The Texas Holdm Poker

I’m sitting in late position 2 seats off the button. Everyone before has folded and I’m holding QhJh. I call and the guy after me calls. Button folds…SB plays and BB checks. Flop comes up 10h4h9d. I jump for joy because I have an open ended straight with a queen high flush draw. Small blind checks, BB bets, I raise. The guy to my left folds.  SB calls. Turn card is an Ac. SB bets, BB raises. I re-raise.  SB calls, BB re-raises and caps. I call. SB calls. My guess at this point is that SB has hit two pair, and BB has a set. Both those guys don’t know what I have and they must think I’m on some draw. River card comes an 2s. SB bets, BB raises, I fold.  SB calls. SB shows A9, BB shows 44. Anyone care to comment on my play?  Did I play right?

Answer 1:

I don’t agree with the raise here. SB checking flop and calling 2 cold, then betting out on the turn card, an Ace that completes no draws, SCREAMS aces up. And unless the BB is an idiot (which may be the case, you didn’t offer an opinion), his raise here says “I’m not concerned about aces up” As you appraised, that is saying either top 2 pair or a set. It is also telling me that while a Q or J coming on the river is no good, if I catch the straight or flush, I’m golden. I would call here. I know that if I hit the hand on the river, I will get to raise, and will get paid off by at least the BB. If the river completes the draw and they were to both check to me, I suspect my bet would be paid off in both spots.

Answer 2:

I tend to disagree, but I’ll happily defer if you can prove otherwise. With two over cards, a big flush draw and the nut straight draw, I think our hero has flopped a monster here, and he should happy put in as many raises as he can, because he’s raising for value. (9 outs to the flush, 8 outs to the straight, 4 outs to top pair, but some of those overlap so: 19 outs?  Or 15 outs, if you make the SB’s hand a little better and assume it’s T9 for two pair.)

Answer 3:

The only mistake I can see here is that by just calling pre-flop instead of raising, which should have been the automatic play, you allowed the SB to play on for half a bet and the BB for free. Whether or not either or both would have folded remains to be seen but with your starting hand you definitely wanted as little company as possible around to see the flop.

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 …

The fact that most of the postings here agree with Renegade’s assessment that lower-limit games with a high rake can’t be beat puts me in a difficult situation. I’m a beginning player, and I just can’t afford to “learn” with the losses that a 10-20 game would impose. But if I can’t beat the lower-limit games, then just when, exactly, should I move up? When I’m breaking even? I have been winning lately, but the posts would lead me to believe that this is just a deviation that would correct itself in the long run. In the 3-6 game that I’ve been playing at, some of the hands that are being showed down fill me with confidence (3-5 suited from an early position, for example). I know that part of the reason I am winning is that I am not playing such hands. Could I expect these kinds of mistakes @ 10-20?

Answer 1:

Don’t let the rake scare you too much. I am very new to the game to. I played my first casino hold ‘em last fall. And I have only been playing intensively for a couple of weeks. I have only played 3-6 and 4-8 games so far, but I’m already making a modest profit playing at casinos in CT, AC and Vegas with rakes as high as 10% (max $4). The key is getting your hands on some good literature about the game and learning to play tight. I recommend Skalansky’s book, for a good introduction. That’s the only one I have read, but it has given me the tools to do quite well, so far. One thing to keep in mind is that to win money, you don’t necessarily have to win many pots. I end up folding around 65-75% of my hands before even seeing the flop. And I estimate that I win less than 10% of the pots and still make a profit. If you want a way to practice without losing money, I would suggest IRC poker. The games there are a bit looser than real games, since people are playing with fake money. However, they are the best fake money games I’ve found on the net. I played about 1000 hands there before going to Vegas and I’m sure that it helped me quite a bit.

Answer 2:

Not usually… I say that because occasionally a drunken guy, or a player on tilt, or maybe a drunk rich tilted guy might….It’s a sure recipe for disaster… How about having to call a double raise with it?? On the button maybe with no raise its playable as long as the texture of the games warrants…meaning 5 or more callers…

Answer 3:

How does a $4 max rake per hand of 10/20 mean that you can’t win?? Every once in a while you have to try to steal the antes from late position to help offset this. i like to raise with 1 or 2 others still in the pot like  if i have a king showing and am holding crap i like to raise every once in a while to pick up the 7 antes and $3 low bet. Plus if you win your share of big pots the rake and antes won’t kill you.

