Once you understand how to play
blackjack, you can begin to learn how to
play without losing money. If you make
your decisions by playing your hunches,
you will lose in the long run. There is
only one correct decision for any given
play, and that decision is based strictly
on mathematics. Whether or not you
should hit or stand depends on what the
laws of probability predict to be your
expectations for these possibilities.
Mathematicians, using high speed
computers, have analyzed each and every
possible hand you might hold versus every
possible dealer card up.
Definition: Basic Strategy is the
optimum way to play your hands if you are
not counting cards. Depending on the
rules and the number of decks in use,
basic strategy will usually cut the house
edge to no more than O.5 percent over the
player. This makes blackjack the least
disadvantageous game in the casino, even
if you are not a card counter. To
explain why the various basic strategy
decisions are best would require
extensive mathematical proof. Unless you
understand the math, and have a
high-speed computer to work it out,
you'll have to accept basic strategy on
faith. There is an underlying logic to
basic strategy, however, which can be
understood by anyone who understands the
rules of blackjack.
Why Basic Strategy Works
In a 52-card deck, there are 16
1O-valued cards: four tens, four jacks,
four queens, and four kings. (For
purposes of simplification, when I refer
to a card as a "ten" or "X," it is
understood to mean any ten, jack, queen,
or king.) Every other denomination has
only four cards, one of each suit. You
are four times more likely to pull a ten
out of the deck than, say, a deuce.
Likewise, the dealer's hole card is four
times more likely to be a ten than a
five. If you take a hit, your hit card
is four times more likely to be a ten
than an eight.
Always assume the dealer's hole card
is a ten. If his upcard is a 7, 8, 9, or
X, you would assume the dealer has a
"pat" hand, that is, he will not have to
take a hit card. Thus, if you were
holding a "stiff," any hand totaling 12
through 16, you would hit.
If the dealer's upcard is 2, 3, 4,
5, or 6, you would assume that he was
stiff, and would therefore have to take a
hit. If you were holding a stiff hand,
you would usually stand in this
circumstance, and let the dealer take the
chance of busting. Similarly, if the
dealer's upcard indicates he may be
stiff, you would find it more
advantageous to double down or to split
pairs, thereby getting more money onto
the table when the dealer has a high
chance of busting.
Basic strategy says never take
insurance. Why? Because when you take
insurance, you are simply making a bet
that the dealer has a ten in the hole.
Insurance pays 2-to-1. However, there
are less than two tens for every one
non-ten in a deck of cards. In the long
run, you'll lose more money on insurance
than you'll win.
Using the Basic Strategy Chart
Do not attempt to learn all aspects
of basic strategy at once. Regardless of
the number of decks or rule variations,
basic strategy for any game is
essentially the same. Since few casinos
offer the late surrender option, you need
not learn this unless you intend to play
in those casinos. Since virtually no
casinos offer the early surrender option,
the basic strategy for this rule
variation is at present of academic
interest only. If you will most likely
be playing in Reno, there is no use
learning the soft doubling down
strategies, nor any hard doubling down
strategies, other than for player totals
of 1O and 11. In most Northern Nevada
casinos, you are only allowed to double
down on 1O and 11.
The basic strategy chart presented
here is a "composite" basic strategy,
good for any set of rules, and any number
of decks. Actually, as these conditions
change, some of the basic strategy
decisions also change. Usually, these
changes are for borderline decisions, and
do not significantly change your
expectation. I know a number of
high-stakes pros who know only one basic
strategy, and ignore the fine changes
caused by rules variations and the number
of decks in play.
Two pair splitting tables are
presented here. The first one assumes
that you are not allowed to double down
after splitting a pair. In most Nevada
casinos, this is the rule. In a few Las
Vegas casinos, and all Atlantic City
casinos, players are allowed to double
down after pair splits. If you plan to
play primarily in Atlantic City, study
the second table. Note that there are
only a few differences between these
tables. If you'll be playing in both
Nevada and Atlantic City, just learn the
first table, then brush up on the
differences prior to your trips. In any
case, you need to study and learn only
one of the two pair splitting tables.
Composite Basic Strategy
(Good for any set of rules or number of decks)
S = STAND
D= DOUBLE DOWN
$ = SPLIT
› = SURRENDER
Stand
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A
17+ S S S S S S S S S S
16 S S S S S
15 S S S S S
14 S S S S S
13 S S S S S
12 S S S
A8 S S S S S S S S S S
A7 S S S S S S S
A6
Double Down
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A
11 D D D D D D D D D D
1O D D D D D D D D
9 D D D D
Soft
A7 D D D D
A6 D D D D
A5 D D D
A4 D D D
A3 D D
A2 D D
The charts are straightforward. The
player's hands are listed vertically down
the left side. The dealer's upcards are
listed horizontally along the top. Thus,
if you hold a hand totaling 14 versus a
dealer 6, you can see the basic strategy
decision is "S," or "stand." With a total
of 14 versus a dealer 7, since "S" is not
indicated, you would hit. Note: If your
total of 14 is comprised of a pair of 7s,
you must consult the pair splitting chart
first. You can see that with a pair of
7s versus either a dealer 6 or 7, you
would split ($) your 7s.
Order of Decisions
Use the basic strategy chart in this
order:
1. If surrender (›) is allowed ("early" or
"late"), this takes priority over any
other decision. If basic strategy calls
for surrender, throw in the hand.
2. If you have a pair, determine whether or
not basic strategy calls for a split.
3. If you have a possible "double down"
hand, this play takes priority over
hitting or standing. For instance, in
Las Vegas and Atlantic City, you may
double down on any two cards .Thus, with
a holding of A-7 (soft 18) versus a
dealer 5, your basic strategy play, as
per the chart, is to double down. In
Northern Nevada, where you may double
down on 1O or 11 only, your correct play
would be to stand.
4. After determining that you do not want to
surrender, split a pair, or double down,
consult the "stand" chart. Always hit a
hard total of 11 or below. Always stand
on a hard total of 17 or higher. For all
"stiff" hands, hard 12 through 16,
consult the basic strategy chart. Always
hit soft 17 (A-6) or below. Always stand
on soft 19 (A-8) or higher. With a soft
18 (A-7), consult the chart.
How to Practice Basic Strategy
1. Study the charts.
Any professional card counter could
easily and quickly reproduce from memory
a set of basic strategy charts. Study
the charts one section at a time. Start
with the hard Stand decisions. Look at
the chart. Observe the pattern of the
decisions as they appear in the chart,
close your eyes and visualize this
pattern. Study the chart once more, then
get out your pencil and paper. Reproduce
the hard Stand chart. Do this for each
section of the chart separately _ hard
stand, soft stand, hard double down, soft
double down, pair splits, an surrender.
Do this until you have master the charts.
2. Practice with cards.
Place an ace face up on a table to
represent the dealer's upcard. Shuffle
the rest of the cards, then deal two
cards face up to yourself. Do not deal
the dealer a down card. Look at your two
cards and the dealer's ace and make your
basic strategy decision. Check the chart
to see if you are correct. Do not
complete your hand. If the decision is
"hit," don't bother to take the hit card.
After you've made and double-checked your
decision, deal another two cards to
yourself. Don't bother to pick up your
first hand. Just drop your next, and all
subsequent, cards face up on top of the
last cards dealt. Go through the entire
deck (25 hands), then change the dealer's
upcard to a deuce, then to a 3, 4, 5, and
so on. You should be able to run through
a full deck of player hands for all 1O
dealer upcards in less than half an hour
once your are able to make your decisions
without consulting the charts. Every
decision should be instantaneous when you
are proficient. Strive for perfection.
If you have the slightest doubt about any
decision, consult the chart.
To practice your pair split
decisions, which occur less frequently
than other decisions, reverse the above
exercise. Deal yourself a pair of aces,
then run through the deck changing only
the dealer's upcards. Then give yourself
a pair of deuces, and so on. Don't waste
time with any exercise you don't need.
Your basic strategy for splitting aces,
for instance, is always to split them.
You don't need to run through a whole
deck of dealer upcards every day to
practice this decision. Likewise, basic
strategy tells you always to split 8s,
and never to split 4s, 5s, or tens. You
will learn these decisions quickly. Most
of your study and practice for
pair-splitting decisions should go toward
leaning when to split 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s, and
9s.
If you learn to play basic strategy,
without counting cards, most casinos will
have only a O.5 percent edge over you.
In single-deck Las Vegas games, you will
be playing even with the house. If you
play blackjack for high stakes, it is
wise to learn basic strategy, even if you
are not inclined to count cards. Playing
basic strategy accurately will greatly
cut your losses.
Simplified Basic Strategy
If you do not intend to learn
accurate basic strategy, you can cut the
house edge to about 1 percent by playing
an approximate basic strategy.
Follow these rules.
1. Never take insurance.
2. If the dealer's upcard is 7, 8, 9, X, or
A, hit until you get to hard 17 or more.
3. If the dealer's upcard is 2, 3, 4, 5, or
6, stand on all your stiffs; hard 12
through 16.
4. Hit all soft hands of soft 17 (A-6) or
below.
5. Stand on soft (A-7) or higher.
6. Double down on ten and 11 versus any
dealer upcard from 2 through 9.
7. Always split aces and 8s.
8. Never split 4s, 5s, or tens.
9. Split all other pairs, 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s,
and 9s versus any dealer upcard of 4, 5,
or 6.
1O. Surrender 16 versus 9, X, or A. If you
intend to learn to count cards, first
learn to play accurate basic strategy.
Once you know basic strategy, your
decisions will become automatic.
Assuming your brush up on your charts
occasionally, you will not have to
continue practicing basic strategy. Even
when you are counting cards you will play
basic strategy on four out of five hands.
Basic strategy is your single most
powerful weapon.
Editor's Note: The strategy outlined
by Arnold Synder appears in his book
Black Belt in Blackjack. For ordering
information, write:
RGE Publishing
414 Santa Clara Avenue
Oakland, CA 9461O.
BASIC STRATEGY REVIEWED
By Michael Cappelletti
To win consistently at any game of
skill, you must understand what the
experts refer to as "basic strategy."
Perhaps the best approach to the basic
strategy of high Omaha is to think of it
as a three-step process.
Step One is evaluating your hand
before the flop. You pick up your four
cards and decide whether they are worth
calling or perhaps raising before the
flop. This is where most players go
wrong _ by playing too loose. If you
find yourself playing more than half the
hands (counting the blinds), you are
either holding unusually good cards or
you are playing too loose.
Step Two, upon seeing the flop, is
to decide whether or not to get involved
further. This is frequently the most
difficult and complicated decision in
Omaha. Your odds of hitting various
combinations of "comes" often involves
complex computations and making "human"
judgments as to the likelihood of raises.
Step Three is to decide whether you
still belong in the pot for the
double-sized bets after fourth street and
fifth street (last card). Since your
possibilities are fairly well clarified
by the fourth card, this decision to
compete with the big money should
actually be easier than the complex
delicacies of step two. How you play
your cards after fourth and fifth streets
depends mostly on your usual poker
skills. And as in most other forms of
poker, you have to be good at judging how
what you have will fare against what your
opponents are likely to have.
Let's look further at the basic
strategy involved in step one, which,
although conceptually simple, is where
most players go wrong. There is a basic
principle common to all poker with blinds
(versus antes), that you should not put
your initial money into the pot unless
you have a good starting hand. The basic
strategy of step one in Omaha is to get
involved only with hands that are likely
to flop a playable hand more than 3O
percent of the time. The importance of
hitting the flop should be self-evident.
It does you no good to have the best hand
after fifth street, if you had to fold
the hand after the flop.
A flop is playable if it works with
your hand so that you have at least one
good come. We define a "good come" as a
draw which is likely to hit (and
frequently wins when it hits) about one
third of the time or better. You should
shy away from lesser comes (for instance,
inside straights which are about 5-to-1
against with two cards coming) because of
raise possibilities and the likelihood of
bad percentage fourth-round situations.
