Aces Up - John Reeves (booksvooks .txt) 📗
- Author: John Reeves
Book online «Aces Up - John Reeves (booksvooks .txt) 📗». Author John Reeves
if you think there will be six players or more in the pot. If there are only two or three players in the pot, a 76s or small pocket-pairs are not good hands to enter the pot with. You want to ensure you get a good price on your drawing hands.
If it has been raised
If someone has raised before the flop you must have a very good hand to call with or get excellent pot odds. Do not call raises in middle position with hands like AJ off-suit and KQ off-suit (see Trap Hands). However, if you are in late position and a minimum of four players called the raise, you can either call or re-raise with a hand like JTs in the hopes that you hit a great hand when the pot is big.
Position
The positions are counted from the button. In a full table with 9 to 10 players, you have the button, small blind, big blind, early position, middle position and late position. The three seats after the big blind are called early position, the following three seats, middle position, and the remaining two seats are categorized as late position. The first position after the big blind is referred to as sitting under the gun. This is the worst position to hold pre-flop as you will be the first to act and will be more likely to make mistakes. This is because you will not have as much information as players acting in late position. Therefore, you must be very careful in choosing your starting hand in this position. For example, do not play an AT off-suit under the gun. Although, if you hold the same hand on the button and no one has called, AT becomes a raising hand.
The best position is on the button, right in front of the small blind. It is in this position that you will posses the most information when your turn to act arrives. When sitting on the button you will know how many players are in the pot, if there has been a raise/re-raise, etc. This is most certainly the most profitable position.
Trap Hands
A very common mistake for beginner/intermediate players is to play any two big cards or any Ace from an early position and call raises with the same type of hand. This is one of the biggest mistakes a player can make as these hands so easily become trap hands. A trap hand is any hand that has a high probability of becoming the second-best hand, costing you a lot of money if you flop to it. The most common trap hands are AT, AJ, KQ, KJ, KT, QJ and QT. Many players limp in from early position and call raises in middle/late position with this type of hand. Thus, if you limp with KJ from early position, and someone in late position raises it, you could easily find yourself trapped against common raising hands such as KQs, AK, AJs, AA, KK and QQ (in case a J hits).
This also applies when you call raises with this kind of hand. This is a mistake. The most frequent raising hands from early position include AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AQ and AK. Why would you want to call a raise with a trap hand when the raiser is likely to hold one of the above hands? Nonetheless, trap hands are playable in the right circumstances. For instance, if you are in late position and are first in, the trap hand now becomes a raising hand.
General pre-Flop Advice
* Make sure to raise with top-pairs (AA-JJ) and top-connectors (AK, AQ) to drive out low-pairs and various connectors and to build the pot in case you hit.
* Have respect for strong tight players (for example, drop AQ off-suit if a strong player raises under the gun).
* Again, be selective with your starting hands. Resist the temptation of playing too many hands because you lost a few pots when you held a premium starting hand.
* Do not call a raise if you are not in possession of a very good hand that you, yourself, could raise with.
* Never play an Ace with a lower kicker than Ten if it is not suited. The only exception is if you are in late position or on the button and no one has called. In such cases, you should generally raise with an Ace in your hand due to the possibility of winning the blinds without a fight.
On the Flop - Limit Texas Holdem
What you need to consider when deciding whether to check, bet, call or raise
1. How strong of a hand did you flop (read Specific Holdings on the Flop)?
2. Number of players (hard to bluff in a 4 handed pot)?
3. Did anyone raise before the flop and, if so, who and from what position (expect a follow through)?
4. What pot odds do you have (the size of the pot vs. how many outs you have)?
5. What kinds of draws (if any) are on the board?
6. What kind of hands are the other players likely to have?
7. What position do you have (the later the better)?
Specific Holdings on the Flop
Top-pair with an Ace Kicker
* Most of the time you should value bet on the flop (and continue on the turn), as you often have weaker players staying in with weaker kickers or worse hands.
* Watch out for overpairs especially in raised pots.
* Avoid a check-and-call strategy by betting out, check-raising or raising.
* In order to protect your hand against draws be prepared to raise if someone bets.
Top-pair with a Weak Kicker
* If possible, try to bet out in order to find out if your hand is good.
* In an un-raised pot make a value bet and try to take the pot immediately. This is especially relevant if your pair is Ten or below, as almost any card on the turn will be a scare card.
* Generally, it is best to fold if you are raised.
* Consider how many opponents you are up against in an effort to clarify the relative strength of your hand.
* A possible flush, straight or a lot of draws on the flop will weaken your holding.
* Did the flop come with three high cards? If so, a two-pair and top-pair with a better kicker than yours likely exists.
* Avoid a check-and-call strategy by either betting out, check raising or raising.
Two-pair (pairing both hole cards)
* Generally do not slow play these types of hands. You should bet out /raise if the possibility arises.
* If the board is highly coordinated (two or three cards of the same suit and/or two or three connected cards), you should raise out the draws or make your opponents pay for attempting to outdraw you. One option is to wait until the turn and see if a blank hits and then raise/bet. This may work better in bigger pots since the bets are doubled on the turn and many players will call a raise on the flop when the bets are small.
