Doyle Brunson's Super System 2 - A Course in Power Poker PDF

1
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreward
Preface
Introduction
My Story
The History of No Limit
Online Poker
Eclusi!e Su"er#System $
S"eciali%e or learn
Limit Hold&em Poker
Omaha Ei'ht or (etter
Se!en )ard Stud Hi'h Low
Pot Limit Omaha Hi'h
Tri"le *raw Poker
Tournament O!er!iew
No Limit Hold&em
+orld Poker Tour
Poker ,lossary
P-,E
.
/
0
1$
.1
2/
//
131
1.3
1/2
$$.
$/$
$4/
..1
../
2.3
$21
$
FO5E+O5*
6y -!ery )ardo%a
Su"er#System $ 'athers to'ether the 'reatest "oker "layers and theoreticians
today7 This 6ook is not meant to re"lace the ori'inal Su"er#System8 6ut to 6e
an etension of that 'reat work8 with more 'ames8 new authors8 and most
im"ortantly8 more "rofessional secrets from the 6est in the 6usiness7 *oyle9s
e"ert colla6orators ha!e won millions u"on millions of dollars in cash
'ames:that9s each one of them7 ;ou9ll 6e learnin' e"ert strate'ies from a
"ool of talent that includes three world cham"ions:*oyle (runson8 (o66y
(aldwin8 and <ohnny )han =*oyle and <ohnny 6ein' two>time consecuti!e
winners?7 -dd to that an all>star team of contri6utors with so many +orld
Series of Poker 6racelets amon' them8 you could fill a 6ucket with their 'old7
-nd8 for 'ood measure8 throw in Mike )aro8 a world>class "layer who is the
leadin' "oker researcher8 theoretician and instructor7 These are the su"erstars
of the 'ame7
+ith the com"letion of Su"er#System $8 *oyle has created two "owerful
works that e!ery serious "oker "layer sim"ly must own7 This makes the two>
!olume set of Su"er#System a full li6rary of the 6est "layin' ad!ice8
strate'ies and "rofessional conce"ts e!er "ut into "rint7 Own 6oth these
6ooks8 and you9ll ha!e the com"lete master"iece of "oker7
It is im"ossi6le to o!erstate the im"ortance of *oyle9s accom"lishments and
the tremendous im"act he has had:and still has:on the 'ame7 He is the
@(a6e 5uth of Poker8A a li!in' le'end who has 6een at this 'ame for fifty
years and still "lays in the hi'hest limit "oker 'ames in the world7 -lon' the
way he won 6ack>to>6ack world cham"ionshi"s in 141/ and 1411 and a total
of nine +SOP 'old 6racelets8 tied for the most e!er at the time of this
writin'7 I9d 6et he9s won more money "layin' "oker than any man who has
e!er li!ed7
-lon' with )randell -ddin'ton and a few other early "layers8 *oyle
introduced Teas hold9em to Ne!ada8 an e!ent that has had "rofound
im"lications on the world of "oker7 In fact8 the wides"read "o"ularity that
tele!ised no>limit hold9em enBoys today would ne!er had occurred if not for
.
these men7 )randell will tell you more a6out this e!ent and its ramifications
in his cha"ter on the e!olution of hold9em7 +hen the History )hannel did a
s"ecial on the history of "oker8 the "roducer8 sli'htly em6arrassed8 told me
that the "ro'ram had turned into the *oyle (runson hour:e!ery "layer
inter!iewed "aid homa'e to the man that is "oker8 *oyle (runson7 The
ori'inal Su"er#System8 "u6lished in 14108 is the sin'le most influential "oker
6ook e!er written7 (ack then8 the ori'inal "rice of C133 was a lot of money
for a 6ook8 6ut this was no ordinary 6ookD this was the 6i6le of "oker7
Su"er#System was a steal at that "rice7 The same holds true today7 -nd why
notE This 6ook chan'ed the way "layers looked at that 'ame and8 for the first
time8 'a!e away secrets that 6rou'ht readers to a new le!el of e"ertise7 The
master of "oker had s"oken8 and the 'ame would ne!er 6e the same7
I had always admired this 6ook and throu'h my friendshi" and association
with Mike )aro8 the @Mad ,enius of Poker8A *oyle and I 'ot to'ether7 +e
made a deal to 'et Su"er#System out to the mainstream 6ookstores as a
"a"er6ack for the !ery first time8 and "eo"le who had ne!er 6een e"osed to
this 'reat work Bust went 'a'a o!er this 6onan%a of "oker riches7 *id they
e!erF Su"er#System hit G1 worldwide on -ma%on8 ahead of the Harry Potter
6ooks and 6est>sellin' authors like Ste!en Hin' and <ohn ,risham7 E!en as I
write this8 Su"er#System holds steady in the to" 133 of all titles:usually in
the to" 237 Pretty heady stuff7 In the 6ookstores themsel!es8 Su"er#System
sales ecli"sed those of all other titles in the 'amin' cate'ory7
*oyle Bust kee"s 'oin'7 He9s somewhat "ast the a'e where the 'o!ernment
kind of su''ests you collect your "aychecks and retire8 6ut the com"etiti!e
fire that has "owered his entire career still 6urns fiercely7 So what does the
le'end doE In late -u'ust $3328 at the (icycle )lu68 *oyle "lays a'ainst the
lar'est field e!er to "lay a +orld Poker Tour e!ent to date://1 "layers7
-nd he wins it all7 -'ain7 He takes home more than a million dollars cash7
The le'end 'rows7 -nd the accolades and accom"lishments kee" comin':a
+orld Poker Tour e!ent named after him8 a "oker>"layin' we6site that 6ears
his name8 an auto6io'ra"hy due in s"rin' $33I8 a mo!ie 6ased on his life that
may see the 6i' screen one day soon7 -nd on and on7
I9!e had the honor of 'ettin' to know *oyle away from the ta6les and ha!e
2
always enBoyed his com"any7 He9s 'racious8 wise8 and has the 6i' heart of a
Tean7 -fter s"endin' time with him8 you walk away feelin' a little taller8
6ecause this e>6asket6all "layer makes you a 6i''er "erson8 and richer8
6ecause he9s a man who9s 6een a 6i' winner in life:and you take a little 6it
of that away with you7 I9!e seen the res"ect he 'i!es and the res"ect he 'ets7
-ll earned7 *oyle is more than a 'reat man in "okerD he9s a 'reat man8 and I
say that with the utmost res"ect7