In Omaha, because you must use two
cards from your hand, a good starting
hand consists of at least several useful
(of the six possible) TWO-card
combinations. Although most good Omaha
players simply eyeball their four cards
and use their expert judgment to decide
whether to play or fold, there are
several mathematical approaches that
allow you to evaluate the total potential
of your hand before the flop with
reasonable accuracy by adding up the six
two-card potentials.
One method, which is rather tedious
but educational, is to calculate the
likelihood of getting a playable flop and
then estimate the likelihood of hitting
and winning the hand. For example,
suppose you hold the A_ Q_ and the 6_7_.
Note that of your six two-card
combinations (A-Q, A-7, A-6, Q-7, Q-6,
6-7 only the A-Q and the 6-7 have both
straight and flush potential). Let's
look at these two-card combinations to
see how they contribute to your
expectations of hitting the flop and
winning.
First we must approximate the odds
of the A_ Q_ of spades winning the pot by
making a flush. The board will flop
three spades less than 1 percent of the
time _ but will flop two spades about 11
percent of the time. But even this "nut"
flush (highest overall flush) will
sometimes lose to a full house or higher.
Overall, the nut flush draw will win the
pot for you only about 4 percent of the
time.
The A-Q will flop a high straight
much less than 1 percent of the time
(about .37 percent). This holding cannot
flop a four-card multiple straight come.
If only two of the three other straight
cards are in the flop, conditions will
often prohibit staying in to draw for the
inside straight. But, high straights do
seem to win a lot of pots, so let us
estimate (less than) 1 percent wins for
the A-Q making the high straight.
The 6-7 holding will flop a straight
(do not count the 8-9-1O "ignorant"
straight _ it is seldom worth playing)
less than 1 percent of the time. But a
playable two-way or better straight come
will flop about 8 percent of the time,
which will become a straight (on fourth
street or last card) about a third of the
time (or more for many way straight
comes). However, straights in general
have a high mortality rate and lose close
to 4O percent of the time (mostly when
the flop contains two suited cards or a
pair). Let's estimate about a 2 percent
win rate for the 6-7 straight holding.
And since they are both hearts, let's
estimate about a 1 percent win rate for a
flush (mostly the "backdoor" flush made
on the turn or river). Seven high is not
likely to win the "direct" flush
competition.
Finally, since none of the other
four (A-7, A-6, Q-7, Q-6) two-card
combinations have any straight or flush
potential, let's evaluate the"single
card" potential, or the likelihood of
matching pairs or trips on the flop. Any
single card will match a pair in the flop
about .77 percent of the time. Thus, any
four non-paired cards will make trips
with a pair on the flop about 3 percent
of the time. Any four cards will make
two pairs with the flop about 12 percent
of the time, but the two low pair should
not be played (without other equities).
Thus, trips plus the two high pair (about
4 percent) and the high and low pairs
(which if played should be played very
aggressively and often must be folded)
altogether give you the standard "single
card" potential of about 11 percent
likelihood of post-flop playability.
Having an ace and another high card and
no real low cards probably improves your
overall winning chances by a few
percentage points. But note that even
high trips require something good
happening to win the pot (namely hitting
a full house or no flushes or straights).
Grasp this important message. There
is no magic about what hands are likely
to hit a good flop in Omaha. The
frequency of getting a good flop is
directly related to the number of good
two-card combinations. Thus the
frequency of getting a good flop with the
example hand (A-Q-6-7) can be
approximated as follows: Combining the 12
percent for flushes, 9 percent for
straights, and the standard 11 percent
"single card" potential, the overall
likelihood of hitting the flop is
slightly less than 3O percent (the
mathematical probability is 1 - .88 x .91
x .89). This is a borderline hand but,
because of the A-Q high-card potential,
and two straight/flush potentials, you
probably should make a loose call. Many
hold'em players might even think this is
a good hand.
By using the above approximations,
not only can you estimate your likelihood
of hitting the flop, you can also roughly
calculate the odds of actually hitting a
good hand (which will frequently win).
In the preceding example, the likelihood
of ending up with a flush, straight or
higher hand totals somewhere between 1O
and 15 percent, but your odds of actually
winning the pot are somewhat better,
since more than a third of all hands are
won with lesser hands (depending on the
skill level of the players in the
particular game).
Using the preceding approach, any
Omaha hand can be evaluated for both flop
and final winning potential.
Unfortunately, it takes quite a while to
perform these calculations and hence this
approach, while quite educational in
retrospect, is not practical for
evaluating hands at the table. In order
to quickly evaluate the total potential
of a four-card Omaha hand, it would
clearly be more practical to have some
simple systemic method for adding up the
potential of each of the two-card
combinations.
Another approach is to formulate
some appropriate value for each possible
two-card combination (based on both flop
expectation and overall winning
potential) and then add up these values.
A point count system in my book, that
point count system is probably the
fastest known method today for assessing
the overall potential of a four-card
Omaha hand (by simply adding the points
of the six two-card combinations). Using
my point count system, which recommends
calling on hands that add up to 12 points
(6 points for the A-x flush, 2 points for
the 6-7, 2 points for the A-Q high cards,
and 2 indirect "intangible" points for
the straight/flush bonus).
Whether you evaluate your initial
four cards using some kind of
mathematical device or simply by years of
gut experience, the bottom line is you
must play only good hands with depth (at
least several good two-card combinations)
to be a winner. Anyone who has
experienced the last-card blues in Omaha
knows that it is highly recommended to go
into the last card with one or more good
comes in addition to whatever temporary
stuff you may be betting. GOOD COMES
COME FROM GOOD STARTING HANDS. And that
indeed is your basic strategy before the
flop.
Let us now turn our attention to
step two, considered by most experts to
be the toughest aspect of Omaha. First,
a listing of the obvious good flop hits
in descending order:
щ Locks _ a straight flush or quads
(these happen mainly in the movies or to
somebody else).
щ Board set _ trips (you have a card that
matches the pair in the flop).
щ Hidden set _ trips (one flop card
matches the pair in your hand).
щ Flush _ you hold the first, second, or
third highest two-suited cards that match
two or three of that suit in the flop.
щ Straight _ you hold two (or more)
proximate cards that work with two or
three cards in the flop to make either a
straight or one or more good straight
comes.
щ High two pair _ play aggressively (if
there is a reasonable chance they might
hold up to win the pot).
щ High pair and low pair _ either play
very aggressively if conditions seem
favorable or fold.
Basis strategy dictates that in an
early position (where you have less
opportunity to employ skill and where
there might be raises) you should only
bet or call with one of these hands _
unless a lot of money is in the pot to
protect, like when the pot is capped
before the flop. Often you will drop one
of these hands because a higher threat is
present; for example, you will avoid
playing flush or straight comes if a pair
is in the flop. Note that each of the
above involves two or more cards in the
flop working with your hand. Note also
that we did not even mention the
possibility of pushing the high pair.
Omaha is not like hold'em.
Because everyone has four cards, in
an early position you always assume the
worst and tend to play conservatively.
Murphy's Law applied to Omaha is that
somebody hits any given flop; for
example, if a pair is on board, somebody
matches it. Again, Omaha is not like
hold'em.
In late positions, you should be
more opportunistic. Please remember that
there is a significant difference between
opportunistic and foolish. This is where
much of the skill in Omaha comes into
play. In late positions, you should look
for at least two situations.
First, if a single bet comes around
to you, and no one behind you is likely
to raise, you might venture a call when
the pot odds justify your particular long
shot. The classic example is drawing to
an inside straight. In Omaha, your odds
going in to fourth street are almost
always better than you think: with four
presumably good cards in your hand,
seeing the fourth-street turn frequently
presents opportunities that you might not
have foreseen (depending, of course, on
how well you know Omaha).
Second, look for the old
checked-around-to-you situation that
heats the blood of all natural-born poker
players. Just the fact that no one has
taken the opportunity to bet means
something, but what it means depends a
lot on the players in the game. Without
going into all of the various bluff
possibilities, let's look solely at value
betting. If you have as much as the high
pair or any decent come, you can justify
betting on values simply by noting that
everyone will fold some percentage of the
time. Moreover, someone with a come hand
may call and not draw. If you don't bet,
everyone gets a free card and both your
odds of winning and the expected value in
the pot go way down. If you are the
timid type, perhaps you should think of
it as being much more scary not to bet
than to bet.
Generally, in Omaha, you should fold
after seeing the flop about two-thirds of
the time. If you are getting involved
after the flop as much as half of the
time, you are probably chasing too much
and losing money. On the other hand, the
one-third of the time that you should be
getting involved (this assumes that you
are seeing the flop with only good hands)
includes some rather borderline
"combination hands" whose value only
experts can appreciate. Part of the
expert's edge is having advance knowledge
of some of the more complex holdings
unique to Omaha. Many medium-tight
players fold hands that are clearly good
percentage investments. Of course, the
real skill is to understand the various
factors involved and to be able to stay
on top of the percentages.
The best simple rule-of-thumb advice
I can offer is this: think of each
"indirect" two-card prospect _ for
example, where you need a good card on
both fourth and fifth streets to complete
a flush or straight _ as approximately a
4 percent equity (admittedly an
estimate). If these "indirect"
potentials added to your other ("direct"
single-card) prospects yield an adequate
percentage of wins compared to the
dollars in the pot, you might venture a
loose call _ preferably in a later seat _
if you judge that a raise is unlikely.
If a bad fourth-street card turns, you
simply fold your half-bet investment.
But if a good card turns, then you have
earned the honor of being officially
sucked in for the infamous Omaha
last-card roulette.
Thus, the essence of after-the-flop
basic strategy is to get further involved
with only good percentage hands. Once
you do make the key decision to get
further involved, tactics come into play
_ especially in games where the
after-the-flop bet limit is half the
final two rounds bet limit. Depending on
position and other conditions, it might
be advisable to raise, even with some
not-so-great hands. Raises in early
positions tend to reduce competition;
raises in later seats tend to get the
betting checked around to you the next
time (which might save fourth-round,
maximum-bet money if you miss).
Sometimes everyone folds your raise.
Just remember when someone else is
betting the flop that the last card in
Omaha changes the winner more often than
the last card in any other form of poker.
Many players who are good at other forms
of poker have to get used to the fact
that a relatively large percentage of
their wins will come from chasing. Quite
frequently the driver (the lead bettor)
is a vast underdog to the various
chasers; therefore, maybe it's not so bad
to be a chaser. So get with it, start
playing those combination hands, but keep
the percentages on your side.
Editor's Note: Michael Cappelletti's
book, Cappelletti on Omaha, has a
simplified point-count system. Contact
The Card Player for further information.
How to Win at Seven-Card Stud
By David "Chip" Reese
Long before Mississippi riverboats
became the favorite haunt of card sharks
and tin-horn gamblers, poker was already
ingrained into the American fabric. Over
the years, seven-card stud has become the
most popular game with poker players. It
is probably more widely played today than
all other forms combined. Because of
that, there are literally millions of
players who think they know and
understand the game. But I wonder how
many of you still think so after you read
my approach to the game. It's difficult
to fully appreciate the Machiavellian
aspects of this particular form of
poker.
When approaching a game of
seven-card stud, you have to take into
account the betting and ante structure.
For this particular article, I'm assuming
we're talking in terms of $1O-$2O with
antes between $1 and $4.
I've made a special effort to
explain seven-card stud as concisely as
possible, without eliminating any
important playing strategy or technique.
What you have here is the meat ... with
all fat removed, and the meat is filet
mignon.
STARTING HANDS
Let's begin with the types of
starting hands you are playing. These
are predicated on the ante structure and
fall into three distinct categories:
1. Premium pairs and trips: A pair of tens
or better are what I refer to as premium
hands. I call them that because they can
stand up as winners by themselves. It
isn't hard to recall the number of times
I've started with a four flush or a four
straight and been unable to beat two
queens after all the cards were out.
Three-of-a-kind on the first three cards
(rolled-up trips) is, of course, the very
best of the premium hands.
2. Drawing hands: Drawing hands are three
flushes and three straights. Obviously,
it's preferable to have the three flush
since a flush is a higher ranking hand.
