Three Opponents

In a recent column, I talked about dividing lines for entering the pot. Another place where we can construct dividing lines that are of educational benefit is the number of opponents we face. My new book, Middle Limit Hold'em Poker, co-authored with my friend Jim Brier, which (if my calculations are correct) just became available as you are reading these words, places great emphasis on the number of opponents in a hand. Against one or two, we play extremely aggressive poker. Against four or more, we use no fancy stuff; we play just good hands.

The dividing line between aggressiveness and solidity is three opponents. I'll now give you a number of situations, all with three opponents, and ask you what you would do. I'll keep your hand and the preflop action the same, and vary the flop and your position.

A problem that all hold'em players have to face is taking aggressive action with a preflop raise on a hand that has two big cards, such as A-K or A-Q, then missing the flop completely. If the flop is not absolutely terrifying, you normally bet into two opponents and check into four opponents (or more). The tough number to decide whether to fire is three opponents. Here are various flops. Which would you bet, and which would you check? In each case, you have A K, open with a raise, and get called by the player on your left, a middle-position player, and the button. So, you are first to act on the various flops. Would you check or bet?

Flop No. 1: Q 7 2. This is as raggedy as it gets – no straight draws, flush draws, or pairs. You should bet this flop. There is a decent chance of everyone folding. If you get called, your opponent has a better hand than yours; he has a pair. Most of the time, a second barrel after missing is not a good idea. You will get called (the opponent sees that the common preflop raising hand of A-K has not hit a pair), and you may get raised.

Flop No. 2: Q 9 2u. With this flop, there are two cards in the playing zone (what our book calls the rank of cards 9 through ace). You will probably get called. If so, there is no way to be sure what you are up against, since there are some gutshots available to the enemy. Another thing that is detrimental is the fact that the draw to one of your pairing cards is tainted (meaning that it might help someone else more than you). If a king comes on the turn, someone with J-10 makes a straight for the nuts. You should check this flop.

Flop No. 3: Q J 2. You are on even more dangerous ground here, with connecting facecards on the board. However, there is a bright spot. A 10 gives you Broadway (an ace-high straight). Having a gutshot is worth something. If you checked and someone bet, you would call. Betting right out is the course you should prefer, since you are playing anyway.

Flop No. 4: 10 9 2. You have no straight draw, your king is tainted if you pair it, there is a two-flush on the board, and the top two boardcards are connecting in rank and are in the playing zone. Betting into this flop is like the Light Brigade charging into heavy guns. You are more likely to get a Purple Heart than the pot.

In all of these problems, you were acting first. Now suppose that you were on the button with that A K and had raised a bunch of limpers. On the flop, they check to you. Does the change in position create a change in your action compared to what you did up front? Let's see:

Flop No. 1: Q 7 2. There still is a decent chance of winning an uncontested pot, so a bet looks right.

Flop No. 2: Q 9 2. You should check this flop, just as you did up front.

Flop No. 3: Q J 2. A big reason for betting is that you were going to call anyway. In back position, things have changed. A check gets you into the next round for free, with a draw to the nuts. You should prefer to take your free card, since it is doubtful that a bet will win the pot. I know some good players who prefer to bet in this situation. Their idea is to take a free card on the turn rather than on the flop. If no one check-raises and everyone checks the turn, the ploy has worked. In my opinion, it is better to take the lock free card now at half-price savings than try to max out and save a full bet. A bird in the hand …

Flop No. 4: 10u 9u 2. They all checked. So what. If you bet, expect all hell to break loose, and you have no hand. So, prefer the prudent check here, as well.

This quiz illustrates the things you look for when deciding whether to check or bet when you are the preflop raiser and miss the flop with A-K or A-Q. The questions we asked ourselves were:

• How many potential card combinations are there that could have hit the flop for an opponent?

• How likely is the flop to fit in with typical hands that my opponents may hold? (One way to evaluate this is to simply see how many flop cards are in the playing zone of 9 through ace.)

• If I get called, can I put the opponent on any particular type of hand?

• If I hit a pair on the turn (or river), is my draw tainted by completing a possible straight on the board? Would that straight be a gutshot or an open-ender?

• Do I have anything else I can hit to help other than making a pair?

• Do I have the option of taking a free card?

I do not claim that every good player would or should do exactly as I recommended in these eight situations. However, I am sure they would be thinking along much the same lines as given here – and so should you.

The flop with three opponents is the toughest flop to play in the game of hold'em. It is thus beneficial to study the problems it presents and how one should handle them. How to play A-K after missing the flop is just one of the many tough decisions that occur with three opponents seeing the flop with you.

Editor's note: Bob Ciaffone is available for poker lessons. E-mail [email protected] or call (989) 792-0884. His website is www.diamondcs.net/~thecoach, where you can download Robert's Rules of Poker for free. His latest book, Middle Limit Hold'em Poker, as well as his other poker books, Pot-limit and No-limit Poker, Improve Your Poker, and Omaha Hold'em Poker, are all available through Card Player.