Limit Texas Holdem Quiz #24, Question One

[Matt]

You are in middle position with A:hearts:Q:hearts:. The game is moderately loose. An early player limps and you raise. The cutoff and button call, as do the big blind and the early limper. The pot contains 10.5 small bets. The flop comes 6:spades: 10:diamonds: 8:hearts:. Everyone checks to the button who bets. The big blind and early limper call. What do you do?

[Matt]

Call. You have two overcards and a backdoor flush draw, which together count as about 4.5 outs. Because the pot is so large (13.5 small bets), seeing the turn is practically mandatory.

Raising for value is a bad idea because your draws are not that strong. Raising as a semi-bluff is also wrong. Three players have already committed themselves to their hands. You are not going to drive anyone out. It is often correct to play your draws aggressively, but in this case you should be thankful for the 13.5-1 pot odds and just call.

For more on counting outs and playing drawing hands, see Ed Miller's Small Stakes Hold'em, King Yao's Weighing the Odds in Hold'em Poker, and Rolf Slotboom's Hold'em on the Come.