One common source of confusion for beginners is how to properly size their bets. I frequently see bad players bet 20 chips into a pot of 100, or bet 120 chips into a pot of 40. Both of these are almost always terrible bets. So how much should you bet?
Obviously, it depends on many things. However, if you always bet between 2/3 and 3/4 of the pot, your bets will usually be appropriate. Betting much less than that is just silly, because it allows your opponents to call correctly with a wide range of hands. Betting much more than that is pointless, because the suggested 2/3-3/4 pot bet will already be getting out most of the hands that you want to fold. All you're doing by overbetting is giving away more money to an opponent who has a monster.
If your bet is a value bet that you'd like a weaker hand to call, ~2/3 is usually a good amount. Betting much more than this will make too many marginal hands fold, and betting much less will not extract very much money.
If your bet is intended to prevent drawing hands from calling correctly, you must usually bet a little bit more. 3/4 of the pot, or maybe a little more, is probably your best option.
If your bet is a bluff, bet an amount that would be appropriate if you actually had the hand you're pretending to have.
There's also the concept of a probe bet, which is usually no more than 1/2 of the pot. The point of this bet is to find out where you stand with a marginal hand without spending too much on the information. Don't use this very often.
On the river, your value bets and bluffs can sometimes be smaller than 2/3, depending on the size of the pot and the action to that point. The reason is that there are no longer any draws, and thus no need to charge opponents to chase them. If you think it's unlikely that a very large bet will be called, for whatever reason, betting half the pot or even a little less can sometimes be appropriate. I don't often do this, but it's a good option to have in your repertoire.
Never min bet. Min betting means betting the amount of the big blind (the smallest bet allowed). It's extremely stupid 99.99% of the time. When an opponent min bets against me, all it accomplishes is that it tells me he's bad at poker. In most cases, I treat a min bet almost like a check that costs me a couple of chips. I generally fold to min bets only if I have absolutely nothing (no pair, no draw), and I'll occasionally even call with nothing. When you're learning to get good at poker, don't min bet. Ever.
Of course, these suggested bet sizes are just general guidelines; you should certainly adapt them to the particular table you're at. If players are willing to call huge bets with weak hands, by all means throw out huge value bets.
There's one more advanced idea to consider as well. I've been assuming that everyone's stacks are pretty deep. Small stack sizes will often affect your bet sizing. Don't even begin to worry about this until you're comfortable with the previous points, and you've completely cured yourself of any horrible betting tendencies.
When value betting, you want to avoid leaving yourself (or your opponent, if he has fewer chips than you) with a stack of about 1.5-1.75 times the size of the pot for the next betting round. This is an awkward situation, because a reasonably sized bet in the next betting round would commit you to the pot, and is therefore often practically equivalent to an all-in. However, an all-in for 1.5-1.75 times the pot would be an overbet. Basically, this situation makes it more likely that you'll make a costly mistake. Once you're comfortable with basic betting patterns, you should keep resulting stack sizes in mind when deciding how much to bet.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
What Does He Have? #1
.50/1 NL, full ring, $100 stacks
Dealt to Hero [Th Tc]
xx folds
xx folds
xx folds
xx folds
xx folds
Hero raises to $3.50
Villain calls $3.50
xx folds
xx folds
*** FLOP ** [9s 5s 2s]
Good news: we're playing a strong hand heads-up, and the flop is all unders
Bad news: we're playing the hand out of position, the flop is all spades (of which we have none), villain is unknown
Well, the proper play here is certainly to bet it hard and see where we stand. The pot is around $7, so a bet of $5 or $6 should do fine.
Hero bets $6
Villain calls $6
OK, so what does he have? Well, let's eliminate some hands first. He will most likely re-raise preflop with JJ-AA, and probably AK also. He also most likely doesn't have rags. Suited connectors are possible, as are underpairs. However, I think we can eliminate 99, 55, and 22...if he flopped a set, he'd almost certainly raise here with three spades on the board, same goes for two pair.
So, at this point, my guesses are something along the lines of 89, T9, maybe 78 or 67, a high spade like AJ, or he could have flopped a flush.
*** TURN ** [9s 5s 2s] [2h]
This is a pretty great turn for Hero, because now hands like 89 are drawing really slim against Hero's TT. Also, if he did flop a flush, he will almost certainly raise Hero's turn bet to protect his hand from a full house. So what should Hero do? The pot is about 20, I'd suggest a probe bet to see where we are and to keep the pot manageable, while still making Villain put more money in if he's chasing a flush.
Hero bets $10
Villain calls $10
So now what do we think he has? The way he's playing this hand, we can almost certainly assume he's chasing a flush, he might have the ace, king, or queen of spades. Hero should not be scared if a blank river hits.
*** RIVER ** [9s 5s 2s 2h] [5c]
OK, well, that river wasn't really a blank, but for Hero's purposes, it is. Think about it, what hand could he have that includes a five or a two? The only one I could possibly guess him having is a suited 56, but he'd be really stupid to call bets with a naked five all the way through this hand. Right now, we're relatively certain that Hero has the best hand. So, what should Hero do?
Let's think through our options. Hero can either bet or check. If we trust our read, any bet here will cause Villain to fold, unless he decides to make a really brave play for the pot. Hero loses out on possible value by betting here. If we check, one of two things will happen. Villain will either check behind, or he'll try to throw out a bluff bet to take down the pot. Let's step into Villain's shoes for a moment and figure out what he's probably thinking.
"What does Hero have that he'd check on the river? He most likely has a hand like AK/AQ with a high spade. I can probably muscle him out of the pot if I make a big bet here. I'm so villainous."
Hero checks
Villain bets $40.50
Villain has just bet $40 into a pot of $37 or so. Does this seem like the kind of bet a person would make if he has a killer hand? Sometimes, you'll run into a player that's clever enough to bet huge with a real hand, but more often than not, a bet of this size indicates a bluff. This should be an easy call for Hero.
Hero calls $40.50
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Villain shows [Qc 7s] two pair, Fives and Twos
Hero shows [Th Tc] two pair, Tens and Fives
Hero wins the pot ($118.50) with two pair, Tens and Fives
Remember, it's very important to think about what types of hands our opponents are likely to have. By thinking this through step-by-step, Hero just took down a big pot without very much grief.
