No-Limit from Scratch: My First Play

Before I started studying no-limit in depth, I wanted to put in a session to develop some “feel,” thinking it would generate a deeper understanding of my studies. So, I headed to the Venetian to play a little $2-$5.

I’m starting off in smallish games so I don’t get in too much trouble, but I want them to be big enough to face thinking opponents who’ll provide a more suitable learning experience. Of course, I may get more than I bargain for, get in trouble, and find out too much is required for me to win. I’ll soon find out!

Holding the Q Q, under the gun (UTG) plus one, $500 plus deep, I opened for $20 and was called by a deep, solid player two behind me. The button, a novice player, tossed in four chips, the small blind (SB) folded and the big blind (BB) called. We took the flop four-handed for $20 each, $80 in the pot. Both the button and the BB were around $300 deep, so my effective stack size was about $300 against them.

The flop came the 6 5 4, awkward for my two queens. I was only a small favorite over a hand containing a pair and a straight draw, in deep do-do if someone had a set or a straight, a small favorite to someone who had flopped a gutshot and a flush draw or a flush draw and an overcard. Lots of potential hands were in good shape against me. That said, my opponents didn’t have to hold one of them, and holdings like 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, J-J, A-x suited with a pair, naked draws etcetera, were plausible holdings also. Plus, there was $80 in the pot, money worth fighting for, my hand was vulnerable, and a free card could kill me.

The BB checked to me. Feeling I likely had the best hand and letting my limit mentality guide me, I never really thought about checking on such a uniform board. I wanted to make a strong bet, one that would make an opponent think twice about calling with a marginal draw, but not strong enough to force out weaker hands that might call incorrectly. Since I lack the feel of no-limit, I didn’t really know what that number was. I guessed at a three-quarters pot-sized bet, and I added $5 for good measure and bet $65.

The solid player folded, and Mr. Novice-Button called. As he called, he showed his hand to a sweater and made it obvious he was on a draw. Mr. BB check-raised to $165 with $100 left to play. I thought about what Mr. BB might hold and what his tendencies were. He’d taken some beats, was stuck, and a little emotionally affected. But he wasn’t on total tilt. I’d seen him make some aggressive shoves, so he wasn’t a timid guy. Nor was he an unknowledgeable one. I thought he might have a good draw, a set, a straight, two pair or maybe a medium-sized overpair. Did he read Mr. Button the same way as I did and know he was drawing? I assumed so.

I quantified the equation. Mr. BB had only $100 left. So it was only $200 to move him in. Mr. Novice-Button had $255 more, so if I shoved, I’d have a sidepot of $110. Of course, I’m assuming he’d call, confident of my read that he was on a draw. So I’d be getting $200-to-$675 in the main pot and thought I was a favorite over Mr. Novice-Button’s range for the $110, maybe 3-to-2 at best. If I won the pot 30 percent of the time, I’d have an overlay.

This was getting complicated. Was the price right? Did my queens have an overlay against Mr. BB range? I didn’t know. I was unsure of his range and couldn’t assess it. I made my “best guess estimate” and shoved. They both called.

My heart sank when the A turned. Mr. Novice-Button immediately flipped over the J 10. The river blanked, and I never saw what Mr. BB had.

I rethought through the hand. Was my shove correct? I tend to think not. At the decision point I didn’t get inside the check-raiser’s head. But in retrospect, the fact he didn’t shove and left $100 behind when he was in an aggressive frame of mind makes me think he wanted a call. The fact that I had another opponent with a likely draw further reduced my equity and reduced Mr. BB’s propensity to be messing around. And if those thoughts are correct, I was likely in trouble in the hand.

So, what did I learn? What do I need to work on? I know from my limit experience how hand values run “hot and cold.” If you don’t, I suggest you go to the calculator at www.cardplayer.com and run your hands against opponents’ plausible ranges. Using that calculator allows you to calculate multiway also. Over time, you’ll get the feel for the numbers. I’ve developed the conceptual knowledge to quantify poker equations in my last 44 years of play, but I need to get a feel of which hands different types of opponents play in no-limit and how they bet them in what situations. I need to be able to get inside my opponents’ heads, think accurately about how and what they’re thinking. Those issues differ widely from limit hold’em.

In hindsight, I think I should have checked. At the time, I sensed Mr. Novice-Button had hit the flop, suggesting he would likely bet. Playing it in that manner would have allowed me to garner more information about Mr. BB and the solid player’s hand strength. From there I could have made a more informed decision and possibly gotten away from my hand more cheaply. I’m still somewhat in a limit player’s mindset of trying to protect the pot and I’m putting my stack too much at risk trying to do so. The bets are much bigger relative to the size of the pot in no-limit and that increases the importance of making and saving bets and lowers the value of protecting the pot.

I’m OK with myself. I know I’ll make some mistakes as I grow my no-limit game. And, if I study and focus both on and off the table, the “feel” will come. I not sure how difficult the learning curve is going to be. But I’m intent on overcoming it.

Join me in my quest to learn and master no-limit. And let’s not take any prisoners! ♠

Roy Cooke played poker professionally for 16 years prior to becoming a successful Las Vegas Real Estate Broker/Salesman. Should you wish any information about Real Estate matters-including purchase, sale or mortgage his office number is 702-376-1515 or Roy’s e-mail is [email protected]. His website is www.roycooke.com. You can also find him on Facebook or Twitter @RealRoyCooke