Pokerwebpages.com → Advanced texas holdem poker
Playing Short-Handed
An individual could have the best of it by always poker betting.
- When you are in the bigs blinds and playing heads-up, what are the two things that you should do ?
- Call quite a bit more than one out of three times.
- Rerasie frequently.
- In a heads-up match in the big blind what hands should you play against an aggressive opponent ?
Any pair, any ace, any two cards that are both nine or higher, any other straight flush combination with no gaps or just one gap (except for 42s and 32s), any king little suited that is not already covered, and perhaps a few others such as J8s, 98, or 97.
- When do you call on the flop ?
Anytime you have something reasonable, as well as with some other poker hands that don’t reasonable.
- Why do you reraise out of the blind when playing short-handed ?
You do it for future hands, not necessarily for that current hand.
- What does this mean if you are against an aggressive player who is going to constantly take advantage of his position ?
You must reraise him more than might seem logical.
- So how often should you reraise in a short-handed game when you defending out of the big blind ?
You should probably reraise about one out of four times that you play.
- Assuming you reraised, what should you be prepared to do on the flop ?
A lot of betting.
- Example ?
If you reraise with J♥T♥ and the flop is 9♥ 4♠ 2♦, you go ahead and bet.
- What happens when it is three-handed and the player on the button raises ?
The combined calling frequency of the blinds should be only a little more than it was for the big blind (when playing heads-up) and the little blind should play about half as often as the big blind.
- On the flop against a very aggressive player who is automatically going to try to steal, what should you do ?
Pretend that the top card isn’t there or turn it into a deuce in your mind.
- Example ?
You have Q♠T♥ and the flop is A♣ 9♦ 4♠. Just change it to 9♦ 4♠ 2♣ and continue to play since you have two “overcards” and a backdoor straight draw.
- Should you be betting every time ?
No, you don’t want to make your poker strategy completely obvious.
- What is another idea that is important in short-handed play ?
To throw in a raise with a hand that seems like it is only worth a call.
- Why do you do this ?
To thwart the strategy of players who are doing a lot of semi-bluffing.
- Example ?
You have Q♠T♥ and the flop is Q♥ 8♦ 5♣. The right play might be to call your opponent’s bet on the flop and then to raise him on fourth street even though your hand only looks like “pay off” hand.
- What if you are against someone who will always bluff on the river if you only call on the turn ?
Then it doesn’t do you any good to raise.
- What if he is a real aggressive poker player and will reraise with many hands ?
Then you are better off just calling.
- When should you just call with some hands if you are first in on the button ?
When the players in the blinds are very loose or at least highly apt to defend their blinds.
- What are three ideal hands to do this with ?
Small pairs, small suited connectors, or a hand like A♣ 6♥.
- What is another reason to just call before the flop ?
You make it more likely that you will steal the pot if they both check on the flop.
- What if you are one off the button ?
You should not usually make this play. Now you fold the A♣ 6♥.
- Why should you frequently lead on the flop ?
It is highly beneficial to be able to bet out and sometimes pick up the pot.
- How do you preserve this highly profitable poker play ?
By not automatically checking to the raiser when you have something.
- Heads-up, what hands does this include ?
A pair (including bottom pair) or a draw.
- Are we saying that you should never check-raise ?
No. If your strategy was to never check-raise, your opponent would begin to realize that when you do check you don’t have anything.
- Do you call as much on fourth street as you do on the flop ?
No, except against the wildest players.
- Does this mean you revert to a tight strategy ?
No, you still have to do a fair amount of calling.
- If you are last to act (on the flop) and are against an extremely aggressive player, what should you do ?
Slowplay some hands that don’t seem to merit this strategy.
- When making this play poker what do you need to keep in mind ?
The lower the hand, the less likely this tricky play is worth it.
- On fifth street, since it often doesn’t take that much to win, what must you do ?
Pay off with a lot of hands.
- What if you are first to act (on fifth street) and you have a mediocre hand ?
It is usually better to try to induce a bluff.
- What happens if your opponents only see you thinking in borderline situations ?
They will have a big advantage.