Here are a few more creative plays you can add to your game when things aren’t going your way, or even if you just want to turn the screw on your table…
The ‘represent the slow-played big pair’ move
With this move you are trying to represent that you have a big pocket pair. Typically the way this best works is to limp in early position and if it is raised before it gets back to you, re-raise as if you had limped in with pocket Aces or Kings. The move only works if there is one raise. Don’t make the mistake of doing it when the pot has been raised and re-raised before it gets back to you.
The ‘punishing limpers using position’ move
If you are at a passive table that is limping in a lot and have established a tight image, you can pick up a nice-sized pot by making a large raise from late position or the blinds with a marginal hand. Make sure you make the same kind of raise that you would with a legitimate hand.
The squeeze play
This move has become extremely popular and well publicised in recent times, so be careful of overusing it lest you get picked off by a smart, observant player. The squeeze play takes place when there has been a raise and a call of that raise before it gets to you. The reason this move works is that the flat-caller usually doesn’t have a good enough hand to withstand a re-raise. If they did, they would have made the re-raise themselves. The initial raiser has to worry about what the flat-caller will do, thus they are in a bad position as well.
The ‘you aren’t stealing my blinds re-steal’ move
If a player has raised from late position on your big blind, this can be a perfect opportunity to pick up some chips. It’s most likely that they are stealing and will fold to a good-sized re-raise. However, you need to be careful that the person making the initial raise is not super-tight or the type of player who is capable of coming back over the top of you with air.
The ‘I’m a maniac but I’m really not’ move
This play is a bit harder to pull off than the others because it requires you establish an image as a maniac. Basically the way it works is that you open-raise or re-raise several times over the course or an orbit or two. You aren’t necessarily looking to win these pots although you probably will. What you are doing is setting up an image as a loose, aggressive maniac, after which you adjust your game and tighten up. Then, the next time you raise or re-raise with a legitimate hand, you’ll be more likely to get played back at.
The ‘I’m weak, but not really’ move
This move is basically the opposite of the above move. You limp in with a wide range of weakish hands like small pairs and suited connectors and fold whenever it is raised. Basically, you are trying to establish that when you are limping, you are limping in with bad hands and will fold to a raise. Then when you get a legitimate hand, you do the same thing and limp in, hoping that someone takes the bait and raises. If they do, you’ll likely pick up the pot, as they are probably attacking your perceived weakness with any two cards.