+ell8 it9s time you mo!e on and see the 'ems of knowled'e this 6ook has in
store for you7 My friend *oyle has taken 'ood care of you in these "a'es7
+hen you9re done studyin' the wisdom within and ha!e "rofited from that
!ery "owerful ad!ice8 you9ll feel like *oyle9s your 'ood friend8 too7
EnBoy this 6ook8 "rofit from it8 and remem6er to 'i!e homa'e to one of the
men who made this modern>day "henomenon "ossi6le8 Mr7 *oyle @Teas
*ollyA (runson8 the 'reatest "oker "layer who has e!er li!ed7 -nd remem6er
to honor the 'ame itself8 somethin' *oyle lo!es with e!ery fi6er of his 6ein'7
-!ery )ardo%a
Pu6lisher
I
P5EF-)E
(y <ohnny )han
I learned "oker the hard way8 "layin' in 'ames that were like street fi'hts in
the 6ack alleys of )hinatown7 (efore anyone thou'ht I was ready8 I sat ri'ht
down at some of the tou'hest ta6les in "oker8 starin' down the 6est and
meanest "layers I could find7 -nd as you can see8 I sur!i!ed and "ros"ered7
Some say I am one of the few "layers e!er to conJuer the "oker world
without any formal trainin'7 I9m "roud of that accom"lishment8 6ut if I had it
to do o!er a'ain8 I9d make it easier7 Instead of learnin' the hard way8
6rawlin' my way u"8 riskin' my 6ankroll8 and 6an'in' my head a'ainst those
6i' 6ricks walls8 I9d start 6y readin' this 6ook7 How often are you 'oin' to
'et a chance to learn from the most feared "oker "layer around8 year after
yearK *oyle (runson himselfE
To 6e honest8 at first I was u"set that *oyle was writin' this follow>u" to his
first Su"er#System8 which all the "layers at my ta6les call @the 6i6le of
"oker7A E!ery time I heard that8 hair stood u" on the 6ack of my neck7 +ho
needs a 6i6le of "okerE I ke"t thinkin' that "rofessional "layers like me
would 6e 6etter off without one7 The secrets contained in these two 6ooks are
so "owerful that at first I would ha!e "aid considera6le money to kee" them
out of "rint7 *oyle @Teas *ollyA (runson couldn9t ha!e 6een 6ou'ht off8
anyway7
I9!e chan'ed my mind7 I think a6out how "oker has 'rown o!er the last few
years and how many new "layers ha!e Boined the 'ame7 There must 6e
millions of them7 They9re ready to treat the strate'y of "oker with res"ect8
and I want them to treat it that way7 Poker is a monster of a 'ame that
deser!es res"ect7
+hen 'reat "layers like *oyle and his e"ert colla6orators are willin' to
share their secrets with you8 "oker cree"s out from the rocks like a dra'on
that9s 6een hidin' for a hundred years7 The dra'on emer'es8 looks around8
roars8 and demands res"ect7 E!en thou'h no6ody noticed when that the
dra'on wasn9t there8 e!eryone hears it now7 That9s what ha""ened to "oker8
and this 6ook is "art of that dra'on9s roar7 If you9re smart8 you won9t waste
/
the o""ortunity to learn from it7
;ou see8 "oker isn9t like other kinds of 'am6lin'7 It fits 6etter in the cate'ory
of skill 'ames8 like chess and 6rid'e7 +ould those 'ames 6e as well
res"ected or ha!e such loyal followin's if e"erts ke"t the secrets to
themsel!esE
(efore "oker came of a'e8 it was a hustler9s 'ame8 hidden from the "u6lic
and not entirely res"ecta6le7 (ut that9s not the case anymore8 and "ro6a6ly
won9t 6e e!er a'ain7 Tournaments are 6roadcast to hundreds of millions of
tele!ision !iewers8 makin' "eo"le who ha!e ne!er "layed the 'ame 6efore
take notice:and Boin in7 So8 now that the dark era of "oker is o!er and the
dra'on has come out of hidin'8 I think it9s im"ortant that this 'reat 6ook8
which outlines the strate'ies and the "lays that really win8 take center sta'e7
;ou know8 I9m not afraid to "lay in any 'ame7 (ut I was once asked which
nine o""onents I9d least like to "lay a'ainst at one ta6le7 Now8 there9s a tou'h
Juestion7 (ut one "layer I could name without hesitation is *oyle @Teas
*ollyA (runson7 *oyle isn9t someone you want to "lay a'ainst8 6ut he is
someone you definitely want to learn from7 -nd that 'oes for all the e"erts
he has chosen to include in this 6ook7
;ou9re lucky that you don9t ha!e to learn "oker the way I did7 ;ou won9t
need to 6rawl your way to "rofit7 In the years ahead8 if you stick with it8
you9ll "lay millions of hands and wa'er millions of dollars7 I ho"e you9ll "lay
ri'ht and wa'er well8 unless you9re in my 'ame8 in which case I ho"e you9ll
"lay like a dummy and throw away all your money to me7
*oyle is ready to take you aside and let you in on "oker9s most "owerful
secrets8 the ones that really win7 If I were you8 I9d "ay attention7 The other
day8 I started thinkin' a6out the 6i' "ie made u" of all those 6illions of
dollars that will 6e echan'ed in "oker hands this year7 +ell8 it9s already
6ein' car!ed u"7
If you want a 6i' slice8 you hold the knife in your hands7
1
INT5O*L)TION
6y *oyle (runson
I9d 6een toyin' with the idea of re!isin' my Su"er#System for years8 6ut
e!ery time I discussed it with friends or fellow "rofessional "oker "layers8 I
always heard the same res"onseK @+hyE -lmost all the ad!ice in the 6ook is
as "owerful today as it was twenty>se!en years a'o7 It doesn9t need a word
chan'ed7A Not one to 'o a'ainst the ad!ice of so many 'ood folks8 I "ut it off
for a year8 then another year8 and time ke"t slidin' away like chi"s sli""in'
off a "oker ta6le7
It9s mi'hty flatterin' to know that Su"er#System has stood the test of time7
-nd I9m 'lad it has8 6ecause when I think 6ack a6out how much time8
money8 and effort went into creatin' it8 I shudder7 I9d let myself 'et talked
into writin' and financin' the 6ook7 I con!inced the to" fi!e s"ecialists in
!arious "oker 'ames to colla6orate with me7
None of us could ha!e "redicted how de!oted to the "roBect we would
