Evaluating Fold Equity Against Good Players

If you were playing poker against poor players your fold equity would be determined by a few key concepts.

Poker Fold Eqiuty

Firstly, the number of Players in the Pot. If you are playing poker games against bad players then your fold equity is lowered when there are multiple players in the pot.

Then there's Board Texture. Against bad players there are certain cards that you can use to your advantage that increase fold equity. A good example of this would be to bet a high card on the turn when you believe your opponent has a low pocket pair because of their action on the flop.

Next you have to bear in mind stack to pot ratio. Bad players are never going to fold to small bets when compared to the size of the pot. They don't think, and therefore larger bets are more likely to get through as a bluff. Fans of Paypal poker online should remember this.

But what happens if you are playing against good players?

It is pretty simple really. Just reverse your actions and you will increase your fold equity!

When you are playing against multiple players then a bet is going to have more credence because they know - you should know - that to bet as a bluff is a mistake. When the high card arrives on the turn don't bet it because your good player is expecting you to. Instead make sure you fire the cards that do not represent scare cards. Lastly, small stack to pot ratio bets are more likely to look like value bets if your player is a competent one.