Big slick matters. Poker Player

Ace-King is a great pre-flop hand but what happens if you miss the flop in a multi-way pot?

SCENARIO 1

You’re playing in an online no-limit tournament and you’re the UTG+1 with A♠-K♣. Blinds are 100/200. Your stack is 9,810, and you raise to 600. The action folds around to a mid-position player who calls, his stack is 6,925, button also calls. You have no read on the mid- position player as he has just moved to the table. Flop is J♣-J♦-2♥. You bet 750, the mid-position player calls and the button folds. Turn is 6♦, you bet 1,000, he calls. River is K♦. Now what? Is there anything you should have done differently throughout the hand?

DANIEL NEGREANU

I like the size of the raise with the A-K; it’s a play I would probably make. But then when I get a couple of callers behind me on a flop like J-J-2, it’s not something to get excited about. I would lean towards giving up here but if I was going to bet, I would bet something like 900- 1,000. Once I had been called by the player in middle position and the turn card comes a blank I would never put another chip in this pot. The turn bet of 1,000 is just not a good bet because it’s very likely that the player has a Jack. There’s a player behind you in middle position and he’s called. With the river a K♦, you have to absolutely check this card because there is very little value in betting here. He’s probably not going to call you unless he’s got a Jack.

PRAZ BANSI

I think the flop bet is fine to find out where you are and to see if anyone has any part of the J-J-2 board; but I wouldn’t make the turn bet of 1,000. The player who called in middle position most likely has a pocket pair and this 1,000 bet is not enough to make him release. I would either bet more to put him to a decision or just check and see what he does. There are plenty of bad players early in online tournaments so trying to force the action without a hand can get you in trouble as they just don’t fold. If I hit my King on the river I would make a value bet of around 2,000, and hope he pays me off. I’ll fold to an all-in just in case he has a Jack or full house.

STUART FOX

We can’t be sure if he has a Jack but the river helped us as now we can beat other holdings he may have been calling us with such as Queens, 10s, 9s, and 8s. We should check and fold if he makes a value bet of 60% of the pot or more, as he has us beat with A-J or K-J. If he held Aces or Queens he would re-raise pre-flop. I don’t think he has the flush either because he would have to be calling with A♦-Q♦; but if he did he would bet the river in the same way as he bets out trip Jacks. If he has any other pocket pair lower than Kings he will check it down as he’s scared of the King and the Jacks. If he is holding A-K he will not bet or bet less than 60% of the pot.

SCENARIO 2

You’re playing in a nine-seater STT. Starting chips 1,500. Blinds at 10/20. After two early callers, it is folded round to you, one to the right of the cut-off. You have 1,570 and pick up A♦-K♥. You raise to 100. The small blind (1,240 stack) and one early position player (1,320) call. The flop is 7♠-4♣-8♣. Both players check, you bet 255, and only the small blind calls. Turn is Q♥, and the small blind, who is a passive player checks, and you check behind. River is A♣, the small blind checks – how much do you bet? Do you agree with the continuation bet on the flop?

DANIEL NEGREANU

Once the flop comes down 7-4-8 with two of the same suit there is no reason to put a penny more into this hand. You could hit your Ace or your King and lose to someone who is holding A-7 or A-8. You could be drawing dead on this flop. I never would have bet this hand despite having position. Once the small blind calls, the turn is a Queen and I agree with the check 100%. But even though the river is A♣ and the flush is out there and he’s checked to me, I won’t bet ever in this situation because I don’t feel I will get called by any hand I can beat. There are hundreds of hands he can check with, but very few he can call you with unless he has the best hand.

PRAZ BANSI

Betting this flop is not a bad thing as one of your opponents in the pot is a passive player, but the texture of the flop isn’t the best to continuation bet with. A flop which is low and connected provides possible flush/ straight draws and you want to take this pot down now. Sometimes it’s good to just check this type of three-way flop with your hand and hope to hit a pair on a later street. I would have a stab sometimes and just check behind other times. On the river I would bet half the pot for value, around 400, and hope to get called as I’m probably good here.

STUART FOX

I don’t bet that river. There is no need because I don’t think you’ll get paid for your top pair. You can simply check and see if your hand is good. It smells like he made his flush on the river or even two pair with a hand like A-8 or A-7. He might even spot a weak bet on the river and move all-in with junk, which will mean you will have messed up big time. So it’s better to play safe and check it down. I don’t like your flop bet at all. You have a low flop and it’s not your spot to bet. With your superior position, you should be keeping the pot small and check.

SCENARIO 3

You’re playing in a live no-limit hold’em tournament, $150 buy-in, blinds are 25/50, ten-handed. You have 7,000 in chips, your image is tight-aggressive. You pick up A♣-K♥ in middle position. UTG calls, you raise to 150, everyone folds apart from UTG who calls. UTG is a good loose-aggressive player and he has you covered. Flop is A♥-4♦-5♣. UTG checks, you bet 300, UTG calls. Turn is A♠. UTG checks, you bet 500, UTG calls. River is 4♣. UTG checks. Now what?

DANIEL NEGREANU

If the player is loose-aggressive the last thing you want to do when he limps for 50 is make it 150. He will call 100% of the time and then you are in no-man’s-land. If you are going to raise, I would make it 250 and that might define his hand a bit better for you. I like the flop and the turn bets. On the river I would make a smallish bet, maybe 500, as your opponent probably has the Ace or has nothing. If you make a big bet the only hand you’ll get called with is the one that has you tied or beat.

PRAZ BANSI

You could bet weak and hope he takes this as weakness and makes a big move against you; or bet near enough the full pot and hope he has a hand like 9-9 or 10-10 and just makes a bad call. Having a tight image always makes it difficult to get paid off, so things like checking behind when the Ace hits on the turn to try to induce a bet from your opponent on the river or just to disguise your hand could have been an option.

STUART FOX

You shouldn’t be worried about A-5 or pocket fours so your only goal is to get as many chips as you can or just split the pot. Your bet on the end should be a weak 900 bet because that is the only way you are going to get a call out of him if he has a holding like K-K, Q-Q, J-J. Of course if he re-raises you are going all the way with this hand and you should not lay it down. If he has 4-4 you have a great story, and if he has A-5 you should shoot him!