 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
If you click on Figure 1 to the right, you will see a sample screen from Party Poker. I've chosen to hide the full tables and only show the tables with open seats. You will see the name of the table, the number of people playing, the number waiting, and the average pot size. I always try to sit down at a table with eight or nine other players. This way, the blinds won't hit you as quickly, and the pots tend to be larger. You can simply double-click on a table, and a new window will appear, showing the actual table.
Most people want to sit down at a table with the largest average pot, but this isn't always the best idea, especially for a beginner. Large average pots can mean a lot of loose calls or consistent pre-flop raising (usually the former). If the case is the latter, you may have to put in two bets (or more) to see the flop over 50% of the time. This situation can cost you money in the long run, since it is difficult for players to throw away hands with which they called a raise, especially if the flop hit them a little bit. Large average pots usually signal a very loose player or two at the table. If you play very tight, solid poker, you can win big pots at these tables, but I wouldn't recommend trying to do so your first time playing.
Keep an eye on the number of hands-per-hour (HPH) at the table, if the lobby of your online site offers such information. An average table will play between 55 to 65 HPH. A low HPH usually signifies a table where a lot of people are seeing the flop. Most sites will also tell you what percentage of players see the flop. A game in which 30% to 35% see the flop often indicates that this is a "tough" table (one where there is a pre-flop raise to which most players fold). Think about it this way: if there is one pre-flop raiser and both the blinds call, that's already 30% of the table. If possible, I try to play at tables where at least 40% see the flop. This means that there are enough loose players from which you will derive a profit but not so many that your wired aces or kings will consistently get sucked out on by a ragged two pair.
If you click on Figure 2 to the right, you will see that you can sit down at the table simply by clicking on the open seat, which usually says "Seat Open" or "Sit Down." When you take a seat, you may not want to play immediately. You may want to observe the table until the big blind makes its way around to your seat. After you become a regular player, it's not as important for you to observe the table, although it's never a bad idea.
If you want to play immediately, a good table to choose is one where you will be the big blind position or in the cutoff position (to the right of the button) during the next hand. In Figure 2, the open seat will be the cutoff position after the current hand is over. The button, to the right of the open seat (Seat 4), will pass to Seat 5 after the hand is over. You will then post a big blind (as will the player in Seat 7). Choosing a seat this way will allow you to enter the game in late position (always an advantage), and--unless someone leaves or sits out--you will be able to play 7 hands before the big blind hits you again. If you must take a seat that will not be the big blind or cutoff when you enter the game, consider "waiting for the big blind" (a button with this option will appear when it's your turn to act). You may have to wait as many as seven hands before the big blind gets to you, but you will not be putting in a big blind and then having the disadvantage of early position.
HINT: At Party Poker or Empire Poker, you can often "leapfrog" over or "cut" in front of people on a waiting list if you are able to click on the "Seat Open" button quickly enough before the seat is reserved for the next person on the list.
 |
| Figure 1 |
 |
| Figure 2 |
There are three types of table characters: easy, normal, and difficult. Obviously, you want to play at an easy table and avoid a difficult table. A table's character depends on the how its players approach the game.
Players have two characteristics we should pay attention to: (a) how often they enter a pot, and (b) how hard they try to win a pot when they decide to play.
Let's begin with (a). A player who enters a pot often (over 40%) can be called a "loose" player. A player who seldom enters a pot (20% or less) can be called a "tight" player. A loose player will enter a pot with any manner of starting hands, including any two face cards, any two suited cards, and hand with an ace, etc. A tight player will only enter a pot with very strong hands such as big pocket pairs, A-K, A-Q, etc.
Let's move onto (b). Once a player has entered the pot, he or she can be classified as "passive" or "aggressive." A passive player will not usually raise to enter a pot, nor will he or she reraise. A passive player who has decided to play a pot will often "check and call" to the river. A passive player rarely bluffs. An aggressive player will often enter a pot by raising, and will reraise if he or she senses any advantage. Bluffing is a standard part of an aggressive player's repertoire.
You want to be a tight-aggressive player, someone who doesn't enter very many pots, but when you do, you will fight hard to win in by check-raising, semi-bluffing, and value betting. So, you want to play with as many loose-passive players as possible, and you want to steer clear of tight-aggressive players.
An easy table will be filled with mostly loose-passive, tight-passive, and regular players. There may be one tight-aggressive player, but you know to play only your best hands when he or she is in a pot. An easy table will have between six and eight players seeing the flop, and there will be a preflop raise 25% of the time or less.
A normal table will be filled with all kinds of players. There may be a loose-aggressive player at the table; this type of player will raise with any two cards and is known as a "maniac." There may be a couple of tight-aggressive players. A normal table will have between four and six players seeing the flop, and there will be a preflop raise 50% of the time or less.
A difficult table will have predominantly tight-aggressive, loose-aggressive, and normal players. A difficult table will have two or three players seeing the flop, and there will be a preflop raise over half of the time. Many hands will never make it to the flop because everyone will fold to the preflop raiser.
Many poker manuals will include charts or rankings of preflop hands. David Sklansky's Hold 'em Poker, Sklansky's and Mason Malmuth's Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players, and Lou Krieger's Hold'em Excellence include these helpful shortcuts, and I recommend all three. Rather than second-guess these two writers by providing a chart of my own, I will give general advice based on your cards, your position, and any other information that comes your way during the play of the hand.
You can play a lot more hands from late position than from early or middle position. If you call from late position, there is a much better chance that you will be able to see the flop for one bet since there are only two or three players still with the opportunity to raise. Paying two bets to see the flop with a speculative hand because a player behind you has raised will cost you a lot of money in the long run.
A personal example: I've got records for my last 40,000 hands of limit hold'em. I'm barely profitable from the seat seven off the button, the seat to the left of the big blind. This seat accounts for only 1.7% of my profit. On the other hand, my most profitable seat is the cutoff, which accounts for 16.8% of my profit.
