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1 PokerPages articles by Jason Pohl
11 !arying "our Play
1# $he %vercard &uandary Part 1
1' $he %vercard &uandary Part #
1( 'Stocking Stuffers'
1) *lop Play Part 1
1+ *lop Play Part #
1, - Secret about .inning
1/ $he Po0erful $urn 1aise
12 -d3usting to 1eal Players
114 $he Scary Small 5lind 6Part 17
111 $he Scary Small 5lind 6Part #7
11# 8efending the 5linds
11' Preflop Play 6Part 17
11( Preflop Play 6Part #7
11) 8on't .ake a Sleeping 9iant
11+ 5ack to 5asics
# Hypermegachi's +:ma; 9uide
#1 <ntroduction
## Preflop Play
#' Postflop Play
#( Hand !alues
#) *lop Play =P
#+ *lop Play >P
#, *lop Play LP
#/ *lop Play in the 5linds
#2 9eneral *lop Comments
#14 $urn Play
#11 1iver Play
#1# Protecting "our Hand
#1' 5lind Steals
#1( 5luffing
#1) Sho0do0n
#1+ Summary
' %ther articles
'1 Leaks in "our Shorthanded Limit Hold'em 9ame
'# >ecos?ing on Shorthanded Limit Hold'em@ Part 1
'' >ecos?ing on Shorthanded Limit Hold'em@ Part #
( *orum posts
(1 Standard hand 141 6#A#7
(# %pen raising standards 6#A#7
(' -m < 3ust running badlyB 6#A#7
(( Stop'n'9o 6#A#7
() #) very simple Cuestions 6#A#7
(+ 5ugs on >aniacs 6<$H +:>a;7
(, 5ugs on small/middle pairs
(/ 5ugs on his stats
) Hand =;amples
)1 5lind play@ a fe0 hands from a +:ma; beginner 6#A#7
)# Some hands 6#A#7
)' Some more hands 6#A#7
)( >iddle pair@ very aggressive 6#A#7
11 Short:Handed PokerD !arying "our Play

E!ary your playE $hose three 0ords are like a sacred mantra@ chanted do0n by more authors
than < care to visualiFe $hose three 0ords are treated as gospel by thousands of poker players
every day 5ecause it is said so often and practiced even more@ the sanctity of the advice often
goes unCuestioned 5ut is it really such a sacred concept after allB
The Losing Psychology
.hy do losing players continue to loseB $here are only a handful of plausible e;planations
>aybe the losing player doesn't care about 0inning@ or they aren't 0illing to put in the time to
learn@ or they don't kno0 0here to learn >aybe the losing player fails to observe others@ lacks
necessary patience@ or simply tilts at the first sign of bad luck $o each of these players@ the
instruction E!ary your playE must sound 0onderful -fter all@ it's a simple concept and easy to
implement <t reCuires little patience@ since one can play e;tra hands in the name of 'variety' <t
3ustifies tilting@ e;plaining those bad raises or calls a0ay E<n any caseE@ the tilter thinks@ E<'m
3ust mi;ing up my playE <t is some of the most undemanding advice available in the poker
0orld@ because everybody can be Eunpredictable@E and they don't even really need to kno0 ho0
to play
$here have been multiple net0orks sho0ing celebrities compete in poker tournaments for
their favorite charities -n education in solid poker play this is not@ but there is some
entertainment value@ especially if you en3oy poker for the sake of poker .hen they 0ere asked
about their style@ many of the celebrities stated something to the effect of@ E.ell@ < have no clue
0hat <'m doing@ so that 0ill make me really unpredictable < figure that's a huge advantageE %f
course@ this sort of logic is fla0ed 6and humorous7 5ut it does give an introspective look into
the thought process of many beginning players 0ho feel that EunpredictabilityE is a Ehuge
advantageE
<n this article@ 0e 0ill some0hat debunk the E!ary your playE motto < 0ill argue that it is an
idea that only applies intermittently to specific sets of players <n effect@ 0e 0ill change the
slogan to E!ary your play <*GE *iguring out 0hen to vary your play 0ill separate the losing
players using unpredictability as an e;cuse from the 0inning players using unpredictability as
a 0eapon
Reflecting the Wrong Image
Let's begin 0ith the fundamental assumption that there is a 'correct' 0ay to play < believe
strongly that there is in fact a correct style@ and that style is kno0n as tight/aggressive <n
order to be tight and aggressive@ a 0inning player 0ill naturally play tighter than most of their
competition@ and a 0inning player 0ill bet@ raise@ or reraise more effectively than their
competition <n addition@ the tight/aggressive player 0ill regularly sho0 do0n 0inning hands
$here is nothing a 0inning player can do to change these simple truths -nd eventually@
somebody 0ill notice 5ut the reality is that most players 0ill in fact never notice $here are
several reasons the tight/aggressive player escapes detection
*irst@ most players are unobservant %nline opponents might play # or more tables@ read their
email@ visit their favorite 0ebsite@ or 0atch $! in the background $here is also a high turnover
on most online games@ 0ith players changing tables or limits at a 0him Some players sho0 up
to play as little as ten minutes before 0ork@ errands@ or the ne0 episode of their favorite
sitcom =ven at live games@ most players only notice hands sho0n do0n at the end@ and even
then they might not pay heed unless they 0ere the one losing the pot Since most pots are 0on
by a high:Cuality hand@ it may not even register as unusual 0hen one player consistently sho0s
do0n good hands to take do0n large pots <n fact@ such a trend might be taken as evidence of
that player's good fortune HoteD "ou could encourage this point of vie0 by occasionally
'admitting' that the deck is Erunning your overE
Second@ luck 0ill play a role in mi;ing up one's play Ho matter ho0 tight one plays@ they 0ill
occasionally get streaks of five or more hands 0here they start 0ith premium holdings 1aising
the pot several times in a ro0 could brand a player as loose/aggressive@ because fe0 players
0ould suspect that all those consecutive hands 0ere in fact properly played
*inally@ 0e come to the other underlying problem 0ith loose calls or raises $o affect your
image@ you must sho0 do0n your hand Consider ho0 often a hand like 2+s misses the flop <s
it 0orth EadvertisingE your phantom loose tendencies if you must make several bad plays to
sho0 your handB 1emember@ if you consistently take hands too far and bluff too much in the
name of EunpredictabilityE@ you are no longer playing tight/aggressive .hile trying to deceive
people into believing you are a loose/aggressive or loose/passive player@ you may in fact
become oneI =ven 0hen you finally sho0 do0n a poor hand@ your opponents must notice your
play and make a change in ho0 they play against you -lso@ if they reason deeply enough to
consider that you might play an e;tra hand to Evary your play@E you have lost all advantage <n
other 0ords@ a player good enough to pay attention could very 0ell be good enough to see
through your ruse - player not good enough to see through your deception may not notice
your 'bad play' in the first place
Earning a Bigger Pot
<t is often pointed out that it might be occasionally correct to limp:reraise 0ith pocket -ces@ or
to raise 0ith $2s from an early position@ or a myriad of other plays contrary to standard
practice <n fact@ such advice is correct in specific circumstances *or e;ample@ if one or more
players 0as raising every hand preflop 6but not reraising7@ limping -ces 0ith the intention of
reraising might earn additional profit %r@ if the game 0as e;ceptionally tight@ suited
connectors might profit immediately because the chance of stealing the blinds is high 6turning
a marginal call/fold into a profitable raise7 Ho0ever@ in these scenarios@ the profit earned by
playing the hand unconventionally is immediate -ll this proves is that one must ad3ust their
play to the game $he EcorrectE strategy has changed because there are e;treme conditions
< have no Cuarrel 0ith the need to ad3ust one's play to earn as much money as possible@
dependent on game conditions Ho0ever@ if there is no immediate profit earned from a
misleading play@ then 0e are back to depending on our opponents' observation skills to earn
e;tra bets later in the session <f a limp:reraise 0ith pocket -ces saves your opponents from
making significant mistakes after the flop@ the initial profit preflop may not actually increase
overall profit <f none of your opponents 0ill give you credit for strength 0hen you raise from
early position any0ays@ 0hy raise 0ith a 0eak hand to fool themB
Limit poker is a game 0ith finite edges -n opponent's gaffe 0ill result in a relatively small@
fi;ed loss So@ the profit earned 0hen hitting a miracle flop 0ith a substandard hand is far
out0eighed by the losses incurred 0hen the flop misses or gives the substandard hand a
second:best hand *or e;ample@ if a player gives up a small bet 6or more7 five times out of si;
by limping 0ith ,(s in early position@ they are going to have an impossible struggle to earn
enough 0hen they finally 0in a pot 60hile not losing much 0hen second:best7 -nd remember@
0ithout trying to make Cuestionable moves@ even tight/aggressive players 0ill sometimes lay a
bad beat on their opponent or make a play 0hich appears to be incorrect >ost players 0ill not
analyFe the point of vie0 of the tight/aggressive player@ so they 0ill chalk up the bad beat or
'bad reraise' as the play of a fla0ed but fortunate player
Two Alternative Forms of ariation
$here are alternatives to making inferior moves for the sake of future gains one hopes to earn
%ne alternative is to ad3ust to each specific player < can hear you saying no0@ E.ait a minuteI
.asn't < supposed to be doing that any0aysBE $he ans0er is '-bsolutely' -nd that is the point
<f you play possum 6check:call some marginal hands or slo0play big hands7 0ith one
opponent because they are repeatedly bluffing@ but then you immediately raise against another
opponent because they are too tight/passive@ then you have 3ust pro3ected t0o entirely
different playing styles to the table <magine ho0 confused even an observant opponent must
be
$here is another even less complicated option Change poker rooms@ change games@ or change
limits <n my opinion@ one of the greatest assets to a poker player is their anonymity *irst of
all@ most players need !ero effort to protect their anonymity $hey may not play more than a
fe0 hours a 0eek at one or maybe t0o games at a time Likely@ those players are simply lost in
the shuffle Ho0ever@ if a player competes many hours a 0eek@ often at multiple games@ then
eventually others 6especially good@ observant players7 0ill recogniFe them $heir
tight/aggressive style 0ill be noted by the better opponents@ 0ho 0ill take advantage by
avoiding confrontations or making a fe0 e;tra strong moves saved only for a solid player
0illing to lay do0n a good hand
$he solution is simple Jse multiple online sites $here are many online poker rooms that
advertise on Poker Pages@ including Paradise Poker@ Party Poker@ 5ugsy's Club@ $rue Poker@
Palace Poker@ Poker 1oom@ Planet Poker@ <nterCasino Poker@ =mpire Poker@ and Pacific Poker
< have not played at some of these sites@ but < have also played at others not listed above $he
nearly universal similarities among these sites is that they offer deposit bonuses and regularly
have $e;as Hold'em games available .hy not hold accounts 0ith multiple sites and multiple
handlesB "ou can play as Lucky9uy1444 at one room@ but 1unning8euces## at another Since
you can s0itch back and forth bet0een the accounts regularly@ nobody gets too familiar 0ith
your playing style $he same thing applies to live games <f you have multiple options@ be
inclined to travel to different cardrooms %ccasionally play different limits or games
altogether $he only things you need to maintain this variety are a healthy bankroll and some
e;tra hard drive space on your computera pretty small price to pay to stay unkno0n and
unpredictable
ary "o#r Play IF$$$
%f course@ sometimes it does pay to vary your play -s the limits increase@ the chances your
competition 0ill be paying attention increases -t lo0 limits@ varying your play is almost
pointless@ since it is rarely noted@ and even if it 0as@ it 0ouldn't make much of a difference due
to the te;ture of the typical lo0 limit game -t middle and high limits@ there might be some
value to 'false advertising@' but even then it depends on the length of time one spends at the
table and the turnover of players -fter all@ if you or your opponents 0ill not be playing in an
hour@ 0hy sacrifice any short:term profitB !arying your play may also become important if you
don't have choices for 0here to play "ou might have a 0eekly home game 0ith some solid
players or only one casino in a 1)4:mile radius <f you are freCuently returning to see the same
group of players@ then pro3ecting a mottled image becomes valuable 1emember@ many of the
authors 0ho constantly advise to E!ary your playE are in fact facing e;actly these t0o criteria
$hey play high limits 0ith a relatively small pool of players@ and they play a lot $o thrive@ they
must deceive@ confuse@ and manipulate their opponents by giving up some short:term loss for
the sake of long:term gain *or the rest of us@ there is rarely such need
< leave you 0ith one of the greatest lines in one of the greatest poker movies of all time@ The
%incinnati &id$ < 0ill not give a0ay the story@ so < cannot offer the full conte;t of this
passage Lancey Ho0ard is a famous professional poker player 6ie the reigning champion7
0hile the Cincinnati ?id is the up:and:coming young professional poker player trying to
become E$he >anE
Lancey 'oward( )ets down to what it*s all abo#t+ doesn*t it, -a.ing the wrong
move at the right time$
%incinnati &id( Is that what it*s all abo#t,
Lancey 'oward( Li.e life+ I g#ess$
/$0 1hort2'anded Po.er( The 3vercard 4#andary Part I
What -a.es a Player Lose,
$he main ingredient common to most losing players is a relative looseness Losing players play
too many hands@ but more importantly@ they 0ill play losing hands too far Some losing players
are loose and aggressive $o some e;tent@ their aggressiveness may help camouflage their
vulnerability because they'll buy some pots@ but eventually the loose aggressive player 0ill run
into a strong hand .hen the confrontation occurs@ the cost 0ill be high Loose passive players
face a greater dilemma and can really only thrive if their competition bluffs too much ?no0n
affectionately as calling stations@ loose passive players 0ill be pummelled by attentive players
-gainst any player that is too loose@ the 0inning strategy is uncomplicatedD 0ait for a good
hand and bet 5luffs 0ill be consistently unprofitable if the competition calls 6or raises7 0ith
0eak hands Profit 0ill be earned on big 0ins 0ith real hands - 0inning shorthanded player
is a0are that the vast ma6ority of competition 0ill play too loose@ even for a shorthanded
game <n fact@ many players 0ill 3ustify their flimsy calls 0ith bottom pair or -ce:high by
assessing@ E$his is a shorthanded game >y opponent is far more likely to be bluffingE -gainst
such 0eak opposition@ patience and sho0ing do0n big hands are reCuired to be victorious at
the tables
$his fundamental idea is at the heart of one of the toughest predicaments many tight
aggressive players face <f a real hand is reCuired to 0in because our competition is too loose@
ho0 does one play overcardsB -n absolute ans0er does not e;ist@ because so much depends on
the level and style of competition 5ut it can be helpful to e;amine some emblematic
circumstances every shorthanded player faces
3vercards in a 'eads278 Pot$
1cenario /$ 5utton has ? & 5ig blind has 2 /
*lop is # + / 5ig blind bets out )) small bets in the pot
.ith this sort of flop@ the big blind's bet is very straightfor0ard $op pair is a strong hand
shorthanded@ but definitely vulnerable@ and a bet puts only )) small bets in the pot $he
button faces a difficult decision $he button has + outs 6in this case@ all + are clean7 <f the
button kne0 0hat the big blind held@ he could calculate odds of +/() or +) to 1 -t first glance@
+) to 1 odds appear insufficient to call@ but the button can pretty much count on 0inning at
least one more big bet if a ?ing or &ueen falls <n other 0ords@ the implied odds are sufficient
to 3ustify taking a card off
<f 0e presumed the button 0ould 0in one e;tra big bet 0hen a ?ing or &ueen falls on the turn@
then the =! for a call 0ould be calculated as follo0sD
&ueen or ?ing on $urnD 6+/() L ,)7 M A14 Small 5ets
Ho &ueen or ?ingD 6'2/() L :17 M :4/+++ Small 5ets
$otal =!D 14 : /+++ M 41'' 1mall bets9hand 8rofit
So@ the computations concur that a call is profitable <n this ideal scenario@ 0here all + outs are
clean@ the button 0ould make money by continuing to see at least the turn card 5ut 0ould a
raise be superior to a callB <t depends <f 0e assume that the big blind 0ill call a raise on the
flop and then check on the turn@ the button 0ill be able to take a free card and add even more
profit Let's e;amine three possible outcomes
3#tcome /( 5utton 8oes Hot <mproveD 6'2/()7 L 6'//((7 M 1(/#/12/4 M :;$<=>
$he button does not improve 0hen any of the '2 of () cards not a ?ing or &ueen fall on the turn and any
of the '/ of (( cards not a ?ing or &ueen fall on the river
3#tcome 0( 5oth Hands <mproveD N6+/()7 L 6)/((7 A 6)/()7 L 6+/((7OM +4/12/4 M ?$@?>
5oth hands improve 0hen either a ?ing or &ueen 6+ of ()7 falls on the turn@ follo0ed by a Hine or =ight
6) of ((7 on the river or 0hen a Hine or =ight 6) of ()7 falls on the turn@ follo0ed by a ?ing or &ueen 6+ of
((7 on the river
3#tcome ?( %nly 5utton <mprovesD N6+/()7 L 6'2/((7 A 6'(/()7 L 6+/((7O M ('//12/4 M 00$/0>
:%nly the button improves 0hen either a ?ing or &ueen 6+ of ()7 falls on the turn@ follo0ed by anything
but a Hine or =ight 6'2 of ((7 or 0hen a blank 6'( of ()7 falls on the turn@ follo0ed by a ?ing or &ueen 6+
of ((7 on the river - blank means any card H%$ a ?ing@ &ueen@ Hine@ or =ight *or those 0ho are
0ondering@ the blank card in the second half of the eCuation can not include a ?ing or &ueen because the
first part of the eCuation already includes the times that a ?ing or &ueen falls on both the turn and the
river
*inally@ 0e guess ho0 much the button 0ould earn or lose in each scenario <n possibility 1@
that's easy $he button 0ould lose # small bets since it raises the flop <n possibility #@ 0e can
assume the button 0ill lose the # small bets plus either # or ' big bets 60e'll average and say
#)7 <n possibility '@ the button 0ill gain the +) small bets in the flop plus an average of 1)
big bets 6# big bets 0hen the ?ing or &ueen falls on the turn@ 1 big bet 0hen the ?ing or &ueen
falls on the river7 < kno0 there are a lot of assumptions involved 5ut 0e're not trying to come
up 0ith a perfect ans0er@ 3ust an appro;imation
=! M 6,(/) L :#7 A 64'4' L :,7 A 6##1# L 2)7 M :1(2, :#1#1 A #141( M @$?A0? small bets9hand 8rofit
.he0 Hope that math isn't too confusing $he ability to take a free card makes the button's
hand three times more profitable than a call alone 5ut there's a real problem >ost
shorthanded players beyond the lo0est limits are Cuite familiar 0ith semibluff or free card
raises@ and they 0ill not let them 0ork so often <f the big blind bets out again on the turn
6even if they only bet 0hen a nine or less falls7@ then the button's raise on the flop becomes a
significant loser - nine or less 0ould fall #, of () times on the turn <n other 0ords@ the
button 0ill no0 only improve 60hen the big blind doesn't improve7 about N6+/()7 L 6'2/((7 A
61#/()7 L 6+/((7O M '4+/12/4 M /=$;=> of the time <nstead of $?A0? small bets9hand
8rofit@ a raise 0ould no0 result in appro;imately a $0 small bets9hand loss@ even 0hen 0e
factor the times 0hen a Hine or =ight falls on the turn and the big blind's bet prevents the
button from improving 6and losing additional money7 - call remains superior to a raise unless
the button can be very sure to gain a free card
1cenario 0 5utton has ? & 5ig blind has 2 /
*lop is # + / 5utton bets 5ig blind checkraises ,) small bets in the pot
Let's compare the =! for a call 6since 0e have already concluded that a raise is less profitable
than a call against all but the most passive players7 <f 0e again presumed the button 0ould
0in one e;tra big bet 0hen a ?ing or &ueen falls on the turn@ then the =! for a call 0ould be
calculated as follo0sD
&ueen or ?ing on $urnD 6+/() L 2)7 M A1#+++ Small 5ets
Ho &ueen or ?ingD 6'2/() L :17 M :4/+++ Small 5ets
$otal =!D 1#++ : /+++ M @$; 1mall bets9hand 8rofit
$he calculations are fairly straightfor0ard .ith a larger pot@ a call 0ith overcards 0ill be
more profitable -lthough the profit for a call after the big blind's checkraise is higher than
after the big blind's bet out@ this does not mean the big blind made a mistake by checkraising
$he button 0ill earn back ( small bets profit on average@ but that figure is after the 1 small
bet already lost on the flop <f the button kne0 he 0as about to be checkraised@ the best play
0ould have been to check and take the free card -s they say@ hindsight is #4/#4
1cenario ?$ 5utton has ? & 5ig blind has & /
*lop is # + / 5utton bets 5ig blind checkraises ,) small bets in pot
5oth Scenarios 1 and # 0ere near ideal situations for the big blind since all its overcard outs
0ere clean $he reality is that this 0ill often not be the case <f one 0as to presume that the big
blind's checkraise meant it had a real hand@ 0e could limit the possible holdings some0hat
Possible holdings that leave the &ueen and ?ing clean include -#@ -+@ -/@ J/@ $/@ 2/@ ,,@ 22@
and $$ %ther holdings that counterfeit one of the button's outs are ?#s@ ?+s@ ?/@ or &/ <n
other 0ords@ the button 0ill be th0arted even 0hen a ?ing or &ueen falls@ because it 0ill make
t0o pair for the big blind Ho0 bad does this counterfeiting hurtB Let's look again at the
specific hands in Scenario ' $he button earns an e;tra big bet 0hen a ?ing falls and loses t0o
big bets 0hen a &ueen falls
3#tcome / ?ing on the $urn 6'/() L 2)7 M A+''' Small 5ets
3#tcome 0 &ueen on the $urn 6#/() L :)7 M :#### Small 5ets
3#tcome ? Ho &ueen or ?ing 6(4/() L :17 M ://// Small 5ets
$otal =!D +''' : #### : //// M @$;::: 1mall bets9hand loss
-lthough it took a 0hile to get to it@ 0e have reached the first ma3or point of this article %n an
average flop@ a player 0ith a legitimate hand 0ill have a kicker matching one of the button's
overcards some portion of the time -nd there is one last possibility <f the big blind holds a big
hand such as ##@ ++@ //@ /+@ ??@ or --@ the button is dra0ing dead or nearly dead 5y adding
these holdings to the mi;@ calling 0ith overcards against a legitimate hand becomes
unprofitable $here are no0 ## combinations 0hich reduce the button to ' outs@ ##
combinations 0hich reduce the button to virtually Fero outs@ and // combinations 0here a
?ing or &ueen are clean outs
$he overall =! of calling is calculated by figuring 0hen all + overcard outs are clean 6#/' of the
time7@ one of them is counterfeited 61/+th of the time7@ and 0hen the button is dra0ing nearly
dead 61/+th of the time7 < have taken the liberty of doing t0o additional formulas to plug into
our final =! formula *irst@ < calculated Scenario ' as if the big blind had only bet out Second@
< calculated Scenario ' as if the ?ing on the turn led to a ) small bet loss
=! 0hen big blind bets outD
6#/' L 1''7 : 61/+ L +117 : 61/+ L 1(((7 M 4//, : 141/ : #(1 M $0=;/ small bets9hand loss
=! 0hen big blind checkraisesD
6#/' L (7 : 61/+ L (,,,7 : 61/+ L 1(((7 M #+++ : 4,2+ : #(1 M $@=; small bets9hand loss
-nd so@ 0e reach the foremost thrust of the overcard Cuandary -t first glance@ dra0ing to t0o
overcards appears profitable@ but it is freCuently a losing play =ven if the loss is 1/(th a small
bet on average@ the impact in the long run is significant Jntil a player becomes very good at
identifying their opponent's possible holdings@ they may not be able to recogniFe 0hen their
overcard outs are safe .ithout that skill@ the proper play is often a simple fold
<n part << of this article@ 0e 0ill e;amine overcards in a multi:0ay pot and overcards against a
habitual bluffer .e 0ill also counter a 0orry of many advanced playersD 0ill folding overcards
lead to more bluffsB
/$? 1hort2'anded Po.er( The 3vercard 4#andary Part II
<n part 1 of this article@ < used some fairly dense calculations to demonstrate that the best play
0ith overcards is very often a simple fold <n the second section@ 0e 0ill follo0:up by gauging
the odds 0ith a larger pot and multiple opponents $hen@ 0e 0ill ans0er an important
Cuestion .ill folding overcards cause our opposition to run us over 0ith bluffsB
3vercards in a -#lti2Way Pot$
1cenario ;$ 5utton has - ? 5ig blind has $ 2 Limper has + )
*lop is # ) $ 5ig blind bets out and Limper calls /) small bets in the pot
3#tcome /$ -ce or ?ing on the $urn 6+/(' L 14)7 M A1(+) small bets
3#tcome 0$ Ho -ce or ?ing 6',/(' L :17 M :/+1 small bets
$otal =!D $B@; small bets9hand 8rofit
$he button's best hope is that all overcard outs are clean <f they are@ then calling earns a
considerable profit $his should be fairly obvious@ since 0e sho0ed a gain calling 0ith + outs@
one challenger@ and a smaller pot siFe He;t@ 0e 0ill e;amine the numbers if one limper holds a
kicker common to the button's overcards
1cenario =$ 5utton has - ? 5ig blind has $ 2 Limper has - )
*lop is # ) $ 5ig blind bets out and Limper calls /) small bets in the pot
3#tcome / ?ing on the $urn 6'/(' L 14)7 M A,'' small bets
3#tcome 0 -ce on the $urn 6#/(' L :)7 M :### small bets
3#tcome ? Ho -ce or ?ing 6'//(' L :17 M ://( small bets
$otal =!D $?:? small bets9hand loss
$he pot siFe is healthier 0ith three opponents than only t0o@ but having one overcard cut off
still represents a s0ing of one small bet and a significant loss Ho0ever@ like the heads:up
e;amples in Part <@ the real danger is 0hen both of the button's outs are cut off Scenario +
analyFes the loss 0hen the button needs t0o perfect cards
1cenario B 5utton has - ? 5ig blind has ? $ Limper has - #
*lop is # ) $
3#tcome / 1unning -ce/?ing 64#// L 1/)7 M A)'#/ small bets
$he button 0ill only 0in if e;actly an -ce and ?ing falls %1 e;actly a Jack and &ueen falls %ne of these
combinations 0ill transpire #//P of the time $o simplify@ < 0ill assume there are ( e;tra big bets 0on if
the button gets lucky enough to 0in
3#tcome 0 -ce or ?ing on $urn@ 5lank on 1iver 6(/(' L '//(# L :)7 M :,+4/1/4+ M :(#1 small bets
3#tcome ? Jack or &ueen on $urn@ 5lank on 1iver 6+/(' L '(/(# L :'7 M :+1#/1/4+ M :''2 small bets
$his scenario occurs because the button picks up an inside straight dra0 .hen a complete blank falls@
the button spends one e;tra big bet
3#tcome ; Jack or &ueen on $urn@ -ce or ?ing on 1iver 6+/(' L (/(# L :)7 M :1#4/1/4+ M :4+, small
bets
-fter a Jack or &ueen@ if an -ce or ?ing falls@ the button 0ill likely call do0n on the river@ sacrificing a
total of # big bets after the flop
3#tcome = Ho -ce@ ?ing@ Jack@ or &ueen on $urn 6''/(' L :17 M :,+, small bets
$otal =!D 6)'#/ : (#1 : ''2 :4+, :,+,7 M /$@B small bets9hand loss
*our of the five possible outcomes are Cuite disastrous@ and even the best outcome occurs only
#//P of the time - similar misfortune 0ould transpire if either opponent held a very
po0erful hand such as a set of )s or #s -gainst a set@ the button is dra0ing dead to a running
&ueen/Jack
5ut ho0 often can the button e;pect to have all + outs@ ' outs@ or nearly Fero outsB <f 0e
presume that our opposition called preflop 0ith at least a reasonable hand@ then the risk that
each player holds an -ce or ?ing to go 0ith their pair is very significant *or e;ample@ if 0e
assumed ##@ ))@ $$@ --@ -#@ -)@ -$@ ?#s@ ?)s@ ?$@ ??@ &&@ JJ@ $/@ $2@ J$@ &$@ )(s@ +)s@ ,)s@
22@ //@ ,,@ and ++ 0ere all possible hands@ then #)P 6'( of the 1'+7 of possible holdings
0ould counterfeit the button's -? <f 0e believed for 0hatever reason that our bettor or limper
could be holding overcards such as &J@ ?&@ -&@ -J@ or 0eaker pairs such as '#s@ )'s@ $,s@ ((@
or ''@ then the percentage of feared hands goes do0n to 1)#P 6'( of ##'7 $he principal sense
is that each player 0ho has called a bet increases the probability the button has ' or fe0er
outs
Ho0 often is the button dra0ing dead or nearly deadB %n a flop like the one in Scenario +@
maybe not that often %nly a ##@ ))@ $$@ and -- are likely dominating hands $here are only 1)
combinations of these pocket pairs Combining those deadly hands 0ith the possibility both
the -ce and ?ing are held by an opponent@ the -? is dra0ing nearly dead 1):#4P of the time
<t gets 0orse - flop like N# ) $ O is abnormally non:threatening %n the other hand@ a
dangerous flop such as $ 2 / is prone to generate a ruinous outcome such t0o pair@ a set@
or a made straight
-gainst a fairly non:threatening flop@ 0e can estimate that the button has all + outs about (4P
of the time@ only ' outs (4P of the time@ and virtually no outs #4P of the timeD
%verall =!D 6+4( L (7 : 6',' L (7 : 614+ L #7 M #(1+ : 1(2# : #1# M @$/0 small bets9hand loss
<f 0e measured a more dangerous flop@ our numbers might look closer to the follo0ingD
%verall =!D 6+4( L #7 : 6',' L )7 : 614+ L '7 M 1#4/ : 1/+) : '1/ M @$0A: small bets9hand loss
$he lesson here is that the bigger pot goes a long 0ay to0ards adding profitability to a call 0ith
overcards@ but as the chance for a catastrophe increases 6due to a dangerous flop or a high
number of players7@ the profit 0ith overcards turns into a definite loss *or that reason@ solid
play of overcards is so often associated 0ith e;cellent or 0orld class players 1emember@ the
re0ards earned by calling at the correct times 0ith overcards are relatively marginal $he
losses faced 0hen misplaying overcards can be huge So@ stick 0ith a conservative approach
Call 0ith overcards only against one opponent 6and not even then if the pot is small7 unless
you have a very strong understanding of your opponent's play and their possible holdings
3vercards against a 'abit#al Bl#ffer$
$here are t0o last situations <'d like to briefly e;amine %ccasionally@ a shorthanded player 0ill
find himself against a habitual bluffer or semibluffer - habitual bluffer 0ill consistently bet
the 0hole 0ay 0ith no pair@ sometimes 0ith overcards or ace:high but also 0ith far less <t
freCuently makes sense to call 0ith the intention of sho0ing do0n ace:high %ther times@
taking a card off is the best play@ if implied odds are good or it sets up future plays
6slo0playing a big hand7
1cenario : 5utton has - & 5ig blind has ? J
*lop is # ) $ 5ig blind bets out )) small bets in pot
.ith a hand like -&@ < 0ill call the entire 0ay against a kno0n bluffer Here's 0hy
<f the bluffer has no pair 6eg ?J7@ the -& 0ill 0in about ,)P of the time
<f the bluffer actually has a pair 6eg $27@ the -& 0ill still 0in about #)P of the time
=ven 0ith only )) small bets in the pot@ the button can call do0n and remain a 0inner if the
big blind is semibluffing 0ith no pair #4P of the time or more $he combined potential of the
-& as a bluff:catcher and +:out dra0 makes a calldo0n profitable <f the big blind 0ill only
bluff on the flop@ the button should call even more often <n such a case@ the big blind's check
on the turn could indicate 0eakness@ and the button has the option to take a free card or to
semibluff back at the big blind
<n my e;perience@ facing habitual bluffers is the e;ception rather than the rule >ost players in
the big blind do not bet out as a bluff@ and most players 0ould not stop betting until at least
the river <f you find yourself against either type of bluffer@ your calling standards 6and in fact@
the 0hole 0ay you 0ould play a legitimate hand7 should be ad3usted to overcome their style
Won*t -y 388onents Begin Bl#ffing -ore,
.ith no pair against all but the most aggressive competition@ overcards are a loser <t is better
to dump them Cuickly and move on to the ne;t hand 5ut good players 0ill be Cuick to point
out one possible impact of such a strategy <f a preflop raiser plays fairly tight and 0ill fold on
the flop 0ithout a made hand@ doesn't this leave a huge gap that good players can e;ploitB
Hamely@ 0ouldn't a bluff on the flop from the big blind become incredibly profitableB $he
ans0er is 'yes' Ho0ever@ there are t0o reasons that 0e shouldn't 0orry so much about it
*irst@ most players are unobservant@ especially at lo0er limits %nline < have found lack of
observation skills to be further in the norm@ since many players try to compete at t0o or more
tables simultaneously $o have one's tightness countered effectively@ a player must observe the
button folding multiple times in similar situations@ and then they must be advanced enough to
kno0 ho0 to use this information .hile < 0ould not al0ays e;pect your opponents to be
oblivious to your folds@ it is far 0orse to e;pect your opponents to EguessE your cards 8on't
s0eat it until you find yourself the victim of e;cessive aggression from one player .hen you
do@ s0itch gears and ad3ust your play to punish their bluffing
Second@ you 0ill still have a hand often enough to camoflage ho0 tight you are playing 1ealiFe
that in all seven scenarios in this article@ the highest card on the flop is a $en Such flops are
atypical - hand like -?o 0ill flop a pair or better 1/'rd of the time -?o 0ill also flop a decent
dra0 6and overcards7 some0hat regularly %n the other hand@ the solid preflop raiser is more
vulnerable 0hen the flop contains three small cards .hen the button doesn't hold a pocket
pair@ a bluff from the big blind 0ill likely be profitable *or this reason@ it is important to
carefully observe the freCuency of bets on those ragged flops 6and flops such as &&; or --(7@
since those are the types of flops that bluffers target -ll in all@ my suggestion to fold Cuickly on
the flop 0ithout a pair is dangerous if the bluffer faces no conseCuences So@ it's your 3ob to
remain vigilant@ identify a player's attempts to steal pots@ and effectively counter
Let me reiterate one last time Losing players almost al0ays lose because they call too much
Jntil you reach middle limit and high limit games 6and very often then too7@ a 0inning
strategy entails abandoning fancy plays@ big bluffs@ and even some semibluffs Straightfor0ard
play takes the money@ and sho0ing do0n a strong hand is reCuired %vercards don't Cualify as
a Estrong handE <nstead@ they are a 0eak dra0 not playable e;cept as a semibluff or in
e;ceptional circumstances against e;ceptional players
/$; Po.er *1toc.ing 1t#ffers*
<t's holiday time here in the Jnited States $hanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year
=very year < look for0ard to good food@ my family's reunion@ and my favorite football teams
playing $hursday and *riday -s fate 0ould have it@ my dream $hanksgiving 0as spoiled this
year by an untimely virus 1ather than good food and good company@ < spent the entire holiday
0atching $! and going through t0o bo;es of ?leene; >y head 0as so stuffed < couldn't even
play poker
>issing the festivities did give me time to panic a bit about Christmas shopping@ since < had
not purchased a single gift $rying to puFFle out 0hat gifts < 0ould buy for my friends and
family@ < realiFed 0as that 0hen < 0as younger@ the gifts < en3oyed the most 0ere the stocking
stuffers@ those small trinkets and toys placed in a large knit sock on my family's fireplace
$here 0ere times 0hen < 0ould pour over the number of small gifts in that sockQ the value of
those presents far out0eighed their monetary cost So ho0 does this tie in 0ith an article about
pokerB .ell@ < realiFed that poker advice is often like those small gifts at Christmas timeQ the
amount of 0ords reCuired to 0rite an article does not reflect the value of the guidance
<n this article@ < am going to 0rite about several smaller items .hile each sub3ect is relatively
straightfor0ard@ their lack of comple;ity does not make them less valuable <n fact@ < think
most of the ideas in this article are far more valuable than some 0hole books <'ve read 5ut like
poker in general@ 0hile understanding each idea is relatively simple@ mastery of the concepts is
very difficult
Pot 1i!e
<n order of emphasis@ pot siFe might be the most important factor in any discussion of limit
poker $he fundamental strategy of tight play 6starting 0ith strong hands and strong flops7 is
3ust another 0ay of saying@ E.hen the pot is still small@ don't play marginal handsE
$here are simple ideas relative to pot siFe that 0ill make your game much more profitable
Check:raising on small pots is far superior to check:raising on big pots
Slo0playing on small pots is far superior to slo0playing on big pots
Semibluffing on big pots is far superior to semibluffing on small pots
Calling 0ith marginal dra0s on big pots is far superior to calling 0ith marginal dra0s on small pots
*olding on small pots is much safer than folding on big pots
$his advice might be considered elementary -fter all@ the premise is straightfor0ardD E%ne
should accept more risks 0hen the re0ards are highE Check:raising and slo0playing risk free
cards@ semibluffing and marginal dra0s risk the loss of e;tra money 0hen the bluff or dra0
fails@ and folding risks giving up a pot to an inferior hand 5ut the truth is that pot siFe is
overlooked by many players $he first thing 6beyond poker fundamentals7 a beginning player
should learn is the ability to count the pot Cuickly $hen@ that player should make decisions
based on the siFe of the pot Limit poker is mostly a game of mathematics@ 0ith the pot siFe
representing a huge variable in each eCuation 6decision7 that faces a player
Tilt
< cannot emphasiFe enough@ from first:hand familiarity@ ho0 tilt can ruin long:term results
Ho matter ho0 much kno0ledge@ skill@ and intelligence you possess@ you 0ill not 0in until you
control your emotions 8iscipline@ patience@ and emotional resoluteness are the stuff of real
champions@ not brains and kno0ledge =very player loses sometimes@ and every player 0ins
sometimes $he best players surely increase ho0 much they 0in Ho0ever@ the difference
bet0een 0inners and losers is far more often measured in the losing sessions <f a player can
reduce their losses on a regular basis by maintaining their composure in the face of bad luck
and/or their o0n bad play@ there 0ill be a huge re0ard in the long run
Hobody can claim to o0n a cure:all for tilt *or some players@ leaving the game is best *or
others@ counting to ten or sitting out 3ust one hand might be sufficient <t is also probable that
many players 0ill never be able to defeat tilt until they make changes in the rest of their life
5ut 0hatever the cause@ the cost of tilt is undeniably significant <t is an area that reCuires
every good player's attention and effort
The %ost of Ra.e
