Limit Hold'em: Should You Go For A Free Card With a Draw?

Image via WikipediaLimit Hold'em: Should You Go For A Free Card With a Draw?

One area that I have been experimenting with is to develop a guideline for playing draws in limit poker. I believe that drawing hands are an area that most limit players lose most of their money.

One reason for these loses is that these players hit a flush draw a few times, win a big pot, and decide that they know how to play these hands. But, in reality, they
are making the wrong plays and it is costing them big time.

Here, I want to address the notion of raising in position on the flop for a free card when you have a draw, most often, a flush draw.

The Free Card: Example

An example of a taking a free card is when you are on the button with As-5s and you limp in against 3 opponents. The flop comes Ks-Ts-4h. The small bets out and the next two players call. Here, the standard "free card" play is to raise since your opponents are likely to call your bet and check to you on the turn. If this happens, you can check the turn and get a free card.

A couple of key problems with this advice:
1. The initial bettor may re-raise your flop bet. This re-raise will cost you more, may get other players to fold, and reduce your expected return if you do make your flush.
2. When you check the turn when you miss your flush, you essential reveal your hand to your opponents. In fact, some authors suggest you should bet the turn as well, since the odds of making a flush are 36% and you are getting 3 to 1 on your money. I think is a bad play.

A Better Approach To The Free Card

A better approach is to plan ahead before you blindly go for that free card raise. You should consider the number of opponents, the composition of the flop, the style of your opponents, and your table image. (Note: Position is also critical, but in the example, you are on the button with the best absolute position.)

The number of opponents:
Since you have three opponents, you are in a situation where you are getting 3 to 1 on your money. That is, for every one bet, you can earn 3 bets, or 25%. This appears favorable as your odds of making a flush are higher. However, I think that your bet on the flop is to make your flush on the turn. It may cost you more on the turn. The odds are actually less than 25% to hit your flush on the turn.

In addition, as stated before, the more opponents the less likely you are to get a free card on the turn.

The composition of the flop:
In limit poker, the cards that are most often in play are in the playing zone of between 9 to Ace. If two cards hit the flop which are in the playing zone, the more likely your opponents are going to stick in the hand. In fact, I believe, a ten on the board is even stickier, as this card is needed to make a straight.

You really need to understand the composition of a flop. A coordinated flop tends to keep players in a hand as it presents opportunities to hit draws. So, if you believe that a raise on the flop and a bet on the turn (when you miss your flush) will get players to fold in a highly coordinated flop, you are usually mistaken.

The style of your opponents:
If your opponents are good, you have to worry about that small blind holding a hand that hurts your probability of taking down the pot. The small blind has bet into three players which usually means he has a King with a decent kicker, a set, or two small pair. Of course, he could be betting a straight draw or a flush draw. And, a flush draw here would mean your odds are not as good as you believe.

If you are playing in a low limit game, where players just play their cards, then your opponents can hold any two cards. But, at middle limits, I would read the small blind bet (assuming he is a typical player) as most likely being a bet to a top pair or a drawing hand.

Your table image:
If your opponents have seen you make this raise to get a free card before, it is more likely that you will be re-raised by the bettor. If you are seen as a tight player, it will more likely get your opponents to call your bet.

How I Would Play this Hand

In the example above, let me share with you my thinking. Again, you are on the button in that classic, free card play situation.

I would only call the flop bet as I am concerned the small blind will re-raise me and even if he doesn't, if I check the turn when I miss, I may as well show my cards to my opponents.

I know that if I hit my flush on the turn, that third spade on the board will scare most of my opponents into folding or slowing down. If I hit my flush on the river, at best I will only get one caller. Of course, if I miss my flush on the turn and river, and no one else bets, I only put in one big bet on the flop by raising for a free card.