* If you have hit two-pair with a "weak" Ace, let AK and AQ pay to chase. For example, if it is a raised pot and the flop comes A-6-2 and you hold A6, someone holding AK or AQ will usually give you a lot of action and will call to the end with only 3 outs for a better two-pair.
* If you hold a small two-pair, watch out for Aces and Kings in later rounds as higher two-pairs than yours will likely surface.
Overpair (pocket-pair bigger than the highest card on the flop)
* Bet or raise with this hand to eliminate your opponents and to protect your hand.
* Occasionally check-raise with this hand if you think an opponent will bet and your raise will force others to fold.
* If someone raises you, it is often best to re-raise. Most players will raise at least once with top-pair but only cap the betting with stronger holdings, therefore you can also gain information as to whether your hand is good or not.
Second-pair (pocket-pair in between the flop's high and middle card)
* Typical fold or bet hand. You can often bet to have weak/loose players chase on middle-pairs or draws. Your bet can also make more solid players fold weak top pairs or other non-made hands.
* Usually fold if there is a bet in front of you, especially if players behind you have yet to act.
* Again, always consider the number of opponents in the pot and from which position they are betting (if they bet).
* Avoid a check-and-call strategy, usually raise or fold if someone bets in front of you.
* Fold if you are raised.
Middle-pair with Top Kicker (Ace or, in some cases, a King)
* Typical fold or bet hand (see Second Pair).
* You should not find yourself in too many hands like this if you follow a tight strategy. There are not many situations in which you are playing weak Aces or Kings (see Starting Hand Guide).
* With this hand you hold 5 outs that can make you two-pair or trips. Consider calling a bet on the flop if you have pot odds and if you believe your hand will be the best if you hit.
Middle-pair without Top Kicker
* Folding is the best play is most situations except if you are heads-up.
* Again, avoid a check-and-call strategy. Instead, you should bet, raise or fold.
Nut draws with 8 outs or more (nut flush draws, two overcards and a nut straight draw, straight flush draws, nut straight draws)
* Rather than calling, always consider putting pressure on your opponents by betting, raising or check-raising. Play aggressively, especially when facing only one or two opponents who can fold a decent hand.
* With 12 possible outs (like a nut flush draw with an Ace kicker, giving you 9 nut outs and 3 top-pair outs), you will have almost a 50% chance of hitting on the turn and river combined (see Pot Odds); you should play aggressively in most cases to give your Ace a better chance of winning if you hit.
* Late position gives an extra advantage as you can raise to build the pot if there are many players in the pot. This might give you a free card (see Special Moves) if it is checked to you on the turn and your hand has not improved.
* Overcards - AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ, QJ
* Fold these hands in most situations if there
If it has been raised
If someone has raised before the flop you must have a very good hand to call with or get excellent pot odds. Do not call raises in middle position with hands like AJ off-suit and KQ off-suit (see Trap Hands). However, if you are in late position and a minimum of four players called the raise, you can either call or re-raise with a hand like JTs in the hopes that you hit a great hand when the pot is big.
Position
The positions are counted from the button. In a full table with 9 to 10 players, you have the button, small blind, big blind, early position, middle position and late position. The three seats after the big blind are called early position, the following three seats, middle position, and the remaining two seats are categorized as late position. The first position after the big blind is referred to as sitting under the gun. This is the worst position to hold pre-flop as you will be the first to act and will be more likely to make mistakes. This is because you will not have as much information as players acting in late position. Therefore, you must be very careful in choosing your starting hand in this position. For example, do not play an AT off-suit under the gun. Although, if you hold the same hand on the button and no one has called, AT becomes a raising hand.
The best position is on the button, right in front of the small blind. It is in this position that you will posses the most information when your turn to act arrives. When sitting on the button you will know how many players are in the pot, if there has been a raise/re-raise, etc. This is most certainly the most profitable position.
Trap Hands
A very common mistake for beginner/intermediate players is to play any two big cards or any Ace from an early position and call raises with the same type of hand. This is one of the biggest mistakes a player can make as these hands so easily become trap hands. A trap hand is any hand that has a high probability of becoming the second-best hand, costing you a lot of money if you flop to it. The most common trap hands are AT, AJ, KQ, KJ, KT, QJ and QT. Many players limp in from early position and call raises in middle/late position with this type of hand. Thus, if you limp with KJ from early position, and someone in late position raises it, you could easily find yourself trapped against common raising hands such as KQs, AK, AJs, AA, KK and QQ (in case a J hits).
This also applies when you call raises with this kind of hand. This is a mistake. The most frequent raising hands from early position include AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AQ and AK. Why would you want to call a raise with a trap hand when the raiser is likely to hold one of the above hands? Nonetheless, trap hands are playable in the right circumstances. For instance, if you are in late position and are first in, the trap hand now becomes a raising hand.
General pre-Flop Advice
* Make sure to raise with top-pairs (AA-JJ) and top-connectors (AK, AQ) to drive out low-pairs and various connectors and to build the pot in case you hit.
* Have respect for strong tight players (for example, drop AQ off-suit if a strong player raises under the gun).
