even if you’re wrong, the feeling itself can cause you to use up valuable time worrying about it, making you less able to concentrate on important game decisions. You should often leave that game, even without proof. So, the answer was “all the above” — A, B, and C.
   
5. It’s often profitable to seem like a maniac in poker, especially if… (a) you’re a “friendly” maniac;
   (b) you can avoid being caught up in the act and playing poorly;
   (c) your opponents are paying attention;
   (d) all of the above.
   Answer: (d). All of the above A, B, and C were true. If you’re going to pretend to be a “maniac” in a game to confuse your opponents and gain extra calls, then you should be friendly, you should avoid being caught up in the act and playing poorly, and your opponents must be paying attention.
   
6. Most players seem to take turns going on tilt. (a) True;
   (b) False.
   Answer: (a). Oddly, it’s true that most opponents take turns going on tilt. It’s kind of fair, if everyone does it sometimes, and it equals out. But, you can make a lot more money by simply passing your turn to go on tilt. Play your best game all the time.
   
7. If you say, “I think I have a straight flush, but maybe I’m bluffing,” you’ve given your opponent an “either-or decision.” This can be effective psychology if… (a) you’re bluffing;
   (b) you have a weak hand with vague hopes of winning, but don’t want a call;
   (c) you’ve been losing consistently for at least an hour;
   (d) you have a medium-strong betting hand.
   Answer: (d). Forcing an opponent into an either-or mode of thinking is a good tactic when you bet a medium-strong hand. If you say, excitedly, that you might have made a straight flush, you’re opponent may call with a weak hand, thinking you either did make it or you’re bluffing. That’s exactly what you want when you’re hands fall in the middle-strength range. You’d like as many weak calls as possible, but you want to discourage raises from better hands than yours.
   
8. It’s better to advertise if your weak hand is similar to those your opponents might also play. (a) True;
   (b) False.
   Answer (b). It’s false that you should tend to advertise with weak hands similar to those your opponents play. Doing so will seem commonplace to them. If you’re going to bluff or play a weak hand to send a message that gains extra calls in the future, make it a hand strange enough or weak enough to get their attention.
   
9. Solid players are not affected much by the table image of their opponents. (a) True;
   (b) False.
   Answer: (b). It’s false — though commonly believed to be true — that solid poker players aren’t affected much by your table image. Almost everyone is affected by image and can be swayed by advertising. People make hasty evaluations based on often faulty perceptions. Learn to profit from this.
   
10. Against typical weak opponents, the best tactic is to… (a) bluff a little more often;
    (b) avoid the urge to bet aggressively with medium-strong hands;
    (c) play more conservatively than your image implies;
    (d) play a little more liberally than they do.
    Answer: (c). Against typical weak opponents, the best tactic is to appear loose, but play more conservatively than your image implies.

Opponents (level: advanced)

1. Even if you’ve been seen making silly plays in an attempt to build a loose image and gain extra calls, you can often bluff a strong player in the same game if… (a) the player is on tilt;
   (b) the player has just been caught bluffing;
   (c) the player takes pride in being too smart to be taken in by your antics;
   (d) the player doesn’t seem to care about money.
   
2. If you say the words, “call me, I might be bluffing, but I’m probably not” you are more likely… (a) to be called;
   (b) to be raised;
   (c) to see your opponent fold;
   (d) none of the above
   
3. Beginning players often play even worse than you’d expect, because… (a) winning makes them uncomfortable;
   (b) they probably studied advanced sophisticated strategy and understood it at home, but lose their concentration in a game;
   (c) they want to impress you with their skills;
   (d) they’re too busy trying to understand the rules, customs, and environment to fully focus on making good poker decisions.
   
4. If an opponent positions a chip very exactly in a pot, it’s a good idea to push it out of its location, because… (a) the chip has mystical strength in that position;
   (b) it’s a bad policy to let opponents position their own chips;
   (c) you want to show that you’re even more experienced at positioning chips;
   (d) the exact positioning is probably a sign of superstition, and you can make a player feel unlucky by “accidentally” moving the chip – and he won’t play as well
   
5. If opponents see you losing, they’re apt to be inspired and play better against you. Often you can make them less confident by… (a) folding your arms and staring into space;
   (b) simply keeping quiet;
   (c) changing seats;
   (d) trying to bluff them frequently.
   
6. If someone sympathetically points out how unlucky you’ve been, you should… (a) deny it;
   (b) explain that they don’t even know half of it;
   (c) tell them you’re unlucky today, but tomorrow might be different;
   (d) thank them for noticing.
   
