[Nytecaster]

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Variance

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I wasn't looking for an explanation, I was hoping to get some general advice on how to avoid getting involved in big pots when I'm behind. But thanks for your insight.

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The pit that many people fall into is overplaying top pair good kicker. It's not that great a hand against a lot of action and knowing when to release is going to save you and your hair. This is where your hand reading skills are going to come into play a lot.

Another would be failing to create difficult decisions for your opponents on every hand you are involved in. You should always be thinking about what a particular opponent thinks of you based on your previous plays and how best to win the pot right there. There's nothing wrong with folding potential second best hands, especially if you have a feeling you are going to have to pay a lot to see the showdown. For all intensive purposes, it may make you money on a hand later on when you do have a strong holding.

Last but not least, the stakes and the sophistication of the opponent you are up against should determine the best strategy at any given moment. If you aren't sure about your particular opponent, then you should avoid big pots with them. If you cannot avoid big pots with them, you should find another table where you can get involved in big pots. This is probably the toughest thing to do mentally, but the easiest thing to do online where you can bounce around at will.

My two cents.