When it’s your turn during a game of online poker, don’t bet instantly; let your time run a bit to show a sense of indecisiveness. Deceiving players when holding the nut hand is a major step towards building the pot. If opponents sense your confidence through fast bets, they may perceive you to have a strong hand and back out – another reason why you shouldn’t bet big in the early rounds. However, once you’re on the river (the last round of betting,) don’t be afraid to be the aggressor with a raise or re-raise.
Although, when you play poker online, you’ll notice periods of slow and cautious play. If you’re experiencing a check-round situation when holding a nut hand, you should place a small bet to keep the pot size climbing. Remember, the nuts in poker don’t occur often so it’s all about maximizing your moment when you’re fortunate enough to hold the strongest hand.
The best scenario is when an opponent carries a strong hand that influences them to bet aggressively. In this instance, let them do the betting and remain elusive by matching their bets (rather than re-raising.) They may be confident about having the winning hand, but a nut hand will always win. For example, if the community cards are 5 of clubs, 7 of diamonds, 8 of hearts, 9 of clubs and 2 of spades, and an opponent holds a 6, they will be optimistic of winning as they have a straight. But this can be beaten with a 10 or jack as it’s the highest straight available. On the other hand, when you have a strong hand that isn’t the nut hand, knowing when to stop playing is crucial to coming out with a positive attitude.
Letting others play the aggressor is another great way to build the pot. Why? Because if they sense that everyone is betting cautiously, they may assume that no one has the nut hand causing them to stake high due to a belief that they have the unbeatable hand.
Drawing to the nuts
Drawing to the nuts occurs when a player needs one or two more cards to put together an unbeatable hand. In essence, you’re semi-bluffing as you do not have a made hand, but there is the possibility of it happening. For example, if a player is holding a 6 of clubs and 7 of hearts with 8 of hearts, 5 of clubs and 2 of diamonds on the board, they only need a 9 to make it a nut hand.