Dealt to Hero [Th Tc]
xx folds
xx folds
xx folds
xx folds
xx folds
Hero raises to $3.50
Villain calls $3.50
xx folds
xx folds
*** FLOP ** [9s 5s 2s]
Good news: we're playing a strong hand heads-up, and the flop is all unders
Bad news: we're playing the hand out of position, the flop is all spades (of which we have none), villain is unknown
Well, the proper play here is certainly to bet it hard and see where we stand. The pot is around $7, so a bet of $5 or $6 should do fine.
Hero bets $6
Villain calls $6
OK, so what does he have? Well, let's eliminate some hands first. He will most likely re-raise preflop with JJ-AA, and probably AK also. He also most likely doesn't have rags. Suited connectors are possible, as are underpairs. However, I think we can eliminate 99, 55, and 22...if he flopped a set, he'd almost certainly raise here with three spades on the board, same goes for two pair.
So, at this point, my guesses are something along the lines of 89, T9, maybe 78 or 67, a high spade like AJ, or he could have flopped a flush.
*** TURN ** [9s 5s 2s] [2h]
This is a pretty great turn for Hero, because now hands like 89 are drawing really slim against Hero's TT. Also, if he did flop a flush, he will almost certainly raise Hero's turn bet to protect his hand from a full house. So what should Hero do? The pot is about 20, I'd suggest a probe bet to see where we are and to keep the pot manageable, while still making Villain put more money in if he's chasing a flush.
Hero bets $10
Villain calls $10
So now what do we think he has? The way he's playing this hand, we can almost certainly assume he's chasing a flush, he might have the ace, king, or queen of spades. Hero should not be scared if a blank river hits.
*** RIVER ** [9s 5s 2s 2h] [5c]
OK, well, that river wasn't really a blank, but for Hero's purposes, it is. Think about it, what hand could he have that includes a five or a two? The only one I could possibly guess him having is a suited 56, but he'd be really stupid to call bets with a naked five all the way through this hand. Right now, we're relatively certain that Hero has the best hand. So, what should Hero do?
Let's think through our options. Hero can either bet or check. If we trust our read, any bet here will cause Villain to fold, unless he decides to make a really brave play for the pot. Hero loses out on possible value by betting here. If we check, one of two things will happen. Villain will either check behind, or he'll try to throw out a bluff bet to take down the pot. Let's step into Villain's shoes for a moment and figure out what he's probably thinking.
"What does Hero have that he'd check on the river? He most likely has a hand like AK/AQ with a high spade. I can probably muscle him out of the pot if I make a big bet here. I'm so villainous."
Hero checks
Villain bets $40.50
Villain has just bet $40 into a pot of $37 or so. Does this seem like the kind of bet a person would make if he has a killer hand? Sometimes, you'll run into a player that's clever enough to bet huge with a real hand, but more often than not, a bet of this size indicates a bluff. This should be an easy call for Hero.
Hero calls $40.50
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Villain shows [Qc 7s] two pair, Fives and Twos
Hero shows [Th Tc] two pair, Tens and Fives
Hero wins the pot ($118.50) with two pair, Tens and Fives
Remember, it's very important to think about what types of hands our opponents are likely to have. By thinking this through step-by-step, Hero just took down a big pot without very much grief.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Pot Control
One of the biggest mistakes that beginners make is simply looking at their own hand, thinking that it's good, and automatically trying to bet for value on the flop, turn, and river. Consider the following situation:
You have AQ in middle position. You haven't played a hand in two orbits. You open raise to 3 time the big blind. The big blind, a conservative player, calls you. You're both deep-stacked. The flop is A73 rainbow. He checks, you bet 3/4 pot, he calls. The turn is a ten. He checks. What do you do?
If your gut reaction is "bet again," you need to learn pot control. You absolutely must check here. There are so few possible cards he could have for which betting will help you. AJ and 45s are the only ones. You're crushed by AK, AT, 77, and 33 (and chop with AQ). These are really the only likely hands for your opponent, based on the action thus far.
The idea behind pot control is recognizing when you have a hand that is good, but not strong enough to get a call on all three streets from a weaker hand very often. In these spots, checking behind on one or two streets allows you to reduce ("control") the size of the final pot. This is vital, because when you throw out too many bets with a hand like this, the last bet you make will be quite large, and will usually only be getting called/raised by hands that have you beat. In the situation above, you must check behind. You might call a river bet, depending on the river card, the bet size, and your assessment of the opponent's range and betting tendencies.
Pot control is infinitely easier in position, which is yet another reason to avoid playing out of position.
You have AQ in middle position. You haven't played a hand in two orbits. You open raise to 3 time the big blind. The big blind, a conservative player, calls you. You're both deep-stacked. The flop is A73 rainbow. He checks, you bet 3/4 pot, he calls. The turn is a ten. He checks. What do you do?
If your gut reaction is "bet again," you need to learn pot control. You absolutely must check here. There are so few possible cards he could have for which betting will help you. AJ and 45s are the only ones. You're crushed by AK, AT, 77, and 33 (and chop with AQ). These are really the only likely hands for your opponent, based on the action thus far.
The idea behind pot control is recognizing when you have a hand that is good, but not strong enough to get a call on all three streets from a weaker hand very often. In these spots, checking behind on one or two streets allows you to reduce ("control") the size of the final pot. This is vital, because when you throw out too many bets with a hand like this, the last bet you make will be quite large, and will usually only be getting called/raised by hands that have you beat. In the situation above, you must check behind. You might call a river bet, depending on the river card, the bet size, and your assessment of the opponent's range and betting tendencies.
Pot control is infinitely easier in position, which is yet another reason to avoid playing out of position.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Low Stakes NL Bluffing
Whether you're playing in a casino, in a home game, or in front of your computer, bluffing is a part of poker. You just won't get enough "real hand over real hand" situations to make very much money playing 100% straightforward (except in really, really terrible games). However, at lower stakes, there's so much loose calling going on that bluffing might seem like a daunting challenge. Fear not, conservative player, you don't need to change your game very much to incorporate bluffing. In fact, rule 1 should suit you just fine...
