Category Archives: Texas Holdem FAQ

Playing With My Trips

Posted on by
Reply

Hi,

I played no limit tournament just at home the other day. A very intriguing hand came up at some point.

In the big blind then with Q3 I checked to see the flop against a not so aggressive player. Flop came and brought QJ2. Then he placed a bet and so I called considering I had top-pair and weak kicker. Turn followed and was another Q. He went all in, quite disturbed as he had larger stack.

Eventually, I called. I then discovered he only had a J and was just having fun all along. Later, I was so glad as I was able to double up and then had him out after few hands.

Any thoughts regarding how I played?

Thank you in advance.

Fraser
Fraser,

Considering your kicker, you played that about as well as you could hope for. I would have called his all in there too. He could have had A-Q or a hand such as was shown.

You were big blind, flopped well, turned a set, and then took his stack. Not bad for a big blind special.

At a Rounders Tournament

Posted on by
Reply

Hi,

I joined a rounders tournament the other night. I remember the buy in was 5 $ but only in the first level.

There were two top players at the table then and both moved on to the next level hoping to get the $3000 first prize.

I was in level three when three remained. The chip leader then had 10,000 while I had 8,000 being the second. The other guy had only approximately 2,000. By the way, blinds were 150 and 300.

On the button, I was dealt JJ. Big blind then folded. What I did next was that I doubled my bet up to 2,400. Consequently, I called. Flop then followed and brought 2 4 10 rainbow and so he checked to me. I then went all in. Suddenly, he called and the flipped QQ. River and turn came but there was no Jack, therefore I lost.

If you were on my shoes that night, what might have you done? Any advice?

Thanks!

Triem
Triem,

I would have made a bet about ¾ of the pot. Chances are he would have raised you all-in. With the flop the way it came, I probably would have called the all in.

Either event, I would have been all-in on the flop too considering there was no reraise. It is hard to put someone on an overpair when they didn’t raise.

You ran into a bigger hand. Sorry about your bad luck.

On Home Tournaments

Posted on by
Reply

Hello,

I’m planning to play holdem this coming weekend along with some close friends. We want to have fun and play all night, maybe for 5-6 hours. However, all of us don’t want to place big amount of money so we just all agreed that every participant will put in max of 40$.

I am actually expecting that because everyone wants to play for most of the evening, every player will more or less play tightly. Because of this, I’m now thinking to make the game a little more exciting. What if there’ll be 4 tournaments of 10$ each? And per tournament every player will be given about 800$ of chips? I believe that by doing this, the player will become more aggressive on the table. But on the better side, in the event he looses all his chips, there is still a big possibility that he will play more. What do you think?

By the way, your site is so great and helpful. Thanks a lot!

Barillari
Barillari,

You could also think about having a slow moving blind structure. Maybe with 30 minute levels and start the blinds low and then double them every half hour. This will allow for a lot more play. Your other option would be to have a Limit Holdem tournament. Fixed betting will all for some more action, but not so much where players will want to play like a rock all the time.

Hard to Win at Live Tournaments

Posted on by
Reply

Hi there!

I’m having problems now with regards to winning at live tournaments specifically those friendly ones.

Monday night I played and in the big blind had 7-6. Flop came and was 5-8-9. Thus, I then got a straight. My opponent back then was obviously a newbie and so my focus was not much to him but to the pot instead. I wanted to have as many chips into the pot actually. Luckily, I was able have a few.

Then turn came and was a K. My opponent afterwards went all in, well, it was because of my convincing power. River followed and was a Q. He then was able to have a straight, a straight that was far better than mine.

Just to share with you another incident. Last night in a certain event I had A-10. Flop came and was Q-10-3. My opponent then placed a big amount while I placed him on a bluff. I thought he would fold then and so I raised all in. Unfortunately, I was wrong as he didn’t fold instead he called with K-7o.

With those two events, what do you think was wrong with me? Have I played too aggressively? Any advice?

Thanks!

Best regards,
Hutchin
Hutchin,

In the first hand, you just got unlucky. You had your opponent all-in and your were ahead.

The second hand you did play a little aggressive, but you were indeed ahead when he called you. I’m assuming that the player caught a king as you asked what you did wrong there.

