Tag Archives: Texas Holdem

Was This a Bet?

Posted on by
Reply

I was playing in a tournament the other day when the following scenario occurred. I was in late position and looked down to pocket eights. I have a stack that was beginning to get short and I had decided that if the action got to me, I was going to shove. I was waiting for a couple of players to act and after a while, I said that I was going to go all-in and that the players should probably just get out of the way. The player just before me then moved all-in. This play is a very tight player and would shove with no worse than A-K. Since I had said that I was going to move all-in, I figured him on a bigger hand.

I decided to go ahead and fold. After I folded, the table blew up at me. They told me that since I had declared my action, I must bet. I told them politely that it was not my turn to act and that verbal bets are not binding unless action is on me. They insisted that they were binding. Which is correct here?

Jacob

Jacob,

Your friends were partially correct. If you had declared that you were going all-in and nobody ahead of you had put in a raise, then your verbal declaration of your bet is indeed binding. Since a player did indeed raise, then the action had changed and therefore your action was no longer binding.

Your actions here constitute both acting out of turn. If you were to do this at the World Series of Poker, you would receive a penalty for your actions. You must wait until you act before making any betting declarations. Otherwise, you are changing the natural course of the game. How do you know that your player that went all-in wasn’t going to just call. He may have indeed had you beat, and then again, he may not. You may have cost yourself bets here.

What Happens to the Odd Chip?

Posted on by
Reply

I was playing in a NL Holdem tournament at my friend’s house the other day and there was a big pot between myself and two other players. One of the players were all-in after the flop and the third opponent and myself checked it down. At showdown, both myself and the third player held A-K and there was an ace on the flop. The all-in player held pocket jacks and was eliminated. Or so we thought. The pot was being divided up between myself and the third player and there was a single $100 chip left. We were no longer using $25 chips and we didn’t know what to do.

One player at the table said that the chip should go into the pot for the next hand. Someone else disagreed and said that the player with the higher suited ace should get the card. Yet another player said that we should play another hand to determine the winner of the chip. Then we had another debate. Since the all-in player had started the hand with more than $100, he felt that he should be dealt in. We felt that only the winners should be in. Finally, we played another hand three way and the all-in player won the hand. He then went on a run and finished in 3rd place. I don’t think that he should have been in the other hand. Did we do this right and if not, what should we have done?

Joey

Joey,

Wow, you guys went through a lot to settle a really simple matter. In Texas Holdem, when there is a chopped pot, the odd chip goes to the player that is closest to the button going from left to right. The player that was all-in and busted had no right whatsoever to this chip. He was eliminated from the game. Whichever of the two of you were the closest to the button should have received the $100 chip. Purchase a copy of Robert’s Rules of Poker.

What Suit is Higher?

Posted on by
Reply

I was playing in a Texas Holdem game recently and at the river, both of us had the exact same hand. I had an ace and king of diamonds and my opponent had the ace and king of spades. There was a king on the board and neither of us had a flush. My opponent said that because he had the A-K of spade, he won. I thought that it should be a chopped pot. Another player thought that since I was closest to the dealer button, I should get the pot.

Who was correct and if he was right about the suits mattering, which suits are highest.

Jamie

Jamie,

First, your friends need to learn the rules of Holdem a bit better. When two players have the exact same hand at the river, the pot is chopped. Suits do not matter in determining Texas Holdem hands. Next, your opponent that said you should have gotten the pot due to position was off. The only time this is relevant is if there is a chopped pot with an odd chip. In that case, the odd chip goes to the player closest to the button.

I will go over ranks of suits, but they are only relevant in Stud based games. In seven card stud, there is a bring-in. This means that the player with the lowest card showing on third must put in a forced bet similar to a blind. Sometimes, multiple players have the same low card, such as two players having a deuce. In this case, the tie is broken by the suit.

Suits are ranked in alphabetical order from lowest to highest. Clubs, diamonds, heats, and then spades. However, suits will never determine the winner of a hand in most standard poker games. There are a few oddball games where the lowest spade or club gets half of the pot, but these are not casino games.

Using Other Players to Improve Your Game

Posted on by
Reply

Poker is an individual game played amongst individuals. However, as you begin to improve your game, you will find that if you want to really improve, you need to work with other players to help improve your own game.

The first thing that a person may think of when one mentions getting someone else to help may be that they don’t want the other person to know how they play. While this can be a concern, a truly great poker player should always be modifying their game, so this should not be as big a concern.

