Explanation of Polarised
Polarisation refers to the classification of a variety of hands. split These hands are divided into two clear categories: those that hold value and those used for bluffs. Polarised ranges are typically seen when a player is adopting an aggressive strategy. It usually wouldn’t be wise to be aggressive with hands that are of mediocre strength. Therefore, the aggressive player is left with only a few strong value hands and various bluff options.
For instance, consider a board showing KT522 in a game of Hold'em. We would make value bets with all hands that rank higher than AK, and we would use our failed straight draws as bluffs. This illustrates a polarised strategy. We tend to refrain from betting hands of medium strength, like T9 or 77, as they are better suited for checking.
Example of Polarisation in context -> When the opponent makes an enormous bet on the river, it’s logical to conclude that they're likely presenting a highly polarised range.
Polarisation Poker Strategy
The idea of range polarisation is particularly significant in scenarios that occur on the river. Numerous poker analysts have tried to extend the notion of polarisation to earlier stages in the game, like preflop. However, such models often lean too much on theory and don't have much practical application in real games. The lines between what counts as a value hand and what constitutes a bluff are not as clear in the previous betting rounds. Remember, value hands can still be outdrawn while bluffs can unexpectedly win.
Polarisation strategies tend to be most effective in river situations because, at that point, a hand usually has either complete equity or none at all, barring rare instances where the hands tie. For the average player, it's crucial to avoid making large bets with medium-strength hands on the river. Instead, hefty bet sizes should be saved for strong value hands or complete bluffs. For hands that fall within a middle range, it's better to either place smaller bets or opt for a check.
See Also
Depolarised , Range , River , Value Bet , Bluff