When Opponents Crave Attention
Normally, a good poker player will think about pot odds before betting, calling, or raising. This is because the pot odds should be favorable enough to justify the amount risked by the player. But there are times when the pot odds will no longer be as significant as in most poker games. And this happens when one is playing against opponents who seem to make a fortune for the person who will ultimately win the pot.
The opponent of this type likes to grab attention by betting and raising. For him, checking or folding is synonymous to staying away from the spotlight. And since he wanted to be the center of attention, he does the opposite thing, he raises. This type of opponent will make a raise even when he is holding a weak card.
When this type of opponent sits on one's left, then one should expect him to raise. One should call his raise only when one has a strong hand. Why should one wait for a strong hand before calling his raise when one already knows that he is holding a weak hand? One is not playing against this opponent's hand. One should think about the other poker players who may be holding strong hands and who will call the raise.
When this type of opponent is predominant in a poker table, then the whole table itself takes on the personality of these players. That is the poker table becomes "loose-aggressive". With such an excited bunch of players, one must expect to encounter lots of pre-flop raises. This is because one loose-aggressive poker player won't allow another to outdo him. He has to show that he is gutsy. He will bet, call, and raise even when he is already holding pocket cards that are worth garbage.
As a result, the amount of money in the pot skyrockets. And whoever wins the pot will certainly feel that he has won big. For the wise player, he should know that if it is possible to win big, it is also possible to lose big. Therefore, his aim will be to loose as little as possible. That is, he should play only with strong starting hands because a pre-flop raise will most likely occur.
If, by chance, the poker player managed to lose a great deal in one hand, he need not worry. He should stay in the game and continue implementing the general game plan. He will need to win a few games only in order to make a profit.