In the game of poker, psychology is a crucial part of the game. Mastering this aspect of the game will only give you an added weapon in your arsenal. There are many things that you can do with the psychological aspect of the game, but perhaps one of the more subtle psychological weapons is the forced play. This occurs when you want to gain more information from an opponent and make a bet that is solely made to get a better read on your opponent.
Let’s look at an example. Suppose you are playing Texas Hold ‘Em, and there are two other live players beside yourself after the flop. If the flop has two heart cards and a diamond and you have all black cards, a flush draw is completely out of the question for you. But you might suspect that one of the other two is looking to complete their own flush. You are second to act, and the player in front of you has made a large bet. You want to find out what he has in this instance, so you place a raise after him.
This play will reveal quite a bit of information. For one, the third player is likely to fold, unless he has a great hand. A flush draw here, assuming the bet was large enough to take away pot odds, will need to fold. Going back to the original bettor, they too will reveal info about their hand. A reraise will often mean that they have an unbeatable hand while a call will indicate that they are on the flush draw. Better yet, if they fold, you have found that they were bluffing. By knowing these things, you can play your hand appropriately should another heart hit.
If you are willing to listen to some poker tips you may be interested in some Blackjack tips as well.