Limit Texas Holdem Hand Quiz #2

[Matt]

You are in late-middle position in a ten-handed game full of loose players. You hold A:spades:6:spades:. Three players limp ahead of you. You call. The button and cutoff fold. The small blind completes. The big blind checks. The pot contains six small bets. The flop comes A:clubs: 4:spades: 7:spades:. The small and big blind check. The first limper bets. The second limper raises. The third limper calls. What do you do?

[Nima]

I would call on the flop and raise on the turn.

Because a raise is not going to get anyone to fold on the flop if thats is the goal which shouldnt be (the A6s hand here is very strong). Flush draw, backdoor straight draw and a two pair draw.

To build a big pot you should only call on the flop and raise on the turn.

if you re-raise on the flop, once you get to the turn everyone will probably check to you and you raise and get a call from couple of them

But if you just make a fishy call on the flop, on the turn the same raiser will raise again and you get to re-raise 3 people and get them to call two or three big bets instead of one small bet on the flop.

Then you can check the river if you dont hit any of the 15 outs. (9 flush outs, 2 for the backdoor straight and 3 for the 6 and 1 for another ace - as another ace might not give the best hand).

Lets count:

Outs: 15
Playing it the above way you are getting 6*SB + 10*SB(on the flop, assuming the limpers and one of the blinds call the two raise) + 8*BB (on the turn assuming one person raises, and you re-raise) + 4*BB if you hit the flush = 20*BB

You will be winning 20BB if you hit the flush or any of the other hands. You are commiting 4.5 BB(Big Bets) to win 20. That is 5 times your money.

On the flop you are getting 15/47 (15 outs , out of the 47 remaining cards) which is 1 to 3 (approximately) so the ods are with you. Try to extract the most out of your opponents following the play on top.


Cheers,
Nima

[Matt]

Reraise. This is a very strong hand that will improve over 50% of the time with two cards to come. It's possible that you can improve and not have the best hand. For example, if you catch a third Ace, someone with a bigger kicker will have you beat. Still, you shouldn't completely discount your non-nut outs. Count them as about half an out each. All together, the two Aces and three Sixes are worth about 2.5 outs. You also have a backdoor straight draw; although it's unlikely, you might even backdoor a straight flush. This draw is worth about 1.5 outs. Of course, you also have as many as nine cards that will give you the nut flush. (Some of your outs may be dead if another opponent is drawing to a flush.) Let’s say your hand has the equivalent of 12 outs.

Although your hand is strong, it's important to raise on the cheap street. You have a 45% chance of hitting a 12-outer with two cards to come. With one card to come, your chances drop to about 26%. By raising on the flop, you not only get more money in the pot but you can also take a free card if you do not improve on the turn (most players will check to you on fourth street if you three-bet the flop).

Here is another reason to raise the flop: You won't get as much action on the turn if a third spade falls. One of your opponents may also be on a flush draw, but those who are not will probably fold to a turn raise. However, if you raise on the flop, the pot will be so large on the turn that opponents might see the river even if they are drawing slim or dead.

The ability to count outs and properly evaluate the strength of your draws is an essential skill. For more discussion of these concepts, see Ed Miller's Small Stakes Hold'em and King Yao's Weighing the Odds in Hold'em Poker. Another book that deals with these subjects is Hold'em On the Come by Rolf Slotboom and Dew Mason--I have not yet had a chance to read this book, but I have heard that it is quite good. No-Limit players should consult the chapter on "Pot Odds and Hand Analysis" in Harrington on Hold'em: Volume I. If you're interested in the mathematics behind backdoor draws, see Poker, Gaming, and Life by David Sklansky. Yao also discusses the value of backdoor draws in great detail.