Rule 1: Bluff very infrequently!
If you go crazy and start bluffing at every other pot, people will notice, and they'll start calling you with marginal hands. Bluffing is most effective when no one realizes afterward that you were bluffing. A tight table image is the key to successful bluffing, and overdoing it will quickly cost you that image. Those successful hyper-aggressive players you see on tv are NOT just haphazardly bluffing. Their bluffs are well thought out, and often rely on past histories with their opponents.
Rule 2: Know who to bluff.
Watch the players at your table. Do some of them call medium-sized bets with nothing but overcards? Do they call on draws without pot odds? These are the types of players you should avoid bluffing against. The probability of getting called is much higher. You want to bluff the tight, solid players. In addition to being able to fold, they will probably have noticed your tightness as well (if you've been playing tight), and will therefore respect your bets more than bets from loose players.
Rule 3: The less, the merrier.
In general, you should be very reluctant to bluff at a pot with more than 2 or 3 other players. There's just too good of a chance that someone will call you.
Rule 4: Bluff when no one has anything.
In better games, it's possible to get someone to fold a real hand. In low stakes games, trying to do that is lunacy. So instead, get people to fold bad hands that are still better than yours. What I mean is, look at the board, consider the players' actions thus far in the hand, and try to think about what they could possibly have that they'd call a bet with. For example, if you're the big blind, two conservative players have limped in, and the flop is 237, they will fold most of their possible hands when you bet 2/3 of the pot. You want bluffing to be a positive expected return enterprise, and it won't be unless you restrict your bluffs to smart situations in which they're likely to work.
Rule 5: Bluff in position.
A more global rule would be "play in position." When you bluff out of position, you're bluffing with less information on the other players, just like when you bet for value out of position. It's possible in certain situations (e.g. the one described in Rule 4), but don't overdo it.
Rule 6: Make sure your story adds up.
Example scenario: 5-player unraised pot, you're on the button, flop is A76 with two diamonds. Let's say you have JQ, no diamonds. Checks around. Turn is an ace, checks around, river is a two (no diamonds), and it checks to you. If you try to bluff here, it makes absolutely no sense. There is only one real hand you could have that you might've played this way (22). A thinking player will insta-call you with a seven or six, and maybe even a lower pocket pair or a two.
Avoid bluffs where, from other players' perspectives, it's extremely unlikely that you have anything.
Bonus Tip: Mix in some semi-bluffs.
It's essential that you semi-bluff from time to time. Semi-bluffing means betting with a hand that is probably behind currently, but has outs to win. If you do this occasionally, it will be very difficult for your opponents to tell whether you have a draw or a made hand. Semi-bluffing is more effective in late position, because a caller behind you prevents you from potentially getting a free river by checking on the turn, or a free showdown (if desired) by checking on the river.
Rule 1: Bluff very infrequently!
If you go crazy and start bluffing at every other pot, people will notice, and they'll start calling you with marginal hands. Bluffing is most effective when no one realizes afterward that you were bluffing. A tight table image is the key to successful bluffing, and overdoing it will quickly cost you that image. Those successful hyper-aggressive players you see on tv are NOT just haphazardly bluffing. Their bluffs are well thought out, and often rely on past histories with their opponents.
Rule 2: Know who to bluff.
Watch the players at your table. Do some of them call medium-sized bets with nothing but overcards? Do they call on draws without pot odds? These are the types of players you should avoid bluffing against. The probability of getting called is much higher. You want to bluff the tight, solid players. In addition to being able to fold, they will probably have noticed your tightness as well (if you've been playing tight), and will therefore respect your bets more than bets from loose players.
Rule 3: The less, the merrier.
In general, you should be very reluctant to bluff at a pot with more than 2 or 3 other players. There's just too good of a chance that someone will call you.
Rule 4: Bluff when no one has anything.
In better games, it's possible to get someone to fold a real hand. In low stakes games, trying to do that is lunacy. So instead, get people to fold bad hands that are still better than yours. What I mean is, look at the board, consider the players' actions thus far in the hand, and try to think about what they could possibly have that they'd call a bet with. For example, if you're the big blind, two conservative players have limped in, and the flop is 237, they will fold most of their possible hands when you bet 2/3 of the pot. You want bluffing to be a positive expected return enterprise, and it won't be unless you restrict your bluffs to smart situations in which they're likely to work.
Rule 5: Bluff in position.
A more global rule would be "play in position." When you bluff out of position, you're bluffing with less information on the other players, just like when you bet for value out of position. It's possible in certain situations (e.g. the one described in Rule 4), but don't overdo it.
Rule 6: Make sure your story adds up.
Example scenario: 5-player unraised pot, you're on the button, flop is A76 with two diamonds. Let's say you have JQ, no diamonds. Checks around. Turn is an ace, checks around, river is a two (no diamonds), and it checks to you. If you try to bluff here, it makes absolutely no sense. There is only one real hand you could have that you might've played this way (22). A thinking player will insta-call you with a seven or six, and maybe even a lower pocket pair or a two.
Avoid bluffs where, from other players' perspectives, it's extremely unlikely that you have anything.
Bonus Tip: Mix in some semi-bluffs.
It's essential that you semi-bluff from time to time. Semi-bluffing means betting with a hand that is probably behind currently, but has outs to win. If you do this occasionally, it will be very difficult for your opponents to tell whether you have a draw or a made hand. Semi-bluffing is more effective in late position, because a caller behind you prevents you from potentially getting a free river by checking on the turn, or a free showdown (if desired) by checking on the river.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Why Some Cards That You Think Are Good Aren't
You look at your cards and turn over A9. Looks great, huh? That's a well above average hand. It's reasonably likely to be the best one at the table. So go ahead and get your money in there, right? No. Not so fast. Hands like A9 are money drains if you play them in all circumstances. Here's why:
Barring a miracle flop (better than a pair), what do you hope to see? If you say anything that has an ace in it, you're wrong. If an ace flops, you'll either win a small pot or lose a big one. Anybody putting a significant amount of money in can beat A9. Actually, the best flop for you is a nine-high flop, such as 259. But even here, you're not going to get too much action from weaker hands. And you'll lose plenty of money if someone has a set or an overpair.
