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.

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.

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.

Thank you.

Darren

Darren,

In any form of poker, a straight cannot loop. The ace can be used as part of the wheel (A-2-3-4-5) or broadway (A-K-Q-J-10). It is not permitted to complete a loop straight as in Rummy.

Say it’s heads-up between two players and player A has $250 and player B has $50. For an instance player A goes all in first and eventually player B calls by also going all in, Then the flop came up Ten, Jack, Ace. Consequently, the turn was a King and the river was a Queen. As a result, it’s a split pot for having the same straight.

What do you think will happen since player A went all in first? Do you think the $300 be divided equally? In other words, player A gets $150 and player B gets $150. Or, do you think, player A should get his $250 back and so as with player B for his $50?

Thanks for your time.

Davon

Davon,

The most a player may win when they are all-in is the amount they went all in for. While player A moved all-in for $250, player B called all-in with only $50. As a result, player A would have $200 of his $250 returned to him before the board is dealt. Therefore, when the pot is split, each player receives $50.