Tag Archives: blinds

Have I played the Game Properly?

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Hi,

In a recent home game I was into, a hand came up. Back then, players were divided, some were good but some were not. Blinds were 100/200, about to move to 200/400.

There was one guy who had almost the same amount of money as I do. And under the gun, I saw pocket aces and so I then made it 600 to go. Afterwards, I got three callers. Flop came and brought A-10-6 rainbow. Blinds then folded so it was again my turn to act first. I checked and so the pot then was $2400.

A player just near me then placed a min raise of $200. Eventually, player 2 called when it came to me. I then raised to $700. Player 1 called while 2 folded. Pot then was $4200. Turn came and was Q. Thinking of all the possibilities, I then opened for $1700.

Eventually, he called the bet. I then thought that draws and 2nd pair were not already possible. River then came and was a non-flush Jack. Afterwards, I placed another $2000 as my bet while he called. At showdown, he flipped over K-10 and so wins the pot because of his straight.

Now, do you think I played properly? If not, maybe you could me even a piece of advice then?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Johnston
Johnston,

I would have raised more on the flop. You didn’t raise enough to push people out of the pot. On the turn, if I bet, I’m going to bet close to the size of the pot to chase out any potential draws.

On the river, I am going to have to check there since it is clear that someone may have a straight. I am surprised you didn’t get raised.

Just Too Passive at the Tourney

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Me and some colleagues played $20 SnG. Blinds were 100/200 and we’re down to 5 players. Player 1 who was me had 4672, player 2 had 4249, player 3 had 3172, player 4 who was the SB had 4545 and player 5 had 3362.

Back then, my opponent was actually player 4, the SB. I believe he played aggressively. In the event other players limp in or make min raises, he would raise preflop, and if weakness is just around the corner, he would raise.

It was mid-part when I was dealt Ad Ks UTG. Then I raised to 600, SB called, while BB folded. The pot at such point was $1200. Flop then came and brought 3d 6d 9d. Later, SB checked and I placed 700 bet. SB once again called. And so I thought he might have KdQd or an overpair with a diamond. He might also be considering the idea of stealing the pot which was $2600 then.

Turn came and brought 9c. SB then checked and so I placed 1500 bet. He then called. Pot then was already $5600. River came and was 4c. SB then checked and I followed. Revelation time came and he flipped over 5c 5s. I was surprised to be honest.

Now as I recall the said event, I was wondering if my mistake was with my turn bet. If I could have pushed more at some point, maybe I was able to take home the pot. Maybe if I could have also checked and taken a free card, perhaps I went home happy. What do you think?

In general, was it a misplay? At first, I thought he was the idiot but later I realize it could have been also me, who was the idiot or what.

Thanks in advance!

Brewer
Brewer,

That was a pretty strong call by your opponent. He may have felt that you were raising with an ace and just continuing on the flop. You tried to stay aggressive and he kept calling it down.

Your opponent may be somewhat of a calling station. I don’t think your play is bad in that spot, but I wouldn’t have tried it again on him.

On Middle Pairs

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Hi,

Before anything, I would like to commend you for having a great site!

Well, I am actually here now because I want to clarify something. For two times in just three months, this situation happened to me. In a small buy-in freeze-out tournament with around 90 players, I would try to play tightly and aggressively. At certain point, I will then have a-k and j-j. I would then raise four times the big blind and then have three or four callers. Flop would appear but not that significant, therefore I’ll be kicked off. Gradually, my stack will decrease. Then when blinds were 30 and 60 and I had 120 points left, I will go all in with a pair of 8′s, some other time a pair of 6´s. Later, two callers would appear with two over cards so obviously, I can’t anymore take home the pot.

I’m not so sure with the way I played. Anything in mind?

Thanks!
Agren
Agren,

A-K is a drawing hand at best. It must hit in order to be strong. Otherwise, it’s ace high and not that powerful. If the flop did not produce overcards, I am surprised you were folding Jacks so easily. Unless there was significant action from other players, there is no reason to believe that Jacks are beat.

As far as your middle pairs getting beat, the problem here is that you are waiting to long to push with a hand. When you do, it will not scare opponents off and they will take coin flips with you to eliminate you, especially if they have plenty of chips.

About My Mistake

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Hey there!

In a tourney with a thousand of players, I had 12K in chips and blinds were up at 200/400. Being the first one to act, I called. By the way I had AQ then. Quite disturbing, nobody raised. There were four players keenly observing who saw the flop actually.

Flop then came and was Jd Kd Kc. Other two players checked while the other one placed 800 bet. Except from me, everyone else’s folded. Because I felt like gambling more, I called and then hit the 10 of spades thus giving me a straight. One of the other players then placed 1600 bet and then I raised to 4K. Later, he called.

