Understanding the cards you have in your hand versus the nut hand should play a decisive role in your strategy. Similarly, you may be spending time targeting an opponent or a hand range while missing out on other strategic opportunities. There’s a time to hone in on that player or range, and there’s a time to move on. Let’s look at poker targeting strategy – when it works and doesn’t work.

Targeting in Poker

The obvious first step in targeting a player or range is choosing the most profitable poker table, which is easier said than done. In live poker room cash games, you can do this by playing at a table, switching tables, and choosing opponents who provide the target you seek. Poker game selection and table selection are vital skills. Reputable online poker rooms also make this possible in cash games, as you can change tables at will. To accurately track opponents and plays, however, you may want to keep a notebook or online notepad in which to note player names or descriptions and hands of note.

To target in poker, you need to collect intel on your opponents round by round. Moreover, it’s the process of defining a range of worse hands that will call your value bet. Understanding your opponents’ playing personalities helps you predict the hands of everyone around you, as well as adjust to unpredictable players. From here onward, you can make decisions based on assumptions (backed by research) rather than basing a bet on a hunch.

For instance, if you notice the player to your right folding often and only betting when they have strong cards, you have a good idea that they’re holding an ace if the dealer places down A-T-7-6-3. Unless you have an ace with a high kicker, you should fold. Although, be sure to look out for other hand possibilities – flush, straight, or full house – which tend to show up in the later stages of a round.

A classic example of a poker targeting strategy is holding A-K when the community cards are K-8-6-5-2. With one high card and the rest being eight or lower, you can expect a call from anyone holding a king. That said, with an ace kicker, you likely have the strongest hand and should make a value bet. 

It’s crucial to constantly monitor the hand possibilities if certain cards appear. For example, if the dealer places down an A-T-7 with two hearts while you’re holding A-5, it puts you in a strong position with aces. However, beware of opponents semi-bluffing for a flush, as they may be holding two hearts. This is when you must be able to apply multiple levels of thinking in poker.

Continuing from the K-8-6-5-2 example, another moment to refrain from targeting in online poker tournaments is when you’re holding a high pair with a low kicker, such as K-3. It’s easy to get carried away when holding a strong pair, but remember that your second card can also hold weight in declaring the winner.

Getting in tune with targeting is a great way to improve your gameplay in poker online games. Why? Because it showcases that you understand the possible hands per round, what the nut hand is, and how your cards will come up against your opponents. By taking these factors into consideration, you’re utilizing your knowledge of the game and poker tournament strategy (or cash game strategy) rather than relying on luck.

Understanding Poker Strategies

When it comes to online casino games, few have more strategies than online poker, which makes sense considering it’s the only game with no house edge. Getting to grips with winning poker strategies is crucial for dissecting each round and giving you the best possible information to make your next call. For beginners, it’s the best way to avoid bad poker habits and poker strategy mistakes, and ultimately get the upper hand on players from the start.

From semi-bluffing and calling to aggressive betting and GTO poker strategy, there are many strategies at your disposal. What separates the good from the great is knowing when to implement which strategy and avoiding being over-cautious in moments when you could use an exploitative poker strategy. 

Playing poker tournaments often involves facing many opponents, so strategies like being cautious at the start and more aggressive toward the end can help you navigate them. That said, the key is to be spontaneous. Try not to overuse a strategy and be able to pivot when facing difficult opponents or ones who understand they’re being targeted. You’re at your deadliest when others can’t tell if you’re a TAG or LAG poker player.

In the end, this is all why strategy matters in poker. You can fairly easily choose an opponent at the poker table or a range of hands to target, but knowing when to skip targeting is when poker decision-making matters more. Overusing a strategy, especially against one opponent, can backfire. 

Test Targeting Strategies on BetMGM Poker

Ready to start practicing targeting and implementing the new strategies you’ve learned? Join online poker at BetMGM, a legal and regulated poker platform available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. There’s a range of game selection for all bankroll levels, complete with online cash games and online poker tournaments at BetMGM.