[Mackerel]

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How can you check/fold 2nd pair + gutshot in hand 2 and bet 2nd pair vs. 3 opponents in hand 3?

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3 reasons: position, position and position

In the first hand your positions stinks and you have no idea where you're at. In the second hand, everybody checking to you makes it MUCH more likely that you are ahead, and you have a very good chance in an average game of taking it down uncontested. Plus, if you do get called, you have position to make a good decision on the turn.

A lot of times in NL, your position and reads on your opponents are much more important than what you actually have. As a recovering limit player, it took me quite a while to fully grasp how important this is.