Generally speaking, a tight aggressive style will bring home the money when you sit at a poker table. However, have you ever noticed how some of the looser aggressive players always seem to have your number? Lets assume that you are a tight player and you notice that another player is playing very loose and aggressive. This player is making the weaker competition fold when he bluffs and call when he has a good hand. You end up in a pot with this player and figure that your A-K is good on a board of K-8-2 rainbow. The maniac style player raises you a large amount as he has done to other players at the table and you call, figuring him for a bluff and he turns over 2-2 for a set and you're practically drawing dead.
Here is an observation I've had. This "maniac" knows that you are a tight player. He is trying to exploit his image by playing against you in the same fashion that he plays against the weaker players at the table. However, when he does this to you, the loose aggressive player will usually have a hand. Think about it. What kind of hands does this player need to raise you on the rainbow flop described earlier. Certainly he is not drawing in this situation. He is raising big hoping to get action from a hand that the tight player is "supposed to have" like A-K.
This "maniac" will play garbage against weak players and get them to fold. The "maniac" will play good hands against good players in the same fashion and hope to hit a monster. If you are playing tight, be aware when a good player raises you. They know you have a hand and it is most likely that they are holding a better hand. Also don't be fooled by an active player at the table who is chatting it up. Those players are trying to convey an image of being loose and aggressive when in reality, they are playing somewhat tight just like you. You always need to be observant when you are at the table.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Losing a huge pot
My normal cash game of preference is $1/$2 no limt hold 'em. I was playing at one of my local casinos where the norm for players is to buy in for the $40 minimum. I bought in for my normal $200 and was up to $600 after winning a couple of big pots that were coin flips on the flop (K-K vs. Ace & open end straight draw; top two vs. flush and straight draw). At one point I had more cash than the rest of the table combined. The player to my right then went on a nice run and got his stack up to a little bit over $500 and had busted a couple of players in the process. We were now playing 5 handed. It is rare that two players will have such large stacks at this casino. Most players just lose $40 or $100 at a time and people play crazy enough that if you are up big, you usually take your money and run.
After a limp, the $500 stack player raises to $17. I'm on the button and look down to see A-A. I reraised to $50. Everyone folds and the initial raiser calls. The flop comes Q-8-4 rainbow. My opponent checks and I lead out for $60. I get check raised to $260. I now have to think this one over. I know my opponent isn't calling $50 pre-flop without a hand. I quickly eliminate 8-8 and 4-4 as those hands are not good enough for this opponent to call $50 pre-flop after getting reraised. A-A, K-K and Q-Q are likely hands for him to hold and there is even a chance he may be holding A-Q and put me on a hand like J-J pre-flop. My initial read pre-flop was that my opponent held K-K. I figured if I bet all-in on the flop he would fold. I was also thinking that there was a small chance that he held the other two aces. Of course, if he holds Q-Q, I'm in horrible shape.
I was thinking for at least 3 or 4 minutes on this hand. I was also trying to figure out why my opponent walked away from the table after rasing me the $200. The initial limper called the clock on me which I thought wasn't too kind as this was a huge decision. I obviously couldn't flat call the $200. I was either folding or going all in. Well, as the title of this entry suggests, I pushed all in. I was going with my initial read of K-K for my opponent. He had Q-Q and I didn't spike and ace on the turn and river and he won a pot for a little over $1,000. I took the beat in stride as that was mostly profit for the session. Losing big pots hurts a bit more when you lose "your money" as opposed to losing "their money".
Ironically after that hand, I get paid off when I made top boat against the sucker boat. I picked up A-A two more times but got little action on the hands. I then doubled up again when I turned the ace high flush against a flopped king high flush. I ended the session up about $150, but it coudl have been much more. That's poker.
After a limp, the $500 stack player raises to $17. I'm on the button and look down to see A-A. I reraised to $50. Everyone folds and the initial raiser calls. The flop comes Q-8-4 rainbow. My opponent checks and I lead out for $60. I get check raised to $260. I now have to think this one over. I know my opponent isn't calling $50 pre-flop without a hand. I quickly eliminate 8-8 and 4-4 as those hands are not good enough for this opponent to call $50 pre-flop after getting reraised. A-A, K-K and Q-Q are likely hands for him to hold and there is even a chance he may be holding A-Q and put me on a hand like J-J pre-flop. My initial read pre-flop was that my opponent held K-K. I figured if I bet all-in on the flop he would fold. I was also thinking that there was a small chance that he held the other two aces. Of course, if he holds Q-Q, I'm in horrible shape.
