how to play after the flop
DESCRIPTION
Strategy: No-Limit. How to play after the flop. Value maximization: With a strong hand your bets are “for value”. If you have showdown value, take the free showdown if you can. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
How to play after the flop
Strategy: No-Limit
► Value maximization:▫ With a strong hand your bets are “for value”.▫ If you have showdown value, take the free showdown if you can.• If your opponent only calls a bet on the river when he’s holding a better hand
than you are, this bet will not bring in any additional profit for you.
► Bluffing:▫ You want to get your opponent to fold a better hand. ▫ Stick to these five rules when bluffing:
• Don’t inflate the pot. • Have a plan B.• Only bluff against players who can and do fold. • Don’t bluff against several players.• Only bluff when you can represent something and your opponents have
rarely hit something.
Reasons to bet
The player who uses aggression efficiently, wins.
Example 1 – Good bluffing opportunity
Hero
Player 9Player 8
Player 7
Player 6
Player 5
Player 4 Player 3
Player 1
Player 2
FOLDFOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD FOLD
$0.10
$0.25
RAISE
CALL
CALL
$1.00
$1.00
$1.00
CHECK
CHECK
BET
$2.00
FOLD
FOLD
Pot: $0.35Pot: $3.00
Example 2 – Not a good bluffing opportunity
Hero
Player 9Player 8
Player 7
Player 6
Player 5
Player 4 Player 3
Player 2
FOLDFOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD FOLD
$0.10
$0.25
RAISE
CALL
$1.00
$1.00
$1.00
CHECK
CHECK
Player 1CALLCHECK
Pot: $3.00Pot: $0,35
► Protection:▫ Made hands that would still be vulnerable on upcoming streets need to be
protected.
▫ The higher the probability that your opponents can get ahead of you, the more strongly you need to protect.
▫ Protection means setting a price for the next card that’s too high for your opponent.
Reasons to bet
Also watch “The mathematics of poker-odds & outs“
Example 3 – Protection
Hero
Player 9Player 8
Player 7
Player 6
Player 5
Player 4 Player 3
Player 2
FOLDFOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD FOLD
$0.10
$0.25
RAISE
CALL
$1.00
$1.00
$1.00
CHECK
BET
Player 1CALLCHECK
$2.50Pot: $0.35Pot: $3.00
► Information:▫ Find out where you stand at an early stage, to spare yourself from making
expensive decisions later.
▫ A “for information” bet has several advantages:• Players with a worse hand could call you. • Hands that could get ahead of you might give up – you protect your hand.• If someone raises your bet you’ll know you’ve been beaten and can fold.
Reasons to bet
Example 4 - Information
Hero
Player 9Player 8
Player 7
Player 6
Player 5
Player 4 Player 3
Player 2
FOLDCALL
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD FOLD
$0.10
$0.25
CALL
CHECK
$0.25
$0.75
BET
RAISE
Player 1FOLD
$2.25
$0.25$0.75
CALL
$7.30
RERAISEFOLD
FOLD
Pot: $0.35Pot: $0.85
► Pot control:▫ Big pots are for big hands, small pots for small hands.
▫ You don’t want to let the pot get too big when you’re holding medium strength hands, but want to get to the showdown cheaply.
Reasons not to bet
Example 5 – Pot control
Hero
Player 9Player 8
Player 7
Player 6
Player 5
Player 4 Player 3
Player 1
Player 2
FOLDFOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD FOLD
$0.10
$0.25
RAISE
CALL
$1.00
$1.00
CHECK
BET
$1.75
FOLD
CALL
Pot: $0.35Pot: $2.10
$1.75
Pot: $5.60
CHECK
CHECK
► Pot control:▫ Big pots are for big hands, small pots for small hands.
▫ You don’t want to let the pot get too big when you’re holding medium-strength hands, but want to get to the showdown cheaply.
▫ Advantages of a check on the turn:• If your opponent has a better hand, you give him less money. • If your opponent has a worse hand, you encourage him to invest money on
the river again.
▫ It is always easier to practise pot control in position than it is out of position.
Reasons not to bet
Reasons not to bet
► Bet flop, check behind turn, call river:▫ Usually played with pairs, when there are community cards that aren‘t too
draw-heavy.
▫ If you think your opponent has either a very weak or a very strong hand, check the turn and call a river bet.
► Bet turn for free showdown:▫ The turn is the last opportunity to get money out of draws.
▫ Additionally you will sometimes get better hands to fold.
