Ten Common and Costly Hold'em Errors - Part II - Common errors on the flop in limit hold'em

This column will continue the discussion of my list of "Ten Common and Costly Limit Hold'em Errors." The list below summarizes them.



BARRY T'S 10 COMMON AND COSTLY HOLD'EM ERRORS



PREFLOP:

1. Calling raises with inadequate values

2. Raising from the blinds with the wrong hands



ON THE FLOP:

3. Improper betting from the button

4. Raising with draws when next to act

5. Playing small pairs after the flop



ON THE TURN:

6. Not betting/raising with the best hand

7. Calling raises with one pair

8. Not taking the free card



ON THE RIVER:
9. Not betting when leading out throughout the hand

10. Not betting after making your hand



This column will focus on the three errors on the flop.



3. IMPROPER BETTING FROM THE BUTTON: We all have seen it many times. Five or so people see the flop. Everyone checks to the button, who bets. For lots of players, this bet is almost automatic. After all, everyone checked, so they think, "All of my opponents will probably fold." In the tightest of games, everyone might fold on occasion, but in most games, some players at least call, and a player who expected the button to bet will often check-raise.



Whether to bet or not depends on a number of factors, including:

• The quality of your hand (the better the hand, the more you should tend to bet)

• The number of opponents (the fewer there are, the more you should tend to bet)

• The texture of the flop (fewer draws make it more likely a bet might win)

• The nature of the players (tend to bet more often into passive players, and less often into aggressive ones)



This is a very difficult subject to deal with comprehensively, so I will try to deal with one hand and four different flops to give you an example of the thought process.



Assume that you limp in from the button with the A 3 after three other players are in. The blinds also play, so there are five opponents. In all of the cases below, they all check to you after the flop. Should you check or bet?



FLOP 1: A J 5 – Clearly, you should bet this flop. You may easily have the best hand with your pair of aces. There are gut shot draws available (particularly K-10, Q-10, and K-Q), and you should force these draws to pay for their 11-1 shot. The backdoor wheel draw and backdoor nut-flush draw are also pluses for your hand, in case you get check-raised by a better ace.



FLOP 2: Q J 3 – You have a pair with an overcard, and nobody bet, but this should be an easy check. Players who limp in could easily have cards around this flop, there are multiple draws, and you could easily get check-raised. You are unlikely to win this pot with a pair of threes, and thus need to improve. You should check, planning to fold on the next round unless you improve. The best part is that when you do hit one of the five cards that will improve your hand, you will have position and a huge surprise for anyone who bets into you.



FLOP 3: A 8 3 – Obviously, this is a wonderful flop for your hand. There is nothing wrong with a bet here, of course, but I still prefer a check. With no draws at all out there, you will get action only from another ace (or a player with an 8 or a medium pair who thinks you may be bluffing). In a game in which everyone calls the flop regardless of what they hold, a bet might be the best play. But in a game in which people play well after the flop, a check here will be much more likely to make money. If someone makes something on the turn (even a draw), they might bet aggressively and let you get a raise in. If the flop was two-suited, or had a Broadway card in place of the 8, a bet would be mandatory.



FLOP 4: Q 9 6 – Again, many people bet here because they have a big draw and everyone checked. They hope that everyone folds, but they reason that even if they get two callers, they are getting a good price for their draw. All of this is true, but consider the opposite point of view. If someone bet and there was a caller, they might raise here for a free card, thus saving a small bet.



But you can get a free card right now, and save a small bet just by checking. Just because you bet here does not mean you will get a free card on the turn. You could get check-raised now, or someone could decide to bet the turn. You are not going to win this hand unimproved, and there are several cards in the playing zone, so everyone is unlikely to fold. Also, consider that if you check here, you still might get another free card on the turn. While a bet is certainly reasonable, I prefer a check here.



We could construct thousands of cases, and that is what makes poker such a wonderful game of skill. A small difference in the flop could change the correct decision. But the moral of this segment is: Think before you bet when you're on the button. Just because you have "something" does not mean a bet is the best action.

4. RAISING WITH DRAWS WHEN NEXT TO ACT: The flop is something like K 10 4. A player bets into a field of five players. The next player, holding the 8 7, raises. This play makes no sense, yet I still see it every day. Simply put, a draw wants company. You want lots of players in to give you the best price for your draw.



You would not mind raising if four or five players were already in, since you figure to win a bit less than one time in three (even though you will make your flush more often than that, it might lose).



Exceptions arise when the pot is large, you have at least one overcard, and you think a raise might provide an additional out or two. You essentially trade your flush odds for some extra outs. But, calling is usually far better than raising with a draw in a multiway pot when the player to your right bets.



5. PLAYING SMALL PAIRS AFTER THE FLOP: You hold a pair of sevens or lower, and get to see a flop cheaply in five-way action. You miss your set on a board that features two overcards. What should you do after a bet and two calls? I sure hope you said, "Fold," but even that is not enough. You also have to do it at the table. Calling in hope of hitting your set on the turn is very seductive.



After all, it is only one more small bet, there are several bets in the pot already (well, eight, but who's counting?), and if you hit your set, you might win a big pot. True, but the pot will not be big enough. A call is a 22-1 dog to hit a set. If you call, you must have a reasonable expectation of making more than 25 bets (as again, you might still lose). With eight bets in there now, you will need to win 17 more, or eight and a half big bets. Where will they come from? Let's say you do hit your set on the turn. There is a bet and call to you, you raise, and they both call. Now, on the river, you bet and get a crying call. You certainly will win a nice pot, but it's still not big enough to compensate for the 22 times you will miss and fold.



Players remember these rare seemingly large victories, but not the steady drip, drip, drip of one small bet going down the drain 22 times for each one they hit. Except in rare cases with a very large pot preflop, you should simply fold with a small pair when you miss a set. Yes, there will be times that you will slap your forehead because your set comes on the turn after you fold, but you still show a nice profit by keeping your chips in your stack.



Next time, we will look at some errors players make on the turn.

Barry offers poker lessons built around the specific strengths and weaknesses of the individual student. Part I of this series can be found at www.CardPlayer.com.