The Power Play in No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments

As is the case in all competitive sports, no-limit hold'em is a game in which you can use certain standard plays to gain the advantage over your opponents. One of those plays is what I call the "power play." The power play is almost always either a big bet, a big raise, or a reraise. You can use a power play at any time during a hand – before the flop, on the flop, on the turn, or on the river.

The purpose of the power play is to win the pot by shutting out opponents who may be on drawing hands that could beat you on a later street. Use it when you want to win the pot right on the spot without having to continue any further with the hand. Let's take a look at an example of a power play before the flop.

Suppose you are sitting in the cutoff seat and look down to find the A A. Three players have called the minimum bet and now the action is up to you. You definitely do not want to play your aces against multiple opponents, because big pairs play best against one or two opponents at the most. You decide to try to win the pot before the flop, so that you will not have to risk getting drawn out on by multiple opponents. This is when you can use the big raise as a power play.

Let's say the blinds are $50-$100 and there is $450 already in the pot: the three callers ($100 each), the small blind ($50), and the big blind ($100). I suggest raising to at least $800. This type of big raise should knock out all of the marginal hands. If one player calls, that's fine, because your goal in making the big raise was to either win the pot before the flop or play the hand heads up. Sometimes, a player with a small pocket pair or a hand like K-Q suited, or someone who puts you on a steal, will call. This is good news for you because you are at least a 4-1 favorite from the start.

With one caller, be prepared to make a heavy bet on the flop. In low buy-in tournaments, you might need to put in 50 percent or even all of your chips when you make a power play. That percentage will be smaller in higher buy-in tournaments, because you receive more starting chips in relation to the big blind. You might be betting no more than 15 percent to 20 percent of your chips in a big buy-in event.

If your opponent calls your big bet on the flop and a non-scare card comes on the turn, be prepared to make another big bet, or even put the balance of your chips in the pot. If a scare card comes on the turn, you have to decide how to proceed based on your knowledge of your opponent and whether you are the first or last to act.

Suppose you have been called before the flop, on the flop, and on the turn. Now, you're at the river and must decide whether to bet or check. If you are confident that your pocket rockets are still the best hand, tailor your bet to the amount that you believe your opponent will call. For example, suppose you have $2,500 in chips and your opponent has $2,300. The blinds are $25-$50. Before the flop, you bet $175 with your pocket aces. Your opponent calls. The flop comes K 8 2. You bet $300 and your opponent calls. The turn card is the 5 (no flush draw is possible). Now, you bet $600 and again he calls. The river card is the 10, so the board is now K 8 2 5 10.

At this point, you have bet $175 plus $300 plus $600, for a total of $1,075. Since you started with $2,500 in chips, you have $1,425 left. Your opponent has $2,300 minus $1,075, for a total of $1,225 in chips left in front of him. You have put your opponent on a big king, probably K-Q, and are confident that your read is correct. How much should you bet? If you move all in, you will make it easier for him to fold a hand such as K-Q or K-J because he may suspect that you have him out-kicked with an A-K. But if you bet a lesser amount – in this case, I suggest that you bet $800 – your opponent may be more inclined to call, and perhaps even move all in. By betting an amount that you believe will induce a call, you are hoping to get paid off for your good hand. Next time, I'll give you another example of how the power play can work for you in no-limit hold'em tournaments. Until then, I hope to meet you in the winner's circle. ♠


Tom McEvoy is the co-author (with Don Vines) of How to Win No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments. You will often find him in action at the poker table at www.pokerstars.com, where he is a spokesperson.