Does anybody have a basic 7-stud strategy that indicates when to call, fold
or raise on the first round of betting? I’m looking for something along the following lines:

1) In player positions 1-3 after opener, fold with xxx or less, and raise with yyy or better.
2) In middle positions, call with…… and so on.
3) In caboose position, call with xxx or better……

I’m going toLVin June and usually play Craps and BJ. I occasionally like to try my hand at poker, but based on results form last try I need some pointers! I could buy a book, but I don’t think I have time to read it before I leave.

Answer 1:

7-stud is a very complex game. Even on the first round of betting, you have to consider the ante structure, the cards showing, and how your opponents play, both on the opening round and later in the hand. If you want a game that can be played mechanically, you’re better off inOmaha.

Answer 2:

Watch the scene in rounder’s where mike tells the professor his strategy… It’s actually pretty decent. Here goes this is all from memory “you want to play premium hands , you only start jacks or better split 9′s or better wired , three high cards to a flush. If it’s good enough to call you got to be in there raising. Tight but aggressive and i do mean aggressive, that’s your style”

Answer 3:

Get a copy of “Caro on Gambling,” and read the chapter “Seven-Card Stud-A Crash Course.”  Play exactly the way the book reads and you will be able to beat the weak low-limit games.

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.

Thinking about scoop hands after putting in a few hours on Turbo’s O8 tournament software. If two or three people are raising pre-flop, is it correct to call with a strong all high hand, on the theory that if the raisers are mostly
acting with strong lows, then the deck is seriously depleted in terms of low cards, and the odds favor an all-high flop?

Answer 1:

It may be right to play, but I don’t think the reasoning is correct. If they both have A2xx, the deck is only deleted of their counterfeit cards. If you’re in late position, you may be able to steal the pot if it comes all high. Who knows? I’d like to hear what the experts say.

Answer 2:

The premises of scooping and depletion are good. Since so many cards are dealt inOmahayou can often deduce remaining key cards by betting patterns and player knowledge. The theory may be debatable because … and I hate to say it … “It depends.” I’ll assume, given the scenario, you have good position (cutoff or button). How frequently do these players raise and re-raise on lows / highs and what do they need for high hand raising / re-raising minimum requirements? I’ve played in games where K-K-Q-6 (one king suited) will raise and occasionally re-raise if the six is a ten. The interesting thing about multi-way raising in Omaha/8 is that the hand is being played with different expectations than the 85% of non-raised hands (again based on game texture).  In the limp-in hands, your ace is extremely valuable. With multiple raisers, a hand such as As-Ac-Kd-9h loses potential. Replacing the aces with queens might actually help (especially with the dangling nine). Given late position and the right table makeup, I would play a two-suited, four picture hand in the face of two raises (but, then again, I am a very lucky flopper).

Answer 3:

Have been playing quite a bit of O8 lately, but mostly low-limit and not in tournaments, so take this for what it’s worth. If one or more of the raisers is a good, tight player, I would hesitate to call with a one-way hand. A good, tight player who is raising will *probably* have a nut-flush draw and/or AA with is/her low hand. This could invalidate some of your high-hand potential. OTOH, if you can stick to the first principal of O8 – fit or fold on the flop – it might be worth taking the pre-flop heat. As with all poker situations, it depends on the situation – players, your chip count, their chip count, etc., etc., etc., as you well know.

The hand rate in online casinos is generally significantly higher than in live games even if it seems like there are more long pauses by the players online. I wonder if anyone has ever considered having a shuffling machine that had the next deal ready to be dealt instead of using the same deck each time? It might also be possible to modify the tablecloth to have a means of keeping pots/sidepots clearer?

Answer 1:

I used to play in a private game that got about 50 hands an hour. We used two decks and came to play. It was a very loose game, btw, almost always going to a showdown. We just kept it moving. A good dealer could keep a card room game moving also, if most of the players want that. It’s just that there aren’t that many good dealers and many players don’t really want to play.

Answer 2:

Someone told me once that studies have shown that shuffling machines don’t save any time. The only part of the deal they handle is the shuffle, and they are not sufficiently faster to compensate for the time spent loading them.

Answer 3:

I think the dealers would appreciate it as well. A lot of the dealers suffer wrist problems. I think the time shuffling adds a lot to the slowness of the game. How about that pidgeon hole they put the drop down. Now this is 1892 model if I have seen it. In year 2000 something has to be done to fix the problem with the jammed hole.

I remember having read a book that a friend of mine had byRoyWest, that was really good for lower limit stud games. Well, now I cannot remember the name and cannot find it on the net.  so, can any of you guys out there help me?

