Dogging A-Q Offsuit

You can’t consistently play junk and win against a knowledgeable field. You give up something when you play an inferior hand. However, if your play of hands on later streets is better than that of your opponents, you can make up your initial preflop disadvantage by outplaying them post-flop. Many novice or average players overrate hand selection, thinking that if they play just good hands, they will win over time. They tend to play few hands, but take them too far, calling far too often when the odds are incorrect. They extended their resources of patience and discipline in waiting to catch a big hand, and on an emotional level, they don’t want to let it go! This emotional response leaks a lot of value.

I was sweating a $30-$60 limit hold’em game. A solid tourist raised to open the pot from two off the button. The button three-bet, and the small blind, a local player and friend of mine, called the three bets with the A Q. The opening raiser called the additional bet.

The two hands that are overplayed the most, and that probably cost average players more money over a lifetime than any other, are A-K and A-Q offsuit. A-Q offsuit is a good hand, but it looks prettier than it plays. And it is often not in great shape when facing a raise and a reraise preflop. How I play A-Q offsuit when it is three bets to me depends on the situation — as does everything! In this case, with the original raiser being in late position and the reraiser being an aggressive player on the button, their range of raising hands had to be wide, which strengthened my friend’s call. Also, his call had a $20 discount, due to the fact that he was in the small blind. In the same spot, I would have called the three bets. But, I wouldn’t have loved my situation, being in the worst position with what might well be the worst hand.

The flop came down 9 8 5. Both the local player and the opener checked to the button, who fired $30. The local player called and the opener check-raised. The button folded, and the local player tossed in $30 more. Part of the problem with playing A-Q for three bets is that it plays very poorly against the premium hands that one often faces in a three-bet situation. If either opponent held A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K, 9-9, or 8-8 in this situation, my friend had a limited number of outs.

Another big money leak in the average player’s game is peeling a turn card with overcards, especially when there is a chance of a raise behind him. Far more often than people think, they are drawing thin to dead. It’s a gambler’s play, hoping the poker gods will bail him out. But the pot was currently laying him more than 14-1, and some threat was worth some risk with the reward being so great. That said, I didn’t like the local player’s spot. He had put in $60, and even if he hit his hand, there were a million ways for him to lose. I wouldn’t have made the first call, but once committed, I would have put the second $30 in.

The turn was the 6. The local player checked, the opener bet, and the local player called. The local player told me later that he put his opponent on 10-10 or J-J, felt he had six outs, was getting just over 8-1 from the pot, and could get value if he hit. But there was nothing in the play of the hand that indicated 10-10 or J-J over other hands that had the local player crushed. What he really meant was that he hoped his opponent had 10-10 or J-J.

Even if he were 100 percent correct about his opponent’s hand range, the price from the pot was marginal, and he totally ignored the fact that his opponent might have him drawing thinner to his holding or even stone dead. While 10-10 and J-J were hands that the opener might have, and the local player would be drawing live, 9-9, 8-8, 5-5, A-9 suited, A-8 suited, and 7-7 also were possible, and would have the local player in significant trouble. Some of those hands were more likely than others, but all had some potential. Had the local player considered his opponent’s full range, he would have computed just how wrong he was in calling.

When reading hands, you must compute your price based on your opponent’s potential range. The local player emotionally wanted to call, and he put his opponent on a limited hand range in order to justify the call. Far too often, I see players who should know better put their opponents on hands that they hope their opponents hold, rather than consider the true range of possibilities.

After watching the local player dog the turn, I almost regurgitated over how he played the river. The 7 hit, putting a straight on the board. The local player fired a bet into the pot. His opponent raised. The local player called, and looked at his opponent’s 10-10, which gave the opener a straight higher than the one on the board.

When there is a straight on the board, heads-up bluffing works only against very tight bet-savers or against players who misread the board. That certainly wasn’t the case here. And you always risk being raised, either by a rebluff or a better hand, so you’re often risking two bets to maybe win half of the pot or maybe lose it outright. Betting gave the local player a no-value winning scenario.

This hand is a good example of how easy it is to get emotionally involved in your hope of winning the pot, which leads to making mental errors. My local friend is a much better player than his play in this hand indicates. Yet, he performed horribly. Having poker knowledge isn’t good enough. Being able to use that knowledge at the moment of decision is what counts. And always remember that it never matters how good a hand you had to start — as you play that hand from where you currently stand.

Longtime poker pro and author Roy Cooke’s Card Player column has appeared since 1992. A successful Las Vegas real estate broker since 1990, his website is www.roycooke.com. Should you wish to inquire regarding real-estate matters — including purchase, sale, or mortgage — his phone number is (702) 396-6575. Roy’s longtime collaborator John Bond’s website is www.johnbondwriting.com. Find John and Roy on Facebook.