The Texas Holdm Poker

This was a hand from a 10-20 holdem game at the Taj this afternoon. It worked out well, but throughout the drive home I couldn’t decide if I played it correctly. I’m on the button with KJs, UTG limps, next player raises, four callers, I call, and the blinds both muck and UTG calls. . The raiser has raised from UTG often with any pair 9+, AK, AQ, AJ. I thought about re-raising, but felt the additional callers added value.  Flop comes AcJcJh…UTG checks, raiser opens, all fold to me, I raise, UTG and the raiser calls.  Turn and river are both blanks, with both players checking and calling to my bets.  At the showdown, UTG had a club flush draw, and the raiser had AKo…he starts yelling at me and proceeds to drop about 500 in a half hour while mumbling the whole time.  Do you think the original call was correct?

Answer 1:

There were 11 bets in the pot at the point you called. If you knew UTG would just call then you are getting 1:6 on your money and you have position. Your biggest fear is UTG limp-re-raising.  If UTG makes it 3 bets you suddenly don’t like your hand and if the original raiser 4 bets it you’ll really be dislike it. In retrospect it looks like your call was even better because you had
h00ge ITO.

Answer 2:

Well at the risk of sounding repetitive…. Some people seem to think that you are obligated to play your cards in a way that gives them the best chance of winning your money. This fellow apparently fits that description. I think raising with KJs after a raise and four callers is not a good idea and you were right to call. If it put the jerk on tilt, consider that a nice bonus. But even if you had made a terrible play and had beaten him with it, there is no rule, written or otherwise, that says you are obligated to play well.

Answer 3:

1. Raising may have reduced the table closer to heads up but.
2. Your Call probably kept more people in the pot and.
3. I never raise with a K J unless I am playing against rocks.

I think it was a good play…your opponents should have folded either on the turn or the river rather than call …

All right, I just thought of this, and rather than sitting at work and working it out, I decided that I’d post it to rgp and let y’all stew on it for a bit.

Scenario:

You’re down to your last few chips in a no-limit holdem tournament. It’s your big blind, and you’re all-in for the exact amount of the big blind. You’re heads-up, and the small blinds checks his cards, says in a gleeful tone, You’re all-in? Oh good!” (sorry Beth:>), calls, and flips over AsAh. Now, time freezes and the Powerful and Yellow Poker Fairy appears on your shoulder. She says: “I’m here at the request of the Great Fuzzy Poker God, to give you a chance to influence this hand. You can pick any hand you want for your hand, except for the other two aces.” What is your choice?

Answer 1:

Well, every time *I’ve* seen the poker fairy, *HE* has told me to go play craps, however I may be confusing this with really late nights at BARGE. Without running this through anything but intuition, I’m thinking 8-9 scooted in a suit different than either of the Aces my opponent holds. This lets me make the nut flush, nut straight any way, and two pair. I’m thinking 9-T would be SLIGHTLY worse because the AA could catch TJQK on board to make a bigger straight.

Answer 2:

Ok, you want a hand that will match the most number of boards without giving the Aces a better hand. Consider the following,

1. Obviously, any pair is an equal underdog to the Aces–only a set would help.

2a. you’d want two suited cards in clubs or diamonds. That way, any board with 3 or 4 of that suit makes you a flush.

2b. you’d want two unsuited cards–a club and a diamond. That way, if 4 of either of those suits hit the board, you’d have a flush.

3. You’d want a hand with a card no less than 10 in it.  That way, if 5 cards come in your suit, you’d be creating a better flush than the board.

4. If you had a hand with a 6 in it, you’d win when the board comes 2-3-4-5-x (x is not 6).

5. You want connected cards between 5 and 9, allowing for the most winning straights possible.

6. You don’t want an Ace in your hand, since it will be a dead card.

Which is more likely, a board with 4 of either of your two suits or a board with 3 of your one suit? Then, which is more likely, a 5-suit board in your suit(s) (you want high cards) or 2-3-4-5-x (you want medium cards)? I’m not sure of the exact numbers, but I’d guess that 6c7c would be my hand of choice.

Answer 3:

I believe JJ is the statistical favorite over even the other AA in this question. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t have an explanation. I have seen it work several times (usually in HUGE pots). If anyone has the book “Winner’s Guide to Texas Hold’em” by Ken Warren, it is stated in there.