Fold Termine Poker
You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, but you’ve no longer got to know when to unfold ’em.
That’s because, after a six-week run, PokerStars is dropping Unfold Poker, the site’s latest twist on cash games. In fact, PokerStars’ Director of Poker Innovation and Operations Severin Rasset told Pokerfuse that after a strategic review, PokerStars made the decision to “fold ‘Unfold.’”
Folding is the least sexy topic in poker. Folding is just sofinal. Your cards hit the muck, you concede the pot to your opponent, and you’re off to the next hand. But the honest truth is that poker players fall into two main categories. When a player “folds” their cards, it means they give up. This is one of the few objectives that some players aim to accomplish. As, the more people that will fold the lesser the opponents he or she will need to face, which will mean that he will have a bigger chance in winning.
Unfold Poker is essentially a no-limit hold’em ring game where players pay an additional Unfold ante. Then, the players who fold preflop have an option to go after the side pot created. They just need to match it, which allows them to pull their cards out of the muck. The antes are returned if all players pass. If more than one player Unfolds, the best hand of the bunch wins the side pot. PokerStars rakes both the main and Unfold ante side pot.
Just another rake grab?
Like many of the innovations PokerStars has rolled out recently, the game has been panned by critics. Most say it’s just another rake grab. Still, Rasset told Pokerfuse PokerStars’ attempts to try new game formats it believes will appeal to players will not end here:
“PokerStars is invested in creating and testing products and new variants of poker to suit a variety of player tastes. While not every new development will be a home run, we will keep trialling, listening to player feedback and analysing engagement with our goal of continuing to offer fresh promotions, formats and updates that enhance our players’ experience and bring more people to the game.”
PokerStars’ Split Hold’em, played with two boards, and Showtime Hold’em, which reveals all player holdings after they have folded, have both come and gone this year. Both faced similar criticisms in the short time PokerStars offered them.
A question of motives
All these stops and starts raise an important question. Should the poker community be applauding the world’s leading online poker site for its attempts at innovation, or panning it for failing to produce anything that is still around?
It really comes down to a question of the site’s motivations.
If the only innovations PokerStars comes up with are games the poker community widely considers rake grabs, its research and development team are nothing more than a bunch of con artists trying to fleece the community out of its cash. If money is the only motivation here, it’s time to call a red spade a red spade.
However, if PokerStars is really testing new game formats in a legitimate effort to bring more people into poker, it’s important the site be recognized for its effort to grow the game.
Is Short Deck the answer?
Pokerfuse did some digging into the PokerStars client. Based on that, it seems to think either something called Fusion Poker, or Six Plus Hold’em, will be the next innovation the site rolls out.
Fold Termine Poker Games
Leaving Fusion aside for the moment, since little other than the name is known about the game, releasing something like Six Plus Hold’em could go a long way towards convincing the community the site’s motivations are pure.
Otherwise know as Six Plus Hold’em or Short Deck, the game is hold’em. Although, it’s played with a deck where the deuces through fives have been pulled out. The game evolved out of some of the biggest cash games in the world over in Asia. It is quickly gaining steam all over the world. The Poker Masters just ran one of the first Short Deck events on US soil this week.
It’s an action game with increased variance. It’s the kind thing most poker players seem to love.
Releasing Six Plus Hold’em simply makes sense for PokerStars because of its appeal to players. Plus, perhaps even more importantly, it’ll be seen as more than just another way to generate rake.
It may not be purely PokerStars’ innovation. However, it’s the kind of idea that can help improve the image of the site’s Poker Innovation and Operations department. It’ll give the poker community something it clearly wants. A move that can only help the community begin to see PokerStars is after more than just its money.
If PokerStars wants to continue to be the world’s largest poker site, making a decision that’s as much public relations as it is innovation is the right move right now.
Understanding Various Situations When You Should Fold Your Hands
Players have several decisions to make when playing poker such as what cards to play, whether to bet or not if at all, and most importantly, deciding when, where, and if a hand should be folded. “Knowing when to hold’em and when to fold them” is a crucial part of poker and a concept that many players struggle with. All players go through a phase where it is near possible to fold pocket aces, or any other made hand, even when it is obvious that an opponent has a better hand.
Fold Termine Poker Rules
So when is it the right time to fold a hand? Well, nothing is set in stone but the first situation that a player needs to evaluate is their starting hands.
Evaluating Your Starting Hands
When a player decides what cards they choose to initially enter a pot with, little do they know that they are setting themselves up for later streets. The decisions that they have to make can be easy or it can be difficult and will all depend on their starting hands. Many factors need to be considered when deciding what hands to play and what hands to fold. As a good rule of thumb, always try to have starting hands that are at least paired, suited, connected, or a combination of suited and connected. This will ensure easier decisions later on the flop, turn, and the river.
So, how will a player know what cards to fold? A player will know when to fold when they get hands that need miracle flops to be ahead such as J-5, 2-3, 4-6, and so forth. All other hands that are playable will of course be dependent on position, pot odds, and opponents.
Understanding the Flop Texture
Fold Termine Poker Table
Regardless of the hand a player holds pre-flop, whether it is 2-7 off suit or pocket aces, it can be way ahead on the flop or way behind. So the first step to knowing if a player should fold his or her hand or not, is to look at the flop texture.
Knowing how to read the board and analyze what possible hands can be out there is the first thing that should be done after the flop. Pocket Aces can be great on a board like Kc-9d-5h, but can be a bit scary on a board like Kc-Qc-Jc. Even though a pair of Aces beat a pair of anything on the flop, a player who has A-10 or 9-10 has you beat not to mention any two clubs. A situation like this should be more obvious, but if not, this would be an ideal time to consider letting the “rockets” go.
A situation where it may not be so obvious is when a player has middle pair top kicker. For example, when a player has A-10 on a board such as K-10-7. An opponent can beat your pair of 10’s with a pair of Kings. What does a player do in this situation?
This of course is completely situational however, something to consider is your opponents range. If a player is in early position then a King would definitely be in their range of starting hands and more likely, thus giving an opponent with A-10 an easier decision. However, if the roles were reversed and the player with A-10 is in early position then it is possible that A-10 is ahead as a player in late position typically has a wider range of hands. Even if an opponent is representing a King, it could still be worthwhile to see the turn.
Something else to keep in mind as you are reading this is the type of game that is being played. Players who play limit or fixed limit poker are justified in playing a potential “2nd” best hand as it will only cost a few more bets to find out. It is actually considered an incorrect play to go to the river and fold; unless a player was on a draw and missed or is absolutely sure they are beat.
The last thing to point out is to simply determine whether or not the price is right to continue on in the hand. If someone is betting big and it is getting raised and re-raised, are you really going to want to risk a big bet on hand that you are unsure of? Of course not.
When to Fold Your Hand
It really is a difficult to give concrete advice on an action that is so situational. Although at times folding will be obvious when there are possible made hands on the board, many times a player will be in a situation where they can be ahead but the board texture is telling them they may not be.
Fold Termine Poker Game
In these situations it is important to analyze the flop, your opponents, and how much it may cost to go further in the hand. And if a player is not willing to call a big bet with their hand, then that is a sure fire sign that it may be time to fold.