I was thinking for at least 3 or 4 minutes on this hand. I was also trying to figure out why my opponent walked away from the table after rasing me the $200. The initial limper called the clock on me which I thought wasn't too kind as this was a huge decision. I obviously couldn't flat call the $200. I was either folding or going all in. Well, as the title of this entry suggests, I pushed all in. I was going with my initial read of K-K for my opponent. He had Q-Q and I didn't spike and ace on the turn and river and he won a pot for a little over $1,000. I took the beat in stride as that was mostly profit for the session. Losing big pots hurts a bit more when you lose "your money" as opposed to losing "their money".
Ironically after that hand, I get paid off when I made top boat against the sucker boat. I picked up A-A two more times but got little action on the hands. I then doubled up again when I turned the ace high flush against a flopped king high flush. I ended the session up about $150, but it coudl have been much more. That's poker.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Lead out with the nuts
It is often quite correct to slow play a flopped monster hand in hold 'em. When you flop top boat you want your opponents to catch up so that you have the opportunity to get paid off on later streets. However, in a split pot game like omaha 8/b, leading out with the nuts is normally better play. Of course, nothing in poker is absolute. In hold 'em, you can deceive your opponent by leading out with a big hand and in omaha 8/b, you can slow play big hands too.
Lets say you catch a lucky flop of 8-2-2 when you hold A-4-8-8 in the small blind. Yes, you flopped a full house and only quad deuces can beat you. However, you really don't want to see any more low cards. Sure, your A-4 may be the best low, but anyone that plays omaha 8/b on a regular basis will know that there is at least one player with the A-3 drawing for low. You don't want to share the pot. Protect your high hand and bet. At an aggressive table you can go for a check raise in this situation as well, but you are often better off betting. Especially in this example as it is likely that someone flopped a deuce. You can lead out and get raised and go for a 3 bet or a check raise on the turn to extract maximum value from your opponent.
Leading with a big hand is more important to do in pot limit omaha 8/b. You want to charge your opponent the maximum to draw for half of the pot when you have the other half locked up. In a pot limit omaha 8/b game, you ideally want to have the nuts one way and have a free roll for the other half. If you hold Ad-2d-6s-7s and the flop is 5c-8d-9d, you'll certainly want to get it all in. In split pot games, don't let your opponents draw to half of the pot for a cheap price. If you have the nuts, make sure you get the whole pot. After all, scooping situations is what split pot poker is all about.
Lets say you catch a lucky flop of 8-2-2 when you hold A-4-8-8 in the small blind. Yes, you flopped a full house and only quad deuces can beat you. However, you really don't want to see any more low cards. Sure, your A-4 may be the best low, but anyone that plays omaha 8/b on a regular basis will know that there is at least one player with the A-3 drawing for low. You don't want to share the pot. Protect your high hand and bet. At an aggressive table you can go for a check raise in this situation as well, but you are often better off betting. Especially in this example as it is likely that someone flopped a deuce. You can lead out and get raised and go for a 3 bet or a check raise on the turn to extract maximum value from your opponent.
Leading with a big hand is more important to do in pot limit omaha 8/b. You want to charge your opponent the maximum to draw for half of the pot when you have the other half locked up. In a pot limit omaha 8/b game, you ideally want to have the nuts one way and have a free roll for the other half. If you hold Ad-2d-6s-7s and the flop is 5c-8d-9d, you'll certainly want to get it all in. In split pot games, don't let your opponents draw to half of the pot for a cheap price. If you have the nuts, make sure you get the whole pot. After all, scooping situations is what split pot poker is all about.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Why Professionals Bet Scary Flops
You can often find a professional or a skilled player betting into scary flops in hold 'em or omaha or when scary cards hit on the turn or river. The same can be said for stud games. The reason for this is that professionals can read their opponents better than an amatuer. However, one overlooked point about betting when scary cards hit has to do with your opponents. Whether you have a made monster hand or not, knowing your opponents well allows you to easily proceed on later betting rounds.
Obviously when you bet at a pot, nobody will complain when everyone folds and you drag the pot. If you are in the situation where you get called, depending on the opponent, you should be way ahead or way behind. If you know if you are way ahead or behind, you can easily proceed with subsequent betting rounds. If you flop top pair/kicker in hold 'em on a flushed flop and you get called by a rock, you are most likely running into a made flush. Knowing that, you can make easy decisions on the turn and river. If the board pairs, you may be able to push you opponent off of the hand, but you'll give up most of the time. Having easier decisions to make at the table will lead to better results. Think about it.
Obviously when you bet at a pot, nobody will complain when everyone folds and you drag the pot. If you are in the situation where you get called, depending on the opponent, you should be way ahead or way behind. If you know if you are way ahead or behind, you can easily proceed with subsequent betting rounds. If you flop top pair/kicker in hold 'em on a flushed flop and you get called by a rock, you are most likely running into a made flush. Knowing that, you can make easy decisions on the turn and river. If the board pairs, you may be able to push you opponent off of the hand, but you'll give up most of the time. Having easier decisions to make at the table will lead to better results. Think about it.
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