In early position (first three seats to the left of the big blind)
You are most vulnerable in early position, so you
should play only powerful hands in this situation. You are even more
vulnerable if you are the first to enter the pot after the big blind.
When I am in early position, I usually raise, reraise, or fold. There
are very few situations that would cause me to call from early position.
If the pot has been raised, I will reraise with A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, T-T,
A-Ks, and A-K only. If the pot has been reraised before it gets to me,
I will usually fold J-J and T-T, but I will reraise with the other hands.
Remember, when you raise or reraise, you are trying to win the pot right
there or isolate yourself against players to your right. This is why a
reraise is such a powerful play; most players (even bad ones) won't cold
call three bets without a very strong hand. A reraise will often "buy
you the button," allowing you to act last for the remainder of the hand.
If you reraise with K-K, Q-Q, J-J, or T-T and are called, play cautiously
after the flop if an overcard (or two or three) falls. If you are
heads-up against an opponent and an overcard falls, don't necessarily assume
that you are beaten. Because of your preflop raise, your opponent may
fear that you have top pair.
With a couple of exceptions, I will fold almost every other hand from early
position.
If I am playing at an easy table, I will sometimes call with a hand like 9-9
or 8-8. I'm hoping that the pot is not raised behind me and that I
flop a set. If the pot is raised, I will reluctantly call. If I
do not flop a set or if the flop is not all undercards, I will usually fold
to a bet.
If I am the first to enter the pot, I will sometimes raise with A-Qs or A-Q
if the table is predominantly tight-passive and tight-aggressive. I'm
a lot less likely to do this is someone has already entered the pot by
calling.
In middle position (three seats after early position)
Which hands you can play and how you play them will depend on how many people have entered the pot ahead of you and whether the pot has been raised.
If there is a raise
If the pot has already been raised, you should
look for a reason to fold. Good hands such as A-Ts, K-Q, and 7-7 just
don't play well against a raise and should be folded. Generally
speaking, a hand must be good enough to reraise with if you are going to
play it against a raise. These hands are the same ones you would raise
with from early position: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, T-T, A-Ks, and A-K.
From time to time, I will cold call a raise from middle position with a hand
like 9-9 or 8-8. In order for me to make this cold call, I have to be
reasonably certain that there will be five or more players in the pot.
So this usually means that two or more players need to call before the
raiser. I am a lot more likely to make this play at an easy table with
lots of loose-passive players.
If there is not a raise
If the pot has not been raised, you can enter by
raising with even more hands. Raise with all of the hands you would
raise with from early position, plus A-Qs, A-Q, A-Js, A-J, and K-Qs.
Of these, the hand I like the least is A-J. You must be very careful
with this hand, especially if you flop an ace or a jack. A lot of
players will (wrongly) cold call your raise with A-K or A-Q (they should
reraise with A-K and fold A-Q). In this
case, you will be dominated for the rest of the hand and may even be
check-raised once the betting limits double. Still, A-J is a hand that
you either raise with or fold. It's almost never right to flat call
with this hand.
At times, I will raise with A-Ts or A-T, particularly if I am the first to
enter a pot at a table of tight-passive and tight-aggressive players.
As with A-J, you must play this hand carefully after the flop.
If there is a caller or two ahead of me, I will usually call with K-Q.
I'm wary of a raise behind me, however, because it could signal that my hand
is dominated by A-K or A-Q.
I will sometimes play J-Ts (never unsuited) at an easy or normal table if I
can be the third or later player in the pot. I'm really hoping to flop
a straight or flush draw because it's uncommon for a pair of jacks or tens
with a mediocre kicker to win a pot.
I will call with 9-9, 8-8, 7-7, 6-6, and 5-5 if there is a caller or two
ahead of me. With these hands I'm hoping to flop a set, and I'll be
ready to release them if I don't. I may raise, bet, or call if only
undercards flop or when I flop a straight draw.
In late position (the cutoff and the button)
As with middle position, which hands you can play and how you play them will depend on how many people have entered the pot ahead of you and whether the pot has been raised. However, you have a lot more freedom to play speculative hands, particularly in an unraised pot.
If there is a raise
Go ahead and reraise with the hands you would
reraise with from middle position.
If there are four or more players in the pot ahead of me, I will cold call
with any pocket pair, A-Qs, A-Js, A-Ts, K-Qs, J-Ts. Note that these
A-X hands must be suited.
If there is not a raise
I will raise with all of the hands I would raise
with from middle position, plus A-Ts and A-T. If I can be the first or
second into a pot, I will raise with A-9s, K-Q, and 9-9 most of the time.
If I can be the first to enter the pot (sometimes second), I will raise with
a hand like T-9s or 9-8s about 25% of the time. The rest of the time I
will pass on suited connectors if the table has folded to me in late
position. Good things can happen when you make this kind of play:
you might win the blinds without a call; you might flop a big straight or
flush draw; you can bluff if an ace or king falls on the flop; your
opponents will think of you as a "maniac" or bluffer instead of as the
solid, tight-aggressive player you are.
I will call with all of the hands I would call with from middle position,
plus 4-4, 3-3, 2-2, A-Xs (any suited ace), K-Js, K-Ts, K-9s, Q-Js, and J-Ts.
If I am at an easy table, I will call with J-T only if there are five or
more players in the pot ahead of me. The same goes for T-9s, 9-8s, and
8-7s.
Top pair, strong kicker (or overpair)
When you flop top pair, you will usually have a strong kicker. This is because you will not be playing hands such as A-4, K-T, or Q-9. When I have top pair, strong kicker, I am on the offensive. I almost always bet out if I am in early position, and I raise if the pot has already been bet. I have a hand that is very vulnerable because it probably won't improve, so I need to try to win the pot right away.