7. Sometimes it’s almost as easy to bluff two opponents as one, because… (a) if the first player folds, the second one doesn’t want to embarrass himself with a weak, losing call;
   (b) when there are two players or more in the pot, it indicates a tight game;
   (c)the pot is usually not big enough to defend with two opponents;
   (d) all of the above.
   
8. Against your most deceptive opponents, you should… (a) be extra aggressive;
   (b) almost never call;
   (c) let them have the lead by checking often;
   (d) all of the above.
   
9. Female players make more money by calling than male players, on average… (a) true;
   (b) false.
   
10. If an opponent bets and is carrying on a conversation that seems forced and somewhat nonsensical… (a) he’s probably hoping for a call;
    (b) most likely he hasn’t looked at his cards yet;
    (c) it’s probably a bluff;
    (d) none of the above.
    

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Answers and explanations (with questions repeated for convenience)
Opponents (level: advanced)

1. Even if you’ve been seen making silly plays in an attempt to build a loose image and gain extra calls, you can often bluff a strong player in the same game if… (a) the player is on tilt;
   (b) the player has just been caught bluffing;
   (c) the player takes pride in being too smart to be taken in by your antics;
   (d) the player doesn’t seem to care about money.
   Answer: (c) Even if you have developed a loose image by making strange plays, and most opponents are eager to call your future hands, you can still sometimes bluff opponents who take pride in being too smart to be taken in by your antics.
   
2. If you say the words, “call me, I might be bluffing, but I’m probably not” you are more likely… (a) to be called;
   (b) to be raised;
   (c) to see your opponent fold;
   (d) none of the above.
   Answer: (a) If you say, “call me, I might be bluffing, but I’m probably not,” opponents often will become confused, curious, and suspicion — and you’re more likely to be called.
   
3. Beginning players often play even worse than you’d expect, because… (a) winning makes them uncomfortable;
   (b) they probably studied advanced sophisticated strategy and understood it at home, but lose their concentration in a game;
   (c) they want to impress you with their skills;
   (d) they’re too busy trying to understand the rules, customs, and environment to fully focus on making good poker decisions.
   Answer: (d) Beginners often play even worse than you’d expect, because they’re using up a great deal of their evaluation time by simply trying to understand the procedures and the environment.
   
4. If an opponent positions a chip very exactly in a pot, it’s a good idea to push it out of its location, because… (a) the chip has mystical strength in that position;
   (b) it’s a bad policy to let opponents position their own chips;
   (c) you want to show that you’re even more experienced at positioning chips;
   (d) the exact positioning is probably a sign of superstition, and you can make a player feel unlucky by “accidentally” moving the chip – and he won’t play as well.
   Answer: (d) When you see an opponent place a chip in a precise position, that’s probably a sign of superstition, and you can make the player fell unlucky and play worse by “accidentally” repositioning that chip.
   
5. If opponents see you losing, they’re apt to be inspired and play better against you. Often you can make them less confident by… (a) folding your arms and staring into space;
   (b) simply keeping quiet;
   (c) changing seats;
   (d) trying to bluff them frequently.
   Answer: (c) When opponents notice that you’re losing, they’re inspired, think they can beat you, and consequently play better. But you can often make them less confident by changing seats. Many players think different seats are hot or cold and erroneously believe your seat change might make you lucky in itself. You can even emphasize this psychological advantage by announcing that you know the new seat will be lucky.
   
6. If someone sympathetically points out how unlucky you’ve been, you should… (a) deny it;
   (b) explain that they don’t even know half of it;
   (c) tell them you’re unlucky today, but tomorrow might be different;
   (d) thank them for noticing.
   Answer: (a) If someone points out how unlucky you’ve been, your first inclination may be to accept the sympathy gratefully, but actually — because opponents play better against you when they think you’re unlucky — you should deny that you’re running badly.
   
7. Sometimes it’s almost as easy to bluff two opponents as one, because… (a) if the first player folds, the second one doesn’t want to embarrass himself with a weak, losing call;
   (b) when there are two players or more in the pot, it indicates a tight game;
   (c)the pot is usually not big enough to defend with two opponents;
   (d) all of the above.
   Answer: (a) Sometimes it’s almost as easy to bluff two players as one, because if the first player folds, the second one won’t want to make a weak, losing call that might cause the opponent who folded to question his judgment.
   
8. Against your most deceptive opponents, you should… (a) be extra aggressive;
   (b) almost never call;
   (c) let them have the lead by checking often;
   (d) all of the above.
   Answer: (c) You should let deceptive opponents take the lead often. That means you should check to them more frequently than you would check to most other opponents.
   
