Poker News

Richard Burke

Fred spotted me when I came into the card room on a lovely afternoon in late spring, and hustled over to tell me what had just happened. In the cutoff position of a ten-handed $4-8 Hold’Em game, Fred had raised with [Qh]-[Jc]. The Button and both Blinds folded. A new-to-Fred player in the #3 seat was the only caller. The Three checked the [5s]-[5h]-[9c] Flop. Fred bet and was called. Fred made Jacks-Up when the dealer turned the [Jd], for a [5s]-[5h]- [9c]-[Jd] tableau. The Three checked; Fred bet; the Three raised; Fred called. The River was the [Jh]. The Three came out betting. Holding Jacks-Full-of- Fives, Fred raised, was called, and won the $90 pot. Fred told me the Three said, “Nice hand,” and called for another rack.

I shook my head and asked, “Were you thinking at all when you called his check-raise?” Fred got a little miffed at my hinting that his play had been lacking. I asked if he had successfully convinced his opponent that he had A-K or a big pocket Pair. Fred thought so. Then I asked Fred what the Three represented with his check-raise. Fred thought for a little and said, “My opponent probably had Trip Fives, Fives-Full, or Nines-Full.” Even against only Trip Fives, Fred was drawing mighty slim, because all he had at the Turn was Two Pairs and 2 outs. With pot odds of $74 for $8 at best, about $9 for $1, and cards odds of 1 for 22.5 at best, then because the pot odds were much smaller than the cards odds, calling that raise was a big mistake.

I told Fred that it was a common mistake among all card players to react, instead of pausing and thinking it through. Card players are very competitive and they get caught up in the competition, raising or re-raising when they should fold instead. When your opponent bets into you after you’ve represented a big hand, then she probably has something nice.

Craftily, the Three had waited until the bets doubled to check-raise Fred. I asked Fred if the Three was crafty enough to check-raise him without a hand. Fred asked what I meant. “Look at it from his point of view,” I said, “If he had put you on A-K for your pre-Flop raise, then the Flop didn’t help you and the Turn card didn’t either. Suppose the Three had a hand like Ad-9d. By check-raising on the Turn, he’d be trying to convince you that he had been trapping with at least Trip Fives. He’d be betting that you were a good enough player to lay down your hand when he check-raised.” Fred hadn’t thought of that either. I told Fred that was a play that a tough player or an expert would make, because even if Fred had called his checkraise, he still would have had some outs.

I told Fred the next time he was check-raised to stop and think. Unless your opponent is a beginner, a fool, or a maniac, then she likely has the better hand and you need to ensure that your pot odds are favorable before you call. If a tough player or an expert check-raises you, then you also should be alert for a bluff or a semi-bluff. Smiling broadly, Fred said, “I’d ratherbe lucky than good.” I replied that he had certainly gotten his ‘druthers’ on that hand.

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