Also, the higher the cards you have, the
better off you'll be. An A_K_1O_ is
superior to the 8_6_3_ because another
ace, king or ten will give you a premium
pair. In the same way, a three straight
of K-Q-J is preferable to that of a
9-8-7. Also, your chances of making a
heart flush when your first four cards
are hearts is about 47 percent, while
your chances of making a straight with a
four straight in four cards is about 43
percent (.4716 percent versus .4288
percent).
3. Small pairs: Small pairs are nines down
to deuces, and, again, the higher the
better. However, one important factor in
determining the actual value of small
pairs is your additional card (kicker or
sidecard). On many occasions, a pair of
deuces with an ace is much more valuable
than a pair of sevens with a four.
A significant factor in determining
whether to play an opening hand is your
position in relation to the player
bringing it in. I call the early
positions those of the players forced to
act first, second, third or fourth, while
the late positions are those of the
fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth players
to act. Naturally, the later your
position, the more advantageous.
HOW TO PLAY PREMIUM HANDS
If I'd played premium pairs, either
concealed or split from any jack showing
(representing two jacks) and another
opponent has reraised the jack with a
queen up, the chances are pretty good
that I do not have the best hand. In
this, or a similar instance (when I have
two queens versus a raise from a king and
a reraise from an ace), I would fold.
But otherwise I would play my premium
hand until the end.
Since you only get the premium hands
about seven percent of the time, you
shouldn't waste the opportunities they
present. These hands create your best
money-making possibilities. On third
street with a pair of tens through aces,
your primary objective is to eliminate as
many players as possible from the pot.
When you have a premium hand that might
stand up by itself, you want to narrow
the field so you give yourself a good
chance to win without any improvement.
The general rule for raising with a
premium pair in the first three cards is
to go ahead and raise with it when
there's only one (or no) higher upcards
behind you; call when there are two or
more.
One of the most important principles
in seven-card stud is that when you think
you have the best hand, you want to get
the players out of the pot rather than
trying to get extra money in the pot
(unless you have a really strong hand).
Here's a good example:
Your Hand Player "A" Player "B"
Au Hole Card Hole Card
8_ Hole Card Hole Card
A_ 6_ J_
9_ Q_ 1O_
For the purposes of discussion,
we'll assume there is the pair of aces
with an eight kicker, catching the 9_ on
fourth street. The original raiser
(player "B") started with the spade jack
and caught the 1O_. The other player
("A"), who started with the 6_ has picked
up the Q_. You must now attempt to
eliminate him ("A") so he doesn't stay
around to pick up a fourth heart and
present the threat of a flush.
If you bet the ace, the player with
the heart six, club queen might call,
assuming the player with the spade jack
and club ten would be afraid to raise it.
He would usually be right in this
assumption.
The proper play is to check the ace
(since you're first to act because you
have the high board). Player "A" with
the drawing hand will check also. Player
"B" most likely will bet, figuring your
ace represents part of a drawing hand.
Then you raise, to force player "A" to
put in a double bet trying to make a four
flush. He probably won't call, realizing
he's a heavy underdog, so you've
accomplished your purpose.
You now have two jacks (plus you've
knocked out a player, putting dead money
in the pot).
The importance of this sort of play
can't be emphasized enough. It's a very
strong maneuver. Many times you'll lose
a pot by merely calling on fifth street,
letting in a straggler who might end up
making a small three-of-a-kind or be
successful with an inside-straight draw.
Also, by raising on fifth street
with good possibilities in the draw, you
have achieved what seven-card stud is all
about: getting in an extra bet when you
should.
The ideal premium hand is rolled-up
trips, a hand with an excellent chance of
standing up by itself against other
premium hands that your opponents will be
playing very strongly.
HOW TO PLAY DRAWING HANDS
Generally speaking, how you play
your drawing hands depends upon two
considerations: your position and your
door card.
A good example would be a three
flush in hearts with the six of hearts
showing and you simply call the first
bet. You aren't giving away your hand
because you could have anything. You
want to get as many people into the pot
as possible. By raising it, you would
decrease your money odds on the hand, and
it's likely you would have to make the
flush to win.
But remember, a drawing hand is not
a premium hand and should not be
considered as such. If two big cards
ahead of you raise, you would not call
the raise unless you have two big cards
in the hole (as in the following
example).
This hand is always playable, even
if the pot's double-raised in front of
you. If the pot is raised twice behind
you, you automatically throw your hand
away -- if you have a three flush but
don't have two big cards in the hole.
However, if part of your three flush
is a premium card, a queen for example,
you have to consider the question,"What
are my chances of winning this pot if I
do not make the hand I'm drawing to?" If
the queen is the highest card showing, go
ahead and raise because it's possible
that no one behind you will have a hand
and you'll likely steal the ante.
Additionally, you've also succeeded in
creating an element of deception, the
illusion that you might have two queens.
Also if your queen-up is part of a three
straight instead of a three flush, you
have two other premium cards to pair.
The final factor: if your queen is the
highest upcard, it's very unlikely that
there will be more than one raise behind
you. That eliminates the possibility of
your having to face a double raise in
back of you.
The principal here is: if you are
less than two-to-one underdog to win the
hand and you're getting three-to-one on
your money, you can raise and take that
kind of gamble all day, because you'll be
getting the best of it.
STEALING THE ANTE
Stealing the ante is a worthless
maneuver in low-ante structure games. In
high-ante games, it is a necessity.
The first reason for that fact being
true is you must keep winning small pots
to prevent the antes from draining you.
The second reason is, not surprisingly,
tied to the idea of getting value on your
hands.
You have to get caught stealing
occasionally, and when you do, you put it
into the other players' mind that you'll
occasionally bet without a hand. When
you eventually have a hand, you're much
more likely to get paid off. But even
when you are stealing the ante, you have
to think about things.
First, you must be in a late
position. If no one has entered the pot
ahead of you and your upcard is higher
than any of the upcards of the few
remaining players behind you, go ahead
and raise in hopes that you'll get the
pot.
If you have a nine up in sixth
position with a king in the hole and a
player behind you has a king showing, you
can try to pick up the antes.
You should also be aware when an
opponent may be trying to steal the
antes. For example, you have a split
pair of fives, with a queen and you're in
last position. Normally, if a player
with a queen up raises the pot, you
probably would not call because of the
chance that you're up against two queens.
But if the raiser was in the steal (next
to last) position, you might reraise him
(re-steal) because your sidecard
indicates that there's a fairly good
chance that he does not have the hand
he's representing.
In trying to represent a hand,
you're risking the possibility he might
have two queens (or some other playable
hand). But if he catches you
(re-stealing), he'll more than likely
come in with a marginal hand against you
later.
When you do happen to get a good
hand against his slightly inferior hand,
your opponent may remember you're a
player who tries to steal antes, and he
may give you more action than his hand
warrants. Your image as a player who'll
bet without a hand will get you that
loose action.
Although you don't bluff a lot in a
regular game, you do want to bluff just
enough so that people will pay you off
and help you to get value out of your
marginal hands.
That's what makes the difference
between winning and losing seven-card
stud players. Winning players get the
most value out of their hands.
Every single pot is a separate money
transaction. You have to get the most or
lose the least in every hand that comes
up.
You must remember the axiom of
successful seven-card stud play: get the
most value you can out of your hand. The
three factors in getting value are:
1. Betting for value. Suppose you've taken
the lead all the way with two aces until
the seventh card, but that is all you end
up with. You have to think about what
you are going to do.
You know that going into the last
card, two aces was almost certainly the
best hand, but without improving you want
to know if now you will be checking and
calling, checking and throwing your hand
away, betting and getting called, or
calling a raise if you decide to bet.
Once more, the important thing to
know -- after the cards are out and you
have a hand of one pair -- is how your
opponent typically plays on seventh
street.
If your opponent is the type of
player who will call with one pair, you
have to feel obligated to go ahead and
bet the hand yourself. For example, you
should bet if you started with an ace,
raised the pot, and bet the whole way,
and he has been calling you with a king
up (and a likely pair of kings). Ask
yourself if he would call with a pair of
kings in the hope that you were bluffing.
If you believe the answer is yes,
you should definitely go ahead and bet.
Of course, if the answer is no, there
would be absolutely no reason to bet the
one pair. The only way you would get
called by such a person is if he had you
beat.
2. Raising for value: Suppose you're in the
pot with two queens and your opponent has
been representing two kings while betting
all the way, and then he bets at the end.
You look at your seventh card and
you have made two pair. You also know
that your opponent is somebody who would
bet one pair on the end for value.
Well, you think that he had two
kings on sixth street, and whether he
made three kings or kings up or failed to
improve, he would be betting regardless.
You have to appreciate the fact that
queens up could easily be the best hand,
but you wonder if it is worth the risk to
put in an extra bet (raise).
The first thing you have to consider
before raising with queens up at the end
is whether this particular opponent would
think you capable of bluffing without a
hand. If you don't think he would, then
you just go ahead and make a flat call.
The second thing to consider before
raising is what does my board (Q-6-1O-2
offsuit) represent? If the board is not
too powerful, then it would be pointless
to raise. But if that same board
contained three clubs, you can go ahead
and raise, because it isn't very likely
that you will be reraised unless your
opponent has a full house and isn't
afraid of a flush.
3. Calling for value. Often you feel that
you've had the best hand all the way
through, and your opponent (who is high,
but has been checking) suddenly bets into
you at the end. If he has shown himself
in the past to be a player who will bluff
in that situation, it is to your
advantage to call.
There are many times when you bet
all the way with the best hand but fail
to improve with any of your last four
cards. You feel unlucky not to have
helped, and are worried that your
opponent drew out on you. But you are
making a common mistake if you throw your
hand away when he bets.
In limit seven-card stud, the pot is
usually so large by seventh street that
it isn't worthwhile to try and guess when
to call and when to throw away -- even if
the pot is only heads up. If you even
rarely make the wrong decision you are
costing yourself money. So, if you feel
you have the best hand or just might have
the best hand, go ahead and call,
assuming you don't face the threat of a
raise by a third player in the pot.
Don't play any guessing games on seventh
street for any reason.
There is obviously considerably more
to seven-card stud than we've covered in
this short space. But I hope I've shared
sufficient information on strategy to
encourage you to explore the game
further. You'll find that you'll be
amply rewarded financially and
aesthetically for your time and effort.
The truth is there are no shortcuts to
winning poker.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR CARDS
By Lee Frome
Many years ago, long before video
anything, we played seven-card stud every
Saturday. One of the regulars was
Bernie, who coined a term that is very
useful in the teaching of video poker
expertise. When a novice player folded a
ragtag hand, Bernie would chide the
player for not recognizing that the hand
- called a "razgu" - possessed particular
qualities. How can you throw away a 2c
3s 7h 8h 1Od? That is a razgu and look
how many possibilities it has! Of
course, we all knew what Bernie meant and
when the novice caught on to the joke, he
appreciated that this was a lesson to be
learned.
If Bernie could spend a few hours in
a video poker area, he'd be worn out
quickly, running from machine to machine,
telling player to trash those razgus,
because they are below the level of a
value we can expect when we draw five
replacement cards. The term razgu
therefore covers all the nonplayable,
ragtag predraw hands we can be dealt,
which should correctly be totally
discarded.
Knowing which they are is important,
but the easiest way to develop this
knowledge is to simply remember the
lowest ranking PLAYABLE HAND and discard
all cards if the hand doesn't measure up
to this minimum playable hand.
In Jacks or Better - full pay or 8/5
progressive - the minimum playable hand
is the double-inside three-card straight
flush with no high cards, such as 3h 5h
7h 8c 9c, in which we would hold the
three hearts. As poor as it is, its
expected value (average return
considering every possible draw) is
considerable higher than any alternative
play.
How do we know? By computer
analysis and memorization only. Consider
these apparently reasonable options:
1. Hold the three-card double-inside
straight flush with no high cards.
2. Hold the three-card straight.
3. Hold the four-card inside straight.
4. Hold the two-card straight flush.
5. Play it as a razgu by drawing five new
cards.
Option 1, calling for a two-card
draw, has 1O81 unique draws possible.