Instead, I prefer to call the flop bet to keep those three opponents in the hand and to see how the hand develops. This is a coordinated flop, so all my opponents have some piece or draw to call that small blind bet. Granted, I may lose more if I miss, as it will cost me one one small bet and one big bet (the flop and turn--assuming no raises on the turn). But, if I do hit my flush on the turn, I can bet and/or raise here, or if I hit my flush on the river, I will probably get a nice pay off by keeping my opponents in the hand.

My belief is that while building a pot is a good play at times (especially with the nut flush draw), a key question to ask yourself in limit poker is "Will my bet get my opponents to fold?" Here, that is not going to happen. So, if you are trying to build a pot and take less risk with a nice return, why not just let the hand play out on the turn? The pot will build itself here on its own.

What do you think?

An Interesting Hand of Poker: What would you do?

Image via WikipediaAn Interesting Hand of Poker: What would you do?

I am playing in a $15-$30 live cash game of limit hold'em. It is a full table of 10 players.

In this hand, I am on the button with As-Ts.

Everyone folds to the player in the cutoff. This player is winning tonight and he has been super aggressive with many pre-flop raises.

As expected, he raises.

I already had decided that whenever he raises first in a pot in late position, I would re-raise him with a calling hand or better. My objective is to get heads-up on the flop.

I re-raise here.

The small blind is a selectively aggressive player. He has been having a losing session, though, and he may be a little on tilt after the last few pots he lost. He calls-which is a little surprising

The big blind is straight forward in his play. A little too conservative and predictable. It surprises me when he calls as well.

The Flop

The pot is $180.

The flop is Ad-7h-6h.

The player in the small blind bets out. The big blind calls. The cutoff folds.

I raise..Why? I think I am ahead, and this raise will help me to find out more on where I stand in this pot.

Well, to my surprise the small blind re-raises and the big blind caps it!

What the heck is going on here?

Would you call two bets with your hand here?

I take some time to think this over. I put the big blind on a flush draw since he didn't raise the first time the small blind bet. I put the small blind on top pair. The question is does he have me out-kicked?

Well, I take some more time to think about the small blind. If he had A-K or A-Q, he would have re-raised me pre-flop. That means that he either has A-J, A-T or worse. I doubt he flopped two pair or a set.

I make the call.

Three of us take the turn.

The pot is now $360.

The Turn

The turn is a 6c, pairing the board.

The small blind bets out and the big blind calls.

Okay, what should I do here?

What would you do?

I could raise--but I doubt I will slow down the small blind or get anyone to fold given the pot size. And, I won't necessarily get a free card either.

The pot is too big now, but I really don't want to see a river bet from my opponents. How can I get the small blind to stop from betting on the river?

I say out-loud ..."I'm either way ahead or way behind."

I figure that if the big blind misses his draw, there is no way that the small blind will bet as he has to believe that I may have A-K or A-Q now.

I call.

The pot is now $450.

The River and the Results

The river is a 2s.

My opponents check...should I bet here?

Well, given what I said on the turn, I check.

The small blind shows A-8. The big blind mucks.

I win with my A-T!

What a hand...it seems so clear now.

Oh, woe is me. Last night at the $15-$30 table...

Oh, woe is me. Last night at the $15-$30 table...

Sometimes things go south at the poker table.

I get dealt pocket Jacks under the gun.

I raise. Everyone folds to the big blind who reluctantly calls.

The flop is J-10-8 rainbow.

He checks.

I bet.

He raises and I call.

On the turn is a 2. He bets. I decide to trap and I call.

On the river is a 4. He bets. I raise.

He re-raises me!

Oh no!!!!!!!

I call.

He shows 9-7 for a straight.

A few more hands are dealt and I am not a happy camper, of course. The player who beat me on that hand now leaves the table.

Another player at the table moves into that departing player's seat and posts.

A few hands later

I get dealt pocket 3's in middle position.

5 players call pre-flop. Since 3 players already called, I decided to try to hit my set by limping.

The flop is J-7-7.

Everyone checks.

