Tag Archives: flop

Committing Players to the Pot

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Hello,

I’m about to play a casino tournament with 60-70 players and with a starting $2000, in chips. Blinds will be 25/50 and actually will move up every after 15 minutes. I don’t know how I would be playing in case. Anything to share?

Another one, I want to ask your thoughts on how I played a certain hand. Blinds were 100/200. I had about $4000 in chips and with AA in late position. I then raised to $600. There was big blind who went all in with short stack, I remember about $300. A certain player then called. Flop came and was K,9,4 rainbow. The other player checked and so I placed a $600 bet. He folded and great as the pot went to me.

Now, although I actually won over the pot, I’m still wondering if I should have checked the flop and bet the turn instead. What’s your opinion? Also, I would always bet out with a drawing flop however with no chances for draws I may have invited a bet on the turn. Or if not maybe he could have seen weakness if I check after the flop.

Thanks and great site!

All the best,
Markie
Markie,

In a tournament with a fast blind structure, you will either want to loosen up your requirements to try and win a lot of pots early, or really push your big hands. If you play tight and do not pick up any big hands by about level 3 or so, you need to loosen up your starting hand requirements.

As far as your hand is concerned, I would have checked the flop and see if he would bet out. If he didn’t, then I would bet the turn. Of course, what you did had value too since you wanted to make the pot with the all-in player heads up.

Either play in this case would be good in my opinion.

Mostly About Suited Connectors

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Hello,

I heard once from a certain guy that when you have suited connectors such as 45s and the like, the best thing to do is to limp in with many callers, flop something big or fold. Is this true?

Also, if I were to flop stuff like A23 rainbow, how can I lose eventually? Another thing, when the flush hits and you have a 5-high flush, how can you bet your flush? Well, on my part, with 1-3 players I will bet and then just hope to get rid of any draws. However, with 6-7 players, I am not comfortable with flushes that are low.

Finally, how safe is a 5-high flush against many players? I badly need clarity on this.

Thanks in advance.

Clark
Clark,

Playing low suited connectors are usually a losing proposition. The odds that someone has a higher flush will increase when you play against multiple players. This makes playing suited connectors an overall losing proposition.

If you flop A-2-3 rainbow with a 4-5, the only way you will lose is runner-runner full house or flush. However, this is a near miracle flop and not a valid reason to play 4-5.

The Way I Play

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Hello,

I want to share with you the way I play. Hope to have some feedbacks from you about it. Thanks in advance.

I usually play tight the first level of the game. I want to create and then establish a tight image. I don’t want to lose chips of course so I always try not to be the underdog.

On the following levels, I will then try to loosen up. Make bluffs here and there and then will go all in after being dealt of AA, KK, Aks, or the like. I love when people don’t have any idea where I’m at and what I’m up to, most especially when they call though with not so good hands.

Honestly, I find the way I play sensible. It worked well. However, there’s one problem and that’s about bringing myself to play K10o when four people are left to act behind me. It’s so hard to do so.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Brent
Brent,

If you can limp in and see a cheap flop, you can play this type of hand on occasion and hope to hit the flop well. If you can’t get in cheap, fold.

On Two Hands

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Hello,

Two intriguing hands appeared the other night. The first one came up earlier. Blinds were 5/10 then and with 9s7s I was on the button. On the flop then, there were four players. Flop came and brought K42 all spades. Small blind then placed a 10 bet while big blind raised to 40. Other player called. Later, I folded as I thought one of the players had a flush which was far better.

Second hand followed. At such point, blinds were 25/50 and on heads up. I had 350 left back then and was actually the big blind. My opponent on the other side had approximately 1000. I remember he was an aggressive type, calling everything and going all in pre flop.

For another time he went all in again. I then saw A3 suited. I was looking forward then that my opponent would have KQ or KJ. And though he had a better A, I can still take chances and eventually have a flush, straight, or even a 3.

Will it be a good move to call at such point, if you were me?

Any thoughts about the two hands?

Thanks!

Clint
Clint,

I think you should have folded and waited for a better spot. Since you were big blind, you would have 300 left. Even if you fold the next hand in the small blind, you still have 275, which is still enough to either force people to fold or double up to a reasonable stack for the blind level. I would have waited for a better hand or a better situation. If you are going to go all-in, its better if you are the aggressor.

Playing With My Trips

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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

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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.

Couple of Questions

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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

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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!

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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.

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.