This is figured as follows: The first
card can be any on of 47, the second any
one of 46 so there are 2,162 two-card
combinations. Since the order of the
cards is of no importance, half of these
are identical with the other half. Thus
only 1,O81 unique possibilities exist.
These will be distributed as follows:
________________________________________
HAND PAYS WAYS TOTAL PAYOFF
ST.FLUSH 5O 1 5O
FLUSH 6 44 264
STRAIGHT 4 15 6O
3 OF KIND 3 9 27
TWO PAIR 2 27 54
HIGH PAIR 1 24 24
LOSERS O 961 O
TOTALS 1,O81,479
EV = O.44
_________________________________________
The distribution of possible draws
for option 5, a ragzu, drawing five new
cards, shows 1,533,939 outcomes:
_________________________________________
HAND PAYS WAYS TOTAL PAYOFF
ROYAL 8OO 4 3,2OO
ST. FLUSH 5O 23 1,15O
4 OF KIND 25 344 8,6OO
FULL HOUSE 9 2,124 19,116
FLUSH 6 3,251 19,5O6
STRAIGHT 4 5,545 22,18O
3 OF KIND 3 31,5O2 94,5O6
TWO PAIR 2 71,8O2 143,6O4
HIGH PAIR 1 241,68O 241,68O
LOSERS 177,664 O
DRAWS 1,533,939 553,6O2
EV = O.36
__________________________________________
The EVs of options 2, 3, and 4 are
all below O.36, so they should be termed
razgus and totally discarded to realize a
O.36 (36 percent) return. So if the 5h
were a 5s in the hand above, the only
play available would have been that of a
razgu.
The above analysis applies to Jacks
or Better, exclusively. Each version of
video poker has its own minimum playing
hand and therefore its own definition of
razgu. In Jacks or Better, about 3
percent of our predraw hands are razgu,
but other versions have as much as 13
percent.
Editor's Note: This article was adapted
from Frome's new book AMERICA'S NATIONAL
GAME OF CHANCE: VIDEO POKER.
Poker Essays
by Mason Malmuth
Differences Between Stud and Hold'em
Several years back, in one of the
major cardrooms in Nevada, I overheard
this conversation between a tourist and a
floorman. "I just won $1O,OOO at keno,
and I know poker," said the tourist.
"But what game is this?" "This is Texas
hold'em," replied the floorman. "It is a
form of seven-card stud." "I know how to
play stud," said the tourist, who
promptly took a seat and, as expected,
lost a good chunk of his keno win.
Even though hold'em and stud do look
similar, the two games are vastly
different. In fact, it is hard to
believe that two games which look so
similar can be as different as they are.
Yet very few people understand this.
In my opinion, stud plays something
like a poker game should play. In other
words, if you think you have the best
hand, you usually bet. But in hold'em,
correct strategy often seems reversed
from what at first appears logical.
Let's discuss some of the distinct
differences between these two games.
Difference #1: Most of your luck occurs
early in hold'em, while most of your luck
occurs late in stud. In hold'em, your
second bet is associated with seeing
three new cards, but in stud, you get to
see only one new card at a time. This
means that there is a large element of
luck between the first and second rounds
in hold'em, while in stud, the opposite
is true.
On the other hand, because of the
community cards, the amount of luck in
hold'em is minimized on the later
streets. For example, when the board
pairs, both you and your opponent add
that pair to your hands (assuming that
this card does not make either of you a
set, or perhaps a flush). Think about
all the times in stud when your pair of
aces does not improve and loses to two
small pair. (In reality, there is more
luck overall in stud than in hold'em.
This is especially true at the higher
limits where the ante structure is
relatively large. However, this is not
true on the early streets.)
Difference #2: Kickers are more crucial
in hold'em. In both hold'em and stud,
kickers play an important role, but they
are much more crucial in hold'em. For
example, it is quite common in hold'em
for two players to have the same general
hand, such as two aces. The winner is
usually the person with the better
kicker. This means that the size of your
kicker and how it relates to your other
card becomes absolutely crucial in
hold'em. In stud, if for example you
have two aces on third street, your
kicker has virtually no impact on how you
play your hand. Of course, with other
stud holdings - such as small pairs -
your kicker can be critical in
determining whether the hand should be
played. But in general, this concept is
much more important in hold'em.
Difference #3: You get to see your
opponent's last card in hold'em. Because
of the community cards in hold'em, you
are able to see your opponent's last
card, which also happens to be your last
card. This means that the expert player
is often able to save or get an extra bet
on the end, or even sometimes steal the
pot. For example, if you are very sure
that your opponent is on a flush draw,
and if the appropriate suit hits, you can
just throw your hand away. In stud, you
cannot do this. The size of the pot will
force you to call automatically most of
the time. (This is another example of
why there is more luck in stud later in
the hand.)
Difference #4: In stud you have to be
concerned with how live your hand is. In
Seven-Card Stud For Advanced Players,
which I co-wrote with David Sklansky and
Ray Zee, we show that it is sometimes
correct to throw the best hand away.
This would be when both of your pair
cards are dead and one of your kickers is
also out. This idea is of paramount
importance to winning stud play. In
hold'em, since all the private cards are
dealt face down, whether your hand is
live or not is a concept that plays
virtually no role. Consequently, stud is
much more tiring to play, since you must
be aware of the cards that are out,
especially on third street, and how these
cards impact the strength of your own
hand. In hold'em, it seems that there
are times when you don't need to pay any
attention to what is going on. This is
virtually never true in stud.
Difference #5: You need to check-raise
more in hold'em. One of the problems
with limit hold'em is that the bet on the
flop can be very small when compared to
the size of the pot. Consequently, a bet
cannot always protect your hand, which
means that it is often correct to try for
a check-raise if you are in an early
position and there are several players to
act behind you. This is especially true
if you think it is likely that the first
bet will come from a late position.
In stud, the situation is often very
different. Large multiway pots are not
as common. Part of the reason for this
is that the typical stud game has only
eight players, while the typical hold'em
game has 1O players. This means that
trying for a check-raise is much less
likely to be correct, even though you
don't steal the pot very often on fourth
street.
Difference #6: It is often correct to
chase in stud. One of the problems with
seven-card stud is that the pots quickly
get very large, meaning that it is often
correct to chase. Specifically, if it is
correct to play your hand on third
street, it is often correct to go all the
way to the river, even if you are sure
that you are up against a better hand.
Hold'em is very different from this.
Because the cards in the center of the
table are shared by everyone, your
chances of drawing out are much lower
than they are in stud. Hold'em is not a
game where a lot of chasing is correct.
Difference #7: You can steal more pots in
hold'em. Since it is incorrect to do a
lot of chasing in hold'em, and since the
majority of the time the flop is not
helpful to any particular hand, there
will be many opportunities to steal on
either the flop or a later street. The
situation is not the same in stud. Even
though you can do some stealing on fifth
street (where the betting limits double)
? and taking advantage of appropriate
scare cards is absolutely crucial to
winning play ? it is still not the same
as in hold'em. For example, stealing on
fourth street in seven-card stud is, in
reality, only a rare event. Compare this
to stealing on the flop in hold'em.
Difference #8: Hold'em is much more of a
positional game than stud. This should
be fairly obvious to most people, since
the blinds in hold'em always determine
the order of the players to act on all
betting rounds. In stud, the highest
board determines who should act first,
except on third street, when the person
who has the lowest card showing is forced
to enter the pot before anyone else.
However, understanding the meaning of
position and adjusting your play to
account for it is still an important part
of winning stud strategy. It is just
that in hold'em, playing position
correctly is even more important.
Difference #9: There are more maniacs at
the hold'em tables. This has a lot to do
with the large element of luck that
occurs early in a hold'em hand. Put
another way, getting a little out of line
before the flop at the hold'em table is
not penalized as much as getting out of
line on third street in seven-card stud.
This accounts for the larger number of
wild players that you see at the hold'em
tables and in many ways, at least for
some people, makes hold'em more fun to
play. By the way, playing like a maniac,
no matter what the game, will not win the
money. It is just that playing in this
fashion in hold'em, especially before the
flop, is not penalized as it is in stud.
Difference #1O: Ante stealing is more
important in stud. This has to do with
the small blind structure in hold'em when
compared to the antes and bring-in in
stud. I am primarily referring to the
bigger stud games where the antes are
proportionately larger than they are in
the smaller (stud) games. This is not
true in hold'em. Here, with the
exception of some very high-limit games,
the blind structure stays relatively the
same.
Difference #11: In stud, your most
important decision is on third street; in
hold'em, if you do not play well on the
flop, you cannot win. In stud, someone
who plays well on third street but just
OK after that should still be a winner,
especially if the opposition is not too
tough. The same is not true in hold'em.
If you don't play well on the flop and
beyond, you will only break even at best.
The reason is that in hold'em, your hand
changes quickly between the first two
cards and the flop. In stud, your hand
changes much more slowly at first. In
other words, the difference between two
cards and five cards is much greater than
the difference between three cards and
four cards.
Final Comment: I'm sure there is a great
deal more that can be written about the
differences between stud and hold'em.
But remember, these two games are very
different, and few people can really
claim to be an expert in both.
By the way, being an expert in both
games is something you should strive for.
This way, you will have many more
opportunities to select good games.
Gambling Theory and Other Topics
by Mason Malmuth
Special Note: A powerful force that
occurs in tournament play where the money
is distributed on a percentage basis is
that the value of the chips that are
present on the table is not constant from
player to player. (This is not true in a
regular ring game where each chip has the
same value.) Specifically, the more chips
you have, the less each individual chip
is worth, and the less chips you have,
the more each individual chip is worth.
This extremely powerful idea, as we will
see will have a major influence on proper
tournament strategy.
However, it needs to be noted that
this force only becomes extremely
significant late in a tournament, while
early in a tournament it is not that
crucial. The reason for this is that
early in a tournament, a large stack is
still only a small proportion of the
total number of chips, while late in a
tournament, a significant amount of the
total chip pool can be present in one
large stack. This means that early in a
tournament the difference between the
value of individual chips, when comparing
a large and a small stack, may not be
very much. But late in a tournament,
this difference in chip value can be so
significant that it can cause dynamic
changes in strategy, when compared to a
standard game, to become the proper
approach.
Concept: When you can't rebuy, try to
survive - This can happen when you have
won enough chips to put you over the
rebuy threshold, the time allocated for
rebuys has ended, or you are in a
tournament that does not allow rebuys.
Now your emphasis should be on surviving
since the worst thing that can happen to
you is to finish just out of the money.
One misconception, which many players who
know to survive have, is to play super
tight. (In fact, super tight players
don't do well in tournaments.)
Surviving does not mean this at all.
It means not to go for those extra bets
and marginal hands which the very best
players use to make extra profit. In
some spots, one can actually play looser
(see below). Also, the further along the
tournament is, the more important it is
to survive. For example, if the top
eight players receive money, it is much
more important to be in your survival
mode if there are nine people left than
if there are fifty people left. An
exception to the above might be when you
are above the rebuy threshold, but still
have lots of time left to rebuy. Now you
may want to continue to play fast, trying
to get a big jump on your opponents.
Concept: When trying to survive, stay
away from the large stacks - When you are
in your survival mode, usually after the
early stages of a tournament, especially
if you have a lot of chips, your only
purpose should be to maximize your
expectation, not maximize your
probability of winning the tournament.
This means that you should be very
reluctant to get into big confrontations.
Consequently, it is usually best to stay
away from opponents who (also) have
strong chip positions. This means, as
has already been emphasized, that the
best strategy is to often not play a hand
for its maximum value. (There is no
contradiction here. Survival means that
you often give up those small edges which
the expert players use in standard games
to increase their expectation.) Remember,
the price you pay to get maximum value is
often a much higher standard deviation.