If I am raised, I need to reevaluate my hand. It's always possible that the raiser has flopped two pair or a set. It's also possible that the raiser has the exact same hand as you (e.g. A-K on a flop of A-T-4). If the raiser is an advanced player, he or she might be raising on a strong draw, hoping that you will check to him or her on the turn.
If I hold A-K with a flop like A-T-2 or K-8-4, I will usually reraise the raiser. Doing so costs me only one bet, and I get a world of information from his or her response. If I am reraised, I might check and call to the river. If I am only called, I might bet out on the turn and play the river cautiously.
I play an overpair very similarly to top pair--aggressively, that is. Some players like to wait until the turn to check raise with an overpair, but your overpair would have to be a monster and the flop would have to be non-threatening for this to be a profitable play in the long run.
Two pair
Two pair is a strong hand in Texas Hold 'em, but it is still quite vulnerable. This is especially true if there is an overcard to one or both of your pocket cards. For this reason, you must play this hand fast. I will bet out if I am first to act, and I will raise if the pot has already been raised.
If I am raised, I will reraise most of the time. If my reraise is raised, I can only call since the maximum number of bets is four in any given round. However, I might bet out on the turn if I am the first to act.
You must be careful if there is an overcard to one or both of your cards on the flop. This is because if a second card of that rank falls on the turn or river, one of your pairs has been taken away. If you hold T-9s, and the flop comes A-T-9, an ace on the turn makes your nine virtually worthless. Now anyone holding any ace-rag, K-K, Q-Q, J-J (hands that were losing on the flop) has you beaten.
Three of a kind
Known as a set or trips, three of a kind is a very powerful hand in Texas hold'em. There's a saying that goes, "If you don't win or lose a lot of money with a set, you're not playing it right." When you have three of a kind, you may have a pocket pair that flops another card of its rank, or you may hold a single card of a rank that flops a pair of that rank.
When I hold a pocket pair and flop a third card of that rank, I will play the hand fast about 75% of the time. Many limit players will always slowplay a set, preferring to check raise on the turn when the betting limits double. I will only do this is the board is very safe, meaning that it has very little "texture." For instance, if I hold As-Ad, and the flop comes Ah-7d-2c, I will slowplay my set. But if I hold 8c-8d, and the flop comes Qs-Js-8h, then I will usually bet out or raise on the flop. Any spade except the 8s will make a flush possible, and any ace, king, ten, or nine makes a straight possible. I want to bet to get people with gutshot draws to fold.
When a pair comes on the flop whose rank matches one of my pocket cards (e.g., I'm holding A-Q with a flop of Q-Q-3), I usually slowplay if I have position. This means that if a player bets into me, I will smooth call. My hope is that the player will bet into me on the turn, when I can raise for a big bet. With a flop that contains a pair, you may not get much action because everyone will be afraid of trips. Be careful of those players acting behind you who flat call your bet or raise.
Gutshot straight draw
Actually, I like flopping a gutshot straight draw because the hand becomes quite simple to play. If you are getting the right pot odds, you call; if you aren't, you fold. You are about a 5-to-1 dog (16.5%) to fill your gutshot either on the turn or river. Not as bad as you had thought, right? Against multiple opponents, regardless of my position at the table, I will usually check, then call if the pot is laying me the right odds.
If I have position against a single opponent, I will usually bet if I am checked to, particularly if I hold two overcards (e.g. K-Q on a flop of 9-J-2). I might even raise in this situation if I sense my opponent is holding A-K or A-Q and I have a backdoor flush draw in addition to the gutshot and overcards.
You should not draw to this straight if three suited cards come on the flop, and you do not have the nut or second nut flush draw.
Open-ended straight draw
Obviously, I like this draw even better than the gutshot. Flopping this kind of straight draw is roughly equivalent to flopping a four flush. You have eight outs to fill the open-ended straight draw and nine outs to fill the flush draw. Once again, calling or folding is a question of pot odds. You are a 2.17-to-1 dog to fill this straight on the turn or river, so as long as you can get two other players besides yourself in the pot, you will be getting the right pot odds.
Again, if I am heads-up with position, I might bet or raise with this hand if I have a combination of overcards and a backdoor flush draw to go along with the straight draw. Obviously, you're hoping to take down the pot right there with your raise, or with a bet on the turn if you're checked to.
You should not draw to this straight if three suited cards come on the flop, and you do not have the nut or second nut flush draw.
You will occasionally flop an open-ended straight draw when you've called preflop with a pocket pair. In this case, you need to play extremely cautiously. For example, let's say that you hold 8-8. The flop comes 7-9-T. You still have a good hand, but now you do not want an eight to fall. Against multiple opponents, you face a good chance that one of them is holding a jack (and even a six), and your set will lose to a straight.
Flush draw
By flush draw I mean a four flush. (A backdoor flush draw, when you hold two of one suit and one falls on the flop, should usually be folded unless the hand has other strong merits.) A flush draw is a good hand, particularly if you are drawing at the nut or second nut flush (which you will be often because you are playing only good cards preflop). You have nine outs twice, so you are a 1.86-to-1 dog to fill your flush on the turn or river. As with the open-ended straight draw, you need to have two opponents with you to make calling a bet correct.
Although I probably wouldn't play a flush draw heads-up against an aggressive opponent, I might bet or raise against a tight-passive opponent. Again, I am wanting to win the pot right there by getting my opponent to fold to my show of strength. This is called a semi-bluff because although I am probably losing at the moment, I have a draw to a strong hand.
Be aware that another player might have a flush draw as well. If the pot is raised and a player ahead of you cold calls the two bets, there's a good chance that he or she is on a flush draw. Play cautiously if you don't hold the nut flush draw.
