Oct 02 2009
Taking the Initiative in Texas Hold’em
In Texas Hold’em, you say that a player has the initiative when all future betting revolves around him. You gain the initiative when you play aggressively in every betting round. When you have the initiative, you are perceived as the player with the strongest hand on the table.
Taking the initiative is making the aggressive plays during the betting round. This involves betting and raising. You do not gain initiative if you just call or check.
When do you take the initiative
The most common time to take the initiative is before the dealer makes the flop. There is always a high probability that there will someone who will raise and there will be callers to follow. Of course there is always the chance during the turn or the river.
Again, the player that shows the fang on the poker table is the player with the initiative. The initiative will move from one player to another on different betting rounds. It is up to you to make the impression that you have the strongest hand and dominate the table.
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