When you are trying to survive, it is
sometimes best to keep your standard
deviation as low as possible. Concept:
Avoid speculative hands when low on chips
and you can't rebuy - Even though this
concept should be obvious, it is probably
violated by most players. When low on
chips, don't be willing to play the very
first hand that comes along. The
problems with speculative hands, when low
on chips are (1) if you complete the
hand, you can't always get full value for
it simply because you will often run out
of money, and (2) when you can not rebuy,
you should be in your survival mode and
these are not the type of hands that one
should try to survive with. Also
remember that if your opponents are
playing tight, which usually happens in
tournaments, especially after rebuys have
ended, the value of speculative hands,
when completed, may not be as great as it
normally would be.
Concept: Don't go out with a bang in
percentage payoff tournaments - We have
seen that it is correct to rebuy when you
are out or low on chips and that it is
incorrect to rebuy when you have a lot of
chips. As has already been mentioned, a
logical extension of this, which can also
be shown mathematically, is that, in
percentage payoff tournaments, the less
chips you have the more (relatively
speaking) each individual chip is worth,
and the more chips you have the less
(relatively speaking) each individual
chip is worth. This means that "going
out with a bang" is totally wrong! You
should try to "go out with a whimper."
That is, try to make those last few chips
last as long as possible.
One of the most common mistakes that
typical players make in a tournament is
to raise on an early round putting
themselves all in when they only have a
marginal raising hand. The correct way
to usually play in this spot is to just
call and try to preserve enough chips to
play another hand in case this one
quickly becomes a loser. (The exception
to this is if you believe that the raise
will make it much more likely for you to
win the pot or significantly narrow down
the field.) This is clearly one of the
most common mistakes that typical players
make in poker tournaments. Another
example is when a player has a calling
hand and has a little bit more in chips
than the call requires. Sure enough, it
all goes in as the player raises. They
would be so much better off trying to
preserve this extra little bit, allowing
them to play another hand in case they
don't win this pot and their hand
develops in such a way that they can
quickly fold.
Concept: Overplay hands against short
stacks - Even though we know it is not
correct, players on short stacks do tend
to go out with a bang. In addition,
their limited amount of chips will often
stop them from getting full value from
their hands. This means that against
these players, who find ways to put their
remaining chips in jeopardy, you can
sometimes overplay your hands. Of
course, this should be tempered somewhat
if you are currently trying to survive.
However, this is often the correct
strategy even when you are trying to
survive and is not inconsistent with the
idea of survival. In addition, keep in
mind that their chips are worth more than
yours, meaning that you are receiving an
overlay on your bets. Concept: Avoid
major confrontations late in a tournament
- Even though this idea has already been
mentioned, let's look at a detailed
example. Suppose late in a tournament
there are three players left, call them
A, B, and C, each of them has 1,OOO
dollars, and first place gets 75 percent,
second place gets 25 percent, and third
place gets nothing. First note that each
person has the same amount of chips, and
assuming that they all are equally
skilled players, each has the same
probability of finishing first, second,
or third, meaning that they each have an
expectation of winning 1,OOO dollars.
Now suppose Players A and B go all
in against each other. Since we don't
know their hands we assume that it is
equally likely for either of them to win.
That is they each have the same
expectation. But what about Player C?
Since he still has his original 1,OOO
dollars, and he will now be against only
one opponent who has 2,OOO dollars,
player C's probability of finishing
second will now be 2/3 while his
probability of finishing first will still
be 1/3. (Notice that he cannot finish
third anymore since either player A or B
has that honor.) This means that his
expectation is now 1,25O dollars.
1,25O=(1/3)(.75)(3,OOO)+(2/3)(.25)(3,OOO)
The point here is that by staying out of
the major confrontation, Player C made
money. Also, if Player C made money,
Players A and B had to lose money. By
going all in against each other, before
the hand is decided each of their
expectations have fallen to 875 dollars.
875 = 1OOO - (1/2)(1,25O- 1,OOO)
This is just another example of how
percentage payback tournaments really
work. Clearly, the person trying to
survive, especially late in the contest,
is better off.
Concept: Late in a tournament, if you are
in a good chip position, be willing to
make bets with seemingly negative
expectation against a short stack - David
Sklansky shows in his book Winning Poker
that you should usually make bets on the
end only when these bets win the majority
of times that they are called. Even
though this concept is certainly correct
in a standard game, the mathematics of
tournaments, where the money is awarded
on a percentage payback basis, changes
what is correct. Specifically, it often
becomes correct to make bets which will
lose the majority of times that they are
called.
The reason for this is the fact that
chips change value in a tournament,
depending on how many you have.
Remember, the more chips that you have
the less each individual chip is worth,
and the less chips you have the more each
individual chip is worth. This means
that if you have a lot of chips and your
opponent is on a short stack, he will
actually be calling you with more money
than you have bet, even though he will be
calling you with the same number of chips
that you have bet. In other words, in
this situation, it becomes correct to
make bets that lose the majority of times
that they are called, even though in a
regular game these type of bets would be
incorrect. This idea is especially true
if your opponent's call will put him all
in and can eliminate him from the
tournament if you do have the better
hand. Also, the later in a tournament it
is, the more powerful this concept
becomes.
Hold'em Poker For Advanced Players
by David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth
To simplify the presentation of some
of the strategies to follow, the starting
hands have been placed in appropriate
groupings. The reason for this is that
many of the hands in each grouping can be
played roughly the same before the flop.
The rankings are as follows with an
s meaning suited and an x meaning small
card. Note that a 1O is represented as
T. Also, if no s appears then the hand is
not suited. (This notation will be used
throughout this book.)
Hold'em is a positional game,
perhaps even more so than any other form
of poker. This is because the button
determines the order that players act for
all betting rounds. (The only exception
to this are the blinds who act last on
the first betting round but act first on
all succeeding betting rounds.)
Consequently, this means that the number
of hands that can be safely played from
an early position (which we will define
as the first three positions to the left
of the big blind in a ten handed game) is
quite limited. Since you are out of
position on all betting rounds you need a
superior starting hand to make it worth
playing.
Specifically, in a typical hold'em
game, if you are the first one in or if
there is a call to your right, be
prepared to play only those hands in the
first four groups. In a loose game, you
can add the group five hands, especially
those which are the suited connectors.
In a tough game, it is probably best to
discard the Group 4 hands.
If there is a raise to your right,
and the game is typical or tough, then
you should limit your play to only Groups
1 and 2 hands. Against an extremely
tight player in a tough game, it may be
correct to throw away some of the Group 2
hands such as AJs and KQs.
If there is a raise to your right,
and the game is loose, you should be able
to safely play Group 3 hands as well.
However, beware of AQ. Even in a loose
game, this hand does not play well
against an early position raiser if a lot
of other players are still to act behind
you. (Of course, if it was suited you
would definitely play the hand.)
If no one has yet called, almost
always raise with AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQ.
Part of the reason to raise with these
hands is that they lose much of their
value in large multi-way pots.
Also, if no one has yet called,
raise approximately two- thirds of the
time with AKs, AQs, AJs, and KQs. The
reason for sometimes calling with these
hands is not only for deception purposes
but also for the fact that they do play
well in multi- way pots. However,
because of the large blind structure in
today's game which already encourages
multi-way play, it is not necessary to
call with them too much. In fact,
against weak opposition, it is probably
always best to raise with them since the
deception that you are trying to gain by
just calling won't do you much good
anyway.
The First Two Cards: Middle Position
How you play your hands from a
middle position, which we will define as
the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions to
the left of the big blind, is actually
very similar to the play of hands from an
early position. The main difference is
that you can now play a few more hands
since your positional disadvantage is not
as great.
This means that in an unraised pot,
play all hands up to Group 5 or better
when the game is typical or tough. In a
loose, passive game, it is all right to
play the Group 6 hands as well. Also, if
you are not the first one in, try to
consider how weak your opponents are.
Specifically, the weaker your opponents,
the more hands that you can play, or put
another way, be more likely to play the
marginal hands against the poorer
players.
If the pot is already raised, almost
always reraise with AA, KK, QQ, AKs, and
AK. In addition, occasionally reraise
with other good hands such as T9s or 88.
Also, if you are the first one in,
raise with any hands which are in Groups
1, 2, or 3. This is also usually true if
there have been callers to your right.
However, when there are callers, don't
always raise with the Group 3 hands.
Specifically, if you hold a Group 3
hand, consider how well your opponents
play, and whether you want a lot of
players or a few players. If your
opponents are strong, tend to call,
otherwise raise. If you want a lot of
opponents, such as with JTs as opposed to
AQ, then this would be another time to
just call (when you are not the first one
in) with a Group 3 hand.
The First Two Cards: Late Position
On the button and in the position
just to the button's right, (and
sometimes in the position two to the
button's right), much of what is correct
play is quite different than what we have
seen in the early or middle positions.
One of the reasons for this is that you
will have excellent position on all
betting rounds which will allow you to
make better decisions than what you can
make in the earlier positions. This is
simply because when your opponents check
or bet, you have gained a great deal of
information about their hands, while they
do not have this type of information
about your hand.
Specifically, if you are the first
one in in late position, any hand that
you should play is always worth a raise.
If there are already callers, raise with
Groups 1 through 3 and sometimes 4.
However, if there are a lot of players,
do not raise with unsuited high cards,
but, for reasons already mentioned, be
somewhat inclined to raise with hands as
weak as Group 5 if they are
straight-flush combinations.
Also, another reason to raise is if
you think that it may "buy you the
button." Being able to act last on every
succeeding betting round is a major
advantage.
Sometimes, you can raise with some
weaker hands in late position. This
would occur if you are against one or
(perhaps) two callers who did not enter
the pot from the early positions and you
have a playable hand that you would
prefer to play against a small number of
opponents. This would include hands like
A7s, KJ, QJ, and even a hand as weak as
QT.
One of the reasons for this type of
raise is that against weak opposition
(and as usual you should always consider
your opponents when making your playing
decisions) it allows you to take control
of the pot. That is if your opponent(s)
does not flop a hand, a bet after they
have checked, will often steal the pot
for yourself if you also do not have a
hand, especially if a high card has
flopped. In addition, if you do not
choose to bet, this raise may have gained
you a free card.
To call a raise cold, even when in
late position, you still need a very good
hand. However, if there are already
several people in the pot, even though it
has been raised, you can also play hands
like T9s and 88. In addition, almost
always reraise with any Group 1 hand.
There is also a time when you would
reraise with weaker hands, even as weak
as Group 4. This is when your opponent
is the first one in from a late position
and he enters the pot with a raise.
Notice that your opponent, like you
would, may actually be trying to steal
the blinds and a reraise on your part
with reasonably strong hands becomes
correct. (By the way, with the exception
of AJ and KQ, only reraise with a Group 4
hand if your opponent is a weak player
and you feel that you have excellent
control over him. Otherwise, you are
probably better off to limit yourself to
Groups 1 through 3 for this play.) As
above, if neither you nor your opponent
flops a hand, your raise may now not only
stop your opponent from trying to steal
the pot, but may now allow you to do the
stealing. Also, keep in mind in this
situation, that the correct play on your
part is to either raise or fold before
the flop. It is almost never correct to
just call.
If dead last, that is you are on the
button, and there are already callers,
you can play Groups 1 through 7.
However, if you have a small pair and you
are against four or five callers, the
correct play is to sometimes raise. This
is another example of making the pot
larger so that if you hit your hand, your
opponents may be more inclined to call
you with something like just overcards on
the flop. In addition, they may all
check to you, thus giving you a free card
and another (small) chance to make your
set. Also, this play is sometimes
correct with small suited connectors.
If no one has called, you can raise
the blinds from the last position
(button) with any hand in Groups 1
through 8. With a hand like Ace - weak
kicker, you should still raise the blinds
if they are either very tight or very
weak players. When we say weak, we are
thinking of a player who will let your
ace win in a showdown.
The First Two Cards: Live Blinds
Playing your first two cards out of
the blinds is very different form the
other positions. This is because you
have terrible position for the next three
rounds, but this is somewhat compensated
by the fact that you only have to call a
partial bet. What this does is to make
you play extremely tight in some
situations but allows you to play
extremely loose in others.
Specifically, suppose you are in the
(live) big blind, and no one else has
raised. Now you should usually only
raise with extremely good hands.
Remember, in late positions, one of the
reasons to raise was to help you to take
control of the pot. However, this is
much harder to do when you are first to
act on the flop.
