The one thing the majority MAY be missing

[Penguinfan]

Haven't posted in a while, but spent some time reading through the threads and it seems (to me anyway) that there is one overriddng point that people are missing. Lots of people want to know how to play a certain hand in a certain position, well this isn't blackjack, there isn't a set of rules to follow. Some people are on to something when they say your cards only matter when you have to show them, meaning if you can bluff people out of evey pot then you can have any two cards in your hand and it won't matter, this is true, but falls short of the real point. The real point is that your cards matter very little, IT'S YOUR OPPONENTS CARDS THAT MATTER. The strenght or weakness of your opponents cards are what matters. Nobody seems to want to pay attention to how the other guy is playing, just that they are holding KK and "how should I play it". Your KK is rag/rag against 2 pr or Aces, thats right very pretty rags, but still rags.
I play in tournaments and people complain about the guy who is betting all the time, well when you limp into a pot and the flop is 6-9-3 rainbow and somone fires out a few hundred chips it is very unlikley they are betting on their cards, rather they are betting you missed the flop, get it. I see people all-in with a King high flush, if you do this then kill yourself now. What are you hoping for here? You are only getting a call if you are beat, plain and simple you are risking your stack without the possibility of gain, again in this case your cards don't matter, only your opponents.
I'm not saying you can play any two cards and just push everyone out of every pot, but rather that you need to have some idea of what someone else is playing, or what they could possibly be playing with after the flop comes out. Maybe your Ace high is good and maybe your AA is beat. Everyone puts so much emphasis on starting hands that they forget the most important part is playing after the flop. If you think I am wrong then just add this one small play to your arsenal. When you are in the hand after the flop with the big blind and the flop had two of any suit on the board and you end up with just one opponent try to figure out if he is chasing the flush, if he checks and calls then there is a good chance he is, check the turn and when the flush doesn't fall bet the river and see if he folds, odds are you will pick up the pot with any two rags in your hand because he missed his hand. You didn't make your hand, but betting he missed his is just as good.

Worry more about post flop play than pre flop play and learn to throw away second best hands, your bankroll will thank you for it.

Feel free to disagree