The key distinction to be aware of with hands like A9 is this: they are good against the set of all possible hands that an opponent could have. They are bad against the set of hands that most opponents are willing to play. So if you're on the button and it folds around to you, by all means raise to 3 times the big blind with A9. But if you're second to act preflop, fold A9 in a heartbeat.
This same type of logic applies to hands like QT and KT as well. People just aren't usually playing Kx, where x is weaker than ten. So when a king flops, you win small pots and lose big ones.
Barring a miracle flop (better than a pair), what do you hope to see? If you say anything that has an ace in it, you're wrong. If an ace flops, you'll either win a small pot or lose a big one. Anybody putting a significant amount of money in can beat A9. Actually, the best flop for you is a nine-high flop, such as 259. But even here, you're not going to get too much action from weaker hands. And you'll lose plenty of money if someone has a set or an overpair.
The key distinction to be aware of with hands like A9 is this: they are good against the set of all possible hands that an opponent could have. They are bad against the set of hands that most opponents are willing to play. So if you're on the button and it folds around to you, by all means raise to 3 times the big blind with A9. But if you're second to act preflop, fold A9 in a heartbeat.
This same type of logic applies to hands like QT and KT as well. People just aren't usually playing Kx, where x is weaker than ten. So when a king flops, you win small pots and lose big ones.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Limit - Beware Calling with Obviously Dominated Hands
I pose this question to you:
Suppose you are playing at a low stakes limit table. You're in the SB. There is a raise in early position, followed by a re-raise in late position. Everyone else has folded, and the action is on you. Which of these two hands is better for this situation?
1. Kh9h
2. 8h9h
Strictly speaking, obviously K9 is a better hand than 89. However, in this situation, it is infinitely worse, and here's why:
Think about the range of hands the two raisers could possibly have. Assuming they're not total idiots (which will be the assumption for all "villains" unless I explicitly state otherwise), the initial raiser must have a very good hand (a raise from early position indicates a hand in the neighborhood of AQ+, JJ+), and a re-raise should indicate an even tighter range (QQ+, AK). K9 is absolutely crushed by all of these hands. At best, you're have three outs, and you don't even know which card is the one you want to hit. If they have JJ/QQ, you need your king, if they have AK, you'll need your 9. Realistically, the only way you're taking down this pot is if you hit a flush. Please fold.
On the other hand, if you have 89s, you can make an argument for a call here. Granted, it's a fairly loose call that I wouldn't recommend for beginners, but the implied odds if you make a hand is enormous. Plus, since you have pinpointed their range to high cards, on a board such as 2 6 9 8 T, you can reasonably assume you will win the pot (you're only going to lose to JQ or TT, which are both somewhat unlikely). You have many straight draws, only one of which is particularly dangerous (more on this in a second). In short, you're in a situation where you can easily get out of the pot if you miss, and can win big if you get a helpful board, since there is significantly less guesswork involved.
This hand actually happened earlier today. I had K9h, and folded to the pf raises. The board ended up looking like:
Qs Jh 6c 4h 10d
You might be shaking your head and thinking "See! If you had called, you would've had odds to stick around until the river, and you would've hit your miracle! You missed out on a huge pot."
Hm. Well, had I called, I probably would have been forced to stick around for my gutshot, then my flush draw. However, the really big problem with this is that there is a HIGH probability that one of the other two people has AK. So essentially, I'm drawing dead on that flop to the ranges of hands I described earlier (unless they BOTH have AK and I hit my 9, or if I hit runner hearts). Honestly, is it worth throwing away several bets out of position, without ever really knowing if you're ahead? Please please please fold your obviously dominated hands preflop, they are more trouble than they're worth.
Oh, and for your information, EP villain had QQ and LP villain had AK. How's THAT for dominated?
Suppose you are playing at a low stakes limit table. You're in the SB. There is a raise in early position, followed by a re-raise in late position. Everyone else has folded, and the action is on you. Which of these two hands is better for this situation?
1. Kh9h
2. 8h9h
Strictly speaking, obviously K9 is a better hand than 89. However, in this situation, it is infinitely worse, and here's why:
Think about the range of hands the two raisers could possibly have. Assuming they're not total idiots (which will be the assumption for all "villains" unless I explicitly state otherwise), the initial raiser must have a very good hand (a raise from early position indicates a hand in the neighborhood of AQ+, JJ+), and a re-raise should indicate an even tighter range (QQ+, AK). K9 is absolutely crushed by all of these hands. At best, you're have three outs, and you don't even know which card is the one you want to hit. If they have JJ/QQ, you need your king, if they have AK, you'll need your 9. Realistically, the only way you're taking down this pot is if you hit a flush. Please fold.
On the other hand, if you have 89s, you can make an argument for a call here. Granted, it's a fairly loose call that I wouldn't recommend for beginners, but the implied odds if you make a hand is enormous. Plus, since you have pinpointed their range to high cards, on a board such as 2 6 9 8 T, you can reasonably assume you will win the pot (you're only going to lose to JQ or TT, which are both somewhat unlikely). You have many straight draws, only one of which is particularly dangerous (more on this in a second). In short, you're in a situation where you can easily get out of the pot if you miss, and can win big if you get a helpful board, since there is significantly less guesswork involved.
This hand actually happened earlier today. I had K9h, and folded to the pf raises. The board ended up looking like:
Qs Jh 6c 4h 10d
You might be shaking your head and thinking "See! If you had called, you would've had odds to stick around until the river, and you would've hit your miracle! You missed out on a huge pot."
Hm. Well, had I called, I probably would have been forced to stick around for my gutshot, then my flush draw. However, the really big problem with this is that there is a HIGH probability that one of the other two people has AK. So essentially, I'm drawing dead on that flop to the ranges of hands I described earlier (unless they BOTH have AK and I hit my 9, or if I hit runner hearts). Honestly, is it worth throwing away several bets out of position, without ever really knowing if you're ahead? Please please please fold your obviously dominated hands preflop, they are more trouble than they're worth.
