home / contact us /
The Poker Professionals Association
Research Chapter
31
__________________________________
Tells
Tells is a complicated subject if you are playing with world class player, who have few if any tells. Any tells they may have are many times intentional and so unreliable.
For most lower limit games not having any tells is probably not a huge advantage as most lower limit players are not aware enough to actually read tells or even bother.
However, for middle limits and higher, eliminating tells is an important part of your game strategy. One way of doing this is have someone you respect watch you when you play. It is better that they are not playing at the same time so they can pay attention to even small tells or mannerisms you may have.
The other way to minimize tells is to make all your bets, bluffs, raises with the same timing and deliberation.
1. wait the same time before acting, even if you already know what you are going to do
2. Push your chips in with the same deliberate move no matter what your hand.
3. handle your chips the same way before betting at all times.
4. keep the same expression on your face whether you have a great hand or junk.
5. Unless your are one of the worlds top players, do not talk to an opponent or respond to their questions or engage in conversation, chances are they are just trying to find out if you are feeling good about your bet. Unless you are actually as good as you think you are, you will give something away.
6. Handle and hold your cards the same way each time.
These are just a few items that will improve your earnings.
For your reference in relationship to the current topic, the poker point system is attached below.
__________________________________
POKER PRO POINT SYSTEM
With the point system we assign each card a specific relative value or points. As expected, the Ace receives the highest value; however, you will note that cards rankings from 8 down receive no value, unless paired, connected or suited.
For learning purposes, we are using Texas Hold'em Poker game primarily because it is currently the leading money game both for tournaments and live play and it the easiest to use to demonstrate the point system, as only two cards are dealt each player initially. Naturally we will cover the use of the Point System in other primary poker games in later research chapters.
Individual Card Point Values:
- A= 6 points
- K= 5 points
- Q= 4 points
- J = 3 points
- 10=2 points
- 9 = 1 points
- 8 = 0 points
- 7 = 0 points
- 6 = 0 points
- 5 = 0 points
- 4 = 0 points
- 3 = 0 points
-
2 = 0 points
Pairs receive an extra value of 8 points.
Suited cards receive an extra value of 3 points.
Connected cards receive an extra value of 2 points.
Suited cards are written with a small "s" as: KJ's
Connected cards refers to directly adjacent cards such as: KQ or AK or KQ or QJ, not KJ or AQ.
Examples of values of first two cards dealt in Texas Hold'em:
- AA=20 points (6 points for each ace plus 8 points for a pair)
- KK=18 points (5 points for each king plus 8 points for a pair)
- QQ=16 points (4 points for each queen plus 8 points for a pair)
- AK's=16 points (6 points for the ace, 5 points for the king plus 3 points for being suited and 2 points for being connected)
- JJ=14 points (3 points for each jack plus 8 points for a pair)
- KQ's=14 points (5 points for the king, 4 points for the queen plus 3 points for being suited and 2 points for being connected)
- AK=13 points (6 points for the ace, 5 points for the king plus 2 points for being connected)
- AQ's=13 points (6 points for the ace, 4 points for the queen plus 3 points for being suited)
- T,T=12 points (2 points for each ten plus 8 points for a pair)
- AJ's=12 points (6 points for the ace, 3 points for the jack plus 3 points for being suited)
- AT's=11 points (6 points for the ace, 2 points for the ten plus 3 points for being suited)
- KJ's=11 points (5 points for the king, 3 points for the jack plus 3 points for being suited)
- KQ=11 points (5 points for the king, 4 points for the queen plus 2 points for being connected)
- 9,9=10 points (1 point for each 9 plus 8 points for a pair)
- AQ=10 points (6 points for the ace, 4 points for the queen)
It is interesting to note the value difference of 3 points between AQ's and AQ. This demonstrates the importance of suiting and is helpful in evaluating the correct value of a AQ starting hand. Suited it is definitely playable while unsuited it can be a marginal hand often played for more than it's worth.
*Click here for next Research Data