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Thus,can become a fair or even a good poker hand if the right cards are gone and can be only a good, or possibly fair hand if the wrong cards are gone.
This concept cannot be over-emphasized. I have frequently had a 7 showing and a put in the last raise even though I was quite sure I was up against three-card sixes or three-card bikes.
Likewise, I have occasionally thrown three-card sixes when many of my needed cards were showing. (Especially for a “cold” double raise.)
It is now time to discuss specifically how you should play various hands in general on third poker street in a normal eight-handed razz game.
I’m going to assume that you are not playing against total idiots who play high cards showing. It is true that poker games like this are not that rare.
However, when you do find a game like this, any type of solid play is going to get the money and since most of my readers are good poker players to start with, I don’t think it is necessary to discuss how to play in a game with maniacs.
Thus, whenever we speak about how many players are behind you, I’m speaking about how many low cards, since I’m assuming that high cards will automatically fold.
How should we play if the high card is to our immediate right and we are next with a three-card hand? At this point the play will diverge depending on whether it is the $15–$30 game or the $30–$60 game.
If you remember, I mentioned in the $30–$60 game it is correct for a player to limp in last position, if he knows he can win the flop and then win the pot, simply because he is getting 6-to-1 odds.
Well, the fundamental theorem of poker tells us that we can’t allow our opponent to make the right play.
This would indicate that as long as no one else has yet called, especially in the $30–$60 game, it is almost never correct to limp in with any playable hand.
Thus, with rare exceptions, if the high cards is to your right, you should raise with all playable hands to avoid allowing bad hands to correctly limp in since they are getting 6-to-1 odds.
One possible exception is with an extremely good hand which would be something like a bike draw with the right cards out.
If you do, in fact, limp in with this hand and somebody calls you who you suspect is weak you must be prepared to call again on fourth poker street.
Another reason to limp in with very good hands right under the gun in a $30–$60 game is that you suspect someone else will raise and you can get an opportunity to reraise.
In the $15–$30 game, however, where anybody who limps in behind you is only getting 3.6-to-1, (18-to-5) it can be much more reasonable to limp in with a good hand.
One other reason to limp in with a good hand is to set up situations that allow you to play marginal hands. If you never limp in with a good hand you would be setting yourself up for a raise those times when you would like to be able to see fourth street for a single bring-in bet.