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Playing Speed in Poker

By: A. Aguilar

Unlike in a casual chess game, where the players may spend many hours wandering which of the many possible actions to perform, in poker, a much easier game, players often have only four or five possible moves: to bet (bet), to pass (check) when there are no bets, to retire (fold), to call (call), or to raise (raise) when there already are bets.

And though in poker we can also think about future moves, calculate odds, adjust how to bet and analyze where a move can lead the other player, the other players will not allow us to be thinking a play for too long.

First, poker players have the option to ask for time to the "dealer" if another player takes too long to respond. In poker rooms online the maximum response time is established and if we do not answer in time, the software will withdraw our cards.

Furthermore, if we take too long to respond, we will be giving inside information to the other players. Thinking too much what action to take can be seen as a sign of weakness; if we had something big we would act much faster. The other players will sourly think that we are measuring and calculating the possibilities or probabilities of an average hand. It could be seen as a Slowplay, a move to distract the opponent by stalling the game; this is seen as disrespectful behavior on a poker table and should be avoided as much as possible.

Conversely, it only makes sense to hasten the time when there are no more cards coming out and one is the last to speak. Otherwise, it will inform the other players that you have no strong hand and would keep aware of it in subsequent betting rounds.

Some people of great intellectual ability are otherwise too slow to think and, correspondingly, there are others who while perhaps not as intelligent are still able to act quickly. Something great poker players have in common is a speedy, retentive thought.

Some of the best players online used to play in multiple tables simultaneously, having highly developed abilities in these two features. A few players play the maximum number of tables that their monitor or display will permit; 6, 12 or 24 tables at once. No doubt you have to be made of something special to do so.

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