Quite often, you will flop a four flush, but the flop will also hold a pair. While you still have a strong hand, you must be aware that there's a good chance that you're up against trips drawing to a boat or even a made boat (this can happen if the cards are close in rank since many people like to play suited connectors). You could make your flush with the same card that fills your opponent's boat--a real disaster. For example, you hold Kh-Qh. The flop comes 7h-7c-6h. You might be losing to trips, but you have a strong draw. However, if your opponent holds a seven, two of your outs are essentially taken away, since they would pair your opponent's other card. When calculating pot odds, such a situation makes folding a good play if the call is borderline. If I were against a single opponent, I might bet into this flop. If the player has trips, you still have outs to a better hand if you are called or raised. If the player does not have trips, you might win the pot right there (this is what you want). However, if a player has a pocket underpair, you might get him or her to fold, which would be good if the card that makes your flush also makes your opponent a full house. Against multiple opponents, I would check and call unless there is a raising war, at which time I would seriously consider folding if faced with calling two or more bets cold.
From time to time, three suited cards will come on the flop. If you hold the nut or second nut card of that suit (Ad-Ks with a flop of Qd-8d-3d or Qs-Qh with a flop of As-Js-2s), go ahead and play as above. Otherwise, I'd fold to any show of strength. Remember that a flop of three suited cards has so much texture that you may not get any action. Play cautiously if you have the second nut draw.
Straight
Occasionally, you will have the good fortune to flop a made straight. The question now is whether to check, bet, raise, or smooth call. Let's start with when to bet out. When you bet out with a made straight, you are hoping to eliminate long shot draws that will beat you. You are not trying to eliminate top pair (these players are the ones who pay you off), and you should not expect to drive out good draws (open-ended straight draws and four flushes). For example, you hold Js-9s in one of the blinds. The flop comes 8d-Td-Qh. You have flopped a monster, but it is still vulnerable. Any diamond on the turn could make someone a flush, a nine or jack may split the pot, and any eight, ten, or queen could give someone a boat (it's not unlikely that your opponents are playing a hand such as Q-T). The most unfortunate scenario is running diamonds, since anyone holding a singleton diamond would have you beat. If you are in early position and face a field of five or more opponents, I'd bet out with a hand like this one with the intent of check-raising on the turn. You will not drive out anyone with two diamonds, K-J, two pair, or top pair, but you might drive out a player with A-K, J-J, 9-9, A-J, J-T, T-9, or the ace of diamonds plus a rag. These are the players you want out of the hand. Yes, it's possible that they may pay off one small bet with the intention of seeing the turn, but it's unlikely that they will pay off a big bet if the turn doesn't hit them. However, if they hit on the turn, they might ruin your day, especially if you had allowed the flop to be checked around. There are fifteen cards that scare you (nine diamonds, plus three nines and three jacks), and you wouldn't feel too good about the kings or aces, either, because they might make a straight that ties or beats you. The best case scenario would be to bet out to eliminate the long shot draws, then successfully check-raise on the turn.
If I am in late position, I will usually raise if there are at least three callers ahead of me. In low-limit hold'em, you will rarely see a player fold for a small bet after he or she has already voluntarily put in the first small bet. I'm just trying to get as much money into the pot with a play like this one. However, do not raise if your raise will force more than one player to cold call two bets. Let's say that you act last in a field of four players. The hand is checked to the player to your right. He bets, and you (incorrectly) raise with your made straight. Chances are good that the first two players will fold because they would have to call two bets cold. The player to your right will probably call (and maybe raise), but he will check to you on the turn most of the time. If you bet the turn, don't be surprised if he folds.
If the flop is a rainbow and there is very little chance that a higher straight can be made, I will usually smooth call regardless of position. For example, if I hold 8s-6s, and the flop comes 9d-5h-7s, I'm not really afraid of anything. It's possible that someone is holding two suited cards and will hit runner-runner, but that's the kind of risk you want to take in poker. Maybe a ten will fall on the turn and an eight on the river, giving me the ignorant end of the straight, but again, that's a risk well worth taking. You're hoping to either bet out, raise, or check-raise on the turn after smooth calling on the flop.
All things considered, I would rather flop a straight than a flush. This is because straights are better disguised than flushes. Any time two suited cards fall on the flop, every player is immediately on guard for the third one to fall. Players with hands such as two pair or a set will usually pay off only one big bet on the river if there are three suited cards on the board. However, you might be able to get two or even three more big bets out of these players with a nicely disguised straight (e.g., 9h-8h with a board of As-6d-7h-Ts-2h).
Flush
When you flop a flush, it's unlikely that you will get much action. This is because one of the scariest flops is one that contains three suited cards. Whether you check, bet, raise, or call depends on the highest ranking card of your flush.
If I am holding the nut or second nut flush and am bet into, I will smooth call almost all of the time. Of course, I will be wary of the fourth card of the suit falling if I have the second nut flush.
If I do not have the nut or second nut flush (let's say I have 9d-8d with a Ad-7d-2d flop), I will usually check-raise from early position or bet or raise from late position. You have flopped a strong hand, but it is quite vulnerable. This is because against multiple opponents, another card of the suit falling on the turn or river drastically reduces the value of your flush. You want to get money into the pot quickly from people holding the nut or second nut of that suit, who will almost always call. You want to punish them for trying to draw out on you. If you raise and are reraised, go ahead and cap the betting (but consider the possibility that you are up against a larger flush). Obviously, you want to get players holding Qd, Jd, or Td to fold. You should be happy if you can take down a pot without showing down your marginal flush--don't think that you have flopped a monster and should get paid off handsomely.
If I am last to act and the hand has been checked to me, whether I check or bet depends on the number of opponents and the texture of the board. If I am heads-up with position, I will check if checked into. If I am bet into, I will smooth call with the intention of raising on the turn. If I am up against multiple opponents, I will still usually check the flop (thus giving a free card) with the intention of raising on the turn. If the table is full of loose-passive or loose-aggressive players, I would open the betting with this hand about 25% of the time.
