Player A: A♣-Q♣ = 52% Flop: A♥-8♥-6♦
Player B: T♥-9♥ = 48%
Player B has 12 outs (nine ♥s and three Sevens). He is 3:1 against on a card-by-card basis and 11:10 against with two cards to come; the three Sevens enhance his implied odds. Therefore, if he has less than ten times the flop bet, he should try to go all-in and, if he has more, he should flat call and hope that the fourth board card is a Seven, except the 7♥. If the turn card is a ♥, he can bet half the pot in order to lure his opponent into calling, or check and bet the pot at the river. In my experience the latter betting strategy is more profitable than the former one because your opponents would be more inclined to put you on a bluff since you did not bet your made flush at the turn. On the other hand, if Player B missed his draw at the turn, he should count his losses and fold his cards; he is 3:1 against with one card to come. Of course, Player A could also check on the turn, in which case Player B should be happy to receive the free card to the river.
P OT - L IMIT H OLD ’EM
2.2 Made hand
A made hand can be just a pair. In Hold’em, you and your opponents are more likely to flop a pair, than two pairs, trips . . . etc. Therefore, the way you handle your flopped pairs will have a significant effect on your hourly rate. That is why pot-limit Hold’em is not a game for passive players or those who do not appreciate the importance of position. The game is more suitable for aggressive players who place a lot of emphasis on the playing habits of their opponents and understand the effect of position on the value of their draws/hands.
I have given many examples in which the win-rates of most of the made hands you are likely to encounter were discussed thoroughly. Therefore, I do not feel that I should bore you with more of the same. Instead I will re-emphasise some important concepts in pot-limit games:
(1) Always attack your opponents at the weakest point of their draws. Generally speaking, that point is on the turn of the fifth board card. Sometimes you can afford to give your opponents a free card on the flop because the chances of being outdrawn in Hold’em are pretty small on a card-by-card basis. For example, you raise from the button with a pocket pair of Queens and the flop is Q♥-8♥-4♣. The player at the big blind bets $50 and it is your turn to act.
Since you have top trips, you must put the big blind on one of the following hands:
(a) a draw to the flush with possibly one or two overcards or a flush as well as a straight draw;
(b) middle or low trips;
(c) bottom two pairs.
Now you must resist the urge to raise; flat call the bet, especially if your opponent has more than $150 waiting to join your money. Flat calling is better because you will save yourself $150 on the 17 out of 100 occasions the big blind
162 T HE S CIENCE OF P OKER
completes his flush draw. Furthermore, if you set your opponent all-in on the flop, you will be giving him the opportunity to see two cards instead of just one, thereby practically doubling his chances to outdraw you. On the other hand, if the big blind has trips or two pairs, why do you want to give him the opportunity to fold his cards?
Just give him the rope to hang himself and attack when the turn card is a blank. Now your opponent is drawing dead.
(2) You must not give a good player a free card if you can help it. For example, you have 7-6 and the flop is K-6-6. When an experienced player bets the pot, you should raise because if he has two pairs Kings and Sixes he will almost certainly check and fold if you bet on the turn, unless another King hits the board. Why give such an opponent a free card?
The following pot is another example of the cost of trying to get clever with experienced opponents. Mark raised with his pocket pair of Aces from the small blind and Victor called with a pocket pair of Sixes. The flop was Q-9-4. Mark checked and Victor made a sub-pot bet. Mark decided to slow play his big pair by flat calling the bet. Of course, alarm bells started ringing in Victor’s ears. Mark checked again on the turn as did Victor. Then disaster struck on the turn of the fifth board card, which was the 6♥. Mark bet the pot and naturally Victor went all-in! Mark lost over £400 instead of winning about £50. He should have raised Victor’s flop bet.
One final point about pairs. It is much better to flop a split pair than to have a pocket pair of the same rank. For example, against an opponent who has pocket Kings, it is better to have Q-J and flop a Jack rather than have J-J and flop T-8-2. In the latter case you have only two Jacks working for you, whereas in the former situation three Queens as well as the two Jacks are acting in your favour.
P OT - L IMIT H OLD ’EM
2.3 Nothing
Save your money for a better flop. It is as simple as that.