When reading Poker Books and magazines, you'll often hear a player called "creative" or you'll hear that their style is "imaginative". What could this mean? Poker's not an art form, how much imagination does it take?

Like, if part of the game was that you had to draw your own jacks and queens etc. with a magic marker before you could show down, that would make sense. In that case, creativity could go a long way. You could have some really cool showdowns:


vs


Note that the second (more creative) player has cleverly managed to get 3 aces into his 2 hole cards, and invented another suit in the process. As a result, heshe has the opponent drawing dead, I think.


Anyway, games like that are not being spread in any casinos near me (or you) so we have to figure out how to be creative with what we're given: boring ole normal Texas Hold 'Em. To that end, I've brainstormed some imaginative plays that (I think) will help keep your opponents guessing.

1. Say you have J3o UTG and you limp. MP1 raises 7xBB, CO reraises to 16BB, buttonand small blind call, and the big blind reraises to 100BB. Your options ordinarily are: a) fold (looks weak, though) ... b) reraise, trying to isolate.

But what about the creative play? Bet (-$13,000)! If you get even one caller, and go on to lose the hand, you could more than double up! Think about it

(btw I advocate open-folding on the next street if you are called)

2. Suppose that you have, as usual, cold-called an UTG raise with T4s from the button. The flop comes KKA, none of your suit, and opponent bets. Most players, of course, go into call-down mode here, hoping to catch the runner-runner four-flush (not realizing that it's obvious when it hits).

The creative play here is to bet. Bet what, you might ask? Bet a standard C4 (9X12") envelope full of anthrax! Opp will almost always fold here, and sometimes the house will decline to rake the pot! Make sure the envelope's contents are clearly indicated, though. Like with magic marker.

If you're going to go from the humdrum grind of ABC poker to the top levels, you will need to master this thinking-out-of-the-box style, and even come up with some of your own variations!

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