If I am last to act and there are three or more callers ahead of me, I will raise about 25% of the time. I know that most players will not fold for an additional small bet, and I'm trying to get as much money into the pot. Such a play is also deceptive; most players would not expect a made flush to raise on the flop. In fact, I would be more likely to believe that a late-position raiser holds top pair or the ace of the suit that has flopped. So if another card of that suit does not fall, you may even get players betting into your made flush on the river, which is just lovely.
Don't forget to watch out for the possibility of the straight flush. It's easy to forget that an ace-high flush is not always the stone cold nuts with an unpaired board.
Full house, Quads, Straight flush
If you are lucky enough to flop one of these monsters, the likelihood of your being beaten is slim to almost none. With these hands, check if you're first to act, call if you're bet into. You're almost guaranteed to make money unless you get extremely unlucky, so keep as many players in the hand as possible. Don't worry too much about how to play these hands; they practically play themselves, and they don't come along very often. In over 26,000 limit games for which I have records, I've flopped quads only seven times, a straight flush, never.
Top pair, strong kicker (or overpair)
The turn has not produced an overcard, so your top pair, top kicker still looks good. Remember, that you will win a good percentage of your hands with top pair, top kicker (particularly from those with top pair, bad kicker). However, your hand is about as vulnerable as a hand can be. Unless the board is very scary (e.g. four of one suit, four cards of consecutive rank), you should push the action by betting or raising.
At this point, you want to thin the field as much as possible since even a ragged two-pair can beat you. This means that you should bet out, raise, and sometimes check-raise. What you want is to force players to cold call two big bets. Even players with strong draws must think hard about committing this much money with only one card to go. If you are bet into and there are players left to act, raise. If the betting has been checked to you, you should bet. If you are sure that the player last to act will bet and if there are players between the two of you, you might check with the intention of check-raising, thus forcing the player(s) between you to cold call two bets. Unless you can be sure that the last player to act will bet, you're better off opening the betting yourself. With a hand like top pair, top kicker, you want to be heads-up going to the river.
If you are bet into or raised, you must consider whether you are beaten. Did the player betting or raising show strength after the flop? Has the turn produced the third card of one suit? Has it put three coordinated cards on the board? Has it paired the board? I would rarely fold top pair, strong kicker for a single big bet.
In the end, you will find your top pair, strong kicker losing with more frequency than you would like. Your A-K will lose to your opponent's A-T when a ten falls on the river. The fourth card of a suit will fall on the river, giving your opponent a flush. Even so, you cannot afford to be timid with a hand like top pair, strong kicker. Play this hand aggressively, backing off and reevaluating only if raised. You will get paid off time and again by players with top pair, weak kicker. The trick with this hand is to manage your losses when you think you may be beaten and value betting when you think that you are winning.
Two pair
Maybe you flopped two pair and the turn produced a blank, or maybe the turn hit you, making your two pair. In any event, you have a good but vulnerable hand.
As with top pair, strong kicker, you want to thin the field if you suspect that your opponents are on draws. Let's say that you had top pair, strong kicker on the flop: Ah-Qs with a flop of 4c-7d-As. You bet and were called by two players. The turn comes Qc. There's no reason to believe that you don't have the best hand at the moment. You should still bet. The reason is that any player with an ace will probably call you. So will the player holding 6-5 and the player with two clubs. That's fine--you need to be making this value bet. While you will occasionally lose to the runner-runner clubs or the straight, you will profit from betting the turn more than you will lose. You should never give a free card to a player on a draw that can beat you. If that's not a cardinal rule of poker, it should be one.
If another player shows strength, you should go through the same list of questions you ask with top pair, strong kicker. You may already be beaten if the turn puts three of a suit on the board or three coordinated cards. However, if you are losing at the turn to a straight or a flush, you still have what's called a redraw. That is, you still have four outs to a full house. Granted, you are worse than a 10-to-1 dog to fill it, but it does happen.
If the you have the bottom two pair on the flop, your hand is especially vulnerable if the turn produces a card higher than your top pair. For example, you hold 8s-7s, and the flop comes Kd-7d-8c. The turn comes Qs. You probably still have the best hand, but if a king or queen comes on the river, your seven plays only as a weak kicker. Let's say another queen falls. Now you're losing to anyone holding A-A, J-J, T-T, 9-9, or a singleton king or queen. If your opponents called your bet or raise on the flop, but bet into on the turn when the overcard fell, consider that you might be losing to a larger two pair (probably K-Q in this case).
You might have two pair if you hold a pocket overpair and two cards of the same rank appear on the board. While it may seem like a bad thing for your overpair for the board to pair on the turn, you probably still have the winning hand. If the paired card is the lowest rank on the board, there's a good chance that a player folded bottom pair to your bet or raise on the flop. If the turn pairs the highest ranking card, there's a good chance that you're now losing, facing trips.
Three of a kind
If you are playing as you should, you will hold three of a kind when the board pairs the high card. For example, you hold A-K, and the flop comes 8-A-T, with another ace coming on the turn. If you hold a pocket pair that is not improved by the flop, you shouldn't draw with the intention of making a set (or trips). You have only two outs, after all. If the flop reveals overcards to the rank of your pocket pair, you should usually check against multiple opponents and fold if someone shows strength. So, if you hold 7-7, and the flop comes 8-2-K, unless you are heads-up, you should fold to any bet rather than try to spike a 7 on the turn.
One of the most dominating scenarios is if you hold an overpair to the flop, and the turn card matches the rank of your pocket pair, giving you top set. Unless the board has a very scary texture, such as four coordinated cards or four suited cards, you will win the hand most of the time. It may be difficult to extract much money from your opponents in a situation like this one, however, since it's unlikely that one of them holds the case overcard. A bet from you would signal top pair, which is probably far better than your opponents are holding, and they will usually fold. I usually check-and-call here, hoping that the river brings a new overcard or, even better, pairs the board--likely giving someone else trips and thus a full house to me.