River then came and was 9. He then opted to check. Afterwards, I decided to bet 1600 and so he went all in. Then I called, but I discovered he had a full house, Kings over nines and so I was busted out.

Now, I’m curious if after the turn I should have decided to go all in, considering he might not actually call pre flop with K J, and he may have with K 10. What do you think? Also, I think it was so foolish of me, though I knew he had a K, I still gave him another card that may complete his full house. However, I also thought that maybe it was not foolishness, I was just unlucky perhaps. The result would have been the same if he called all in on the turn with K9 back then.

But still I was thinking, where did I went wrong? At what point? At not raising pre flop? Or else calling his 800 bet after the flop and drawing to a hand against a tall stack?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you very much!

Lockett Zubak
Lockett,

You were in early position with A-Q. That is not necessarily a raising hand. Some do, I tend not to unless I haven’t played in a bit. On the flop, you had a gutshot straight. You really did not have proper odds to draw to the straight, but you did and hit.

After the flop, I don’t think you opponent is going to fold. He flopped a set. Since you didn’t raise, he has no reason to put you on a king, and even if he did, I still doubt he would fold.

I think that after the flop, you just got unlucky. You sucked out on the turn, and he resucked out on the river.

On Scary Flop

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Hello,

Just the other day, I joined no-limit tourney. From 1183 players, we were eventually trimmed down to 5. Unfortunately, I can’t exactly recall the stack sizes. But somehow, I believe they were 700K 500K 325K 297K 112K.

On the other hand, blinds were 8 to16K, and moving up to 10 to 20K in roughly 5 minutes or so.

In middle position, I have pocket AAs. Well the table was fine then but only with many limping and folding and all. At some point, I raised two times the blind to get me heads up. However, it was folded to the big blind, who eventually opted to call. Flop came and was 10-10-9 rainbow. I then placed 40K as my bet however my opponent re-raised me in an instant to 80K. Thinking that I’ll be more or less the underdog, I called. Turn then came and was a blank. My opponent placed 45K as his bet into a pot of 232K and so I folded. Afterwards, he showed J-9 off suit.

Now, as I look back, I know I misplayed the hand. Somehow, I’ve stumbled on these stuff:

  1. I know for a fact that raising with AA is always a balance between narrowing the field down to a heads up situation and determining the kind of hand range you are up to. Badly, because I have given him the chance to call, he was then obliged to do so.
  2. Supposedly, I should have placed more bet on the flop to better specify the situation. On the flip side, I was more into re-raising.
  3. I realize I should have called the turn, though it was a value bet. Also, I should have considered the odds which was 6-1 then, it was already so good actually.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Jon Jablonski
Jon,

My thought is that if you are going to call on the flop, you would be better off raising to make him either commit or to push him off the hand. If on the turn you thought you were behind, folding to his be is the right move. If you called his all in and he had trip 10’s or a full house, then you 5% to win. You would not have odds. I would have put him all-in on the flop.

Casino Tournament

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Hello,

Just last week, I got the chance to play my first ever casino tournament. Honestly, I wasn’t that sure of all the moves, decisions, etc. I pushed through so I want to hear straight from you. Consider the following facts:

  • Was third round of no limit texas holdem tournament
  • Blinds $10/$20 and for every 15 minutes will be doubled
  • $200 was my starting chip stack
  • $300 my present chip stack

Blinds were moving fast and I’ve foreseen that they’ll become a large proportion of my stack. I believe I have played just right as I have already won some pots though just small pots actually. Of course, when I only have $300 or more in chips, I don’t want blinds to go up, specifically to the $100 mark.

In second position, I was dealt pocket Jacks, UTG then folded. Later, I raised to $60 then except for the button who called, everyone else folded. Slowly, I started gathering some readings on my mind about a certain player whom I believe was my opponent.

Eventually, flop came and was Q-6-2. Then I placed $60 as my bet and he raised to $150. Afterwards I re-raised all-in due to some reasons. First, I believe he was a bit of a pot stealer and that he didn’t had a queen or a set. Second, almost half of my chips were in the pot already, it would be difficult for me to go on in the event I fold. Third, he would have folded already if he was on a steal. Fourth, quite the same thing, he would have called in case he was on draw.

What’s on your thoughts? If you were on my shoes at such situation, will you do the same thing?

I know you’re the one who could help me. Thanks in advance.

Andre Boudrias
Andre,

You were in a tournament that offered a small amount of chips and a very high blind structure. After betting on the turn, you had 120 of your 300 in the pot. If you folded here, you would have lost nearly half of your stack. After raising to 150, you had to call 90 in a pot of 330, which is 3.5 to 1 on your money. If you call here, you are going to be pot committed. Your choices are really go all-in or fold.