6ecome7 I think we all 'ot a little 6it nuts while we were writin' the ori'inal
!ersion7 (efore lon'8 we were runnin' an informal contest to see who could
contri6ute the most information to hel" "eo"le "lay 6etter "oker7 -nd all of
us swore that we9d ne!er 'i!e u" any of the key secrets that had hel"ed us
6uild our 6ankrolls8 6ut e!entually we found oursel!es 'i!in' u" e!erythin'
that had taken us years to learn 6y the seat of our "ants7
-ll those secrets M
If you think that9s cra%y8 listen to thisK I not only let myself 'et talked into
"roducin' the 6ook8 I 'ot suckered into formin' a whole 6i' com"any Bust to
"u6lish and "romote it7 It wasn9t some mom>and>"o" o"eration either:I
went the whole nine yards7 5ented an office 6uildin'8 6ou'ht the !ery latest
com"uter ty"esettin' eJui"ment8 hired a staff of 'ra"hic artists8 editors8 and
rece"tionists8 set u" a marketin' de"artment8 and e!en 6ou'ht a commercial
"hoto de!elo"er:all to "u6lish one 6ookF ;ou mi'ht 6e thinkin' that
nothin' like that had e!er ha""ened in the history of "u6lishin'8 and you may
6e ri'ht7 Only a 6unch of "oker "layers could9!e dreamed u" such a thin':
sane "eo"le would9!e had 6etter sense7 -nd it only took me ni'h on to
0
twenty years to co!er my in!estment7 (ut you know whatE It was worth itF
+hen I think a6out the "eo"le I chose as my e"ert colla6orators way 6ack in
9118 the list reads like a @+ho9s +ho of the Most Influential Peo"le in the
+orld of Poker7A They were all youn' men 6ack then8 in their late twenties to
early thirties:I was the senior statesman at a'e forty>four7 +hen you "ick a
'rou" of "eo"le that youn' from amon' hundreds of outstandin' "ros"ects8
you9d 6e lucky to see one or two of them 'o on to 'reat success7 (ut my team
has flourished ama%in'ly and has stood the test of time8 Bust like the 6ook
they hel"ed create7 ;ou9ll find them all o!er the "a'es and often the co!ers
of 6oth "oker and mainstream "u6lications and e!en on TN7 So8 yes8 I9m
mi'hty "roud that I trusted my instincts and had the foresi'ht to select them7
-lmost all of the "oker "rinci"les in Su"er#System are still a""lica6le today8
and that9s why you9ll find them on these "a'es8 alon' with analyses of more
'ames and the un!eilin' of new secrets7 +hen I decided to "u6lish
Su"er#System $8 the task seemed monumental to this se!enty>year>old "oker
"layer who8 after all these years8 is still acti!e in his chosen "rofession7 (ut
today9s e"losion in the "o"ularity of "oker has ke"t me ins"ired to "ush
forward with Su"er#System $8 in which we ha!e ada"ted our writin's to
account for the dramatic chan'es that ha!e taken "lace in the world of "oker
o!er the "ast few decades7 Today9s youn'er "layers risin' throu'h the ranks8
"layin' alon'side old>timers who used decks of cards as 6a6y rattlers when
they were still in the cri68 are "layin' a different 6rand of "oker than we
"layed in the old days7 -nd we9re "layin' new "oker 'ames that we didn9t
"lay 6ack them8 so I9!e drafted some new "eo"le to Boin my ori'inal team of
writers7
O5I,IN-L SLPE5#S;STEM TE-M
I9m !ery "roud of my 'rou" of colla6orators on the ori'inal Su"er#System:
let9s take a look at them 6efore I introduce you to my new team mem6ers7
;ou9ll meet them as you read the cha"ters7
Mike )aro8 who wrote the draw "oker and statistics sections8 was a draw
"oker cham"ion when I first met him8 6ut he has mastered all forms of "oker
since then7 He9s a le'endary "layer and "oker strate'ist known the world
4
o!er as @The Mad ,enius of Poker7A In fact8 Mike has 6ecome the strate'ic
analyst of choice for many of today9s to" "rofessional "layers7 He reached an
e!en wider audience a few years a'o when he founded the Mike )aro
Lni!ersity of Poker8 de!oted to educatin' as"irin' "layers7 His 6ooks8
!ideos8 and seminars clearly rank amon' the most sou'ht after in the history
of "oker7 Mike is an inte'ral "art of Su"er#System $7 (elie!e me8 I would
ne!er ha!e attem"ted to write this 6ook without him7
If I had to choose someone to "lay for the sur!i!al of my family8 it would 6e
)hi" 5eese7 @The 6est of the 6estFA are the words that Lyle (erman used to
introduce )hi" when he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 14417
-t the a'e of .48 he was the youn'est "erson e!er awarded that honor7 )hi"
was a !ery youn' "oker "layer in 14118 ri'ht out of *artmouth8 when I asked
him to write the se!en>card stud cha"ter7 In addition to his e"ertise at stud8 a
'ame at which I still 6elie!e he is the 6est e!er8 he has e!ol!ed into the
world9s "remier all>around "layer7 I would without hesitation 6et on )hi"
a'ainst anyone who dares face him in mied 'ames7
)hi" can consistently 6e found in the 6i''est 'ames in the world7 He has
"layed in France8 ,ermany8 En'land8 -ustralia8 ,reece8 Ireland8 and South
-frica7 -lthou'h he doesn9t "lay many tournaments8 )hi" has won three
+orld Series of Poker 6racelets for se!en>card stud8 stud hi'h>low s"lit8 and
ra%%7 ;ears a'o he won a no>limit hold9em tournament and "laced second in
a deuce>to>se!en tournament8 while "layin' the two e!ents simultaneously7
Now that9s what I call 6ein' !ersatileF
*a!id Sklansky8 who colla6orated with me on se!en>card stud hi'h>low s"lit8
has 'enerated a followin' of de!oted "oker enthusiasts8 while "ro!in'
himself amon' the most ca"a6le "layers7 *a!id has chosen to "lay a 6road
ran'e of 'ames8 from middle to hi'h limits and has 6een successful at all of
them7 Like Mike )aro8 he has terrific insi'ht into all "oker 'ames and has "ut
