Big Laydowns
In the previous post we wrote about making a laydown, which basically refers to any folded hand that “may” have had a chance to win the hand. Sometimes we get bluffed out with the best hand and other times some other factor like chip stack or position contributes to our laydown. A read on a player might lead us to play a hand or lay it down. This is just one more of the factors in making good solid decisions at the poker table.
But we often hear about a professional poker player making a Big Laydown. Of course, there are the television ads where the pro easily tossess away pocket kings when an ace comes on the flop. “You gotta lay’em down when you are beat.” Or so we are told.
The key skill in making the Big Laydown is an overall complete poker game. It is one thing to lay down a big overpair on an “all small” flop but the reasons why you make the laydown is what is key for a beginning player. A good read or a tell on your opponent will often give you the information you need to get away from a second best hand. And that is the key to any good Big Laydown, you are willing to muck a good, even a very good hand because you know you are second best this time. Sometimes you will be wrong, sometimes you will get bluffed, but if you never make a Big Laydown, you will never win the big event. Sometimes knowing when you are the loser is more important then knowing you are the winner.
-this is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #203
