Fourth-Street Play

In previous columns, we have discussed getting raised on the turn and betting the turn. The next five hands taken from live-action middle-limit play cover some situations in which you are responding to your opponent's play.

Hand No. 1 ($10-$20 game): You are on the button with the Q 9. An early-position player and two middle-position players limp in. You and the small blind also limp in. The big blind is a solid-playing local named Ed, and he does not raise. There is $60 in the pot and six players.

The flop is the K 6 3. Everyone checks.

The turn is the Q. The small blind checks. Ed bets. The early-position limper folds. The first middle-position limper calls and the second folds. What should you do?

Answer: At this point, there is only $100 in the pot and it costs $20 to call. This is a small pot and you have a weak kicker with your queen. Furthermore, Ed, the a solid player who plays at this club all the time, probably would not bet into a large field like this without at least a queen. He might even have planned to check-raise the flop with a top pair of kings. Finally, you have another player to worry about who has called. He also could have a queen or be on some kind of a draw, such as a heart flush draw, which kills one of your outs. You should fold since the pot odds are not there to continue playing.

On the actual hand, the player called. The river was the 9. Ed bet, the middle-position limper raised, and the player called, having made two pair. Ed folded, flashing the K 10 for a top pair of kings. The middle-position limper won the pot with the A 6, having made a heart flush. The player lost an extra $60 playing with only four outs.

Hand No. 2 ($30-$60 game): A player opens with a raise from early position. You are sitting right next to him with the A A and reraise. Everyone folds and your opponent makes it four bets. You decide to just smooth-call because you are heads up with position and want to disguise the strength of your hand. There is $290 in the pot and two players.

The flop is the K 9 7. Your opponent bets, you raise, and your opponent calls. There is $410 in the pot.

The turn is the 9. Your opponent bets. What should you do?

Answer: When an early-position preflop raiser four bets you out of position, his most likely holding is pocket kings, given that you have pocket aces. You should call the flop, call on fourth street, and call at the river. Agreed, on the turn you have picked up the nut-flush draw, but that does not really change things that much since with the board pairing, your opponent has probably turned a full house. If he has kings, you minimize your loss. If he has A-K or pocket queens, he is playing with only two outs, and you should just let him bet your hand for you.

Hand No. 3 ($15-$30 game): You are in the big blind with the J 4. An early-position player, a middle-position player, and the small blind limp in. You get a free play. There is $60 in the pot and four players.

The flop is the Ku J 4. The small blind bets. You raise with the bottom two pair and only the small blind calls. There is $120 in the pot and two players.

The turn is the 5. The small blind bets. What should you do?

Answer: This may well depend upon your opponent, but against most players, I would raise. Most people will attempt a check-raise on the expensive street if they have two pair or better once the turn comes. Since you raised on the flop, your opponent will usually be confident that you will bet the turn when a blank comes, and will check-raise you with a better hand than yours. His bet most likely means that he has top pair with a flush draw, or maybe 5-4, which you can beat. Preflop, limping in from the small blind means that he could have a wide range of holdings.

Hand No. 4 ($10-$20 game): You are in the big blind with the K J. An early-position player limps in and a middle-position player raises. The cutoff calls. You call from the big blind since you are already halfway in. The early-position player calls. There is $85 in the pot and four players.

The flop is the K 7 4. You bet your top pair, fair kicker. The early-position player folds. The middle-position player raises and the cutoff folds. You call. There is $125 in the pot and two players.

The turn is the 10. You check, and your opponent bets. What should you do?

Answer: In addition to being halfway in, part of the rationale for calling a legitimate raise preflop with a troublesome hand like K-J offsuit is that you have the good sense to get out after you make top pair and get heat. You aggressively bet the flop with your top pair into the preflop raiser and got raised. At this point, it is OK to call and see the turn, but when a blank comes, you must check and fold when your opponent bets. He most likely has pocket aces, pocket kings, A-K, K-Q suited, or some hand that beats yours. You are probably playing with no more than five outs (any king or jack vs. pocket aces), maybe only three (only a jack vs. A-K or K-Q suited), and you could even be drawing dead (no outs if he has a set).

Hand No. 5 ($20-$40 game): You raise from middle position with the A Q after an early-position player limps in. Only the limper calls. There is $110 in the pot and two players.

The flop is the K J 10. Your opponent checks. You bet the nuts, and he calls. There is $150 in the pot.

The turn is the Q. Your opponent bets. What should you do?

Answer: I like a raise. For this to be right, the opponent has to be betting with two pair or a set, although a set is unlikely, as he didn't raise before the flop. For this to be wrong, the opponent must have an ace-high diamond draw. If he had a straight and a flush draw, he likely would not have just check-called the flop. The freeroll possibility of A Q is too remote to worry about at this stage, especially since he probably would have raised preflop with this specific holding. He is far more likely to have two pair, Q-9, 9-8, or just two diamonds than specifically Au Q.