his theories and "lays into !ery reada6le strate'y8 "roducin' some of the
most hi'hly re'arded "oker 6ooks in the world7 He also has acted as a to"
ad!isor to casino owners and eecuti!es8 and has tutored many of the world9s
foremost "rofessional "layers7 I recommend that e!ery "oker "layer read his
6ooks7
13
(o66y (aldwin hardly needs to 6e introduced8 as Bust a6out e!ery6ody in
'amin' is familiar with his 'reat success story7 -fter winnin' the main e!ent
at the +orld Series of Poker in 14108 (o66y left "rofessional "oker and went
into casino mana'ement7 +ithin a short time8 he had clim6ed to the to" of the
ladder and today is considered 6y his "eers to 6e the "remier 'amin'
eecuti!e in the world7 President of the multi>6illion dollar (ella'io Hotel
and )asino in Las Ne'as8 (o66y also acts as )EO of the Mira'e )or"oration7
Somehow he still finds time to 'et to'ether with us for some friendly hi'h>
stakes "oker e!ery now and then7 In $33. he was inducted into the Poker
Hall of Fame7
+ith the ece"tion of <oey Hawthorne8 that com"letes the list of my ori'inal
colla6orators7 Here9s the sad "artK <oey died from a dru' o!erdose while he
was still in his forties8 and his 6rilliant career didn9t ha!e time to 'et off the
'round7 ,od8 I hate dru'sF If he were still with us today8 <oey "ro6a6ly
would 6e a "art of this new edition7
-lon' with my old stand6ys8 Mike and (o66y8 I9!e chosen my newest 'rou"
of colla6orators carefully8 and I ho"e that twenty>se!en years from now8 their
success in "oker and in life will 6e as outstandin' as my ori'inal 'rou"7
11
*O;LE (5LNSON > M; STO5;
M; STO5;
6y *oyle (runson
- lot has chan'ed since the "u6lication of the ori'inal
Su"er#System in 14107 I9ll tell you a6out that shortly7 (ut first I9d like you to
know how I felt 6ack then8 at that halfway "oint in my "oker career7 It 'oes
like thisM
(EFO5E 1410
-t some time in our li!es8 I su""ose we all reflect on the 'ood and the 6ad
that has ha""ened to us and ask oursel!es the Juestion8 @If I had it to do all
o!er a'ain8 are there thin's I would chan'eEA I9m no ece"tion7
There9s no one ali!e who could ha!e had it much tou'her than I had it in the
early years8 lon' 6efore the "u6lication of the first Su"er#System7 I was in a
"hoto>finish with death7 That9s as close as you can 'et to the ultimate 6ad
6eat7
-nd accom"anyin' my early "oker ad!entures8 I e"erienced near tra'edy
due to the health "ro6lems of my wife Louise and my oldest dau'hter *oyla7
+e lost *oyla a few years after Su"er#System came out7 It was the 6i''est
heart6reak in my life7
I9!e 6een so 6roke early in my marria'e that I couldn9t afford 6us fare from
Las Ne'as to my home in Fort +orth7 -nd there were times I could 6arely
scra"e u" a dime to call my wife and ask her to send me money for the ticket7
(ut there are two sides to the coin that9s 6een fli""in' my life around7 I
finally 'ot to the "oint where I 'ot my 6ankroll u" to one hundred thousand
dollars8 and I ha!en9t looked 6ack since7 ;ears 6efore Su"er#System was
6orn8 my wife and family li!ed in relati!e luury8 and now they9ll ne!er ha!e
a hun'ry day as lon' as they li!e7
I9!e made many millions "layin' "oker8 and at times early on8 lost most of
my 6ankroll 6ettin' on s"orts and 'olf7 (ut I9!e always done my thin'8 and
I9m a ha""y man 6ecause of it7 The "leasures ha!e definitely outwei'hed the
1$
"ain7
Throu'h it all8 I9!e learned that in life8 a man9s not 6eaten e!en thou'h he9s
all>in7 ;ou can9t count him out until the fall of the last card7 I9!e 6een tested
time and a'ain on many 6attlefields7 I9!e lost a lot of little skirmishes8 6ut
I9!e won the 6i' ones7 That9s what really counts7
The ad!ersity I9!e faced has 6een a 6lessin' in dis'uise7 It9s stren'thened my
character7 I9!e had to draw on that stren'th many a time at the "oker ta6le8
and I9ll continue to draw on it for the rest of my years7
I need that stren'th8 too7 ;ou see8 I9m a 'am6ler7 I9ll always 6e one7 I
couldn9t 6e anythin' else7 So my life will always 6e filled with wins:and
losses7 I wouldn9t ha!e it any other way7 It9s ecitin'7 There9s almost ne!er a
dull moment in my life8 and I can9t ima'ine anyone ha!in' a 6etter life than
the one I ha!e ri'ht now7 I9!e 'ot Bust a6out e!erythin' I want7
That Elusi!e Somethin'
;es8 the deck9s 6een stacked a'ainst me at !arious times in my life8 6ut I9!e
o!ercome e!ery cold deck I9!e faced7 I9m enou'h of a dreamer to reali%e
what 'ot me throu'h mi'ht ha!e 6een that elusi!e somethin' a 'am6ler calls
luck7 (ut I9m also enou'h of a realist to know that8 in 'eneral8 we make our
own luck:throu'h knowled'e8 skill8 and e"erience7 -nd that 'oes for the
'ame of "oker as well as the 'ame of life7
In the summer of 14..8 I was 6orn in the +est Teas town of Lon'worth8 a
s"ot on the road consistin' of a few houses and a 'eneral store7 I don9t
su""ose the "o"ulation e!er eceeded one hundred7 +e had only two
industries in the area8 farmin' and a L7S7 ,y"sum "lant7 My dad worked for
Planters ,in )om"any8 and while he didn9t make much money8 there was
always food on the ta6le and a little etra for the kids once in a while7 +e
li!ed in a four>room frame house at the time8 with an outhouse at the 6ack7 I
remem6er thinkin' when I was little that8 if I e!er 'ot any money8 I9d 6rin'
the "lum6in' indoors7 It used to 'et mi'hty cold on those "rairies durin' the
winter7
There were fi!e of us li!in' at home when I was smallK *ad8 Mom8 my sister
La!ada8 my older 6rother Lloyd8 and myself7 It was crowded 6ut we didn9t
mind7 There was a lot of warmth and a lot of lo!e7
1.
