Champions of Poker

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.

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.

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.

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.

Last Sunday, I was in a tournament with blinds 50/100. I remember I had about 4k in chips. Player at middle position also had approximately 4k. At some point, he joined and then raised four times the BB. With 77, I called. Small and big blind then folded.

Flop came and brought 2d 3d 7c. Then I placed a very small bet and he on the other side called. Turn came and was Kc. I then placed a bet which was about the size of the pot he called. River card came and brought 10c. For about 3/4 the pot, I then bet and he went all in with approximately the size of my stack.

Later, after so many pondering stuff, I folded however putting him on something like Ac 3c first. However, some of my friends who were there said I should have called as my hand wasn’t obvious at all. But still I’ve learned from Dan Harrington’s book that you should not fold your set to a possible flush on the board. What’s on your thoughts?

Thanks!

Tyler Edwards
Tyler,

If you opponent did have a flush, then he played very poorly. My guess he most likely had a big pair, such as Aces. He may have had kings and turned a set of kings.

I don’t think I am folding my set there since the person would have had to catch runner-runner flush to beat me.

Hello,

I played no limit holdem with some friends early this evening. Back then I was short stack and was only getting not so good yet not so bad cards.

At some point, almost everyone folded. The player with the big stack went on his way differently. He was loose then actually but was betting aggressively. I remember the first bet was the minimum BB and I had a 7h Js then. Eventually, two of us have seen the flop, three more hearts. Well, to a flush, I had one, however not that huge.

Later part, my opponent placed a bet first – $2,000. With $3,200, I called him all-in. Next thing happened was he has seen the all-in. Then, it was finally revealed that he had a King in hand and one on the flop. Well, I’ve taken the challenge to bet as I was hoping then that I could improve the situation I was into. Unfortunately, I never had the flush but on the flip side I don’t have any regrets for betting.

Any comment?

Thanks,
Mankin
Mankin,

What you had there was a semi-bluff raise all-in. The only problem I see with this was the fact that you were against a big stack that played loose. In this case, I think he is calling with any sort of reasonable hand. You should have reserved this move to use against someone that would have given you credit for a hand and that would have folded.