Suppose you are the big blind, the
pot has been called on your left and
someone now raises on your right. Now
you should call only with your better
hands. This is because you can be
reraised on your left. If a lot of
players are in, you should play more
hands, especially hands that have
potential to make big hands such as
straight and flush draws. This would
include hands like A6s and 87 (offsuit).
However, if the raise is on your
left, you can call with more hands. This
is because you do not fear a reraise.
If the pot has been raised, and
there are a lot of players, you can begin
to play hands like 33 or 86s out of
either blind position. And of course,
you would usually reraise with hands like
AA or KK when you are in either blind.
But as already discussed, don't
automatically reraise with a hand like AK
(or QQ for that matter).
One situation where big blind play
changes drastically is when you are
against a possible steal raise, that is a
raise from a late position by a player
who you feel would attempt to pick up the
blinds with a weak hand. Remember,
against a legitimate raise, you still
need a fairly good hand to call. In
fact, a good guideline is to call with
essentially the same hands that you would
normally cold call with if you were in a
late position. But a steal raise is a
different matter.
Against weak opposition, who won't
make good use of their positional
advantage on the flop, you can call with
hands as weak as Group 8 in the big
blind. However, if someone else calls
inbetween the two of you or if your
opponent plays well, then you must
tighten up some. But you can still play
a lot of hands. Perhaps Groups 1 through
6.
Many of the above comments apply
also to the little blind. However, when
the little blind calls a raise not only
does he have to put a larger fraction of
a bet into the pot, there is also still a
player to act behind him. One situation
where correct little blind play differs
from big blind play is against a possible
steal raise. Now if the little blind is
going to play, (usually with a hand in
Groups 1 through 6), he should just about
always reraise. The purpose of this
reraise is to drive the big blind out of
the pot. However, if there is also a
caller or a cold caller, then this play
is probably not correct because you now
know that at least one of your opponents
is likely to have a legitimate hand. In
addition, you should as usual, consider
how well your opponent plays. Remember,
the better he plays, the higher quality
hand you need to make this type of play.
Omaha Holdem Poker: The Action Game
by Bob Ciaffone
Proper Evaluation of Starting Hands
Texas Holdem players taking up Omaha
Holdem usually have these feelings about
their ability to adjust to the game; "I
know how to play all right once the flop
is dealt, but I'm not sure what to look
for in a starting hand." They may or may
not be right about their competency from
flop to finish, but the uncertainty about
what constitutes a desirable starting
hand is nearly universal. Good judgment
before the flop is more important and
harder to acquire in Omaha Holdem. "What
you sow is what you reap" is an excellent
adage when applied to Omaha. Before we
discuss the correct method of evaluating
starting hands, let us look at some
incorrect views widespread among
newcomers used to regular Holdem.
"A four-card hand that contains a
good starting hand for regular Holdem
within it is a good Omaha hand." This
view is not proclaimed out loud, but
seems to be the criterion initially
adopted by regular holdem players. They
evaluate Jh Jc 6d 2s as being almost
equal to a pair of jacks in regular
holdem. I don't claim the hand is
unplayable in all situations, but it is
nowhere near as good as the beginning
Omaha player imagines. Any hand with two
useless-looking cards in it cannot be a
premium hand at Omaha.
"Two decent Holdem hands in one
four-card holding are going to make a
good Omaha hand." This is next level of
sophistication past the beginner view,
but it is also wrong. Look at this hand:
As Qh 7d 7c. There are two decent holdem
hands that compose it; Ace-Queen offsuit
and two sevens. Yet this hand is a
definite piglet at Omaha. The reason is
the holdem player is only looking at two
of the six possible card combinations
present in this hand. He is forgetting
about the other four combinations of As-
7d, As-7c, Qh-7d, and Qh-7c. This hand
is actually worse than the two Jacks in
our previous example, in my opinion.
"A good Omaha hand is one where all
four cards coordinate with each other."
This statement is the only one that
appeals to common sense, once you think
about it. A hand with six working
card-combinations is a super hand. For
example, look at this hand: Qs Jh 1Os 9h.
Every card has working value with all the
other cards. It is easy to imagine some
real powerhouse flops to a mountain like
this one. If you flop two pair, you will
also have an open end straight draw or a
straight made. There are many flops that
will yield a thirteen-way or
seventeen-way straight draw. If we can
turn a flush draw in addition on these
flops, so much the better. Starting
hands like this one are the most likely
to produce a multiway hand on the flop,
and the multiway hand is what we are
really hoping for at Omaha.
I think the following hands are
close in value: Qs Jh 1Os 9h, Qs Qh Jh
1Os, and Qs Qh Js Jh. I will leave it up
to the computer experts to give us their
exact order of ranking. The important
thing is the way the cards coordinate
with each other. Naturally, the hand of
Qs Jh 1Os 9h is worth more than 8s 7h 6s
5h, but the second hand is also a good
hand even though the cards are lower in
rank than the first hand. I want to take
the flop with any hand composed of
four-in-a row double suited, even 5s 4h
3s 2h, if the price isn't exorbitant.
Another premium hand is two Aces
combined with cards that coordinate with
them. The best type of coordination here
is to be of the same suit. Two aces
"double-suited" is a great hand. Compare
these two hands: As Ah 7c 2d, and As Ah
1Os 9h. The former hand needs to buy
another ace to stay in contention; the
latter hand has two nut flush-draws and
some straight-draws to lend additional
value to the Aces themselves. Of course,
if you can get heads-up against someone
when you have two junky-looking Aces, I
like your chances. However, to raise the
pot on a hand that probably needs to turn
a set in order to win is not good poker.
It is next to impossible to ram two Aces
through in a limit Omaha game, and often
difficult at pot limit also. Only at
no-limit are two unsupported Aces a big
hand, and no-limit Omaha games are a
rarity.
Sometimes a hand is very likely
marked with two Aces because of heave
pre-flop betting. This is especially
true at pot-limit play when a solid
player puts in a raise of the maximum
amount. In these cases an opponent will
usually back with his whole stack any
hand that has out-flopped two Aces, or
has a good chance to beat them. When the
aces have managed to flop a big hand with
the other two cards, the opponent is
going to get a rude surprise. It's
really sweet when you flop a set or a
straight. Obviously it is much easier to
flop a big hand if your sidecards are
paired or a useful-looking combination
like J-1O than if they are unrelated.
Being suited can also have surprise
value. When the Aces flop a flush draw,
this can be instrumental in misleading an
opponent into playing for all his money
in an adverse situation. You should look
closely at the two supporting cards in
evaluating an Omaha hand with two Aces
(or any big pair). Omaha is definitely a
four card poker game!
It would be nice if we could pick up
lots of hands with two double-suited Aces
or four-in-a-row in every Omaha session.
However, these hands are hard to come by,
so we must bend a little in our
requirements. Otherwise we will be in
the same category as the Texas Holdem
player who only enters the pot with A-A,
K-K, Q-Q, or A-K. In other words, we are
liable to ante off all our money and not
get played with when we bet. Four in a
row is nice, but suppose there is a gap
in the hand somewhere. Which one of
these hands is the most playable:
J-1O-9-7, J-1O-8-7, or J-9-8-7? The
answer is that they are listed in
descending order of value, because if a
card on the board hits in the gap, we
would like to have more of our cards
higher-ranking than lower- ranking. I
think that J-1O-9-6 may be a better hand
pattern than J-9-8-7 for this reason,
despite having a wider gap in the rank of
the cards.
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Seven Card Stud For Advanced Players
by David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth,
and Ray Zee
Part One: Third Street
Playing Big Pairs
Besides rolled-up trips the other
hand that you should just about always
play is a pair of aces (even if both
other aces are out). The only exception
to playing a pair of aces is against
several fast players if there is a raise
and many calls before the action gets to
you and if both your aces are dead.
As for the other big pairs, you
should almost always play them as well.
The time to throw away a big pair is when
you are positive that you are against a
bigger pair or when your cards are dead.
However, you should throw away a pair of
tens or jacks if there are several
overcards still to act behind you and if
your kicker is weak.
Here is an example of the last
concept. Suppose you have
4s Ts Th
and there is a queen, a king, and an ace
behind you. The correct play normally is
to fold (unless the ante is very high).
Another time that you should throw
away a big pair is when the pot has been
raised and reraised, and both players
have higher exposed cards than your pair.
In fact, you often should throw your hand
away with just a raise and a call from
the same upcards just described.
Here's an example. You have
Jh 6s Js
An ace raises and a queen calls. Unless
you know these players very well (and
know there is a good chance that they do
not have what they are representing), you
probably should throw your hand away.
Even if you know your opponents well,
calling is extremely marginal.
If you have a big pair but two or
more unduplicated upcards higher than
your pair are behind you, you probably
should fold if your kicker is poor and if
you don't have a two flush. However, if
your kicker is good and is one of your
downcards, or if you do have a two flush
(even if your kicker is poor), go ahead
and call. If your kicker is up and it is
the highest card on board, then you
usually should raise. Notice that this
is consistent with our ante stealing
requirements. Also notice that having
the additional out of the two flush makes
your hand playable. Having an additional
out, no matter what the form of poker, is
often enough to make your hand
significantly more valuable.
One undesirable situation that
sometimes develops is that you will raise
and a higher card behind you will
reraise. If you have a higher kicker
than his upcard, you should call and be
prepared to go to the river. Without a
higher kicker, fold if it is unlikely
that this person would raise you with
anything but a higher pair. Otherwise
call.
Playing Small and Medium Pairs
The first thing to keep in mind when
you have a small pair is that these hands
are much worse than big pairs. For
instance, a pair of eights is
significantly weaker than a pair of
queens. This is especially true if your
kicker is also small. Here's an example.
Suppose a deuce brings it in, and you are
next with:
7c Jd 7s
Automatically playing this holding is a
big mistake.
To determine whether a small or
medium pair is playable when you are not
in a steal position, you must consider
the following six factors:
1. How high your kicker is.
2. Whether your cards are all
live. (If one of your pair
cards is out, you rarely should
play. If one of your kicker is
out, it still might be worth
it, but not if two of them are
gone.)
3. What the other upcards are.
4. What the game is like.
5. Whether your pair is in the
hole. (It is usually better if
the pair is in the hole, but
the reverse may be true if you
have an ace or a king kicker.)
6. Whether you also have a
two-card flush, especially if
the flush cards are live.
(Also, it is slightly better
for the two-card flush to be in
the hole.)
The two most important factors are
the size of your kicker and whether your
cards are all live. How high does your
kicker have to be? The answer is that it
needs to be higher than any card on board
(but if it isn't an ace or a king, it is
not that strong).
Now suppose you have a medium pair,
such as two nines. If there are no cards
or only one card behind you higher than
your nines, go ahead and raise, no matter
what your upcard. Another time that you
should raise is when you have a concealed
small or medium pair and the highest
upcard, and you are the first one in.
Notice that this is consistent with our
ante stealing strategy, and be happy if
you just get the antes.
If it is raised ahead of you and you
have a concealed pair lower than the
upcard of the raiser, you usually should
fold if there are any players behind you
with unduplicated upcards higher than the
raiser's upcard. One of the reasons why
you should fold in this spot is that you
can be raised again. Another reason is
that since the raiser was looking at
higher upcards and still raised it means
that he probably has a real hand.
Playing Three Flushes
Another set of quality starting
hands are the three flushes. However,
not all three flushes are the same. Some
three flushes are virtually always
playable while others should usually be
immediately discarded. A few three
flushes can be played very aggressively
while others can only be played if the
cost is kept to a minimum. And some
three flushes play well head up while
(most) others usually prefer a crowd. As
you can see, correct strategy for three
flushes is quite varied.
To begin with, there are three
things that you should consider that help
determine how and whether you play your
starting three flush. They are your
position, your door card, and how many of
your cards are out. As we shall see,
what seems to be small differences in
these three parameters can greatly impact
the proper approach to these hands.
For instance, if you have a three
flush where none of your suit is out, it
is almost always playable unless you have
three small cards and it is three bets to
you or two high cards raise and reraise.