The turn is a 3, giving me a full house.

The small blind bets and everyone folds to the the player that posted. He calls.

I raise, of course. I figure if either player has a 7, he will call my raise.

Only the "poster" calls.

The river is an Ace.

He checks and I bet.

He check-raises me!

Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!

I call.

He has J-7 offsuit!

I got punished through out the night until I decided enough is enough.

Sponsored Post: Limit Hold'em Myths

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Sponsored Post: Limit Hold'em Myths

The claims and opinions expressed in the following post are those of the sponsor and not necessarily the views or opinions of How to Win a Poker Tournament blog, its staff or its advertisers. LOL.

Limit Hold'em Myths

With online poker’s popularity explosion, NL Holdem became the king of the virtual green felt, relegating the good old fixed limit version of the game to sidekick status. Still, one must not forget that Limit Holdem is the original starting point in the game’s evolution and that there used to be very solid reasons behind its popularity. It is still the preferred betting structure of most casinos, because it allows beginners to amass some short-term winnings and it keeps them from busting out within a couple of hands, which means they’ll stick around and generate more poker rake for the house.

Online though, there are apparently countless haters of this battle-tested betting structure. I’d dare assume though that most of these haters are NL Holdem players who may have tried FL at one point or another, but who never took the time to study and to really get to know the game. Most of the haters’ arguments are therefore based on false beliefs and myths.

Poker Myth About Pocket Aces

One such myth is the one surrounding pocket rockets. All FL haters, quite probably without exception, will tell you that pocket rockets are no good in FL games because of the inability of the player to protect them. I’ll be frank. A few years ago I used to subscribe to the same theory myself, but I’m not the kind of pig-headed NL junkie who cannot be convinced through math and reason, and nowadays I know better. I also came to understand why NL players feel like their rockets are not good at the FL tables.

If you play at an 8-handed table, and you pick up pocket rockets, your hand will be a 28.4% favorite to win, provided you go up against the worst possible (the worst from your perspective of course) selection of non-random hands like K,K, Q,Q, A,K, a small pocket pair, a suited connector and a suited one-gapper. In reality, you’ll seldom have your rockets staring down such fierce competition, so your odds for winning will be around 31%.

What that means in layman’s terms is that on average, when you pick up pocket rockets, you win once in every 3 tries. That’s right, you lose more times than you win, and that there is the very source of the myth.

There are two sides to every coin though, and in poker one cannot afford to be near sighted. While you will lose once on every 3 tries, the one time you win, you’ll get 8-1 for your money.

Please remember that the original complaint was about how one couldn’t protect his rockets because all the opponents would call him anyway. That’s the reason why you get 8-1 on your money. Suppose you invest 1 unit of money on every one of your rockets. That’s a 3 unit investment. You lose 2 units, and you pick up 8. That leaves you with a pretty handsome investment.

If there are fewer players at your table, your money return rate takes a hit, but your odds grow. If you go up against 3 players holding random hands, your odds will grow from 31% to around 64%, so the value remains. Therefore, my recommendation is that you should do your best to stuff that pot when you pick up rockets. You may not win each and every showdown, but in the end you will walk away with a handsome profit.

In addition to all that, pocket rockets do not carry the risk of felting you in case of a loss in limit Holdem. You will live to stuff another pot and you will get you money eventually.

What about the poker rake that you pay? You pay more of that in Limit Poker, right? Because you stay in the game longer, you pay more rake too. Just sign up for a rakeback deal, or better still: a poker prop deal, and the poker rake will lose its bite before you know it.

My viewpoint: In low limit hold'em games, you will often get multiple opponents wanting to see a flop. With pocket Aces you should be raising and re-raising pre-flop. I believe it is clearly the best strategy. FYI: In my last $6-$12 session at the club, I was dealt pocket Aces three times in three hours. I lost every time--and one time I was heads-up going into the flop. So what do I know :-)