Tight Hands

With Bob "The Coach" Ciaffone

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

Don't fear this board

10/17/07

It is a 6 person table, 5/10 limit holdem.  I have KQo in the big blind.

Middle-position limps, everyone else folds.

I raise, he calls.

Flop: 9♠ Q♠ 8♦, giving me top pair.

I bet, he raises, I reraise, he calls.

Turn: (9♠ Q♠ 8♦) 3♣

I bet, he calls.

River: (9♠ Q♠ 8♦ 3♣) 8♥, pairing the board.

Do I bet out, thinking he has a weak queen or 2nd pair, or check-call for fear of the paired 8, or check-call to induce a bluff?

Bob replies:

It is a clear bet — unlikely the 8 beat you. I am not much of a believer in checking with the hope a busted draw will bluff, as your betting was strong enough to deter that. So I bet. His likely hands are Q-J or Q-T.  Also, if you check and he bets, you still must call to guard against a bluff, which costs the same as betting out. 

Bet out or check-raise?

A player writes,

     Say I'm first to act and flop top pair 88, with a weak kicker like a 7.  There are two unknown opponents after me.  Should I bet out right away, or check-raise?
      A check-raise traps them for another bet, but is also less likely to drive them out since they will feel more engaged to the hand, and also have better pot odds.  Betting out might be more likely to make them fold right away.  What do you think about this common situation?

Bob replies,
      My feeling is my hand looks like it is the best, is not strong enough to check-raise, and obviously cannot afford to give a free card, so I would bet it.
      If you have an ace or king top pair you can play it either way, but a vulnerable hand like 88 you should bet.

He check-raised my bluff

A player writes,
     Here's one of those common yet difficult situations.
      A 3/6 limit half table (6 players) online.  No meaningful reads on opponents, other than that they are not maniacs.
      EP calls, I raise from mp with AQ.
      Blinds and EP call, making us four for the flop.
      Flop: J J 5
      EP checks, I bet, blinds fold, and the EP check raises me!
      Should I call down to guard against the bluff, or fold it right there?  I figure if he really had it, he would slow play.

Bob replies,
      I would fold immediately, you are in trouble even if he does not have three jacks.  You hope he is bluffing, but if it is a sensible bluff, he has a spade flush draw.  Since he did not fold right away to your raise, he likely has the jacks or the good draw.  Think about how many outs he has, as well as your own.  If the opponent has the hand you hope for (a flush draw), he has 15 outs, twice, to beat you!  The nine spades, plus pairing either hole card beats you as well.  Another possibility is a pair of fives, in which case you are still behind.  If he did not fold to your bluff, he's got something!

Backdoor draws foiled by a coordinated board

A player writes,
     Are two backdoor draws worth much?
     In a 3/6 limit game, I have A4 in last position.  I call, four players see the flop, which is:
      33J
This gives me backdoor draws at a spade flush or a low straight. 
      It is bet and called around to me, giving pot odds of 11:1. My inclination is to call.  Two back doors count for nearly 4 outs, which is enough for those pot odds.  Implied odds would tip the balance toward calling. I can also get out right away at the turn if the hand does not develop.  Is this a clear decision one way or the other?

Bob replies,
      This is a clear fold because the coordinated board allows so many hands that can beat your draws, even if they hit. The implied odds may not be in your favor, because of the pair on the board (full house danger) and the two clubs.  Also, the pot has not been raised preflop, so it is a fairly small one.

Until things change, act according to the betting

10/10/05

A player writes,
      Here's a low limit online hand. I call in middle position with QJ, four see the flop.
      Flop: T K6, giving me an open ended straight draw. It's checked to last postion, who bets, an ep calls and so do I.
      Turn: Q. I have the open-ender, plus second pair now, but now there's also flush on the board. I bet out and am called by the button and ep.
      River is A, completing my straight. Should I be checking and calling, for fear of the flush, or bet out to make sure it is not checked around?

Bob replies,
      You check when the queen comes on the turn. No one was raising, suggesting there's no king pair. They are hanging around for something -- likely a flush draw is out there, especially with two opponents.
      If they all check the turn, and the player in front of you checks the river, then you bet. Since a flush-maker sometimes checks when he hits, no guarantees, but you have to play your cards as if the betting is reflective of the hands until you find out differently. Until things change, act according to the betting.