If the turn pairs the board, your set will probably be the top set since you will be playing only strong hands after the flop. If you have the nut or second nut kicker, you should be confident in your hand. Yes, it's possible that your opponents will also have top set and perhaps even a full house, but you cannot be passive against more than one of them. If the river could produce a straight or a flush, I play trips fast in this situation against multiple opponents. If they are on straight and flush draws, I want them to pay to see the river. NEVER give a free card to multiple opponents whom you suspect are drawing. If you are raised, and you have the nut or second nut kicker, go ahead and reraise. It's possible that the raiser has a lower kicker or that he or she is trying to bluff you, representing a set. Many beginners don't expect top set to bet out on the turn; they wrongly read this move as a bluff.
Straight draw
If you have a straight draw on the turn, you probably had a gutshot or open-ended draw on the flop and the turn missed you. Sometimes a straight draw will develop for you on the turn, but you did not expect it to (e.g., you hold A-K with a board of A-Q-9-J).
You'd prefer to see a free card, but whether you call or fold at this point is a matter of pot odds. It may even be right to continue with your gutshot if the pot is laying you the right odds. Remember, if you have a gutshot draw, your odds are 10.5-to-1, and if you have an open-ended draw, your odds are 4.75-to-1. However, you can make your straight on the river and still lose to a bigger straight or a flush. If there are three suited cards on the board by the turn, you should fold your straight draw if there's any action. Not only might you already be beaten by a flush, but one or two of your outs are now almost worthless because they will put four suited cards on the board. (An exception occurs when you hold the nut or second nut card of that suit in your pocket cards.) Losing to a bigger straight is also a distinct possibility, and you need to be sure how many "good" outs you have. For example, let's say that you hold 8-7 and the flop comes 9-2-T. The turn produces a Q. You still have an open-straight draw, but the queen has reduced the value of four of your outs--the four jacks. This is because if a jack does fall on the river, the board will look like this: 9-2-T-Q-J. That means you have made your straight, but anyone holding a singleton king has you beaten. Technically, you still have eight outs (the four eights and four jacks), but only four of them are "good." Keep this situation in mind when you make your pot odds calculations. If neither of these scary situations applies to your draw, you should usually call for a single big bet and only worry about pot odds if you have to cold call two or three bets.
Occasionally, but not very often, I will bet out with a straight draw. The conditions have to be right, and this means that I'm heads-up against a single opponent who has not shown any strength. This play is more effective when a new overcard falls on the turn, especially if my opponent is holding second or third pair, or perhaps even a pocket pair. Because I'm still a dog to fill my straight, I'd love to win the pot right here. If I am raised, I will just call with hopes of hitting my straight on the river.
Flush draw
If you have a flush draw on the turn, you probably missed with the flush draw you had after the flop. Sometimes a flush draw will develop for you on the turn, which is a bonus. A flush draw of this latter type adds deception to your hand since not many people will expect you to have hit runner-runner to fill your flush.
Like a straight draw, a flush draw requires you to make pot odds calculations to determine your next step. You are a 4.1-to-1 dog to fill your flush, and you may lose to a larger flush. With a flush draw on the turn, I am checking and calling, hoping that I will be able to see a free card. Again, it is usually right to call one bet with a flush draw against multiple opponents, so that pot odds come into play only when you are forced to cold call multiple bets. If I have small pocket cards (something like 5-4 of spades), I will be especially wary of cold calling multiple bets if someone acting ahead of me has already cold called those bets. A cold call is one of the most common signs of a draw, and you must consider whether you will be drawing dead if you cold call yourself. If I act late and if I see two or more opponents cold calling a raise ahead of me, I will often fold small suited cards. In poker, few things are worse than drawing dead.
I will sometimes bet out with a flush draw given the same situation described in the straight draw section above.
Straight
Turning a straight makes me feel all warm inside. This is because very few players will suspect that you hold a straight, especially if your pocket cards are the two ends of the straight (e.g., A-T with a board of K-Q-8-J). You will have the same advantage of deception if you hold a pocket pair against a single opponent, and the turn completes a gutshot (e.g., 8-8 with a board of 5-7-9-6). Outside of filling up a large boat or making quads, there are few situations better than turning a big straight on a rainbow board. Give me this situation over turning a vulnerable flush any day. The object of the game, after all, is to have the stone cold nuts, whether it's a royal flush or a queen-high straight.
If the board is a rainbow, I will almost always slowplay my straight at this point. I'm hoping that someone behind me will raise after I check or call, allowing me to reraise and trap everyone for one more bet. I usually raise if I am last to act and there are multiple callers.
If the board holds three suited cards, the third coming on the turn, I will play my straight fast. If someone has made a flush, I will just lose money--this is just one of those times that you have to grin and bear it. Do not just check if you are first to act, especially if you intend to call any bet. Checking gives you no new information. On the other hand, a bet will tell you whether you are up against an opponent with a flush or one representing a flush. If you are raised, your opponent has you beaten or is bluffing. If you are called, you are probably winning (although now your opponent may be on a flush draw with a single card of the flush suit). Very few players with a flush will smooth call at this point unless they hold the ace-high flush; this is because a card of the flush suit could fall on the river, making their hand vulnerable to someone holding a single high-ranking card of the suit. If you do not hold a card of the flush suit, a bet may get an opponent holding a low card of that suit to fold, which would be a great thing if another card of that suit falls on the river. So betting is the best move.