My mother was a reli'ious8 ,od>fearin' woman who did her 6est to raise us
with a sense of moral !alues7 I su""ose a 'ood deal of that has remained with
me7 She used to tell us that you9ll find 'ood in e!ery man if you look hard
enou'h7 I9!e always tried to remem6er that and act accordin'ly8 althou'h
sometimes it9s 6een mi'hty difficult considerin' some of the unsa!ory
characters I9!e come in contact with7
My dad was "erha"s the calmest8 most e!en>tem"ered indi!idual I9!e e!er
known7 Nothin' ruffled him7 I can9t remem6er e!er seein' him 'et an'ry7
+hen thin's went wron' he9d take it in stride8 smile8 and say that set6acks
are only a tem"orary thin'7 Tomorrow would always 6e 6etter7 Of course we
kids would 'et into a little trou6le e!ery once in a while8 as all kids do8 and
there were times when he surely would ha!e 6een Bustified in whalin' the tar
out of us7 (ut he ne!er e!en raised his !oice7 Not once7 Nor did he e!er hit
us7 He had an a6ility to make us know we9d 6een out of line without raisin'
as much as one fin'er7 He was a truly remarka6le man7 +hen the ,ood Lord
made my dad8 he destroyed the mold7
School *ays
I attended 'rammar school in Lon'worth where se!eral 'rades were held in
one room7 I recall that my third 'rade class consisted of only three kids8 two
6oys and a 'irl7 +e 'ot a lot of indi!idual attention8 that9s for sure7
-fter 'rammar school and Bunior hi'h8 I entered Sweetwater Hi'h School
with *7 )7 -ndrews and 5iley )ross8 two of my closest friends from
Lon'worth7 +e turned out for the 6asket6all team7 (efore lon'8 we were
known as the Lon'worth Tri"le Threat8 and the three of us took o!er the
!arsity team7 +hy notE +e were in "rime sha"e7 +e were always workin'
out8 runnin'8 and swimmin'7 *7 )78 5iley8 and I would run non>sto" from
Lon'worth to the swimmin' hole on the (arclay 5anch8 which was a6out
ei'ht miles away7 Sometimes we9d run from Sweetwater 6ack to Lon'worth
after school8 6ut the coach didn9t take too kindly to that7 He 'a!e us a station
wa'on so we9d 6e sure to make the "ractices on time7 S"orts were my whole
life in those days7 They were e!erythin'7
In addition to 6asket6all8 I also turned out for the 6ase6all team and8 at the
su''estion of my coach8 started runnin' track7 I was ne!er much interested in
12
track8 6ut the 6asket6all season was o!er and I needed somethin' to do to
kee" in sha"e8 so I took on the mile run7 It seemed like a fair distance and
with all the runnin' I was doin'8 I felt I could do all ri'ht7 I honestly didn9t
reali%e at the time how well I9d actually do7
In 14I38 as a senior8 I entered the Teas Interscholastic Track Meet as a mile
runner and won it with a time of 2K.07 +ithout really tryin'8 I9d suddenly
6ecome the 6est hi'h school miler in the state of Teas7 In the meantime8 I
had also 6een chosen as one of the fi!e 6est hi'h school 6asket6all "layers in
the state8 a rather heady e"erience for a 6oy of siteen7
5idin' Hi'h
-fter that8 the scholarshi" offers started comin' in7 -ll told8 there must ha!e
6een a hundred or so from !arious colle'es and uni!ersities throu'hout the
country7 I finally settled on Hardin>Simmons8 a (a"tist>affiliated colle'e in
-6ilene that was known "rimarily for turnin' out teachers and coaches7 -t
the time8 I felt my life9s work would 6e in one of these areas7
In my Bunior year at Hardin>Simmons8 I was !oted the most !alua6le "layer
in the (order )onference8 and the "ro teams were 6e'innin' to show an
interest7 The Minnea"olis Lakers8 now the Los -n'eles Lakers8 were makin'
o!ertures8 and I 6e'an to set my si'hts on a career as a "rofessional
6asket6all "layer7 *ell (asket6all ma'a%ine "icked me as one of the to" ten
colle'e "layers in the country7 I was ridin' hi'h7
In addition to the 6asket6all honors8 I had run the mile in
2K107/8 which "ut me in contention for a s"ot on the national team7 I often
wonder what would ha!e ha""ened if I had trained as hard for track as I did
for 6asket6all7 Thinkin' a6out it now8 I9m sorry I didn9t7 I think I missed my
true callin' in s"orts7 There9s no dou6t in my mind that a four>minute mile
was "ossi6le7
The future looked 6ri'ht indeed7 In the summer8 I 'ot a Bo6 at the L7S7
,y"sum "lant7 It wasn9t any 'reat shakes as Bo6s 'o8 6ut I "lanned on sa!in'
enou'h to last me throu'h my senior year7 One day8 I was unloadin' some
sheetrock8 and as I was haulin' the sheets off and stackin' them8 suddenly8
the "ile 6e'an to shift7 I tried to sto" it with my 6ody8 Bammin' my knee into
the lower half of the "ile to kee" it in "lace7 +hat a dummy I was7 I couldn9t
1I
sto" it7 Two thousand "ounds of sheetrock crashed on my ri'ht le'7 It
sna""ed in two "laces7 I remem6er my first thou'ht was8 @My ,od8 I9ll ne!er
"lay 6asket6all a'ain7A My le' was in a cast for two years due to
com"lications7 The fractures finally healed8 6ut when the cast came off8 my
s"eed and coordination were 'one7 So were my ho"es for the "ros7
My First Poker ,ame
I9d 6een "layin' "oker off and on since my hi'h school days7 In fact8 I still