Casinos and online poker rooms make money by charging a rake or seat charge .hen < first
began to play poker@ < purchased .ilson's $urbo $e;as Hold'em and ran a simulation of ten
players sitting in my local casino's game@ a R'/+ table 0ith R) ma; rate and R1 average toke <
purposely included one tight/aggressive player and nine loose/passive opponents in the
simulation -fter 144@444 hands simulated@ the results < sa0 0ere fairly terrifying Hobody
0as 0inning $he tight/aggressive player 0as only do0n a small amount@ but the loose/passive
players had lost a huge sum Later@ < sa0 8avid Sklansky 0rite an article about 0hat it took for
one player to 0in a living 0age at poker Let's assume the follo0ingD
$en players contribute R14/hour average in rake and tokes
$he average player plays (4 hours a 0eek@ ( 0eeks in the month
*or one player to make R'444 in a month@ the other nine players must lose a total of R12@444 combined
%f that amount R1+@444 0ill go to the dealers and the 'house'
<t should be incredibly clear from the calculations above that the rake one pays 0ill play a huge
role in their chances for success So@ consider carefully 0hen choosing your game and your
limit
Po.er Boo.s
$he most common reCuest < receive by email is my recommendation for good poker books <
have not read every book@ so < cannot claim to be the 0orld's foremost authority 5ut < have
read about )4 poker books Here's a list of my top recommendations
For Beginners(
Hold'em Poker by 8avid Sklansky
.inning Lo0 Limit Hold'em by Lee Jones
For the CeDt 1te8(
$heory of Poker by 8avid Sklansky
Hold'em for -dvanced Players by 8avid Sklansky and >ason >almuth
Seven Card Stud for -dvanced Players by Sklansky@ >almuth@ and 1ay See
Super System by 8oyle 5runson and others
Wild %ard Pic.s(
1eal Poker by 1oy Cooke
Sen and the -rt of Poker by Larry . Phillips
Caro's 5ook of $ells by >ike Caro
Pot Limit and Ho Limit Poker by 5ob Ciaffone and Ste0art 1euben
ery Entertaining(
$he 5iggest 9ame in $o0n by - -lvareF
$he >an 0ith the R144@444 5reasts by >ichael ?onik
5ringing 8o0n the HouseD $he <nside Story of Si; ><$ Students .ho $ook !egas for >illions
by 5en >eFrich
$here are a lot of good books < don't mention on this list@ but if < recommended every good
book <'ve read@ it 0ould not be very helpful to the beginner <t should also be noted that much
of the material in ne0 poker books or articles is incredibly repetitive -fter all@ the
mathematics and fundamental concepts of poker have been the same for decades 1epetition is
not al0ays a bad thing %ften@ the best 0ay to understand the important concepts is to note
their appearance in almost every author's advice
The T#ition of Po.er
=very poker player must start as a beginner@ and beginning players 0ill make mistakes
=;perience@ kno0ledge@ and emotional control are not 0on overnight@ nor can they be
obtained 0ithout effort and cost 5ut 0hat costB Jsually@ the beginning player loses money to
other more e;perienced@ kno0ledgeable@ or disciplined players until that beginning player
learns some of the intricacies poker $his price is often referred to as the EtuitionE that players
must pay to improve their game -nd to some e;tent@ EtuitionE is unavoidable
- beginning player should do 0hatever is possible to reduce their EtuitionE 1eading articles at
this 0ebsite is one e;cellent 0ay to do 3ust that@ since the kno0ledge spread through these
articles is free but no0here near 0orthless $he Poker School is another e;cellent option@
because it gives the opportunities not only to learn from some of the 0orld's best poker
teachers@ but also to play against other improving players in tournaments *or a small fi;ed
price@ a player can spend as much time as they 0ant learning@ e;periencing the game@ and
improving their play Compared to the beginner 0hose education consist of sitting do0n in a
Las !egas casino to buy into a R'/+ game 0ith a 14P rake@ the Poker School is an amaFing
bargain Last@ but not least@ are the bulletin boards provided online for free <'m often asked
Cuestions about specific hands or situations $hese Cuestions and scenarios are perfect fodder
for bulletin boards 0here multiple players can e;press their opinion >ost bulletin boards are
freCuented by players 0ho 0ant to give back to the community that helped transform them
from a beginner to a 0inner
Last@ but certainly not least@ remember that poker is a game@ and it is supposed to be fun <f
you're not having fun 0hen you're playing poker@ then 0hy play at allB < hope you en3oy happy
holidays@ good health@ and good fortune at the poker tablesI
/$= 1horthanded Po.er( Flo8 Play Part I
.e already kno0 there are a lot of preflop steal attempts in short:handed poker <nevitably@
the big blind 0ill freCuently face a preflop raiser in a heads:up confrontation after every other
player has folded $he big blind must defend a reasonable amount of the time or else is giving
up some of his o0n profit 5ut 0hat happens after the flopB >ost preflop raisers 0ill bet
automatically on the flop heads:up 6as they should7 Some of the time@ the big blind 0ill hit
nothing@ believe the raiser has at least a piece of the flop@ and can safely check:and:fold %ther
times@ the big blind may have little or nothing but may also infer that the raiser cannot have a
Cuality hand either -nd often@ the big blind 0ill hit the flop Checking and folding the 0eakest
hands is easy ?no0ing 0hat to do in other circumstances is not so clear Should the big blind
bet out@ check:and:fold@ check:raise the flop@ or slo0playB <n this article@ 0e e;amine a fe0
common settings a big blind 0ill be forced to face in short:handed poker on the flop
1cenario /$ The 1trong 'and
.hen the big blind has flopped top t0o pair@ a set@ or trips@ the main consideration is ho0 to
0in the most money possible $he three e;amples belo0 illustrate different EmonsterE flops@
but 0ith varying degrees of vulnerability
=;ample 1 5ig blind holds )c )h
*lop is /d )d #c
=;ample # 5ig blind holds $c 2s
*lop is 2d 2c #c
=;ample ' 5ig blind holds $d /d
*lop is $h /s (c
<n a full ring game@ any of these flops 0ould be e;cellent@ but not necessarily invulnerable <n a
short:handed game@ these hands are so po0erful that a lone opponent is likely dra0ing dead or
very@ very thin .hile it is possible the steal raiser has a higher set or a very good dra0@
supposing as much every time 0ould be paranoia and unprofitable %n the other hand@ even a
strong hand has potential susceptibility
< generally assume the preflop raiser 0ill bet the flop after the big blind checks .ith this
assumption@ the big blind must consider t0o important matters *irst@ should the big blind
risk a free card by check:calling the flop and checking again on the turnB Second@ if a slo0play
is not in order@ should the big blind bet out or check:raise the flopB 5y ans0ering these t0o
Cuestions@ 0e can e;pose the core arguments for any scenario 0here the big blind has flopped
something 0orth playing to see the turn and/or river
Free %ards
<n short:handed poker@ the difference bet0een numerous 0inners and losers can be measured
in damaging free cards <n any of the three scenarios above@ there is a small chance the preflop
raiser has outs *lush or straight dra0s are possible@ as 0ell as overpairs or one pair holdings
0ith overcard kickersQ if the preflop raiser holds a good dra0ing hand@ there is ample chance
they 0ill take a free card on the turn if available <n fact@ one of the big blind's main concerns
should be determining ho0 their opponent reacts in e;actly this situationD do they continue
betting 0ith a dra0 on the turn@ or do they take the free cardB 8o they bet 0ith nothing but
overcards on the turn or give up the handB *inally@ 0ill they bet if a scare card arrives on the
turn but they still hold a decent hand 6such as middle pair7B -gainst a fast opponent 0ho
constantly attacks on the flop and continues on the turn@ it may be 0orthy to penaliFe their
aggression 0ith a turn check:raise $he big blind can earn as much as an e;tra big bet by
slo0playing Ho0ever@ most opponents 0ill not be so e;cessively aggressive@ especially on a
dangerous flop like T# or if a scare card hits on the turn =very time the preflop raiser 0ould
have called bets on the turn and river but 0as able to check the turn and take a free card@ the
big blind loses three small bets
EDam8le 0a$ 5ig blind holds $c 2s 5utton holds /d /c
*lop is 2d 2c #c
<n a scenario such as the one in =;ample #a@ it is completely reasonable that the button might
decide to call do0n to the river@ but may also check the turn to take a Efree cardE <n other
0ords@ the /d /c may decide to try to induce a bluff on the river by checking the turn $his is a
disastrous situation for the big blind <f the big blind check:raised on the flop@ and the button
called on the turn and river@ the big blind earns ' big bets post:flop <f the big blind bet out on
the flop@ and the button called do0n the 0hole 0ay@ the big blind earns #) big bets <f the big
blind check:called the flop@ missed the turn bet@ but earned a bet on the river@ the big blind
0ould earn only 1) big bets after the flop 5y slo0playing trips@ the big blind loses up to 1) big
bets and allo0s the button to take a free card at a t0o:outer
5ased on all of the above factors@ < advocate making a move on the flop against all but the most
aggressive opposition >ost adversaries 0ill not automatically give credit to the big blind for a
strong hand@ even 0hen check:raised@ especially if the big blind is check:raising a 0ide range
of hands $he issue of free cards also becomes moot because the big blind has taken control of
the hand on the flop *inally@ by making a move on the flop 0ith a strong hand@ other
opportunities for semibluffs and bets 0ith 0eaker hands become available 0ithout
telegraphing a hand's relative strength So@ our conclusion is that even 0ith the strongest
hands@ it is usually best not to slo0play He;t@ 0e need to decide ho0 the big blind should
make its move <s a check:raise best or should the big blind bet out on the flopB .e shall see
that the ans0er to this second Cuestion is far from simple
Bet 3#t or %hec.2Raise,
-ssuming the preflop raiser 0ill automatically bet out on the flop 0hen the big blind checks@
there are t0o main considerations 0hen holding a strong hand *irst@ 0ill betting out earn
more profit overall than check:raising on the flopB Second@ ho0 0ill betting out or check:
raising fit into an overall strategyB
.e can measure the most advantageous play by analyFing the results against different types of
hands 5y check:raising@ the big blind earns at least one e;tra small bet anytime the preflop
raiser has nothing <n other 0ords@ if the preflop raiser 0ould fold to a bet or a check:raise@
then 0e 0ant them to make that bluff on the flop $he check:raise earns an e;tra bet
EDam8le /a$ 5ig blind holds )c )h 5utton holds ?h ,h
*lop is /d )d #c
Let's give the button some credit and assume they are prepared to fold@ considering their lack
of outs
5etting out 0ins () small bets
Check:raising 0ins )) small bets
5ut 0hat if the button 0ould fold to a check:raise@ but not a single bet@ or vice versaB *irst@ it
should be clear that 0ith virtually no outs@ the big blind 0ants a call So@ if the big blind 0ould
call a check:raise but not a bet out@ then the check:raise is even better than 0e evaluated
before <n that case@ the check:raise 0ould earn # e;tra small bets on the flop and might result
in a larger gain if the turn brings a ?@ ,@ +@ or maybe even a 2 or (
<f the button 0ould fold to a check:raise but not a single bet@ the advantage is not as huge@ but
still e;ists $he button's call on the flop earns no additional bets@ but it is the potential that the
button might call do0n on the turn and/or river that earns e;tra profit $he e;tra profit is
offset a small bit because the button 0ill actually 0in the pot about 'P of the time@ but the call
is still obviously a huge mistake <n conclusion@ the big blind 0ould need very strong
assurances a check:raise 0ould result in a fold 6but not a bet out7 to make betting out superior
%ther0ise@ it is unreasonable to risk the )) small bets earned on the flop
Ho0 do the results change if the preflop raiser has a playable hand that is still inferior to the
big blindB <f the preflop raiser has a 0eak dra0@ such as a gut straight@ pair of overcards@ or
even small pair@ then a check:raise remains the better play because it may give adeCuate odds
to the opponent to call a second flop bet
EDam8le /b$ 5ig blind holds )c )h 5utton holds -d #h
*lop is /d )d #c
- check:raise puts ,) small bets in the pot $he -d #h must feel vulnerable@ but probably
believes any -ce@ #@ or running diamonds 0ill be good for a 0in Counting five outs 6not
including runner:runner backdoor dra0s7@ the preflop raiser is a (#D) underdog@ or about /(
to 1 - check:raise can actually marry the -d #h to the pot because the siFe appears to be large
enough to attempt a suckout 0ith implied odds %f course@ the button does not really have five
outs in this instance <f a0are of the big blind's strength@ the button 0ould fold Cuickly
EDam8le /c$ 5ig blind holds )c )h 5utton holds -h ?h
*lop is /d )d #c
%nce more@ many opponents 0ill count all si; of their outs@ figuring they are only a (1D+ U ,D1
underdog .ith ,) small bets in the pot@ the check:raise may actually help pull the opponent
into the pot for a bad call
5etting out does secure e;tra profit against a particular type of opponent Specifically@ there
are some aggressive players 0ho believe any player 0ho 0ould bet out rather than check:raise
must have a 0eak hand or dra0 $hey 0ill match their assumption by raising hastily 0ith as
little as ace:high 0hen they 0ould have folded to a check:raise $hese players are making a
po0erful raise if against opposition that does only bet out 0ith 0eak hands or dra0s
Ho0ever@ 0hen facing a solid hand@ the raiser is thro0ing a0ay moneyQ our 3ob is to make sure
they are thro0ing a0ay their money to us
$here is one final consideration <f 0e bet out 0ith a strong hand@ 0hen 0ill 0e check:raise on
the flopB <n other 0ords@ the big blind should not only check:raise 0ith strong handsQ it is too
predictable "et@ the big blind must make check:raising a tool in their game <f the big blind
0ere to only check 0ith the intention of folding@ then the preflop raiser 0ould have an easy
bluffing opportunity and no fear of reprisal >ore importantly@ such predictability 0ould only
increase the preflop raiser's positional advantage
$he only real disaster occurs 0hen the preflop raiser sniffs out the big blind's strength and lays
do0n a strong holding such as top or middle pair because they 0ere able to make a good read
<t is for that reason that 0e must disguise our big hands and not play them uniCuely from
other holdings Like0ise@ marginal hands that 0ant the preflop raiser to fold cannot be played
radically different
1cenario 0$ #lnerable Pairs
$here is a fundamental truth in short:handed poker .hen only t0o opponents see a flop@
there is a good chance neither player 0ill make a hand 6ie pair or better7 <f the big blind does
make a pair@ especially top pair@ then it should be assumed that the big blind holds the best
hand Ho0ever@ even top pair is vulnerable Let's look at a couple possibilities to illustrate
0hether the check:raise or bet out is preferable
EDam8le ;a$ 5ig blind holds Jc $h 5utton holds Jd 2d
*lop is $d /c 'c
<n this scenario@ the button has a good dra0 $here is going to be action against a check:raise
or a bet out on the flop >any opponents 0ould semibluff raise 0ith the open:ended straight
dra0 and position to gain a free card 6< certainly 0ould7@ and some opponents 0ould also ':bet
on the flop to attempt to gain a free card 6again@ < 0ould7 =ither 0ay@ let's assume as the big
blind@ 0e 0ould not reraise 0ith our mediocre pair <nstead@ 0e'd like to see the turn@ 0here 0e
can bet out again to put the button to the test
5etting out adds ( small bets@ for a total of /) bets in the pot
5etting out 0ins an average of 6+, L /) M )+2)7 small bets/hand for a profit of '+2) small bets/hand
Check:raising adds + small bets@ for a total of 14) bets in the pot
Check:raising 0ins an average of 6+, L 14) M ,4')7 small bets/hand for a profit of (4') small
bets/hand
<n other 0ords@ check:raising earns e;tra profit because the big blind is still a favorite Similar
results 0ould occur if the button only called@ rather than raised <n fact@ if the button held a
lesser dra0@ the check:raise 0ould yield still healthier profits
EDam8le ;b 5ig blind holds Jc $h 5utton holds -d ?c
*lop is $d /c 'c
-ssuming the button 0ould call either a bet or a check:raise@ the big blind 0ants to check:
raise@ as the statistics indicate belo0
5etting out adds # small bets@ for a total of +) in the pot
5etting out 0ins an average of 6,/# L +) M )4/'7 small bets/hand for a profit of (4/' small bets/hand
Check:raising adds ( small bets@ for a total of /) in the pot
Check:raising 0ins an average of 6,/# L /) M ++(,7 small bets/hand for a profit of (+(, small
bets/hand
So@ 0hen the big blind has a pair or better@ the check:raise is superior against competition that
0ill automatically bet on the flop@ 0ith a couple rare@ but notable e;ceptions 5ut 0hat if the
big blind has a dra0@ medium pair@ or 3ust overcardsB 8oes the strategy change 0hen the big
blind holds a more marginal handB -nd 0hat about bluffingB <n Part << of this article@ 0e
ans0er those Cuestions Jntil then@ let me kno0 if you have any Cuestions or comments for
me
/$B 1horthanded Po.er( Flo8 Play Part II
<n Part <@ 0e set the foundation for a flop strategy against a single preflop raiser .ith top pair
or better@ 0e 0ere able to definitively demonstrate the superiority of a check:raise on the flop
against almost all opponents $o most educated players@ this should come as little surprise
8avid Sklansky 0rote in Hold'em PokerD
E<t is freCuently correct to check raise ifD
1 "ou think you have the best hand 6though not a slo0playing hand7 and
# "ou are Cuite sure someone 0ill bet behind you if you checkE
5ut is check:raising also a viable strategy 0hen semi:bluffing or holding a marginal pairB
Heads:up after the flop@ the big blind 0ill confront times 0hen he has a dra0@ a medium pair@
or suspects the button missed the flop and cannot call a bet -gainst all but the most
inattentive players@ you cannot simply bet out 0ith 0eak 6but playable7 hands and check:raise
0ith strong hands Such a pattern is too noticeable Check:calling is also a 0eak@ losing
approach@ as many authors have proven repeatedly $he alternative is to play strong and 0eak
hands similarly 60ith some e;ceptions7 .e kno0 that check:raising is advantageous 0ith very
strong hands Ho0 0e 0ill e;amine ho0 disadvantageous check:raising might be 0ith
marginal holdings
1cenario /$ 5rawing 'ands
EDam8le /$ The Cormal 5raw$
5ig blind holds Jc $h 5utton holds -d &c
*lop is &h 2d (s
<t is probable the button 0ill not fold and 0ill not check the turn@ no matter 0hat card comes
<t is also probable the button 0ill raise or ':bet the flop
5etting out costs the big blind # small bets on the flop after the button's raise
Check:raising costs the big blind ' bets on the flop after the button's ':bet
=ither 0ay@ the big blind is going to check:raise the turn if a ? or / hits 0hile check:calling
other0ise $herefore@ the amount 0on/loss is the same on the turn and river
5etting out adds ( small bets@ for a total of /) bets in the pot
5etting out 0ins an average of 6'(# L /)7 M #24, small bets/hand for a 8rofit of $A@: small bets
Check:raising adds + small bets@ for a total of 14) bets in the pot
Check:raising 0ins an average of 6'(# L 14)7 M ')21 small bets/hand for a 8rofit of only $=A/ small
bets
<n other 0ords@ check:raising loses about 1/'rd a small bet against a legitimate hand 0hen the
big blind has only / outs Ho0ever@ the ne0s is not nearly so grim 0ith better dra0s
EDam8le /b$ 5raw with 3vercard
5ig blind holds -h 'h 5utton holds ?d &c
*lop is &h 2d (h
<n this case@ the button 0ill again raise on the flop@ but the big blind 0ill hold 1# outs 6nine
hearts and three -ces7
5etting out 0ins an average of 6()2 L /)7 M '24# small bets/hand 6/$A@0 8rofit$7
Check:raising 0ins an average of 6()2 L 14)7 M (/# small bets/hand 6/$<0 8rofit7

$here is virtually no difference bet0een check:raising and betting out 0ith 1# outs .ith 1'A
outs@ check:raising 0ill actually become profitable over betting out
EDam8le /c$ The Big 5raw
5ig blind holds Jc $c 5utton holds -d &s
*lop is &h 2c (c
5etting out 0ins an average of 6)+' L /)7 M (,/+ small bets/hand 60$:<B 8rofit7
Check:raising 0ins an average of 6)+' L 14)7 M ++1) small bets/hand 6?$B/= 8rofit7
<n this case@ the big blind 0ants more money to go into the pot@ and should strongly consider
re:raising on the flop <t should be noted that even if the button held the -ce or &ueen of clubs
6but not both7@ the big blind 0ould still be a favorite 0ith t0o cards to come
.e need to look at one final e;ample of a dra0ing hand <n this case@ the button is ahead but
0ill likely not ':bet the flop and may fold the turn or river 8ue to all the uncertainty of ho0
the button 0ill react@ analyFing this final e;ample can be a bit complicated
EDam8le /d$ 5rawing 'and Against 5rawing 'and
5ig blind holds Jc $h 5utton holds -d ?s
*lop is 2d /h (s
$he situation above is practically a coin flip 6(2(P vs )4+P7 $herefore@ the number of bets
on the flop is effectively irrelevant $he only pertinent Cuestion is ho0 the big blind's actions
on the flop affect the turn and river play Simply put@ if a check:raise on the flop is more likely
to cause the button to lay do0n its hand on the turn@ then the big blind should unCuestionably
check:raise the flop and bet again on the turn
<f an -ce or ?ing does fall on the turn@ then the button might raise and cost the big blind an
e;tra big bet *iguring in the odds of sucking out on the river 6&ueen or Seven7@ the true price
0ould be /1/ big bets >ean0hile@ 0hen the button fails to improve on the turn 6on the '2
cards that are not an -ce or ?ing7@ the big blind may 0ell 0in the 0hole pot 5ased on earlier
assumptions@ that pot 0ould include )#) big bets
<t is important to realiFe that the big blind's flop play does not make a difference if an -ce or
?ing falls on the turn =ither 0ay 6check:raising or betting out7@ the big blind 0ill have control
of the hand $he big blind 0ill lose the same amount if an -ce or ?ing hits or if the button
refuses to lay do0n against t0o blanks -gain@ the key is the likelihood the button 0ill drop its
hand 0hen a blank hits LLHoteD $he big blind is a significant underdog on the turn if a blank
hits@ so the big blind wants the button to lay do0n the -?oLL <f the chance of a fold is
increased even 1P by a check:raise@ then a check:raise should be employed
5ut 0hat if the button raises the flop 0ith overcards and takes control of the handB <t should
be obvious that allo0ing the button to take a free card or bet the turn to check the river 0ould
be very bad for our hero@ the big blind <n both cases@ the button has increased its chances of
improving and/or seeing a sho0do0n -t sho0do0n@ the button 0ins =!=1" single time the
big blind does not improve 6and some times 0hen both hands make a pair7 $herefore@ if a
check:raise on the flop is more likely to take control of the hand@ it is again a superior play
since it vastly increases the odds the big blind 0ill 0in the money already in the pot $his
EcontrolE factor strongly supports the case to check:raise 0ith dra0ing hands
< cannot emphasiFe enough that the only time the check:raise is disadvantageous is 0hen the
button holds a legitimate@ strong hand =ven then@ the check:raise only costs a fraction of a
small bet >ean0hile@ the check:raise increases the likelihood of 0inning pots 0ithout making
a hand
1cenario 0$ -iddle Pair
Holding middle pair in a heads:up confrontation is certainly tricky <t is beyond the scope of
this article to suggest all the proper 0ays to handle this delicate situation@ but 0e can begin to
consider the impact of our t0o main options
EDam8le 0a$ =2o#t -iddle Pair
5ig blind holds $c 2c 5utton holds -s (s
*lop is -h 2s +c
$his is a good e;ample of ho0 a middle pair can be dangerous $he big blind is behind@ and the
button 0ill likely raise a bet or 6maybe7 even a check:raise on the flop -n argument could be
made that this is one of the e;ceptional cases 0here a bet out is superior since most opponents
0ould not raise the flop 0ithout an -ce
Let's assume the button 0ill raise or re:raise 0ith top pair on the flop Let's also assume that
the big blind 0ill call a raise on the flop to try for a suck:out on the turn
5etting out 0ins an average of 6#'# L /)7 M 12,# small bets/hand 62$@0< loss7
Check:raising 0ins an average of 6#'# L 14)7 M #('+ small bets/hand 62$=B; loss7
$his is a situation 0here the check:raise is clearly an inferior play $he big blind is a significant
underdog@ 0ith ) outs for t0o pair or runner:runner clubs for the flush <t should also be noted
that the calculations above assume all the outs are clean <f the button held -s $s or -s +s@
then the big blind 0ould be dra0ing to only t0o outs <n those cases@ the loss is even 0orse
EDam8le 0b$ -iddle Pair with %o#nterfeit 3#ts
5ig blind holds $c2c 5utton holds -s$s
*lop is -h 2s 'd
5etting out 0ins an average of 61'+ L /)7 M 11)+ small bets/hand 6:/(( loss7
Check:raising 0ins an average of 61'+ L 14)7 M 1(#/ small bets/hand 6:1),# loss7
?no0ing that sometimes 0e 0ill face a losing proposition 0ith second pair or 0orse@ should
0e still regularly check:raise 0ith middle pair rather than bet outB $he ans0er continues to lie
in our assumption of the opponent's holdings <n each e;ample above@ the button has a
legitimate hand@ often 0ith a significant piece of the flop $he real profit of a check:raise
occurs 0hen the button did not connect 0ith the flop and 0ill lay do0n against action from the
big blind
EDam8le 0c$ -iddle Pair vs$ Co Pair
5ig blind holds $c2c 5utton holds -d Jd
*lop is &d 2s 'h
$he button holds a legitimate raising hand preflop@ but failed to connect 0ith the flop $he
button has si; outs@ along 0ith a backdoor flush and/or straight dra0 6but only the -ce
appears to be clean from the button's perspective7 <f 0e assumed the button 0ould fold to
either a flop bet or flop check:raise@ a check:raise is preferred because it earns an immediate
additional small bet =ven if the button calls on the flop@ they 0ill probably not call past the
flop unless a good turn card falls <n that case@ the check:raise only earns an e;tra bet 0hen a
blank falls 6any card e;cept a diamond@ -ce@ Jack@ or $en::#( out of () cards7 =ven if the
button might also call 0ith a ?ing or =ight@ there are still 1/ blank cards for a profit of ( small
bets resulting from a check:raise
<n truth@ the big blind 0ould prefer if the button kept calling .ith only si; outs@ every e;tra
bet makes money for the big blind =ven if a non:diamond ?ing or =ight fell@ the button 0ould
not add any outs since a Jack 0ould no0 give the big blind a straight .hile the middle pair
might be an;ious to see a fold@ a button calling station is giving a0ay money
1cenario ?( B#tton -isses Flo8
$he ultimate difference:maker in our bet out/check:raise debate is this scenario .hen the
button 0ill not give further action after the flop@ it is best to get money into the pot as Cuickly
as possible@ so that the payload is larger 0hen the button does fold $his critical concept makes
check:raising the superior play almost all the time 0hen heads:up against a preflop raiser Hot
only is there an enormous profit to be made from taking do0n the pot uncontested@ but the
re0ard is even higher 0hen taking do0n the pot after a check:raise
EDam8le ? 5ig blind holds -c )h 5utton holds ?h ,h
*lop is /d )d #c
Let's give the button some credit and assume they are prepared to fold@ considering their
apparent lack of outs
5etting out 0ins () small bets
Check:raising 0ins )) small bets
<t is clear that this is the kind of scenario 0here the big blind is very concerned to make sure
no free cards are given@ so my advice is different if the button 0ill check the flop 5ut our basic
assumption is that the button 0ill not check the flop@ but 0ill come out attacking every time
Jnless the button 0ill call a check:raise significantly more often than a bet out@ the choice is
clear - check:raise earns an e;tra bet
So@ ho0 often does the button miss the flopB Let's pick a hand 0ith a high likelihood of hitting
the flop 6all percentages are ine;act7D J$s J$s 0ill flopD
#PD Straight or *lush
#4PD *lush 8ra0 or /:out Straight 8ra0
''PD Jack or $en
#4PD (:out Straight 8ra0
Calculating for redundant flops 6eg pair 0ith a dra0@ simultaneous flush and straight dra0s7@
J$s@ the most prolific preflop holding@ 0ill still miss the flop completely 0ell over 1/'rd of the
time
<n other 0ords@ over one:third of the time@ the J$s is likely to fold to either a bet out or a
check:raise 8uring that one:third of the time@ a check:raise earns an e;tra small bet $hat's an
average e;tra profit of over ''' small bets/hand@ if our base strategy utiliFes the check:raise

Wra88ing It All 78
< am not suggesting that check:raising on the flop is an infallible solution to our heads:up
dilemma -fter all@ there are 0ays for the button to use its positional advantage to assign a
penalty on every strategy@ and that is no different against the player 0ho check:raises instead
of betting out >any things could go 0rong $he button might check the flop@ slo0play for an
e;tra bet on the turn@ or use aggression to 0rest back EcontrolE *or those reasons and many
more@ < cannot emphasiFe enough the need to mi; up one's plays $he big blind must bet out
sometimes@ slo0play other times@ and even check:call on occasion@ all in the name of variation
5ut all things being eCual@ < believe it is apparent that check:raising is most often the 'correct'
strategy against the average preflop raiser 0ho automatically bets the flop
/$: 1horthanded Po.er( A 1ecret abo#t Winning
< have a secret for you -ll those poker books and articles@ as helpful as they may be@ don't tell
you everything you need to kno0 to become a 0inning poker player $he pros kno0 this secret
"ou don't hear $ed *orrest or 8aniel Hegreanu or Layne *lack 6or 3ust about any professional
poker player for that matter7 berating authors for giving a0ay the secret formula to success <
didn't see an uproar in the poker community 0hen Phil Hellmuth recently told us ho0 to Play
Poker Like the Pros .hy 0ouldn't they complainB $heir 0hole livelihoods 0ould appear to be
at risk
5ut that's not the secret <t might be a secret@ unspoken by many players because they 0ant
you to believe their books 0ill help you make millions of dollars and leave the boredom of your
current paper pushing or burger flipping 3ob behind 5ut it's not the secret < have for you <f it
0as@ this 0ould be a very short article indeed
<'ve read over (4 poker books >athematics@ strategy@ and psychology are all covered
$ournaments@ Lo0 Limit Hold'em@ >iddle Limit Hold'em@ Ho Limit and Pot Limit Hold'em@ ,:
card Stud@ %maha@ %maha Hi:Lo Split@ Sen 6or $ao7 Poker < kid you not <'ve read them all@
many of them more than once >y favorite book@ $heory of Poker@ <'ve read over #) times
>ost of them helpedQ a fe0 of them hindered 5ut none of them told me 0hat < really needed
to kno0 to become a 0inner <t took me years of playing and struggling and reading and
discussingGthousands of message board posts@ hundreds of articles@ and more money spent on
my EtuitionE than < care to imagine
5ut <'m going to give you a secret that 0ill help take you do0n the path to success 0ithout all
the heartache@ pain@ and tribulations -nd it's a heck of a lot cheaper too So@ 0ithout further
ado@ here it is
"o# don*t need to .now why yo# are winning in order to win$
%h my@ did < 3ust say thatB -fter all@ < have spent the last year and a half demonstrating some
strategies for short:handed play@ and < focused on ho0 important it is to understand 0hy those
strategies 0orked 5ut let's forget that for a moment
A Recent To#rnament
< played in a Ho Limit Hold'em tournament 0ith about #) friends last month@ and it 0as a
3uicy field indeed Ho Limit Hold'em is definitely not my best game@ but < still couldn't help
feeling like < 0as taking candy from a baby Holding over 1/' of the chips going to the final /
man table@ < could not have been more confident 5ut then@ Lak sat do0n Lak is a t0enty:
something years old -sian male@ 0ith no poker e;perience before + months ago 6-nd he's a
great guy too7 He's never read a poker book or an article@ and he is completely self:taught
-nd he may be the best Ho Limit player <'ve faced
< focused on pot odds@ the 9ap Concept 6see Sklansky's $ournament Poker7@ blinds as a
percentage of my total stack@ payout structure@ and more Lak 3ust played poker He attacked
He bluffed He changed gears He sho0ed monsters He struck fear into the entire table < did
not realiFe the 0hole truth until it 0as too late Lak outplayed everyonebut he didn't kno0
0hy 0hat he 0as doing 0as so po0erful -nd you kno0@ it didn't matter at the end of the
night He still took the money home
"ou 0ould think that 0ith all the kno0ledge contained in poker books@ every 0inning player
0ould have a library of te;ts@ bookmarks on all the poker sites so they could keep up 0ith the
articles@ and an active life on at least one ma3or message board 5ut < kno0 this is not true <n
fact@ < have often heard it said by some of my closest friends that they fared 0orse after reading
strategy books Ho0 can it be that 'instinct players' and those 0ith years of e;perience 0in
0ithout taking advantage of all that kno0ledge and strategy helpB -nd 0hy do so many ne0
players struggle under mountains of literature and fail to attain successB
$he reason@ best that < can guess@ is that they think Etoo muchE -nd more importantly@ it's too
difficult to get it all right@ at least at first Poker is so comple;@ and so rich 0ith information@
that only a genuinely e;cellent player can hope to contemplate it all and reach the best
conclusion Sure@ < hope to achieve that degree of aptitude in every facet of my gameG
eventually < hope everyone reading my articles seeks the same e;pertise
5ut@ most people try to realiFe that high degree of proficiency first@ and then try 0inning
second $he order of learning should be opposite Learn ho0 to 0in first Learn 0hy you are
0inning over the long run <t may seem a subtle distinction@ but it is not
The EA1IE1T Path
-h 0ait@ < have another secret %r@ maybe it's really a secret 0ithin a secret See@ <'ve told you
that you don't need to kno0 0hy you are 0inning -nd you kno0 that the books aren't
necessarily the easiest 0ay to learn ho0 to 0in 6but they are immeasurably helpful learning
0hy7 5ut < have not really told you the secret that trumps those t0o <t's been hinted by other
authors $hey tell of their early success and it very often includes one factor in commonD a
mentor
- mentor is somebody 0ho teaches you ho0 to 0in %r@ maybe it 0ould be better to say a
mentor is somebody you learn ho0 to 0in from < make the distinction because the mentor
doesn't even need to kno0 they are teaching ConfusedB
.ith even a fair amount of time@ you 0ill likely kno0 0ho the E0innerE at the table is .hen <
say the E0inner@E < of course am not referring to the 0inner of a specific session <'m talking
about the player everyone respects and fears@ the player 0ho brings home the chips in the long
run Ho0@ keep that player in mind
He;t@ stop trying to practice all those observation skills mentioned in the books 1eading each
player's tells@ interpreting the betting of every player every hand@ counting the pot at all times@
classifying the type of action 6loose@ aggressive@ tight@ passive7@ and predicting each opponent's
holdingsD forget about it $rying to 0atch everything at once and think about 0hat you are
doing is 3ust too difficult 6at first7 <nstead@ focus all that observation in only one direction
no0@ instead of ten .atch the E0inningE player Count the pot odds and observe ho0 the
E0inningE player ad3usts .atch the 0inning player's actions each hand -nd copy their play
$heir playing style is not copyrighted@ trademarked@ or in some 0ay patented -nd you can
steal every last checkraise@ bluff@ and value bet >ake them your o0n 8o everything you can to
become 3ust like that player %h sure@ the E0inningE player in your local game probably has
some fla0s >aybe they're a bit loose or don't bluff enough or one of a million other things
5ut <'ll bet that 2)P of those E0inningE players do the fundamental things the same@ because
at limit poker@ the options are0elllimited -nd that's another secret too .inning players
utiliFe the same style at limit poker <f you see differences@ they're either a7 small or b7 based
on ad3ustments to the table 5ut all those players are fundamentally tight aggressive Period
5ottom line =nd of story
Here's the great ne0s <f you play in different places@ or at different limits@ you 0ill see many
0inning players "ou 0ill be able to see the differences in their play@ but more importantly@ you
can identify the similarities Copying their play 0ill give you a style of your o0n
-ll you have to do is figure out ho0 to be tight and aggressive@ and there is no better 0ay to
learn that balance than matching the actions of a 0inning player 0ho has already done the
leg0ork for you %nly then@ after you have figured out ho0 to 0in@ do you really need to put
the effort into learning 0hy =ventually@ you 0ill have to put in that effort -nd 0hen you get
to that point@ <'ve got about (4 books < can tell you about >aybe you can pay for them 0ith
your 0innings
/$< 1horthanded Po.er( The Powerf#l T#rn Raise

So far@ < have spent nearly ten articles sho0ing that even something as simple as preflop
decision making is still an area 0here a huge divergence in play separates 0inning and losing
players Ho0ever@ preflop strategy is not 0hat most divides 0inners and losers <nstead@
0inners take advantage of t0o skills above all elseD reading hands and taking advantage of
position
<t's very hard to teach somebody to read hands 0ell Playing e;perience@ not study@ 0ill help in
the pursuit of this skill <n shorthanded poker@ there is a 0ide range of hands that even an
e;pert must believe an opponent is holding %n the other hand@ there are a finite number of
Ee;pert playsE that take advantage of position $he 0inning player employs these tools at the
