Multi-way pots

How do multi-way pots differ from heads-up pots?

The key difference is with odds calculations. When you’ve got A-A heads-up you know you’re in great shape, but when you’re in a multi-way pot your position is a lot more precarious. Say the blinds are 25/50 and you raise to 200 with A-A; if the person next to you calls it can start a limp-fest with many players entering for ‘supposed’ value. If one person calls with 10?-10? in an attempt to hit a set or see a low flop the next person might call with 8?– 9?, and then the button could be justified calling with 6?-5?. So it’s easy to see how there can be a huge range of hands going to the flop, especially in the early stages of a tournament or cash game.

Is there any value in calling with small suited connectors in multi-way pots?

If you call with hands like 4?– 5? in a raised multi-way pot you know exactly where you stand. If the flop comes down 9?-J?-6? you know that if you play on it’s as a stone-cold bluff. If, on the other hand, you have A-A or K-K, you’re hoping to still be ahead but you could easily be crushed by a set, two-pair or be up against a big draw. With small hands it’s low-risk speculation – you either hit big or get out.

If you raise pre-flop with A?-Q? and the flop comes Nine-high with two hearts, how fast should you play your draw?

If anyone wants to play with a Nine or a pair of Tens then I’m going to make them pay. There’s no way you should let anyone have a free card. In fact you shouldn’t have too much trouble putting all your chips in the middle in this spot. You could have up to 15 outs if your overcards are live and you’ve still got nine with your flush draw if not. If you bet the flop you have the advantage of disguising your flush draw if you hit. You can then check, as if you’re scared of the flush, and let them bet. They might even hit a worse flush, in which case you may clean them out.

How fast or slow should you play a non-nut flush?

It’s very hard to get away from any kind of flush on an unpaired board. The only way you can find out if your hand is good is by betting and using the information you get back. If you check your flush on the turn and an opponent bets, you have to raise to find out where you are. There’s no point just calling, because if the guy moves all-in on the river what are you going to do? You’re almost certainly going to call and could be crushed by a larger flush.

How should you play a set in a multi-way pot? What are the dangers of slow-playing?

You have to play sets strongly on the flop to isolate the action. If no one has got much you’re not going to get many chips out of it anyway, but giving away a free card to multiple opponents is a terrible idea. At the recent Irish Open a pre-flop raiser hit a set of Eights on the flop in a four-way pot and checked not just once, but twice, to give one of the one players the nut backdoor flush. It was only when he could be behind on the river that he decided to bet out, was raised by the nuts, and then called. It’s better to lead out and get no customers than it is to let three other players have two free cards. You will just get yourself into trouble.

If you have top pair, top kicker with a hand like A-10 in a four-handed pot, would you come out betting from the big blind?

When you hit top-top you need to make a bet, but more often than not you’re just hoping to take it down right there and then. If anyone smooth-calls it puts you in a tricky position. You should probably bet around three- quarters of the pot rather than the whole pot because it’s a way to minimise your losses and maximise your profits. That’s because a bet of three-quarters pot is going to get the same reaction as a whole pot bet, so why waste the extra chips if someone comes over the top?

As players are less likely to slow- play does it make positional betting more effective?

You should always look to have position in a multi- way pot, because if you think someone is making a move on the flop you can often raise them off their hand with a steal. They’ll think, ‘I thought my hand was good but he thinks his hand is better.’ So position opens a wider window of opportunity for bluffing. It’s better to pick on the aggressive players though, as they’re more likely to be making a move without the goods. But ultimately it’s down to the situation.