With the slowdown of Internet poker, brick-and-mortar poker rooms are enjoying something of a boom; so, too, are home games, of the sort described in great detail in my newest book with John Bond,
The Home Poker Handbook.
I was on vacation in Florida, visiting John, and was playing in just such a private game, one in which I had played with many of the players in other games, both on previous visits to Florida and in Vegas. The game had just started, $20-$40 limit hold'em with $30-$60 "overs" and $40-$80 "superovers." Preflop was always played $20-$40, with subsequent streets usually $30-$60. The game had two center dealers who dealt alternating one-hour downs. One of them - Big Dave - did as fine a job in the box as anybody I've seen in the cardrooms of Vegas or L.A.
Dinner had been served - thank you again, Sydni, the kitchen girl with a degree from a culinary institute, for the fine lamb chops in mint-jalapeno sauce - and the cards had just begun to fly. Generally when games start, the players are tighter than when they are several hours into the game when both tilt and comfort level come into play. Johnny Short-steps, a tight-playing regular in the game, opened the pot and, surprisingly (most pots were played at least fourhanded, with the average being five- or sixhanded), the field folded to me on the button. I raised with J-J, folding both blinds, and took the flop off heads up with Short-steps.
Bang, right in the center of the cup! The flop came J
9
4
, giving me top set, but presenting a variety of straight and flush draws. Some players, when holding a big mitt, automatically slow-play the hand in fear that their opponents will fold and they won't get any action. Their decision is based on their holding, not the styles of their opponents and the current situation. Sure, when holding a hand that is highly likely to win in a showdown, you want extra bets from opponents who are drawing slim, but more often than you think, the best way to acquire them is to play your hand in a fast manner, especially if you've raised preflop.
Short-steps checked to me, and I thought about checking behind him as a ploy to acquire more action. Sometimes that play works, when a player is unseasoned, but a player who reads hands and expects you to bet heads up when you preflop raised often becomes suspicious. The check actually produces the opposite of the intended effect, with your opponent becoming wary and not giving you as much action. Short-steps not only knew enough about poker to read the check strongly, but was also a player who tended to "see Indians behind every tree," as opposed to the type of player who seems to think everyone is always bluffing. I chose to bet, thinking it was my best play, wanting action although concerned I might not get any. Surprisingly, Short-steps check-raised me.
I decided to flat-call, with the intent of raising the turn. By making that play, I get extra value if he pays me off when he has a holding with which he will not put in an additional raise; plus, I get extra value if he is bluffing. You generally lose value when he has a hand with which he would put in additional raises, or if he is the type of player who checks when potential draws fill the board, except when a draw hits him. With Short-steps, it was a close decision.
Surprise, surprise! The turn card was the J
, giving me four jacks. Short-steps led right into me. I pondered my best move. What was the range of hands that Shorty could hold? Obviously, he didn't have a jack. He could have 9-9 or 4-4 and have flopped a set! He could have a draw and semibluffed me on the flop, and was now following through. He could have a small wired pair and think I held an A-K or A-Q type of hand, or he could be on a naked bluff. I thought about how each scenario played. If he held a flopped set (now a full house), he likely would put me on three jacks if I raised, and would reraise me. If he held a draw, he would think he was still drawing live and would call a raise from me; plus, I could get additional action if he made the hand. If he held a small wired pair and I raised, he probably would fold, but I doubted that if I called, I could get any more action out of him unless he hit a full house on the river. If he was bluffing, he would question my call on the turn and be hesitant to bluff the river, but I might be able to get an extra bet out of him.
I thought about the likelihood of him having these hands, and the value I could obtain with my holding depending on which hand he held. I thought his most likely holding was a set or a draw. His cautious nature made me think a bluff or a small wired pair was less likely. I raised, believing it was my best play, and he called. The river was the 6
, killing any draw. I bet, and he immediately folded. In retrospect, I am pretty sure he was drawing.
The hand speaks to the concept of strategizing your play to maximize the value you can obtain based on your read of your opponent's potential holdings. This arises in many situations, not just those in which you hold a monster when heads up against an opponent who's on a likely draw. It is important to value the bets based on the expectation of the bet rather than the dollar value. Being capable of analyzing these types of situations correctly adds much value to your poker game. Work on these equations, and you'll get better with practice.
The world of private home games is in a growth phase as players who have left the Internet look for new venues. If you're looking for action in communities that don't offer legal poker or offer only very low stakes, it is a world you might consider exploring. You can't beat the lamb chops!
Roy Cooke has played winning professional poker since 1972, and has been a Card Player columnist since 1992. He serves as a freelance consultant to the I-poker industry and has a successful Las Vegas real estate brokerage. He has written six poker books, available from www.conjelco.com/cooke. His website is www.roycooke.com. His longtime collaborator, John Bond, is a freelance writer in South Florida.