correct times 0ith the correct freCuency to ma;imiFe profit $oday@ 0e'll look at one commonly
used gambit employed by 0inning shorthanded playersD raising the turn 0ith the intention of
checking the river@ a tactic < dub simply the E$urn 1aiseE
<n shorthanded poker especially@ a player 0ill hold a medium strength hand after the flop and
be faced 0ith some a0k0ard 3udgments -gainst an opponent holding a 0ide range of possible
hands@ a medium strength hand is often too po0erful to fold $he base play 0ould be to simply
call to the river
Ho0ever@ there are four ambitions that underscore a more aggressive approach on the turnD to
avoid giving free cards@ to ma;imiFe 0innings@ to minimiFe losses@ and to 0in pots 0ith
inferior cards Let's start by taking a look at 0hat happens 0ith the typical Ecall do0nE
approach
The %all 5own a88roach
EDam8le /$ R14/#4 R() in pot 5utton holds Jh$h
55 checkraises the flop $he 5utton calls
5oardD )d $d /c &d R/) in pot
%ften@ you 0ill find yourself in a position similar to the one above %n the flop@ your opponent
sho0s strength by checkraising@ but they could be making a move 0ith as little as a straight
dra0@ smaller pair@ or even a pair of tens 0ith no kicker %n the other hand@ the big blind
might be holding t0o diamonds@ -$@ ?$@ &$@ $/@ or a set $he big blind may even have been
semibluffing 0ith a hand such as -& or &/@ and no0 they 0ill be in the lead So the button is
in a predicament Clearly@ there is enough chance that the pair of tens is 0inning for this hand
to see a sho0do0n -lso@ against many of the above hands@ the Jh$h has outs even if it behind
on the turn Let's e;amine 0hat happens if the button only calls the turn
EDam8le /A$ R14/#4 R/) in pot 5utton holds Jh$h
$he 55 bets the turn $he 5utton calls R1#) in pot
5oardD )d $d /c &d -h
*irst@ let's assume the big blind checks on the river Ho0@ the button has a tough decision 5et
or checkB .ill the big blind call an additional bet 0ith a smaller pairB - bet here on the river is
thin value at best@ and so the button is forced to make a decision that could easily be 0rong
Let's assume the big blind bets the river $he button is in no better shape -fter all@ most good
players in the big blind 0ould realiFe that the button has to hold some sort of hand@ and
besides@ 0hat could the big blind be betting as a bluffB So@ the Cuestion becomes@ E.hat are
the odds the big blind bets out 0ith lo0er than a pair of tensBE <t's a tough decision that the
button 0ould probably be happy to avoid
EDam8le /B$ R14/#4 R/) in pot 5utton holds Jh$h
$he 55 bets the turn $he 5utton calls R1#) in pot
5oardD )d $d /c &d #d
.hat a horrible river cardI $he (th diamond on the river has created lots of problems for the
button's pair of tens -fter all@ the 55 might 3ust bluff on the river 0ith a busted straight dra0
or smaller pair@ even 0ithout a diamond %r@ the 55 might check:call 0ith any hand beating
the button but not containing a diamond =ither 0ay@ the Jh$h is paralyFed
EDam8le /%$ R14/#4 R/) in pot 5utton holds Jh$h
$he 55 bets the turn $he 5utton calls R1#) in pot
5oardD )d $d /c &d +h
<s that river card a brick@ or did it make a straight for the opponent's 2,B %r maybe t0o pairD
si;es and fives or eights and si;esB So@ no0 there are t0o problems $he button still has to
make a tough decision on the river@ bet or check@ call or fold 5ut also@ 0e see ho0 the big blind
has been given the opportunity to catch a 0inning second pair or straight@ often 0hen it 0ould
have folded if pressure had been applied
The T#rn Raise A88roach
EDam8le 0$ R14/#4 R/) in pot 5utton holds Jh$h
$he 55 bets the turn $he 5utton raises R1() in pot 655 must call R#47
5oard )d $d /c &d
.e have a different scenario in =;ample # then any of the e;amples above because initiative is
no0 in the hands of the button@ not the big blind $he button's raise screams E< have a big
handE 8espite the big blind's flop checkraise 60hich < grant doesn't mean as much as it does
in a full game7 the button is demonstrating strength
-nd the truth is that the button does have strength - pair of tens 0ith 3ack kicker is not bad at
all@ especially heads:up@ and a nine offers three or four e;tra straight outs against many
holdings 5ut the real value of this play is that the turn card is scary to almost everything the
big blind could hold $he Cueen is top card so any pair of tens@ eights@ or fives has to be
0orried -nd the third diamond is going to be scary to anybody not holding the completed
flush So@ the turn raise by the button freeFes the big blind and forces a tricky choice
':bet 0ith $/B
Call 0ith ?$B
Call 0ith $2B
Call 0ith /,B
$he big blind is going to make some mistakes in this precarious position *reCuently@ a player
0ill fold a hand such as $2@ figuring the 6'7 Jack outs are no good Some 0ill even fold ?$
0ithout a diamond .ith hands such as the /, or +)@ the odds of improving to t0o pair or
three of a kind is )D'2@ about 1D/ .ith 1D,#) odds@ it 0ould not be much of a mistake for the
/, or +) to call@ if they kne0 the t0o pair 0ould be good So@ the button 0ouldn't mind those
hands folding either
<f the big blind holds a small diamond and kne0 the flush 0ould be good if a fourth diamond
fell@ it 0ould al0ays have sufficient odds to call So@ hands such as /d+c have more than
enough odds to callQ yet@ many big blind players 0ill fold that /d+c against a turn raise because
the turn raise sho0s strength and the big blind cannot kno0 the flush 0ould be good
$he turn raise solves our button's problem on the river as 0ell <f any kind of scare card
arrives@ the button can simply check do0n on the end@ 0hich 0as our intention from the
beginning <f another ten or a non:diamond nine falls on the river@ the J$ might bet again@
earning an e;tra bet 0ith trips or a straight So@ let's do a Cuick summaryD
5etter hands may often fold to a turn raise@ especially if the turn card is scary
Smaller pairs 0ill often make bad folds 0hen there 0ere sufficient odds to call
8ra0ing hands 0ill pay the ma;imum on the turn and lose a big bet 0henever the dra0 fails to hit
Hands that 0ere ahead on the turn 6such as ?$ in the e;ample above7 0ill 0in no e;tra money 0hen the
J$ fails to improve 6J$ loses 1 big bet on the turn and the river if it 3ust callsQ it loses # big bets on the turn
0hen employing the turn raise Ho gain/loss7
Hands that 0ere ahead on the turn often lose an e;tra bet 0hen the J$ improves on the river
Combined@ that makes the turn raise a very po0erful play -gainst most opponents@ it's a no:
lose proposition 5ut there are some 0eaknesses to the play@ 3ust like any other
Wea.nesses and 5efense of the T#rn Raise
*irst of all@ to set up the play < am describing@ it is assumed that the button is already raising
on the turn 0ith their most po0erful hands 1aising the turn is fairly normal 0ith strong
hands due to the double bets on fourth street 5ut if you're the type of player 0ho al0ays 0aits
to the river or goes to 0ar on the flop@ then the Eturn raiseE 0ill become transparent to
observant players
Secondly@ the Eturn raiseE can be defended by a strong@ aggressive player 0ho 0ill ':bet the
turn Let's look at our e;ample belo0 to illustrate the button's dilemma against a ':bet
EDam8le ?$ R14/#4 R/) in pot 5utton holds Jh$h
$he 55 bets the turn $he 5utton raises and the 55 reraises R#4) in pot
5oard )d $d /c &d
.hat could a reraise meanB Jsually@ it means a superior hand such as a completed flush@
straight@ or set $he button has an easy fold -fter all@ Jh$h likely has bet0een ' and 4 outs
.ith 14#)D1 odds@ a call 0ould reCuire at least ( clean outs 5ut 0hat if the big blind is a
hyperaggressive maniac 0ho is 3ust as likely to have -d2h@ -h&h@ 2d2h@ or even lessB Suddenly
the button 0ith Jh$h 0ill often have more than ( outs or may even be ahead $he Eturn raiseE
is not as effective against a hyperaggressive player <nstead@ the simple calldo0n approach may
be best@ especially if the hyperaggressive big blind 0ill continue all bluffs
-lso@ the turn card must be dangerous in some 0ay for the Eturn raiseE to be effective against a
good opponent
EDam8le ;$ R14/#4 R/) in pot 5utton holds Jh$h
$he 55 bets the turn $he 5utton raises R1() in pot 655 must call R#47
5oard )d $d /c #h
.ith a complete blank on the turn@ many of the natural advantages of the Eturn raiseE are lost
>ost players in the big blind 0ill kno0 the turn card did not assist anybody So@ good players
0ill look at their $/@ ))@ -$@ ?$@ &$@ --@ ??@ or &&@ and they 0ill reraise@ easily reading the
button's raise on the turn for 0hat it is $he ':bet on the turn is a pretty clear indicator that
the button is behind@ and the number of outs afforded to the Jh$h is Cuestionable@ so probably
the button 0ill fold 6correctly7 $herefore@ the Jh$h 0ill have lost opportunities to 0in the
0hole pot 0hen a Jack or $en do give the button a 0inning hand versus one pair or a smaller
t0o pair
<t should be noted that the Jh$h has fe0 or Fero outs against these strong holdings@ and
therefore the proper play 6if the button kne0 ho0 formidable the big blind's hand 0as7 0ould
be to simply fold the turn@ but 0e're assuming that folding 0ith top pair 0as never seriously
considered 6because the button does not know ho0 strong the big blind is7 <nstead@ our
options areD Call # big bets 0ith the Ecalldo0nE approach or 1aise to # big bets immediately on
the turn $he button does not save money either 0ay 0hen losing
<n other 0ords@ the 0eak turn card has several impacts
Hands such as ?$ 0ill not fold and may even reraise
Smaller pairs and dra0s are far less likely to fold improperly@ since their outs 0ill all appear clean
$he J$ 0ill lose some opportunities to suckout and 0in the 0hole pot
%bviously@ not all turn cards are created eCual@ especially 0hen 0e must consider the best time
to utiliFe the Eturn raiseE - raise might still be correct on the turn 0ith a blank turn card@ but
much more rarely and for different reasons than 0e are discussing today
- final defense to the Eturn raiseE that can be employed by solid players in the big blind is to
call the raise on the turn and immediately follo0 0ith a bet on the river <n fact@ against a
player 0ho uses the Eturn raiseE strategy too much@ it can be profitable for the big blind to bluff
on the river 0hen any scare card falls <f the button is against such a solid opponent capable of
making this sort of bluff or value bet on the river@ < have t0o bits of advice *irst@ don't use the
Eturn raiseE nearly as often Second@ reconsider the table you're playing and look for greener
pastures
The T#rn Raise vs$ The 1emibl#ff Raise
Let's look at one final e;ample@ to contrast a semibluff raise 0ith the Eturn raiseE maneuver <
have been describing
EDam8le =$ R14/#4 R/) in pot 5utton holds ?dJh
$he 55 bets the turn $he 5utton raises R1() in pot 655 must call R#47
5oard )d $d /c &d
<f the button raises here@ it is for a 0holly different reason than before <t's important to realiFe
that this e;ample is not the same as the ones above because the straight dra0 and flush dra0
combined does not make this a medium strength hand on the turn <t is ?ing:high .ith the
#nd nut flush dra0 and a straight dra0 to boot@ the button holds a po0erful semibluffing
hand -gainst almost all opponents@ a raise 0ould be in order Ho0ever@ there are t0o
opponents 0here it 0ould not be correctD hyperaggressive maniacs and loose callers $he
hyperaggressive opponent creates the same problem 0e discussed above $he loose caller 0ill
not fold on the turn to make the bluff profitable but 0ill still ':bet 0ith a made flush 6and
maybe other hands such as a set or top t0o pair7 .hy risk putting in another # big bets before
the riverB =ven 0ith 1) outs@ the ?J 0ill still only 0in '(P of the time
< hope you find the Eturn raiseE useful <t's a po0erful ploy that can be managed in more than
3ust shorthanded games -gainst the appropriate opponents@ this Ee;pert playE can be lethal
/$A 1hort2'anded Po.er( Ad6#sting to Real Players
< love poker theory 5ut theory and reality are not the same .e kno0 by analyFing reasonable
assumptions and different scenarios that a tighter strategy coupled 0ith an aggressive defense
is the most profitable preflop strategy for defending the blinds 5ut ho0 much 0ould our
strategy change as the tightness of the big blind changedB .ould it be linear 6ie if the button
raised only )4P of the time@ should 0e call half as often as 0e 0ould against a blind stealer
0ho raised 144P of the timeB7 $he ans0er is 'no' =ffective big blind strategy considers post:
flop profitability more than preflop percentages <n other 0ords@ implied odds are more
important than preflop pot odds
The Blind 1tealer
=very single theory 0e have discussed so far has assumed a preflop raiser attacking the blinds
144P of the time .hile it is true that some players are super:aggressive blind stealers@ it is
still very rare to find somebody 0ho truly does raise every single time 5ut 0hat about the
aggressive button raising 0ith ,)P of handsB $hat's still a lot of raises@ and it eliminates only
the 0orst possible holdings from an opponent's arsenal $he follo0ing hands make up about
one:fourth of all possible holdingsD N'#@ (#@ )#@ +#@ ,#@ ,'@ /#@ /'@ /(@ 2#@ 2'@ 2(@ 2)@ $#@ $'@
$(@ $)@ $+o@ J#o@ J'o@ J(oO
-s < mentioned in the intro@ the ans0er does not lie strictly 0ith pot odds <f it did@ you could
say EHmmm< call ()P of the time against a button 0ho raises 144P of the time@ so <'ll call
three:fourths as often against this type of blind stealer $hree:fourths of ()P means < only call
'',)P of the timeE 5ut such a strategy 0ould reduce profit significantly@ because it fails to
consider the profitability of hands after the flop .hen 0e measured 0hat hands to play
against a preflop maniac@ our primary concern 0as the ability to sho0do0n successfully@
especially since the blinds have inferior position <n other 0ords@ 0e avoided small cards and
hands 0ith little potential
.e've already demonstrated a fe0 0ays a smaller hand can be in trouble >iddle or bottom
pair continuously must make a best estimate of 0hether the opposition has a better hand or a
bluffing hand@ and a good player 0ith position takes advantage to save or make e;tra bets 6not
to mention e;tra pots7
EDam8le /( E/@90@ ?2handed$ B#tton raised+ small blind folded+ and big blind
called$
R() in pot *lop +h /c Jd
5ig 5lind has ,s +s
Let's assume the button 0ould call or raise the flop 0ith a pair or better@ overcards@ or a
straight dra0 -gainst an aggressive bettor@ many also call 0ith -ce:high or hands 0ith
backdoor potential such as ?d$d Clearly@ the big blind is in trouble if there is any action after
the flop >ost solid players 0ith the button 0ill e;ploit position to attack the pot at some point
in the hand@ 0ith a higher pair or 0ith a semibluff
<f the big blind gives up too often@ it could be costly
<f the big blind passively checks and calls@ the price is valuable free cards and lost pots to a hand that
0ould have folded on the turn
<f the big blind decides to stick it out but competes against a better hand@ it 0ill be charged the ma;imum

$he goal of the big blind is to avoid these decisions by ma;imiFing the likelihood of being
ahead after the flop Hands such as ,+s remain playable for three reasonsD variance of play@
straight potential@ and flush potential 5ut ,+s is still marginal@ especially out of position@
because the lo0 rank is such a significant disadvantage
So@ 0hat ad3ustments do you make to a player raising ,)P of the timeB "ou begin by folding
the most marginal hands you 0ould have called before -gain@ <'d fold these hands specifically
because < 0ant to avoid making a pair against a higher made hand@ and if my opponent has
dropped the lo0est Cuarter of hands@ the chances of a small pair 0inning has decreased
markedly
Should the big blind not reraise as oftenB -fter all@ the button is no0 about 1/( more likely to
be raising a legitimate monster .hile the big blind should make an ad3ustment@ it should not
be substantial $he rationale for reraising is to affect future play@ both postflop and on future
hands - reraise shifts the initiative to the big blind@ and it increases the chance the button 0ill
fold after the flop 5y taking initiative@ bluffs and semibluffs are more profitable@ and since the
ma3ority of flops 0ill miss even t0o big cards@ the ability to take do0n pots 0ithout a fight is a
clear advantage
So@ stay tight and stay aggressive 8rop the most marginal holdings 6eg call 0ith )P fe0er
holdings7 and ad3ust to the opponent's skillQ but don't ad3ust drastically Postflop play is more
important
The Con21tealing B#tton For 1mall BlindG
-nother common and difficult opponent is the seemingly more reasonable player 0ho raises
0ith a significant range of hands@ but does not attempt steals 0ith less favorable holdings such
as J,o@ &Vs@ ?Vo@ etc <n my e;perience@ it is very common to find players 0ho 0ill raise 0ith
pocket pairs@ any -ce@ any suited ?ing@ any t0o cards over =ight@ suited connectors do0n to
('s@ as 0ell as a hodgepodge of other hands such as 2,s@ /+s@ ,)s@ and J,s <n other 0ords@
they raise 0ith about the same types of hands that 0e are suggesting should be played from
the big blind against a blind stealer 6plus maybe a fe0 more7 $his isn't really a coincidenceQ
the 0hole reason the top (4:)4P of hands are playable in the big blind is that they fare 0ell
postflop %f course@ the same reasoning 0ould apply from the button
< believe it is clear that the button is giving up some solid preflop profit by limiting his raising
to only (4:)4P of hands@ but it does provide a dilemma to a player defending his blinds %n
one e;treme@ 0e kno0 ho0 to handle a habitual blind stealer %n the other hand@ it is easy to
counter somebody raising 0ith only the top #4P of hands 6ie fold all but the best hands7 5ut
against an opponent raising (4:)4P of the time@ the choices are not so clear
$o best e;amine the problem@ 0e consider t0o factors@ neither of 0hich is purely based on
mathematics *irst@ the button is far more likely to have a premium hand 1eraising 0ith ?$ or
&$ is not such a good idea@ unless the button plays significantly tight after the flop against a
reraise So@ it is a good idea to reraise 0ith a more reasonable range such as the top 14P of
hands 6--:22@ -?:-$@ ?&@ ?Js@ ?$s@ &Js@ J$s7:the ad3ustment is more significant because the
button is far more likely to have a hand that he cannot be persuaded to fold
Second@ reducing play of marginal hands is common sense Playing bad cards in bad position is
simply unprofitable Ho0 much you cut is still contingent on postflop play <f the button is a
tight@ passive player after the flop 6regularly checks 0hen missing the flop@ folds too often@
and/or fails to earn e;tra value bets regularly7@ the big blind can call Cuite often <t is my
opinion that if you are lucky enough to find such an opponent@ you can continue to call 0ith up
to ()P of hands $he marginal cards 0ill become profitable due to successful bluffs and
semibluffs' profits@ as 0ell as saved big bets 0hen the button fails to ma;imiFe Ho0ever@ such
tight@ passive players don't last long in shorthanded play $ypically@ you'll find an opponent
putting the hand to the test on the flop and/or turn $o combat the regular bluffing and
semibluffing@ the big blind needs better starting hands that are more likely to hold up to 0in a
sho0do0n
.hat are Ebetter starting handsE in shorthanded playB 5ig cards::suited connectors and small
pocket pairs are still inherently vulnerable to bluffs and semibluffs Smaller cards remain
profitable against other vulnerable hands 6or many opponents of course7@ but they are
marginal at best against a more legitimate preflop raiser <n my opinion@ a good list of hands to
play against an opponent raising (4:)4P of the time is listed belo0
--:))
-?:-'@ -#s
?&:?2@ ?/s:?,s
&J:&2@ &/s
J$:J2@ J/s
$2@ 2/@ /,s:)(s
$he hands above add up to ((( hand combinations out of a possible 1'#+@ so the big blind
0ould still call 0ith around ''P of hands =ven though the button has changed from raising
144P of the time to )4P of the time@ the big bind has ad3usted from calling ()P to ''P@ a
much smaller dropoff $here are t0o conclusions that can be dra0n from the smaller
difference in proper big blind strategy
1 Proper big blind defense relies on postflop e;pectations to determine its success
# <n a heads:up match@ the button should raise as much as ,):/4P of the time to optimiFe
profit 6all things being eCual7
-nd so@ our preflop strategy is complete .hile it demanded a multifaceted e;amination to
formulate our plan@ the implementation is fairly simple $ight and aggressive@ the big blind
should attack back 0ith strong hands and try to reduce the button's positional advantage <f
/$/@ 1hort 'anded Po.er( The 1cary 1mall Blind FPart IG
By Jason Pohl
<n this article@ 0e 0ill begin to tackle the dangerous decisions one has to make in the small
blind@ specifically 0hen facing a habitual blind stealer Playing a small blind combines all the
critical factors of big blind playD freCuency of the opposing player's raises@ pot odds offered@
skill of the opposing player@ value of position@ and need for aggression preflop $he small blind
also faces one uniCue obstacleD the precarious arrangement bet0een the button and big blind
FreH#ency of Raises and 1.ill of 388onent FB#ttonG
<n all our past e;amples@ 0e have assumed the button raises 144P of the time .e 0ill
continue that assumption in this article for the sake of simplicity <n addition@ 0e 0ill assume
an eCual and average opponent on the button $he main interests of this article 0ill be pot
odds and the effect of being sCueeFed bet0een the button and big blind
Pot 3dds
%f course@ a dramatic and critical difference bet0een small and big blind defense surrounds
the amount reCuired to call
3-handed $3/6 game. Blinds $1/$3
Big Blind: $10 in pot. $3 to call. /@(? odds I ?$??(/
mall Blind: $10 in pot. $! to call. /@(= odds I 0(/
3-handed $!/10 game. Blinds $"/!
Big Blind: $1# in pot. $! to call. /:(= odds I ?$;(/
mall Blind $1# in pot. $$ to call. /:(< odds I 0$/0=(/
3-handed $10/"0 game. Blinds $!/10
Big Blind: $3! in pot. $10 to call. ?=(/@ odds I ?$=(/
mall Blind: $3! in pot. $1! to call. ?=(/= odds I 0$??(/
<f pot odds 0ere our only consideration@ 0e could look at these numbers alone to determine
0hat fraction of hands to play in the small blind *or e;ample@ 0e sho0ed in the past article
that U()P of hands could be called in the big blind after the small blind folded if the button
0as a habitual blind stealer raising 144P of the time 5y comparing the ratios@ 0e could
determine the correct number of calling hands in the small blind Here's one 0ay of crunching
the numbers
mall Blind %ot &dds/Big Blind %ot &dds
$3/6-- ":1 odds / 3.33:1 odds ' 60(
$!/10-- ".1"!:1 odds/ 3.):1 odds ' 6".!(
$10/"0-- ".33:1 odds/ 3.!:1 odds ' 66.6(
<n other 0ords@ if playing a R'/+ game@ assuming all other things eCual@ the pot odds indicate
calling only +4P 0hat you 0ould normally call in the big blind <f you 0ould call or reraise
0ith ()P of your hands in the big blind against a given opponent@ you should call or reraise
only the best #,P of hands from the small blind
Fearing the 7n.nown( The Live Big Blind
<f 0e kne0 the big blind 0ould fold@ the play of the small blind 0ould not be all that
complicated after all .e could calculate pot odds and come up 0ith a simple list of the best
hands to play Ho0ever@ the looming big blind complicates matters *irst@ the big blind may
reraise@ affecting the odds for a marginal small blind hand Second@ if the big blind plays@ the
game shifts from heads:up on the flop to multi0ay@ forcing the small blind to hold stronger
hands to continue on the flop
$he disadvantage of multi0ay action for an out:of:position player is increased for all
scenarios $o really e;amine the small blind effectively@ 0e must compare heads:up to
multi0ay games in three separate circumstancesD 0hen the small blind is leading after the
flop@ 0hen the small blind has a dra0ing hand after the flop@ and 0hen the small blind has a
bluffing hand
<t is easiest to begin 0ith bluffs@ since the math is straightfor0ard Let's compare heads:up and
':handed games on the flop
1cenario /( Bl#ffing
EDam8le /$
R14/#4 game 5utton raises and Small 5lind calls 5ig 5lind folds
R)4 in pot 5luff of R14 on flop
.ith R)4 in the pot@ the small blind very often has sufficient odds to bluff or semibluff <t 0ill
be hard for the big blind to call 0ith no pair/no dra0 =ven a checkraise bluff against a flop
bettor 0ould only need to be successful one in four times $herefore@ the bluff is a strong and
valuable play against one opponent
- Button calls 33( of time.
61 in ' bluffs failed M :R147 6# in ' bluffs successful M AR)47Q
AR24/' handsQ E I JE?@9bl#ff
5 Button calls !0( of time.
61 in # bluffs failed M :R147 61 in # bluffs successful M AR)47Q
AR(4/# handsQ E I JE0@9bl#ff
C Button call #!( of time.
6' in ( bluffs failed M :R147 61 in ( bluffs successful M AR)47Q
AR#4/( handsQ E I JE=9bl#ff Button calls *0( of time.
8 62 in 14 bluffs failed M :R147 61 in 14 bluffs successful M AR)47Q
:R(4/14 handsQ E I 2E;9bl#ff
EDam8le 0$
R14/#4 game 5utton raises and Small 5lind calls 5ig 5lind calls
R+4 in pot Bl#ff of E/@ on flo8$
<t might seem that the e;tra money in the pot 0ould be good for the small blind's bluff
potential@ but this is not the case $he problem is that a bluff must knock out both players to
earn an immediate profit $he odds of stealing a pot against t0o opponents is significantly
decreased@ reducing the overall =! of a bluff play $he odds of each player calling is not Cuite
cumulative *or e;ample@ if each opponent called 1 out of # times@ that does not mean there
0ould be a call 144P of the time 0ith t0o opponents <nstead@ #)P of the time both opponents
0ill call@ #)P of the time neither opponents 0ill call@ and )4P of the time only one opponent
0ould call
- +ach pla,er calls 33( of time.
6) in 2 bluffs failed M :R147 6( in 2 bluffs successful M AR+47Q
AR124/2 handsQ =! M -$"1.11/.luff
5 +ach pla,er calls !0( of time.
6' in ( bluffs failed M :R147 61 in ( bluffs successful M AR+47Q
AR'4/( handsQ =! M JE:$=9bl#ff
C +ach pla,er call #!( of time.
61) in 1+ bluffs failed M :R147 61 in 1+ bluffs successful M AR+47Q
:R24/1+ handsQ =! M 2E=$B09bl#ff
8 +ach pla,er calls *0( of time.
622 in 144 bluffs failed M :R147 61 in 144 bluffs successful M AR+47Q
:R2'4/144 handsQ =! M 2EA$?@9bl#ff
.ithout the ability to bluff profitably@ the small blind has lost an important 0eapon
1cenario 0( 5rawing 'and91emibl#ffing
Semibluffing faces similar concerns <n each e;ample above@ 0e assumed that the small blind
had no chance of 0inning if called <f that bluff 0as converted to a semibluff 0ith a #4P
chance of 0inning even if called@ the =! 0ould be considerably increased@ but the heads:up
scenario 0ill still be superior to a multi0ay contest 6<n the calculations belo0@ < have assumed
a # 55 earn on the turn/river if a suckout is successful7
EDam8le ?$
R14/#4 game 5utton raises and Small 5lind calls 5ig 5lind folds
R)4 in pot Semibluff of R14 on flop 0ith 14P chance of suckout
5utton calls )4P of time
62 in #4 failed M :R147 614 in #4 successful M AR)47 61 in #4 suckout M A247Q
AR)44/#4 handsQ =! M JE0=9semibl#ff 6compared to =! of R#4/pure bluff7
EDam8le ;$
R14/#4 game 5utton raises and Small 5lind calls 5ig 5lind calls
R+4 in pot Semibluff of R14 on flop 0ith #4P chance of suckout
5 =ach player calls )4P of time
6#, in (4 failed M :R147 614 in (4 successful M AR+47Q 6' in (4 suckout M AR1447
AR+'4/(4 handsQ =! M JE/=$:=9bl#ff 6compared to =! of R,)/pure bluff7
%oncl#sion
<n conclusion@ it is clear that bluffs and semibluffs are far more successful against only one
opponent <n fact@ the increased =! from bluffs and semibluffs is 0orth as much as the cost of
a reraise preflop if the opponent is relatively tight post:flop So far@ the evidence seems to
suggest reraising rather than calling in the small blind 5ut@ there is more information to
consider
Jltimately@ the Cuestion 0e must e;amine isD E.ill the increase in success be 0orth the R14
increase before seeing the flopBE <n the ne;t article@ 0e'll try to ans0er this Cuestion by
revie0ing the advantage/disadvantage of heads:up/multi0ay action 0hen the small blind
holds a strong hand $hen@ 0e can simply compare the scenarios 6bluffs@ dra0ing hands@ and
made hands7 to try to calculate the best play
/$// 1hort 'anded Po.er( The 1cary 1mall Blind FPart IIG
<n the last article, 0e addressed some of the issues the small blind must consider in short:
handed play 5y e;amining pot odds@ it 0as easy to come to a reasonable conclusion as to the
number of hands to play in the small blind $hen@ 0e began e;amining the reasons to reraise
preflop to knock out the big blind <n this article@ 0e e;amine heads:up versus multi0ay 0hen
the small blind flops a good hand .e 0ill consider both 0hen the small blind is leading after
the flop and 0hen the small blind is behind after the flop $hen@ 0e can undertake the arduous
yet valuable task of comparing our options and deciding the crucial CuestionD reraise or call
*irst@ let's make some important assumptions@ for the purpose of facilitating our discussion
.e assume that each opponent 0ill make the decision to play based on their connection 0ith
the flop and their relative looseness:so 0e assign a percentage chance each opponent 0ill call
on the flop 6eg ,)P7 .hen 0e considered pure bluffs@ it 0as enough to check if either
opponent 0ould call <f the small blind instead has a good hand@ it is necessary to break do0n
0hat happens 0hen .oth opponents call versus 0hen one opponent calls $his is a simple
Cuestion of probabilities
If each o88onent calls :=> of the time+ then$$$
W 5%$H opponents 0ill call 2/1+ times 6'/(L'/(7
W %H= opponent 0ill call +/1+ times 6N'/(L1/(O A N1/(L'/(O7
W H=<$H=1 opponent 0ill call 1/1+ times 61/(L1/(7
*or the purpose of bluffing@ 0e assumed either the bluff 0orked and the small blind 0on the
pot@ or it didn't 0ork and the small blind lost the pot *or semibluffs 6aka dra0ing hands7@ 0e
assumed the small blind 0ould earn an average of #55 each time the suckout 0as successful@
plus the small bet on the flop %f course@ this is a massive oversimplification@ but for our
purposes@ 0e 3ust need something to help make the math a little closer to reality:not to reflect
reality perfectly $herefore@ 0e can assume after the flop the small blind 0ill 0in/lose #) 55
on average
EDam8le /$ E/@90@ game$ ?2handed$ EB@ in 8ot$
Small blind has best hand =ach opponent has an average of ) outs .e'll presuppose the )
outs are not the same@ so there are essentially 14 bad cards that 0ill cause the small blind to
lose the pot and #) big bets
1cenario / 5oth the big blind and button continue past the flop
$he small blind 0ins 0hen none of the opponents' outs falls
6''/(' L '#/(#7 M 14)+/1/4+ M )/)P of the time
$herefore@ the small blind loses 6144P : )/)P7 M (1)P of the time
HoteD < calculated 0hen the outs 0ould not hit rather than 0hen the outs 0ould hit $his
method is easier because you do not need to account for 0hen both opponents hit their outs or
the same opponent hits t0o outsO
1cenario 0$ %nly one opponent continues past the flop
$he small blind 0ins 0hen the button's outs do not fall
6(4/() L '2/((7 M 1)+4/12/4 M ,//P of the time
$herefore@ the small blind loses 6144P : ,//P7 M #1#P of the time
EDam8le 0$ E/@90@ game$ 02handed$ E:@ in 8ot$
Small blind has best hand $he lone opponent has ) outs
1cenario /$ 5utton continues past the flop
$he small blind 0ins 0hen the button's outs do not fall
6(4/() L '2/((7 M 1)+4/12/4 M ,//P of the time
$herefore@ the small blind loses 6144P : ,//P7 M #1#P of the time
.e compare ho0 much the small blind 0ins in each of the scenarios above
EDam8le /( ?2handed
1cenario /$ 6AR1+4 L )/)P7 A 6:R)4 L (1)P7 M 62'+ : #4/7 M AR,#/
1cenario 0$ 6AR114 L ,//P7 A 6:R)4 L #1#P7 M 6/+, : 14+7 M AR,+1
EDam8le 0( 'eads278
1cenario /$ 6R1#4 L ,//P7 A 6:R)4 L #1#P7 M 62(+ : 14+7 M R/(
=;amining the numbers so far@ it appears that calling is the superior play =ven though the =!
on e;amples above sho0 that the heads:up situations earn more profit@ they do not sho0 R14
more profit $his is crucial because 0e assumed a reraise 0as necessary from the small blind to
make the pot heads:up
5ut the analysis is incomplete@ because there is one final difference bet0een multi0ay and
heads:up play .e must finally analyFe the number of times the small blind has an inferior
hand that 0ill play to the river .hen < say Einferior hand@E < mean specifically any hand that
the small blind feels is strong enough to play beyond the flop@ but is behind another
opponent's hand
$he small blind has already narro0ed its selection of starting hands to some relatively potent
holdings - good selection of hands such as the follo0ingD N--:##@ -?:-$@ ?&:?$@ &J:&$@ J$@
-2s:-#s@ ?2s@ &2s@ J2s@ $/s@ $2s:,+sO constitutes only '4# of the 1'#+ possible starting hand
combinationsD ##/P of all starting hands -rticle 1 sho0ed us that pot odds are still sufficient
for the small blind to call or reraise more than even #)P of the time 5ut these strong hands
are still vulnerable Hands such as $2s@ ?2s@ or -(s 0ill miss the flop entirely nearly )4P of
the time@ making any bet a bluff or semibluff 0ith fe0 outs =ven if many of these hands hit
the flop@ they could still be losing J2s may flop a Jack or Hine but start behind@ maybe even
dra0ing dead to a runner:runner $he e;ample belo0 can help illustrate this conceptD
EDam8le ?( 'eads278
Small blind has Jh 2h
*lop is #d 2d &c
Hotice that the opponent is currently 0inning 0ith ##@ 22:--@ 2#@ ?2@ -2@ or any hand 0ith a
&ueen =ven if you assumed the button played 144P of all hands preflop@ they are still 0inning
1))P of the time N$otal .inning Hands 61+/7/$otal Possible Hands 6(,L(+/#7O $his may not
seem like a lot@ but consider that many of the hands the small blind 0ill play are 0eaker
Hands such as ## 0ill al0ays be bottom pair unless a # is on the flop -ny pair higher in an
opponent's hand 0ill leave the ## 0ith t0o outs or less Let's see ho0 much more likely such a
problem 0ould be
EDam8le ;( 'eads278
Small blind has #c #h
*lop is 'h )d Jc
$he button is 0inning 0ith ((@ ++:$$@ &&:--@ and any hand that contains a '@ )@ or J N$otal
.inning Hands 6()47/$otal Possible Hands 6(,L(+/#7O M (1+P .e're not even considering
flopped straights or flushes
- strong preflop hand can become a vulnerable or losing hand on the flop very Cuickly 5ut the
key is that the small blind 0ill do far less guessing against one opponent than t0o -gainst a
single random hand@ that J2 is still ahead appro;imately /)P of the time .e've seen ho0
profitable it can be 0hen the small blind is ahead of one or t0o opponents on the flop@ losing
only (1)P against t0o dra0ing opponents 5ut the =! is much 0orse 0hen the small blind
starts the hand behind
EDam8le =( 1mall blind is behind on the flo8+ b#t has = o#ts$
$he small blind loses 0hen it misses its ) outs on both streets
6'//(' L ',/(#7 M 1(4+/1/4+ M ,,/P of the time
$herefore@ the small blind 0ins 6144P:,//P7 M ###P of the time
1cenario /$
5oth the big blind and button continue past the flop 6R+4 pot7
=! M 6R1+4 L ###P7 A 6:R)4 L ,,/P7 M 6')) : '/27 M :R'(
1cenario 0$
%nly one opponent continues past the flop 6R+4 pot7
=! M 6R114 L ###P7 A 6:R)4 L ,,/P7 M 6#(( : '/27 M :R1()
1cenario ?$ $he button continues past the flop after small blind reraise preflop 6R,4 pot7
=! M 6R1#4 L ###P7 A 6:R)4 L ,,/P7 M 6#++: '/27 M :R1#'
Hotice that in all three cases@ if the small blind is behind on the flop@ there is a negative
e;pectation for the rest of the hand %f course@ the small blind has also lost any money put in
preflop in all the scenarios 0e've e;amined in the past t0o articles $hat fact leads us to the
final analysis 0e need <f 0e put it all together and compare the advantages and disadvantages@
0e can mathematically estimate 0hen a reraise in the small blind is better than a call
P#tting it All Together
-nd here's the problemGeven after making assumption after assumption on the number of
outs@ you still have one massive assumption left to make Ho0 often 0ill the opponents callB <n
the last article@ it 0as easy to e;amine the =! if an opponent called )4 or ,)P of the time@
because 0e assumed either the bluff 0orked or it didn't the small blind either took do0n the
pot or didn't
Ho0@ 0e must compare ho0 often the small blind 0ill make a hand against t0o active
opponents@ one active opponent@ or 0hen both opponents fold on the flop .hat 0e 0ill find is
the key to this 0hole debate Ho matter ho0 loose the opponents@ the same number of
scenarios e;ist 0here the small blind is losing <f 0e average them all out@ 0e can make some
estimates $he small blind 0ill likely have one pair or better or a solid dra0 )4P of the time on
the flop -gainst a single opponent 0ith a random starting hand@ 0e can estimate that the
small blind 0ill be losing #)P of the time it holds a legitimate hand
$herefore@ against a single opponent N0ho 0ill call 0ith ,)P of hands on the flopO@
W 1/# of the time@ the small blind is bluffing or 6at best7 semibluffing
5luff =! M R)
Semibluff =! M R#4
W '// of the time@ the small blind is 0inning
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6'/( L R/(7 A 61/( L R+47 M R,/ after the flop
W 1// of the time@ the small blind is losing
:R1#'4 =! after the flop
-gainst t0o opponents N0ho call ,)P of hands on the flopO@
W 1/# of the time@ the small blind is bluffing or 6at best7 semibluffing
5luff =! M :R)+#
Semibluff =! M R1,,1
W 1/( of the time@ the small blind is 0inning 6both opponents fold 1/1+ of the time7
N62/1+7 L R,#/O A N6+/1+7 L R,+1O A N61/1+7 L R+4O M R,'#/ after the flop
W 1/1+ of the time@ the small blind is losing@ and one opponent folds
:R1() after the flop
W '/1+ of the time@ the small blind is losing@ and both opponents continue past the flop
R:'( after the flop
-nd that is all the information 0e need to come to a final analysis .ith all the assumptions
0e made@ 0e can compare the final postflop =! in a ':handed versus heads:up match .e
kno0 the reraise costs R14 more preflop@ but 0ill it make R14 more in postflop =! by knocking
out one opponentB
Final %om8arison(
-#ltiway(
61/( L :R)+#7 A 61/( L R1,,17 A 61/( L R,'#/7 A 61/1+ L:R1()7 A 6'/1+ L R:'(7 M R12/ =!
'eads278(
61/( L R)7 A 61/( L R#47 A 6'// L R,/7 A 61// 6:R1#'47 M R''2+ =!