remem6er my first 'ame7 It was fi!e>card draw8 and I ended u" the 6i'
winner7 I recall thinkin' at the time what easy money it was7 -fter I entered
Hardin>Simmons8 I9d "lay in the usual Saturday ni'ht 'ames7 In 'eneral8 I
seemed to do "retty well7 I 'ot cau'ht once or twice and was disci"lined for
'am6lin'8 6ut since I was one of the 6asket6all stars nothin' much came of it7
-fter 6reakin' my le'8 6asket6all was out of the Juestion and I s"ent a lot
more time "layin' "oker7 I 6e'an "ayin' more attention to my studies also7
Prior to my inBury8 I felt that 6asket6all would carry me throu'h school7 (ut
from here on in8 I9d ha!e to use my 6rain7 My "oker winnin's "aid for my
e"enses8 and in 14I2 I 'raduated with a 6achelor9s de'ree7 I stayed on at
Hardin>Simmons and earned my master9s de'ree in -dministrati!e Education
the followin' year7 +ith these credentials8 I felt sure I9d 6e offered a Bo6 that
would lead to a "osition as su"erintendent of schools or at least a "rinci"al7 It
didn9t work out that way7 In fact8 the to" Bo6 offered to me was that of a
6asket6all coach at *alhart =Teas? Hi'h School at a salary of C28033 a year7
It didn9t make senseD I was makin' more than that Bust "layin' "oker7 I used
to tra!el around to the different colle'es in Teas settin' u" 'ames and
makin' a fair li!in' 6y my wits7 -t that time8 howe!er8 the idea of 6ecomin'
a "rofessional 'am6ler had not occurred to me e!en thou'h it was a""arent I
"layed 6etter than most7
-fter 'raduation8 I went to work as a 6usiness machines salesman8 a
"rofession that ultimately could ha!e made me some twenty>fi!e or thirty
thousand a year:or so I thou'ht7 (ut it wasn9t in the cards7 My first day on
the Bo68 I called on a few "ros"ecti!e accounts7 I didn9t 'et much further than
the front door8 and I wound u" in a "oker 'ame 6efore the day was out7 It was
a se!en>stud 'ame where I cleared a month9s salary in less than three hours7
1/
@My ,od8A I thou'ht8 @what am I doin' tryin' to sell machines no6ody wants
to 6uy from me when I can sit down at a "oker ta6le and make ten times the
money in one>sith the timeEA It didn9t take me !ery lon' to fi'ure out what
to do7 I Juit the com"any and 6e'an my career as a full>time "rofessional
"oker "layer7 I9!e ne!er re'retted that decision7
Turnin' Pro
The first 'ames I "layed that amounted to anythin' were down on Echan'e
Street in Fort +orth8 Teas7 I9d 6e sur"rised if you could find a tou'her street
in the whole world7 There were shootin's8 mu''in's8 ro66eries8 and Bust
a6out e!ery kind of !iolence ima'ina6le7 The stuff we see on TN today is
tame com"ared to what Echan'e Street was like almost any hour of the day7
(ut at the card ta6le8 amidst all that !iolence8 e!erythin' was as 'entlemanly
as could 6e7 They were two different worlds7 My 6uddy *wayne Hamilton
and I freJuented a card room run 6y a 'an'ster named Tincy whose main
claim to fame was ha!in' killed half a do%en "eo"le7 He ran an honest 'ame8
thou'h8 and *wayne and I did fairly well7 No>limit hold9em was our main
'ame7 -fter we accumulated a 'ood>si%ed stake we mo!ed u"town to the
three hundred and fi!e hundred 6uy>in 'ames where we "layed with doctors8
lawyers8 and other "rofessional "eo"le7
For the net fi!e or si years we made the Teas circuit8 "layin' 6i''er and
6i''er 'ames throu'hout the state7 Occasionally we9d dro" into the 6i'
'ames in Oklahoma and Louisiana7 *urin' this "eriod8 I met -marillo Slim
and Sailor 5o6erts8 a cou"le of the finest "oker hustlers I9!e e!er met7 +e hit
it off from the start and after *wayne mo!ed 6ack to Fort +orth8 Sailor8
Slim8 and I decided to 'o into 6usiness to'ether7 +e must ha!e hit e!ery
town in Teas8 relie!in' the locals of their money7 It was a si'ht to see8 the
three of us takin' on all comers7 -nd not Bust at "oker7 +e 'ot to the "oint
where we were 'am6lin' on Bust a6out e!ery 'ame there was:'olf8 tennis8
6asket6all8 "ool8 s"orts 6ettin'7 <ust a6out e!erythin'7 -s lon' as we thou'ht
we had some sort of an ed'e8 we9d 6et7 -nd we made money7 Pretty soon we
'ot to know most e!ery6ody in the 'ames no matter where we "layed7 +e
ke"t runnin' into the same 'uys all the time:<ack Straus8 <ohnny Moss8 (o6
Hooks8 and a lot of others7
11
Makin' a Name for Oursel!es
-s our re"utations 'rew8 we were in!ited to more and more 'ames in "ri!ate
clu6s and homes7 For the most "art8 these 'ames were for rich oil men and
cattlemen who had a hankerin' to take on youn' "rofessionals like us7 It was
safer "layin' in these 'ames than "layin' in 6ack rooms where you took a
risk e!ery time you won a fair amount7 I9!e 6een hiBacked a few times8 and I
can tell you it9s not a "leasant e"erience to 6e lookin' down at the 6usiness
end of a shot'un7
Sailor8 Slim8 and I stuck to'ether for si years or so8 and we had some mi'hty
fine times7 Once in a while we were down8 6ut we mana'ed to hold our own
6etter than most7 Our "artnershi" finally 6roke u" after our first 6i' tri" to
Las Ne'as7 +e lost our entire 6ankroll:close to si fi'ures:and 6elie!e
