Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker, Volume 1 (33 page)

If everyone checks to the raiser and he bets, you should strongly consider folding because you have to worry about the two blinds behind you.

Even though you are on the button, two players can still act after you. If you had better relative position you could consider sticking around in the hand, but folding is probably your best option in this spot. You could consider calling, which would not be too bad. The problem is that one of the blinds could call, which would put you in a tough spot on the turn, or even if the blinds folded, you would still have to worry that the initial raiser could have a king or better. All in all, not much good can come from this situation.

In multi-way pots, weaker players usually don’t get out of line, whereas the more creative, aggressive players will try to make plays from time to time, usually by continuation-betting a wide range, as they normally would in heads-up pots. Actively try to figure out everyone’s range in these situations and you will do well. Just don’t get carried away with making overly fancy plays yourself.

  Chapter 7

Playing the Turn

Once you get to the turn, you should hopefully have a decent idea of where your opponent stands while giving him scant information about your hand. If you make a point to play in position, by the time you get to the turn you should have determined if you can get your opponent to fold, or if he plans on going all the way. The turn is where you will make a lot of your profit, and it is where most players make some of their largest blunders. In this chapter I will help you navigate this tough street.

Bet When they Check

If your opponent checks to you on the turn, you should usually bet if you don’t have decent showdown value, like with a weak top pair or strong middle pair. This looks very generic, but in general, it is tough to go wrong by betting when you have a monster hand. Firing two barrels as a bluff is also a great strategy, as most opponents will be calling with weak holdings if you continuation-bet as much as I suggest. Betting the turn is usually a great thing, as long as you have a plan for the situation when your opponent sticks around.

Suppose you raise 10-10 from middle position and the big blind calls. The flop comes A-10-2. If your opponent checks to you, make a normal continuation bet. This is not a spot to slow-play, as your opponent could have a strong hand, such as an ace, you are susceptible to losing to draws like K-Q, K-J, and Q-J, and if your opponent has a hand like Q-J and catches a queen or jack, he is unlikely to pay you off well. So, you make a normal bet. If your opponent calls, bet the turn every time, as he probably holds an ace. In this situation you can take a 10 out of his range because you have two of them and one is on the board. You needn’t fear a king, queen or jack on the turn because most opponents will fold gutshots with no overcards to your flop bet. If the turn is a king, queen or jack and your opponent check-raises, you should usually call, and call again on most rivers. If he did hit a gutshot, you simply got unlucky. You are betting this turn primarily because your opponent’s range is made up mostly of aces and he will usually go into call-down mode, gaining you a lot of chips.

Tend to bet most turns with Q-J instead of 10-10 on this board, as your opponent could have called the flop with just a 10. If you get lucky and river a king, you will win a lot of chips. Your opponent will have a decent hand if he calls on the flop and turn, and will pay off a large river bet. Occasionally he will be stubborn and show up with a 10. In these cases a queen or jack could bail you out, too. In general, bet your hand like you have the nuts even if you don’t. Some opponents may be tight enough to fold an ace to continued aggression.

One other prime spot to bet the turn is when your opponent was the pre-flop aggressor, made a continuation bet, was called and now checks the turn. If he raises before the flop and you call with J
-10
on the button, you should tend to call or raise his flop bet on an 8-7-6 board. If you just call his flop bet, you should usually bet if he checks to you on the turn unless it’s an ace, king or queen, as he is most likely giving up. Be quick to hit the brakes if he calls your turn bet, because he probably assumes you have a draw, in which case he will usually call the river. Unless your opponent is known for pot-control or tricky play, you should bet the turn and try to take down the pot any time he was the aggressor and then checks, especially if you have no showdown value.

The last situation where you should look to fire a second barrel is when the turn drastically changes the board. Say you raise with K
-10
and your opponent calls in the small blind. The flop comes Q
-8
-3
. Your opponent checks, you bet, and he calls. Bet again if the turn is an ace or king. It is rather interesting because when the king comes, you are hoping your opponent will put you on a bluff and when an ace comes, you are hoping he put you on an ace. Either way, this is a good way to balance.

Fire either turn because both drastically change the board. If your opponent had a queen, he no longer has top pair. Middle pairs also shrink up. If you have 5-4 instead of K-10, you should still fire the turn if an ace or king comes, hoping your opponent will fold.

When a flush or straight card comes, fire whether you have air or actually hit the straight or flush. Suppose you raise with Q
-J
and the board comes 5
-4
-2
. If you bet the flop and your opponent calls, you should bet every time you hit the flush on the turn and usually when you miss, as the board will change either way. Notice that top pair on the flop will rarely be top pair on the turn. Also, you always have some equity in the hand because you have the flush draw and overcards. If instead of Q
-J
you have Q
-J
, you should still bet most turns, again, because the board will drastically change.