You will probably be cursing if you turn a straight with a card that is the fourth of its suit on the board and neither of your cards is of that suit. Against more than one opponent, you are surely beaten. You should fold to any strength and try to forget this hand. At least you did not surrender a big bet. Against a single opponent, it may be worthwhile to bluff, representing a flush. Remember, a board of four suited cards is probably as scary to your opponent as it is to you. Don't assume that your opponent has a flush. Unless your opponent holds a high-ranking card of that suit, it will be difficult for him or her to call your bet. If you are raised at this point, you should fold.
Flush
Don't get me wrong--turning a flush is a great thing too. Having the nut flush at this stage protects you in case the river produces another card of the flush suit. If you don't hold the nut flush, you have to worry that the fourth suited card will fall on the river, which will happen about one out of every six times. That's one concern when you have a flush on the turn. The other is that the third suited card to fall tends to freeze all of your opponents. That is, everyone will be playing very carefully because of the possible flush.
If I have the nut flush, I will check if I am in early position. I don't want the round to checked down, but that's a risk I'm willing to assume. I'm hoping for a bet behind me and multiple callers, so that when the action is back on me I'll be able to raise. It's rare to see a player who has already put out a big bet to fold for another one, especially in a multi-way pot. Some may hold a high card of the suit--a king or queen--and will call hoping that the fourth suited card falls--all the better for you. The only problem with check raising is that most players will know that you have the flush. That's fine--get as many big bets into the pot as you can at this point. You'll be surprised how many people will still call you down on the river; if they have a decent hand, even good players rarely give up a large pot for a single big bet. Needless to say, if you are raised, keep raising until the betting is capped.
If I don't have the nut flush, I still want to get as much money into the pot as possible. But I will not slowplay a flush if I am first to act. I like betting out as a play because a lot of players won't expect a player holding a flush to do this. By betting and raising, I will be maximizing my profit those five out of six times that the fourth suited card does not fall. If I hold a hand such as 9-8 of hearts, my aggression might cause a player holding the ten or jack of hearts to fold. In low limit hold'em, players with the nut or second nut flush draw (the ace or king of the suit, usually) will not fold to a bet on the turn, and many will cold call two bets. You want to punish these players who are trying to draw out on you with your bets on the turn. If you bet and are raised, you must reevaluate the situation. If the turn did not pair the board, you are facing a bigger flush, a smaller flush, or a bluff. I will not fold a flush (even a small one) unless the board gets very scary. So, you must decide whether the raiser is trying to make a play on you or whether he or she has the goods. I'm more inclined to think that the raiser is bluffing if he or she is last to act and if the two of us are the only ones left in the hand. A reraise is not a bad move on your part, and if you are reraised, you can check and call on the river.
Top pair, strong kicker
If you have been betting this hand on the flop and turn, you should probably continue to bet it if you suspect your opponents have not improved. In fact, there's no reason not to bet on the river if the last card is a seeming blank--that is, if it is not the third suited card, if it does not pair the board, or if it doesn't coordinate two (or more) other board cards into a possible straight. Betting in this instance is known as value betting, and not being afraid of value betting will increase your profits greatly in the long run. Too many players would be satisfied with the pot even if the last round were checked down, thinking that they were fortunate to have won the pot at all. However, so many low-limit hold'em players will call you down with top pair, bad kicker or second pair that you will miss out on a lot of profit if you adopt this attitude.
What if the board pairs? If I am against a single opponent, I will still bet if I am first to act. It's true that now I may be up against trips, but I'll just lose an extra bet if that's the case. Chances are that my opponent holds two pair, bad kicker to my two pair, good kicker. In the long run, I'll come out ahead value betting this way. If I am against multiple opponents, I will check more often, depending on how many players are left to act. If I check, I'll usually call unless there is a raise, at which time I will seriously consider folding to what must be trips.
When should you check if you are first to act? If I notice that a player behind me cold called a raise on a flop with two suited cards, and the third suited card falls on the river, I will check. So many low-limit players chase flushes that I usually give them credit if the board goes their way on the river.
1. Always chip up. You always have the option of rebuying enough chips to bring your stack to the maximum buy-in amount (usually 100 times the big blind). When your stack falls to 90% of this amount, you should rebuy. One of the reasons you play no-limit is to put all of your chips in the middle when you have a big advantage over your opponent. If you find yourself in one of these situations, not having chipped up can cost you--anywhere from a few dollars to much more. Pay attention to your opponents who do chip up regularly--they're the dangerous ones. Let's say you are playing at a $50 NL table with blinds of $0.25 and $0.50. Players with stacks of $15, $25, or $35 either don't have enough money to buy in for the maximum amount, or they just don't care. Both reasons suggest that these players are not very good at no-limit poker. The player with $65 or $80 (an amount higher than the maximum initial buy-in) may have just gotten lucky, but may also have solid no-limit skills. Expert players will never have a stack less of than the maximum initial buy-in.
2. Who wants to go to bed? At some point, players will announce through their betting that they're done for the night. They may have a stack that's 20% to 30% of the maximum initial buy-in, and they may have recently suffered a big beat. If you have a good hand, don't necessarily fold to their show of strength, often an all-in bet. In fact, if you want to take a chance with your hand, say a coin-flip situation at worst, you don't want to do so against a stack larger than your own. I've often seen these types of players show down very marginal no-limit hands such as a low pocket pair, two face cards, or ace-rag.
3. Be ready to bet your entire stack pre-flop when you are a huge favorite to win. In an all-in situation, I would rather hold A-A against a single opponent than multiple opponents. Against a smaller pair, you are a 4-to-1 favorite to win the hand. You cannot ask for more favorable odds than this, so get your money into the middle if you are raised. Many players will call an all-in bet with hands such as K-K, Q-Q, and even A-K. Once the flop comes, your opponent probably will know if he or she has lost or if he or she has you badly beaten. Say you hold A-A and your opponent holds K-K. The flop comes K-3-2. You are losing badly, but you would probably call an all-in bet (after all, you think, K-K is the only hand that could beat me after my pre-flop raise). If you suspect that you will call an all-in bet on with this flop, you may as well push all of your chips in before the flop. If the flop comes A-3-2, it is unlikely that your opponent will call an all-in bet from you and may even fold to any bet.