9. Female players make more money by calling than male players, on average… (a) true;
   (b) false.
   Answer: (a — true).Yes, female players actually do make more money by calling against male opponent ts, on average. That’s because they are bluffed more often than males who play the same style of game. That’s just an average, though, and some males won’t bluff women at all.
   
10. If an opponent bets and is carrying on a conversation that seems forced and somewhat nonsensical… (a) he’s probably hoping for a call;
    (b) most likely he hasn’t looked at his cards yet;
    (c) it’s probably a bluff;
    (d) none of the above.
    Answer: (c) Whenever you hear an opponent chatter in a way that seems forced, contrived, or unnatural, that’s a sign of stress and it’s a strong indication of a weak hand or a bluff.
    

Strategy – Hold ’em (level: advanced)

1. Disregarding suits, which flop is most profitable, on average, if you’re holding A-10 in hold ’em? (a) 2-3-4;
   (b) 10-K-J;
   (c) 10-4-4;
   (d) A-2-2.
   
2. Disregarding suits, if you begin a hold ’em hand with J-10 and the flop is J-10-A, you should usually… (a) bet and reraise if raised;
   (b) check and call if bet into;
   (c) check and raise if bet into;
   (d) bet and fold if raised
   
3. Disregarding suits, if you begin with A-9 and the flop is A-9-9, you should usually… (a) check and call if bet into;
   (b) check and raise if bet into;
   (c) keep betting and raising until the river;
   (d) check and fold if bet into.
   
4. In which way is 5-5 better than 2-2 as a starting hold ’em hand? (a) 5-5 can beat starting pairs 3-3 and 4-4, but 2-2 can’t;
   (b) if the final board is J-9-J-3-4, 5-5 might win with a larger two pair than an opponents’;
   (c) if two pair and no deuces show on the board, 2-2 will always be a worthless hand, unless a deuce completes the only flush. However, 5-5 can sometimes survive as a pair, even if two pair land on the board;
   (d) all of the above
   
5. It’s harder to protect a pair of aces in no-limit hold ’em than in limit hold ’em. (a) true;
   (b) false.
   
6. In pot-limit hold ’em, a good strategy with a superior hand against a single opponent who acts first and checks is to also check all the way to the river and then bet the maximum. (a) true;
   (b) false
   
7. If you begin a hold ’em hand with A-A and the flop is K-Q-J, no flush possible, what percent of the time will you finish with just the aces you started with after seeing the turn and river cards? (a) 58 percent;
   (b) 76 percent;
   (c) 90 percent;
   (d) 41 percent
8. If you begin a hold ’em hand with 6d 5c, what are the odds against flopping a straight? (a) 7 to 1;
   (b) 14 to 1;
   (c) 76 to 1;
   (d) 48 to 1.
   
9. You’re in a nine-handed hold ’em game holding A-9. What is the chance that yours is the only ace held before the flop? (a) 82 percent;
   (b) 31 percent;
   (c) 11 percent;
   (d) exactly 50 percent.
   
10. Which is not an advantage of just calling with A-A in an early position in hold ’em? (a) You’re more likely to improve your position by acting after your opponents on subsequent betting rounds;
    (b) If you call and you’re raised and then other players call, you can reraise and potentially build a bigger pot;
    (c) You might earn extra profit from players with weak hands who wouldn’t have played if you had raised;
    (d) Just calling can sometimes be advantageous because it’s a deceptive play.

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Answers and explanations (with questions repeated for convenience)
Strategy – Hold ’em (level: advanced)

1. Disregarding suits, which flop is most profitable, on average, if you’re holding A-10 in hold ’em? (a) 2-3-4;
   (b) 10-K-J;
   (c) 10-4-4;
   (d) A-2-2.
   Answer: (c) Disregarding suits, if you hold A-10, then 10-4-4 is a more profitable flop overall than 2-3-4, 10-K-J, or A-2-2.
   
2. Disregarding suits, if you begin a hold ’em hand with J-10 and the flop is J-10-A, you should usually… (a) bet and reraise if raised;
   (b) check and call if bet into;
   (c) check and raise if bet into;
   (d) bet and fold if raised.
   Answer: (a) Disregarding suits, if you begin a hold ’em hand with J-10 and the flop is J-10-A, you should usually bet and reraise if raised. While you might occasionally want to check-and-call as a trap or check-and-raise as an act of war, your best tactic most of the time is to bet and then raise back if you’re raised.
   