Oh, and for your information, EP villain had QQ and LP villain had AK. How's THAT for dominated?
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Limit Hold'em Beginner's Guide
Note: This guide is intended for a player who already has a basic knowledge of No Limit Texas Hold'em. There is no general poker advice here.
1. HOW DOES LIMIT DIFFER FROM NO LIMIT?
Point #1: Smaller Bets
Because bets in limit are smaller, it is generally much more difficult to buy pots. By the same token, it becomes correct to call/raise with marginal hands much more often.
Point #2: More Players
In general, more people see the flop in limit than in no-limit, especially at lower stakes tables. This, coupled with the previous point, means that good starting hands are much less likely to hold up. This is something you'll have to learn to accept; high pairs get cracked fairly often in limit games. In addition, more players in the hand means drawing hands generally give you a better expected return than they do in NL.
Point #3: Smaller Strategy Space
You have very few alternatives in limit. Because bet and raise amounts are fixed, there are only 2-3 possible actions you can take. This means there are fewer "plays" that you can make, since you can't alter bet amounts to suit whatever your purpose is for the bet.
2. PREFLOP PLAY
Point #1: Location, Location, Location
Your position at the table makes a HUGE difference in terms of what hands you should play. If you're in early position, you should not be playing marginal high hands. If you have KJ under the gun, fold. When you're in mid-late position, an important consideration is whether or not someone has called in front of you. If so, marginal high hands have become slightly less valuable, whereas drawing hands have become slightly better. If no one has called in front of you, your strategy changes slightly, as I'll explain in the next point. However, you'll generally want to play any marginal high hand and any pair, though drawing hands are a little less valuable.
Point #2: Raising
99% of the time, when you raise preflop in limit, it should be because you think you currently have the best hand. When you're in early position, it means you have a premium (AA, KK, QQ, AK). In mid-late position, it depends on whether or not anyone has called in front of you. If so, you should only raise with premiums (AQ, JJ, TT are ok too). If no one has called before you, this is where it gets fun. If you have ANY high hand, you should probably be raising. It's very unlikely you're behind.
Every once in a while (rarely!) you may want to raise with low or mid cards. Sometimes you'll be able to buy the pot. If so, great. If you're not going to win, it'll generally be very obvious, and you can get out easily. But every once in a while, you'll put a "bad beat" on someone with a good starting hand. People will assume you do things like that all the time, and you'll get calls whenever you want them. Just tighten up and bet with strong hands.
Point #3: Playing Against Raisers
Keep in mind that most raisers will be following the advice given in point #2. If a decent player raises from early position, or with a caller in front of them, fold high hands (worse than AK or 99) without a second thought. If you have a good drawing hand, you generally don't want to be the first caller, but if there's a caller or two in front of you, you're most likely getting good implied odds by calling. If it's your big blind, and there are already multiple callers, you should almost always call. You're getting incredible odds on your money. However, if no one has called, you should be reluctant to call unless the raise was from late position and you have a starting hand you'd normally play.
Point #4: Defending Your Blinds
One of the more precarious spots in limit is when someone raises your blind. If it's your big blind, you only need to put in half the raise, which often encourages beginners to call with just about anything. Resist this temptation. You should only call with hands you'd normally play. If you call with garbage hands, you'll often end up making incorrect post-flop decisions, because you're playing out of position against someone who's likely to have good cards. For example, imagine that you've called with 58o, and the flop is Q97. You are probably not going to be able to tell from the flop action whether your opponent has, to pick two particular hands, AK or AQ. If he has AK, you have odds to see a turn for one more bet. If he has AQ, you do not. You're likely to make a mistake in a situation like this, but the real strategic mistake you made was calling the raise with 58o in the first place. Even if you suspect that the preflop raiser might not have a premium starting hand, that's still no reason to call with trash.
3. FLOP PLAY
Point #1: If You Limped Pre-Flop
Position will be very important here. If the flop helped you, you generally want to decide whether or not you want other players seeing more cards. Usually, the answer is no, not for free anyway. You should almost always be betting top pair on the flop. If you have a lot of outs with your drawing hand, you might also want to bet. If it's checked to you in late position and there are no obvious draws on the board, a bet will buy the pot enough to usually make it worthwhile. Remember, if the pot is $12, and you bet $3 with nothing, it only has to work 20% of the time. But don't do it if there a lot of players in; somebody will almost certainly call you. This works well against 1 or 2 players.
If someone in front of you bets the flop, and you have worse than top pair with a strong kicker, you need to count your outs. Estimate how many possible turn cards could put you ahead. If you have pot odds, call. If you're acting last, and the person in front of you bets, you should probably be calling with even slightly worse hands, since it's very possible he's trying to buy it. Remember, in limit, you ALMOST ALWAYS have pot odds on the flop if you have something. If someone in front of you bets the flop and you have top pair or better, you should almost always be raising. In addition to getting more information from their response, you'll scare out draws (see TRICKS & TECHNIQUES, Point #3).
In no-limit, checking monsters on the flop is often a good idea, because you can get paid off huge. In limit, you can't. If you check two pair on the flop with 5 other players in, you have a death wish. If someone catches on you, they'll take your money, and if they don't, they'll fold to your big bets on the turn or river. If you flop a monster, chances are your flop bet will get called anyway, so why bother slowplaying?
Point #2: If You Raised Pre-Flop
95% of the time, you should bet the flop. The only exception is if you're sure you're behind, and that you'll get a caller. For example, if you have red jacks, the flop is AK8 spades, and 5 people called your pre-flop raise, don't bet. People will realize you make this flop bet almost every time. That's fine. It means when the flop helps you, you'll get calls.
If you raised preflop (with a good starting hand) and someone bets into you on the flop, the correct move is almost always a raise. The exception is if it's a "JJ with an AK8 board" type of situation, in which case you should fold like Superman on laundry day. You generally want to avoid allowing the other player to be the aggressor going into the turn. Usually the hand people will bet into you with is top pair, so that's a good guess when you're trying to determine what you're up against. Be wary of a reraise though, that usually implies that the other player thinks he's ahead even though your hand was strong pre-flop.
