I never missed a column in the Sunday issue of the Los Angeles Times.His January 19 column caught my eye. I have to stop and reflect. Let me quote: “In poker, before you bet, you have to stop to think about what the outcome of the bet will be. … Then, based on the possible results, determine whether betting is in your best interest. “
Play low / mid limit Texas hold’em visit Poker88 , how good is that advice? How helpful is that? Will it make you money – or cost you chips? My answer? It depends on several factors. Let’s take a look at some of the actual hands I recently played from Big Blind.
Usually, I rely on the Hold’em Algorithm to select my starting hand (Ref. Hold’em or Fold’em? – Algorithm for Making Key Decisions) which scores based on:
• The value of your two hole cards
• Your betting position – early, middle or late
• Is there a raise?
• The number of opponents left to see the flop
• Your opponent’s character
• Texture of play – tight (infrequent raises), loose (many players call when playing hands), or aggressive (multiple raises).
But there are times – very rare though – when you should still see failure even when most of these factors are not profitable.
Some time ago, I wrote about a card I handled in a $ 4- $ 8 limit game:
3 clubs-2 hearts in Big Blind
I was about to take out my card when I realized no one was picking up. Never refuse a “Free Card” – especially failure. That will allow me to see over 70 percent of my last hand for free. The four opponents and I watched as the dealer slowly laid down three cards, side by side, face up on the board:
3 spades – 3 diamonds – 2 clubs
A quick peek at my hole cards confirms my hand:
3-full-deuces for a full house
Wow! At that time, I played slow to keep the “enemy” in the pot to build it as big as possible. That “free card” adds a stack of chips to my winnings.
A few days later, I was distributed 3 clubs-4 clubs in Little Blind. That’s the other hand I would normally make. But there are no raises and most of my opponents are teetering to see the flop, making potential pot opportunities very attractive. So for just two more chips, it’s worth the small risk.
Sure enough, I was lucky when the failure occurred:
Club Ace – 2 diamonds – 5 spades
I’ve dropped straight nuts. There was no flush or full house at that.
Being careful not to tell, I played my hand slowly. Keep everything in pots to build big wins. After I checked the flop, Under-the-Gun (UTG) opened the bet. Four other people and I called to see the turn. Great start to build “my” pot.
But, to my disappointment, it was the turn to place the second Ace on the board. With a pair on the board, it is possible that someone could make a full house, but the odds are still good for me.
After I checked the turn, UTG opened the bet again. But this time, UTG + 1 picked it up. The other two opponents are called the 3 bet. After some thought, I decided to settle the bet with a third increment. I silently prayed to the God of Poker: “No more pairs on the board.”
Guess what? The third ace fell in the river! Any player with a pair in the hole or who has paired one of the hole cards makes me beat full-house. After I checked, UTG also checked. Then UTG +1 makes a bet with a big smile.
Tofu? Almost sure that I had crossed the river, however, with such a large pot, I only had to make a call.
UTG + 1 appears K-2 for Aces-full-deuces. Then, UTG and I inserted our cards. After that hand, I took a long break and stopped for the night shortly after. Oh, so close.
I will never forget those two hands. Jonathan Little’s advice is always worth considering. Join Now : dewapoker