3. Disregarding suits, if you begin with A-9 and the flop is A-9-9, you should usually… (a) check and call if bet into;
   (b) check and raise if bet into;
   (c) keep betting and raising until the river;
   (d) check and fold if bet into.
   Answer: (a) Disregarding suits, if you begin with A-9 and the flop is A-9-9, you should usually check and call if bet into. There’s such a high probability that your opponent has a moderate hand, a weak hand, or no competitive hand at all with that flop (considering that you hold both ranks yourself) that you don’t want to risk chasing him out of the pot with either a bet or a raise. Check, then just call.
   
4. In which way is 5-5 better than 2-2 as a starting hold ’em hand? (a) 5-5 can beat starting pairs 3-3 and 4-4, but 2-2 can’t;
   (b) if the final board is J-9-J-3-4, 5-5 might win with a larger two pair than an opponents’;
   (c) if two pair and no deuces show on the board, 2-2 will always be a worthless hand, unless a deuce completes the only flush. However, 5-5 can sometimes survive as a pair, even if two pair land on the board;
   (d) all of the above.
   Answer: (d) All of the first three listed reasons explain why 5-5 is a better hold ’em starting hand than 2-2: (a) 5-5 can beat starting pairs 3-3 and 4-4, but 2-2 can’t; (b) if the final board is J-9-J-3-4, 5-5- might win with a larger two pair than an opponents’; and if two pair and no deuces show on the board, 2-2 will always be a worthless hand, unless a deuce completes the only flush, while 5-5 can sometimes survive a two-pair board by measuring higher than the smaller pair showing.
   
5. It’s harder to protect a pair of aces in no-limit hold ’em than in limit hold ’em. (a) true;
   (b) false.
   Answer: (b) It’s false that it’s harder to protect a pair of aces in no-limit hold ’em than in limit hold ’em. In fact, no-limit makes it much easier to protect a pair of aces by betting bigger than your opponents can call. Of course, you often don’t want to chase opponents away in no-limit games when you hold aces. You do, though, want to tax them as much beyond where they’re getting a break-even calling proposition as they’re willing to pay.
   
6. In pot-limit hold ’em, a good strategy with a superior hand against a single opponent who acts first and checks is to also check all the way to the river and then bet the maximum. (a) true;
   (b) false.
   Answer: (b) It’s pot-limit hold ’em and you’re holding a superior hand against a single opponent who acts first. It’s false that it’s usually a good strategy to keep checking all the way to the river and then betting the maximum after your opponent’s final check. That may occasionally work in no-limit hold ’em, but in pot-limit, since you can only bet the size of the pot, it’s a good idea to build the pot bit by bit with superior hands, so you can wager more and make more money.
   
7. If you begin a hold ’em hand with A-A and the flop is K-Q-J, no flush possible, what percent of the time will you finish with just the aces you started with after seeing the turn and river cards? (a) 58 percent;
   (b) 76 percent;
   (c) 90 percent;
   (d) 41 percent.
   Answer: (d) If you begin a hold ’em hand with A-A and the flop is K-Q-J, without any flush possible, you can expect to end up with just those two aces 41.4 percent of the time. That means 58.6 percent of the time you will improve, making anything from aces-up to four aces.
   
8. If you begin a hold ’em hand with 6d 5c, what are the odds against flopping a straight? (a) 7 to 1;
   (b) 14 to 1;
   (c) 76 to 1;
   (d) 48 to 1.
   Answer: (c) If you begin a hold ’em hand with 6d 5c, the odds are 76-to-1 against flopping a straight.
   
9. You’re in a nine-handed hold ’em game holding A-9. What is the chance that yours is the only ace held before the flop? (a) 82 percent;
   (b) 31 percent;
   (c) 11 percent;
   (d) exactly 50 percent.
   Answer (b) If you’re in a nine-handed hold ’em game holding just one ace before the flop, there’s a 31 percent chance that yours is the only ace that’s been dealt.
   
10. Which is not an advantage of just calling with A-A in an early position in hold ’em? (a) You’re more likely to improve your position by acting after your opponents on subsequent betting rounds;
    (b) If you call and you’re raised and then other players call, you can reraise and potentially build a bigger pot;
    (c) You might earn extra profit from players with weak hands who wouldn’t have played if you had raised;
    (d) Just calling can sometimes be advantageous because it’s a deceptive play.
    Answer: (a) Just calling with A-A, as an alternative to raising, sometimes has advantages, but improving your position by acting after your opponents on subsequent betting rounds is not one of them.