* Again, be selective with your starting hands. Resist the temptation of playing too many hands because you lost a few pots when you held a premium starting hand.
* Do not call a raise if you are not in possession of a very good hand that you, yourself, could raise with.
* Never play an Ace with a lower kicker than Ten if it is not suited. The only exception is if you are in late position or on the button and no one has called. In such cases, you should generally raise with an Ace in your hand due to the possibility of winning the blinds without a fight.
On the Flop - Limit Texas Holdem
What you need to consider when deciding whether to check, bet, call or raise
1. How strong of a hand did you flop (read Specific Holdings on the Flop)?
2. Number of players (hard to bluff in a 4 handed pot)?
3. Did anyone raise before the flop and, if so, who and from what position (expect a follow through)?
4. What pot odds do you have (the size of the pot vs. how many outs you have)?
5. What kinds of draws (if any) are on the board?
6. What kind of hands are the other players likely to have?
7. What position do you have (the later the better)?
Specific Holdings on the Flop
Top-pair with an Ace Kicker
* Most of the time you should value bet on the flop (and continue on the turn), as you often have weaker players staying in with weaker kickers or worse hands.
* Watch out for overpairs especially in raised pots.
* Avoid a check-and-call strategy by betting out, check-raising or raising.
* In order to protect your hand against draws be prepared to raise if someone bets.
Top-pair with a Weak Kicker
* If possible, try to bet out in order to find out if your hand is good.
* In an un-raised pot make a value bet and try to take the pot immediately. This is especially relevant if your pair is Ten or below, as almost any card on the turn will be a scare card.
* Generally, it is best to fold if you are raised.
* Consider how many opponents you are up against in an effort to clarify the relative strength of your hand.
* A possible flush, straight or a lot of draws on the flop will weaken your holding.
* Did the flop come with three high cards? If so, a two-pair and top-pair with a better kicker than yours likely exists.
* Avoid a check-and-call strategy by either betting out, check raising or raising.
Two-pair (pairing both hole cards)
* Generally do not slow play these types of hands. You should bet out /raise if the possibility arises.
* If the board is highly coordinated (two or three cards of the same suit and/or two or three connected cards), you should raise out the draws or make your opponents pay for attempting to outdraw you. One option is to wait until the turn and see if a blank hits and then raise/bet. This may work better in bigger pots since the bets are doubled on the turn and many players will call a raise on the flop when the bets are small.
* If you have hit two-pair with a "weak" Ace, let AK and AQ pay to chase. For example, if it is a raised pot and the flop comes A-6-2 and you hold A6, someone holding AK or AQ will usually give you a lot of action and will call to the end with only 3 outs for a better two-pair.
* If you hold a small two-pair, watch out for Aces and Kings in later rounds as higher two-pairs than yours will likely surface.
Overpair (pocket-pair bigger than the highest card on the flop)
* Bet or raise with this hand to eliminate your opponents and to protect your hand.
* Occasionally check-raise with this hand if you think an opponent will bet and your raise will force others to fold.
* If someone raises you, it is often best to re-raise. Most players will raise at least once with top-pair but only cap the betting with stronger holdings, therefore you can also gain information as to whether your hand is good or not.
Second-pair (pocket-pair in between the flop's high and middle card)
* Typical fold or bet hand. You can often bet to have weak/loose players chase on middle-pairs or draws. Your bet can also make more solid players fold weak top pairs or other non-made hands.
* Usually fold if there is a bet in front of you, especially if players behind you have yet to act.
* Again, always consider the number of opponents in the pot and from which position they are betting (if they bet).
* Avoid a check-and-call strategy, usually raise or fold if someone bets in front of you.
* Fold if you are raised.
Middle-pair with Top Kicker (Ace or, in some cases, a King)
* Typical fold or bet hand (see Second Pair).
* You should not find yourself in too many hands like this if you follow a tight strategy. There are not many situations in which you are playing weak Aces or Kings (see Starting Hand Guide).
* With this hand you hold 5 outs that can make you two-pair or trips. Consider calling a bet on the flop if you have pot odds and if you believe your hand will be the best if you hit.
Middle-pair without Top Kicker
* Folding is the best play is most situations except if you are heads-up.
* Again, avoid a check-and-call strategy. Instead, you should bet, raise or fold.
Nut draws with 8 outs or more (nut flush draws, two overcards and a nut straight draw, straight flush draws, nut straight draws)
* Rather than calling, always consider putting pressure on your opponents by betting, raising or check-raising. Play aggressively, especially when facing only one or two opponents who can fold a decent hand.
* With 12 possible outs (like a nut flush draw with an Ace kicker, giving you 9 nut outs and 3 top-pair outs), you will have almost a 50% chance of hitting on the turn and river combined (see Pot Odds); you should play aggressively in most cases to give your Ace a better chance of winning if you hit.
* Late position gives an extra advantage as you can raise to build the pot if there are many players in the pot. This might give you a free card (see Special Moves) if it is checked to you on the turn and your hand has not improved.
* Overcards - AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ, QJ
* Fold these hands in most situations if there
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