-s you can see@ the e;pectation earned by knocking out the big blind is 0orth more than R14
postflop $here are settings 0here this 0ill not be the case <f the opponents' skill is sufficiently
higher@ the big blind is very loose 6and 0ill call a reraise cold7@ or the big blind is very tight
6and 0ill fold to a single bet very often7@ the value of a reraise is diminished Ho0ever@ these
conditions are rare enough to make a reraise in the small blind profitable in most
circumstances in my opinion@ and < believe our arithmetic above confirms my advice
*inally@ there is one last factor that 0e did not address 1eraising sho0s strength -gainst
most opposition@ this display of strength preflop increases the likelihood of the button folding
on the flop $hus@ the small blind earns further profit from e;tra successful bluffs@ and the
small blind is more likely to kno0 0here it stands if the button continues to play@ because the
small blind has indicated strength early
-ll in all@ the last t0o articles 0ere rough@ comple;@ and assumptive 5ut they help illustrate
ho0 an understanding of simple probabilities can allo0 any player 0ith a pad@ pen@ and a
calculator to ascertain the superior of t0o alternatives $his preparation gives credibility to a
strategy:far improved from a 0riter simply stating E1eraising from the small blind is usually
more profitableE -nd it can hopefully help prepare you to analyFe other authors' arguments to
come to your o0n conclusions Jntil ne;t month@ good luckI
/$/0 1hort 'anded Po.er( 5efending the Blinds
< received an email early in January regarding heads:up strategy $om asked@ EHo0 much is
being in position 0orthB %r to put it another 0ay@ ho0 often should you be defending your
blindsBE <n the last article@ < e;amined reraises from the big blind <n this article@ < 0ill focus on
ho0 often you should be calling from the big blind
5efore < begin@ let's repeat Sklansky and >almuth's recommendations in /old0+m %oker for
1dvanced %la,ers $hey suggest calling at least (4P of the time@ reraising 0ith the top Cuarter
of these holdings $hey include E-ny pair@ any ace@ any other t0o cards that are both nine or
higher@ any other straight flush combination 0ith no gaps or 3ust one gap@ and any king little
suited 6"ou might add in a fe0 more hands such as J/s@ 2/@ or 2,7E
-s < noted in the last article@ < firmly trust the guidances in /old0+m %oker for 1dvanced
%la,ers along 0ith 2heor, of %oker < believe Sklansky and >almuth are brilliant teachers and
e;cellent poker authors 0ho take their material very seriously Ho0ever@ < believe they use
unsound logic to determine the number of playable hands in a short:handed game@ and < don't
feel our differences in opinion are insignificant Sklansky and >almuth have an irrefutible
reputation that is 0ell deserved $herefore@ < am not Cuestioning their character@ skill@
brilliance@ or credibility <t is only my intention to prove that in this one e;ceptional case@
Sklansky and >almuth's advice is fla0ed
%o#ld 1.lans.y and -alm#th be wrong,
$he analysis used by Sklansky and >almuth to find (4P does not Cuite make sense@ and it can
help indicate 0hy current theory on short:handed play sometimes fails to designate the best
strategy Sklansky and >almuth point out that in a R14/#4 game@ 0ith the preflop raiser
risking R1) to 0in R1)@ the raiser must steal the blinds only )4P of the time to make an
immediate profit 6assuming no reraises7
%n one hand@ they point out correctly that ENthe small blindO is entitled to a profit because he
has position on you and because you have a larger blind than he doesE %n the other hand@ they
follo0 up by suggesting@ E$he idea is to keep his profit to a minimum $his means that 0hen
the player on the button raises a lot you must call 6or reraise7 a lotE Herein lies the fallacy
Sklansky and >almuth are saying that you should call because your opponent 0ill make
money if you don't call >akes sense@ rightB <f your opponent makes money 6ma;imiFes his
profit7@ you must be losing too much@ rightB Let's recall an e;ample from last 0eek
EDam8le /(
R14/#4 heads:up game 5linds R)/14
"ou have -h-c
"our opponent flips over ,c#s and raises preflop
$here are ' small bets 6R1) total7 in the pot 5ut there's a catch <t 0ill cost you R#4@444 to
play your hand due to some vicious house rules Should you callB %f course not <t does not
matter that your opponent makes R) stealing your blind =ven though the opponent 0ould
lose money if you played your pair of -ces 6and thus ma;imiFes profit 0hen you fold7@ it is still
correct for you to fold because the only relevant point is that you lose much@ much less
6minimiFing your losses7 by folding
ConclusionD 8on't 0orry about the odds of the preflop raiser "our only concern is 0hether a
call or raise has positive e;pectation .e'll use some more e;amples to crystalliFe this
argument
EDam8le 0(
R'/+ heads:up game 5linds R1/R'
$o steal@ the small blind raises R) to 0in R(
Jsing simple arithmetic@ 0e calculate that the preflop raiser needs to steal the blinds ))P of
the time to make an immediate profit@ a considerable increase over the )4P needed in the
R14/#4 game <f your goal 0as only to counter your opponent's strategy@ you could call less
since you 0ould only need to defend ()P of the time Should you therefore play differentlyB
Ho -s a big blind@ you're facing the e;act same situation in both games
<n the R14/#4 game@ there is R'4 in the pot@ and you must call R14
?(/ ratio
<n the R'/+ game@ there is R2 in the pot@ and you must call R'
?(/ ratio
-lso note that the small blind is still raising 144P of the time@ so his potential holdings have
not changed in freCuency
EDam8le ?(
R14/#4 ':handed game
5linds R)/14
-gain@ 0e assume no reraising %ur assumptions are helpful to keep the playing field even in
our comparisons of heads:up and ':handed games $he button is raising 144P of the time@
attempting to steal the blinds 6R#4 to 0in R1)7 Small blind folds $here is R') in the pot@ and
you must call R14 ?$=(/ ratio
Sklansky and >almuth suggest that since the small blind is also defending@ the big blind needs
to call ,4P as often as it 0ould in a heads:up game $his advice is 0here < differ the most -s
big blind in a ':handed game@ you have better odds to call then you 0ould in a heads:up game@
and 0ith the small blind's cards in the muck@ the proper play should clearly include more
calling@ not less 1emember@ the button is still raising 144P of the time@ and even if you
assume the small blind is more likely to fold small cards@ the distribution of cards that the
button is raising does not change much
%alling from the Big Blind
So@ ho0 often should you be defending your blindsB $o figure that out@ 0e only need to
consider 0hich hands are profitable to call - reraise 0ill affect ho0 much profit 0ill be 0on@
not 0hether the hand should be played <n other 0ords@ both raising and calling 0ill have A=!@
but one play makes more profit than the alternative -fter a certain point@ raising becomes less
profitable than calling -t another point@ calling 0ill incur a loss@ and the hand should be
folded Last article@ < argued for reraising 0ith appro;imately the top 1,P of all hands@
although that number depends on certain factors Ho0@ 0e 0ill e;amine ho0 many hands
should be called@ again assuming that your big blind is raised 144P of the time .e 0ill
e;amine three circumstancesD heads:up@ ':handed@ and heads:up 0hen the big blind has
position
'eads2#8 F1mall blind has 8osition$G
$he irony of Sklansky and >almuth's analysis is that even though the reasoning behind the
recommendation is imperfect@ playing (4P of hands in the big blind is close to correct against
an opponent of eCual skill $he e;act number is impossible to discern@ because it depends on
the skill of both you and your opponent <f you are a complete novice@ but your opponent is a
novice also@ the disadvantage of being out of position is lessened <f you are an e;pert@ but your
opponent is also an e;pert@ the disadvantage of being out of position is magnified
>y recommendation is to tend to0ards a tighter strategy for several reasons *irst@ the (4PA
strategy includes many marginal hands such as J/s@ 2,@ +(s@ and ?'s .hile these hands
appear to have sufficient pot odds@ they also have t0o fundamental problems $hey 0ill not hit
any of the flop appro;imately (4:)4P of the time and 0ill give up on the flop -lso@ 0hen they
hit the flop 0ith a pair@ it 0ill often be a very e;posed position@ susceptible to a 0ell:timed
bluff or semibluff Since so much of today's opposition relies heavily on bluffs and semibluffs@
hands that are e;posed to these moves 0ill pay a significant penalty after the flop
*inally@ these marginal hands are more likely to hit and still finish behind@ either because the
opponent has flopped a higher pair@ or because the opponent dra0s out on the turn or river
$he vulnerability of these hands can be reduced to some degree 0ith strong play@ especially in
position 0here free card plays are available %ut of position@ they 0ill lead to some of the
toughest decisions to be made in short:handed games@ and these tough decisions 0ill cause
even e;perts to make mistakes
$he other reason to lean to0ards a tighter strategy involves the overall aggression you 0ill
0ant to incorporate into your post:flop style "ou should be reraising preflop 1,AP of the
time Coupled 0ith postflop aggression@ consistently revealing strong cards 0ill likely lead to
successful bluffs and semibluffs@ as 0ell as having the general effect of slo0ing do0n your
competition 60hich is rarely a bad thing7 .hile it seems that an opponent could th0art your
strategy by simply giving up on the flop 0ithout a big hand@ the reality is that you 0ill either
get action 0ith your big hands or 0in 0ith your bluffs/semibluffs more than your fair share@
depending on ho0 your opposition ad3usts
?2handed
.e should assume the small blind has folded to be able to compare fairly <n /old0+m for
1dvanced %la,ers@ Sklansky and >almuth state@ Eyou need to realiFe that the little blind
should be a0are that the big blind may also call ConseCuently he should only play his better
hands $hus the little blind should play about half as often as the big blind@ and their combined
playing feCuency should be only a little more than it 0as for the big blind 0hen the game 0as
heads:up <n other 0ords the big blind should play appro;imately ,4 percent as often as
before@ and the little blind should play appro;imately (4 percent as often as the big blind
played in the previous caseE .e 0ill discuss the small blind's Cuandary another time@ but the
key for no0 is that this advice is incorrect for the big blind
-s a big blind@ you do not care 0hat EshouldE happen Hor should it concern you that the small
blind did not have a playable hand $he only important items are 6a7 the skill of the button
player@ 6b7 the likely raising hands from the button@ and 6c7 the pot odds you are receiving <n
both 6a7 and 6b7@ there is no difference from the heads:up e;ample Ho0ever@ the pot odds
have increased <t is straightfor0ard that you should play more hands out of your big blind
since the pot siFe has increased for your call < 0ould recommend calling 0ith (4:()P of hands
in this situation
1emember@ your real concern is not ho0 much your opponent is 0inning or losing <t is only
ho0 much you are 0inning or losing $he t0o matters are not necessarily eCuivalent
'eads2#8 FBig blind has 8osition$G
$his position is uniCue and should only occur 0hen everyone has folded to the small blind in a
':handed or larger game <f the small blind raises 144P of the time@ ho0 much should you
callB <n this scenario@ 0e continue to assume an average player raising 144P of the time@ as
0ell as the same 'D1 pot odds Ho0ever@ no0 the big blind 0ill have position post:flop
%bviously@ position makes a tremendous difference@ 0ith the advantage yielding dividends
immediately on the flop since you 0ill be able to gain information about your opponent <f
your position 0ill earn an edge@ and you have 'D1 pot odds@ it should seem obvious that you can
defend very liberally against an opponent 0ho raises 144P of the time
Personally@ < 0ould play about t0o:thirds of all hands 6sometimes more since < tend to make
good use of position7@ as you should find a significant profit in several 0ays@ such as earning
e;tra bets 0hen you hit your hand@ picking up pots 0hen your opponent misses@ buying free
cards@ and many more "ou 0ouldn't mind 0inning X a small bet 6and saving your big blind7
0hen your opponent folds@ but if he is raising 144P of the time@ you 0ill turn a tidy profit by
taking advantage of position Some hands < 0ould call includeD &Vs@ JVs@ $,s@ $+s@ 2+s@ /)s@
,(s@ J/o@ $/o@ $,o@ ?/o:?(o@ &/o:&)o@ /,o@ ,+o@ and +)o %f course@ this assumes my
opponent is raising 144P of the time preflop <n reality@ < don't see players make that mistake
from the small blind above the R'/+ limit 6and even then it is fairly rare7
Learning to Thin. for "o#rself
<n conclusion@ this has been a very difficult article for me to 0rite .hen < began@ < re:
e;amined correct big blind play and compared it to Sklansky and >almuth's
recommendations < found some similarities@ but ultimately concluded that the advice < read in
/old0+m for 1dvanced %la,ers 0as based in part on faulty premises $he concept of playing to
reduce the opponent's profit can go too far 5ut even the best strategists and theoreticians can
be 0rong sometimes@ and so each idea should be e;amined on its merits@ even 0hen it is the
advice of authors 0ho are EcorrectE 222P of the time -fter all@ 0hether you 0in or lose does
not depend on 0hat you've read as much as it depends on 0hat you learned and ho0 much it
helps you think
/$/? 1hort2handed 'old*Em( Preflo8 Play FPart IG
>ainstream poker literature often includes popular charts or groupings for hand rankings@
created to measure the relative value of hands in a full ring game Jnfortunately@ these helpful
tools cannot be used effectively in short:handed hold'em@ because they 0ere not 0ritten to
assume a short:handed structure
$he t0o main differences bet0een full and ):person games are kno0n to most advanced
players@ even if they are not fully understood *irst@ the relative value of big offsuited cards
goes up@ and the relative value of dra0ing hands go do0n Second@ the blind structure forces
more action 5linds come too often@ and a good player cannot 3ust 0ait for a premium holding
<n Part < of this article@ 0e 0ill focus on the first distinction
$here are three main reasons that hand rankings change so drastically 0hen the number of
players drops
Im8lied 3dds are red#ced$
8ra0ing hands are often overvalued by many novices of short:handed games *or e;ample@
suitedness earns a considerable payoff by hitting a flush@ but that only occurs about 'P of the
time - hand like ?; suited 0ill flop a four flush or flush about 1//th of the time .ith a four
flush on the flop@ the player 0ill only end 0ith a flush 1/'rd of the time
$hese improbable odds mean the suited hand needs to get in cheap and have multi0ay action
to earn profit Shorthanded poker fits neither reCuirement Preflop play in ):handed games
very often involves a raise@ meaning a player must pay t0o bets to even see the flop %n the
flop@ the contest is often heads:up@ and the four flush loses money on every additional bet to
the pot Hence@ suitedness is 0orth considerably less in a short:handed game $he same logic
can be applied to all dra0ing hands $he probability of hitting a very strong hand 6such as a
set@ straight@ or flush7 stays the same in both a shorthanded and a ring game@ but the
compensation in a short:handed pot is often inadeCuate
Big cards win small 8ots$
<t has been stated in many mainstream books that a hand like -?o has value because it can
0in unimproved in a heads:up match 5ut this concept is not 3ust limited to hands like '5ig
Slick' $here 0ill be many hands that feature t0o dra0ing hands@ and the big cards 0ill take
do0n the pot 0hen both miss
EDam8le /(
Player 1D - ) Nsmall blindO
Player #D J $ Nbig blindO
*lopD ( ' ? N( small bets in the potO
Player 1 bets@ Player # raises Player 1 calls
$urnD +
Player 1 checks Player # bets Player 1 calls
1iverD &
5oth check@ and the -)o takes do0n the pot
Heither player makes a mistake in the scenario above .ith , bets in the pot already@ Player 1
0as correct to call on the flop 0ith at least + kno0n outs and a backdoor flush dra0 Player #
might have checked the turn@ but it's not particularly pertinent to this scenario -lso@ a bluff
might 0ork on the end here@ but it depends on the skills of both competitors
$he bottom line is that the bigger card took do0n a pot une;pectedly@ and Player 1 is several
bets richer <t is hard to overvalue the e;tra small pots earned by the high cardQ it happens far
too often in heads:up and shorthanded play to ignore
$he other advantage of big cards is that they upgrade guess0ork into value bets and
semibluffs $he follo0ing scenarios better illustrate the advantages allo0ed by high cards
EDam8le 0(
Player 1 has ? 2 Nsmall blindO
Player # has + ) Nbig blindO
*lopD J ' / N( small bets in the potO
<f you are Player 1@ you cannot be sure 0hat you are up against - bet here is a percentage play@
but it's still a guess@ because you cannot be sure the ?ing:high is currently 0inning Player # is
forced to fold
EDam8le ?(
Player 1 has + ) Nsmall blindO
Player # has ? 2 Nbig blindO
*lopD J 'd / N( small bets in the potO
Player 1 bets <t's a complete bluff <f Player # plays back@ Player 1 is in trouble and 0ill likely
muck <f there is even a #)P chance of an immediate fold@ Player # 0ould be correct to raise
6HoteD $his is true regardless of 0hat Player # holds@ but the ne;t scenario 0ill illustrate 0hy
holding big cards makes this raise even more profitable7
EDam8le ;(
Player 1 has + ) Nsmall blindO
Player # has ? 2 Nbig blindO
*lopD J ) / N( small bets in the potO
Player 1 bets <t's a value bet 0ith 'rd pair <f Player # plays back@ they're making a mistake
5ut it's not much of a blunder@ because Player # still has + immediate outs if a ?ing or Hine
hits@ and there are several cards 6$en or any heart7 that give Player # a strong dra0 on the
turn
<t's easy to dismiss the choice of Player # because it is a :=! play@ but that's an error <n short:
handed poker@ you 0ill misstep sometimes "et@ there is tremendous value in big cards because
they minimiFe the impact of inaccuracies
EDam8le =9B(
Player 1 has + ) Nsmall blindO
Player # has ? 2 Nbig blindO
*lopD J ) $ N( small bets in the potO %1
*lopD J ) 2 N( small bets in the potO
Player 1 bets@ again believing it's a value bet 0ith 'rd pair Ho0ever@ Player # is the favorite on
both flops <n both scenarios@ Player # 0ill 0in appro;imately /4P of the time %bviously@
Player 1 is in trouble
? 2 is plainly a superior hand to + ) heads:up 5ut reality sho0s that many losing short:
handed players leak money heavily by overplaying small cards + ) is a group ) hand in
Sklansky's Hold'=m hand rankings ? 2 is a group + hand 5ut the e;amples above clearly
demonstrate the original hypothesisD Hand rankings for full ring games do not 0ork for short:
handed strategy because they 0ere not intended as short:handed strategy
'and domination is a m#ch smaller factor$
Hand domination occurs 0hen one starting hand causes apparent outs to be counterfeited in
another starting hand@ resulting in a very po0erful advantage for the superior holding
=;amples include 6-- vs -?7@ 6-? vs -&7@ 6- ) vs ? ( 7@ or even 6?& vs &27
<n a ring game@ a hand such as ?2 has a fairly significant chance of being dominated@ even if
the flop includes a ?ing .ith nine opponents 6and a ?ing on the flop7@ there is a 14P chance
an opponent holds a ?$@ ?J@ ?&@ or -? -gainst any of these combinations@ ?2 is dra0ing very
slim or virtually dead >ore importantly@ there are no ?; hands that a normal player 0ould
hold in a full ring game@ so the ?2 0ill not earn good pots 0ith top pair %verall@ it is a clear
loser
<n a short:handed game@ ?2 becomes profitable in many cases Players 0ill often not give you
credit for top pair@ so top pair 0ith any kicker goes up in value <n addition@ many players 0ill
play ?; suited or 0ill play ?ing 0ith a small kicker fast from the blinds 0hen a ?ing hits
>oreover@ the chances that an opponent holds ?$@ ?J@ ?&@ or -? is greatly reduced 6less than
)P7@ further mitigated by e;amining if the opponent raised or reraised preflop
The Role of 5ece8tion
=verything up to this point has indicated that hands like +) are highly overrated in short:
handed poker Ho0ever@ there are t0o good reasons to demonstrate strength 0ith small cards
*irst@ stealing pots is a necessity in many short:handed contests@ and 0aiting around for big
cards means missing a lot of e;cellent stealing opportunities <f you kno0 an opponent folds
too often@ it is profitable to challenge them 0ith a 0ider range of hands <f you raise 0ith +) @
your opponent 0ill typically fail to comprehend that your real motivation for raising 0as to
steal the pot %n the other hand@ if you raised and eventually sho0ed do0n a hand like J#@
your opponent 0ould likely begin calling or reraising more often@ neutraliFing your advantage
by correcting their play
Second@ it is important to not be too predictable <f you only raise 0ith big cards@ your
opponents 0ill begin bluffing at you 0hen rags hit the flop %r@ they 0ill simply fold marginal
hands since they kno0 you 0ould not raise 0ithout a strong holding So@ mi;ing up your play
is critical 1aising 0ith small suited connectors becomes a semibluff "ou 0ouldn't mind if
your opponent folded@ but you 0ould be 3ust fine 0inning the pot 0ith a surprising straight or
t0o pair@ 0hich can rake in a larger pot because the flop appears harmless <n addition@ mi;ing
your play 0ill slo0 do0n the opposition in the long run and force them to pay off your big
cards more often@ since they must give you credit for a 0ider range of potential starting hands
/$/; 1hort2handed 'old*Em( Preflo8 Play FPart IIG
<n the last article@ 0e e;amined the relative value of starting hands in full and shorthanded
games $o summariFe@ in shorthanded games implied odds are reduced@ big cards take do0n
pots unimproved@ and hand domination is infreCuent Part << of this topic revolves around the
blind structure 5linds orbit Cuickly in a shorthanded game -t its most e;treme is heads:up
hold'em@ 0here both players post a blind <n this article@ 0e 0ill e;amine heads:up preflop play
so that 0e can revie0 fundamental concepts before moving to larger shorthanded games
'eads278 Play
Heads:up play is analyFed by Sklansky and >almuth in /old0+m %oker for 1dvanced %la,ers
<f you do not o0n this book 6and study it religiously7@ then you are placing yourself at a great
disadvantage $he first concept offered by Sklansky and >almuth concerns the preflop play
reCuired by the blind structure
<n a R14/#4 game@ the small blind has anted R) and the big blind has anted R14 <f the small
blind raises@ he is betting R1) to 0in R1) So@ he must steal the blinds only )4P of the time to
earn immediate profit 6assuming no raising and all things are eCual postflop7 <f the big blind
folds too often@ the small blind 0ould earn a significant profit by raising 144P of the time
preflop <n fact@ since the small blind 0ould also 0in some hands after the flop@ the fold
percentage reCuired for profit is far less <n other 0ords@ .lind stealing works incredi.l, well3

It )ets WorseK
*urthermore@ the small blind has a positional advantage after the flop Position 0ill allo0 the
small blind to bluff more successfully@ earn e;tra bets 0ith big hands@ or save bets in many
situations Hot only do heads:up games feature a large volume of hands@ but plays such as
bluffs and semibluffs hold more conseCuence Consider the follo0ing e;amples
EDam8le /$
<t is a normal R#/( heads:up game@ 0ith one e;ception "ou must pay your opponent R#4@444
if you play a hand preflop Clearly@ to keep your losses at a minimum@ you 0ould never play a
hand
EDam8le 0$
<t is the same normal R#/( heads:up game@ e;cept you must only pay R1 if you play a hand
preflop >any holdings such as -- are still clearly profitable@ but you 0ould think t0ice before
playing most hands@ since there is a hefty fee to overcome each time you compete
8efending the big blind is similar to e;ample # above $he e;act amount lost by not having
position differs 0ith the competition@ but the disadvantage al0ays e;ists *or each hand that
goes to the flop@ the player 0ith position 0ill benefit because they 0ill have an enhanced ability
to profitably bluff@ earn an e;tra bet on good hands@ or save a bet 0ith bad ones Ho0 can a big
blind out of position minimiFe its losses or even earn a profit against such obstaclesB
5efending the Big Blind
Sklansky and >almuth suggest defending 0ith (4P of all hands@ and reraising 0ith the top
Cuarter of those@ based on the idea that this calling/raising strategy neutraliFes the preflop
advantage of raising 144P of the time from the small blind < propose that this advice is too
passive *urthermore@ the percentage of hands played should be fluid@ based on the
competition's play after the flop as 0ell as preflop
5efore going any further@ let's repeat the authors definition of playable hands@ counting up to
(4P E-ny pair@ any ace@ any other t0o cards that are both nine or higher@ any other straight
flush combination 0ith no gaps or 3ust one gap 6e;cept for (#s and '#s7@ and any king little
suited 6"ou might add in a fe0 more hands such as J/s@ 2/@ or 2,7E
>any beginning players might 0onder ho0 to figure out that these holdings represent (4P of
all possible hands <t is possible to double:check the authors' 0ork by revie0ing the number of
combinations of each holding Since there are 1'#+ possible #:card combinations@ a hand like
--@ 0hich can be made si; different 0ays@ represents 6+/1'#+7 of all possible starting hands
<n percentages@ this eCuates to U4()P of all hands@ or about ##4D1 $0o cards of unkno0n
suits can be combined si;teen different 0ays@ 0hile a suited hand is only formed 0ith four
possibilities 6eg - ? @ - ? @ - ? @ - ? 7 %ne resource for an aspiring player 0ho is truly
interested in learning the fundamental probabilities is /old0em0s &dds Book by >ike Petriv
Reraising Preflo8
$here are three main reasons for adopting a more aggressive reraising strategy to effectively
combat the stealer 1eraising punishes the stealer@ sets up profitable postflop play@ and
establishes variation
1 P#nish the o88osition$
<'m not the first person to suggest reraising to slo0 do0n your opponent on future action <n fact@
Sklansky and >almuth make it apparent that it is critical for your opponent to 0orry that a raise 0ill cost
more than it appears -s they say@ EHe needs to kno0 that he's in 3eapordy of a reraise $hus you
freCuently reraise for the sake of future hands@ not the hand that you are holdingE
5ut is reraising 14P of your hands enoughB 14P represents the cream of the cropD --:22 6+
possible combinations each7@ -?:-$61+ combinations each7@ ?&61+7@ ?Js6(7@ ?$s6(7@ &Js6(7@
J$s6(7 $hese hands are so dominating that many of them 0ould be ':bet in a full ring game
!ersus a steal raise@ the selection is too thin
>ore importantly@ reraising 14P of the time 0ill likely not even affect a blind stealing
opponent 0ho is raising 144P of the time preflop %ut of 14 hands@ the stealer 0ill
immediately 0in the blinds + times@ play on the flop against an out of position caller ' times@
and face a reraise only once <n this situation@ even against a reraise@ it becomes pretty easy for
the small blind to fold if the flop doesn't hit him hard@ since he kno0s he is competing against
a premium hand
# 1et #8 Flo8 8lay$
'<f you're going to be in the hand to the end@ you might as 0ell get the money in early' <'m not sure 0here
< read or heard the above advice@ but it makes a lot of sense .ith a po0erful hand@ you 0ant to put
pressure your opponent and make him pay for the right to outdra0 you "ou 0ant to earn the most
money possible@ and fundamentally@ you 0ant to get your money in 0hile you are ahead 6$his is an
oversimplification@ but it 0orks for shorthanded play due to a concept called 'clustering'7
>ason >almuth 0rote about shorthanded play in Poker =ssays@ a good book for advanced
players to hone specific theories EConcept Ho 'D 5e prepared to go to the riverE 5asically@ if
your hand is strong and #nless the board develops in a very scary manner@ you 0ill often 0ant
to sho0do0n Since you 0ill be going to the river 0ith many hands@ you should get the money
in early@ 0hich makes a sho0do0n strategy more likely to be correct and profitable in the long
run
- second factor is initiative < mentioned above that most preflop stealers 0ill not be affected
by reraises@ especially those raising 144P of the time preflop <n my e;perience@ most
opponents simply fold if the flop didn't hit their hand since they e4pect to be against a monster
hand =ven those 0ho do not habitually steal raise 0ill still respect an opponent 0ho reraised
preflop <n other 0ords@ if you are the big blind and raise 0ith a hand like J$s@ you should
virtually al0ays bet on the flop@ even if the flop misses entirely Putting the pressure back on
your opponent is critical %pponents may simply concede on the flop@ e;pecting to be against a
very po0erful hand and not 0ishing to pay a turn and river bet to see a sho0do0n
' Establish variation$
$he third reason to increase aggression preflop and reraise 0ith a 0ider selection of hands addresses the
predictability of the play 14P narro0s the possible hands considerably@ and it creates an undeniable
problem if the flop arrives 0ith ' rags Jnder Sklansky and >almuth's advice@ you 0ould be reraising
0ith big cards ' out of ( timesQ this is simply too predictable against even average competition
So@ 0hat is appropriate for a reraise preflop from the big blindB .hat if 0e added //:++6+
combinations each7@ ?Jo61#7@ ?$o61#7@ &Jo61#7@ &$61+7@ -2s:-#s6( combinations each7@ $2s
6(7@ and 2/s6(7B $he total is an additional 114 hands@ 0hich progresses the amount of reraising
hands to 1/#)P of total hands Hotice that most of these hands can be taken to a sho0do0n@
yet they create enough variation to make any flop potentially dangerous for your adversary
Watching the o88osition
-n aggressive counterstrategy is only part of the eCuation "ou 0ill still be calling 0ith other
hands "ou 0ill still need to vary your play to keep your opponent off your scent < recommend
slo0playing -- or ?? sometimes@ reraising 0ith lesser holdings on occasion@ and follo0ing up
0ith occasionally unpredictable flop play ?eep them guessing >ean0hile@ 0atch your
opposition Preflop@ you 0ill ad3ust your standards in the same direction as your opponent <f
the small blind stops raising half the time@ you should not call as often@ since you 0ill too often
be playing bad cards 0ith bad position@ a costly combination 1eraising is still valuable but
should be reduced as 0ell "ou 0ant to slo0 do0n against an opponent 0ho raises only 0ith
legitimate hands
<n addition@ you must consider the postflop play of your opponent <f the opponent plays very
0ell 0ith positionD earning e;tra bets@ staying aggressive@ and follo0ing a solid bluffing
strategy@ then he 0ill earn a significant advantage each hand played on the flop .ith your
higher postflop burden@ you must ad3ust by folding more preflop -gainst an e;pert@ you 0ill
fold Cuite often 6and therefore call less than Sklansky and >almuth's recommended strategy7
$he important thing to note is that you will be losing money by folding the big blind more
often 1epeatD "%J .<LL 5= !%LJH$-1<L" L%S<H9IIII 5ut you 0ill lose less money folding
than playing marginal hands that cost e;tra bets after the flop Sometimes 6often7 you cannot
0in in the big blind of a heads:up matchupQ your best choice is simply to minimiFe losses
8on't 0orryQ you'll make your profits 0hen you are in position and have the advantage
1low *em 5own
*inally@ a good preflop game 0ill complement the overall strategy 9etting the money in early
0ith the best hand 0ill help to mitigate your positional disadvantage to some degree 5ut the
best reason to stay aggressive may be intimidation <f you can scare your opponent into
slo0ing do0n@ you 0ill begin to 0in the blinds for free@ and you 0ill not be forced to play at a
disadvantage so often <n other 0ords@ you want your opponent to stop raising your blinds So
snarl 6metaphorically7 and attack backI Jntil ne;t time@ good luckI
/$/= 1hort2'anded 'old*Em( 5on*t Wa.e a 1lee8ing )iant
<n the last article@ < pointed out that short:handed poker is a game of small edges@ but that the
number of decisions made in an hour are higher %ne of the interesting aspects of such a game
is that behaviors that 0ould not normally have much impact in a full game 0ill have a
pronounced detriment short:handed <n this article@ 0e 0ill e;amine the prominent effect of
ignoring an old common sense ma;im in short:handed poker
>ost of us 0ere taught the fairy tale EJack and the 5eanstalkE as a child <n this anecdote@ Jack
tries to reach a golden harp $o do so@ he must apply all his energy to sneak past a sleeping
giant Jack does not 0ant to 0ake up the giant@ because if he does@ he'd be in big trouble $he
story teaches a subconscious@ simple@ and smart lesson E8on't 0ake a sleeping giantE
1cenario /( The LLow Limit 1har.L
- couple months ago@ < had the pleasure to make my semi:annual trip to Las !egas < play
poker online at home@ so most of the trip 0as spent engaging in the EforbiddenE gambling
fruitsD the :=! table games -fter three days of losing hundreds at the black3ack tables and
sportsbooks around to0n@ < made my first trip to the home of the prosD 5ellagio's glorious
poker room < 0as impressed@ and the style fit right in 0ith my desire to take it easy and have
some fun
-fter a short 0ait@ < sat do0n at a lo0er limit table@ ordered myself a drink@ and 0ent craFy <t
0as a raucous game < dropped R)44 and had a great time -fter 3ust a fe0 hours@ < 0as do0n
to my final R#44 of the day -t that moment@ < become a0are of a ne0 player to my immediate
right He 0as a '):year old man@ and < noticed him because < bet out of turn 0hen he delayed
He 0as taking the game very seriously He paused 0hen the action reached him preflop and
checked his holecards the last possible moment =ven then@ he scanned t0o or three spots
behind him before making his play Suddenly@ < remembered a fundamental truthD Poker is not
3ust played for fun
.hen < sa0 this player ne;t to me@ the lightbulb in my head cleared the alcohol:induced fog in
three seconds flat - challenge had been issued@ even if the man did not intend it >y desire to
0in erupted $he results are unimportant@ but < did 0in back R(44 before < called it a night
>ore importantly@ the ne0 player had modified my motivation and behavior < have no doubt <
could have gone broke and left the table fully satisfied@ leaving the ne0 player to clean up and
profit@ if only < had kept playing for fun
Sklansky and >almuth point out that it is important not to take too long to act in a lo0:limit
game@ because it can ruin the EfunE atmosphere of the game and let others kno0 you are
playing to 0in Scenario 1 is a classic e;ample <n short:handed poker@ there is an additional
factor %bservation is critical Ho0ever@ 0e often only consider our ability to 0atch others
$his gentleman took e;tra time and effort@ so he recogniFed the importance of observation <n
the process@ he inadvertently made sure other players noticed him <n short:handed poker@ it is
financial suicide to call such attention to yourself <f others are scrutiniFing you closely@ they
0ill eventually figure out 0ays to counter your play
1cenario 0( The LAngry LoserL
Like most of you@ < 0ork a full:time 3ob %ne night a fe0 0eeks ago@ after a particularly tough
day at 0ork@ < 3umped online to play poker to blo0 off some steam < 0as not playing my '-'
game@ to say the least
>y game of choice 0as ):handed $e;as hold'em -s < en3oyed my leisure time@ < read some
football articles@ flipping back and forth to the poker action -bout an hour into the action@ a
critical hand occurred
PreflopD < held / + in the big blind Cutoff raised@ button cold called@ and < thre0 in an e;tra
bet
*lopD ) 2 &
-fter < checked@ the cutoff checked as 0ell Hot surprisingly@ the button tossed in a bet %n a
normal day@ if this 0ere a hand < 0ould play@ < 0ould bet out or maybe check:raise .ith (
outs@ my dra0 is not sufficient for the pot odds@ especially 0ith one player left behind me 60ho
could raise7 Ho0ever@ < called
.ithout fail@ small mistakes compound into bigger ones@ and < found myself the victim of a
raising battle as the cutoff check:raised < 0as left in a tough spot 0ith a gro0ing pot and a (:
outer in my hands < should have dropped my hand at some point on the flop@ but 0ith 0aning
attention@ < did not <nstead@ < called a total of ( small bets on the flop and 1 big bet on the
turn -s any bad:beat enthusiast could predict@ < caught the nuts on the river
$urnD #
1iverD ,
So@ < played badly yet 0on a large pot $his story could end there
< could have continued to read about the 0eekend's H*L games@ playing poker 0ith half effort
<nstead@ the cutoff angrily typed into the chat bo;@ using derogatory language >ost players
have seen the behavior a thousand times@ but it is often dismissed as Epart of the gameE and
simple rudeness <t is also unprofitable
< decided my opponent 0as correct < needed to pay more attention to the poker game@ so < did
$he cutoff steamed a0ay the rest of his money@ and < played serious@ mistake:free poker for the
rest of my session
Increased -agnit#de in 1hort2'anded Po.er
<n short:handed poker@ players 0ill be making much more marginal decisions@ and sometimes@
due to a bad read or misunderstanding of short:handed concepts@ a vicious bad beat 0ill occur
"et@ it is imperative for a profitable short:handed player to never berate or correct their
opponents Hothing good can come of it - bad player might improve@ get upset and leave@ or
ignore it - good player might feel offended and target the Eangry loserE < mentioned above
that it is better not to have people paying too much attention in the first place Painting a
target on your back is 0orse@ and causing the Elive onesE to leave is the greatest crime of all
.hy push a0ay the bad players 0hile challenging the good playersB
$here are a million more e;amples that any number of players could give $his 0ebsite
includes several authors 0ho have discussed similar stories $he convergent theme is thisD <f
you do something that dra0s negative attention to yourself@ you are likely reducing your ability
to 0in < am not saying that you should sit Cuietly and brood at your local game to avoid
suspicion <n fact@ you 0ould probably dra0 attention by appearing so serious <nstead@ 3ust act
normal@ smile@ and don't offend anybody -ppear to have fun even if you aren't@ or at least
don't take out your frustration on other players
-nd that brings us back to our premise at the top of the article EHever 0ake a sleeping giantE
$he problem in short:handed poker is that every other player is a potential EgiantE .ith the
proper motivation and the desire to concentrate@ any player can observe@ target@ and beat you
Hence@ one goal in short:handed poker is to not E0akeE any of your opponents <n a full game@
you might be able to avoid somebody bent on revenge <n a short:handed game@ it is
impossible
-ccordingly@ if your goal is to 0in money@ keep every possible edge for yourself 8on't
antagoniFe the opposition and be content making the right plays <f you get angry@ yell at your
computer monitor <t 0on't hold a grudge Jntil the ne;t article@ good luck
/$/B 1hort2'anded 'old*Em( Bac. to the Basics
Short:handed poker is mostly an online phenomenon Shuffling a deck@ even for the most
e;perienced dealer@ 0ill al0ays take an inordinate amount of time 0hen compared to the
instant response of a computer $hus@ shorthanded poker has seen its popularity increase 0ith
the gro0th of online poker >aybe the relative novelty of online poker 6and even more recent
appearance of ):handed table offerings at online poker sites7 e;plains the minimal offerings of
literature concerning short:handed poker 5ut the advantages of shorthanded play make it
0orth0hile for any aspiring player to focus significant energy studying@ even if they 0ill never
seek out a short:handed game
<n this article@ < 0ill detail three essentials that provide the foundation for ho0 short:handed
play is different from ring games $hroughout this and future articles@ the main focus 0ill
remain on $e;as Hold '=m@ by far the most popular form of short:handed play
F#ndamental M/(
Short:handed play is fast 6high average hands per hour7 $his might seem self:e;planatory@ but
its impact is so large that it might not be considered fully at first glance $here are several
factors that make online short:handed $e;as Hold'=m a very fast game %nline poker is 0ell
kno0n to allo0 players to average t0ice to three times more hands per hour than its live 5Y>
counterpart
Shuffling is instantaneous@ players can act before their turn@ dealers never have to split pots or
