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I believe all your regular visitors know how things get going when betting on the flop if they raise preflop. Well, I’m your fan and I visit your site regularly as well. But still I don’t totally understand some things regarding betting on the flop if a preflop is raise.

Typically, I play 25$NL, and whenever I bet on the flop, more often than not I get several calls with really high cards. I don’t know why but it takes place oftentimes. At some point, I thought maybe it was because other players are mislead. Maybe they thought it was a just a typical “bet on the flop after raising preflop” strategy.

By the way, if I may say, it’s easy to play if I caught something, but if I haven’t caught something and I have a few callers, etc. it’s already a different story.

I do hope this is sensible as I don’t like to mess up here in your site. And by the way, have you encountered similar situation as the one I’ve shared with you? If yes, how did you do it, survive the challenge and much better take home the pots?

Thanks!

Smith

Smith,

Part of your betting on the flop may have to do with the size of the bets you are making. If you are making a minimum bet, then most players will have odds to call your bet. If there is a potential straight or flush on the board, you may not be betting enough to force them off their draw. You may also have calling stations on board. Also, part of the problem may arise where they are thinking you are just using a continuation bet. Without more specific information, it is hard to tell further.

On a 50 person table, I was dealt Q, 2 -both hearts. Then the flop came 3,4 hearts. When the Ace came into the scene, I’ve hit the straight however there’s a possibility that someone may consider betting on the Ace.

Though with some little doubts, I bet and then one player called. Then turn card, Ace hearts, therefore I hit both straight and a flush draw. Finally, I bet and the other called. Then the river card was 5 hearts, so again, hit the flush but now there’s quite an uncertainty ahead. Next was, I went all in, he called and showed King 7 hearts. Of course, higher flush won the hand.

Honestly, for me, it was not a very bad beat. But I’m bothered of the hand that in a way could have led me to the pots. Please, do you have any advice?

By the way, your site has been a great help to me.

Thanks!

Regards,
Gerald

Gerald,

Only one hand could beat you. I do not know the preflop action, so I can’t comment on that action to say whether either of you should have seen the flop or not. However, since you were there, you flopped the flush draw and turned a wheel draw. You thinned the field out and had one opponent at the river. You moved in thinking that you had the best hand. You didn’t. Sadly these things happen in tournaments, but I don’t think you played the hand poorly. You had the 2nd nut flush and ran into the nuts. That will happen on occasion. Don’t let that discourage you. The next time that happens, you will likely win.

I play no limit poker. Oftentimes, I win. Typically, I just win enough but at least on a regular basis.

In general, I consider myself as an analytical player who is usually bothered psychologically. Over the years, I’ve tried to change this by increasing my skills or the like. I’ve also tried to discuss some related matters over my mind.

At a certain point, I question myself about the reasons why should I call rather than fold or raise post flop. Well, there’s no problem when I am into a full game, most especially in a multi-way pot. But unfortunately, not in short handed games, specifically when there is a heads up confrontation.

Any piece of advice? Do you have any idea about calling a bet on the flop in cases where ordinarily a player would either fold a marginal hand or re-raise with a hand that is more or less ahead?

I’m not sure to say this, and I also don’t want to sound defensive but the thing is short handed poker is the hardest to master for an analytical player like me. Well, I’m not sure but this is what I feel.

Thanks for your time.

Allie

Allie,

Short handed and heads up confrontations are situations where marginal hands and draws tend to pick up value. As far as calling as opposed to raising, I would continue to raise if I were you when you are ahead. Otherwise you are inviting players to outdraw you regularly. In relation to calling as opposed to folding, you will need to probably look into staying in with your marginal hands that connect in some way or with your draws more in a short handed game.

Before anything, I would like first to share that I love your site. It’s been very helpful.

Well, I used to play no-limit Texas holdem tournaments. Because of this, I’ve got the chance to learn a lot of betting styles to varying degrees of success. However, I’m still clueless, I don’t know how do you bet when you flop to the ignorant end of a straight. And take note, you are at a table full of people who pay to the river on most hands.

Another thing, I’ve heard that from Mike Sexton, it’s advisable to bet 3-5 times the big blind almost without exception once you have the hand. How true is this? And about aggressive betting style, many have said that this style is very helpful. Is it true?

Well, in my opinion it is as you can actually blow the first two types of players off the table. By the way, in every pre-flop there are three types of players; the “folds”, the “calls”, and the “raises”. It’s also a similar thing in post flop. It’s helpful to be aggressive.

But I’m wondering. I don’t know if how many ways can I win now if I bet aggressively. Any idea?

By the way, I’ve also heard that it’s vital that you watch out for paint in the flop. Does this makes sense? Please, any idea will do.

Thank you.