In both cases you were ahead when the player went all-in. For situations like those, you can only get your money in as a favorite and hope the cards cooperate to keep you ahead until the end.

At an Online Tournament

Posted on by
Reply

Hello,

Just the other night, I joined an online tournament with $10 buy in. Earlier, I was moved to a new table with approximately $7500, this was in chips. By the way, I started with $5000 and the blinds back then were at $100/200 and were moving almost twice just within 30 minutes.

I believe the room was filled with loose players as well as tight players. At some point, I was able to have pocket fives in the BB. Few minutes and middle position player, player in cutoff, and on the button limped in. SB folded and I just checked. Flop came and brought 765 rainbow, thus giving me a set of 5s. I then placed $800 bet while middle position player folded. For approximately $2200 player in cutoff moved all-in. Player on button followed for approximately $7000, that eventually had me covered. I then called though there was much risk as I was hoping the board would be a pair.

Later, player in cutoff turned over J7 unsuited while player on button had 43 unsuited. Turn and river came but were blanks and so I was busted out.

Now as I look back, I know I’ve committed couple of mistakes. I believe I should have raised pre-flop. It was an honest mistake as I believe there are too many loose and strange calls in small buy-in tournaments that actually make effective reading and bluffing not possible. I also believe that I should have considered the idea that the button had the straight or at least had a hand that had me beat. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Gifford
Gifford,

I think you played correctly preflop. Pocket fives are really not a raising hand. Raising may have thinned the field, but you said the field was a mixed bag. A raise may or may not have worked. Pocket fives are limping hand, in the hopes to flop a set.

Beyond that, I think you played the hand find. You flopped a set, bet and then the cutoff moved all in. The button flopped a near miracle hand and moved all in. You were correct to call the bets. Also remember that you had 8 outs to still win after the flop.

I would have played it the same way and probably went broke too.

Couple of Questions

Posted on by
Reply

Hello,

I have two questions for you. I know you’re the only person who could help me out. I hope you have time. Thanks in advance!

  1. Say I played in a NLH low buy-in tournaments with starting chips of $1000. Blinds were moving up every 13 minutes or so and multiple limpers preflop were at the every corner of the table. So do you think, what’s the best way to deal with such kind of players? I thought of having a strictly solid aggressive game with them but I was not sure. I also thought of raising a bit than usual with less than optimal starting hands but just the same thing, I have some doubts. Anything to share?
  2. When is the best time to do slowplay trips? I heard the the best time is when the board is very uncoordinated but I also heard the best time could be already when you have a coordinated flop. Which one is true?

Thanks again!

Drew
Drew,

  1. With a tournament with a fast blind structure and low chips, I like to try and push my strong hands really hard. You can try and see a lot of flops, but there are a lot of players that will use that strategy. Your best bet is to pick up a hand and punish the players that come in with garbage. In these types of tournaments you need to get lucky too.
  2. The best time to slowplay trips is when the flop comes uncoordinated, meaning that there isn’t a potential straight or flush on the board. When the flop is coordinated, slow playing can lead to someone outdrawing you. You want to avoid this.

About Going All In

Posted on by
Reply

Hello,

I participated in a home tourney with initially nine players. Eventually, it was trimmed down to three, me, the SB, and the player on the button.

Back then, I had near $30,000 in the BB, SB had $90,000, while the player on the button had$40,000, all in chips. By the way, blinds were $1500/$3000, Ante $400.

At certain point, player on the button folded while SB called. I then raised to $12,000 with A-9 unsuited. Once again, SB called. Flop came and brought 10-7-K rainbow. At such instance, SB checked to me. Because I believe SB didn’t have the King, for around $20k, I raised all in. SB then called and then had Q-10 unsuited.

Both turn and river came but of no sense at all. I was then confused as I don’t know what to do next. I could make a tough and right call but I was not so sure as I’ve already showed strength preflop and post flop. I could also go all in or check, but I had $20,000 left and the pot was $24,400, in the event he opt to bet, it would be somewhere $8,000-$14,000. Well, I could re-raise all in, however only $6,000- $12,000 considering the pot was somewhere $32,400-$38,400. What do you think?

I hope to hear from you.

Thank you very much in advance.

