There are two ways to win pots in poker: showdown winnings (SW) and non-showdown winnings (NSW).
In this article, we will explain the importance of NSW and some tips for increasing your NSW.
◆Non-Showdown Winnings◆
If you use tracking software such as Hold’em Manager or Poker Tracker, you can see your actual profit and loss, EV (expected value) profit and loss, as well as your showdown winnings (SW) and non-showdown winnings (NSW).
SW refers to your profit and loss when there is a showdown, and NSW refers to your
profit and loss when there is no showdown. The average player’s WTSD (probability of going to showdown) is around 20-30%, so in many cases the game will be decided without a showdown.
Therefore, it is important to know how to win pots that do not go to a showdown.
In the micro-stakes, a graph where SW is rising and NSW is falling is ideal
because there are many calling stations (players who call too much and don’t fold) in the micro-stakes, and the most profitable play is to get the most value from these players.
However, at higher stakes, players’ skills increase, and it becomes difficult to win by simply aiming for large values.
Therefore, to compete at such stakes, it becomes important to make NSW more positive than it was at micro stakes.
At the very least, you need to raise NSW to near equilibrium (±0).
◆Tips to increase non-showdown winnings◆
So how can you increase your NSW?
Here are some tips to help you.
●Increase blind steals
Blind steals are a very important strategy for increasing your NSW.
Even if you fail to steal from the BTN, you’ll still have position and have an advantage post-flop, so you should actively aim for the blinds. However,
if you increase the blinds too much, your opponent will quickly adjust and respond with a call or a three-bet, so it’s important to assess the tendencies of the players in the blinds.
● Increase in-position play
Position is extremely important in poker.
Positions where you have more opportunities to play in position, such as BTN or CO, tend to increase NSW.
This is because bluffing is easier and more successful when you have position.
It’s important to be conscious of increasing your play on the BTN or in a similar advantageous position.
●Increase your float
In poker tactics, a float is a tactic used to call an aggressive player post-flop with no hand equity or with low hand equity, such as a bottom hit, gutshot, or backdoor draw, with the intention of bluffing on later streets.
Floating is much easier to play with position, so it’s primarily a tactic used when you have position.
In poker, the probability of fitting on the flop is about 1/3.
If you simply fit or fold on the flop, you will fold with a 2/3 probability against your opponent’s CB.
Of course, there is a difference in range advantage, but your opponent also has the same 1/3 probability of fitting on the flop, so if you fit or fold against your opponent’s CB, you will be giving up a lot of equity.
Floating is a tactic that is more effective in position.
Therefore, it is even more effective when used in conjunction with the tactic of increasing in-position plays mentioned above.
● Increase semi-bluffing
Aiming for fold equity by playing your draws aggressively is an important way to increase your NSW.
Especially when you have position, raising to the flop’s cornerback with a straight or flush draw can potentially win the pot immediately, and even if the flop is called, you can often see the river for cheap.
However, using all of your draws to raise isn’t a good strategy.
It’s important to balance raising and calling, taking into account your opponent’s cornerback rate.
● Double-barrel more
often Double-barreling can shake off your opponent’s mid-range hands or hands that floated the flop.
This is especially effective against opponents with a high CB call rate or weak, wide-range opponents like the Big Blue.
Turn cards that increase your equity or scare your opponent are good candidates for double-barreling.
Triple-barreling is also an effective strategy against opponents who float on the turn, but this increases the pot size and the risk, so you need to carefully assess your opponent.
In this case, the statistic (WTSD) of how often you show down becomes important.
If your WTSD is high, you should hold off on bluffing and go value-heavy; if your WTSD is low, you should aggressively aim for the pot.
Increasing your NSW simply means increasing your bets and raises and increasing your aggression.
However, if you increase your aggression too much, it will also become a leak.
Therefore, it is important to think about and determine when to increase your aggression.