Answer 1:

Really good for lower limit stud games. Well, now I cannot remember the name and cannot find it on the net. So, can any of you guys out there help me? I believe the book is: “The Complete Course in Winning 7 Card Stud at Lower Limits”

Answer 2:

The Spine simply says 7 Card Stud. The front of the book has 7 Card Stud in big letters, The Complete Course in Winning! as a kind of blurb above the title, and “How To win at Medium and Lower Limits” below the main title. The lawyer’s page — the one with all the copyright stuff — says the title is Seven-Card Stud (The Complete Course in Winning At Medium and Lower
Limits).

Answer 3:

If all else fails, you can call Roy West’s 800 # at 1-800-548-6177 Ext.03.

What does everyone think about the following: There would be no blinds in holdem, just an ante? Before each hand, the dealer would roll a ten-sided die to determine the button. Advantages:
-You could get up for a few hands without any problem.
-It would be easier for new players to understand.
-The ante could be increased relative to the bets as the limits rise, keeping the balance between luck and skill.
-Pots with a large number of chips in them look larger than they are, inducing action.

Answer 1:

Although it may sound simpler to beginners, I don’t think this is a good idea in hold’em.  What this would do is have a side effect…forcing you to put money in on hands like 83o and 92o when normally you can avoid them by folding. But wait! Everyone else will be too, right? Well that means that there will be less pre-flop and flop protection, since everyone will already have something at stake, they will flop. It would be like typical low limit no foldem holdem except the pots would be a little bigger from the start. If this is what you’re after then round up some players and give it a try but I think I’m going to stick with folding 72o.

Answer 2:

Nothing wrong with an ante. But the idea of rolling a dice is a bit naff. If you are using an ante you can still have a forward moving button. I have played in holdem games with an ante. This is often the way it is played inLondonandParisin the larger buying games ($800 +) If you are playing holdem with an ante then the ante is dead money. The first player to the left of the button must either open or fold. In general I think an ante game of this nature leads to a more open game. There are also some important changes in hand requirements, i.e. Fold virtually everything in first position, and call most things on the button.

Answer 3:

Sounds good in theory, but in the whole picture, I don’t like it.

1. The die-rolling takes time, albiet just an extra few seconds, but the time adds up rather quickly.  This means fewer hands per hour and thus, a lower hourly gain.

2. Although it sounds very simple to us, the beginner might be confused by the addition of another implement into a card game.

3. The drunks would have to pay much more attention, thus slowing down the game even more when they continually ask what the roll was.

4. This also alters one’s strategy in a game and makes reading players a bit more of a task, since you don’t know who will be UTG and when. You might get a bunch of chances to read one or two players, but then only a few (if any) to read another player. This is a disadvantage to the good player.

The only advantage is being able to get up any time. But then again, that’s why I play stud!

Can someone compare the poker rooms at Bellagio and MB?  I’ve never played at either.  The Bellagio rates poker play, which is hard to find now a days.  What about MB?

Answer 1:

MandalayBayis a very nice looking hotel. Their poker room is o.k. but rake is too high, only spread low limits, and don’t be surprised if there are only two games going when you get there. Bellagio has 1-5 through 300-600(maybe higher), some of the world’s best dealers, many more games, lower rake, and speedy cocktail service. Only complaint at Bellagio is sometimes people working the lists at the front podium need to work on their people skills (especially with
first time tourist). Although not a major problem I’ve seen more than one act of rudeness to
a visitor and that’s too many!

Answer 2:

Only played once at MB.  Nice, large room with very high ceilings and fair air circulation. Low-limit stud game was half middle European tourist buddies out for a good time, which I ad!  Staff was very nice. There’s an elaborate jackpot structure for getting all sorts of hands (I’ve forgotten what kinds), so there’s a drop on top of the rake, but it appears the jackpots make small payouts quite frequently. Didn’t play at Bellagio – we were pretty much ignored by the floor person taking names and could barely get info on game limits and types out of him.

Answer 3:

This is like comparing an orange to an orange tree! Both rooms are nice, generally friendly staff and comfortable arrangements. However, the Bellagio has, at last count (that I know of) 31 tables, while MB has 6 or 8. Bellagio spreads limits from pennies to gold bars, while MB
has typical low-limit touristy stuff (which can be profitable if you like low limit and know what you’re doing). Bellagio has these great high-back chairs, and the classiest waitresses around. They also serve Buckler, the rich man’s version of O’Douls, and for non-drinkers like myself, it’s just one extra touch of class that makes the Bellagio a great place to play. Belliago is sort of a mainstay for many pros who used to call the Mirage, home. You’ll often see Chan, Nguyen and others there on a daily basis.