Folding big slick preflop

7/21/05

A player writes,

      There are five of us left in an online sit-n-go tournament.  It's low-entry fee Texas holdem poker.
      Blinds are about 50/100. I have $1600 in chips and get A♥K♣. I bet $800.
      Two players then go all-in, both of them with enough chips to wipe me out.
      I thought I probably had the best hand, but folded.
      My reasoning was that I was almost in the money, and there was too much chance of being outdrawn, especially against two players.
      Do you think this was too passive?

Bob replies,

      Yes, I think you should play. You have a hand which if it hits, should win.
      First, it is a good hand for a three-way pot.
      Second, it is not like there are 4 players left and you will be in the money for certain when someone is eliminated.
      Third, first place pays a lot more than third.

Second pair, inside draw

7/3/05

A player writes,

     It's a 3/6 no-limit holdem game online, 6 handed.
      I am dealt A♥Q♠, mp.
      One call (pot $15)
      I bet $20.
      It is folded to pf caller, who raises to $39 (pot $78).
      I call the $19 (pot $97).

      Flop: T♣K♥Q♦ giving me 2nd pair QQ and inside draw to the nuts.

      Opponent bets $50.
      I raise to $100.

      What do you think?

Bob replies,

     In no-limit, it is not obligatory to raise a solitary EP limper when you have A-Q or A-K, although it is acceptable.
      When you are reraised, I suggest you muck non-pairs, as this is a poor hand to be facing aces or kings with. (You can call a micro-reraise if you have a pair and would like to try to flop a set, if the money is deep enough.)
      You may well be against three kings on the betting you give, so making a raise of his flop bet is the exact opposite of what you ought to do.

Drop this bluff

6/18/05

A player writes,

      Here's a hand from a 3/6 $600 buy-in no-limit Texas holdem ring game online.
      It is folded to the button who calls $6, I have pJJ in the small blind, and raise to $18. The BB and button call.

      Flop: Q♦ 2♥ 9♣.
      Pot is $63

      I bet $33
      BB folds,
      Button calls.

      Turn: (Q♦ 2♥ 9♣) 7♦
      Pot $129

      I figure that can't have helped him, and bet $53

      Button calls.

      River: (Q♦ 2♥ 9♣ 7♦) 2♠
      We both check.

      How would you have played it?

Bob replies,

      When players have position on you and have already called, tripling the bet preflop is wrong regardless of your hand. You need to charge more. Here, a preflop raise to $30 looks right, rather than your $18. You must bet that flop into two callers.
      When you are called on the flop, you can figure he probably has a queen, since there is no flush draw. So check, and surrender if he bets.  You've got to let it go.
      If you have reason to think he is just a flake and want to bet again, fire a big blast of $100 or more, not $53 into a $129 pot.

Passive kings

A player writes,

      Bob, here's a hand from a loose 3/6 Texas hold'em poker game, limit.
      In mp, I raise preflop with KdKh, another mp three bets, the sb calls, and I cap.  Three players, 12 small bets.
      Flop: T♥ J♦ Q♥
      I bet out, one call, one fold.
      Turn: (T♥ J♦ Q♥) Q♣
      I'm worried about a straight or trip queens, so I check, then call. 
      River: (T♥ J♦ Q♥Q♣) J♣
      About the only hand I think I can beat is AT, and that doesn't fit with his preflop raise.  I check, he bets, pot is $72 (12:1) and I make a crying call.
      Was my turn check-call too passive?  Should I have folded at the river?

Bob replies,
    I do not think there are many hands where you were ahead on the flop but beat on the turn. Only a-q. So you should grit your teeth and bet the turn. If raised, you have to pull back in the betting. If he just calls the turn, you can check at the river.
      Call the river in this case?  Sure. This is limit poker.

 Bob replies:
     In for a penny, in for a pound...ing.
     With two players already in this holdem hand, I do not like your flop call. Everything else flowed from here.
      I am fussy about little things. I do not like it when my kicker is so low that there is a bigger boardcard out there. I think you have a clear fold on the flop.  Sure, you could have the best hand, but if you did, you could still lose the pot...as happened.
      Once you'd called the flop, looks like you had enough hand to stay after that, with the exception of your last call.

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