1. Play premium hands only, especially from early and middle position.
2. If someone has raised in front of you, strongly consider folding unless you hold a premium hand.
3. Don't bluff.
4. Don't be afraid to fold your excellent pre-flop hand (e.g. A-Ks) if the flop does not hit you and someone bets into you.
5. Try not to get bored.
6. Don't lose extra money from the blinds.
1. While you'll be able to adjust your style of play to the table when you get more experience, it's not a bad idea to only play A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, A-Ks, T-T, A-Qs, A-Js, K-Qs, and A-K. You will have to play these hands aggressively but be able to get away from them if the flop doesn't hit you or if it becomes obvious that you're beaten (there are four cards of the same suit on the board and three players left, for instance). There are some excellent books that elaborate on the pocket cards you should play and why. Check out books by Lee Jones and Lou Krieger in Recommended Reading.
2. There are a lot of attractive hands that you'd want to play for a single bet, especially from late position: A-J, K-J, T-9s, J-T, 4-4, etc. If you must call two bets to do so, however, you will save money in the long run by folding these types of hands. Your hand may already be dominated (A-J vs. A-K or 4-4 vs. J-J), making you a 4-to-1 underdog or worse. Plus, because you called a raise pre-flop, you might feel obligated to call a long shot bet after the flop. Yes, from time to time, your small pair will beat a pre-flop raiser's A-K when he bluffs through the river, but you'd be surprised how often an ace or king will fall on the turn or river or how often he shows down a larger pocket pair. In low-limit hold'em, you're not going to make your money playing heads-up before the flop. You will have to do so occasionally, but what you want is for five or six people to see the flop, four or five to see the turn, and two or three to see the river. This way, you are getting, on average, three to four times your investment rather than even money (once the rake has taken its share).
3. You will drag an occasional pot by bluffing. But it is usually best to not bluff and show down the best hand. Remember that you are playing low-limit hold'em, and a lot of people don't want to play correctly: they want to gamble. Sometimes a bluff can set you down a bad path of check-calling. Say you correctly raise with A-Ks pre-flop, eliminating all but the big blind, but only rags fall on the flop. The big blind checks, you bet, and he raises. What do you do now? The big blind could have anything. Nobody likes to be check-raised, so you might make the bad play of calling, hoping that an ace or king falls (almost a 7-to-1 long shot) so that you can "show" him. Even if an ace or a king did fall, you might still be beaten by two small pair given the rag flop. The impulse to see the hand to the river will be great, even if you have to call one big bet to get there. You could save yourself a lot of money by realizing that many low-limit players will call you down if the board hits them in the slightest.
4. This rule is related to the rule above. In low-limit hold'em, it is usually a mistake to chase with overcards without some kind of backdoor draw (and even then it's dicey). On your best days the action will be checked to you (if you put in a pre-flop raise), and you will be able to see a free turn card. Playing low-limit, you will make your money flopping top pair, top kicker or filling straights and flushes on the turn or river. If the flop doesn't hit your two big cards, just fold them and forget about it. The next hand is just minutes away.
5. Getting bored will cost you money. You will be tempted to play hands like J-T, Q-8s, or A-5 from early position because you haven't been in a pot for over ten minutes. The best thing for you to do is to try to follow the action on the table--see what hands winners are showing down, for instance. Personally, I'm not able to do this for very long, but you will benefit if you have that kind of discipline. I keep from getting bored by playing two or more tables at once, but don't try this until you are ready. This way, I only play good hands from good position because I know that the next hand is usually less than a minute away.
6. I constantly have to remind myself of this rule. If you are in the big blind and if the pot has not been raised, of course you will check instead of folding and see the flop. However, you must remember that most of the time, you would not have seen the flop with the pocket cards you are holding in the big blind. It's very easy to be sucked into a hand when the flop hits you just enough. You may flop top pair with a bad kicker, then find yourself hit with a raise on the turn by someone holding the same pair, but with a better kicker. The same thing could happen to you if you are in the small blind and have to pay only a half bet to see the flop. When you find yourself losing pots after showing down hands such as K-4 and Q-7, you'll wonder why you allowed yourself to go that far with such trash hands in the first place. Play cautiously from these positions, especially after the betting limits double, because you would not be playing at all if you weren't forced to put in a blind.
My favorite cash-game tables are those that are almost full (one or two empty seats before I join), have a high percentage of people seeing the flop (45% and up, preferably 55% and up), and have a healthy average pot ($14 and up at $1/$2; $24 and up at $2/$4; $36 and up at $3/$6). You can monitor these statistics from the lobby window, but you'll get a pretty good idea if the play at your table is tightening up. (Remember that fewer players seeing the flop and smaller average pots may also mean that it will take you longer to clear any bonuses you have.) I usually leave a table if it has fallen to seven or fewer players and I must post the big blind.
As a general rule of thumb, avoid tables with a lot of pre-flop raising; the field will usually be limited for any big draws you have (how you make a lot of money in low-limit), and you will be punished for playing marginal hands such as A-9 or 4-4. Some people like to play against maniacs, hoping to bust them when they finally turn a hand. I don't agree with this strategy at low-limit, however. You want to play hands against lots of opponents so that your bets are getting maximum potential return.
On a related note, try not to let the game get personal. You may want to stay at a bad table simply because a player put a bad beat on you and you want to "get" him back. Or maybe a player said something in chat that angered you. Not only will targeting this player lead you to make poor decisions about hands to play, but it will keep you at an unprofitable table. Just forget about it and move to a table with looser and more passive players.