All the best,
Hanz Crew

Hanz,

When you flop the low end of the straight, also known as the sucker end, how you bet it depends on your read of your opponent and also the flop itself. If you came in holding 4-5 and the flop came 6-7-8, the odds that your opponent is holding 9-5 or 9-10 are usually pretty long. Adversely, if you flop 8-9-10, and you hold 6-7, you may be against a player with Q-J.

An aggressive betting style is good for putting fear into your opponents and for stealing blinds and antes in tournaments and forcing weaker players out. The downside is that when you are beat, you will lose money. Betting aggressively gives you an additional way of winning by forcing your opponent to fold. When you just check or just bet small, it invites players to stay in the pot.

Watching for paint on the flop refers to watching for face cards, such as kings, queens, or jacks. I don’t know of any tip that recommends that you watch specifically for that, but you do need to be aware of potential hands at all times.

I love poker. But just recently, I’m starting to get bothered because of a certain hand that took place in one of my NL, .10/.25 online games.

What I can remember is that I had pocket 5’s under the gun and I limped in with some of the players. Then, a player who is in 5th position raised about 4 times the big blind and so a result got a call from the player in 8th position. Right after, it was folded around to me, I called.

Finally, the flop came 5-6-7, 2 spades. Well, I hit my set back then, however, drawing potential was still very prevalent even for me. I then bet out about 80% of the pot, because I was thinking that I’d have at least one caller from two players behind me.

Afterwards, the person in 5th position re-raised me, the amount was really big. Because of that re-raise, I got into conclusion that he is keeping a very large hand or was trying to bet me out of the pot. For some reasons, the person in 8th position called that large raise, so somehow I was relieved from delight.

To be honest, I’m not sure of what I had back then. There was a chance for a straight and flush draw, but somebody at the table might be holding 7-7 or 8-8 so the way to winning wasn’t that sure yet for me. As a result, I went all-in.

In just seconds, both my opponents folded. Well, I’ve taken home the pot, and I was so happy then. But still at some point, I still feel I’ve messed up at the table. I don’t know if I was able to maximize everything, the hand, chance,etc. What do you think? Do you have any comments or advice for me?

By the way, I’m very open to suggestions and even for bad comments so you can say everything. You don’t have to worry.

Thanks!

David

David,

I’m going to go with the assumption you had the set of fives for this scenario. You bet 80% of the pot, was raised and another player called before action returned to you. I would say that there is a good chance that you were against a large pair such as Aces and maybe a draw. I am surprised that both players folded to your bet. My only guess is that they maybe thought you had flopped a straight.

After betting out 80% of the pot, I would have been concerned with a big raise and a call ahead of me. I would have at least put one of them on the straight, even if it seemed unlikely. With that being said, you still had a 40% chance to make a full house even if you were unlucky enough to run into a straight.

Moving all-in did seem like a bit of an overbet, but if I were you, I would be very happy with both players folding. If they were on a draw, you prevented them from outdrawing you.

Well, just several weeks ago, I tried a $1-$2 no limit cash game. It was actually my first time back then. Unfortunately, I messed up at some rounds because of some hands, but the whole time just about $100. At a certain point, I held J-Q offsuit in the big blind and there were 3-4 callers, so I checked. A number of players then limped in, followed by a $10-$15 raise.

Finally, the flop came 2-J-J. I thought it was a good thing therefore placed $15 as a bet. Some folded but one has called my bet. Then the following card was a 10 with no flush draw and so I checked. Then, he placed $25 as his bet and I called as a reaction to his action.

The river came and it was a 7. By the way, there were no straight flush or straight probabilities back then.

Then because of position, I checked once again. At that time, the player has enough bets to put me all in, by which I called actually. I thought I had him trapped, he turned over 7-7 then. Well, I realized I just allowed him to have a full house on the river. Too bad it was already late.

Do you think if I have check-raised all in on the turn, results may have sided to me? And till the river, have I made the right plays up? How about if he continued to bet the river, do you think I would eventually realize that he had a hand that could knock me down?

Thanks again! Keep up the good work!

Bruce

Bruce,

You checked in the wrong spot. When you flopped your set of jacks, this was the point to slow play your hand and hope to induce a bet. You then call him and lead out on the turn. Betting out was not a bad play but checking the turn and just calling his bet was. If you checked there, you needed to check raise. If he calls your bet there and catches, then you are just unlucky. The way things turned out, you let him get there.

I hope you have time to answer my questions. I badly need clarity. Thanks!

1. In one of my games, I have a pocket pair 7-7, and then I have a set because of the flop, it was one overcard and 2 suited cards. I guess it gave someone else a flush draw. Eventually, one opponent went all-in and I’ve seen he has more chips than me. As a result, I placed him on at least a top pair as well as a flush draw. Like at this instance, whenever your opponent is on a flush draw and went all-in, what do you normally do? Do you fold or immediately call his all-in instead?
2. In my game the other day, I had a top pair, top kicker. I had a A-Q and then the flop is Q-10-2 rainbow. I remembered that the game was very passive and loose then, having numerous calling stations. At some point, I longed to thin out the field to get at least 4-5 callers but I know it was a hard thing to do. Eventually, I started thinking of some stuff.