Example 6 – Bet for free showdown
Player 10
HeroPlayer 8
Player 7
Player 6
Player 5
Player 4 Player 3
Player 1
Player 2
FOLDFOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD RAISE
$0.10
$0.25
CALL
CALL
$1.00
$1.00
FOLD
Pot: $0,35Pot: $3,10Pot: $8,10$1.00
CHECK
$2.50
BETFOLD
CALL
$2.50
CHECK
BET
$6.00
► Delayed continuation bet:▫ A continuation bet on the flop is not always wise. Sometimes it’s better to
wait for the appropriate turn card and leave the continuation bet for later.
▫ Examples of flops that are suitable for a continuation bet:
▫ Examples of flops where it is better to leave the continuation bet for later:
Reasons not to bet
Example 7 – No continuation bet
Player 10
HeroPlayer 8
Player 7
Player 6
Player 5
Player 4 Player 3
Player 1
Player 2
FOLDFOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD RAISE
$0.10
$0.25
CALL
CALL
$1.00
$1.00
FOLD
Pot: $0.35Pot: $3.10$1.00
CHECK
CHECK
► Bluff induce:▫ “Bet flop, check turn, call river” is not only a protection play. It can
also be used as a bluff induce.
▫ You represent a weak hand and let your opponent know that you are giving up the hand.
▫ You encourage opponents to bluff on the river with weaker hands.
► Slowplay:▫ You “under-represent” your hand to give the opponent the
opportunity to make mistakes or improve.
▫ Slowplay is only feasible when your hand does not need to be protected.
▫ Don’t slowplay against many opponents and on draw-heavy boards.
▫ Don’t slowplay a weak to medium-strong flush.
▫ At low limits slowplay is usually the worse alternative.
Reasons not to bet
Example 8 - Slowplay
Player 10
HeroPlayer 8
Player 7
Player 6
Player 5
Player 4 Player 3
Player 1
Player 2
FOLDRAISE
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD
FOLD CALL
$0.10
$0.25
FOLD
CALL
$1.00
$1.00
FOLD
Pot: $0.35Pot: $3.10
$1.00
$2.50
CHECKBET
CALL
$2.50
► Find the balance after the flop between your objectives to... ▫ …get the most out of being ahead.▫ …control the pot to keep the price within boundaries. ▫ …make the next community card expensive when you have a vulnerable
hand.
Summary
Protection Pot control
Value
Ground rules:► The weaker your hand is, the more important pot control becomes. ► The stronger your hand is, the more important value maximization becomes. ► The more vulnerable your hand is, the more important protection becomes.
► If you have the best hand, bet or raise.
► The more opponents you have, the stronger your hand needs to be.
► Only slowplay with very strong hands.
► Find a balance between pot control and protection.
How to play made hands
Example 9 – Overpair
Player 10
Player 9Player 8
Hero
Player 6
Player 5
Player 4 Player 3
Player 1
Player 2
$0.10
$0.25
Pot: $0.35
FOLDFOLD
FOLD
FOLD
RAISE
FOLD FOLD
CALL
CALL
FOLD
$1.00 $1.00
$1.00
Pot: $3.10
CHECK
BET
$2.50 $2.50
CALL
FOLD
Pot: $8.60
BET RAISE
$6.50 $15.00
FOLD
► If nobody has raised pre-flop, you will usually play your draw passively.
▫ You can call a moderate bet with a strong draw on the flop.
▫ Weak draws are best to simply fold.
► Don‘t go after draws. ▫ A flush draw will appear from the turn to the river in less than 20% of the cases.
► If you raised pre-flop, you can often continue to play aggressively on the flop. ▫ An aggressive draw game is called a semi-bluff.
▫ It’s only worth play a draw aggressive if the opponents can also fold.
How to play draws
Example 10 – Aggressive game with strong draw
Player 10
HeroPlayer 8
Player 7
Player 6
Player 5
Player 4 Player 3
Player 1
Player 2
$0.25
Pot: $0.35
CHECK
$0.10
CALL
FOLD
FOLD
CALL
FOLD
FOLD
CALL
FOLD
CALL
$0.25
$0.25
$0.25
$0.25
Pot: $1.25
CHECK
CHECKCHECK
CHECK
BET
$1.10
FOLD
FOLDFOLD
CALL $1.10
► Pot control vs. protection:▫ You don’t want to play for big pots when you have a medium-strength hand.
▫ You don’t want to give your opponents cheap community cards.
▫ If you can go to the showdown for free with a medium-strength hand, then do so.
Conclusion
Ground rules for flop, turn, river:► You play tight and avoid marginal situations.► You play aggressively and develop your game actively, instead of just reacting. ► You pay attention to having position on your opponents if possible.