Reading hands

When you try to read an opponent’s hands on river, here’s the main mission: you have to follow his poker game during the whole delivery. I often see that internet poker players wrongly interpret the acts of their opponents on river. Actually if they could try to recover the delivery from the beginning, the decision would be obvious. The following example will explain that principle. I successfully accomplished bluff on river and forced my opponent to fold his best card. Looking individually to what happened on river, my bluff will look inconsiderable and eventual. Nevertheless, if you look at my opponent’s bet on river in the context of his poker game on every street, my bluff can even be considered as obvious.
So, it was the game 6-max $25-$50 NL. Before me, located in cutoff position, all fold, and I raised to $150 with a pocket pair of threes. My small blind’s opponent called, everyone else fold. Flop:QQ6 differently suited. My opponent checks, I added $275 to the bank $350. My opponent called.
At this moment I could give to my opponent any pocket pair 22-JJ (AA-QQ he would’ve re-raised on pre-flop), a hand like 6-7 or 6-5 one suited, also a monster like any queen or 66. Observe, the table is completely dry, that why it’s impossible to give him a dro-kind of hand. And he wasn’t that kind of player, which would’ve interpreted a float with air, especially offside.
On the turn an ace of the fourth suit came off, and my opponent checked one more time. Knowing that probably I had the worse hand, because I would’ve bet time to time, showing an ace with which I would’ve made a k-bet on flop. However my opponent was a strong player, and he knew that I could use that ace to bluff. Besides, he also knew that if I actually had that ace, I would probably check to reach the pot-control, assuming that my bet was called on the spear flop. Then, I always could call his bet on river or bet myself, if that possibility shows up. That’s why I didn’t even think that I would be able to make him fold, I just checked.
On river came, at first sight, an awful card. It was another ace, accomplishing the final table A-A-Q-Q-6. This way my hand lost all the force left. At this moment my opponent attacked with a $700 bet; $900 to the pot. And that was a moment when the reconstruction of the delivery was so important (and, as a matter of fact, allowed me to win that bank). I tried to give to my opponent a hand that he could play in a way alike. And I will say: there was no way he could get a queen. If he had a queen, he would’ve knew that no worse card could answer to his bet on river and no better card will fold, that’s why he would’ve checked and then picked between call and fold, if I betted. A bet with the queen has no sense, and that opponent was strong enough to understand that. That logic can be used in the case with the 6 pocket pair. If he would’ve catch his full on flop and decided to play it immediately, seeing the cards that came on turn and river.
He would’ve, again, been in a situation when the worst hand won’t call his bet on river and no better card will fold. That is why, once again, if he is a sixes set, he practically would’ve checked and waited for my actions on river. Ok, and what about the ace? Well, despite that, what is actually possible, the ace will make a bet on river, it’s more possible that he will check, leaving the aggressive player hang himself. But, even leaving aside my last thought, a question comes up, which hand, containing two aces, he might have, assuming his call on the pre-flop and flop? I’ll put it this way: this opponent would’ve re-raised on pre-flop, having AA or AQ. If A6 were delivered, he would’ve fold in pre-flop. And any other hand with ace could answer to my bet in flop. So, gathering all together, I can be sure, that he didn’t have an ace, queen, full or sixes.
What’s left? His only possible hands: different pocket pairs or hands, containing one six. Obviously, hands like that lost their strength with aces appearance. Then, probably, he felt the need to bet to win that pot.
Of course, I knew what cards he had, but still that beats my hand. I played only “on table”, and if he had even one card higher than a six, his hand would’ve won when showing. But, making a full analysis, I also “knew” with good accuracy, that his hand lost strength and couldn’t take the hit. Besides, he couldn’t be sure that I didn’t have an ace (because I would’ve played in a style alike). Out coming from thoughts like those, I raised his bet until $2000. He folds instantly, showing a pocket pair of tens.
So, what’s the point of the story? In the game against good opponents, it won’t be easy, if you try to find out the strength of their hands, seeing at their game in fractions. However, by grading their game during the whole delivery and gathering all the information that you receive on each street you can take the optimum decisions pretty easy and exactly.