If three of you suit is out your
three flush is just about always
unplayable. An exception is if it can be
played as an ante steal or if the hand
has value besides the three flush aspect
of it. In addition, a possible straight
draw or high cards can give a three flush
value.
In fact, even if your cards are
completely live if you are head up
against a raiser and your three flush
contains all small cards you might want
to fold especially if you are against a
good player. But if the raiser may not
have anything now it is clearly a call.
If you have a three flush and it has
one card above the raiser's door card
then you should always at least call
unless your hand is not very live. This
is true even if you are fairly sure that
you will be head up against a probable
big pair. If you have a three flush and
two big cards ahead of you raise and
reraise you can play only if you have at
least one card over theirs. Here's an
example. Suppose a ten raises, a queen
reraises, and you have:
Ks 2s Js
Go ahead and play as long as your cards
are live. If it was just a raise and a
call then you could play any three flush
if your cards are live. However, if your
three flush is small and two of your suit
are out you should usually throw your
hand away. To play a three flush with
two of your suit elsewhere on the board
you usually need big cards.
Playing Three Straights
The next class of starting hands
that we will look at are the three
straights. Obviously, they are not
usually as good as the three flushes.
However, three straights in the right
spots can be profitable hands. When
deciding whether to play a three
straight, you must consider the following
eight factors.
1. How high your cards are.
2. How live your straight cards
are.
3. How live your pair cards are.
4. Whether you have a two flush.
5. The other cards on board.
6. Who is already playing.
7. How much it is to you, that is
whether you can play for the
bring-in, one bet, or two bets.
And,
8. The ability of your opponents.
Needless to say, the more favorable
these factors are, the more you should be
inclined to play. In fact, if the
factors are extremely favorable, you may
even want to raise.
If you have a three straight
(without a gap) and three of your
straight cards are dead you definitely
should not play unless you have a good
chance to steal the antes. If two of
your straight cards are dead, you
probably should not play, especially if
other considerations (such as how high
are your cards) are not favorable.
Super System
by Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson
No Limit Hold'em
A-A and K-K
how to play before the flop
With a pair of Aces or Kings in an
early position before the flop...I would
probably limp-in with them (just call the
Blind) hoping that somebody would raise
it behind me so I could re- raise.
In a middle position - if nobody in
the early seats came in - I would play
them the same way. But, if somebody in
the early seats did come in...I'd put in
a raise with them (of about the size of
the pot).
In a late position, I'd obviously
raise with them and hope that somebody
trailed their hand around to me - that
is, slow- played their hand so they could
re-raise me. If they did, I'd play-back,
of course, and might move-in depending on
the circumstances. If I did play-back
and got about half my money in the pot
before the Flop with two Aces or two
Kings...there'd be no question that I
would get the rest of it in on the Flop -
regardless of what came on the Turn.
Nothing could stop me. If my opponent
didn't set me in on the Flop...I'd move
it all in myself. The reason I'd do that
is because there are too many ways I
could outguess myself...and I'm not going
to try. If I get either of those big
Pairs cracked...well, I'm just going to
have to lose my money.
A-K - how to play before the flop
I've already mentioned that I'd
rather have Ace-King then either a Pair
of Aces or a Pair of Kings. A lot of
players will probably find that
surprising. But it's not. You'll soon
see why.
Of course, I know that an A-K would
never outrun A-A or K-K if you played
them against one another hot and cold.
An A-K couldn't even beat a Pair of
Deuces.
But, I'm not talking about playing
hot and cold here. Now...I'm talking
about playing Poker.
An A-K is a "better" hand than two
Aces or two Kings for two very important
reasons:
(1) You'll win more money when you make a
hand with it; and (2) You'll lose less
money when you miss a hand with it.
And I can't think of two better
reasons than those to prefer an A-K over
the very big Pairs.
The reason why you can make more
money with an A-K than with two Aces (or
Kings) is because it's a drawing-type of
hand as opposed to a made hand. I mean,
you don't have anything with an A-K
unless you flop something. So you can
get away from it real easy. You're not
tied-on to it like you might be with a
Pair of Aces (or Kings). And that's why
you'll lose less money with it.
Ace-King is also a more flexible hand (in
the way you can play it) as you'll soon
see.
There's also a big difference
between A-K suited and A-K offsuit. (Any
time the cards are suited it's a somewhat
stronger hand than when they're offsuit.
This is especially true with A-K because
you can make the nut Flush.) The big
difference between the two hands is that
it only takes three cards to make a Flush
with A-K suited. True, you can make one
or two Flushes with A-K offsuit...but it
takes four cards to make either one.
That's a lot harder to do. And, with one
of them (the Flush you might make with
the King), you may not have the nuts.
In the discussion to follow, the
difference between the two hands is
sometimes ignored. That is, I'm going to
suggest playing them the same way. But,
you should always remember that A-K
suited has more value than A-K
offsuit...and it can always be played a
little stronger.
The reason why A-K is more flexible
than A-A or K-K is because you can play
an A-K in the lead or you can play it
slow to raise with it. Also, I'd play
A-K from any position for a reasonable
size bet. And, on occasion, I'd get all
my money in before the Flop (as I'll very
shortly discuss).
Specifically, in an early position,
I'd bring-it-in (raise the Blind) for
whatever the normal bring-in was for that
particular game. If I was raised, I'd
probably call...although I don't like to
call a raise with A-K (as most players
do). I like to raise with it.
If I was in a middle position and
someone else had brought - it-in...I'd
just call with it. I wouldn't raise
because I'd probably be raising just one
man. I'd want at least another player to
come in.
In a late position, I'd probably
raise with it - especially if I was on
the Button.
There are times I might even move
all-in with A-K. Let's say I
brought-it-in in an early position and a
couple of people behind me just called.
When it gets to the guy on the
Button...he raises. Well...if he did
that, I'd think he was trying to pick-up
the pot since he'd probably think the
only person he had to come through (worry
about) was me since the two people behind
me showed weakness. So I might move-in
in that situation.
Or, if I was on the Button, and
three or four people were already in the
pot...I might move all-in. At that
point, I'd be trying to pick the pot
up...even though I'd know if I got called
I'd probably be an underdog.
How to Play a Pair of Queens
I've put a Pair of Queens in a
separate category for the simple reason
that it's a particular hand that deserves
special treatment. You'll soon see why.
When I get two Queens in the
pocket...I play them very carefully. I
try not to play them too strongly from
any position. Unless a good situation
arises...I don't want to move-in before
the Turn with two Queens. By a good
situation, I mean that I'm in a very late
position (possibly on the Button) and
four people have called a raise in front
of me. Here, I might try to shut them
out by moving-in. I'd be using the
combined strength of my pair of Queens
and my position.
If you're up against two Aces or two
Kings with a Pair of Queens...you're
about a 4 1/2 to 1 underdog. And, if
you're up against A-K...you're only a
little better than a 6 to 5 favorite.
When people go all-in before the
flop...they usually have one of those
three or four hands.
So, your money's in a lot of
jeopardy when you get it all-in before
the Turn with two Queens. If you get
called, you'll usually be up against A-A,
K-K or A-K...in which case you'll be a
big dog or just a small favorite. You
can pick a better spot than that to get
all your money in.
That's not to say two Queens don't
have a certain amount of value. They do.
They're a considerably better than
average hand. But, for the reason I just
mentioned, I seldom raise-back with a
Pair of Queens from any position...unless
it's an unusual situation.
But, I will raise (the Blind) a
reasonable amount with two Queens from
any position if nobody else raised in
front of me.
In a middle position, if somebody
raised in front of me...I'd just call ?
as I would with any Pair. I'd just call
with them in a late position, too. I
wouldn't re-raise (except as I
mentioned).
How to Play Any Pair other than Aces,
Kings or Queens
I'm going to call all the Pairs from
Jacks down to Deuces a small Pair (except
when I name a particular pair). However,
it's obvious that the bigger the pair
is...the more valuable it is. And that
principal extends all the way down to the
very small Pairs. That is, a Pair of
Fours is better than a Pair of Treys for
the simple reason that when the flop is
4-3-2, if someone turned 3-Fours he'd be
a huge favorite (about 22 to 1) over
someone who turned 3-Treys.
I also have a breaking point that I
use in my play with a Pair of Jacks, Tens
and Nines. I mentally segregate them
from the other small Pairs and I play
them a little stronger than the others.
I do it simply because they are bigger
Pairs and it's pretty easy for three Rags
to fall. When that happens...you'll have
an overpair. But, if you've got two
Fives or two Sixes, it's hard for a Turn
to come without there being at least one
overcard. And, with an overcard out
there, your hand is kind of dead so you
don't want to get too much money
involved.
Progressively, then, each Pair is a
little bit better than the others...but I
play them all as if they were a small
Pair.
Before the flop, with any of the
small Pairs (except Jacks, Tens, and
Nines)...I'd limp-in (call the Blind).
If somebody raised it from an early or
middle position...I'd call it. I
wouldn't re-raise.
I'd almost always take a Turn with any
small Pair. I'd be trying to turn a Set
so I could break somebody.
With a Pair of Jacks, Tens or
Nines...if somebody raised from an early
position, I'd probably just call. But,
if it was raised from a middle or late
position...I might re-raise with two
Jacks, Tens or Nines if I felt the raiser
was weak.
One of the reasons I like to play
the small Pairs from any position is
because they give me the opportunity to
slow-down and not appear to be
overbearingly aggressive when it might
work against me. They also give me a
chance to show a little respect for a
particular opponent.
How to Play Small Connecting Cards Before
the Flop
This is the hand I'm looking for
when I play No-Limit Hold'em. Small
connecting cards (suited) - the 7s-6s,
8h-7h, 5c- 4c. That's the kind of hand I
want. It's my favorite. And when I get
it...I want my opponent to have two Aces
or two Kings and to believe (as I don't)
that he should play them slow. If he
holds that opinion he'll give me the
opportunity to get a Turn. And if I
do...I can break him.
That's the whole thing about the
small connecting cards. I'll come in
with them in an early or middle position.
I might come in for the first bet (or, as
you now know, even the second if I think
I can win a real big pot). I probably
won't raise with this kind of hand
because I don't want to get shut out of
the pot. If I raise...and somebody else
re-raises - I probably won't be able to
play it. Or, if I have to call a double
raise cold...I probably won't be able to
play it there either. There are
exceptions, as always...but, in general,
I play the hand so I can get a Turn with
it.
Small connecting cards are a hand that's
not designed to put a whole lot of money
in with before the Flop. It is a hand
that's designed to take a lot of flops
with. You want to get a Turn with them
to try to make a little Straight, a
little Set of Threes, a little
Two-Pair...or something.
With any two cards to a
Straight-Flush (connected or not - except
for the top and bottom cards of a
Straight-Flush such as the 8s-4s, Jh-7h,
etc.)...I'd come in in any position. In
a late position...I'd raise with them.
I'm really looking to get raised
when I come in with this hand in an early
or middle position. In fact, I hope
someone has a big Pair in the hole and
raises behind me. Then, I can put a
relatively small amount of additional
money in the pot...and, if I get a Turn -
I can break him.
The beautiful part about having the
small connecting cards is that if you
don't get any help...you throw them away.
If the Turn comes 9-9-2, for example, you
don't get involved with a 7-6. You're
through.
MIKE CARO
POKER SEMINAR
. 1O COSTLY POKER MISTAKES YOU CAN AVOID
FROM NOW ON
1. Betting a marginal hand into a habitual
bluffer. It's much more profitable in
the long run to check and call.
2. Calling weak-appearing hands when
opponents unexpectedly raise. An
unexpected raise from a hand that looks
weak is seldom a bluff. Unless you have
specifically seen this opponent make this
type of daring raise without a stong
hand, save your money. Pass with medium
strong hands.
3. Treating a short-handed ante game the
same as a short-handed blind game. The
bunching factor means you should expect
the blinds to hold stronger-than-usual
hands when other players have already
passed. But in short-handed games,
your're in a late position automatically,
not because others have passed. This
means the bunching factor is less
important in a short-handed game, so you
should attack the blinds more liberally.
