Pressure Poker Strategy

SCENARIO ONE

You are playing in a six-handed $ 0.50/$ 1 no-limit hold’em game online and have just over your starting stack with $ 107. The action is folded round to the button who is a good TAG player with a $ 154 stack. His PokerTracker stats show him as playing a 22/18 style. He raises to $ 3.50 and the small blind folds. You are in the big blind and raise to $ 12 with Qc-Qs. The button thinks for some time and then calls.

The flop comes 10h-7c-4s. You lead out for $ 12 and the button once more thinks for a while and then calls. On the 10s turn you once more lead out, this time for $ 31 and once again the button thinks before calling. The river is a 4h. You check fairly quickly and the button swiftly bets $ 55 putting you all-in. Should you call here? Does he turn up here value-betting a weaker hand often enough to make a call profitable? What do you make of the play so far, and would you say checking behind on the turn was a better play?

PRE-FLOP
I don’t personally use stats too much, but from the limited knowledge I have 22/18 doesn’t give away too much info. His range for flat-calling a big blind that is re-raising a button depends more on your image on the table. Given the level we are playing at it is unlikely he is playing tricky with big pair or A-K. It is most likely he is playing his position with a variety of hands from pocket pairs to suited connectors.

THE FLOP
You have an overpair on a good dry board, so you should continuation bet to build the pot and extract value while having the best hand. The pot is $ 24 so you should generally look to bet around $ 18, which is two thirds of the pot. Betting half the pot is a bit too small and skews your hand range for the future when you miss the flop and want to bluff your opponent off of his. When the button flat calls he could have hit something or just be floating, as many online players like to do these days. It really is very dependant on your opponent and his tendencies.

THE TURN
If you have a bad image it is good to bet here as he won’t believe you have a 10 and will call you down light. However, if you have a tight image he will probably think that you wouldn’t bet without the 10. Consequently this makes your hand look stronger than it is. I don’t think there is one right answer here. If I had a tight image I would check call. If I had a more aggressive image I would bet expecting to get looked up lighter.

THE RIVER
Once he flat calls the turn and the river double pairs the board it is very difficult to extract any more value by betting the river, unless you have history with this player of three-barrel bluffing him. Generally, when you check here a lot of his pocket pair type hands will check behind hoping to win at showdown. The only hands that go all-in here are slow-played tens, rivered fours or missed straight draws such as 8-9. However, at this limit I find it hard to believe we are ahead to call here now, and I think a fold is a better option.

SCENARIO TWO

You are playing in a six-handed $ 1/$ 2 no-limit hold’em game online and have a $ 250 stack. There are a couple of big stacks at the table, including a good LAG player who has a $ 563 stack. In this hand you are in the big blind with 7c-7s and the LAG player raises to $ 7 from the cut-off. You re-raise to $ 24 after the button and small blind fold and the cut-off calls. The 8c-2d-5h flop looks good so you lead out for $ 30 and the cut-off calls. The turn comes Q:. What is your best move at this point? If you lead out once more, you will fold to a bet, but what would be your plan for a blank turn or if you face another court card or Ace on the river? Should you have led the flop?

PRE-FLOP
All options are fine here, you have to mix up your plays so you don’t become predictable. The bet size of $ 24 is a good size for a three-bet. Everything is standard so far. But I think flat-calling in this situation is also fine.

FLOP
As a default move I would bet out here, but I could also mix it up with a check-raise, depending on the player and my history in the game. Also, because sites such as CardRunners advocate check-raising with A-K and A-Q on low boards when you miss, it might get us extra value here from a CardRunners member thinking we are making a move with A-K/A-Q. It may also get thin value from a 5 or 2. But given this board texture it is very unlikely he has any of those holdings. So I prefer just to bet out here.

TURN
The turn brings another overcard. At this point our opponent could be floating or trapping. We don’t know. I think betting again is fine with the intention of giving up if you meet any serious resistance. The most important thing is to know how your opponent is playing and what his perception of your style and image is. Once you know that you can make the best play accordingly.

SCENARIO THREE

You are playing a six-handed $ 0.50/$ 1 no-limit hold’em game online and have built up a $ 195 stack when you get dealt As-Qc in mid-position. There is a limp from under the gun and you raise to $ 4. A player in the cut-off with a $ 97 stack calls and everyone else gets out of the way. You see a dreamy 10c-Qd-Qs flop and decide to lead out for $ 5. The player in the cut-off just calls. The turn comes 10d and you check as you are hoping to elicit a bet. The player in the cut-off bets $ 14 and you elect to flat call. The river is a Ks and this time you lead out for $ 15. The cut-off player then shoves for his remaining $ 74. You think for a while and then fold. Was folding a mistake? Is this an automatic call?

PRE-FLOP
This is a very standard raise, as you have a very strong hand and are just trying to build the pot. I would say the cut-off calling can mean anything, and it’s impossible to put him on a hand without any other info.

FLOP
There is around $ 9 in the pot, and a normal continuation bet would be around $ 6. It’s the right size too. Just because we have a monster we shouldn’t alter our bet size. You should always try to keep everything the same, giving away minimal information. A call here these days means very little. He can have something, or just be floating. Either way, I’m happy as we have a huge hand.

TURN
When this turn drops it is quite important to work out what type of hands he has. If he floats with a small pocket pair then check both streets and hope he turns his hand into a bluff. He can’t ever call you with a cancelled out pocket pair. If you think he has A-J, A-K, A-10 or K-J it might be better to bet and hope to get hero-called while representing a double barrel.

RIVER
Betting the river small is a nice bet, as it makes your hand look weak and extracts value from hands that would normally fold to a decent bet such as Ace-high or K-J. The weak bet also makes your hand look weak, which could induce him to turn a cancelled out pocket pair into a bluff. The only hand we lose to is K-Q or the unlikely pocket Kings. Given the improbability of these holdings I think it is a pretty standard call.

John Tabatabai is sponsored by Betfair Poker