call the floor@ and poker soft0are interfaces let players act more Cuickly than in a 5Y>
cardroom -nd these advantages of online poker are magnified at shorthanded games >any
hands end Cuickly through blind stealing or folds on the flop@ so the instant shuffling has an
increased impact %f course@ there are also fe0er players 0ho must make decisions -ll these
effects multiply@ leading to averages of 1)4:#44A hands per hour in many cases
5ut 0hat does this mean to you@ the aspiring 0innerB Lots and lots of money@ most
importantly Poker is a game of many small edges $he more good decisions a 0inner makes
6A=! decisions7@ the more money they earn Simple@ ehB .ell@ short:handed games allo0 a
0inner to make more decisions per hour than in a 14:handed game for t0o main reasons $he
most straightfor0ard 6but common to all forms of online poker7 is simply 0hat 0e discussed
above $here are more hands played per hour Ho0ever@ a lesser considered reason is the
looseness of the typical short:handed player 8ue to the high price of the blinds@ each player
0ill take part in more hands >ore hands played 0ill result in more decisions to be made and
each of these decisions is an opportunity for the good player
So@ there's the prospect of making a lot of money fast 5ut be0are $he incredibly fast pace of
shorthanded play is a double:edged s0ord >any players complain of the very high variance of
short:handed tables %n one hand@ luck actually plays a smaller role in theory due to the
higher number of decision opportunities per hour $o e;plain this phenomenon@ <'ll consider a
case 0here a person is flipping a coin <f one person flips a coin only 14 times@ there is a
significant chance the percentages of 'heads' 0ill vary greatly <t 0ouldn't be so shocking to see
+4 or ,4P of all flips end in 'heads' 6or tails7
Ho0ever@ if that same person flipped a coin 144 times@ the chances of 'heads' coming up ,4P
of the time are e;tremely small $he math needed to demonstrate the actual probabilities in
our t0o scenarios is 3ust an e;pansion of simple arithmetic@ but too cumbersome for the
purpose of this article $he point is that 0hile luck s0ings to both good and bad players alike@
the variance in general 0ill be lo0er as more decisions are made
<f 0e've proven that luck is a smaller factor@ 0hy 0ould a high variance be a normal
complaintB Simply put@ the game often proceeds faster than players can ad3ust .hile
conditions can change Cuickly in poker under any set of circumstances@ the damage that can be
done in shorthanded play is amplified Let's say you are playing 0hat is normally a 0inning
strategy for your game <f an opponent crafts a solid strategy capitaliFing on your 0eaknesses@
you may not realiFe you are being outplayed for Cuite a fe0 hands $he longer it takes to
counter@ the more money you 0ill lose
<n other 0ords@ since your opponents have changed@ the decisions you make 0ill have negative
e;pectations $he speed of play may mean that a lot of hands pass before you even realiFe 0hat
is happening *urthermore@ shorthanded play can often be very volatile and unpredictable@ for
reasons < 0ill highlight in the ne;t section and in future articles 8ecisions 0ill be closer to
marginal in general than they 0ould be in other games because even great short:handed
players are forced to do a lot of educated guessing 0ith very imperfect information
F#ndamental M0(
Short:handed play is usually loose and aggressive -t the time < am 0riting this article@ there
are si; 14:handed R'/R+ games of Hold'=m at a popular online poker site $he average pot
siFe is R'# e;actly -t the same time@ there are three ):handed R'/R+ games at the same site@
0ith an average pot siFe of R#, .hy such a small differenceB $he ans0er lies in an oft:used
phrase@ EPoker begins as a fight for the blindsE <n a 14:handed game@ tight play is so critical
that it often is the biggest difference bet0een 0inners and losers in a lo0:limit game %ne can
afford to 0ait for premium hands before entering a pot <n a ):handed game@ keeping the same
tight standards 0ill be suicide to your bankroll =ach player 0ill pay one of the blinds (4P of
the time@ constantly putting in money 0ithout any guarantee of even reasonable cards
Sklansky and >almuth point out the need for far looser standards pre:flop in 0hat is pretty
much the only available literature that focuses on short:handed play@ Hold '=m Poker for
-dvanced Players -s they sho0 0ith basic math@ a good short:handed player 0ill need to play
at least (4P of their hands preflop in many Short:handed players 0ill enter a lot more pots
and see a lot more flops than their ring:game counterparts <n addition@ the nature of $e;as
Hold '=m re0ards aggressive play@ and this is never more true than in short:handed play .hy
is being aggressive so criticalB
Consider a common situation 0here a player raises preflop in a short:handed game and the big
blind calls@ making it heads:up on the flop *our small bets are already in the pot *irst@ a little
mathematical background - player 0ith a non:pocket pair 0ill only improve to a pair about
one:third of the time $his average is decreased if one's opponent has a similar holding@ such
as -2 vs -/ <f a player has connectors@ such as &J@ &$@ &2@ there is an additional chance of
bet0een about ,:11P that the flop 0ill result in a straight or open:ended straight dra0 -
player 0ith t0o suited cards 0ill flop a four:flush or flush 1#P of the time6by the 0ay@ a player
0ith suited connecters such as J$s 0ill flop either a four:flush@ open:ended straight@ or
completed hand about 1+P of the time7 <n other 0ords@ your opponent 0ill flop a good dra0
or pair less than H-L* the time@ but the same applies to you
-fter a bet@ there 0ould be five small bets at stake *ive small bets is not enough to 3ustify a gut
straight dra0 or dra0 at overcards 0ithout e;traordinary implied odds So@ if a player holds &J
and the flop is #d )h /c for e;ample@ they 0ill have a very difficult time calling even a single
bet 8ra0ing to0ards overcards in this case is not 3ustified by the pot odds 6there is a +D(1
chance of improving@ or about , to 1 against making a pair on the turn7 -lso note that if that
&J is going against a set@ t0o pair@ or is dominated by a hand such as -&@ -J@ ?&@ ?J@ etc@ then
it does not even have + outs and may be dra0ing virtually dead $he &J is in a position of
vulnerability - call is marginal at best
$o capitaliFe on this vulnerability@ good short:handed players 0ill often bluff at a ragged flop
6or any flop for that matter7 since they are receiving (:to:1 odds for their bluff and their
opponent 0ill not have connected 0ith the flop appro;imately )4P of the time <n response@ a
good player 0ill often raise back@ as a bluff or semibluff@ or 0ith as little as 'rd pair -fter all@
folding too often makes the bluff profitable@ so a good player must fight back to keep from
being bullied Ho0@ this process can often result in a conflict that looks more like a game of
EchickenE than poker 6ie t0o players bullying each other trying to force the other to fold7
$his po0er game creates some difficult decisions for the short:handed player@ but the main
premise is that most play is aggressive and loose $here is a 0ider variety of hands played and
a 0ider set of strategies used than in a 14:handed game 5luffs@ semibluffs@ semibluff reraises@
check:raise bluffs@ and bluff raising can all be found at online ):handed tables because $H="
-1= %*$=H =**=C$<!= <n turn@ players 0ith legitimate hands bet@ raise@ and reraise 0ith
far more abandon than in a full ring game@ and their opponents 0ill raise@ reraise@ or call 0ith a
far 0ider range of hands $his means a lot of money is going into each pot@ often before the
turn@ even though the action is usually heads:up <t's easy to correlate ho0 the increased range
of hands and aggressiveness results in more 'educating guessing' and fe0er clear:cut decisions
for a good player
F#ndamental M?(
$o 0in at short:handed poker@ you must be observant < might be a poker purist@ but < believe
good poker should include a high degree of bluffing@ aggression@ and guts $hat's certainly ho0
mass society vie0s the game 5ut the truth in full ring games@ especially at lo0 limits@ is that
bluffs are usually bad plays@ tightness is often a huge factor separating 0inners and losers@ and
guts have far less to do 0ith ho0 much is 0on than Holly0ood 0ould ever have us believe
JtiliFing a good conservative strategy@ staying patient@ understanding pot odds@ and some
basic card reading skills are the main tools of 0inners %nline players 6including a lot of
professionals7 sometimes play t0o or three 14:handed games at the same time because they
can 0in by simply using a straightfor0ard@ tight strategy $he same decisions come up
repeatedly@ and straightfor0ard play takes the cash $hese professionals 0in even though they
don't kno0 the tendencies of each player because the advantage of kno0ing each players
tendencies is reduced
< am not attempting to say that being observant is unimportant in full:ring games 5ut the fact
remains that especially in lo0 limit games@ many professionals 0in 0ithout being observant
because it is less important than other skills such as card selection 6tightness7
3n the other hand$$$
<n short:handed games@ a 0inning player does one fundamental thing that sets him or her
apart from the losing player $hey ad3ust their o0n play to their opponents to capitaliFe on
their opponents' mistakes 5eing observant and ad3usting one's playing style is the most
important reCuirement for being a 0inning short:handed player *irst@ 0ith a higher rate of
hands played@ an observant player can pick up the tendencies and playing style of opponents
much more Cuickly
%f course@ there are many@ many individual inclinations that can be e;ploited 0ith a good
counterstrategy 6eg a player might fold too often to raises or check raises@ they might not call
enough in the blinds or they might call too much@ or a player might fold too often on the end7
$here seem to be almost infinite possibilities <t might seem obvious@ but almost every
tendency can be countered -nd in shorthanded play@ strong card reading@ psychology@ and
observation skills 0ill result in opportunities for A=! players Cuickly and often
-ll a 0inning player has to kno0 is ho0 to read those tendencies Cuickly and counter them
effectively 5ut of course@ therein lies the rub 1eading trends and understanding other players
can be very difficult@ and finding the best defense is harder yet -nd in the real 0orld@ your
opponents 0ill not al0ays be predictable $hey 0ill vary their play or 0ill ad3ust to your
counterstrategies "our goal is to prepare ahead@ and be ready to ad3ust Cuicker than your
opponent $o be a 0inning player@ you 0ill al0ays be one step ahead@ outguessing@
outthinking@ and outplaying each opponent
$he sub3ect of short:handed play is so comple; and rich because it is in many 0ays completely
different than the full:ring counterpart $here may not be a lot of shorthanded literature
available to offer a straightfor0ard strategy that 0ins@ but the relative ne0ness of the game is
not the only reason <nstead@ shorthanded poker is e;ceptional because each scenario is
distinct@ and a 0inning player@ more than anything else@ must ad3ust to each situation
uniCuely Jntil the ne;t article@ good luck
# Hypermegachi's +:>a; 9uide
0$/ Introd#ction
Just as a counterargument to the 1bb an hour on the main page@ it is true that in limit you
cannot make as much as HL Ho0ever@ < find the advantages of limit make in a viable choice
over HL for many people *or one@ limit is all about making the decision 0ith the most positive
e;pected value at the given moment given all the information you have "ou have ' actions
every timeD bet@ call@ and fold Choosing the best one is the one that ma;imiFes e;pected value
<f you are good at making many little decisions over and over@ you 0ill make a lot of money
playing limit
1bb per hour is some0hat underrated $here are many players 0ho sustain even a (bb/144 at
the lo0est limits *or the higher limits #bb/144 is very sustainable <f you are making #bb/144
Cuad tabling 14/#4 you 0ill be raking in the big bucks
-lso@ the last thing to mention is the amount of fish -t the party R#)HL there are plenty fish
in the see -s you move up the ranks@ the number of fish goes do0n a lot@ so instead of getting
paid off 0ith your big hands@ lots of times you only get the blinds@ 0hich of course sucks $here
3ust aren't many fish that 0ill play at the R#44HL tables@ and 0hen they do@ they bust out fast
.hen you move up the ranks in limit@ the fish obviously decrease@ but there are still lots of
them to make it profitable <n fact < find this surprising 0hen fnord 0as posting 1)/'4 hands
and the complete crap these people 0ere playingthe same ones at 4)/1
-nd also a prelude to my guide@ < am not claiming to kno0 everything about shorthanded
games Ho0ever@ < do believe all of the information <'m providing is correct@ to my kno0ledge
< am also a poker player@ and < am also constantly learning $hus@ if you read something@ and
you disagree < 0elcome your comments and criticisms so < can learn from my mistakes So
drop in the forum@ and give me a P>I
B -aD TeDas 'old*em Limit )ames
Shorthanded games give the aggressive player the edge@ if they kno0 ho0 to play 0ell
Ho0ever@ 3ust because shorthanded games reCuire aggression@ doesn't mean you should
become loose and aggressive $hose players take massive s0ings at shorthanded play@ and
inevitably end up losing in the long run
5efore you should consider tackling +ma;@ you should be very competent at the full ring game@
0ith enough hands to kno0 you're soundly beating the game $here are many things profitable
in full ring that go do0n in value for +ma; *or e;ample@ suited aces are very profitable full
ring in a passive table@ because 0ith such a big pot 0ith dead money@ it's 0orth chasing for that
flush <n +ma; this 0ill get you burned
<n this guide@ you are learning to be tight and aggressive <tZs the only 0ay to play 5y tight@ <
mean you should be seeing #4P of all flops out of the blinds Jnlike full ring@ if you see lo0er
than #4P you are missing out on a lot of profitable situations@ and that 0ill affect your 0in
rate .hen you get enough e;perience@ you can move up to #)P of all flops '4P is the highest
you can play profitably at@ and very fe0 players can achieve that
-lso@ if you plan to play seriously < highly recommend pokertracker Pretty useless for no limit@
but for limit it is essential to analyFing your game@ and plugging leaks Limit is all about the
little things $he player 0ith the least little mistakes makes that e;tra 4)bb/144
So <Zve mentioned playing aggressive@ mentioned playing tight@ and there's one last thing that's
very important@ in fact the most important P%S<$<%H Having that button is so crucial that
your starting hand reCuirements change drastically relative to your position from the button
Ho0 that you have a general idea of 0hat +ma; is all about@ time to break it do0n
0$0 Preflo8 Play
Position is the single most important deciding factor of 0hat hands to play@ so <Zm going to
break it do0n by position
7T)
%pen raise or fold "ou do not 0ant to call here 0ith anything $he only e;ception is if the
table is unusually aggressive preflop@ and you hold -- or ??@ and you kno0 there's an /4P
chance there's a raise behind you@ then you can consider limp:raising J$9 is the 0orst
position preflop@ limping can be very costly if someone raises after you "ou must open raise to
try and get as many people to fold after you@ or try and induce mistakes by making them cold
call
-s a side note no0 that < mentioned@ cold calling is a HJ9= leak in many people's games $his
goes in full ring@ and it applies in +ma; 8o not cold callI =;ceptions are if you're on the button
and # people cold called already@ and you hold a suited ace@ e;pecting the blinds to call@ etc
7T)J/
-gain the situation is very similar to J$9
%3
$his is 0hen you start to get good position $he only time you should call is 0hen J$9 or
J$9A1 limped ahead of you %ther0ise@ if you're going to play the hand@ raise "ou 0ant to
buy the button by making them fold
B#tton
-gain@ like C%@ call only 0hen there are limpers before you <f it's folded to you@ raise 0ith
decent hands if you think there's a good chance the blinds 0ill fold
Ho0@ < mentioned calling only against limpers $he decision to call vs raise is often very close
*or e;ample@ < call 0ith ?$o@ but <Zll raise 0ith ?$s 8onZt get too stuck up on things like this@
your decision preflop in situations like this account for a small percentage of your 0in rate
over the long run Postflop is 0here all the money is made
1B
"ou have a0esome odds here@ so if no one has raised@ call 0ith anything suited@ and
connectors
BB
<f everyone folds to the button@ 0ho raises@ don't be a chicken if you have a decent hand =ven
-'o is 0orth calling to tell the button to scre0 off trying to steal your blind Having the ace is
important though@ 0ith ?'o the decision is more dependent on your read on the player
'ands
Poc.et 8airs( $hese hands go up in value shorthanded *old the lo0est pairs early position
Call 0ith the lo0er pairs if there are limpers ahead of you in late position@ raise the higher ones
in all positions
1#ited connectors( $here hands are 3unk shorthanded %nly play 2/s or higher@ and only in
late position 0ith limpers
1#ited aces and .ings( -gain like all speculative hands@ they go 0ay do0n in value
shorthanded Just like suited connectors@ only late position 0ith limpers
'igh card hands( $hese hands go up in value ?$o@ 0eak hand in full ring@ strong hand
shorthanded "ou should not be afraid of open raising 0ith this hand@ from all positions
Powerho#se hands$ --@ ??@ &&@ JJ@ $$@ -?@ -&@ -J@ ?&these are all hands you should
try to raise@ reraise@ and cap preflop@ depending on 0hat type of players your opponents are
Just a side note@ many players do not like raising and reraise 0ith -? $hey like to call@ and see
the flop cheaply@ and 0hen they hit their pair they'll bet aggressively@ other0ise they 0ill fold
$his is $=11<5L= "ou are holding -?@ the 'rd or (th best fricken handI <f you aren't going to
raise 0ith that 0hat -1= you going to raise 0ithB Limit is all about doing the thing that
ma;imiFes e;pectation $he chances of -? being the current best hand are !=1" high 1aise
for value
Since < e;pect you to kno0 0hat hands are good and 0hat hands are crappy@ the only change
you need to make from full tables is you 0ill be raising a lot more preflop <f it's folded to you@
raise if you're going to play the hand Call if callers ahead of you 1eraise and cap all your
premium holdings
Facing a Raise
Like <Zve mentioned before@ cold calling is a HJ9= L=-? 8onZt do it $he only time you
should even think about cold calling is if it 0as a hand you 0ould have raised if no one else did
9etting reads are important@ if a $P:P raises before you@ you can probably safely muck your
-&o@ kno0ing you're probably up against -?@ --@ or ?? -gainst a tight aggressive it's a coin
flip $hey could have --@ or they could have -$o "ou should either reraise@ or fold < don't like
cold calling < don't like calling in general *or me < reraise -&@ and fold everything else $$
and higher pairs < reraise@ medium pairs ,,:22 depends on the opponent to reraise or call@ and
ho0 many opponents 0ill be in the hand $he only time < cold call is 0hen there are multiple
cold callers in front of me@ and < have a lo0er pocket pair or suited connectors
5asically the overall idea for cold calling@ play -S - $<9H$ -S - $<9H$ -H<>-LS -SS Just
to give you a general idea@ in the last 1444 hands <Zve played@ <Zve cold called ( times -nd
that's probably too loose
<n summaryQ raise or fold Call 0ith hands too crappy to raise 0ith@ but too good to fold 6but
only after someone else called7 Cold call only 0hen necessaryie almost never
Facing a Reraise After "o# Raised
<f you raised first@ and it gets 'bet and capped back to you@ muck your hand unless you hold
the goods $reat this as if you 0ere cold calling
.hat if it's one bet back to youB <n most situations < 0ill call "ou don't 0ant to fold after you
raise or people 0ho notice 0ill start thro0ing e;tra raises at you Ho0ever@ if a loose passive
reraises your raise@ 0hat else 0ill they raise 0ithB 9ive them credit and fold <f a tight
aggressive raises@ that's 0hen you gotta decide 0hether to reraise@ call@ or fold $his depends
on position as 0ell 5eing first to act or last to act for the rest of the round against a specific
player 0ill change 0hat action you must take Jnfortunately < do not have enough e;perience
in these situations to give any meaningful advice 6mainly because < choose soft tables7
0$? Postflo8 Play
"ou raise a lot preflop for one reason "ou are telling everyone after you that you think your
hand is 0orthy of having the button "ou are telling them that if they think their hand is more
0orthy@ then they must cold call or reraise you $his is all a set up for 0hat makes you
moneypostflop play@ so you 0ant to go into the flop 0ith the best position possible
$here are many decisions preflop that have little effect on your long term 0in rate 5et@ raise@
fold@ call@ they all mean relatively little compared to 0hat you do postflop 0ill mean "our
decisions postflop are much more important because they can cost you the pot Losing a big
pot you should 0in is a disasterI "ou must prevent that from happening
<n general@ you al0ays 0ant to be the one that's betting and raising Calling is 0eak@ and none
of us 0ant to be 0eak $he only time you should be calling is 0hen you are on a dra0@ and
getting the odds and/or implied odds to call
$he basic run do0n is this %n the flop you 0ant to protect your hand by getting it heads up@ or
build the pot 0ith a monster or dra0ing hand %n the turn is 0hen you need to decide if your
hand is good !ery fe0 players are capable of raising you on the turn 0ithout the goods 8on't
be the sheriff and call do0n to find out $rust in your read <f you call do0n on the turn@ you
must call do0n on the river too -ll those big bets 0ill add up 1emember@ limit is about all the
little things adding up <t's 3ust not Eone more betE <t's one more bet over and over@ causing
you to lose money
0$; 'and al#es
monster M top pair top kicker or better
good hand M top pair 0eak kicker
marginal hand M mid pair good kicker
bad hand M everything else 6only the very best players can play mid pair crappy kicker
profitably@ so don't try it until you have the e;perience7
-s you can see@ the monster category is a lot lo0er than in full ring $op pair top kicker very
rarely 0ins the pot in full ring $he main reason for this is because in full ring the blinds come
very slo0ly@ so you can be !=1" selective of 0hat hands you play -lso@ often 0ith more
limpers and a passive preflop game@ longhanded lets speculative hands like suited cards@ lo0er
pockets@ connectors@ etc to play profitably@ and cheaply
$hose hands 3ust don't get lucky enough to be profitable shorthanded because there isn't
enough dead money in the pot -void them unless there are multiple limpers 0ith you having
the button
<n summary@ the average 0inning hand is a function of the number of players seeing the flop
>ost of the time only ' or sometimes ( people see the flop shorthanded@ and it thins to ' or #
on the turn and river .ith fe0er players@ you need a lesser hand to 0in Ho0ever@ if you
happen to find yourself in a very loose shorthanded table@ like ) or + people seeing the flop all
the time@ move your hand values up - single pair 0ill not 0in very often
0$= Flo8 Play EP
-ssuming at least ' handed
Bad 'ands(
Lo0est pair isn't best too often@ you can muck these hands
-arginal 'ands(
5eing in early position has the advantage of building pots 0hen you have a monster@ and
check:raising marginal hands to protect your hand@ and increasing your chances of 0inning -
lot of advice out there suggests you shouldn't continue beyond the flop 0ith less than top pair
Having medium pair is very often the best hand shorthanded <f everyone checks to the button@
0ho bets@ you >JS$ raise here 0ith mid pair >any people bet on the button 0ith nothing@
you may have him beat %ther players after you may have top pair 0ith 0eak kicker@ facing #
cold@ they might fold fearing being outkicked
)ood 'ands(
.ith top pair good kicker@ or better hands@ < like to bet out to build a pot < 0ill not slo0 do0n
on the turn or river until my opponents tell me to 6by raising back at me7
Poc.et Pairs(
Play it like a marginal hand if your your PP can beat mid pair@ muck it other0ise Play it like a
good hand if your pocket pair hits a set@ or is higher than the board
Fl#sh 5raws and 38en Ended 1traight 5raws(
"ou 0ant as many people in the pot as possible <f the table is loose 0ith many people calling
to the river 0ith crap@ bet out to build the pot <f the table is fairly tight@ check 0ith the
intention of calling 0hen the button bets@ to try and get more callers <f the player after you
bets@ and people call after0ards@ 0hen it's your turn@ 1-<S= "ou have nothing no0@ but no
one is going to fold for one more bet >a;imiFe the pot you can 0in by raising
)#tshots
Call if you're getting odds@ other0ise fold
3vercards
$hese are a bastard to play early position@ being you cannot use the freecard and free
sho0do0n plays Heedless to say@ if the board is very ragged@ < 0ill try for a check raise@ and
bet out on the turn@ and hope they fold <f the check raise fails@ and the turn doesn't help@ then
0ell you're scre0ed 8epending on your reads you may choose to bet out@ or check fold <f the
board is coordinated@ < 0ill check/fold@ kno0ing there's too many 0ays < can be beat
Bac.door 5raws
Hot 0orth playing if this is the only thing you have
>ultiple combination of the above
-gain@ consider the board@ consider the players@ and do 0hat ma;imiFes the pot siFe and your
ability to 0in it Check raise marginal hands@ bet out strong hands and dra0s@ and reraise for
value to build big pots
0$B Flo8 Play -P
-ssuming at least ' handed
Bad 'ands(
Lo0est pair isn't best too often@ you can muck these hands 5eing sand0iched should give you
more than enough reason to fold this
-arginal 'ands(
Hitting a marginal hand in middle position is very difficult to play Here's the problem "ou
have a marginal hand@ so you must protect it by betting 5ut 0hen you bet@ the players after
you 61 or #7 can raiseI <f they raise@ you cannot fold because if you fold too much everyone 0ill
take e;tra shots at you -nd of course@ they have position on you on the turn <f you 3ust check@
0ell the button can also check and you've given them a free look at the river -bout the only
good thing that could happen is if someone before you bet@ allo0ing you to raise $hey are
usually betting to build a pot@ perhaps on a dra0 8estroy their dra0ing odds by thinning the
field
)ood 'ands(
5et them@ lesser hands 0ill call@ if they fold that's fine too
Poc.et Pairs(
1ead above about marginal hands
Fl#sh 5raws and 38en Ended 1traight 5raws(
?eep as many people in the pot as possible *lushes and straights 0in big against big fields@ so
you 0ant many opponents Call if early position bets to get more callers after you Check if
early position checks
)#tshots
Call if you're getting odds@ other0ise fold
3vercards
-gain these are difficult to play 5asically same ideas as being in early position <f early
position bets@ either raise 6for free card/free sho0do0n7 or fold
Bac.door 5raws
Hot 0orth playing if this is the only thing you have
>ultiple combination of the above
-gain@ consider the board@ consider the players@ and do 0hat ma;imiFes the pot siFe and your
ability to 0in it Check raise marginal hands@ bet out strong hands and dra0s@ and reraise for
value to build big pots
-ll in all@ there are not too many differences bet0een early and middle position 5eing early
gives you the advantage to build your pots 0ith flush dra0s@ and check raise marginal hands
.ith a 0eak dra0 middle position@ getting caught bet0een an aggressive button and
aggressive blind can be costly@ so you should avoid such situations if possible 5et if you think
there's a good chance that it 0ill make the people after you fold@ thus EbuyingE the button $his
0ill allo0 you to try for the free card@ or free sho0do0n <f people after you call@ you cannot
like your hand much 5ut they could have a 0eaker marginal hand then you 8epending on
your read you can bet the turn or not
0$: Flo8 Play LP
-ssuming at least ' handed
Bad 'ands(
<f it's checked to you@ bet if there's a high chance everyone 0ill fold $ake the free card
-arginal 'ands(
<f it's checked to you@ bet it "ou may have the best hand you may not 5et to find out <f
someone before you bets@ raise it to drive other people out $hey 0ill often check to you on the
turn "ou 0ill then have a choice bet0een the free card or free sho0do0n < prefer the free
sho0do0n for # reasons %ne@ betting the flop and turn gives your opponents # chances to
fold -lso@ the free sho0do0n prevents a check raise on the river 5ut of course@ if you think
your hand is best@ value bet
5raws
5et and try to build pots <f someone early bets@ and there are # or ' callers@ you 0ant to raise
your flush and %=S8 "our raise is for value@ you have a huge chance of 0inning the pot Juice
it up 0hile you canI
Wea. 5raws
< like to bet these 0hen it's checked to me@ usually for the free card $his applies for gutshots
and overcards@ although <'ll do the free sho0do0n 0ith overcards rather than the free card
Ho0 if you've read my early position advice@ you'll see that being on the button you can be
check raised *ortunately at the lo0er limits the only people capable of making this play are
good players@ or stupid players *ind out 0hich type of player they are and ad3ust accordingly
Jnless you have absolutely nothing@ call if it's 1 small bet back to you $hen you can fold the
turn if you don't improve
0$< Flo8 Play in the Blinds
Playing the blinds 0ell is one of the most difficult skills to master $his is one of the more
profound differences bet0een longhanded and shorthanded play $he blinds come around
t0ice as fast@ and people 0ill take shots at your blinds "ou cannot let them bully you around
<n other positions you are usually fine because you are playing premium hands any0ay =ven
if everyone 3ust calls@ you have 2+o in the blinds@ and the flop comes #(2@ it's hard to kno0
0here you are
<n that situation@ you can bet out to test the 0aters 5ut if someone has -2@ they may call it@ or
raise it <f they raise it you can muck@ kno0ing you're in deep shit <f they call it@ you're in deep
shit too@ because there are a lot of passive players 0ho 0ill call like this "ou'll likely end up
paying them off if they don't raise
9oing for the check raise is alright too@ but most of the time you'll 3ust scare the button into
thinking they're in deep shit@ and they'll 3ust call do0n the turn and river bets@ and flip over $2
Playing blinds is difficult because there is no 0ay you can EbuyE the button <f you bought it
that means everyone folded $hus@ the blinds are really only profitable 0hen you have
monsters
"ou are e;pected to lose money in the blinds@ you 3ust need to minimiFe it as much as possible
5e aggressive 0ith marginal holdings < like to stick 0ith my mantraEif they don't raise@ <
have the better handE
0$A )eneral Flo8 %omments
Playing the flop 0ell is crucial because most of the time@ if you are playing the flop@ you are
playing the turn and river too "ou do not 0ant to make it costly to play the later streets 1ead
the board@ and look for possible dra0s and put your opponents on hands 6even the unlikely
ones7 $he reason to be aggressive is because besides 0inning a bigger pot 0hen you have the
best hand@ and causing people to fold@ you get <H*%1>-$<%H
Calling@ is not information $o me@ calling is E< like my handE $hat's it <n fact <'ve played
against players 0ho 0ouldn't raise even though they hit their set $hey held $$didn't raise
preflop Hit the set on the flop@ didn't bet $urn didn't bet =ven the river they didn't raise it
5eing aggressive 0ill make you fall prey to slo0playing 8on't 0orry about it 9etting
slo0played doesn't happen often enough for it to be considered a problem
-ny0ays@ most of the time your opponents 0ill 3ust call <f anyone raises you@ put them on a
hand -re they fish@ or are they tight aggressiveB <f they are a fish@ you can safely muck your
hand on the turn if you don't improve kno0ing they are not capable of raising on a dra0 or
semibluff -gainst a tight aggressive@ 0ell trust in your read and hope you 0ere rightreraise
your best hands@ muck marginal hands if the board is coordinated
<f you haven't noticed yet@ it is difficult to make the right decision if you are up against a bet or
raise "ou need to make the decision to avoid folding the possible best hand@ or paying off the
better hand "ou don't 0ant to be in this position very often@ that's 0hy you should be more or
less playing raise/fold 5e aggressive 0ith a hand you 0ant to play@ fold everything else Let
your opponents make the mistakes *ortunately at the lo0er limits you can to put your
opponents in a situation to call unprofitably .-" >%1= %*$=H than it is the other 0ay
around
0$/@ T#rn Play
Ho0 you've reach the turn "ou like your hand enough to take it to the bigger streets $his is
the time to make the laydo0n@ or continue to the river Hever ever call do0n on curiosity $he
turn is H%$ the time to make loose calls Loose calls should be restricted to the flop 0hen it's
still relatively cheap $rust in your read 8on't 0aste # big bets to find out
Early Position
*airly simple if you have a monsterbet out Playing marginal hands is more difficult 8id
they 3ust call the flopB 8id they reraise you on the flopB -gain@ if no one else has sho0n
aggression@ my hand is best < like to bet out on the turn 0ith marginal hands good kicker to
test the 0aters@ if they raise@ < am pretty sure <'m beat >ost players 0ill not raise on the turn
0ithout the goods
-iddle Position
>ost often by the turn it 0ill be heads up Sometimes it 0ill end up ' handed -ny0ays@ you
0ant a decent hand here because you don't 0anna be stuck bet0een # aggressive players 0ith
a dra0ing hand <f early position bets@ you can try buying the button by raising your marginal
hands 5ut remember@ the bet siFes are double no0@ so you must decide if it's 0orth risking
that e;tra bet to 0in the pot >ost players 0ill not bet out on the turn 0ithout a good hand
Late Position
.ell@ if you bet or raised the flop@ most likely they 0ill check to you "ou have a choice bet0een
the free card and the free sho0do0n 8o the free sho0do0n against 0eak tight players
6because they can make laydo0ns7@ and do the free card against calling stations 6because they
0on't fold7 <f someone early bets@ depending on your read@ call do0n or fold < don't like it
0hen someone else takes the steering 0heel@ so <'ll tend to fold if < can't be the aggressor
0$// River Play
"ou've made it this far $here's almost no folding no0 $he pots by this time are big enough for
you to call do0n 0ith almost anything <f people 0ere passive through all streets@ then you can
consider folding 6because the pot 0ill be small7 Ho0ever@ if someone bets into you@ and you
only hold mid pair top kicker@ 0hat should you doB
< consider a big pot to contain 1455 or more .ith 155 back to you@ you are getting 11D1 odds
to call <n other 0ords@ you only need to beat the bettor /'P of the time for this call to be
profitable "ou C-HH%$ fold unless you are over 24P sure you are beat -lmost no read is
that accurate >aybe if the board 0as ( flush 0ith ( to a straight you can fold %ther0ise you
shouldn't fold "ou 0ill be constantly surprised 0ith the crap your opponents are playing
Early Position
<f you've been betting the entire time@ you should bet again if the river is a blank <f the river
completes many potential dra0s@ you should still bet it Just because the river card completes
flushes and straight dra0s doesn't mean your opponents hold them <f they are
straightfor0ard opponents@ they might raise you@ allo0ing you to fold 6only if the pot is under
14bb@ call if it's big7 "ou spend 3ust as much 0hen you are ahead as you are behind Check
calling the river automatically 0hen a scare card comes 0ill make you miss a lot of value bets
8o not assume the 0orse <f they sho0n a lot of aggression on the turn@ then < may check call it
do0n
-iddle Position
<f you're still at the river at middle position@ you must have a pretty good hand <f someone
early bets@ before you call rerun the hand and see 0hat late position players have done in
previous streets "ou do not 0ant them raising after you because it 0ill be very costly
Late Position
Call do0n scary rivers in big pots 5et blanks 0hen you have a hand
*acing a raise -gain@ most players 0ill not raise back at you 0ithout a good hand on the river
Ho0ever@ before you go psycho and hit the raise button again@ put them on a hand Just today
< 0as dealt rockets Hit a set on the flop@ bet the flop@ bet the turn@ bet the river@ and < got
raised < paused for a second@ and < thought no fricken 0ay they have &$ for the gutshot on the
river < reraised@ and they cap it back "ep they had &$
5et or check behindB 5et out@ or check/foldB
$heory of Poker mentions that sometimes you cannot bet because the only hands that 0ill call
are the ones that beat you $his is true@ but only 0ith thinking opponents Loose lo0 limit
games are filled 0ith players 0ho 0ill call 0ith the lo0est pair 3ust to make sure you aren't
bluffing them out of the pot 0ith an unimproved -? 5ecause of this@ you should be able to
value bet a large percentage of your hands@ even the marginal ones Put a label of tight or loose
on the player and ad3ust accordingly $end to be aggressive against loose opponents@ and
passive against tight players on the river@ 0ith your marginal holdings
0$/0 Protecting "o#r 'and
- lot of this information is e;plained in greater detail in =d >iller's Small Stakes Holdem <t is
an e;cellent book and < recommend it to anyone 0ho 0ants to e;cel their holdem game
Ho0ever@ do not follo0 his preflop charts in shorthanded games for 0hich hands to call
Limping is a money loser shorthanded@ don't do it first in the pot 1aise if you 0ant to play the
hand
Ho0@ an important concept
Protecting "o#r 'and
$he concept of protecting your hand is trying to make your opponents fold better hands@ or
make them call unprofitably >any limit players from the full ring get slaughtered in
shorthanded games because they fold too damn muchI $he fit:or:fold strategy in full ring is a
sure money loser shorthanded $hey hit top pair@ but 0eak kicker $hey 0ill fold sometimes
even for one bet on the flop@ because the thought of being outkicked is so menacing $hey don't
kno0 they are folding the best hand more often than not
So@ bet and make those players foldI Ho0@ 0hat about someone early betting@ and you raising
0ith mid pair good kicker after they betB $his gives these 0eak tight players even >%1=
reason to fold their top pair 0eak kicker because it costs them # bets 1emember@ you 0ant
overcalls if you're dra0ing to a monster@ or flopped a monster 6like a set7 "ou only need to
raise to protect 0eaker one pair hands >any loose players call@ even to the river 0ith lo0 pair
.ith each additional caller@ the one after is getting better odds to call "ou 0ant to raise
because by making these players fold it improves your 0inning chances 6for the times the turn
and river makes their hand into the 0inner7
People might argue that if you don't raise the flop@ you are going to miss bets 0ith the current
best hand $his is often 0rong Players 0ill tend to check/call do0n players 0ho 0ere
aggressive the previous street ECheck to the raiserE is very common in lo0 stakes games
$hat's 0hy freecards@ cheap sho0do0ns@ free sho0do0ns@ etc 0ork 5ecause of this@ if you
raise the flop@ you 0ill only get them to call your turn and river bets <f you 3ust call the flop@
but raise the turn@ since you are no0 the ne0 aggressor you get at least one e;tra big bet
$here is an interesting concept 0hen you are playing against multiple bad players@ them
C%>5<H=8 can have enough outs to beat you So instead of the 1st player having ( outs@ the
#nd player ( outs@ 'rd player ( outs@ you can think of it has 1# outs against you $his is called
the EschoolingE concept "ou should raise to slim it do0n to / or ( outs against you
-nother reason for betting and raising@ is because players tend to check to the raiser of the
previous street 5y betting and raising you can take free cards and free sho0do0ns
When Raising Will Cot Protect "o#r 'and
=ven though you can protect your hand by betting and raising@ sometimes you are unable to
protect your hand *or e;ample@ preflop J$9 limps 6badI don't do it yourself7@ and J$9A1
raises C% folds@ and you 'bet your aces $he small blind folds@ big blind calls 6bad yet again7@
and the limper calls 6badI7 $he big blind and limper have done terrible mistakes by cold
calling 5e happy if they are doing it all the time because their money 0ill end up in your
pockets -ny0ays@ on 0ith the handJ$9A1 caps@ and everyone calls
$he pot is 1+ small bets $here are very fe0 hands that 0ill cap preflop@ so you can put J$9A1
