Checking and Calling - and a Disguised Picture

Hi. Come on in. I've ordered baked ziti with ricotta cheese. We'll be too stuffed to play poker, but never too full to lie around and discuss our beloved game.

A fellow recently wrote to me from a small town on the Ohio River, saying a poker-playing friend told him that checking and calling is not a winning way to play poker. The problem is that his friend didn't know why this is true.

A "poker truth" is that checking and calling is a passive, therefore weak, approach to the game of poker. There are several reasons for this, one being that you might win the pot immediately with a moderate hand if you bet and your opponent doesn't call. Also, when you bet, it forces your opponent to make a decision, which gives him an opportunity to make a mistake. And by betting, you put him into the "calling position" and you into the position of controlling the game.

Those are good reasons, but there are more. If a scare card shows up on the next round, your bet there will most likely cause an opponent who has not significantly improved to fold. An added bonus, even when you occasionally run into a trap hand and are beaten, is that you get the advertising value of the other players noticing that you don't always have the nuts when you bet, and they will be more willing to give you action when you are holding big hands.

And then there's protection. If you have a strong third-street stud hand, like a big pair that goes down in value against many opponents, your bet will discourage some of them, will narrow the field, and will lessen the chances of your being outdrawn. That's all good for your bankroll.

So, what have we learned while sitting here in the dark corner of your poker mind? Never check and call? Incorrect! If you were holding an early monster hand against an aggressive opponent whom you have credited with having a moderate hand, you'd want him to "take charge" of the betting.

Let's take an example from seven-card stud. Your 5 is the lowest card showing on third street. You put in the forced bet and are called by only one player. The fun part of this example is – when you look at your downcards, you find two more fives. Oh, great, three fives. On fourth street, you catch another 5!

"Drat! Only one customer and I'm loaded with four fives," you think to yourself. You don't want to run him off. Having been the low card, your most probable hand in the mind of your opponent is just the two fives you are showing. You check. Your check inspires his bet, with the hope of grabbing the pot. You, with a clumsy move, call his bet. And so it goes to seventh street, where your check becomes, to his dismay, a check-raise.

Change of subject: "You don't look like your picture." That's one of the first things people say when they learn I'm the guy in Card Player. They're right, I don't. The reason? I don't want to be recognized. Quite often, when players recognize they are playing with a Card Player poker writer, they begin to play differently. That, I do not want.

Some players hesitate playing against me because they think I must be some kind of superplayer. Incorrect. Others will tend to "come after me," attempting to prove I'm not< a superplayer. They might as well save their energy. I do hereby freely admit to being just another average low- and medium-limit poker-playing slob who is taking up space at the table. Fortunately, I've been able to devise strategies to use against players who play me differently just because of who I am, and not because of the game situation.

Someday I might move up and play with the "big kids." Meanwhile, I'll be seeing you around the low- and medium-limit games (but I hope you don't see me).

Quick note: If you are a conservative player (a rock), dress in dull colors and be cleanshaven. You don't want anything about yourself to be noticed. "The bearded guy in the red and yellow shirt folded his starting cards again. Is he ever going to play a hand? When he's in, I'm out." Dress dull.

As predicted, I'm stuffed with baked ziti and require repose. Take a baggy full of it with you and kill the light on your way out.

Editor's note: Roy West, author of the bestseller, 7 Card Stud, the Complete Course in Winning (available from Card Player), continues to give his successful poker lessons in Las Vegas to both tourists and locals. Ladies are welcome. Call 1-800-548-6177 Ext. 03.