me8 there9s nothin' more cantankerous than three 6roke 'am6lers7 +e went
our se"arate ways after that 6ut ha!e remained close friends to this day7
In 14/38 I met my wife8 Louise7 She was a "harmacist in San -n'elo8 Teas8
and I courted her for a6out two years7 She was somethin' worth winnin'8 you
see8 and I can tell you I had an u"hill fi'ht "ersuadin' my sweetheart that I
was her one and only7 She was con!inced I was married8 and it took a hea" of
testimonials to con!ince her that I was sin'le and a!aila6le7 I worked harder
for our first date than anythin' I9!e e!er done in my life7 -fter I asked her to
marry me8 she had to think twice a6out "ermanently hitchin' u" with a
"rofessional 'am6ler7 She had a lot of dou6ts7 It wasn9t what most 'irls were
doin' at the time7 I finally con!inced her and we were married in -u'ust of
14/$7
-6out four months after we were married8 I woke u" one mornin' with a sore
throat and thou'ht I was comin' down with a 6ad cold7 There was a little
knot on the side of my neck a6out the si%e of a "ea7 Louise insisted I 'o to a
doctor8 and so for a6out three weeks I was takin' hea!y doses of anti6iotics
e!ery day7 That didn9t hel"8 and the knot 'rew to the si%e of a hen9s e''7 (y
that time8 I was "lenty worried7 My 6rother Lloyd had died of cancer a short
while 6efore8 and I couldn9t kee" that off my mind7 +e consulted a cancer
s"ecialist in Fort +orth7 He took one look at me and scheduled me for
sur'ery the followin' Monday7 He didn9t think the tumor was mali'nant8 6ut
10
said it would ha!e to come out7
Somethin' -wfully +ron'
I went into the o"eratin' room at /K.3 a7m7 +hen I woke u" in the reco!ery
room8 it was dark7 E!en thou'h I was !ery 'ro''y8 I could tell thin's weren9t
'oin' too well for me7 Not only were my head and 6ack in 6anda'es8 6ut my
entire chest was wra""ed in 'au%e and com"letely co!ered with ta"e7 I
remem6er thinkin'8 @*oyle8 there9s somethin' awfully wron'7A Louise was
there at my side tellin' me e!erythin' was 'oin' to 6e all ri'ht8 6ut I knew
she was tryin' to hide somethin'7 I was in a lot of "ain8 and the dru's they
ke"t feedin' me ke"t me fairly stu"ified for the net few days7
I remained in the hos"ital for Juite a while7 My relati!es and friends were
always comin' 6y to see how I was doin'7 That was a comfort7
Still8 no6ody had the coura'e to tell me what the real situation was7 The only
thin' I knew was that I was 'oin' to 6e taken for further study to the )ancer
)enter at M7 *7 -nderson Hos"ital in Houston7 +hat I had not 6een told was
that when the doctors o"ened me u"8 they found massi!e cancer s"read
throu'hout my 6ody7 It had reached close to the 6ase of my 6rain8 and my
chest and stomach area were riddled with it7 Four sur'eons had 6een called in
and they all a'reed that it was useless to "roceed7 The cancer had attacked so
much of my 6ody that it was only a matter time 6efore I died7 I was a 6i' do'
to li!e lon'er than four months7
They )ame to Say ,ood6ye
+hile I sus"ected the worst8 it wasn9t until I was taken home for one day8
"rior to flyin' to Houston8 that I really knew I was 'oin' to die7 O!er two
hundred "eo"le from all o!er the country came to our house that day7 I was
really sur"rised7 I didn9t think I had that many close friends7 From the way
e!ery6ody was actin' it was o6!ious they9d come to say 'ood6ye7 My friend
*wayne Hamilton Bust 6roke down and cried7
Louise was "re'nant at the time8 and I thou'ht to myself how sad it was that
I9d "ro6a6ly ne!er 'et to see my 6a6y7 (y all ri'hts8 I9d 6e dead and 'one
6efore it arri!ed7
Louise was thinkin' the same thin' and had made the arran'ements for
further sur'ery at M7 *7 -nderson7 Thou'h the doctors had told her there was
14
no ho"e of my li!in'8 they said there mi'ht 6e a sli'ht chance of "rolon'in'
my life a few more months throu'h radical neck sur'ery7 +ith that o"eration8
there was a "ossi6ility that I9d 6e a6le to li!e lon' enou'h to see my 6a6y
6efore the cancer reached my 6rain7
+e flew to Houston the net day7 For the net two>and>a>half weeks8 I rested
in the hos"ital to 6uild myself u" for the sur'ery to come7 I went into the
o"eratin' room at 13K.3 a7m7 I s"ent ei'ht hours under the knife and at /K.3
"7m78 they 'a!e Louise the news7 I was 'oin' to make it7 It had 6een touch
and 'o7
The Im"ossi6le Had Ha""ened
-t one "oint durin' the o"eration8 my 6lood "ressure dro""ed to %ero8 6ut
they "ulled me throu'h7 +hat was truly incredi6le was that there was no
lon'er any trace of cancer in my system7 The doctors couldn9t 6elie!e it7 The
im"ossi6le had ha""ened7
The odds a'ainst merely sur!i!in' the o"eration itself were !ery hi'h7 -
month earlier the 6lack corru"tion of melanoma had 6een !isi6le to the naked
eye7 That the cancer had disa""eared was incom"rehensi6le to the staff at the
hos"ital7 Fi!e doctors had unanimously a'reed that it was a medical
im"ossi6ility for me to li!e lon'er than a few more months8 with or without
the o"eration7
For the net two weeks8 Louise and Sailor took turns watchin' me twenty>
