Anti-Poker

Much of poker is relatively straightforward. Bet or raise with good hands, check or call with mediocre hands, and fold bad hands. Players who do the reverse are playing what I call “anti-poker.” Mike Caro used the term “fancy play syndrome” to describe plays that are unnecessarily tricky. Someone who plays anti-poker might be considered to have a terminal case of fancy play syndrome. They combine consistently checking and calling with their best hands with betting and raising their worst hands. This is a losing strategy. In fact, after your opponents figure out what you are doing, it is a very big losing strategy. There are, however, times when anti-poker actually makes sense.

Let’s examine one of these situations. Everyone is deep stacked in a no-limit hold’em game. It can be either a cash game or early in a tournament. One player limps, and you raise with A-K suited from late position. Both blinds and the limper call. The flop is 9-7-3 rainbow, with one of your suit. It is checked to you, and you elect to continuation bet. You get one caller. The next card is an ace of the fourth suit. The caller checks, and you check behind him. This is anti-poker. You bet the flop with nothing, and then you checked after making a strong hand, top pair with top kicker. What is the rationale for this?

You bet the flop. This is a standard continuation bet. You hope to win the pot. You might have the best hand if all your opponents have assorted broadway cards, like K-J or J-10. You might get a small pair to fold. It will be hard for one of the blinds to call with A-3 or 4-4, especially since there is another player behind them. Now the ace comes. This gives you top pair with the top kicker, yet you check. This protects you against a check-raise from a big hand, like a set of sevens or A-3. You are likely to have the best hand, but your opponent probably doesn’t have many outs, so giving him a free card isn’t too dangerous.

The big advantage to the line you have taken appears on the river. Let’s say it a blank, like a queen or a deuce. Now if your opponent bets, you have an easy call. He might be betting a worse hand for value. Your check on the turn might have induced a bluff. If he does have a big hand, a set or two pair, your check on the turn has saved money and avoided a tough decision. (A strong or tricky opponent might check-raise not only with a big hand, but also as a bluff or semibluff.) If he checks, you can bet the river for value. You likely to get called by a lot of one pair hands that think you are bluffing.

In general, you should avoid playing anti-poker. Here is another example. When you have an ace up in seven-card stud, one of the worst tactics is to flat call with pairs of aces and raise with random hole cards. But as we have seen in this column, there are some situations in which it is appropriate to bet when you are weak and check when you make a strong hand. ♠

Steve ‘Zee’ Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful gamesplayer. He has been a full-time gambler for over 35 years. With 2 WSOP bracelets and few million in tournament cashes, he is easing into retirement. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at some major tournaments and playing in cash games in Vegas. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A in New York City -The Library near Houston and Doc Holliday’s on 9th St. are his favorites.