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The Free Card

When you bet or raise on an early round in order to get checked to on the next round, you are not actually getting a free distribution card. In reality, you are getting a card cheaply.

If everything works, it appears as though you are Getting a Free Card, but that “free” card cost you a bet on the previous round.

If things do not work as hoped, The Fere Card you are trying to get may become quite hoped, The Free Card you are trying to get may become quite expensive. (Your opponent might reraise and then bet into you on fourth street.)

However, there are many situations where trying for a cheap card is beneficial. (And from this point on we will refer to it as free since it is standard poker jargon.)

Since Getting a Free Card is often advantageous when your hand is weak, it should be obvious that when you have a legitimate hand, it is usually to your disadvantage to give any free cards. specifically, you should bet most of your legitimate hands to give your opponent a chance to drop.

This includes holdings like four-flushes or open-end straight draws with two flush cards on board as long as there are two cards to come, unless you feel that there is a good chance that you will be raised. It is true that you may make your straight and run into a flush.

But remember that it is often correct to bet on the flop with a small pair and an overcard, a hand that has only five cards that will improve it. Even if a flush draw is out, you still have six cards that will make your straight draw a winning hand, and many times that winning hand, and many times that winning hand will be the “nuts.”

(Of course six outs against an opponent’s flush draw is not as good as five outs against a non-flush draw since you can catch and still lose.)

You also usually should bet top pair or an overpair on the flop, as long as your hand figures to be the best hand. The exceptions are when there is a lot of raising before the flop (indicating that you may not have the best hand), and those times when you have decided to check-raise. (These topics are discussed in more detail later in the text.)

Specifically, resist the inclination to check to the before-the-flop-raiser. Checking and calling is rarely a correct strategy in holdem, yet this is precisely the way that many weak opponents will play.

However, there are three situations where checking and calling may be correct. The first occurs when you are slow playing. The second situation is when you are fairly sure that your opponent has a better hand and will not fold if you bet, but the pot odds justify your calling in the hope that either you have the best hand or you may outdraw your opponent.

The third situation is when you are against a habitual bluffer. Now, even though you risk giving a free card, checking and calling is probably the best strategy to follow.

Another interesting concept is that even when you are a big favorite and want callers, but you think everyone will fold if you bet, giving a free card still may be incorrect.

In this case, the next card might be miracle free card for someone else, but not likely to make anyone a second-best hand. An obvious example of this can be seen when you flop a small flush.

A check could give someone else a higher flush, and that person would not have called your bet. Specifically, suppose you hold and three spades flop.

If you bet, someone with 8♠, 9♠, T♠, or J♠ most likely will throw his hand away. If you check and a fourth spade comes, you may have cost yourself the pot. These examples illustrate the general principle of free cards.

That is, if you check and allow someone who would not have called your bet to outdraw you, then you have allowed a “mathematical catastrophe” to happen.

It is also a catastrophe to give a free card to someone who would have called your bet, and he fails to outdraw you. However, this second mathematical catastrophe is not as bad as the first. It can also be beneficial to give this free card if it makes someone misplay their hand.

There are four other basic holdem situations where it is correct to check on the flop. The first is when you are sure that you do not have the best hand and especially sure that you will be called if you bet.

This frequently will occur when you have several opponents and the board flops either three cards that rank close to each other or two suited cards. For instance, suppose you have you are against several opponents, and the flop is It is usually wrong to bet.

There is little chance that everyone will fold, and you have almost no chance of improving to the best hand. The second situation where it is generally correct to check is when you think it is likely that someone behind you will bet.

This often occurs when you are in a two or three-person pot and were raised by an aggressive opponent before the flop. Some of these players automatically will bet on the flop when you check to them, no matter which cards have come.

When this is the case and you have flopped a strong hand, almost always go for a check-raise. In fact, with a non-threatening flop, you sometimes should check-raise and then bet again on fourth street even when you have nothing. (However, don’t get carried away with this play. Make it only occasionally.)

The third situation where it is correct to check is with a hand that should be slowplayed. But we want to add that one of the deciding factors as to whether to slowplay is not just the strength of your hand but also the chance that the next card will make someone else a second best hand.

Finally, when you have flopped top pair, either aces or kings, and you have a weak kicker it might be right to check and call. Notice that if you don’t have the best hand, you save money by not having to call any raise.

Also notice (and this is extremely important ) that few free cards can hurt you. Specifically, when you have aces and, to a lesser degree, kings, you are not worried about overcards beating you.

But suppose you have flopped top pair, not aces or kings, and you have a weak kicker. (This usually happens when you get a “free” play in the big blind.) How should this hand be played?

The answer is somewhat complex. Against a small number of opponents, you should bet so you are not giving a free card that could easily beat you.

Against a large number of opponents, you should check and perhaps fold especially if it is bet in early position and you have poker players behind you yet to act.

This is because with several players still to act, it is unlikely that the bettor would bet a hand that you could beat. (The pot is said to be “protected.”) Few players will bluff in this spot. Though your opponent may be betting a draw, the combination of factors should deter you from calling, unless the pot is offering very good odds.

But it the bet comes from a late-position player after you have checked to a large number of opponents, you should raise. Even though you don’t always hold the best hand, there is a good chance that you do, and by getting the pot heads-up, you will maximize your chance of winning.

Here’s an example. Suppose the flop is No one raised before the flop, many players are in the pot, and you are in the blind with a queen and a weak kicker.

You should check, and if a late-position player bets, you should raise (regardless of your kicker.) the competition to a small number of players, most likely just you and the bettor, and since he bet after all or most likely just you and the bettor, and since he bet after all or most of the other players checked there is a good chance that you have the best hand.

However, you must be cautions if you have top poker pair (with a weak kicker) that is below queens. This is especially true against tough players for a little-known reason that normally is considered only by experts.