Some Problem Hands

In my last column, I described what it is like to be a poker coach. In this follow-up column, we will take a look at some of the problems I have been given by my clients. Since most of them are limit hold'em players (and you probably are, also), I will present problems only of that poker form. Some of the problems are edited for clarity, but the actual hand and actions taken have not been altered. The questions are in quotes, my answers are in italics, and further comments by me to expand on my replies are in regular print.

1. "I have the K 10 in the big blind. A middle-position player limps in, the button raises, and the small blind calls. Is this a break-even call?" It is a clear call. "I have heard that out-of-position mathematically break-even calls should be avoided, because if you do not call, your tight and winning image is enhanced." That's a big crock. The other half says call here to look like a gambler. I say do the right thing and forget about image-tailoring. Every time you make a play for the purpose of polishing your image (regardless of the direction), it costs you money. You did something that was less than optimum in the given situation in order to lay the groundwork for a future gain. The question is whether you are going to recoup what you spent. I prefer to live in the present and let the future take care of itself. But don't misunderstand me, a poker player should always be aware of the image he is projecting at any point, even if he has done nothing active to acquire it.

2. "It's a $3-$6 game. I'm in middle position with the J J. There are three limpers to me. I limp, and everyone behind me folds. The big blind checks. There are five players and five small bets. The flop comes A 9 8. All four opponents check to me. I bet, the big blind folds, and the other three call. The turn is the K. There are four players and four and a half big bets. All three opponents check to me. A good professional player once said something like, 'On the turn, if you fear a check-raise and have a hand that can improve, check.' So, I did. The river brought the 4. One of the preflop limpers bet, and I folded. Was my flop bet correct, and should I have bet the turn or called the river?"

This is a very interesting hand.

First, I prefer to raise a bunch of limpers when I have two jacks (I do not raise a crowd when I have two tens). Yes, I know a big pot has been created, and people will stick it out longer, but at some point you should view a pair as enough hand with which to raise a large field. My point is "jacks or better."

Second, when people check to me and I can beat anything except top pair, I usually bet. But this hand may be an exception, because that 9-8 combination means I will get played with in several places. If the 8 were a 4, I think it is an error to check when last. Here, it is a close decision, and either a bet or a check looks reasonable to me.

On the turn, the king is a bad card and you should check – not because you get a free card and hope to improve (hitting a jack is only two outs, and may well cost you the pot rather than win it for you), but because you think there is a very strong chance you have a loser.

On the end, there is only a tiny chance your hand is good, but you are getting a big price, so once again it is a close decision. It would help to know something about the player who bet.

Here is something else worth mentioning. When you have a situation in which there is an overcard to your pocket pair, the rank of your pair greatly affects your decision. Specifically, it determines how afraid you are of a drawout from an overcard. If the player's hand had been two kings (instead of two jacks), he would have had less to fear in giving a free card. When you have second pair, there is less danger in checking when there are no overcards that can come. That is why betting J-J into four players comes under consideration even with that ugly ace on the board. If you are in front, you need to protect your very vulnerable hand.

3. "I had K-K and raised from mid-late position. The blind and two limpers called. We saw the flop fourhanded, with me last to act. The flop was 9-6-6 two-tone. It was checked to me and I bet. The blind check-raised, and I called. The turn was a blank. He bet, and I folded. He was a tough player with whom I hadn't played much. But, he was tricky and a bit too loose preflop, I think. I had a strong feeling he had a 6. Do you think I should have called him down, popped him back, or dumped it like I did?"

Aggressive players will check-raise on a draw, so I would have called the guy down. He also might play this way with a pocket pair, hoping to catch you with A-K.

I am not happy to be check-raised with an open pair on the board when I have two pair, even kings up, but hold'em seldom gives our hand a perfectly smooth trip. There are too many legitimate hands my opponent can hold that I can beat, such as the nut-flush draw or a pair of tens, so I am not going to throw in the towel. Besides, maybe a miracle king will come on the turn or the river.

4. Not all questions put to me are taken from actual problems. Here is a general question: "Is it justified to push on the flop with a little bit the worst of it so that you will be paid off in future hands, or will you thin the field, possibly benefiting your opponent more than you? Examples: (a) You have K-J and a reasonable player under the gun bets a king-high flop. (b) There are small cards on the flop, the big blind bets against a big field, and you have a pair of nines."

You should raise to confront the field with a double bet in both cases, even though you are uncertain if your hand is good. Say to yourself, "Will investing an extra bet increase my winning chances by a reasonable amount?" Here, the answer is a clear yes.

These hands should give you an idea of what it is like to work with a poker coach. I would also like to mention that I select hands for my column that involve difficult decisions. Then, I present my opinion. With problems as tough as these, reasonable players may disagree. So, please don't e-mail me to explain why you do not agree with my answer; I am only presenting my viewpoint. You would not enjoy reading problems for which the right answer is obvious.

Editor's note: Bob Ciaffone's latest book, Middle Limit Holdem Poker, co-authored with Jim Brier, is available now (332 pages, $25 plus $6 shipping and handling). This work and his other poker books, Pot-limit and No-limit Poker, Improve Your Poker, and Omaha Holdem Poker, can be ordered through Card Player. Ciaffone is available for poker lessons. E-mail [email protected] or call (989) 792-0884. His website is www.diamondcs.net/~thecoach, where you can download Robert's Rules of Poker for free.