on ?? or &&@ etc $he flop comes 0ith a # flush@ and # to a straight@ medium cards "ou almost
certainly have the best hand@ ho0ever@ your hand is vulnerable so you should protect it "ou
probably have J$9A1 beat unless the miracle ? or & comes@ so your concern is the blind and
limper on a dra0 $he small blind checks@ limper checks@ and J$9A1 bets again "ou should
H%$ raise
.hyB Playing poker is all about inducing mistakes from your opponents $here are people that
argue that the chances of you having the best hand are $%% great right no0@ so you must raise
for value Ho0ever@ after you raise@ the pot 0ill contain 12 small bets -fter your raise@ the S5
gets /D1 odds to call@ 0hich is the treshold to call profitably for ( out dra0s 6because of implied
odds7 $he limper gets 14)D1 odds after the blind calls -nd 0ith one bet back@ J$9A1 can
even call a # out dra0 profitablyI Since you sho0n aggression on the flop@ your opponents 0ill
likely check to you on the turn 5ut since you raised it on the flop@ on the turn the pot 0ill be 1#
big bets So even if you bet@ any ( out dra0 6like gutshots7 can call profitably getting over 1#D1
odds $hus@ in this situation raising the flop 0ill not protect your hand because your
opponents can call profitably 6and 0ith the pot so big you can be C=1$-<H none of them 0ill
fold7 "our raise does not make your opponents do any mistakes
"our best chance to protect your hand is to 0ait for the turn 0here the bets double@ and the
turn doesn't help any dra0s <f you called@ the pot on the turn 0ill be 14 big bets $he small
blind and limper haven't done much e;cept call@ so you can e;pect them to check to the raiser
J$9A1@ 0ho 0ill bet@ allo0ing you to raise "our raise 0ill face the blind and limper 0ith 1'D#@
or +)D1 odds@ 0hich is far too crappy for one more card to come "ou have 3ust allo0ed your
opponents to make mistakes by calling@ thus you gain
People still argue that they 0ant to 0in the biggest pot possible by raising the flop and then
planning to raise the turn again Ho0ever@ because the theme Echeck to the raiserE is so
common@ you 0ill actually more likely make the pot S>-LL=1 by raising on the flop instead
of the turn 1eraising the flop 0ill slo0 you opponents do0n on the turn 6unless they
themselves have a monster7 5ut 3ust calling the flop@ and une;pectedly raising the turn 0ill
tap them for at least one more big bet@ resulting in a bigger pot
<n summary@ a flop raise fails to protect your hand 0hen the raise allo0s your opponents to
call profitably 6ie big pots7 .ait until the turn .ith one card left on the river to destroy your
hand you are less likely to be taken do0n Jam the pot on the turn@ and charge the callers more
than 0hat they bargained for
"our opponents' mistakes is money in your pocket 8o 0hatever you must to make them do
the >%S$ mistakes
Pot 1i!e and 388onents
Ho0 before you go raising everything@ you need to look at the pot -LL decisions should be
centered on the siFe of the pot <f the pot is ' small bets@ and someone bets and you hold mid
pair good kicker@ it's not 0orth spending # small bets to 0in ( So fold it
Ho0ever@ if you have a marginal hand@ 0ith a backdoor flush dra0@ you have some outs to the
best hand 6such as trips on the turn@ # pair@ flush redra07 <f you have the odds 6and/or
implied odds7 to call@ $H=H that's 0hen you 0ant to raise@ to thin the field
.ith 0eaker hands such as single pair@ and sometimes # pair@ you 0ant to thin the field .ith
flush and straight dra0s@ you 0ant many opponents >any players make the mistake of
betting and raising the crap out of their straights and flushes 0hen they hit on the turn .hat
they don't realiFe is they 3ust make it heads up@ instead of gaining the # e;tra bets from callers
if they didn't raise >a;imiFe your handI Straights and flushes are strong enough to take do0n
many opponents@ so keep them in and take more of their money
Fine 8rint(
Just as a 0arning@ playing marginal hands is a HJ9= money loser if you do it 0rong@ so before
you raise that mid pair or even bottom pair@ ask yourself 0hy you are raising@ and 0hat you
0ant your opponents to do 0hen you raise 5ut of course@ if you don't play marginal hands at
all shorthanded you'll get your ass kicked any0ays So learn to do it 0ellI
-lso@ this entire post about protecting your hand is from the material < learned in $heory of
Poker and Small Stakes Holdem@ so props to the #A# authors 0ho a0akened me 0hen < first
read this
0$/? Blind 1teals
The 1wings
<'m sure most of you have heard of the '4455 rule for full ring -nd if you haven't you
probably shouldn't be reading this guide '4455 is the ><H<>J> you should have for +ma;
8on't even think about playing shorthanded 0ithout being properly bankrolled <'ve taken
(455 s0ings up and do0n playing shorthanded 0ithin an hour or # 6<'ve heard of people
taking 14455 s0ings as 0ell7 Since you're playing many more marginal hands than normal@
you'll be going to sho0do0ns thinking you'll only 0in +4P of the time *ull ring@ often you
shouldn't go to sho0do0n 0ithout being /4P sure you'll 0in $his amounts to 0ay more
s0ings than usual Hot being properly bankrolled is 3ust asking the poker gods to bust you
-ny0ays@ on to more strategies
Blind 5efense and 1teals
8efending blind stealsD
Playing the blinds 0ell against a possible blind steal is very difficult *or one@ playing the
player is much more important %ne of the many benefits of playing shorthanded is you get to
improve your reading skills $his 0ill transfer 0ell 0hen you move up limits@ 0hich tend to
have better players 6but still plenty fish in the sea7
<f you suspect a steal@ call 0ith anything connected@ anything suited@ ace rag@ king good kicker
<f you feel like being aggressive@ you can reraise 0ith the slightly better hands and bet out on
the flop no matter 0hat comes >ost of the time <'ll bet out on the flop if < suspect it's a steal
<f they reraise@ <'ll relook at the board and put them on a hand Playing the blinds against a
steal is very dependent on your read on the player@ so you 3ust need to be in this situation lots
of times before you get good
-gainst thinking tight aggressive players <Zll reraise preflop "ou may be dominated@ you may
not be 5ut the point is 0hen you reraise@ even 0ith hands 3ust barely callable@ you are telling
that player to scre0 off and not try again ne;t time Postflop@ it is a constant battle of betting@
check raising@ check calling@ reraising@ capping@ the 0hole deal "our reading skills are put to
the testI
-gainst passive players tight and loose@ if you like your hand enough then call@ and bet out on
the flop *old to a raise $hese players are too straightfor0ard to try any tricky plays <f they
call@ they are probably on a dra0 So bet the turn again if itZs a blank@ and they 0ill probably
fold <f they call again@ bet marginal and better hands Check/call 0eak hands Check/fold high
card hands unless it's -? or -& etc
-gainst loose aggressives@ 0ell either call do0n@ or go into a raising 0ar $hey 0ill often sho0
you crap at the sho0do0n@ but that doesn't mean they 0on't hit # pair 0ith )'o < like to call
the preflop bet@ and then call do0n 0ith marginal hands@ and fold everything else
<t takes lots and lots of e;perience to play 0ell against blind steals -nd since they happen
infreCuently@ you canZt really assess ho0 good your blind play is until you have a shitload of
hands "ou e;pect to break even in the long runG0hich beats losing all those blinds
-nd a further note@ heads up@ ace high is a pretty good hand@ especially if the board is ragged
"our opponents probably raised 0ith face cards .ith all unders you can be pretty sure they
missed too -? and -& are strong hands because they don't run into kicker problems
Blind stealing(
5eing in position is a huge advantage 0hen you are blind stealing "ou get to see 0hat your
opponents are doing <f you flop a monster@ and they are defending their blinds@ and they bet
out@ you can 0ait for the turn@ and raise them there "ou can take free cards@ and do free
sho0do0ns 5et if you think thereZs more than a )4P chance theyZll fold or you have the best
hand $ake the free cards and free sho0do0ns if you think there is very little chance theyZll
fold@ and you have a 0eak hand
0$/; Bl#ffing
>ost of the time you'll be playing against loose passive players 0ith table selection 8on't
bother bluffing at the lo0er limits@ they 0on't fold =ven 0ith lo0est pair they 0ill call you
do0n Ho0ever@ if you have a read of the player and you think there's a good chance they 0ill
fold@ then you can bet < rarely do stone cold bluffs unless it's heads up for a fight over the
blinds and < only have ace high "our success bluffing more than one person goes straight
do0n the drain Let's say your chances of bluffing one of them is +4P "ou 0ill only be able to
bluff both of them successfully 64+4764+47 M '+P of the time -s you can see@ 0ith each
additional player your success goes 0ay do0n
Ind#cing Bl#ffs
Say you have middle pair@ but 0ith a very crappy kicker $he board isn't coordinated at all <t's
( handed@ and everyone checks the flop =veryone checks the blank turn $he blank river falls@
and then someone early bets for no apparent reason at all $he # after him fold@ and it's your
turn Since you close the action@ you should call $he pot is laying 'D1@ so if you think the
bluffer is bluffing more than #)P of the time@ you're theoretically making money on the call
Ho0@ s0itch roles $he bluffer bets@ the person after folds@ and no0 it's your turn 6so one
person after you left7 8o not call in this situation@ because you do not close the action <f you
can only beat a bluff@ you should raise to make the person after you fold
-s you can see@ doing something like above is 0hat drives the variance up for shorthanded
games "ou shouldn't attempt it until you have significant e;perience 5ut sometimes@ you 3ust
have that gut feeling@ Eyeah this guy is bluffingE Call them do0n "ou need to 0in many small
pots as 0ell as big pots <n full ring games you don't give a crap about these little pots because
your -#s limping in 0ith / other players 0ill pay you off huge 0hen you hit@ and it only costs
you 1 small bet
Ho0 this isn't to say you should try and 0in =!=1" pot you're in even the small ones $his
situation is special because no one has sho0n aggression@ and then a river bet comes out of no
0here <f someone early bet the flop@ and # people called@ and you called as 0ell $he turn 0as
no help@ and early position bets again@ 1 folds@ and the other calls "ou should fold .ith
middle pair 0eak kicker@ you probably 0on't 0in against an aggressor and a caller
0$/= 1howdown
Some of you may be confused about ho0 <'m describing the Efree sho0do0nE <'m not even
sure if < am using the correct term <n SSH it mentions the Echeap sho0do0nE $his is 0hen
you use the free card play@ and plan to check behind on the river again if you miss
<'m describing the Efree sho0do0nE as betting/raising the flop@ so they check to you on the
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turn@ 0here you bet again So this 0ill induce them to check yet again to you on the river@ 0hen
$H=H you can check behind for a EfreeE sho0do0n
< personally don't like the cheap sho0do0n because it feels ack0ardly 0eak <t does have it's
uses@ but < think even betting on the turn 0ith overcards is often still a value bet@ and thus you
are making the correct move by betting because you have the current best hand
0$/B 1#mmary
.ellprobably the last@ < can't think of anything else to post about -bout the only thing left is
about reading people < don't think this skill can really be taught Like Johnny Chan says@ you
need that poker instinct <f there's anything +ma; 0ill do is it 0ill improve your reading skills
ten fold So3ust keep playing and let e;perience take care of training your reading skills
1#mmary
Preflo8(
: play tight early position@ play looser late position
: almost al0ays raise first in
: play very tight against a raisefold or reraise most of the time 6cold call if there are lots of
people in the pot and implied odds 0arrant it7
Flo8(
: protect your marginal hands by raising or check:raising
: build pots 0ith your strong dra0s@ bet into loose opponents@ check call tight opponents
: some loose calls are ok if you close the action
T#rn and River(
: continue betting into callers@ 3ust because they call doesn't mean they have anything
: don't slo0 do0n until raised back@ reraise and cap all monster dra0s
: take free cards 0ith 0eak dra0s@ take free sho0do0ns 0ith stronger dra0s
Position(
: tend to play passively hands in early and middle position
: tend to play aggressively hands in late position
: if you are going to call in middle position@ raise if there's a good chance you can get the
button to fold
'and val#es(
: it takes a lesser hand to 0in against # opponents@ and takes a monster hand to 0in against )
opponents@ so ad3ust accordingly
Protecting yo#r hand(
: bet and raise marginal hands if it 0ill make players after you make unprofitable calls@ or fold
a better hand
: if the pot is big@ 3ust call the flop@ and raise the turn on a safe card to induce bigger mistakes
by your opponents
: from SSH=@ raising 0hen you should call can cost you one bet@ but calling 0hen you should
raise can cost you the entire pot
Blind steals and defense(
: take a shot at the blinds 0ith decent hands
: defend your 55 0ith anything good@ even ace high
1wings(
: '4455 is the absolute minimum you should have 14455 s0ings up and do0n are not
uncommon
Bl#ffing(
: don't bother trying to bluff more than one opponent
: bluff if the chance they 0ill fold is greater than )4P
: induced bluffs 6ie bets from opponents that come out of no 0here7 you should call 0ith
marginal to 0eak hands if you close the action@ and raise if you can only beat a bluff but there
are people after you
)eneral(
: if they don't raise@ my hand is still best
: every time you hit the call you should Cuestion 0hy you did it0as it a long shot call@ or are
you 3ust calling to find out 0hat they holdB
: ho0 much you start calling is a good indicator if you're playing properly or playing on tilt
: try and adapt a bet/raise/fold mentality@ call only 0hen necessary
: play aggressively in big pots@ passively in small pots
: do not fold for 1 bet in big pots@ you only need to be right more than /P of the time@ e;pect to
catch a crappier hand or a bluff much more often than that
: don't 0orry about being slo0played@ playing aggressively makes you fall prey to trapspay
off 0ith confidenceI "ou 0on't get slo0played enough for it to be a problem
: most importantly@ pot siFe is 0hat drives all your decisions
%redits(
: meI hypermegachi
: 8avid Sklansky's $heory of Poker
: =d >iller's Small Stakes Holdem
: the limit players of *$1D *nord@ mike(4++@ elipses3eff@ Lonnie@ gutshot@ and more
: honourable mentionD soupie@ ripptyde@ a)44lbgorilla@ radashack
: othersD if < forgot to mention your name@ it belongs here
: and most importantly *$1 itself for providing me 0ith such a great online poker communityI
' %ther articles
?$/ Lea.s in "o#r 1horthanded Limit 'old*em )ame
/G %alling too m#ch from the 1BD <t's tempting 0hen there are only # players in the hand
to play that &'o from the S5 : after all@ you do have a paint card and you've been seeing small
pairs and 0eak kickers take do0n pots all day 5ut especially in games 0here completing the
S5 takes #/'rds of a bet rather than 3ust 1/#@ calling too much from the S5 adds up and Cuick
"ou're still going to be out of position all hand@ and position needs to be respected even more
in a short game $ighten up from this position and ditch the borderline hands
0G Playing small s#ited connectorsD <f you're used to a full limit ring or HL games@ you
0ill probably overvalue the suited connectors 2/ and do0n 0hen you first start to play short
$hese hands are pretty much 0orthless e;cept for mi;ing up your play 1aise 0ith them
occasionally to thro0 your opponents off@ maybe toss in a call from the 55 0hen the pot is
raised and you're looking at a ( 0ay pot or better@ but other0ise let them go
?G Trying to r#n over a table that won*t foldD $his is a huge leak for aggressive players
.hen you run into a short table full of call stations@ you H==8 to ad3ust and back off some
hands 0hen you 3ust miss "es@ the other players SH%JL8 fold their 14 + on a flop of ? J 14@
but stop pushing 0ith ,, 0hen it becomes obvious that other players habitually call do0n 0ith
nothing Hang back for a bit@ punish them 0ith some good hands@ and then try to run over
them again
;G 3ver8laying small 8oc.et 8airsD "es@ pairs in the pocket are a strong hand@ and there's
nothing 0rong 0ith trying to pick up the blinds J$9 raising 0ith )) $he problem 0ith pairs /
and do0n is that the flop almost al0ays brings overcards or an obvious dra0 and this puts you
in a tough spot on the flop: especially if there are players to act behind you Calling raises 0ith
lo0 pp's is a real problem short unless you really feel like you can outplay the raiser 1eraising
is a good occasional play@ but if you make it three bets preflop you've essentially committed
yourself to playing the hand through barring a terrifying flop .hat it boils do0n to if you're
bleeding in a short game@ cut these hands out of your arsenal until you feel comfortable again
=G Playing draws witho#t oddsD pot odds don't disappear 3ust because you're shorthanded
calling a straight dra0 HJ at ':1 on the turn is 3ust a bad idea@ unless you also have t0o
overcards or a pair to go 0ith it "ou still need to have odds to dra0@ and calling dra0s 0ith
sub par odds is one of the most common leaks < see shorthanded 5etting dra0s is a much
stronger play@ but if you're at the table described in leak '7 then don't forget : you still need
odds to bet dra0s $hey don't have to be as good because of the chance you can pick up the pot
by betting@ but as the chances of everyone folding decrease@ the odds the pot gives you have to
increase to 3ustify a call
Shorthanded play is a great opportunity for profit@ but remember@ since you see more hands
than in a full ring@ the impact of each leak on your bankroll is magnified proportionately
?$0 -ecos&ing on 1horthanded Limit 'old*em+ Part /
<m a 0inning playero n the PP 14/#4 + ma; and the 1)/#4 Short tables >y P$ numbers areD <
see almost (4P of flops@ raise 1,P of the time@ and have an aggression factor of #/ < 0in only
))P of my sho0do0ns < am up 1'k for the year over 1,4 hours of playing 6# tables at least atta
time7 < love SH@ and after playing a lot of it@ it makes playing full ring holdem seem like omaha
< dont pretend that every 0inning player has stats like mine : in fact i am a0are that my game
needs tightening up : even for SH my game can be over aggressive@ and my sho0do0n 0inning
P should be higher <m trying to better my numbers -lthough at SH@ it doesnt need to be as
high as in full ring $he reason for this is that often you 0ill find yourself headsup against a
preflop raiser and youll have top pair@ and youll have to call him do0n@ and he'll turn over
kings@ and youll lose $he thing is@ in SH@ you 0ill find yourself paying off more hands than in
full ring@ but you 0ill also find yourself getting paid off a lot more on your hands $he trick to
0inning at SH is payoff less than you 9=$ paid off@ and to use aggression to pick up lots of
little to midsiFe pots
$here are t0o essential factors to SH play
617 -ggression
6#7 ?no0ing your players
6#)7 <mage [less important than 1 and # but important nonetheless\
LLH%$=D P%?=1$1-C?=1 <S !=1" 9%%8 *%1 -H SH PL-"=1 : i highly recommend it@
esp since you see so many of the same guys over and over again
-ggression and kno0ing your players tie in 0ith eachother@ because you need to kno0 0hich
players to get aggressive 0ith@ and 0ith 0hat hands

Player ty8es and ways to 8lay
"ou play differently against different players@ and differently depending on 0hat your image is
also [more on this later\ $here are four basic types of players
617 Sherriffs [calling stations basically\ : not that aggressive@ and 0ill 'keep you honest' 0ith
things like small pairs and even ace highs $hey dont bluff@ and you shouldnt bluff against
them $here is psychology involved here : "ou 0ill see them paying off others left and right:
you'll ache for a peice of thier action@ then youll pick up -&s on the button and breathe a sigh
of relief*<H-LL" you'll think im gonna get P-<8I $hen if you miss@ you'll 3am it the 0hole
0ay any0ay@ then endup paying $H=> off : beleive me to this day@ i catch myself doing that@
and its a bad bad habit
$hese guys are 91=-$ to have at the table: they al0ays put thier money in 0ith the 0orst of it@
make countless :=! moves 5ut@ you need to play right against them to capitaliFe on ho0 bad
they are <f you have an -? and keep on bluffing at them and get called do0n by a pair of ('s
your gonna be pissed that they flopped a gutshot dra0@ made bottom pair on the turn@ and
called you do0n $he moral of the story is@ you should only try to steal from them on the flop
and the turn@ and not on the river <f you have an -? and they 0ere on a gutshot dra0@ then
they 0ould probably fold any0ay 6even they 0ont keep you honest 0ith / high7 and if your no
good@ and they called your turn bet 0ith a tiny pair@ then theyre calling you on the river@
because they hope that you have e;actly the type of hand you have
.hen these guys bet@ you should give them credit for a hand@ and only get involved if you have
something good@ and you should respect a preflop raise from one of these guys@ unless hes in
steal position@ and as bad as he is@ he's at least learned to lean on the blinds from the button
[P$ 0ill help you 0ith this\ : even in that case@ you should try and flop something against
them@ because theres al0ays the risk of being kept honest 0ith an ace high if you 3am a 0eak
dra0 or are 3ust on a bluff Calling stations call : its 0hat they do best@ so you have to turn that
against them by sho0ing them a hand 8on't let theyre bad habits 0ork in thier favor by
bluffing off chips to them
$he good ne0s is that you can value bet marginal hands against a calling station and end up
0ay ahead doing it *or e;ample@ middle pair 0ith decent kicker@ top pair/no kicker@ or in
some cases even bottom pair 0hen you suspect that all they have is big paint@ and they miss
the board but are going to call you do0n any0ay - situation like this is 0hen they raise
preflop from a non:steal position and you are in the blinds 0ith something like +,s and flop
comes +214 or ,/J@ and you check raise 6or bet7 the flop and dont get raised@ your probably
good if blanks come off on the turn or river "ou should probably muck to a raise 6or peel one
off then muck the turn if you dont improve7 because that means that the calling station has at
least a J <f the turn and river have no big cards@ you can often value bet your , and hope he
calls 0ith this big ace
$he moral of the story is basically@ dont bluff at a sherriff@ and respect dont pay him off 0hen
he bets it at you <f you dont have a decent hand@ 3ust let it go $he great thing about a sheriff is
that you dont need to sit there 0ith middle pair/iffy kicker and 0onder if hes betting the turn
0ith a straight dra0 from under the gun
The average 8layer 6%r 'vanilla' as e;cession 0ould call him7 [J%= -!=1-9=\
He playes SH sort of the same as he does full ring@ e;cept he loosens up his starting
reCuirements : he kno0s that ?Jo is no0 playable J$9 and maybe even realiFes that &2 aint
even sot bad near the button - savvy Joe player can 0in at SH@ but probably 0ont ever 0in big
because he's post flop@ he plays SH similarly to the 0ay he plays full ring@ and is liable to
laydo0n too many hands to aggressive players
$his is the 0ay to e;ploit >r Joe 1aise his blinds@ and bet bet bet at him .hen he raises
your blinds@ ' bet him 0ith hands like /2s and lead on the flop@ no matter 0hat falls $his is
the 0ay to beat the average player : pound pound pound on him@ and he'll eventually lose
more than he 0ins@ because he 0ill only 0in 0hen he hits the flop@ and even 0hen he catches
3ust a little of the flop@ he'll be inclined to lay his hand do0n unless he's got the top pair@ or
maybe middle pair 0ith a good kicker flop a flush dra0B against his preflop raiseB check raise
him and bet the turn and the river@ even if you miss 6respect raises and reraises thoughI7 %pen
ended straight dra0B same thingI >iddle pairB $hat too $he beauty of the average player@
0hich to some e;tent makes him desireable even over the 0eaker calling station@ is that he'll
let you kno0 5="%H8 - 8%J5$ if hes got a hand *or =;ample@ if youve got &J on the button
and raise@ and he calls from the 55@ and the flop is ?J/ and he check raises you@ theres an
a0fully good chance that he's got the king [this is still a tough laydo0n against most SH
opponents: this is probably 0hy my sho0do0ns 0on P isnt 0hat it should be@ but
Pokertracker has helped me alot 0ith that:: but if he's tight@ then mucking is the safest play\ <f
he leads and you raise and he three bets@ you ?H%. he's got the king See@ $he sheriff 0ill
sometimes let you bet bet bet your second pair@ even value bet it on the end [as you usually
SH%JL8 against him\ and then lo and behold@ he's got top pairI $he average player 0ill
usually not pose this problem Lets say that above@ the turn is a 2 and he chack/calls Jnless
the the river helps you 6J or $7 then your best of checking behind <f he's your avg player@
especially *ull 1ing@ then he's al0ays 0orried about his kicker@ and loathe to bet/raise for fear
of the raise or the reraise Check it do0n: there arent too many hands and average player
0ould call 0ith on this river that you can beat Check and hope he has a busted dra0@ or J14@
or something
$he moral of the story here is that you should pound on Joe -verage harder than you do any of
the other players in SH@ because he@ like the calling station@ is not too hard to read: but unlike
the calling station@ he doesnt payoff bad hands So@ lean on him <n SH holdem@ if you can only
0in 0hen you have make hands@ your not going to 0in much in the long run@ and Joe average
is 3ust this player Joe -verage in a short handed game is similar to a rock in a full ring game@
unless he kno0s ho0 to ad3ust his play
Aggressive 8layers [# kinds\
Semi loose/Semi $<ght/-gressive and >-H<-CS
Semi loose/semi tight aggressive is 0hat you 0ant to be in SH "our aggression puts people on
the defensive@ and because of your aggressive play@ your opponents dont kno0 0hat to do
against you "ou should check/raise as often as you bet@ and 3am up things like flush dra0s
into 0eak opponents $here are a fe0 things that these aggressive players do
:5lind theft: D <m a fan of it : although@ some people take it to an e;treme <f i 0akup to a 2'o
on the button@ im going to muck it no matter 0hose in the blinds@ unless i happen to be drunk
0hen im playing: and even then ill muck it /4P of the time Some 0ill raise 0ith literally any #
cards to steal the blinds .hile its annoying to be to the left of someone like this@ all you have
to do to make up for a fe0 rounds of missed blinds is 0in a pot off one of these thieves
Ho0ever@ blind theft is good 0hen your not %!=1 aggressive 0ith it 1aise any t0o cards in
the 0heelhouse 614:-7 0hen your on the button@ or any -;@ and any pair higher than )s in the
hole "oud be surprised ho0 often you raise 0ith ++ and the 55 calls@ the flop comes -&2 its
checked@ you bet@ he mucks -t 14/#4@ youve made R#) this 0ay : you do this once@ youve paid
for your blinds for t0o rounds 6almost7 $he key here is H%$ to overplay these blind stealing
hands : because even a reasonably tight player 0ill often call you 0ith a bad hand 0hen
defending his blinds <f you have -; and the flop comes ?214@ and theres any resistance at all@
your best off 3ust giving up after the flop : theres no reason to 0alk into a check raise@ or to
bluff off chips 0ith your ace high against 14,o 1emember that =!=H $<9H$ PL-"=1S 6good
ones any0ay7 L%%S=H JP .H=H 8=*=H8<H9 5L<H8S -H8 C-LL .<$H .%1S=
H-H8S %f course@ this 0orks out great 0hen you flop something half0ay decent@ because you
get paid off 5e aggressive@ but dont overplay your blind steals
-long the same lines@ 3amming up something like a flush dra0 from steal position is not a bad
idea either Lets say you have ?s14s on the button and you raise into the blinds@ and the 55
6avg/tight player7 calls@ and the flop is ,s/sJd "ou have a monster dra0 0ith an overcard also@
but its odds arent Cuite good enough to 3am it up for value against a single opponent 5ut@
0hen you factor in the odds of making your opponent muck by a sho0 of strength@ then your
odds to 0in go 0ell over )4P *or e;ample lets say the 55 leads into you on that hand@ you
should usually raise and lead the turn $his is because if hes got an / or , and is 3ust testing the
0aters@ youd rather him muck than have the river come and you endup 0ith king high against
a pair of /s <f he three bets you you should then concede that you are beat probably beat@ and
then ( bet for an e;tra card =ven if hes got a monster like 214 or ,,@@ he'll probably check the
turn figuring he can check raise you on the turn
$he other option in this situation 6and this is a tough move to make7 is smooth call the flop
and raise the turn even if you miss 6bet the turn if he doesnt lead7 $his 0ill make a tight
player muck most hands : because it represents a really big hand like a set or an overpair $he
problem 0ith this is that if he has a 3ack@ he'll more than likely give you a crying call@ at 0hich
point you better hit on the river
LLH%$=D <f you do this@ try to resist the urge to bet the river: you 0ill get called about 24:2)P
of the time <ts tempting to try and steal it there but the sad fact is that the only hand that can
beat you that 0ould muck at that point is an acehigh flush dra0@ and the chances of him
having that do not 3ustify a bet Sometimes@ your beat: and yeah it sucks but oh 0ell
$he point is that the aggressive player does =!=1"$H<H9 he can to 0in the pot@ especially
against the less aggessive players -nd more often than not@ he's sucessful
Playing against aggressive 8layers Nnot maniacsO
:<s difficult because they mi; up thier play@ and its tough to figure out 0hat theyre upto
because they play many more hands strongly than your avg player $he best 0ay to deal 0ith
someone like that is to play back at them: let them kno0 that 0hen they mess 0ith you they're
playing 0ith fire@ and usually they'll let up on you Check raise them often 0ith marginal hands
0hen they are in steal positions / making suspicious bets
[LLH%$=D Playing against slightly loose/aggro players is different than playing against
maniacs the SL-Ps 0ill give let up on you if they really dont have anything@ 0hereas a maniac
0ill reraise you 0ith #/o: maniacs are different than aggressive players\]
Pic.ing yo#r s8ots against good aggressive 8layers
$here are times to defend@ times to calldo0n@ and times to lie do0n Say an aggressive player
raises your blind and you have -14o or ?14@ or something like that $he flop comes /2' $his
is a perfect time to check raise the aggressive player on the flop and lead the turn if a blank
comes off@ because the board P1%5-5L" didnt hit him 6He probably has J?@ J&@ -)@ or maybe
even ,,7 but its not S% bad that he'll call you do0n 0ith high cards *lops 0ith mid range
cards in them are perfect to bluff at against good aggressive players@ because even though they
raised@ the hand they have is probably a half0ay legitimate one 6an ace@ or some paint@ or
something7 0ithout these cards in it : and at the same time@ the cards on the board are
themselves decent enough that you coudlve defended 0ith them : like 3/@ 32@ ,/@ etc and a
raiser 0ith -? probably 0ont call you do0n
When to lie down
%n the other hand@ if you have a ?14o in the 55 and the button raises oyu@ and the flop comes
'',@ you can pretty much forget about bluffing@ because under most circumstances@ any -; 0ill
call you all the 0ay $his is not -L.-"S the case@ but its the case often enough that you
should 3ust give up on flops like this %n the other hand@ if you yourself have a decent ace on a
flop like this@ you may very 0ell have the raiser beat 5ut if you have &14@ ?J@ etc@ your best off
giving up
5-S<C-LL": pick your spots@ defend against the aggressive player on midrange flops@ and 3am
up your good dra0s 6flush/open end7-0ful flops like #'+ and paired flops like ,,14 0ill often
see an ace high call do0n 6this goes double for flops 0hich are both paired -H8 a0ful7
%alling
Calling against a good aggressive player is usually not the best option@ unless possibly you are
in position and have a very strong 6top pair/big kicker or better7@ arent too 0orried about a
suckout@ and ?H%. your going to call the river any0ay Like@ if you have -? and the flop is
?/, rainbo0@ and you get lead into@ 3ust calling the 0hole 0ay and thro0ing in a river value
raise might be the best option if the board doesnt develop too badly $hink about it "ou have
-?@ lets say he has ?J <f you raise him on the flop@ he'll check/call you the rest of the 0ay and
you'll make ' big bets 6postflop7 instead of ') "ou could raise the turn of course@ but then you
run the risk of him having not ?J or ?& but ?)s or JJ@ and he'll muck it right there heads up
against an aggressive player@ esp at a short handed table@ you can milk a top pair hand like that
for all its 0orth@ 0ithout too much 0orry of a suckout .orst case scenario@ he checks the turn@
you bet@ and he folds his /2@ and you lose 1/# a bet 5ut in the long run@ if an aggressive player
leads into you on the flop@ chances are he'll bet the turn also %f course@ this scenario changes
drastically 0hen the pot is ' handed or more "ou need to get that raise in -S-P against any
sort of field@ to get the bad dra0s off thier hands as Cuickly as possible@ or at least give them
incorrect odds to hit thier kicker@ or thier gutshot@ or 0hatever "ou dont 0ant the /s to pair
and then get raised on the turn@ and be in a situation 0here you either have to muck a good
hand@ or else payoff someone 0ho has you beat at least ,)P of the time
1#mmary
5-S<C-LL": pick your spots@ defend against the aggressive player on midrange flops@ and 3am
up your good dra0s 6flush/open end7 -0ful flops like #'+ and paired flops like ,,14 0ill often
see an ace high call do0n@ 6this goes double for flops 0hich are both paired -H8 a0ful7 so
dont bluff at them unless the player your bluffing against is very 0eak tight < cant stress that
enoughD 8% H%$ 5LJ** into a strong player on an a0ful board@ because the chances are that
he 0ont buy it@ and the chances are that he'll be right "oull make that set of deuces at some
point@ and the ace high 0ill feel pretty stupid for calling $ill then@ let it alone
>-H<-CSD See the forum about 5=-1 HJH$<H9 >aniacs are too unpredictable@ and
3amming up marginal hands against them isnt generally that great because theyll come over
the top of you any0ay@ and youll be stuck in there 0ith a marginal hand@ and be so invested
that you prety much have to call >aniacs can turn even an aggressive player into a calling
station $his is 0hy its best to tighen do0n and stay out of thier 0ay "oull 0ant to gamble
0ith them because it seems so profitable in theory@ and maybe because they gave you a bad
beat 6tripped up his dueces on the river against your top pair hand@ but 0as raising the 0hole
0ay7
::See e;cessions little speil about this $his goes into psychology $he fact is 0hen your
running bad@ your running bad Sometimes you get no cards and love from the deck at all <ts
too bad 0hen this happens against a maniac@ but its very important H%$ $% *%1C= H-H8S
-9-<HS$ - >-H<-C *orcing hands is bad any0ay@ but you can get a0ay 0ith it sometimes if
your up against 0eak predictable players 5ut maniacs 3ust get too e;pensive and are too
unpredictable@ and you can lose an entire buyin calling him do0n 0ith -?no pair 0hen hes
been 3amming '' the 0hole time on a board of //14&2 Sure@ he looks like an idiot@ but 0ho
0on the potB e;actly $he only reason maniacs can even afford to keep playing cards is because
they make bad players out of good players@ and catch a card or t0o here and there 0hile theyre
at it 8ont fall victim to it < kno0 it seems like the maniac busting before you get into a pot
0ith him is the end of the 0orld@ but it isnt@ i promise $here 0ill al0ays be another maniac
Image
$he last thing is image Personally@ my image varies from table to table <f i get caught on a fe0
bluffs early on 0hen i 3ammed the pot 0ith a gutshot dra0 against a raiser and get called do0n
and beaten@ my image is one of loose aggressive@ at 0hich point people are more liable to call
me <n these cases@ i try to play my hands for value for a0hile <f < pickup some solid cards
early on and get to sho0do0n some Cuality cards@ then i start loosening up my preflop
raising/starting reCuirements and lean on people more because the natural tendency of people
is to think 'that guy has sho0n do0n t0o big hands@ and hes raising again He plays good cards
only@ he must have it' and they'll muck $he more superstitious of the lot 0ill think 'he's
running hot im staying out of his 0ay' and muck there too 5asically@ you play e;actly opposite
of 0hat people think@ and thus take advantage of thier biases <f thier bias is in favor of
sheriffing you@ then sho0 them a hand@ even a marginal one might do <f thier bias is in favor
of thinking your on a rush or only playing aces and kings@ then lean on em as much as you can
"ou are probably@ by nature@ a certain $"P= of player@ but this type should be able to be very
fle;ible and change as the the circumstances reCuire
?$? -ecos&ing on 1horthanded Limit 'old*em+ Part 0
$hanks guys@ for all the responses i got to my first post: im glad some of you found it useful <
got a fe0 responses from people that are 3ust starting out trying to play shorthanded@ and
realiFed that my post 0as geared a little bit more to0ards e;perienced players So@ < dedicate
this post to you guys starting out
"ou should not play Cuite as aggressively as i mentioned earler because first@ you need to 6a7
get comfortable in the game your in@ 6b7 Have some idea of the 0ay the players play first@ and
^@ you need to be able to handle a decent s0ing 614455 probably7 before you start playing like
that So@ this post is for you guys that responded to my first one saying that you are 3ust
starting out -lso@ good ole -$= gave me the 'rd degree for advocating a style thats not
altogether suited for everybody@ at least beginners
:::
Short handed holdem@ contrary to 0hat my original post could imply@ is not in fact@ a circus
0here you should ' bet it from the blinds 0ith 14(s and try to run the button raiser over on a
board of -?22+ 6although there are times for thisI7 $here are many rules that apply to it that
are pretty similar to full ring@ and remembering this is ?=" $here are a fe0 principles to
remember here
617 L%%S= -991=SS<!= PL-" %HL" SH%.S 5<9 P1%*<$ *1%> $H= L-S$ $.%
P%S<$<%HS $H= *<1S$ $.% P%S<$<%HS SH%JL8 5= PL-"=8 $% ><H<><S= L%SS
1-$H=1 $H-H $% >-V<><S= P1%*<$
$H= *<1S$ $.% P%S<$<%HS [H-H8S\
1-<S<H9 H-H8S
--:22 -?s@ -?o@ -&s@ -&o@ -Js
1eraise 6against a single raiser7D 22:??@ -?6o or s7 -& 6against a loose raiser7
C%L8 C-LLD --@ -&s %HL"I
LLH%$<C=D -- is so strong that against a single raiser@ i cold call the t0o bets $his is not too
dangerous at a short table because you dont run the risk of getting ( cold calls after you here
:$he reason isD a J$9 raiser gets cold called from the cutoff at a short table@ the guy looking
do0n at ,/s 0ill usually muck@ 0hereas at a full table@ he'll call@ and probably be right to@
because at a full table@ there are a bunch of people after him that 0ill see the pot gro0ing@ and
thro0 thier money in@ 0hich 0ill make the blinds thro0 thier money in@ 0hich 0ill ultimately
lead to a , handed pot@ 0hich is a nightmare for -- 5J$@ at short handed@ there 3ust arent
enough people at the table liable to have half0ay decent enough hands to build a pot So@ the
people that youll get calling you are the ones 0ith dominated hands like -;@ and predictable
top pair making hands like ?& 6Hot 'sleepers' like ,/s:those are the ones that beat aces7
:C%L8 C-LL<H9 -- -$ SH%1$ H-H8=8 L=-8S $% >JCH >%1= P1%*<$ <H $H= L%H9
1JH
:-&s is 3ust too good to laydo0n SH@ and can handle a little more action than -&o
:::
-gainst a raiser and a cold caller reraise 0ithD --:JJ@ -?@ s or o -&s@ call
>uck -&o
-gainst a raiser and a reraiser@ call -?@ reraise --:&&
Playing JJ against a raise and a reraise is usually a nono in full ring@ but in SH you might 0ant
to 3ust call it
>uck everything else to a raise and a reraise
L<>P<H9 H-H8S
?&:?J@ -Jo:-2o@ -/s:-(s@ J&s@ J&o ?$s 6iffy7 all pocket pairs under /
$1%J5L= H-H8S
LL14Js@ 214s are playeable@ but also tricky:: to sho0 a profit 0ith these hands from early
position@ you have to be able to muck a top pair hand from time to time@ and thats not al0ays
easy : if you dont think you can do that@ then save yourself some heartache and dont play these
hands
LL// also a very iffy "our better off 3ust limping 0ith it and mucking it to a raise in the
