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Note that had the flop come your considerations would be slightly different.
You might now give more thought to poker betting out on the flop, as you cannot easily be called by overcards. In many games it is also now less likely that anyone holds top pair.
The concepts
Central to this play is having a late position bettor who will bet all sort of hands less than top pair. (*It is important that the other players not be fully aware of this propensity of his, or your play could backfire). Note that even if he has the same pair you do, but with a better kicker, he may fold (probably on fourth street) in response to the strength you’ve shown with your check-raise. It is your check-raise which gives you the leverage to drive out the other players. Most rational players will fold for two bets with anything less than top pair with a good kicker or a solid draw. Better players will often fold top pair.
Of course, you sometimes run into a good hand and have to fold. But if you never make this play you are giving up a bit of profit. It is crucial to realize that while the leverage of the check-raise in powering out potentially better poker hands may be dramatic, this play’s essence is really the recognition that your hand has greater value, relative to the other hands in play, than you could have.
This is because they may be checking better hands than yours behind you. Assumed just moments before. For the less than expert player, if this recognition comes at all, it will often be in the form of a sudden realization during the hand. You are more likely to have such realization if you nurture the flexibly quick thinking mentioned at the beginning of this article. Doing this begins with your study of poker theory and thinking about hands away from the table. Add to that the practice of focusing intensely on the dynamics of hands as they play out, striving to identify the most important variables of play, and to apply theory to the real life play situations you observe.
Then, with experience and study, this and other situations will become familiar to you. You will actually anticipate them before they arise. Still, no matter how much you commit to memory, the ability to make rapid shifts in your thinking, remaining open to the possibility of changes in relative hand strength, is a valuable skill to hone as you advance in poker. It will enable you to spot additional, less frequently occurring, hidden opportunities for profit as you play. It is thus one of the marks of the expert.
Conclusion and Caution
Think about the example I have provided, not just as a trick to add to your arsenal, but as it illustrates the importance of being aware of the relative nature of hand values. Consider also the value of being ready to adjust your thinking about a hand as the unfolding action provides you with new information. Use this play, as well, to stimulate further thinking about positional tactics. Then you will move beyond playing by rote, into applying a deeper understanding of poker to your day to day play. Bear in mind that this sort of play requires good judgment. As I mentioned, an awareness of the utility of this tactic could prove dangerous for the player lacking such judgment, or sufficient discipline. There are lots of semi-skilled, losing players who know this and all sorts of other similar plays.
One reason they lose is because they apply them constantly and indiscriminately. They generally play too fast. Don’t get carried away making a move like this every time you have a pair in an early position and the last person bets. Even the best players misread this situation sometimes. When they do they run into big hands, or get trapped for a couple of bets more than they should. However, their judgment generally allows them to stay out of trouble and lose less than others would when they guess wrong. So make this play only when it is clear the circumstances are right. Indiscriminate application of ideas like this one will prove costly. Prudent, selective application, on the other hand, can be one profitable way not to fold.
The Strategic Moment in Holdem / One Way Not to Fold /
Beating the Berserko: Preflop Against a Maniac /
On Into the Storm: Playing the maniac After the Flop
One Reason to Reraise a Maniac / A Simple Read / Countering a Good Reader
Thinking About What They’re Thinking / Out On the Edge
Considerations in Two Blind Stealing Defense situations
Easing the Transition to the middle Limits: Part I
Easing the Transition to the middle Limits: Part II / Multiple Changing Images