As most know the most important thing in small ball poker is to play quality hands aggressively. AA, the most powerful starting hand in poker, is difficult to play and requires a lot of respect. When playing I tag AA as a hand you generally will either raise or fold pre-flop.

Let’s first look at AA pre-flop.

AA, the big dog of poker starts out as a very strong hand. If played properly it can often be a great hand. However when played ad high aces pre-flop starting hands lose their edge meaning they start to be very vulnerable. Let’s look at a typical pre-flop situation.

You are in the small blind and a player in middle position raises the $3.00 to $5.00 range. You then re-raise the $5.00 to $10.00 range. The middle position player then calls the $10.00 raise. Keep in mind the small blind put in $3.00 to get to the $5.00 range. The flop comes down Qh-3h-7s. You check and your opponent bets $15.00. You re-raise the $15.00 pot to $30.00. The player folds. You have lost a hand and an $8.00 pot take down. The turn in a way doesn’t help you as the player bets $2.00 on the flop and your Ace is not going to hold up.

Going into the Small Blind

The small blind in the previous example would be in the button. In the situation in the blind you are in the best position. You are last to act pre-flop and no one has raised the hand before you. Your are also the only player in the hand who can possibly have an Ace.

This scenario may not happen often, but it does happen. So, while great poker is based on the fact that you have the strongest cards when you are playing post-flop, sometimes the bets just get to you.

Tip to small ball strategy

It’s important to be aggressive pre-flop with smallBall, depo 20 bonus 30 to kecil. When you are in late position and no one has raised the pot to you, raise the $0.50 to $1.00 range and take down the pot. Just like with aggressive pre-flop play, once you are in the hand you should maintain that aggressive post-flop play.

Example:

You are in the small blind and raise 3.5x the big blind to $12.00. The small blind calls the $12.00 and the big blind folds. You are in the big blind and you have $24.00. The flop comes down Qh-7h-2s. You have an open-ended straight draw. What should you do?

Play it aggressively as being in the blind with a small stack. Bet out and see who calls. If your opponent calls, as a small ball you can make a large bet on the turn. If your opponent folds, you take down the pot. It’s a lot of money if you call the flop bet, as normal, but when you have nothing in hand on the turn, the blinds fold, and you win a small pot.

What if you and the big blind get into a heads up confrontation before the flop?

You are a big dog and play with the big blind. Your prepare to play as if you had won the hand pre-flop. If your opponent raises, in small ball, you should re-raise in an aggressive manner.

Example:

You are in the big blind. The pot is $24.00. The option to raise is to $10.00. The small blind deposits $3.00. The big blind also calls. The flop is Ad-6s-2d. You have a straight draw. what should you do?

Unless you have a top pair, II prefer to let this one play out. If you raise, your opponent can fold. If you notice sweat drop down, your opponent probably has a hand, it’s just a matter of him not being able to recognize it. Again, sweat equals strong hand. If you are not a body language master, just wait for the next hand. Hand after hand, your opponent will be struggling to read you. Don’t give him the opportunity to succeed as easily. Action is the key here.

In conclusion, small ball is the key to winning pots. Play aggressive pre-flop, and be selective post-flop. It takes a small amount of time to master this strategy, but watch out, it works. You will soon be addicted.