beginningLL
H=!=1 C-LL - 1-<S= 60hen your not in the blinds7 .<$H
-J or 0orse@ ++ or 0orse [you can ' bet small pairs to isolate and sho0 a small profit but not
in the beginning: you gotta have a read on people to do that@ and really be 0illing to mi; it up
on scary flops: 0hich you probably shouldnt do at the outset
%H= %** $H= 5J$$%H: - >JCH nicer position than the first t0oI
<f there have been no callers:
1-<S=D -ll early position raising hands@ A -J@@ -$@ -2@//@,,@ 14Js 6maybe7
L<>PD -ll suited connectors +, or better
5J$$%H 6no callers so far7
1-<S=D -ny ace@ any pocket pair@ any t0o cards 14 or better@ 214s
L<>PD H=!=1 L<>P *1%> $H= 5J$$%H =!=1 <* $H=1= -1= H%$ C-LL=1S <H
*1%H$I <f "ou pickup +,s and are really 3onesing to play it from the button@ then raise it
%ther0ise@ 3ust dump it: the L-S$ thing you should do is give the blinds a free ride 0hen you
hold an iffy hand 1aising hands like this from time to time thro0s your opponents off : 3ust
8%H$ 9=$ $H= <8=- $% 8% <$ $%% %*$=H
=VC=P$<%HD "ou have -- on the button =specially if the blinds are tight@ a dirty little trick is
to limp 0ith those Hotice i did H%$ say ?? or && <f someone 0ith an -'o or ?,s in the
blinds 0ants to beat my big pair@ them dammit@ he's gonna pay for it
<* $H=1= -1= C-LL=1SD Jse a bit more discretion : play the usual early position limping
hands 6decent siFe paint7 and raise the same mid position raising hands@ but dont play the late
position steal hands like J$o and ?2o
::
6#7 PL-" L%%S=1 than usual@ and -991=SS<!=L" 5J$ H%$ S$JP<8
Just because a table is short does not mean that hand standards go out the 0indo0 People
play SH 6esp (:) handed7 and think that no0@ they can limp in 0ith -;@ J$o@ &2@ and other
hands that every decent ring player kno0s is a deathtrap <n essence@ they are people that are
not disciplined enough to observe the starting reCuirements for full ring holdem 6< am one of
them < should kno0I7
5ut@ 0hat they fail to realiFe is that they are playing a different game no0@ so 0hat they do is
loosen up thier starting reCuirements and thier calling reCuirements@ but other0ise play the
same $hey often call 0hen they should raise@ and muck 0hen they should call and check 0hen
they should bet -verage players often find themselves acting like 1%C?S and C-LL<H9
S$-$<%HS 0hen the action speeds up on a live SH table::and they think the solution is to
decrease thier starting reCuirements0hich is true to S%>= e;tent .hat they dont realiFe isD
5ut 0here the >%H=" <S >-8= is by decreasing your 5=$$<H9 and 1-<S<H9 reCuirements
P%S$*L%P rather than your starting reCuirements P1=*L%P $his is 0here money is madeI
*or e;ample@ <f someone limps 0ith ?2 65-8 >%!=7 and you raise in late position 0ith J$s
6to steal the blinds and get position over a limper 0hose already told you he doesnt have a
hand 0orht raising7 and the flop comes J2;;;@ you are much more likely to get paid the 0hole
0ay than you are at a full table@ because at full tables@ people put raisers on big hands@ 0hereas
here@ they often put late position raisers on a steal@ even if there 0as an early limper
$here is no easy ans0er for the poor LLLLLLL 0ith ?2: hes in hot 0ater Hes in bad position
against an aggressive pre flop raiser 0ith 3ust enough of a hand to 3ustify a call He can check
raise and lead the turn 60hich is 0hat id probably do7 and hope that the raiser has -? or // :
but here he 0ill get called@ and then 0hen he checks the river hes going to get bet at@ and then
he's going to be so invested@ and so at a loss for any other option@ that he 0ill call@ and lose
[learning to muck in this situation is a ma3or long term money saver though@ but again@ its
H-18 and thats 0hy most people dont do it\
$his happens to the best of us in SH@ and me as much as anyone : its the nature of the beast :
kno0ing your players and getting a feel for your table 0ill help you minimiFe this@ but
oftentimes in headsup pots@ your 3ust going to have to take beatings on marginal hands "ou
must try and 1=8JC= this by playing 5=$$=1 H-H8S from early position than most of the
other players SH%1$ H-H8=8 P%?=1 C-H 5= - C<1CJS : 5J$ %HL" *1%> L-$=
P%S<$<%HI
$he good ne0s is that this is a double edged s0ord@ and getting on the 0inning side is 0hat
you strive to do "ou 0ill not beleive the hands that you 0ill get paid off on$he 9uy 0ith J$
0ill make more off that ?2 than anyone raising 0ith J$ should be allo0ed to makeI $his is
becauseD
6a7 $he general attitude of many SH players is that people are constantly trying to bluff them
6b7 <n SH Pots are often heads up@ the attitude 'if < dont keep him honest@ then nobody else
0ill' 6in *1@ its not that hard to fold a good second pair hand 0hen there are t0o other players
in after you against the raiser7
"%J .<LL >-?= <H*<H<$=L" >%1= %** "%J1 H-H8S <H L-$= P%S<$<%H@ H%
>-$$=1 .H-$ $H=" -1= PL-" $% ><H<><S= =-1L" P%S<$<%H L%SS@ -H8
>-V<><S= L-$= P%S<$<%H 9-<H
$his is 0hy you raise all those hands from the button People in SH -L.-"S assume your
trying to steal it@ so they call 0ith hands like (/ -nd if the flop comes '(J they are liable to
call the river against your &J or your 22@ hoping you 0ere trying to steal 0ith -; or something
like that
6'7 CH=C? 1-<S= -S >JCH -S P%SS<5L=II
SH holdem tables are the check raise capitals of the 0orld $he reason for this is that the
button tends to get out of line 0hen the flop gets checked to him@ and 0ill bet damn near
anything@ or nothing at allI So lets say you are J$9 0ith J&o and limp # people and the
5utton call and the 55 checks
*L%PD J/) 6lets say rainbo07 < 0ould H%$ bet this < 0ould go for the check raise for about a
million reasons
617 !-LJ=D you probably have the best hand@ and
6#7 - check raise 0ill protect this hand@ 0hile a bet 0ill not@ =SP=C<-LL" at a short handed
table
6'7 <n SH@ someone in late position is more likely to make a move on the pot than in a full
gameQ
6(7 Check raising as often as possible 0ill prevent people from trying to steal from you because
they 0ill fear the check/raise
6)7 <f you ><SS your check raise 0ith your top pair hand@ you are more likely to get paid off if
your hand holds up
6+7 <f you get reraised@ either by the original bettor or someone in the middle 0ho checked@ you
get a better idea of 0here your at in the hand before it comes to an e;pensive street -lso@
someone that checked in the first instance cold calls # is a red flag
See@ a fair amount of players 0ill peel a card off on the turn 0ith as little as one overcard 6-(o
for e;ample7 because theyll figure that its good if they hit it since there arent too many people
in 6these players are a0ful by the 0ay7 Someone 0ith &? 0ill definitely peel one off@ as 0ill
someone 0ith /2@ -/@ and even (+ -nd in these cases@ they 0ill probably have correct odds to
call a single small bet to peel one@ since they 0ill be 0inning a siFeable pot if they hit "our
checkraise makes them have to call t0o bets to chase a pretty thin dra0@ and either they 0ill
>JC? 6a good thing7 or they 0ill C-LL 6a :=! move@ and hence a good thing also7
-nd@ if you miss your checkraise@ and the turn comes a brick like a ( or something like that@
and you make a big bet@ someone 0ho checked middle pair is no0 very likely going to pay you
off@ figuring youd have bet your top pair hand@ and are no0 betting some sort of dra0@ or a
0orse middle pair or something
<n addition@ if you get three bet any0here along the line@ especially if the board is not that live
6no flush dra0 or probable straight dra0s7 then you no0 kno0 you could be up against a
monster 6a bigger top pair hand or a set7 and can check/call the 0hole 0ay 6or >JC? the turn
if you dont improve and 1=-LL" think your beat7 instead of having to deal 0ith calling a
check raise on the turn
<n fact@ if the pot is heads up@ you can check raise 0ith damn near anything@ because the late
position players 0ill bet into you 0ith damn near anything 0hen checked toI *or e;ample@ say
your in the 55 0ith )) and endup involved 0ith one mid position limper@ and a button limper@
a and the flop comes #+J@ and its checked to the button 0ho bets@ no0 0ould be a great time
for a check raise Sure@ he might have the 3ack@ and if you get ' bet its not a hard muck 5ut
chances are he's got anything but the 3ack@ and 0ill lay it do0n to a turn bet@ and feel dumb
that he lost an entire big bet trying to move on a pot that 0as only 1) bets any0ay >ore than
likely@ h'ell lay do0n a 0eak + too in this case@ because in most cases@ calling do0n 0ith a hand
like that is a :=! move -nd@ the mid position player 0ho almost certainly has at least one
overcard or hell@ maybe even -+s 0ill lay his hand do0n to the checkraise@ figuring hes no
good@ and doesnt have odds to chase
Lastly@ 0hen the check raise of a good top pair hand ><SS=S 6sucks7 then 6hopefully a brick
fell on the turn7 you can put in a 5<9 bet: and since the pot is still small@ the 0orse hands
definitely 0ont have odds to chase : ho0ever@ smaller pairs that 0ouldve peeled off one to hit
thier kicker on the flop may call you do0n to the river no0@ thinking your on a steal
So basically@ check raising does S% many good things@ i cant even begin to describe <ts a good
play for value and to protect your hand as 0ell as to put your aggressive opponents back in
line@ and if it misses@ it at least doubles as a slo0play of a good hand@ that hopefully didnt get
cracked [of course 0hen that - comes off on the turn@ as it S% often does@ and the guy that
limped 0ith it Jnder the 9un takes it do0n@ 3ust console your self by thinking '-chI %h 0ell@
this LLLLLLL is so bad@ he'd probly have peeled one off 0ith that crap even if i had bet itI'
1#mmary
617 Play the first # positions like a full table 0ith fe0 e;ceptionsQ make as much as you can by
others getting in there 0ith bad hands
6#7 Play the last t0o positions more aggressively : lean on the blinds@ if you have a respectable
hand@ try to isolate a single limper : the blinds in SH are often very loose@ and limpers often
call 0ith very bad hands 6like /2o7 and 0ill call station do0n a tiny pair against a late position
rase: you 0ouldnt beleive ho0 often ive been called do0n@ literally 0ith bottom pair/0orst
kicker 6%f course@ every no0 n then its good@ and that can be embarassing7
6'7 Check raise as often as you can
.ell@ so much for my 0it n 0isdom <f you guys 0ould like one final post@ then i 0ill@ at some
point Hopefully i didnt make some dreadful scre0up 0ith anyhting i said some0here in
thereuse at your o0n risk:::
( #A# posts
;$/ 1tandard 'and /@/
%hris 5addy %ool(
< see this kind of E.hat should < doBE hand all the time $his is my EtypicalE standard
line
J5 14/#4
< limp J$9 0ith - , *olded to the button 0ho raises 5linds drop out < call
*lopD - ) '
Check 5et Call
$urnD 2
Check 5et Call
1iverD $
< bet
bts8ider(
are you calling a river raise here since the button may have isolation raised 0ith a 0ide
range of PP'sB
%hris 5addy %ool(
"es < am calling a river raise
*or bonus points@ tell me 0hy this line is better than say betting the flop and then
calling do0n after getting raisedB
ern(
<f your hand is behind you pay 1/# S5 less unless he has a river raising hand 0here you
pay 1/# sb more but if you are ahead you miss a 55 0hen he checks the river 0/o an ace
"ou are unlikely to get a better ace to drop either but could get a premium pocket pair
to bet
'a#8tP0?;(
.ell@ you are either 0ay ahead to a pocket pair belo0 -- or 0ay behind@ to a larger ace
<f you bet/checkraise the flop@ you 0ill only be raised from a hand that likely has you
dominated 6-14:-?7 5etting may also end the induced bluffs of your opponent's JJ or
&&
5ut@ if you check/call to the river@ your opponent 0ill either keep betting his underpair
or his large ace 6since it is HJ7
"our bet on the river is a great one >any opponents 0ill check the river through 0ith
their underpair here@ as 0ell as be afraid to raise 0ith a larger ace
< like this line of play
;$0 38en2raising standards
Cate tha* )reat(
<f the opponents literally al0ays defend their blinds@ then some of your marginal hands
are good enough to 0in more than their fair share *or e;ample@ &$o holds 0ins (4#P
of the time against t0o random hands@ and J2s 0ins '2)P of the time against t0o
random hands Plus you are in position and ought to be able play better than them
postflop $he raise should really be thought of as being for value@ rather than as a steal
<f the opponents are a bit more selective about the hands that they defend 0ith@ that
isn't all bad for you Ho0 you 0on't 0in as much money postflop since there are
relatively stronger hands up against you@ but you'll 0in more money preflop since the
steal 0ill sometimes succeed
<n other 0ords@ you almost can0t go wrong by stealing freCuently against passive
opponents@ 0hether they are very loose@ some0hat loose@ or some0hat tight $hat
doesn't mean that you can play like a blind money postflopQ you need to kno0 0hen to
push and 0hen to take the free card@ 0hen to represent the ?ing that comes off on the
river and 0hen to give up 5ut any player 0ith some decent postflop skills ought to be
able to turn a profit by stealing 0ith a pretty liberal range of hands 0hen up against
passive opponents
-gainst aggressive opponents 0ho are capable of ':betting preflop and making semi:
bluffs and so forth postflop@ you need to be much more careful
;$? Am I 6#st r#nning badly,
Cemesis(
%ver the past 14k hands i've gone on the dreaded :'44 55 run %f course this leads to
self doubt and Eam i really a 0innerE popping into my head a lot .ould any #:'bb/144
0inners mind letting me pour over their P$racker databases < kno0 this gives an a0ful
lot of info about your o0n playing style@ but i'm desperate -s far as my o0n ra0
Ptracker stats go they're fairly mundane@ 0ith the e;ception of .$S8 and P*1P 0hich
schneids has been so kind to point out to me
!P<P #412P
P*1 11(#P
.R.S* '((P
.$S8 '+/(P
.RS8 (,),P
*olded S5 to steal ,/P
*olded 55 )+,P
-ttempted to steal 1/+P
55/144 :'42
na8hand(
Judging from posts like this one@ people really need to realise that '4? 3ust is not a big
enough sample for the stats to reveal trends on their own $here should be enough data@
combined 0ith 0hat you kno0 about your game@ for you to make some ad3ustments@
but it really is about what ,ou know about your game and your typical opponents
%n a do0ns0ing of this magnitude@ it is easy to do the follo0ingD
617 5ecome more aggressive on the *lop Y $urn 0ith hands like $P or #nd:pair 9?@
trying to force out players 0ho you kno0 0ill either 6i7 not fold any0ay@ or 6ii7 0ill be
dra0ing live or are ahead
6#7 Call do0n too often@ simply not .elieving you can keep losing 0ith your premium
hands that hit the flop $hey must be bluffing some of the time
Look closely at your P*1P and be sure that you are raising enough good hands 611P is
possible 0ith a bad run of cards@ over 14? hands@ though not very likely7 also check to
see you are raising 0ith position@ and re:raising enough
!R<P is ok 1est look ok@ e;cept steal attempts
"ou should be comfortable Esteal:raisingE around #)P even against blinds 0ho never
fold 5y this < mean you have enough value raises %$5 and C%@ to be able to hit #)P 9o
and spend some time revie0ing 0hat hands you should be raising in these spots against
#:' random hands@ it's a lot #)P is being pretty mean to yourself
< 0ould say on a bad run@ keep your P* and *lop play aggressive 6it is still cheap on
these streets7@ be sensible on the flop 6don't stick around 0ith hands that 0ill be
trouble@ or can hit and easily suffer a re:dra0@ esp multi:0ay7 -llo0 yourself the
chance to keep folding on those flops that miss@ stay in 0ith overcards 0hen you can do
so cheaply@ and have some kind of e;tra re:dra0 potential 60hen facing a bet7@ again
multi:0ay Check/fold overcards 0ith no dra0s against ' or more players depending on
the flop te;ture@ playing auto:bet into ':( players 0ith a #:suited and connected board
is going to lose money in R1/R#
%n the $urn@ learn to keep Cuitting to a C1 e;cept 0here you have big dra0s or 0here
you have a good read Passive players raising or C1 the $urn usually have the goods 8o
not be tempted to al0ays ':bet a C1 0ith $P$? 0hen the board is #:suited@ they are not
al0ays on the flush dra0 8% H%$ 9=$ *1JS$1-$=8 -H8 8=>%1-L<S=8@ even
though this is the natural 0ay to feel ?eep reminding yourself 0hat the correct play is@
keep 0atching your opponents
9et into your mind the idea that the ne4t card does not matter 0hen making your play
"our play is correct for the given situation@ regardless of 0hat the ne;t card actually is
>ake your play correct@ and then make your response to the ne;t card correct -l0ays
re:assess the board@ make sure you value:bet
< 0as 0atching R144/R#44 on Stars earlier this 0eek and the one feature that 0as
apparent 0as the players' capacity to 3ust keep value:betting@ relentlessly
croc.et(
< 0ould like you to elaborate on t0o things
T1
"ou mention re:raising < have found that at the R1/# level that the typical players 0ill
only raise 0ith premium hands 1e:raising@ even 0ith position@ 0ith hands less than <
0ould re:raise 0ith in a typical ring game 6ie --:JJ@ -?s@ -?@ possibly $$ or 22
depending on the situation7 has brought me nothing but trouble Ho0ever@ < seem to be
leaning more to0ards cold calling 6itZs very hard for me to do because <Zm so anit:cold
call7 because of the likelihood that many 0ill cold call behind me 6ie hands like -Js@
?Js@ sometimes even J$s@ or $2s7
Could you give some e;amples of cases 0here you think reraising is appropriate in a +:
ma; gameB
T#
$his should be an easy one <Zm kind of slo0 and < didnZt understand 0hat you meant
about the Stars comment 8id you mean that players 0ere 3ust auto betting the flop@
turn@ and river 3ust because they had raised pre:flop 0hen it probably 0asnZt the right
thing to do because the flop had missed them so badly and they 0ere getting called
do0n by someone 0ho had paired the board or a strong dra0 for e;ampleB
<s this 0hat you meant by _relentlessly value betting` $his is definitely one of my leaks
if that is 0hat you meant
Ca8hand(
<f you are in games 0here the players only raise premium hands@ then you have a lot of
easy decisions P* Predictable $here are still plenty of players 0ho raise light@ or 0ith
some favourite type of hand 6such as any pair@ any suited broad0ay regardless of kicker@
any -7 -gainst players like this@ you must re:raise more often to really hurt the limpets
0ho 0ant to play every hand@ of course you need a decent hand to re:raise 0ith@ and
that needs to be better the more you think players 0ill cold:call
=ditD < read an article by a player 0ho 0as in a live game and could see the ne;t players
cards 6let's not discuss the ethics7 He raised every playable hand 6it 0as full:ring <
believe7 9etting HJ or short 0ith one player 0hose cards ,ou know is a massive
advantage@ even 0ithout seeing the flop $he more you can put your opponent on a tight
range of hands@ the more 0illing you should be to re:raise as you 0ill be able to outplay
them post:flop %ddly enough@ those players 0ith a very 0ide/light raising standards
should also be re:raised more@ but this time for value <t's the players in:bet0een that
are the problem
=;ampleD Loose player 0ho raises ---P 6-ny -ce -ny Position7 re:raise your mid:pairs
up@ good -ces and hands like ?&@ &Js7 5e a0are that you 0ant position in this spot@ re:
raising a multi:0ay pot out of position 0ith something like -Jo or ?&o is Cuite a tricky
proposition@ big suiteds it should be auto
< don't like cold:calling unless there is already another cold:caller in <f the table is ver,
likely to cold call behind you then you can indeed cold call more 0ith big suited 6never a
PP or -?o/-&o7@ J$s 0ould be my minimum outside the blinds 6$2s and J2s are too
much trouble and get you out:kicked too often7 and probably only %$5 0ith at least one
caller in and loose@ predictable blinds $2s and J2s are value:steal hands
<f you 0ant to kno0 0hat < mean by the Stars comment@ go 0atch the R144/R#44 Stars
game $hese guys 0ill not let up betting until they are told@ e;cept on some ultra:bad
boards 6and then they probably have the goods 7 -ll those hands you thought the
1iver 0as scaryB $hey will bet
;$; 1to8*n*)o
fs#8layer(
< have one Cuestion concerning the stop 'n go
%bviously a SY9 is used to combat 0hen you think somebody is raising for a free card@
so you then bet into them on a blank turn@ thus charging them the ma; for their dra0
Here is 0hat i dont completely understandD
<f < am fairly confident that the villian is raising for a free card@ 0hy not ' bet
immediately and then lead the turnB
3ust trying to clear up 0hen e;actly to ' bet@ or 0hen to 3ust call and lead out on the
turn
< realiFe that their odds are much 0orse on the turn to hit@ but you are still a fav on the
flop@ so 0hy not stay agg right thereB
Cate tha* )reat(
"ou make an e;cellent point $here aren't many heads up situations in 0hich the stop:
n:go is superior to the ':bet:n:go <f you know that your oppoenent is raising for a free
card@ you absolutely must ':bet
>ore realistically@ ho0ever@ there are spots 0hen an opponent may be raising for a free
card@ but may also be raising 0ith a legitimate hand
*or e;ample@ suppose that you hold
? &
and the flop is & $ )
Suppose that you kno0 that your opponent holds =V-C$L" one of the follo0ing three
hands "our eCuity against each hand is in parenthesisD
- ? 6+/+P7
- 2 6)((P7
- & 61('P7
"our combined eCuity against this range of hands is ()/P =ven though you are
EaheadE against t0o of his three combinations@ you are actually an underdog in the hand
because he has more outs to catch up if he's behind than you have to catch up if you are
behind $herefore@ ':betting is probably not advisable
Ho0 suppose that the # falls on the turn
"our eCuity position has improved Cuite a bitD
- ? 6/(1P7
- 2 6,#,P7
- & 6+/P7
"ou are no0 a )()P LfavoriteL against his collective range of holdings@ so you should
bet
<n multi0ay situations@ the stop:n:go comes up more freCuently if you flop something
like top pair on a highly coordinated board@ since your opponents may hold a lot of
collective outs against you
() #) very simple Cuestions
)#ido(
<'m trying to adapt to +:ma; but up until no0 it's very hard for me < do play aggressive
but maybe a little to aggressive Jp until no0 <'ve only played #? hands at )/14 and <'m
do0n ,455 < kno0 this isn't much and the s0ings can be huge but < a lot of Cuestions
-sume a typical )/14 0ith no reads Please tell me 0hat your action 0ould be in every
situation
1 "ou have // at the button and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
# "ou have ,, at the button and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
' "ou have // in S5 and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
( "ou have ,, in S5 and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
) "ou have // in 55 and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
+ "ou have ,, in 55 and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
, "ou have // in S5 and C% or button raises
/ "ou have ,, in S5 and C% or button raises
2 "ou have // in 55 and C% or button raises
14 "ou have ,, in 55 and C% or button raises
11 <n any of these Cuestions 0ould you play ++ different than ,,B
1# "ou have ?Jo in C% and it's folded to you
1' "ou have &Jo in C% and it's folded to you
1( "ou have J$o in C% and it's folded to you
1) "ou have $2s in C% and it's folded to you
1+ "ou have /2s in C% and it's folded to you
1, "ou have J2s in C% and at's folded to you
1/ .ould there be any difference 0hen you are at the button in Cuestion 1#:1,B
12 "ou open raised &Jo in LP@ 55 called *lop is #),r@ 55 bets out
#4 .hen do you play ##:++B
#1 J$9 raises@ a CC and you have ,/o in 55
## 5utton raises@ you have ?#s in 55
#' 5utton raises and you have ?/s in 55
#( 1 limper and you have ,/o in S5
#) 1 limper and you have ,#s in S5
Sorry 0hen these are very simple for you and <'m boring you 0ith them $hanks for
your time@
)#ido
samdash(
-ssuming you kno0 nothing about the players in any of the situations
1 ' bet
# ' bet
' ' bet
( ' bet
) Call and lead out on most flops
+ Call and lead out on most flops
, ' bet
/ ' bet
2 Sometimes < ' bet@ sometimes < call/lead out
14 same
11 you have to dra0 the line some0here
1# raise it up
1' usually raise unless you've developed a EmaniacE table image
1( fold
1) < sometimes raise this here@ probably depends on image
<f you play Ebig cards onlyE but occasionally a hand like this
it should 0ork 0ell for you
1+ Similar to $2s
1, sdflsdfis3dflisd3f
1/ < open raise these all on the button $hey're probably all good enough even against
a staunch blind defender
12 try to keep track of ho0 often he's making this play <f you've caught him doing it
0ith nothing@ occasionally put in a raise here Jsually fold : most people do this
0ith small pairs hoping you'll give up right a0ay@ as checkraising 0ill usually get
you further involved in the hand
#4 open raise any pair on the button obviouslydepending on table image and ho0
loose
the table is <'ll sometimes raise as early as J$9 0ith )) and ++
#1 fold
## fold
#' call and play fit or fold on the flop
#( fold
#) fold
8eterPr#s(
.ithout readings i usuallyD
1:14 'bet if H% limpers bet0een us : if they e;ist:then call
11 <n any of these Cuestions 0ould you play ++ different than ,,B
no
1#:1' raise
1(:1, fold
1/ .ould there be any difference 0hen you are at the button in Cuestion 1#:1,B
"es@ J2s : raise
12 "ou open raised &Jo in LP@ 55 called *lop is #),r@ 55 bets out
8epending on 55 i
1 *old
# raise
' call 6and fold or raise on turn7
< mi; such things
#4 .hen do you play ##:++B
++ 1aise first from any pos )) : 1aise J$9A1@C%@5J$$%H ((:1aise first on 5utton or
S5 ''@## : 1aise against 55 from S5 only
))@++ 'bet on 5utton if C% raise or fold sometimes if some tight J$9 raised too
#1 J$9 raises@ a CC and you have ,/o in 55
depend on my current mood : call more often
## 5utton raises@ you have ?#s in 55
call
#' 5utton raises and you have ?/s in 55
call
#( 1 limper and you have ,/o in S5
fold
#) 1 limper and you have ,#s in S5
fold
)#ido(
<t seems that the t0o of you almost al0ays ':bet ,, and // against an unkno0n raiser
Peterbrus 0here do you dra0 the lineB 8o you ':bet ))B .hy don't you raise 2$s but do
raise J2s at the button first inB
Should )) and ++ be raised from almost any position first inB
"ou guys seem to think different about ?# and ?/s as hands to defend your blinds 0ith
.hat does the rest think about thisB
.hen there are # limpers and you hold #,s or ,/o in the S5 0hat do you doB
$hanks@
9uido
tri8dad(
1':bet
#':bet
'call
(call
)call
+call
,':bet
/':bet
2':bet
14':bet
11no
1#raise
1'raise
1(raise
1)raise
1+fold
1,fold
1/no
12raise
#4most al0ays
#1fold
##fold
#'fold
#(fold
#)fold
Cate tha* )reat(
$his is 0hat <'d usually doQ < 0on't make any claims that it's correct
1 "ou have // at the button and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
':bet
# "ou have ,, at the button and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
':bet
' "ou have // in S5 and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
':bet or call
( "ou have ,, in S5 and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
':bet or call
) "ou have // in 55 and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
call
+ "ou have ,, in 55 and J$9 or J$9 A 1 raises
call
, "ou have // in S5 and C% or button raises
':bet
/ "ou have ,, in S5 and C% or button raises
':bet
2 "ou have // in 55 and C% or button raises
':bet or call
14 "ou have ,, in 55 and C% or button raises
':bet or call
11 <n any of these Cuestions 0ould you play ++ different than ,,B
$he only close decisions@ <>H%@ are T' and T( < might muck ++ against a tough J$9
raiser
1# "ou have ?Jo in C% and it's folded to you
1aise
1' "ou have &Jo in C% and it's folded to you
1aise
1( "ou have J$o in C% and it's folded to you
1aise or fold@ depending on table te;ture Jsually raise
1) "ou have $2s in C% and it's folded to you
1aise or fold@ depending on table te;ture < like this hand better than J$o
1+ "ou have /2s in C% and it's folded to you
1aise or fold Jsually raise
1, "ou have J2s in C% and at's folded to you
1aise or fold Jsually raise
1/ .ould there be any difference 0hen you are at the button in Cuestion 1#:1,B
Hot really
12 "ou open raised &Jo in LP@ 55 called *lop is #),r@ 55 bets out
Probably call Sometimes raise
#4 .hen do you play ##:++B
.hen < feel like it
#1 J$9 raises@ a CC and you have ,/o in 55
8epends on ho0 tough the J$9 player is < probably call 0ith offsuit connectors more
than < should
## 5utton raises@ you have ?#s in 55
*old )4P@ Call '4P@ ':bet #4P
#' 5utton raises and you have ?/s in 55
Call or ':bet
#( 1 limper and you have ,/o in S5
Call
#) 1 limper and you have ,#s in S5
*old
samdash( Fto Cate tha* )reatG
1 limper and ,ou have #$o in B5 call
1eallyB
Cate tha* )reat(
Sure@ unless the 55 is very aggressive <t's an okay hand and < can play 0ell postflop
1chneids( Fto samdashG
=asy call =specially against people that overplay their hands and go too far 0ith them
stri8sH#ee!(
i dont 0ant to ans0er #) Cuestions : i think guido already kno0s the ans0er to #' of
them any0ay
i do 0ant to comment on a couple of ans0ers : completing the S5 6assuming its a 1D#
blind structure7 0ith /,o after 1 limper is too loose : if the other guys are horrible then i
could probably complete 0ith ,#o and it 0ouldnt be too bad@ but as a default plan i dont
like it
' betting an J$9 raise from the S5 0ith // or ,, seems a pushy business to me :
someone sho0 me 144A hands from pokertracker 0here this plan has been adopted
0ith say ++:// and its A and i 0ill recant
stripsCueeF : chickenha0k
ehn( Fto stri8sH#ee!G
< agree 144P
1chneids(
Quote:
i do want to comment on a couple of answers - completing the SB (assuming its a
1:2 blind structure) with 8o after 1 limper is too loose - if the other gu!s are
horrible then i could probabl! complete with 2o and it wouldnt be too bad, but as
a default plan i dont li"e it
#ightie$$
Quote:
% betting an &#' raise from the SB with 88 or seems a push! business to me -
someone show me 1(() hands from po"ertrac"er where this plan has been adopted
with sa! **-88 and its ) and i will recant
+ tend to agree with this statement, though +,m curious if there is an! ,eas!, wa! to ha-e
.o"ertrac"er help me research this further$ /r is the onl! wa! to do such a thing b! going to the
position tab, clic"ing on SB, then loo"ing through the 00 of each occurence and calculatinig b!
hand the times !ou ha-e 88, etc, against an &#' raise$
+ as" because glancing, + see + ha-e raised 88 **1 of the time from m! SB2 +,m curious if there,s
a more e3act wa! to e3amine when +,m raising -ersus completing -ersus folding2
samdash(
>i;ed responses on the ,/o in S5 scenario : < don't think this matters either 0ay : if
you play better than your opponents go ahead and get in there if you 0ant to Looks like
it can sho0 a small amount of profit according to some people's P$ results Ho0 about '
betting the small pairs out of the small blind this might not be the best idea against
the tighter opponents 5ut -gainst some of the more aggressive players that 0ill raise
any # big cards < think its important to take control and try to force them into a mistake
on the flop 6folding 0hen they miss but still have + outs7 =V $hey raise 0ith ?& and
you take it a0ay on an - high flop <f you 3ust call and then bet out it looks a little fishy@
plus you're probably better off eliminating the big blind from the hand < could even see
pushing an opponent off of a pocket pair a couple ranks higher 6' bet 0ith ,, against
0hat is actually 22 then lead out on - ? V flop : pretty rare this 0ill happen but perhaps
a small added benefit of the play7 8o you think these reasons make it correct against
the right playersB
1chneids(
+)oD 1/1 times@ )1'/!P<P@ :1+55/hand
,)oD 1/' times@ 4))!P<P@ :#)55/hand
,+oD 1/1 times@ )'4(!P<P@ :#155/hand
/+oD 1+1 times@ '+4#!P<P@ :#(55/hand
/,oD 1,' times@ )#+!P<P@ :#/55/hand
2+oD 1,2 times@ #)1(!P<P@ :#'55/hand
2,oD 12' times@ (')#!P<P@ A42555/hand
2/oD 1+/ times@ ),1(!P<P@ :1/55/hand
$+oD 1+( times@ 1/#2!P<P@ :1155/hand
$,oD 1)4 times@ ',''!P<P@ :#,55/hand
$/oD #41 times@ )4#)!P<P@ :1255/hand
$2oD 1/4 times@ +'''!P<P@ A1155/hand
-lright@ so in that group of hands@ there are only t0o 0here to this point in time it'd
have been better to fold every single time rather than play 0ith them
Considering this 0hole group of hands sho0s a trend of doing better than :#)55/hand@
< think for me and for my game any0ay@ it is better for me to selectively complete and
play these hands $hese numbers sho0 my bottom line has improved 0hen in
comparison to folding and remaining at 4 =! 0ith them@ therefore < stand behind my
statements that these types of hands are 'typically' playable for a complete in the S5@
specifically in the 14/#4 +:ma; any0ay
)#ido(
.ell < don't think <'m a bad player in a full ring game but < 0ant to get a feeling about
the differences bet0een +:ma; and a full ring game <n a full ring game < almost al0ays
raise 22 and sometimes // 5ut ho0 far do0n should you go 0ith this in a +:ma; game
< kno0 pairs go up in value same 0ith t0o paint cards -nd again ho0 far do you go <'m
not a very good player 0hen it's shorthanded in a full ring game Probably because <'m
too tight 0hen it gets do0n to 1 or # opponents $hat's 0hy < asked these Cuestions <
can guess but < might be completely 0rong -nd as < can see from the ans0ers there is
almost no hand 0here everybody does the same so it isn't very clear
9uido
1chneids(
8on't s0eat any of this
< kno0 the present me is a better player than the me + months ago that sa0 over '4P of
flops and 0as rather passive postflop
< kno0 the present me sees things the me of + months ago sucked at
< kno0 the present me sees things from the me of 1 month ago that 0ere still leaks
-nd <'m pretty damn sure the me of 1 month from no0 0ill think the present me 0as a
leaky player
.ith the e;ception of maybe ' or ( people that come to my mind 0ho freCuent this
particular forum@ < am pretty sure 0e're all learning and picking up things constantly
So even if one hand you post might be EeasyE for a fe0 of the posters here@ it's still great
you're posting them and about 22P of the rest of us are all learning from your posts as
0ell
)#ido(
-t the moment it's 3ust hard .hen < played at full ring games < had a 1)455
do0ns0ing Ho0 <'m playing +:ma; and < can add an other 2455 to that < posted those
hands because <'m not sure but nobody responds to them StripsCueeF said <'m not
aggressive enough < think it's 3ust misplaced aggression $o figure this out < need
feedback
< have a hard time playing overcards
$0o e;amplesD
=P raises@ < ':bet -?@ rest folds *lop #+/r and =P check:raises me >ost of the time <
fold or call and fold on the turn
1 limper@ < raise -&o and the rest folds *lop '+?r@ < bet and the limper check:raises me
< fold
Same kind of situations 0ith a pair - raise@ < ':bet $$ and the flop comes &J'r and <
get check:raised
%r < open raise ,,@ get ':bet by the S5 and the 55 comes along *lop comes ?&(r@ S5
bets@ 55 calls@ < fold
Sometimes < re:raise 0hen < have $$ on a J+#r board for e;ample but it seems that
virually every hand < enter < lose -nd it feels like every time < fold < 0ould have ended
up a 0inner
< don't mind it 0hen < lose as long as < kno0 <'m playing 0ell -t +:ma; < don't kno0
0hether <'m playing 0ell or not@ at a full ring game < do
< have an other CuestionD
Ho0 do you play -$o after # limpers and you are in the blindsB 1aiseB
$hanks@
9uido
na8hand(
<f you don't kno0 0hat you are doing@ 0hat the hell are you doing playing R)/R14B
Party is not the only site to offer SH@ but it is the only on that offers nothing bet0een
R1/R# and R)/R14 $he players may be the most stupid@ but that does not make it the
best place to play@ esp if you 0ant to learn
J5 has better post:flop players@ even at the lo0er limits Stars has more aggro players@
even at the lo0er limits
<f you are folding -?o to a C1@ drop limits and play a level 0here you don't 0orry about
':betting@ calling do0n or C1 him back on the $urn Play at a level 0here you can try
different plans/styles 0ithout threatening your bankroll -t the moment you seem to be
losing too much in too many uncertain positions
-lso@ spend more time reading the posts from the last + months on the forum <t does
not take long to pick up a good playing style for these kinds of hands@ it is then 3ust a
Cuestion of having the balls/nouse/sense to apply that to the game .hen you are
learning@ you need to be reading theory@ reading the forum@ posting some@ and playing
some 1inse and repeat
.hen posting hands@ < recommend you revie0 your play each day and maybe post one
or t0o hands that you felt you played particularly badly or 0ere very uncertain about
>ore interesting hands get a better response@ esp if you bother to e;plain your
rationale to the rest of the forum Just ho0 do you e;pect to get a coherent response
from #) CuestionsB "ou 0ill get #) different ans0ersI
$ake responsibilty for your o0n learning by doing your o0n research here@ in books and
at the tables@ and concentrating on a particular aspect of your game <f your pre:flop
choices are giving you problems@ then you don't even need to post here@ this has been
discussed over and over and over and over on this forum Look through Poker$racker
and see 0hich position is giving you the biggest leak@ or some similar aspect of your
game $hen go to 0ork
$he forum is not a magic bullet@ it's 3ust a vehicle to develop your o0n thinking $here is
no simple/single ans0er to any Cuestion 6aparet from the e;tremes7
)#ido(
$hanks for your advice Haphand < 0ouldn't call myself a complete beginner <'m 3ust
ne0 to +:ma; and need to ad3ust my hand selection <'ve read some posts about this but
some are specific situations <'m confident about my postflop play@ <'ve some leaks 3ust
like everybody else but not ma3or ones < think <'ve lot's of e;perience at full ring tables
3ust not at +:ma;
Quote:
4t the moment !ou seem to be losing too much in too man! uncertain positions2
+ learn 5uic"l! and that,s wh! + posted a lot of hands2 +,m sorr! when those hands are boring to
!ou2 .lease ignore them2 + ha-e some lea"s but those are eas! to plug + thin"2 + 6ust need to ad6ust
to *-ma32 + don,t thin" all the hands +,-e posted are that eas! though222
Quote:
4lso, spend more time reading the posts from the last * months on the forum2
+,-e read a lot of posts222
Quote:
7hen !ou are learning, !ou need to be reading theor!, reading the forum, posting
some, and pla!ing some2 8inse and repeat2
+ don,t do an!thing else222
Quote:
+ recommend !ou re-iew !our pla! each da! and ma!be post one or two hands that
!ou felt !ou pla!ed particularl! badl! or were -er! uncertain about2
+ alwa!s re5uest the 00 when +,m pla!ing and + didn,t li"e the wa! + pla!ed it2 7hen + end m!
session + go through those hands and sometimes post them when + ha-e no idea what would be
the best wa! to pla! them2
Quote:
9ust how do !ou e3pect to get a coherent response from 2: 5uestions$ ;ou will get
2: different answers<
+ didn,t e3pact the same answers2 + 6ust wanted to get an idea about how aggressi-e !ou need to
pla! preflop2 #hat,s all222
Quote:
#a"e responsibilt! for !our own learning b! doing !our own research here, in
boo"s and at the tables, and concentrating on a particular aspect of !our game2
4gain, + don,t do an!thing else222
Quote:
+f !our pre-flop choices are gi-ing !ou problems, then !ou don,t e-en need to post
here, this has been discussed o-er and o-er and o-er and o-er on this forum2
+ don,t thin" this is completel! true2 + reali=e that +,-e as"ed some basic 5uestions and +,m sorr!
about that2 + don,t thin" all preflop decisions are eas! and + certainl! don,t thin" e-er!thing has
been discussed here and + also don,t thin" it,s wrong to post them again when most of us can
learn something from it2
Quote:
#he forum is not a magic bullet, it,s 6ust a -ehicle to de-elop !our own thin"ing2
#here is no simple>single answer to an! 5uestion
+ "now that2 #his isn,t the first time +,m at 2)2222
#han"s,
'uido
na8hand(
Quote:
+ don,t do an!thing else222
'et out more2
Quote:
+ don,t thin" all preflop decisions are eas! and + certainl! don,t thin" e-er!thing has
been discussed here and + also don,t thin" it,s wrong to post them again when most
of us can learn something from it2
.? is the easiest and most formualic part of po"er2 /ur choices are almost alwa!s -er! simple2
Some situations occur that are a bit tric"ier, but the answers are almost alwa!s -er! simple2
#his forum will never answer all the 5uestions, or co-er e-er! angle2 But is it reall! about
5uestions$ + repeat@ there is enough on this forum for !our to de-elop an entirel! coherent, solid
.? strateg!2 +t is about strateg!, not hands2 +t will ne-er be a AcompletedA manual of answers2
#he same .? 5uestion is different according to:
(i) #able conditions
(ii) ;our table image
(iii) 7hat !ou did pre-iousl!
(i-) 7hat !ou want to achie-e in this hand .?
(-) 7hat image !ou want to create
(-i) ;our position
(-ii) #he position of !our opponents relati-e to !ou
(-iii) 7hat !our opponents ha-e been doing
(i3) 0ow !ou feel toda!