With the bad structure of this tournament, I would have pushed and hoped that the player did not have a queen, although it was likely. In a tournament with a bad structure, you must get lucky early and get some chips. To do so, you either have to play like a maniac and get lucky, or push your big hands as hard as you can.

Plays with Time Limits

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Hi,

Just this morning, I played in a game that offers a huge pots and with a modest entry fee. If I could remember it right, the game was a $50 buy in and actually has a time limit. It allowed 12 to 20 players back then with around four hours playing time. At mid part, tables should be combined along with the three or four chip leaders.

Well, I must admit, the problems came from by the game setup itself as well as from other players. Specifically, I find playing with time limit difficult. And one thing I noticed, players have been placing their money in the pot then without considering if they have terrible hands with bad position or not.

Any piece of advice? Do you have any strategy to share with me or I’ll just stop playing at those plays with time limit?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Kit Weaver
Kit,

In tournaments you have to adjust your play to account for the increase in blinds. Sometimes you have to loosen your requirements and also steal blinds more. I would loosen your requirements in later position and try and steal more blinds from your opponents.

Of course, if games with time limits and rising blinds bother you, you can always switch to cash games. Many people prefer cash games. There is nothing wrong with that. Some of the top pros in the world primarily play cash games.

Was it a Mistake to Fold?

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Hello,

I played NL $5.0 yesterday. Blinds were 10/20 and in early position I was dealt JJ. Later part, I
raised 80 while player to my left side called. Then, player on button re-raised to 140 and so I called. Once again, player to my left called. Flop came and was AA9. I then checked and the player to my left raised 100. Player on button called and I then folded. Turn came and was a J. River followed and was a 6. At such point, player to my left had 77 while player on button had 1010.

Do you think it was a mistake to fold? Please, I need to hear from you.

Thanks!

Regards,
Ian Gorrie
Ian,

I don’t think it was a mistake to fold. You raised and was reraised preflop. Then two aces hit the flop. I would have given one of them credit for A-K, A-Q or A-J, especially the person that just called both raises.

You would have won if you stayed in, but there was also a high chance you would have been busted out of the event. Early in a tournament, that was a wise move.

Turn Card Out of Turn

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Together with some close colleagues, I play home game of no limit holdem without a house dealer; quite surprising I guess.

Well, just the other day, a problem appeared. At some point, the table was down to four players, by which included me. There were three players then in the present hand. Flop came as expected and was A-4-K. Afterwards, small and big blind checked. A raise on the button came up then. Later on, there was another Ace right before the small and big blind could actually act the dealer.

Before the game ended, we have actually confessed that we would have folded as we had the crap you typically obtain in the blinds therefore we flipped our cards over and pretty sure the bettor had K.

Any comment about what happened?

Thanks!

Best regards,
Breckeridge
Breckeridge,

What happens in this case pull back the turn and burn and turn a new turn. Then you take the old turn card, put it back in the deck, shuffle it, and then burn and turn the river.

Newbie-Like Questions

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Hello,

Just a couple of months ago, I’ve started playing poker. As of the moment, I really love no limit and limit poker.

Well, I must admit, before I started out playing, I totally don’t have any experience playing the game however maybe my advantage was that I like gambling a lot. Back then, I was also very open to suggestions on how I could improve my playing potential. Also, I even checked on some sites that have lots of tools that could help me understand basic poker concepts, rules, feel and strategies. However, of course, there were still some stuff that were not so clear to me.

I hope you could help me.

  1. About showing of hands, who do you think is oblige to show his/her hand first? And is there any order to follow? I believe when you fold, you don’t have to show your hand however what if everyone at the table called the bets?
  2. I heard some issues about poker sites juicing the pot to rake huge pots. What’s your insights on this? Well, mine were more on three fold.

In an online event, the randomness is closer to true randomness compared to a brick and mortar game as it takes almost 58 shuffles to randomize a deck of cards entirely. Unfortunately, not all players shuffle the deck as many times as such.

Well, a home game is not a clear picture of poker with completely random settings unlike online poker which is with true settings.

I noticed that players usually play and see more blinds playing online rather than playing in brick and mortar game, therefore probability for all players to have a good hand at an an instance is much better.

Players who believe there’s cheating in brick and mortar games are just bitter losers.

By the way, the stat regarding card shuffling has a basis. I’ve taken up statistics course in a certain university.

Thanks!

Gill
Gill,

  1. The last person that makes an aggressive action (betting or raising) is the first person to show his hand. If the hand is checked around, then the person closest to the button must show first. If you fold without calling a bet, then you are not obligated to show and nobody has any rights to see your hand. If you call however, you are obligated to show and a player has the right to see your hand.