Free Cards - Part III

In my last column, I began to discuss the criteria for the free-card raise. I started by looking at the first of the following six factors that you should consider:

• How many outs do you have?
• How large is the pot?
• What is your position?
• How many players are there?
• What is your table image?
• How do your opponents play?

As a reminder, you can access all of these previous columns at www.CardPlayer.com. In all of this discussion, we assume that you have a hand that benefits from a free card on the turn, should your play be successful and you don't hit your draw.

How large is the pot? If you have few outs, you need a large pot to justify a free-card raise. But even if you have a reasonable number, the size of the pot is also a deciding factor in determining whether to try this play. You want the pot to be large enough to justify your spending the money for a raise.

I recently saw a hand in which everyone folded to the small blind, who called. The big blind checked. After the flop of 8-7-3, the small blind bet into this, the world's smallest possible pot, and the big blind, with 5-4, raised for a free card. I know it was a free-card play, because he checked the turn after the small blind called his raise and a jack hit on the turn. Was this justified? There were three small bets in the pot, and it cost him two to raise. Assuming four outs, he was going to win less than one time in six, but was getting 3-2 on his money. Counting a bet on the end (which he won when a 6 came), he was betting two to win five, when he needed to win at least 10 small bets to break even, assuming that he won every time he made a straight.

What is your position? Many players erroneously raise for a free card with players still to act behind them. They have read about free-card raises, and they know they have a draw, so they raise.

Unfortunately, this has two undesirable consequences. First, players with a draw want to keep opponents in so that they get a good price for their draw, and add to the chances that they will get action when they make it. By raising, they sometimes get players to fold who would be happy to call one bet and increase the pot size for their draw. Also, those who do fold would be excellent candidates to make second-best hands and potentially lose still more money on subsequent streets.

Second, if one or more players behind them do call, their free-card play has been effectively thwarted. Now, on the turn, all the free-card player can do is check, hoping that none of the cold-callers bet. This is unlikely, as most people who call two bets cold on the flop have something they are willing to bet on the turn, especially when they know with near certainty that the raise was based on a draw rather than a big hand.

Let's look at a quick example, holding the same hand in two different positions. You get a free play in the big blind when holding the 8 6, after three players and the small blind call. On the flop of A J 4, the small blind bets. Certainly, you would like to see the river for two small bets instead of three, but you cannot raise here. You do not wish to eliminate opponents with, say, the Q 10 who may make a gutshot when you hit your flush.

Moving the same situation to the button, after three limpers, you call with your 8 6, and the small blind folds. On the same A J 4 flop, the big blind bets and two players call. Now is a fine time to throw in a free-card raise. Chances are good that you will not be reraised, as the big blind could easily have an ace with poor kicker, and the other players already had a chance to raise him. Most of the time, your opponents will call and check to you on the turn, allowing you to check it back unless your flush comes.

How many players are there? The number of opponents often enters into your decision as to which play to try. As a (very) general rule, the more opponents there are, the more you should be inclined to make a free-card raise, all other factors being equal. There are several reasons.

First, the more opponents you have who will call the raise, the more revenue neutral, and even positive expected value (for this betting round), your raise becomes. Second, the fewer opponents you have, the better the chances that some different play will work better. Raising the flop and betting the turn and river as a semibluff will be effective often enough that the pure free-card raise becomes a distant second choice.

What is your table image? Raising for a free card requires that your opponents believe that your flop raises often are made with the best hand. Otherwise, your raises will get little respect, and you will find yourself facing various free-card defense plays, which can become quite expensive for you.

There are several images that are good for free-card plays. Unfortunately, some of them are not so great for your overall game, but do work for getting free cards. For example, if you are a timid player who almost never raises without a great hand, your free-card raise is likely to work. However, you will lose opportunities to make money on many other hands.

The best image to have for a free-card raise is that of a strong player who often makes value-raises. It also helps for balance to raise the flop occasionally when you actually have a very strong hand, such as a set or a straight. If you become known as a player who always waits for the turn to raise when you have a powerful holding, you will lose respect for your flop raises and find it harder to make credible free-card raises.

A tricky or wild image is poor for free-card raising purposes. You need a modicum of respect if you wish to raise and get checked to on the subsequent round.

How do your opponents play? In general, you want straightforward opponents who will not think too deeply and who tend to respect raises. You do not want to make too many plays, including free-card raises, against aggressive, highly insightful, or tricky players. Many such players become highly suspicious of any in-position raise on a drawish board, and automatically launch into a free-card defense play when you attempt such a play.

Throughout this discussion, I have touched upon defenses against free-card raises. I will deal with this topic in more depth in the next issue.

Barry Tanenbaum is the author of Advanced Limit Hold'em Strategy, and collaborator on Limit Hold'em: Winning Short-Handed Strategies, both available at www.CardPlayer.com. Barry offers private lessons tailored to the individual student. Please see his website, www.barrytanenbaum.com, or write to him at [email protected].