However, with antes and no blinds, a
short-handed game may call for more
conservative play than in a full-handed
game. That's because, while the absence
of the bunching factor still means
opponents have weaker hands on the
average than they would if many other
players had already passed, this factor
is overwhelmed by the reduced amount of
incentive (money in the pot) when the
hand begins.
4. Playing tight and not bluffing often
enough. One of the primary benefits of a
conservative (i.e. tight) strategy is
that you can be more successful bluffing.
5. Playing loose and not value betting
enough. One of the primary benefits of a
liberal (i.e. loose) strategy is that
you can value bet with great success.
Value betting means to push a hand for
everything it's worth and get calls from
weak hands that would normally fold
against a tight player.
6. Spending your bankroll. If you ever
decide to treat poker as a profession,
you're ready to think of your bankroll as
a necessary piece of equipment for
running your business. Don't spend parts
of it needlessly. Doing so will
jepordize your chances of staying in
business.
7. Bluffing after frequent bluffers have
checked into you. One reason a bluff
succeeds is that players with worse hands
pass. This means that if timid players
check into you on the final betting
round, you can sometimes bet and they'll
throw away almost-hopeless hands that
would have bearly beat you. But when
frequent bluffers check, thay probably
don't have the kind of hand they must
throw away (because they would have bet
out of desperation). So, they're more
likely than usual to have hands they'll
call with. Don't bluff!
8. Value betting when you're losing. One of
the secrets to successful value betting
is an intimidating image. When you're
losing, you don't have that image.
9. Fancy Play Syndrome. Many skilled
players yield to their urge to impress
weaker opponents. FPS sufferers are
always trying to use tricky plays against
weak opponents, even though the more
obvious plays are usually more
profitable.
1O. NOT raising in seven-card stud when you
have a medium buried pair and the high
card on board. It's clear that raising
is the most profitable strategy for such
a starting hand. Since the opportunity
to make this play comes up frequently,
failure to raise can be expensive in the
long run.
. 1O AMAZING PLAYS YOUR OPPONENTS DON'T
KNOW ABOUT
1. Bet a quality pair MORE willingly in
hold'em when there are two suited cards
on board after the flop. This agressive
approach denies opponents a free card if
they're flushing. If you want to be
fancy by slow playing that big pair, do
it when all suits on board are
different.
2. In seven-card stud, down the river, when
a sophisticated player bets into you with
a small pair showing, you CAN raise with
a flush. This assumes that your opponent
knows there's a good chance you were
trying for a flush (usually because your
first two upcards were suited and you've
just been calling). Sophisticated
players often bet daringly when they have
two pair or trips, hoping you'll call
with a pair big enough to beat the one
they have showing. The majority of these
players have the obnoxious habit of
usually betting for value without a full
house or better, but usually
check-raising when they can beat your
flush. This means you should often go
right ahead and raise with your flush.
3. For much the same reasons (see #2), you
can successfully bluff by raising if you
miss your flush. You probably won't win
most of the time, but opposing laydowns
will be frequent enough that you'll make
a profit in the long run.
4. In hold'em, when you've flopped top pair
and sucessfully been called by several
opponents, you should check on the turn
if the board pairs a medium rank. Then
you should usually fold if bet into!
Typical (i.e. weak and average) players
won't bluff with that pair on board, so
you can safely make the laydown. Trips
is very likely here, if someone bets.
5. Wait for your opponents to catch up if
they're probably weak and you flop the
nuts. It's clearly better to check when
you're first to act in this situation
with two or more players behind you. Not
only do you give players a chance to
close the gap and make legitimate calling
hands, you also give them a chance to
throw away their money bluffing!
6. When you're in the middle on the final
round of betting and the first player
bets, wait! If the bettor freezes and
refuses to act after several seconds,
there's a higher-than-usual chance that
it's a bluff. Call with simi-strong
hands; and with weak hands, you might
consider raising (to ensure that the
player behind you doesn't overcall).
7. After spotting a tell, wait and pretend
to ponder. Then almost pass. Then call
at the last second, as if by inspiraton.
This makes it unlikely the opponent will
recognize that you've spotted a tell, and
he won't correct for it. Even better,
your opponent might think you spotted a
tell at the last second and try to
correct that!
8. Encourage a bet you intend to call with a
medium-strong hand, even if you don't
want your opponent to bet! If the
opponent has a better hand than yours,
you won't prevent the bet. The only bet
you will prevent is a bluff. And if your
planning to call anyway, you don't want
to discourage a bluff.
9. In lowball, a great play (if not used too
frequently) is to reraise with a two card
draw from the dealer position if the
raise came from another late seat. You
hope to drive out the blinds and end up
head-to-head with the raiser. Then if
the raiser draws two cards, stand pat!
If he draws one or stands pad, draw two
(this will help your image). Don't use
this play too often and use it only
against raisers who often attack the
blinds with two card draws.
1O. When it's time to loosen up and play that
extra hand, do it from a late position,
not an early one. A powerful related
concept is that most of your strong
opponents have an apparent flaw they're
unaware of. They may play exactly the
same percentage of hands overall, but
they play too many hands from early
position and too few hands from late
positions when no one else has entered
the pot. You will be able to
successfully establish your loose image
without adding any hands from early
positions!
The Theory of Poker
by David Sklansky
Head Up On the End
Bluffing On The End
There are two basic conditions that
determine how you act when you are head
up on the end - whether or not you have
made a legitimate hand and whether you
are in first position or in last
position. Without a legitimate hand
against an opponent with a legitimate
hand, you cannot win except on a bluff -
a bet or a raise that causes your
opponent to fold. You cannot hope to win
by checking or by calling. Determining
whether or not to try a bluff on the end
is based on the same logic as any other
bet. You have to decide whether the
attempt has positive expectation. If the
pot is $1OO and you bet $2O with nothing,
you have to believe your opponent will
fold more than once in six times in order
to expect a profit. Thus, if your
opponent folds once in five times, you
will lose $2O four times, but you will
win $1OO once on average for a net profit
of $2O or an average profit of $4 per
hand. However, if your opponent folds
once in seven times, you will lose $2O
six times and win $1OO once for a net
loss of $2O or an average loss of $2.86
per hand. Whether a bluff works often
enough to be profitable depends, like
most plays on the end, upon an accurate
assessment of what your opponent is
likely to do.
LAST POSITION PLAY
LAST POSITION PLAY AFTER YOUR OPPONENT
HAS CHECKED
When you are in last position, your
opponent will have either checked or bet.
First, what should you do when your
opponent checks? Some might reply that
you should bet if you think that you have
the best hand. But this is not at all
the case. Your chances of having the
best hand might be as high as 9O percent
or better, but still you should not
necessarily bet. Take the following hand
from seven-card stud.
OPPONENT YOU
(X,X)7h,8h,Qd,2c(X) (As)Jd,Jh,Js,Js(7d,7c)
With four jacks your chances of having
the best hand are enormous, but in either
first or second position you cannot
possibly bet the hand on the end for the
simple reason that your bet has
absolutely no positive expectation.
Since your four jacks are exposed for the
world to see, your opponent will fold
every hand he can have except four queens
or a straight flush in hearts. With
either of those hands, he will raise. So
your bet has nothing to gain and
everything to lose.
When you bet for value on the end
after your opponent has checked, you must
figure your hand has better than a 5O-5O
chance of winning when you are called.
In fact, you have to figure it has at
least about a 55 percent chance of
winning to compensate for those times
when your opponent is planning to check
raise. With three-of-a-kind against a
flush draw, you are certainly the
favorite, but you are not the favorite if
your opponent calls. Yet to show a
profit on your last round bets, clearly
you must be the favorite even when your
opponent calls.
LAST POSITION PLAY AFTER YOUR OPPONENT
HAS BET
Let us now consider your options in
last position when your opponent does not
give you a free call but comes out
betting. When he bets you can either
fold, call, or raise.
Deciding whether to fold or call is
relatively straight forward. The
question is: are your chances of winning
the pot better than the odds that you are
getting from the pot, either because your
hand is better than your opponent's or
because your opponent is bluffing? If
you think your chances are better, you
call. If not, you fold.
If you are thinking of raising after
your opponent bets, you must ask the same
question you would have asked before
betting had your opponent checked: What
are the chances of winning that extra bet
when you are called? You should not
raise unless you figure you are at least
a 55 percent favorite, since you also
face the possibility of a reraise. In
fact, one way of looking at raising an
opponent on the end without the nuts is
that you are laying almost 2-to-1 odds on
that last bet, especially if your
opponent is capable of bluffing on a
reraise. When you raise and your
opponent raises back, you usually lose
two bets, but if he calls, you only gain
one bet. Of course, this consideration
does not apply against a player who will
never bluff on a reraise. If such a
player raises you back, you can just
throw your hand away, knowing you are
beat.
FIRST POSITION PLAY
CHECK RAISING IN FIRST POSITION
With very strong hands your options
are to try a check raise or to come out
betting. The key factors in deciding
whether to check raise are 1) the chances
your opponent will bet if you check, and
2) the chances your opponent will call
your raise. The second factor is just as
important as the first, because if there
were no chance your opponent would call
your raise, it would usually be wrong to
check since you would risk not winning
even a single bet when your opponent
checks behind you. However, all but very
tough players will generally call your
raise after you have checked and they
have put in an initial bet. They might
grumble as they do it, but they'll do it.
PLAYING FAIR-TO-GOOD HANDS IN FIRST
POSITION AS A FAVORITE
If your hand is worth a call or
almost worth a call had you checked and
your opponent bet, you should bet when
your opponent is one who will call with
more hands than he will bet, a habit
which is typical of the majority of
players.
If your hand is worth a call, you
should check and call when your opponent
is one who will bet with more hands than
he will call. As we shall see, this
player is usually the type who may try to
bluff after you have checked in first
position.
You should check and fold when you
are not the favorite if called and when
your opponent is one who will almost
always bet only with a hand that beats
yours. However, since this type will
only bet with a hand that clearly beats
you, the bets you save by folding after
he bets are greater than the few bets you
might pick up by betting and getting
called by his worse hands.
PLAYING FAIR-TO-GOOD HANDS IN FIRST
POSITION AS AN UNDERDOG
A curious situation develops,
though, when you are an underdog when
called and your opponent will bet if you
check with only a few hands you can beat.
It would seem that the correct play is to
check and fold if your opponent bets.
However, it often works out that the play
with the greatest expectation is to bet
your own underdog hands even though, if
you checked, you could not call when your
opponent bet. Depending upon the size of
the pot, this situation occurs when your
opponent will call with many hands you
can beat but will bet with only a few
hands you can beat.
It becomes correct to check and
call, though you know your opponent would
call with more hands than he would bet,
if when you are an underdog you think
your opponent will check some better
hands behind you and if you fear a raise.
Remember, though, that the last two
situations we have described are unusual.
The general rules still apply the
majority of the time. If your hand is
worth a call, you should bet when your
opponent will call with more hands than
he will bet, and you should check and
call when your opponent will bet with
more hands than he will check. In other
words, you should make the play that
gives you the greatest number of wins and
the smallest number of losses.
FIRST POSITION PLAY IN PRACTICE
Suppose in hold'em you have 1O,9 and
the board at the end is 1O,1O,Q,5,2
without a flush possibility. You are
first to act. How should you play?
You should probably come out
betting. If you are up against something
like A,1O or K,1O or J,1O, you lose
either way. If you check, your opponent
will surely bet, and you will call. If
your opponent has Q,1O, you may lose a
double bet by betting out since your
opponent will raise. On the other hand,
if your opponent has hands like 1O,8 or
1O,7 or 1O,6, you win either way; if you
check your opponent will most likely bet.
However, two very possible hands your
opponent might have are A,Q and K,Q,
which he may very well not bet if you
check but with which he will probably
call if you bet. Since you are likely to
gain a bet more frequently than you lose
one (when your opponent raises), betting
has greater expectation than checking and
calling. Put in terms of the rules given
earlier, in this situation your opponent
will call with more hands than he will
bet.