Limit Versus No-Limit Strategic Differences - Part IV: On the Turn

In many ways, the turn is the "moment of truth" in both limit and no-limit hold'em cash games. In limit, the bets now double. In no-limit, the pot is often large enough that serious and often stack-threatening money is now being committed. But making a double-sized limit bet is not the same as making a far larger and perhaps even all-in bet, so there are differences in strategy and approach.



Play on the turn in either form of poker is complex, depending on the exact texture of the flop and how the turn card affects the board, the number of players, the size of the pot, the number and tendencies of your opponents, implications of the betting on the flop, your position, and, of course, your hand. We can't deal with all of these factors, so this column will provide only basic generalities in regard to the strategic decisions affecting players on the turn.



Let's examine the differences by looking at two cases:

• You led at the flop

• You are on a draw



You led at the flop: Assume that you took the lead on the flop in limit hold'em. If no one raised, you will usually continue, even if a card comes that is not exactly to your liking. In particular, if you flop top pair, bet the flop, and no one raises, you will bet the turn unless the board is very scary, and you are against several opponents.



For example, you are playing in a loose-passive game and three players limp in preflop. You are the small blind with 10-9 and complete the bet. The big blind checks, and the flop comes 9-7-3. You elect to lead into the field with your top pair, and all three limpers call after the big blind folds. The turn is a queen. Obviously, if someone holds a queen, you are now beat and have very few outs. Nevertheless, you should bet. You have no compelling reason to believe that someone has a queen, and there certainly are many hands with no queen with which loose opponents will call the flop.



If you bet and get raised, you usually will fold. But even if you call it down and it proves to be a mistake, you will cost yourself only two more big bets. This loss is significant, of course, but it is not a disaster.



In no-limit, this decision is far more difficult, if the stacks are deep. (With short stacks, you typically are all in already and are just watching the dealer turn over cards.) For example, you hold A-Q in a $2-$5 blinds no-limit game in which you and your opponents start with $500. After three folds, you raise to $20 and two late-position players and the big blind call. The pot is now $82. You like the flop of A-8-7, and decide to make a reasonable bet of $60. Just one late-position player calls, making the pot $202. You have $420 left. The turn card is a 9, and you have to decide what to do.



As we have seen, in limit, you just bet and see what happens. But in no-limit, this situation is far from simple. If your opponent is drawing, you would need to bet at least $100. If your opponent then puts you all in, the pot will contain the $202 that was there, your $100, his $100 call, and his raise of $320, for a total of $722. You will need to stack off your remaining $320 to stay in the hand, getting better than 2-1 pot odds. But can you win? If he has a straight or a set, you are drawing dead. If he has two pair, you have outs ranging from three (if he has A-9) to eight (if he has 8-7). Of course, if he is on a draw, you have the best of it.



This is a very delicate decision, and an incorrect one could cost you all of your chips. On the other hand, if you decide to check, you may be giving a free card that will give him the pot when he would have folded to your $100 (or higher) bet.



I am not telling you how to proceed here, except to note that with one-pair hands, you are best off keeping the pot small so that you do not feel pot-committed if you do get put all in. One pair is rarely a good hand when all of the chips go in. It will win frequently (good in limit), but not for big money (bad for no-limit).



You are drawing: If you have an open-end straight draw or a flush draw in limit hold'em, you are almost always getting the right pot odds to continue to the river when you miss on the turn. For example, you have the K Q in a $10-$20 game. After two limpers, you elect to limp in from middle position. Including the blinds, six of you see the flop of A 6 3. The small blind checks and the big blind bets. One player calls to you. The pot contains eight small bets, so you are getting 8-1 on the 4-1 chance that you will make your flush on the next card, not counting any future bets you may make if you hit your hand.



Everyone else folds, so three of you see the turn, which is the 9. Again, the big blind bets, and now the other player folds, so you are the only one left. You are still getting an excellent price to hit your flush, as the pot contains five and a half big bets. So, even with no raises and not many opponents, you are still getting an excellent price for your draw, not counting any future bets.



In no-limit, the picture is very different. Because your opponent can select the pot odds he offers you, draws usually play very poorly. Let's look at a similar example. Again, you hold the K Q in a $2-$5 no-limit game in which everyone has $500. An early-position player makes it $20 to go, and you call after two other callers. The big blind also calls, so there is $102 in the pot. The flop is A 6 3. The big blind checks and the raiser bets $75. One player calls to you. The pot contains $252, and you must call $75, so you are being offered about 3.3-1 on your 4-1 chance to hit your flush on the next card. In addition, the big blind may elect to make a big raise and price you completely out of the hand. However, you believe he won't, and you will win enough extra money if you make your hand to make your call worthwhile, so you call. The big blind folds and there is $327 in the pot. You have $405 left in your stack. The turn is the 9. Your first opponent now bets $300 and the next player folds. You are getting just over 2-1 on your 4-1 chance to make the flush, and you can win only another $105, which does not make the call worthwhile (even if he promised to put it in when the flush card came). Your only choice is to fold, since an all-in bluff cannot possibly get him to fold.



In no-limit, your opponent can price you out of most draws at any time, and your only option is to fold or to make a bold very large raise (if the stacks are very deep) and hope to win the pot now or draw out if he calls. This makes the play of draws very different from limit hold'em.



Conclusion: Two of the major mistakes that limit players make when moving from limit to no-limit is overplaying one-pair hands and staying too long with draws. Conversely, when no-limit players move to limit, they tend to play one-pair hands too timidly, and give up too soon on draws (especially non-nut draws) when they are actually getting a good price. If you are aware of these differences, you should be able to make the transition more smoothly and profitably.

Barry offers poker lessons tailored to the specific strengths and weaknesses of the individual student. Please visit his web site at http://www.barrytanenbaum.com/ or e-mail him at [email protected].