(3) 7hat is going on at the other table>s
(3i) #he presence of a maniac
(3ii) #he number of fish! pla!ers
'i-en all this !ou then ha-e to decide what !ou actions are li"el! to achie-e, and ad6ust
according to what happens2 9ust as hands do not ta"e place Ain a -acuum cleanerA, !our .?
decisions ha-e to be ta"en in conte3t as well2 7hat ma"es .? decision so much easier is, we
don,t ha-e a pre-ious round of betting to consider2
+t is li"e the argument: if !ou call a raise with 4#s, wh! not 4Bs$ and if 4Bs wh! not 48s etc2
(as has happened recentl!, again)2
+? +# +S S#+CC 4 D/EDF8E then tighten up !our hand selection2 #his will cost !ou a some FG
but reduce !our -ariance hugel!, and ma"e a lot of post-flop decisions easier2 #he normal ad-ice
to A"eep pla!ing good po"erA applies onl! where !ou actuall! belie-e !ou are pla!ing good
po"er2
PeterPr#s(
&uoteD
% betting an &#' raise from the SB with 88 or seems a push! business to me
+t,s good bus!ness i thin"2 9ust 2 things:
12 ;ou scared &#'-raiser2
22 ;ou -er! possibl! ta"e push out blinds and the rest of table - thus gi-es !ou (2BB to pot
immediatel!2
%2 ;ou -er! probabl! (around ::-(1 depending on raiser) ahead of raiser .?2
/ne thing to consider: + reraise &#' raise depending of his .?8 if it 18 and higher - i would
reraise e-en :: if 1:) - i would reraise **), if 1% - , 11 - 88 etc2
#he onl! thing to worr! about while %-bet is that earl! raiser has big pair2 +f so - he will cap2 +f
not - !ou are ahead2 0e can fold ## to 49H-flop -er! eas!, if he has 4ce !ou easil! spot this b!
his calling>raising on flop2 +f flop is a rag - he is forced to draw his o-ercards thus gi-e !ou much
more mone!2
Iedium (:-B) pairs is -er! strong cards in *ma32
+ don,t "now if m! stats are good in general or no but i li"e it and use the wa! to %-bet them in
:>1(:
hand times winJpct bbJhand flopJpct pfr wtsd wsd
BB 1HB,(( :*,%8 (,*8 BB,%% B,BB :%,:2 H,%
88 1%H,(( :*,2 (,H8 B,(1 BH,(% :2,( HB,21
1H:,(( :H,H8 (, B:,1 8H,8% :2,21 :,:
** 1*:,(( H8,H8 (,%H B2,12 *,B H2,( H:,B(
:: 1:,(( H:,22 (,: B,*2 ::,H1 H:,8* *(,**
stri8sH#ee!( Fto 1chneidsG
&uoteD
+ stand behind m! statements that these t!pes of hands are ,t!picall!, pla!able for a
complete in the SB, specificall! in the 1(>2( *-ma3 an!wa!
i rushed home !esterda! an3ious to pull out po"ertrac"er and demonstrate !ou ha-e no clue
ummm - !ou win
strips5uee= - chic"enhaw"
(+ 5ugs on >aniacs
B#gsB#nny(
>aniacs can be very profitable@ as some of you have found out $hey basically come in #
flavors@ 0ith a couple of subflavors as 0ell : all maniacs aren't created eCual "ou have
the thinking L-9 $hese can be very dangerous at any time and play 0ell postflop "ou
forget that fact because you have them classified as a maniac $hey make their money
0hen people start to play back at them and they actually have the goods $hey get paid
off huge .hen they don't have a hand and someone plays back at them they'll fold@
although if nobody plays back at them they'll often try to bluff till the river
$he thinking maniac 0ill also recogniFe a good player and try to not get tangled up in
hands 0ith them unless they really have the goods
$hen you have your classic maniac $his one 0ill raise preflop and all the 0ay to the
river 0ith a hand or 0ithout Subflavors 0ill slo0 do0n on the turn
5oth kinds can be profitable 5oth kinds can destroy you 0hen they start to catch cards@
especially if you run into and don't recogniFe the thinking kind and mistake himm for
the EstandardE kind 5ut even the standard kind can get into a run 0here he can't miss
.ith either kind if you can isolate them they're often 0orth calling do0n 0ith as little as
- or ? high 60ith a ? you usually 0ant a decent kicker@ but not necessarily ? high is
obviusly higher variance7 $hat means never raising/betting e;cept for the preflop
isolation raise and simply checking or calling as needed <f your calling do0n 0ith a
0eak hand you don't 0ant to give them any opportunity to raise you@ but every
opportunity to bluff their chips to you
Hote that the thinking kind 0ill recogniFe 0hat you're doing 6eventually7 and start
checking behind as 0ell $hat's fine : don't fall into the trap of starting to bet against
them if they start checking since they'll then start checking they're good hands to check:
raise you@ probably on the river 61emember these are thinking L-9S 0e're talking
about7Just stay in pure calldo0n mode
.hen you have more players in the hand and they don't let you isolate@ or you have
multiple L-9S in the gam that like to raise each other and really build up those pots
60hich is 0hat L-9S love to do@ they live for the giant pot7 "ou need to tighten 0ay up
: especially postflop $he more players that are normally in a hand the more you need to
tighten up <f you're paying multiple bets on every street to can't afford to be chasing
do0n dra0s etc "ou're implied odds are 3ust too damaged Ho0ever if you have #
maniacs that consistently go at it then any pair can become profitable@ as long as you
fold 0ith no set 6# opponents@ you need to make 11 55 postflop7 <f they consistently cap
every street and both play and call caps to the river that's 1# 55 <f you get even 1 other
player calling preflop you only need 2 55 postflop@ 0hich becomes easier Ho0 you can
figure ) 55 on the flop meaning you only need ( 55 on the turn and river $hat's usually
easy 0ith # true maniacs in the hand
Hote that if you have@ or can reasonably e;pect@ multiple players in the hand 6even if
you reraise7 then sometimes calling is tthe better play "ou don't necessarilly 0ant to
al0ays reraise a maniac preflop Pairs@ especially medium to small ones@ fall in this
category <f you can isolate then they're usually 0orth reraising 0ith %ther0ise you
usually 0ant to 3ust call and build up a multi0ay pot playing for a set
So 0ith multiple players in the hand you have to ad3ust both preflop and postflop@ but it
can also be very profitable $hose days 0here you can't catch anything though can get
very e;pensive
%ne other thing about manics >ost of them are readable to at least some e;tent $he
pure maniac that raises preflop and on every street is actually a rather rare creature
$h'ey may not be easy to read@ but there are indications *irst try to figure out 0hat
types of hands they play preflop 6there's a difference bet0een a )4P !P<P@ ,4P !P<P
and 24P !P<P 5ut even the 24P !P<P has some hands that they 0on't play .hat are
theyB
He;t try to figure out their betting patterns $hey have them@ although they may be
difficult to figure out
*inally : don't get in raising 0ars 0ith mediocre hands Save the raising 0ars for very
strong hands
- book 0ith some great sections in it on playing against maniacs of different flavors is
6nside the %oker 7ind by John *eeney 6#A#7 1/ pages dedicated to playing against
maniacs <t's a very good book for other reasons as 0ell and is highly recommended by
me
(, 5ugs on small/middle pairs
B#gsB#nny(
Ho0 to play small to middle pairs 6especially the middle ones7 is one of the keys to this
game 5ut 0hat < believe is the correct method is counter:intuitive for someone coming
from a full ring game
*irst@ the Sklansky Cuote you think you remember is in reference to calling a raise in the
55 0ith any pair 6all you need is the raiser and one cold:caller7 -t least that's the one <
think you're thinking of
<n a shorthanded game@ against a raiser@ you have # choices 1aise to isolate or fold <f
you can get it HJ and he doesn't have a higher 0ired pair you have the edge 6usually@
depending on your e;act pair and on his hand something like J$s is a small favorite
over small PP's@ < believe up to ++ 6might be ,,7 : if they stay to the river7 So deciding if
you raise or fold becomes player dependent $he lo0er his raising standards the more
likely you should be to isolate Ho0 to play after that depends@ of course@ but in many
cases 6not all7 you should probably at least call do0n to a sho0do0n 6trying to get there
cheaply7
<f there's already cold:callers it becomes a different issue %ne thing about the + ma;
game is that people tend to stay in 0ith hands longer than they do in a full ring So if
you hit a set 6especially on a raggedy board7 you can usually get paid off by overcards
.ith that in mind you can usually cold:call a raise 0ith a pair@ if you're on the button@
and you have at least 1 cold:caller to the initial raise 5y coldcalling you're also inducing
the blinds to come along
<'ll also usually limp behind any number of limpers if <'m on the 5$ 6and may raise
trying to drive out the blinds 0ith the stronger medium pairs7 5ut limping on the 5$
gives you multiple 0ays to 0in the pot@ since you can often steal the pot 6possibly 0ith
the best hand7 if the flop gets checked around to you
*inally 0e come to J$9 play@ 0here <'m kno0 often limping 0ith any pair $his isn't
something <'d recommend if you're 3ust starting + ma; though .hen you limp early
one of # things is likely to happen <f you're normally aggressive people may suspect you
have something like -- and fold around to the 55 $hat's good@ because <'ll take a pair@
especially 0ith position@ against a random hand anyday $he other possibility is that you
get a bunch of people limping along $hat's good because you no0 have odds to dra0 for
a set .hen you limp like this from early note that you are H%$ 3ust playing for set
potential 5ut kno0ing ho0 and 0hen to push you're pair of ''s into the field from =P
can be very tricky 6check:raise in the correct circumstances for 17
*inally@ if you have # or ' players in you can consider cold:calling a ' bet if you're in the
55 5ecause of the pot siFe 6and the fact they 0ere 0illing to get in for ' bets7 you'll
usually get paid off enough if you hit you're set there .ith # opponents you're getting
') to 1 on the initial call and can usually e;tract ( more 55 0ithout too much trouble
Hote that some of the above is more geared for the aggressive games found at )/14 and
up <n passive games 6or aginst passive opponents in general7 0here you may not get
paid off some of the assumptions change@ but if they're passive they're unlikely to be in
there for ' bets in the first place 6unless they're total calling stations@ 0hich means you
0ill get paid off7
So ultimately it depends D7 but pairs are usually more playable then you may think@ if
you play them correctly postflop Hop0 some of the above makes sense@ i Haven't
proofread it so it may read like a 3umbled mess <f you have any more Cuestions <'ll try
and ans0er them
(/ 5ugs on his stats
B#gsB#nny(
%? 3ust so you have some idea of 0hat ballpark < feel stats should be in heres my stats
for JanuaryD 6Standard deviation M 1+( 55/1447 $hese aren't perfect and <'m 0orking
to improve them@ but < think that they're not bad

< think thatD
17 < have to defend from the 55 a bit more against steals
#7 < have to tone do0n the overall aggression some0hat
'7 <n con3unction 0ith # < need to increase my c/r number by ) to 1P 6it should
probably be some0here bet0een 1) and #P7
$hese points are especially true once < move to 14/#4 60hich is a more aggressive game
to start 0ith hence needs more trapping@ slo0playing and 3ust calling do0n7 $here
might be 1 or # other small areas@ not sure yet myself < 0ant to try to eke out another )
A 55/144@ that 0ould probably put me at the upper end of 0hats doable at this limit
6') to (@ ma,.e () is pretty much the ma; longterm earn that can be obtained at this
limit from everything <'ve heard7 $hat said <f < can stay at ' 55/144 <'d be a pretty
happty camper
$he other area that 0ill change at 14/#4 is !P<P@ 0hich 0ill get higher by a fe0 points
$he blind structure is different so additional hands 0ill be playable out of the S5 6more
suited hands are completable@ as 0ell as some of the better unsuited connectors 0hich <
no0 muck preflop7
$he improvements at this stage are almost certainly of the incremental variety though@
nothing ma3or $he ma3or overhauls have been done over the last # months or so and
this is 0here < ended up
5ut there's al0ays room for improvement
$he other thing < 0ant to say is don't try to duplicate these stats@ that's not the purpose
*irst of all the level you're playing at 0ill dictate 0hat some of the numbers should be
for optimum results Second of all it's possible to 0in 0ith diffeent styles 6up to a point7
Ho0ever if some numbers are 0ildly out of 0ack it's an area you can probably
investigate and see 0hat's happening in terms of your game Some of the numbers are
more style deterministic than others
) Hand =;amples
)1 5lind play@ a fe0 hands from a +:ma; beginner
)#ido(
Hi all@
< started playing +:ma; last 0eek for a couple of reasons *irst of all to improve my SH
game and especially my blind play <'m terrible in defending my blinds and stealing 0ith
maginal hands Second@ < have a better game selection at +:ma; games during the
daytime 6=urope7 than at full ring games -nd the third reason is that < 3ust 0ant to
learn something different after playing thousands of hands at full ring games
<'ve already talked 0ith some good and regular posters in this forum 6thanks again for
helping me out7 and it seemed my postflop play isn't that bad@ but < have to defend my
blinds more@ complete more in the S5 and steal more in LP $onight < played for the
first time after talking 0ith them and here are a couple of hands < 0ould like your
opinion on >ost of them are probably very boring Sorry about that but <'m 3ust
beginning
< 0ill make ' posts %ne 0ith some hands 0here < played in the blinds@ one about blind
stealing and one 0ith some normal hands
Hand 1
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ ) handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 55 0ith $ @ ?
1 fold@ >P raises@ " folds@ 9uido calls@
Flo8( 6((4 S57 + @ ' @ - 6# players7
9uido checks@ >P bets@ 9uido folds
Final Pot( #,4 55
Hormally < 0ould muck this but is this a hand < can defend 0ith 0hen < think it's a
stealB
Hand #
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ ) handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 55 0ith J @ +
3 folds@ S5 completes@ 9uido checks@
Flo8( 6# S57 & @ J @ + 6# players7
S5 checks@ 9uido bets@ S5 calls
T#rn( 6# 557 & 6# players7
S5 bets@ 9uido calls
River( 6( 557 / 6# players7
S5 checks@ 9uido bets@ S5 calls
Final Pot( + 55
Hand '
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 55 0ith ( @ )
3 folds@ 5utton raises@ 1 fold@ 9uido calls@
Flo8( 6((4 S57 / @ ' @ ( 6# players7
9uido bets@ 5utton calls
T#rn( 6'#4 557 ) 6# players7
9uido bets@ 5utton calls
River( 6)#4 557 + 6# players7
9uido bets@ 5utton folds
Final Pot( +#4 55
Hand (
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 55 0ith - @ $
3 folds@ 5utton raises@ 1 fold@ 9uido ':bets@ 5utton calls
Flo8( 6+(4 S57 - @ 2 @ ) 6# players7
9uido bets@ 5utton calls
T#rn( 6(#4 557 & 6# players7
9uido checks@ 5utton bets@ 9uido calls
River( 6+#4 557 / 6# players7
9uido bets@ 5utton folds
Final Pot( ,#4 55
Hand )
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ ( handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is S5 0ith + @ +
J$9 calls@ 1 fold@ 9uido raises@ 1 fold@ J$9 calls
Flo8( 6) S57 & @ ( @ / 6# players7
9uido bets@ J$9 folds
Final Pot( ' 55
Hand +
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 55 0ith & @ /
J$9 calls@ 3 folds@ S5 completes@ 9uido checks@
Flo8( 6' S57 + @ & @ - 6' players7
S5 checks@ 9uido bets@ J$9 calls@ S5 calls
T#rn( 6' 557 ' 6' players7
S5 checks@ 9uido bets@ J$9 folds@ S5 calls
River( 6) 557 $ 6# players7
S5 checks@ 9uido bets@ S5 calls
Final Pot( , 55
Hand ,
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ ) handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 55 0ith 2 @ 2
J$9 calls@ 1 fold@ 5utton raises@ 1 fold@ 9uido ':bets@ J$9 calls@ 5utton calls
Flo8( 62(4 S57 ' @ ? @ + 6' players7
9uido bets@ J$9 calls@ 5utton calls
T#rn( 6+#4 557 - 6' players7
9uido bets@ J$9 folds@ 5utton calls
River( 6/#4 557 ? 6# players7
9uido checks@ 5utton checks
Final Pot( /#4 55
Hand /
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 55 0ith / @ -
3 folds@ 5utton raises@ 1 fold@ 9uido calls@
Flo8( 6((4 S57 , @ J @ ( 6# players7
9uido checks@ 5utton bets@ 9uido folds
Final Pot( #,4 55
$hanks@
9uido
ehn(
1D fold preflop < call here against C% raises
#D okB
'D okB < usually checkraise
(D ehB .hat are you doingB
)D okB
+D okB
,D check here is probably for the best but then again these guys 0ill call 0ith anything
on the river and you can easily let it go for a raise
/D < never let this go here on a flop like this 0ithout a fight
)#ido(
17 %k@ but 0hen you suspect a steal even from an >PB <t seems that you think it's good
enough 0hen you think it's a steal rightB
'7 9ood point
(7 <'m defending D8@ not goodB .hy notB
/7 "eah a little to easy but 0ould you check:raise the flopB 5et the flopB Call the flopB
Frogger(
!ehn@
.hy 0ould he checkraise on Hand T' 0hen there's an %=S8 on board '()+/ -ll
someone needs is a # or a seven and he has the # pair destroyed < think that's a
check/call situation "ou don't 0ant to cost yourself ' bets if you checkraise into a hand
that has you beat and you don't 0ant to cost yourself an additional bet by betting into
him <'ve e;perienced a fe0 pretty bad suckouts lately so my opinion may be a little
ske0ed
Hand (@ the only thing < see 0rong is his turn play He checked and then called a bet
instead of checkraising $hat's it from me
)#ido(
!ehn is talking about check:raising the turn
9uido
ehn(
Ho on hand ' < 0ould checkraise the flop and bet all streets minus an ace
< think ?$o is too 0eak to defend against typical player's buttonA# open raises
Hand / 0ith a decent ace here < only call 6vs ':betting7 preflop 0ith the intention of
checkraising any favorable flop ie one non ace playing Fone card 62:?7 < ' bet preflop
)4AP of the time though
PeterPr#s(
1 : fine
# : raise turn
' : better : check:raise flop
( : i like check:raising sometimes turn like this : but never check:calling .hy raise
river 0hen you call turnB
) : very nice
+ : i 0ould like check:call turn depending on te;ture of game
, : check:fold on turn but not al0ays : sometimes i 0ould do same 0ay as you
/ : i like check:raise/fold if ':betted on such hands -nother option : ':bet P* lead flop
)#ido(
17 .hy do you think it's ok to defend 0ith ?$o after a >P raiseB
#7 .hy do you 0ant to raise the turnB
'7 %k@ < understand that@ but is defending 0ith ()s okB
(7 <'ve no idea 0hat < 0as thinking
)7 %k
+7 .hyB -nd 0hat te;ture 0ould that beB
,7 %k
/7 %k
PeterPr#s(
&uoteD
1) 7h! do !ou thin" it,s o" to defend with K#o after a I. raise$
Because it,s nice hand and onl! one raiser against !ou2 +f there were caller - i probabl! fold but
not alwa!s2 0e can ha-e -44, 4K-4#, KQ and some tric"! hands some people li"es that !ou
ahead of2 So i ha-e odds to call2 +,d li"e not to o-errate effect of domination - it,s not full game
and domination doesn,t so improtant2
Quote:
/", + understand that, but is defending with H:s o"$
+ defend alwa!s with an! suited connector cause the! ha-e the best chances to get big pot from
huge hands li"e 44 etc2 But i consider m!self commonl! more loos! pla!er on blind and at all
than the most part of this site2
)#ido(
.hen you think he 0ill raise ,,:--@ -?:-$@ ?& then < think you should fold this He
has to raise 0ith a lot more 0orse hand to make a call correct <>% -nd 0ould a normal
player do that in >PB $hat's the Cuestion
Quote:
So i ha-e odds to call2
&hm, this means nothing in this conte3t2
Quote:
+ defend alwa!s with an! suited connector cause the! ha-e the best chances to get
big pot from huge hands li"e 44 etc2
+t,s 0& and + don,t thin" the pot will be that big most of the time2 7hen + "now he has a high ..
+ wouldn,t thin" about calling for 6ust a second2 0e has to be stealing or he has to ha-e high
cards to ma"e a call correct +I/2
+ don,t thin" being loose in the blinds is bad but !ou gi-e wrong reasons222
PeterbrusD
&uoteD
7hen !ou thin" he will raise -44, 4K-4#, KQ then + thin" !ou should fold this2
4gainst -BB i can catch pair 1>% of time
4gainst ##-QQ i can catch higher pair 1>* of time
4gainst 4K,4#,KQ i can catch non dominated pair 1>* of time
4gainst 49,4Q i i can catch pair 1>% of time
4gainst 44,KK i suc"
4ssuming pair is twice less probabilit! then 2 diff cards and also reduced probabilit! for ha-ing
him K or # in hand (regardles suited or unsuited) count:
(%L1>% )22:L1>*) H2:L1>*)HL1>%) > 1:2: e5uals (,2% of m! win so i ha-e odds 1:%2H2 - add here
m! straight enhansed abilit! and him reduced because of man! poc"et pairs and also add some
hands li"e K9s,Q9s etc and !ou will definatel! get !our pot odds higher than 1:%22
4lso !ou position penalt! would be much rewarded b! him usual autobet raise on flop2
)#ido(
< have no idea ho0 you get this eCuation but you seem to forget that 0hen you are
behind you lose a lot more most of the time than you 0in 0hen you are in front
PeterPr#s(
>aybe you're right : i don't like to count much penalty for position 0hile HJ because of
almost auto raise 60hich 0ill come immediately al0ays7 after preflop raise al0ays
makes raiser on flop like a blind >any also call my reraise giving so me # e;tra S5 for
free 0hen i'm ahead <f you count this you 0ill find that your odds 0ill gro0 Ho0
muchB -nd isn't it enoughB $ime 0ill sho0 : i 0ill try
)# Some hands
)#ido(
Hand 1
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is J$9 0ith - @ J
9uido raises@ ) folds@ 55 calls@
Flo8( 6((4 S57 & @ ( @ 2 6# players7
55 checks@ 9uido bets@ 55 calls
T#rn( 6'#4 557 , 6# players7
55 checks@ 9uido checks
River( 6'#4 557 + 6# players7
55 checks@ 9uido checks
Final Pot( '#4 55
Jgh@ < guess < should bet the turn
Hand #
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is J$9 0ith $ @ $
9uido raises@ 3 folds@ S5 calls@ 55 calls@
Flo8( 6+ S57 ? @ ( @ ? 6' players7
S5 checks@ 55 checks@ 9uido bets@ S5 calls@ 55 calls
T#rn( 6()4 557 + 6' players7
S5 checks@ 55 checks@ 9uido bets@ S5 raises@ 55 calls@ 9uido calls
River( 614)4 557 ' 6' players7
S5 bets@ 55 calls@ 9uido calls
Final Pot( 1')4 55
*old the turnB *old the riverB
Hand '
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is C% 0ith J @ &
J$9 calls@ 1 fold@ 9uido raises@ " folds@ 55 calls@ J$9 calls
Flo8( 6+(4 S57 ' @ + @ , 6' players7
55 checks@ J$9 bets@ 9uido calls@ 55 calls
T#rn( 6(,4 557 ( 6' players7
55 checks@ J$9 bets@ 9uido folds@ 55 calls
Hand (
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 5utton 0ith / @ - C% posts a blind of R,
1 fold@ >P calls@ C% 6poster7 checks@ 9uido raises@ " folds@ >P calls@ C% calls
Flo8( 6,/4 S57 J @ $ @ & 6' players7
>P checks@ C% checks@ 9uido bets@ >P folds@ C% calls
T#rn( 6(24 557 + 6# players7
C% checks@ 9uido bets@ C% calls
River( 6+24 557 ( 6# players7
C% checks@ 9uido checks
Final Pot( +24 55
Hand )
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 5utton 0ith , @ ,
J$9 raises@ " folds@ 9uido ':bets@ " folds@ J$9 calls
Flo8( 6,(4 S57 / @ # @ / 6# players7
J$9 checks@ 9uido bets@ J$9 calls
T#rn( 6(,4 557 + 6# players7
J$9 checks@ 9uido bets@ J$9 calls
River( 6+,4 557 2 6# players7
J$9 checks@ 9uido bets@ J$9 calls
Final Pot( /,4 55
.ith no read < guess a little too aggressive
Hand +
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 5utton 0ith & @ -
J$9 calls@ " folds@ 9uido raises@ " folds@ J$9 calls
Flo8( 6)(4 S57 2 @ # @ - 6# players7
J$9 checks@ 9uido bets@ J$9 calls
T#rn( 6',4 557 ' 6# players7
J$9 checks@ 9uido bets@ J$9 raises@ 9uido calls
River( 6,,4 557 J 6# players7
J$9 bets@ 9uido calls
Final Pot( 2,4 55
$hanks@
9uido
stri8sH#ee!(
1 : bet the turn
# : folding the turn or river is possible : calling them do0n isnt a0ful
' : this looks a bit 0eak but i think its fine : 3ust too many outs 0ith too much money in
the pot : calling the flop and folding the turn is never a great line and i try hard to do it
as little as possible
( : normal
) : very normal
+ : you can certainly adapt to a turn ' bet but i think this is more usual
stripsCueeF : chickenha0k
Cate tha* )reat(
Hand 1 is a close decisionQ if the flop 0ere &,( instead of &2(@ then < think you 0ould
definitely 0ant to check@ but this particular flop gives a gutshot or %=S8 to a lot of 55
calling hands < think the deciding factor in 0hether to bet or not is ho0 likely your
opponent is to check:raise
Hand # : < think that calling do0n is A=! here if against a lone opponent@ but 55
changes the eCuation : both because his cold call makes it much less likely that your
hand 0ill be best at sho0do0n@ and because his presence makes it some0hat less likely
that S5 is bluffing < definitely think you 0ant to fold the river once the flush dra0
comes through and 55 calls again
Hand ' : "eah@ okay < don't think you al0ays 0ant to call the flop but your overcard
outs are LprobablyL clean here <'d feel better about the call if the board contained a
Hand ( : Preflop is good < hate this flop though and < think it might be one of those
rare 6for me7 cases 0here < check behind after a P*1 : lots of limping hands contain a &@
J or $ : < think you're going to get check:raised on this sort of flop a lot <f you adopt the
more aggressive line and bet the flop then < think follo0ing through on the turn is okay
Hand ) : e;actly ho0 <'d play it
Hand + : "es@ calling do0n is standard < don't like that flush coming on the river but <
think you still have to call do0n
)#ido(
Could you e;plain 0hy hand ( and ) are normalB
stri8sH#ee!(
i think nate is more right than me re hand ( : given that i have sensed 0ussiness in
some of these hands i 0asnt about to encourage more : i think its normal but close pre:
flop and its normal but close to 3ust keep on betting : you could give up on the flop or
turn : 0hen 1 goes on the flop i'm tilted to betting the turn
as for ) the average J$9 raises loose so ,, is a perfectly respectable ' bet on the button
: i 0ould ' bet an open raiser from most any0here before the blinds 0ith ,, unless
perhaps i had plenty of respect for his raise : after the flop i doubt you have Cuestions :
you 0ill get called do0n by an - a lot
stripsCueeF : chickenha0k
)# Some more hands
)#ido(
Hand ,
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 5utton 0ith 2 @ -
J$9 calls@ 1 fold@ C% calls@ 9uido calls@ 1 fold@ 55 raises@ J$9 calls@ C% calls@ 9uido
calls
Flo8( 6/(4 S57 # @ ) @ - 6( players7
55 checks@ J$9 checks@ C% checks@ 9uido bets@ 55 calls@ J$9 calls@ C% folds
T#rn( 6),4 557 $ 6' players7
55 checks@ J$9 checks@ 9uido bets@ 55 folds@ J$9 folds
Final Pot( +,4 55
<s calling P* okB
Hand /
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is C% 0ith $ @ -
1 fold@ >P calls@ 9uido raises@ 1 fold@ S5 calls@ 1 fold@ >P calls
Flo8( 6, S57 ? @ ? @ ' 6' players7
S5 bets@ >P calls@ 9uido folds
Hand 2
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 5utton 0ith ? @ &
" folds@ C% calls@ 9uido raises@ 1 fold@ 55 calls@ C% calls
Flo8( 6+(4 S57 # @ ( @ ) 6' players7
55 checks@ C% bets@ 9uido calls@ 55 calls
T#rn( 6(,4 557 ? 6' players7
55 checks@ C% checks@ 9uido bets@ 55 calls@ C% calls
River( 6,,4 557 ' 6' players7
55 bets@ C% folds@ 9uido calls
Final Pot( 2,4 55
Hand 14
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is C% 0ith ? @ &
1 fold@ >P calls@ 9uido raises@ 1 fold@ S5 calls@ 1 fold@ >P calls
Flo8( 6, S57 ) @ J @ $ 6' players7
S5 checks@ >P checks@ 9uido bets@ S5 calls@ >P folds
T#rn( 6()4 557 $ 6# players7
S5 checks@ 9uido checks
River( 6()4 557 ( 6# players7
S5 bets@ 9uido folds
Final Pot( ))4 55
< guess < should bet the turn@ call a C/1 and fold on the river 0hen < don't improve
Hand 11
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ + handed7
Preflo8( 9uido is 5utton 0ith & @ ?
" folds@ C% calls@ 9uido raises@ 1 fold@ 55 calls@ C% calls
Flo8( 6+(4 S57 2 @ ? @ 2 6' players7
55 checks@ C% checks@ 9uido bets@ 55 folds@ C% calls
T#rn( 6(#4 557 $ 6# players7
C% bets@ 9uido raises@ C% calls
River( 6/#4 557 / 6# players7
C% checks@ 9uido checks
Final Pot( /#4 55
!alue betB
$hanks@
9uido
stri8sH#ee!(
, : raise and fold in that order appeal more to me
/ : i am very conscious of doing this : i did this t0ice in a short space of time last night
0hen the guy 0ho bet into me 0as a big rock 0ho had caught me spraying chips a fe0
times before : 0hen # other guys subseCuently tried betting in to me after a pre:flop
raise they folded to my raise : i guess i do it as much as i think i can get a0ay 0ith and
against an opponent 0ho i reckon means it
2 : much the same as / : on a board this dra0y a gratuituous raise every no0 and then
isnt a bad plan
14 : by itself no huge crime 0as commited but i'm starting to see a pattern of 0ussiness
: i prefer betting the turn : its close because its not pleasant to be raised as you have to
call : so many guys calling a flop bet 0ith garbage 0ho 0ill then auto bluff the river
0hen you check the turn is 0hat motivates me to bet the turn
11 : i reckon thats an easy value bet unless i have a clear vie0 about this player
stripsCueeF : chickenha0k
PeterPr#s(
, 1aise P* or fold it if J$9s like calling -Jo or check:raise && and higher
/ 1aise flop
2 Hice
14 1aise turn
11 < 0ould call turn >any people slo0play trips 5ut you raised and get called : thats
0hy i put him on ? 0ith bad kicker or $ So : bet the river is ok : flush is rarely here
)#ido(
/7 could you e;plain 0hyB
$hanks@
9uido
PeterPr#s(
"ou have position and not bad hand on this flop .hat do you putting them onB < often
like S5 : bluff betting 0hen flop is #:, 6VV7 0here VV high cards because pair on flop
rarely hit someone trips
< think first one has nothing or ' or flash dra0 or some ace Second one can have &J or
flush dra0 or rarely trips
-ny0ay if you are behind : they 0ill sho0 you this eather here on flop or on turn and
you can easy fold : if they don't sho0 strength : you sure if you catch - or $ that you are
ahead or if its not turned you can easily check turn and the think about calling river
1epresenting pocket pair or ? by raise you can push lo0 pairs out on turn or on river
-ny0ay : 0hen pair flops and there are no more than # opponents : i rarely fold flop on
such action because : chances of someone to hit something reduced estimately about
t0ice times than 0hen flop's ':kind cards
1amdash( Fto PeterPr#sG
< strongly disagree < 0ill often raise a single player in this spot@ but 0ith a bet -H8 a
call ahead of you@ < get rid of this every time "ou are almost certainly behind to one of
the players and could be dra0ing close to dead
)#ido( Fto PeterPr#sG
"es < have position but 0hat does that have to do raising this on the flopB .hy is this
such a good flop for my handB <t's not only the S5 but the 55 as 0ell
.hat you say is 3ust 0ishfull thinking <>% it's based on nothing %ne or both of them
could have a pair as 0ell and one of them might have trips < kno0 this isn't very likely
but it's also not very likely 0hen you put one of them on an ace and the other on &J
$he -ce and $en of clubs don't have to be clean
< understand that 0hen a pair flops on the board there is less chance that someone has
hit something but 0hen they do@ they aren't releasing that on the turn or river < think
you are a little too optimistic about ho0 strong a river bet is
9uido
Cate tha* )reat(
Hand , .hen <'m playing 0ell@ < raise this .hen <'m playing LreallyL 0ell@ < fold this
.hen <'m playing poorly@ < call this Postflop is standard
Hand / < agree 0ith Sam 6and you it looks like7 that the overcall is scary and probably
renders this a fold < prefer calling and raising a blank turn to raising the flop
Hand 2 $his is kind of a troublesome position you're inQ the C% could 0ell be on a 0eak
- that has flopped a 0heel dra0@ but Party 14/#4 opponents are notoriously difficult to
push off ace:high <'m sure that usually <'d call here if < 0ere playing the hand in real
time but an elite player might find a fold Similarly@ < suspect the river call is slightly
:=!
Hand 14 : again@ ho0 likely your opponent is to go for a check:raise is a decisive factor
here < think < slightly prefer a check 0ith the intention of calling do0n 0ith ?:high if
a blank falls on the river and you're bet into
Hand 11 : < suspect it's close to a coin toss as to 0hether to call or raise the turn .ith
the line that you took@ 0hich <'d take against an opponent 0ho 0as overaggressive but
not tricky 6describes maybe +4P of players in the +:ma; games7 < think that you
certainly have a value bet on the river
)' >iddle pair@ very aggressive
theBr#iser=@@(
Party Poker )/14 Hold'em 6+ ma;@ ( handed7
Preflo8( Hero is 5utton 0ith + @ + J$9 posts a blind of R)
Hero raises@ S5 folds@ 55 folds@ J$9 6poster7 calls
Flo8( 6((4 S57 ? @ ? @ ' 6# players7
J$9 checks@ Hero bets@ J$9 calls
T#rn( 6'#4 557 # 6# players7
J$9 checks@ Hero bets@ J$9 raises@ Hero ':bets@ J$9 caps@ Hero folds
Final Pot( 14#4 55
.hen he checkraised me thought he might be putting a play on me 0ith that board@
maybe < should have 3sut called him do0n thenB .hen he caps < don't see ho0 <'m not
beaten
Cate tha* )reat(
< don't see 0hat purpose the ':bet on the turn serves Calling do0n costs you the same
as ':bet/folding@ and that 0ay you're guaranteed the chance to see a sho0do0n and
possibly spike a #:outer
theBr#iser=@@(
Let me see ho0 much that # outer is 0orth ' 55 on the turn@ then ( more 0ith your
advice on the turn plus <'ll get at least # bets from him on the river so 2 55 ##D1 or 1/#4
times so very roughly < think that comes out to 1/' to 1/# a 55@ a not insignificant
amount
< guess < never really considered a # outers 0orth in HL because 0hen someone bets
into me their bet is too big for me to think Ei'm probably beat but i have outsE
Cate tha* )reat(
"ou've got the math 3ust right 9iving up on that #:outer costs you more than you might
think@ especially 0hen there's other0ise relatively little difference bet0een calling do0n
and ':bet/folding
"eah@ < 0as going to say something similar Having a general strategy of seeing a lot of
cards/sho0do0ns cheaply is pretty viable against aggressive limit opponents like the
ones you'll see in the +:ma; games
s8am#ell(
&uoteD
+ don,t see what purpose the %-bet on the turn ser-es2 Dalling down costs !ou the
same as %-bet>folding, and that wa! !ou,re guaranteed the chance to see a
showdown and possibl! spi"e a 2-outer2
Because if &#' is ma"ing a pla! thin"ing !ou,re unli"el! to ha-e paired then he is -er! li"el! to
ha-e si3 outs to beat !ou which fold to the three-bet2 +,d much rather &#' routinel! folded a si3-
outer than that + sometimes ended up folding a two-outer2
Eo$
Cate tha* )reat(
Since J$9 0ill usually bet a missed +:outer on the river@ you're effectively charging him
for dra0ing by inducing a bluff on the end $he benefit of collecting this e;tra bet
should roughly match the the eCuity that you lose from allo0ing him to dra0 out on you
+/(+ of the time
theBr#iser=@@(
Let's see@ + outs for a / 55 pot 6' on turn@ ( bets@ and one on river 0hen < call7 in
e;change for 1 bet he gives to me 0hen he bluffs .ell it's ,D1 to hit + outer@ and he's
playing for an / 55 pot so that's good for him $hat's if he al0ays has + outs though@
some of the time he'll have ' outs and soem of the time he'll have a king and the math <
did back there sho0s that < get about 1/# a 55 0hen by 3ust calling his ?? Plus <'ll also
have spent that e;tra 'rd bet raising the turn 0ith an inferior hand but on the other
hand@ if < 3ust call <'m calling a river bet so it's ' bets any0ay <t seems pretty close to
me@ but <'m not sure my logic is correct here -nyone see if <'m missing somethingB
Cate tha* )reat(
+/(+ of an / 55 pot is 14( 55@ but you get 1 55 of that back assuming that he bluffs
into you on the river So@ yes@ technically you'd prefer him to fold and not see a river
card@ but the difference only amounts to 44( 55
theBr#iser=@@(
$hanks@ that's a much clearer 0ay of saying itI Plus that doesn't take into account the
times he does have a king in 0hich it's definitly better if < 3ust call
aflaba(
< agree 0ith everything if < can assume that my opponent 0ill bluff me every time on the
river <s that a correct assumption thoughB < don't kno0 <f not then so far < disagree
that calling must be the best option $his is probably because there is something < don't
understand DP
"ou have him beat
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
L-ssume your oppoenent has overcards to your pair of si;es 24P of the time 0e
round that of to 144P <f you call the turn raise he gains 1 55 in pot eCuity compared to
if you 0ould have raised and he 0ould have folded =very time
$aking only this into considerationD
A155 for raising per occurance
L<f you call him do0n you induce a bet on the river 5ut seing that you called his ':bet@
is it sure that he 0ill come out bluffing every timeB >aybe it is more probable he 0ill
only bluff the river )4P of the time7B <f so
$aking only this into considerationD
A4) 55 for calling per occurance
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"ou are beatD
"ou have either 4 outs or # outs
.hen you have 4 outs both calling and raising is eCual
.hen you have # outs and call do0nD <f 0e assume he bluffs the river )4P of the time
this t0o:outer is 0orth 1/#'L+) M 4'55 per time you have it 5ut ho0 often do you
have this #:outerB < don't think you have it a lot of times >ore freCuently < think he is
on a ? or a flush:dra0 than on ##@ '' or ,,A60hich he 0ould also probably reraise
preflopB7
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
.hen he is on a flush dra0D
Lets assume he has one overcard and a flush dra0 in mean $hat is 'A2M1#outs
1#/(+M#)
L<f you call him do0n "ou pay him off on the river #)P of times <f he bluffs )4P of the
times he misses@ then he bluffs you ')PA of the times he has a flush dra0
So per flush dra0 you 0in :1L#)A1L')M 414 55
L<f you ':bet "ou make him pay 1 55 more per dra0 he has 1# outs so he loses 1:
#L4#) M 4) 55 -lso he 0ill not bluff you on the river if he misses his flush dra0 since
you sho0ed such great streangth ':betting
M$his means by three:betting you 0in 4):41M 4( 55 more per time he is on a flush
dra0 compared to calling him do0n
$aking all of this in regard@ if my estimatians are even close to being close to correct@ <
think that ':betting is better than calling do0n
$his is if you don't consider the turn cap bluff <'ve seen players cap semi:bluff the turn
sometimes 0ith flushdra0 =very time this happens it costs you /L/ M +) 55 >aybe
this danger out0ights the pros of ':betting@ maybe notB
8isclaimerD < think < should have thought this post over more before < posted it but <'m
really tired so <'ll 3ust hope everything is correct
Have < taken everything into considerationB -nything else 0rongB < 3ust don't see ho0
calling do0n is clearly better than ':betting <s itB
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