Point #3: If You Called a Raise Pre-Flop
Count your outs. Most likely, the pre-flop raiser will bet the flop. If you have pot odds, keep playing. If you have a made hand (2 pair or better), and there are only 1 or 2 other players in the hand, you may want to check/call the flop and then raise the almost inevitable big bet on the turn. If you have top pair and you're acting first, don't be afraid to bet into the pre-flop raiser. You'll probably get raised. If you think there's a good chance that person has overcards (AK, AQ, etc), reraise. If you think it's more likely they have a high pocket pair, call the raise. If you trip your pair on the turn, bet out. If you hit your 2nd pair, check-raise. If you miss, you should decide now whether or not you're willing to invest two big bets calling the raiser down (once on the turn, once on the river). If the answer is no, because you think it's too likely they're ahead of you, check/fold on the turn. If yes, check/call and hope for the best.
Don't ever try to bluff against a pre-flop raiser. It's extremely rare that you can get them off of a hand. A surprising number of people will raise with JJ and call all the way through when the flop is AKx. If you're against an ultra-tight player, it might be worth a shot when an ace flops (in the hope they have KK, QQ, etc), but in general, this is not a good time to stab at a pot.
4. TURN PLAY
By now, you should usually have a good idea whether you're likely to be ahead. If you called a flop bet, it's because you thought you might be ahead, or because you had outs. On the turn, you want to bet/raise if there's a good chance you have the best hand. Don't slowplay here, make people pay. You'll be amazed at the stuff people will chase in limit. If you think you're behind but have outs, follow the pot odds rule. Also, be aware of anyone showing weakness on the turn. If someone bets the flop, you call, and then they check the turn, it's very possible they'll fold to a turn or river bet.
If you've been playing well during the last two betting rounds, you should rarely have to make difficult decisions on the turn.
5. RIVER PLAY
If you think you have the best hand, bet/raise. However, if you're acting last, you had a marginal hand on the flop, and haven't improved, check. Bet only if you think it's more than twice as likely you'll get a caller with a weaker hand than you'll get check-raised by a better hand. By the same token, don't check-raise when you hit a draw, unless you have some good reason to think someone will bet.
If you have a marginal hand and someone bets in front of you, CALL. Pretty much every single time. If you're regularly folding marginal hands to a single bet on the river, you are a ridiculously exploitable limit player.
Of course, if you caught something, you can raise. Really the only times you want to fold to river bets are if the pot is tiny or if you have a busted draw. Most of the time, your thought process should be something like: "There's $48 in the pot. The bet is $6. He could be bluffing, he could be betting a low pair, he could've misread his hand, he could be drunk, he could be thinking about sex, there is EASILY enough of a chance I'm ahead here to call." You only have to be right 11% of the time with that pot and that bet. Imagine if you were playing no-limit and somebody bet 10% of the pot on the river. You'd laugh, and then you'd call with damn near anything. It's hilarious seeing people fold to a single river bet in an enormous pot. There are players out there who think the secret of poker is being able to make good folds. And they consider a fold here a "good fold." It's not.
A move you'll have to make here sometimes is the eyes-rolling call (head-shaking call, crying call, etc). It's an instance of the idea in the previous paragraph. This is when you bet/raised earlier in the hand when you were way ahead and got called, but now a scare card just hit, and someone bets into you. The pot is huge. You're cursing your luck, cursing the other player for cracking your vastly superior hand, you're expecting to lose, but you have to call. You'll probably do it while rolling your eyes or shaking your head. But you have to call, unless you have a damn near perfect read on the player. If you fold in these situations, you're missing out on some serious equity.
6. TRICKS & TECHNIQUES
Point #1: Read the Board, Read the Board, Read the Board
Why should this be any different from no-limit? Look at the hands that could beat you, and think about how likely it is that someone has one. Use their actions in the previous betting rounds to determine this probability. If someone raised pre-flop and bet throughout, the flop was a rainbow, and runner flush cards hit, it's very unlikely that player has a flush.
Point #2: The Free Card Play
This trick works beautifully in limit. If you're in late position with a draw, and someone bets the flop, raise. This virtually guarantees it'll get checked to you on the turn, in which case you can just check if you missed your draw. It's a river for half the price. If the pot is small and you just call the flop, you may not have odds to call a turn bet if you miss. This is a frustrating waste of money.
Point #3: The Isolation Raise
This is a vital move in limit. If you have a strong but vulnerable hand, such as top pair with top kicker, and the player in front of you bets, RAISE. You want to play this hand against him and only him. If you just call, other people will have odds to chase any outs they might have. A single flop bet is unlikely to get everyone out, but with a raised flop bet, you've got a good chance.
Point #4: Aggression
You MUST be aggressive to be successful in limit. There are occasions where you should play passively, but in general, you want to be a nuisance. When someone has a marginal hand, they don't want other people betting. It forces them into tough decisions, and they'll often make bad ones. It also makes it much harder for other players to deceive you; it's twice as costly to bluff with a raise than with a bet. But above all, aggression helps ensure that when you have a good hand, you'll get paid off. If you're passive, and all of a sudden you start betting and raising, you probably won't get much action. Someone might call you down, but no one with top pair is going to raise.
Do not confuse being aggressive with being loose. You should still be folding pre-flop most of the time, and you should still be folding to bets when you have nothing. Aggression means that you make your presence in a hand felt by betting and raising rather than by calling.
Point #5: Bet With Purpose
Every time you bet, you should be able to explain afterward to an observer why you made that bet. You must have good reason to think you have the best hand or can buy the pot, with the exception of a few moves like points 2 and 3. This may seem contradictory to the previous point. Your goal is to recognize the situations in which a bet will help you. This is the essence of the tight/aggressive style. It's difficult to pull it off effectively as a beginner, but keep practicing and keep learning.