I wondered, if in the event you get called by someone, do you check the turn? And in case you bet the turn, is there a need for you to bet a large amount? If you have to and then he calls, does it mean you’re beaten and check-fold the river?

3. Oftentimes, I lose lots of money by just merely guarding my hand as well as doing the thinning out of the field stuff. Because of this, I thought of betting less to let everyone in. At some point, I also thought of betting just the necessary amount to thin out the field. I don’t know which is which.

Please help me.

Thanks!

Luis

Luis,

1. You are going to call his all in. You still have the lead and he is still drawing. Granted, they had a big chance to hit their hand, but they are still laying a heavy price to hit their draw. Also, you do have 7 outs on the flop, and 10 on the turn to make your full house which gives you around a 30% chance to resuck out on him if he hits. You have the advantage here. Take it.
   
2. In the scenario with A-Q your problem comes with there being so many people staying in. Are they on draws? Did they flop top pair with a worse kicker? Did they have pocket 2’s and flop a set? It becomes difficult to decipher sometimes. If the turn does not produce a third straight or flush card, you need to take charge and bet out. If they call again, you need to see what the river falls. Again, if it is unthreatening, you should be out and take the lead. If it does complete a draw, slow down.
   
3. Sometimes you will lose money doing this. Typically a bet of around 30% to 40% of the pot is sufficient to thin out most players. If there are potential draws on the board, you need to bet enough to keep them from having sufficient odds to draw. Don’t bet less and let more people in. When you let people into the pot, you are inviting them to outdraw you. You need to avoid this.

I’ve heard that aggressive poker is actually a good poker, and that an aggressive player always wins the pot. Is this true?

How about if an ABC player raise with preflop (AA, KK, QQ, AK), and some suited connectors or AQ or even AJ in late position will be added, what do you think will this be sensible? I guess it will just increase the rate at which I’m losing, so it’s nonsense at all.

How about for an instance in a $3/6 NL game online the players are pretty decent so when you bet 2/3 the pot at a 842 flop, they have just figured out you are just betting overcards, therefore they just thought of either calling or re-raising. What’s your insight on this? I have actually experienced this one and I lost about 1/6th my buy in.

Do you think being aggressive at the table is the better way out and the better way to win the pot? If not, then should I tighten up? But I have already tried to tighten up and it wasn’t that effective.

How about if I try to be passive? Well, I also tried to be passive once and the results were not that good. But at some point, I thought that maybe everything was because of a bad beat or maybe wrong moves that came out of the blue.

So what now? I think I need some improvements. I think I need to develop sort of aggression on my plays. Also, I need to know when to slow play or re-raise a good hand as well as on how to get paid off with your good hands, particularly when you are playing ABC poker.

Can you help me? Please.

Thanks!

Carter

Carter,

Phil Gordon likes to state that “aggressive poker is winning poker.” Aggression is good for driving people out of pots. If you have what appears to be the lead or the clear edge, you need to bet to force players out or make them pay to draw out on you.

When you have good hands, you need to be aggressive with them. Slow playing should be done when you flop a monster hand or pick up a monster on later streets. With slow playing you need to be sure you are not giving them opportunities to outdraw you, such as slow playing a set when there is 2 spades on board.

At some point, everyone folded except a middle position player with about $5000 stack size making it $1800 to go. Well, I’ve been playing very tight since the start of the s&g, while he was occupied with quite some hands on the flip side. To mention, he was leading earlier with about $10000 chips, but eventually his chips melted down to about $5000.

Confidently, I called the $1800. Then the flop came 9d 3h 6d. He placed a bet all in ($3200) with $4200 in the pot. As a result, I placed over him an overpair, not so much trips.

At that point, I don’t believe he had aces as the preflop raise appeared very high. I thought actually that he might just be bluffing preflop, or hitting a pair on the flop instead.

But what do you think, should I just have called his bet considering that I might share the lead with roughly $10000?

Thanks!

Hunter

Hunter,

Let’s look at this from an odds standpoint. You had to call 3,200 to win a pot 7,400. You bet call would represent 42% of the pot. Now let’s look at your outs. You have 9 outs to make a flush. If you assume that your opponent does not have aces, this adds 3 more outs to your hands. You have at least 12 outs. This gives you a 48% chance to make your hand at the river. If your opponent has a lower pair such as 10’s or jacks, then you have 3 queens as outs too. This would give you 15 out with at 60% chance to make your hand by the river.

You either had a 48% chance or a 60% chance to hit your hand and it would only cost a bet of 42% of the pot. You had pot odds in this case. You should have called.