The primary advantage to having someone help you with your game is getting another perspective on how to play the game or even specific scenarios. For example, we pretty much have a set idea of how to play a hand that is the nuts, but we may not have the same thoughts about playing a drawing hand against a loose-aggressive player. Also, there may be information that you can pass on to other players to help them improve.

Another advantage to having people help you with your game is that you make friends in the game and have a support system. This is vitally important when one goes through a down period in the game. Many people don’t understand what a poker player goes through. However, your friends that play know what you’re going through because they are going through the same exact thing.

The way that you go about having people help you varies. For example, the members of the famed “Mayfair Club” would get together after long sessions at the table and sit around either dinner or drinks and discuss the plays that they made. They exchanged ideas and improved each others games. You might recognize some of those players as Howard Lederer, Dan Harrington, Erik Seidel, and Steve Zolotow.

Other ways would be to sit around a table and go over specific scenarios with your friends. If you are an online player, another option for you may be to have your friends sit and watch you play and then critique your play. Whatever option you choose, it can only serve to improve your game.

So if you are looking for ways to improve your game, start talking to other players. Not only can their ideas help you improve, but the added thought you are giving to your game will help you to improve your game on the way to becoming a champion of poker.

Picking Your Spots to Double Up

Posted on by
Reply

If you are going to be a champion poker player, you need to be able to pick the right spots to risk your tournament life and to double up. Let me give you an example of a situation in Tunica, MS that was key to keeping me in a major WSOP Circuit event.

Play was beginning to approach the end of the 300-600 with 25 ante Level in a NL Holdem tournament. I was in late position and looked down to A-9 suited. I had been waiting patiently for a while for a good hand to try and pick up some chips. I had 850 in chips and needed a pot.

I was intent to go all-in here and then something happened to stop me. Three people limped into the pot. With a hand such as A-9 suited, you really want to be the first player into the pot, especially if you are going all-in. The pot was 1,350 pre-flop before any players come in, so if I could have only one caller, this would be a good time to get lucky. However, odds were that I would face at least four, maybe five other players if the small blind came in.

I decided to wait. I folded my hand and the level completed. The next level was 400-800 with a 50 ante. I had 775 after the ante. The first hand, I was dealt A-6 offsuit. However, this time it was folded to me. I moved all-in and the only player that stayed in was the big blind that held 7-5. I was able to win the pot and was up to 2,500 in chips. A few hands later, I was able to double up again to a respectable stack and then was able to move up to over 12,000 in chips by the end of the level.

Granted, I should have never allowed my stack to get that short, but the point of this story is to point out how that making the right decisions can pay off at the poker table in shoving for your tournament life. Sometimes, just blindly shoving can leave you in a situation where it is next to impossible to win. Picking your spots will help you to stay alive and thrive in NL Holdem tournaments.

On Heads Up

Posted on by
Reply

Hi,

I’ll start by sharing that I was once a tenderfoot in the game of poker, specifically in Texas Holdem. I tried to research then and study the basics of the game to eventually improve myself and my skills. However, at a three-six table at the Nugget casino in Sparks Nevada something happened that distracted me. The dealer joined our game on his break. At such instance, I was on the button holding A,5 suited. Following scene was that I raised the blind and had three callers. I don’t why but quite to my surprise one of the callers was the dealer. Of course, flop came and was J, 5, 2 rainbow. Afterwards, the table checked to me and so I bet. Once again, I had three callers. Turn came and was a 7. Again, the table checked to me and so I bet one more time. At that point, two folded while the dealer called. Then river card came and was a 3. The dealer then placed a bet therefore I raised as if I have JJ.

Later on, the dealer played with his chips and all. Afterwards, he suddenly exposed his pocket cards. Does it mean he folded? For me, exposing your cards was like folding other way around.

Well, I remember he had A, 7 by which had me beat. I then turned my cards over, had them in the middle and collected the pot. Quite surprising, he said loudly he’d call.

Can you please explain to me if he could actually call? I’m confused to be honest.

Thanks!

Regards,
Weatherford
Weatherford,

His hand was not dead when he exposed his cards. Exposing your hand does not constitute a fold and he was within his rights to call.

Cards in Poker

Posted on by
Reply

Hello,

I’m wondering if cards always play themselves in poker, particularly in Texas Holdem or else it’s actually on the hands of the player to determine the best 5 card. What do you think?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Joe Schmidt
Joe,

In a casino, cards speak. This mean it is the dealer’s responsibility to award the pot to call the hand and award it to the correct winner. The player should know what their hand is, but it is not required.