Point #6: Type Players
This is vital for success in limit. You need to know who has trouble folding (calling stations), who bluffs a lot, and who only bets with strong hands. All of these characteristics affect the probability that you're ahead and the probability you can buy a pot. In addition, you should be aware of how certain players respond to you. Other good players are typing as well, so if someone keeps folding to you, it's likely that when they do play back at you, you're behind.
1. HOW DOES LIMIT DIFFER FROM NO LIMIT?
Point #1: Smaller Bets
Because bets in limit are smaller, it is generally much more difficult to buy pots. By the same token, it becomes correct to call/raise with marginal hands much more often.
Point #2: More Players
In general, more people see the flop in limit than in no-limit, especially at lower stakes tables. This, coupled with the previous point, means that good starting hands are much less likely to hold up. This is something you'll have to learn to accept; high pairs get cracked fairly often in limit games. In addition, more players in the hand means drawing hands generally give you a better expected return than they do in NL.
Point #3: Smaller Strategy Space
You have very few alternatives in limit. Because bet and raise amounts are fixed, there are only 2-3 possible actions you can take. This means there are fewer "plays" that you can make, since you can't alter bet amounts to suit whatever your purpose is for the bet.
2. PREFLOP PLAY
Point #1: Location, Location, Location
Your position at the table makes a HUGE difference in terms of what hands you should play. If you're in early position, you should not be playing marginal high hands. If you have KJ under the gun, fold. When you're in mid-late position, an important consideration is whether or not someone has called in front of you. If so, marginal high hands have become slightly less valuable, whereas drawing hands have become slightly better. If no one has called in front of you, your strategy changes slightly, as I'll explain in the next point. However, you'll generally want to play any marginal high hand and any pair, though drawing hands are a little less valuable.
Point #2: Raising
99% of the time, when you raise preflop in limit, it should be because you think you currently have the best hand. When you're in early position, it means you have a premium (AA, KK, QQ, AK). In mid-late position, it depends on whether or not anyone has called in front of you. If so, you should only raise with premiums (AQ, JJ, TT are ok too). If no one has called before you, this is where it gets fun. If you have ANY high hand, you should probably be raising. It's very unlikely you're behind.
Every once in a while (rarely!) you may want to raise with low or mid cards. Sometimes you'll be able to buy the pot. If so, great. If you're not going to win, it'll generally be very obvious, and you can get out easily. But every once in a while, you'll put a "bad beat" on someone with a good starting hand. People will assume you do things like that all the time, and you'll get calls whenever you want them. Just tighten up and bet with strong hands.
Point #3: Playing Against Raisers
Keep in mind that most raisers will be following the advice given in point #2. If a decent player raises from early position, or with a caller in front of them, fold high hands (worse than AK or 99) without a second thought. If you have a good drawing hand, you generally don't want to be the first caller, but if there's a caller or two in front of you, you're most likely getting good implied odds by calling. If it's your big blind, and there are already multiple callers, you should almost always call. You're getting incredible odds on your money. However, if no one has called, you should be reluctant to call unless the raise was from late position and you have a starting hand you'd normally play.
Point #4: Defending Your Blinds
One of the more precarious spots in limit is when someone raises your blind. If it's your big blind, you only need to put in half the raise, which often encourages beginners to call with just about anything. Resist this temptation. You should only call with hands you'd normally play. If you call with garbage hands, you'll often end up making incorrect post-flop decisions, because you're playing out of position against someone who's likely to have good cards. For example, imagine that you've called with 58o, and the flop is Q97. You are probably not going to be able to tell from the flop action whether your opponent has, to pick two particular hands, AK or AQ. If he has AK, you have odds to see a turn for one more bet. If he has AQ, you do not. You're likely to make a mistake in a situation like this, but the real strategic mistake you made was calling the raise with 58o in the first place. Even if you suspect that the preflop raiser might not have a premium starting hand, that's still no reason to call with trash.
3. FLOP PLAY
Point #1: If You Limped Pre-Flop
Position will be very important here. If the flop helped you, you generally want to decide whether or not you want other players seeing more cards. Usually, the answer is no, not for free anyway. You should almost always be betting top pair on the flop. If you have a lot of outs with your drawing hand, you might also want to bet. If it's checked to you in late position and there are no obvious draws on the board, a bet will buy the pot enough to usually make it worthwhile. Remember, if the pot is $12, and you bet $3 with nothing, it only has to work 20% of the time. But don't do it if there a lot of players in; somebody will almost certainly call you. This works well against 1 or 2 players.
If someone in front of you bets the flop, and you have worse than top pair with a strong kicker, you need to count your outs. Estimate how many possible turn cards could put you ahead. If you have pot odds, call. If you're acting last, and the person in front of you bets, you should probably be calling with even slightly worse hands, since it's very possible he's trying to buy it. Remember, in limit, you ALMOST ALWAYS have pot odds on the flop if you have something. If someone in front of you bets the flop and you have top pair or better, you should almost always be raising. In addition to getting more information from their response, you'll scare out draws (see TRICKS & TECHNIQUES, Point #3).
In no-limit, checking monsters on the flop is often a good idea, because you can get paid off huge. In limit, you can't. If you check two pair on the flop with 5 other players in, you have a death wish. If someone catches on you, they'll take your money, and if they don't, they'll fold to your big bets on the turn or river. If you flop a monster, chances are your flop bet will get called anyway, so why bother slowplaying?
Point #2: If You Raised Pre-Flop
95% of the time, you should bet the flop. The only exception is if you're sure you're behind, and that you'll get a caller. For example, if you have red jacks, the flop is AK8 spades, and 5 people called your pre-flop raise, don't bet. People will realize you make this flop bet almost every time. That's fine. It means when the flop helps you, you'll get calls.
If you raised preflop (with a good starting hand) and someone bets into you on the flop, the correct move is almost always a raise. The exception is if it's a "JJ with an AK8 board" type of situation, in which case you should fold like Superman on laundry day. You generally want to avoid allowing the other player to be the aggressor going into the turn. Usually the hand people will bet into you with is top pair, so that's a good guess when you're trying to determine what you're up against. Be wary of a reraise though, that usually implies that the other player thinks he's ahead even though your hand was strong pre-flop.
