Tight Hands

With Bob "The Coach" Ciaffone

Author of Middle Limit Holdem Poker and Pot-Limit and No-Limit Poker

He's not folding, so stop betting

11/10/07

A player writes,

Here's a hand from a 5/10 limit online full table.

I raise under-the-gun with A♦ K♥.

Loose-aggressive middle position player reraises, bb calls, I cap, and it is called around.  Pot: 12 bets.

Rainbow flop: J♥ Q♠ 4♣. I check, MP bets, BB puts in his last $5, I raise, MP reraises, I call.

Turn: (J♥ Q♠ 4♣) A♣.  I check call.

River: (J♥ Q♠ 4♣ A♣) 3♥. No flush, and I doubt he has KT for a straight. I bet and call a raise.

Thoughts?

Bob replies:

Strange betting. Preflop cap is okay against this type in threeway pot. You got a terrible flop. A check-raise looks awful to me. You could bet, or you could check. Your river bet was ridiculous. What was the point? He surely was not folding, and you did not figure to be ahead after the ferocious betting before the river.

More columns by Bob

Confused by any of the terminology, including abbreviations?  See Holdem Tight's Poker Dictionary.

Poker jargon

Side pot n. A separate pot created to keep track of who wins what in complicated all-in situations. When a short-stacked player shoves in all his remaining chips, everyone else can continue betting into a side pot. The all-in player can win only the main pot (which contains his entire stack, plus a matching amount from everyone else). The non-all-in players have a chance to win either or both pots. It is possible to have multiple side pots.

Texas holdem poker dictionary

Online poker is even more fun when the house gives back part of its cut as rakeback. Check out our sponsor, Rake Rebate Review, for further info, or the rakeback page on this site.