SCENARIO 49
The flop:
You are sitting two seats in front of the blinds with:
As the first poker player to enter the pot, you bring it in for $100. Reckless Rick reraises $100. It's $200 to call. Both blinds fold. You just call for the extra $100, bringing the pot to $435.
You're first to act.
What's Your Move?
Analysis
You have flopped top pair with top kicker and you also have a gutshot straight draw hand. Reckless Rick loves to raise, and there are a lot of hands with which he could raise on this flop. One of them is A-Q, a hand that he is quite capable of reraising with before the flop. But if he's Been paying attention to his opponents, Rick remembers that you have been playing only premium card game and he should give you credit for a big hand.
The Strategy We Suggest
Check to Rick and see what he does. If he bets $200-$300, move in on him. Why fool around? If you just call, you're pot-logged anyway. By going all-in, you shut down the action. You have no more decisions to make. You're leaving the last decision up to Rick. If he has a big poker hand, he'll call. If he doesn't have a hand, you'll win a nice pot. As you get more mileage under your belt, you may want to explore other options on this type of hand, but for now let's keep it simple.
SCENARIO 50
The flop:
You are sitting in the big blind with:
Loose Larry opens in second position for $ 75 and Passive Paul calls on the button. The little blind calls. You just call the extra $50 from the bigs blinds. The pot has $300 in it. The flop comes K-J-10. The small blind checks.
What's Your Move?
Analysis
We have flopped the nuts! Now our biggest decision is, "How can I get the most gaming money into the pot?" We're almost sure that Loose Larry will bet if we check. We know that everybody likes to gambling game with Larry, so they sometimes will call his Bets with weaker hands than they would call anybody else with.
The Strategy We Suggest
This is a good spot to slow-play. We can accomplish this By checking. We check because we're pretty sure that Larry will bet and the other two players will call. If Larry bets $300 or less, and if one or more of the other players comes in, we will raise an amount that is double his Bet understanding (making it $900 if he bets $300, for example). If he makes a large bet of $500-$900 and no one calls, we will smooth call on the flop. Then we will check the turn in the hope that he moves in. If he does not bet on the turn, we will bet into him on the river.
Flop Five
A Low pair with a Suited Card
The flop:
SCENARIO 51
The flop:
You are sitting one seat in front of the but ton with:
Action Al raises to $ 75 from second position. Three poker players glossary fold to you to sitting one seat in front of the button( called the cutoff seat). You smooth call Aln's Bet. Novice Nancy just calls on the button. Both of the blinds fold. With three of you in the pot, $260 is sitting in the middle of the table introduction.
The flop comes 6-6-Q. All bets $2000.
What's Your Move?
Analysis
Action All is capable of raising with lots of different hands. You have flopped the nut flush draw with two overcards. As along as Al doesn't have aces or kings, this is a good flop for your hand determining bet.
The Strategy We Suggest
With the nut flush draw and two overcards, you have a very big hand. Move all in. Action All may give it up and you can winning poker it right on the flop. Or if he calls, you might make the hand that will beat him.
As you gain more poker experience you might try this intermediate strategy: Smooth call hoping to bring Novice Nancy into the pot. By smooth-calling in this spot, you will still have $ 700 left. And if Al doesn't have a big hand, he might check the turn. In that case, you could either make a semi-bluff for $300 to try to win the pot right there, or you could see all the seven card stud for free by also checking.