Butler
Butler,

The raise from the big blind was not a bad raise. The call from the small blind was a bad call. The fact that he hit the flop and then called your bet was unfortunate. If you are going to bet on the flop in that spot, you will probably want to bet what you did to pressure your opponent. He risked a big portion of his stack with middle pair.

Personally, I would have waited and saw the flop for free. I don’t know if I would have raised preflop there. I may have, but when I am three handed, I am going to see cheap flops and hope to get lucky. If you did that, you may have been able to get away from the hand on the flop. You could have bet about 4,000, which would have been a good portion of the pot if not raised preflop. If your opponent raised, you fold.

I Was Not the Underdog!

Posted on by
Reply

Hello there!

Just last week, I joined a 6 man event. I believe we started with 10K, this was in chips. Well, the initial blinds were 100/200.

At certain point, I was dealt Akd, this was from the button. Later on, two players limped in. I then decided to raise to $1000, it was five times the BB. Then, BB called my bet while the other players folded. Flop came and brought Qd, Jd, 6c. I then flopped a straight, flush, and royal draws.

Eventually, my opponent placed a $4000 bet and for that he then had half his chips in the pot. I realized I’ve made a mistake on reading what he held then.

Later part and I started counting my outs, 9 for the flush, 3 other 10s for the straight, and 3 more for the Ace I guess. I was bothered then as I should have only given myself 12 total outs and not 15.

If you were on my shoes then, facing a $4000 bet, what will you do next? Well, I decided to call. However, in the end, I realized it was a big mistake. My last thought was to fold but I was not so sure about it.

Would you have folded to the flop bet or gone all in, if you were me?

By the way, of course my opponent showed his hand and was actually pocket jacks, had trip jacks. Thinking of it, I was not the underdog. I feel really bad now. Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

Bode
Bode,

You needed to call 4,000 into a 6300 pot. You had 60% to hit your hand assuming you had 15 outs and you had no reason to assume otherwise. While it was true that you had 12, you had no reason of knowing this. You call would have been 63% of the pot. Technically you did not have pot odds. However, you did have implied odds, which means that if you hit, chances are you will get all his chips.

I think your call on the flop was a decent call. I would not have necessarily pushed here, but calling is not bad. As you said, you had a straight flush draw. And aces may have won. Of course we know now they would not have.

I would have called.

Don’t Know What to Do

Posted on by
Reply

Hello,

What’s the best thing to do when you have a really good hand however you are into multiple all ins? I have no idea on this one. Please help me.

Thanks!

Richard Groth
Richard,

It depends on your hand. I honestly would only call multiple all ins with a really strong hand preflop like A-A, K-K, or Q-Q. Now if the multiple all-ins are short stacks and you have a lot of chips, you can modify this, but realize that you are probably gambling hoping to knock out opponents and that you are behind.

At a Live Tournament

Posted on by
Reply

Hello,

I just want to ask and share something.

Recently, I joined a live tournament in a northern Minnesota casino. Well, if I could remember it right, the buy-in was $150. We actually started with 170 players and then later on was trimmed down to sixteen players divided at two 8p tables.

I heard that the tourney was paying 15 players back then so we were pressured. Eventually, 10-15 got $150, 9th $200, 8th $400 and on up to $9,500 for first. With 400 antes, blinds were $4,000 and $8,000 while chips in total was $850,000 therefore the stack was about $53,000 in average. At the table were some of the big stacks but players just around were only near the average and no player has $100K or so. Me, after posting the $400 ante and the small blind had $36,000. Pot was $15,200.

At some point, everyone folded while I had A8 off-suit. Afterwards, a player maybe at his mid-20′s sat at the table. He has about $55,000. I was wondering then as he haven’t seen any thing.

Later part, I raised all-in while with AT he called me. Few minutes later and a ten came and so I was busted out.

In your opinion, did I played just right? I believe I made pretty well with regards to mathematical call, however, I’m not sure about my strategic call. Any thoughts?

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks in advance!

Billy Stout
Billy,

A-8 offsuit is a poor choice for a starting hand in general. If you are raising from late position to steal blinds, that may be fine, but if you get called, you are in trouble.

Without knowing more information, I can’t say whether you should or shouldn’t have pushed all in, but based on the fact that you had a solid stack and push with A-8, I must lean towards that being a poor play. A-8 is easily dominated, and in your case, it was.