Point #3: If You Called a Raise Pre-Flop
Count your outs. Most likely, the pre-flop raiser will bet the flop. If you have pot odds, keep playing. If you have a made hand (2 pair or better), and there are only 1 or 2 other players in the hand, you may want to check/call the flop and then raise the almost inevitable big bet on the turn. If you have top pair and you're acting first, don't be afraid to bet into the pre-flop raiser. You'll probably get raised. If you think there's a good chance that person has overcards (AK, AQ, etc), reraise. If you think it's more likely they have a high pocket pair, call the raise. If you trip your pair on the turn, bet out. If you hit your 2nd pair, check-raise. If you miss, you should decide now whether or not you're willing to invest two big bets calling the raiser down (once on the turn, once on the river). If the answer is no, because you think it's too likely they're ahead of you, check/fold on the turn. If yes, check/call and hope for the best.
Don't ever try to bluff against a pre-flop raiser. It's extremely rare that you can get them off of a hand. A surprising number of people will raise with JJ and call all the way through when the flop is AKx. If you're against an ultra-tight player, it might be worth a shot when an ace flops (in the hope they have KK, QQ, etc), but in general, this is not a good time to stab at a pot.
4. TURN PLAY
By now, you should usually have a good idea whether you're likely to be ahead. If you called a flop bet, it's because you thought you might be ahead, or because you had outs. On the turn, you want to bet/raise if there's a good chance you have the best hand. Don't slowplay here, make people pay. You'll be amazed at the stuff people will chase in limit. If you think you're behind but have outs, follow the pot odds rule. Also, be aware of anyone showing weakness on the turn. If someone bets the flop, you call, and then they check the turn, it's very possible they'll fold to a turn or river bet.
If you've been playing well during the last two betting rounds, you should rarely have to make difficult decisions on the turn.
5. RIVER PLAY
If you think you have the best hand, bet/raise. However, if you're acting last, you had a marginal hand on the flop, and haven't improved, check. Bet only if you think it's more than twice as likely you'll get a caller with a weaker hand than you'll get check-raised by a better hand. By the same token, don't check-raise when you hit a draw, unless you have some good reason to think someone will bet.
If you have a marginal hand and someone bets in front of you, CALL. Pretty much every single time. If you're regularly folding marginal hands to a single bet on the river, you are a ridiculously exploitable limit player.
Of course, if you caught something, you can raise. Really the only times you want to fold to river bets are if the pot is tiny or if you have a busted draw. Most of the time, your thought process should be something like: "There's $48 in the pot. The bet is $6. He could be bluffing, he could be betting a low pair, he could've misread his hand, he could be drunk, he could be thinking about sex, there is EASILY enough of a chance I'm ahead here to call." You only have to be right 11% of the time with that pot and that bet. Imagine if you were playing no-limit and somebody bet 10% of the pot on the river. You'd laugh, and then you'd call with damn near anything. It's hilarious seeing people fold to a single river bet in an enormous pot. There are players out there who think the secret of poker is being able to make good folds. And they consider a fold here a "good fold." It's not.
A move you'll have to make here sometimes is the eyes-rolling call (head-shaking call, crying call, etc). It's an instance of the idea in the previous paragraph. This is when you bet/raised earlier in the hand when you were way ahead and got called, but now a scare card just hit, and someone bets into you. The pot is huge. You're cursing your luck, cursing the other player for cracking your vastly superior hand, you're expecting to lose, but you have to call. You'll probably do it while rolling your eyes or shaking your head. But you have to call, unless you have a damn near perfect read on the player. If you fold in these situations, you're missing out on some serious equity.
6. TRICKS & TECHNIQUES
Point #1: Read the Board, Read the Board, Read the Board
Why should this be any different from no-limit? Look at the hands that could beat you, and think about how likely it is that someone has one. Use their actions in the previous betting rounds to determine this probability. If someone raised pre-flop and bet throughout, the flop was a rainbow, and runner flush cards hit, it's very unlikely that player has a flush.
Point #2: The Free Card Play
This trick works beautifully in limit. If you're in late position with a draw, and someone bets the flop, raise. This virtually guarantees it'll get checked to you on the turn, in which case you can just check if you missed your draw. It's a river for half the price. If the pot is small and you just call the flop, you may not have odds to call a turn bet if you miss. This is a frustrating waste of money.
Point #3: The Isolation Raise
This is a vital move in limit. If you have a strong but vulnerable hand, such as top pair with top kicker, and the player in front of you bets, RAISE. You want to play this hand against him and only him. If you just call, other people will have odds to chase any outs they might have. A single flop bet is unlikely to get everyone out, but with a raised flop bet, you've got a good chance.
Point #4: Aggression
You MUST be aggressive to be successful in limit. There are occasions where you should play passively, but in general, you want to be a nuisance. When someone has a marginal hand, they don't want other people betting. It forces them into tough decisions, and they'll often make bad ones. It also makes it much harder for other players to deceive you; it's twice as costly to bluff with a raise than with a bet. But above all, aggression helps ensure that when you have a good hand, you'll get paid off. If you're passive, and all of a sudden you start betting and raising, you probably won't get much action. Someone might call you down, but no one with top pair is going to raise.
Do not confuse being aggressive with being loose. You should still be folding pre-flop most of the time, and you should still be folding to bets when you have nothing. Aggression means that you make your presence in a hand felt by betting and raising rather than by calling.
Point #5: Bet With Purpose
Every time you bet, you should be able to explain afterward to an observer why you made that bet. You must have good reason to think you have the best hand or can buy the pot, with the exception of a few moves like points 2 and 3. This may seem contradictory to the previous point. Your goal is to recognize the situations in which a bet will help you. This is the essence of the tight/aggressive style. It's difficult to pull it off effectively as a beginner, but keep practicing and keep learning.
Point #6: Type Players
This is vital for success in limit. You need to know who has trouble folding (calling stations), who bluffs a lot, and who only bets with strong hands. All of these characteristics affect the probability that you're ahead and the probability you can buy a pot. In addition, you should be aware of how certain players respond to you. Other good players are typing as well, so if someone keeps folding to you, it's likely that when they do play back at you, you're behind.
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