four hours a day8 since we couldn9t afford a "ri!ate nurse7 I had to 6e
o6ser!ed closely7 The tu6es that led to my 6ody had to 6e checked
constantly8 and my !ital si'ns had to 6e monitored continuously7 I don9t
know when Louise and Sailor 'ot any slee"7
-fter lea!in' the hos"ital8 I recu"erated at my sister9s7 +hen my stren'th
returned8 I re"orted 6ack to the hos"ital in Fort +orth for a checku"7 The
doctor who had first o"erated on me was at a com"lete loss for an
e"lanation7 The only thin' he could say was that occasionally8 s"ontaneous
remissions occur8 6ut in my case he could only 6elie!e a miracle had
ha""ened7
Later we found out that durin' the o"eration se!eral friends had s"oken to
their church "astors a6out my case and entire con're'ations were "rayin' for
$3
my reco!ery7 Those "rayers surely must ha!e 6een answered7
- Hi'her Power
Louise had always 6een a reli'ious woman8 6ut this e"erience and two
others in our li!es reinforced her con!iction that there9s a hi'her "ower that
watches o!er us7
Shortly after my reco!ery8 Louise de!elo"ed a uterine tumor7 That normally
reJuires etensi!e sur'ery and remo!al of the female or'ans7 She was
scheduled for sur'ery8 6ut 6efore the "rocedure8 it was disco!ered that her
tumor had disa""eared7 -nother miracle7
In 141I8 when my dau'hter *oyla was twel!e years old she was found to
ha!e idio"athic scoliosis8 a de6ilitatin' s"inal disorder7 That affliction causes
etensi!e cur!ature of the s"ine or "ermanent cri""lin'7 S"ecialists were
consulted and radical "rocedures were recommended8 includin' im"lantation
of a steel rod in her s"ine or a full 6ody 6race7 None of that was necessary7
Louise or'ani%ed a marathon "rayer session for *oyla that included radio
6roadcasts and corres"ondence with the late Hatherine Huhlman8 the famous
faith healer7 +ithin three months8 *oyla9s s"ine had strai'htened com"letely7
The doctors acknowled'ed that hers was one of only three known cases
where the cur!ature was corrected without sur'ical assistance7 The third
miracle in our family7
Since that time8 Louise has 6een etremely acti!e in )hristian ministry and
hea!ily in!ol!ed in work with forei'n missions7 She s"ends as much or more
time as a ser!ant of the Lord as she does in takin' care of our family7 She9s
said time and a'ainK @It9s so ecitin' to 6e a )hristian7 It9s 6y far the most
ecitin' "art of li!in'7A -nd I know she 6elie!es that as stron'ly as any
"erson on earth7
Fortunately8 money was not a "ro6lem when the mountains of medical 6ills
came "ourin' in for Louise and *oyla7 I did !ery well at the "oker ta6le
durin' all those years7 +hen I left the hos"ital after my o"eration8 I
recu"erated for a while and then I returned to the "oker circuit with a %est and
a""reciation for life that I had ne!er had 6efore7 Each day when I woke u"
the sky was 6luer and the 'rass was 'reener7 The world was as 6ri'ht as
could 6e7 I was ali!e7 From the first session I started "layin' a'ain8 I won
$1
fifty>four times in a row7 I ne!er 6ooked a loser until the fifty>fifth session I
"layed7 Ne!er 6efore8 or since8 ha!e I had such a streak7 I won enou'h to
com"letely clear my immense doctor and hos"ital 6ills and had "lenty left
o!er to kee" my family comforta6le for se!eral years7
E!erythin' Seemed to )lick
(efore the sur'ery8 I would ha!e classified myself as a sli'htly 6etter than
a!era'e "layer7 Howe!er8 after that ordeal8 somethin' ha""ened7 E!erythin'
seemed to click8 and I was "layin' 6etter than I had e!er "layed in my life7
My "layin' 6ecame almost instincti!e7 I was readin' my com"etitors more
accurately8 and I felt a self>assurance I had ne!er e"erienced7 My 6rush with
death had a""arently tri''ered innate a6ilities that had ne!er surfaced 6efore7
The most im"ortant thin' of all was that I disco!ered my true !ocation7 I had
finally dis"elled any dou6ts a6out what my "rofession in life was 'oin' to 6e7
(ecause of "ressure from my family and friends8 I had thou'ht a6out
returnin' to @le'itimateA work7 (ut now I knew I ne!er would7 I was ne!er
'oin' to 6e a workin' stiff8 nor was I e!er 'oin' to ha!e a 6oss7 I was 'oin'
to make my way throu'h life my way7
*urin' the net few years8 I shuttled 6etween Fort +orth and Las Ne'as8
where more and more of the action was de!elo"in'7 I was still doin' most of
my "layin' in Teas8 6ut it was 'ettin' difficult to find the really 6i' 'ames
there7 I was 6eatin' them so re'ularly that they were finally sayin'8 @+e can
do without *oyle7A The action8 for me8 was really 6e'innin' to dry>u"7
-lso8 in 1413 )on'ress "assed le'islation makin' it e!en more difficult for a
"oker "rofessional to make a li!in'7 The law that directly affected me made it
a federal offense to run a lar'e scale "oker 'ame from which fi!e or more
"layers deri!ed an income8 ece"t8 of course8 in states where such 'am6lin'
was le'al7 The handwritin' was on the wall7
So in 141.8 I mo!ed my family:LouiseD *oyla8 13D Pamela8 4D and my little
6oy Todd8 who had his fourth 6irthday on the road:to Las Ne'as where we
esta6lished our home7 It9s a 'ood "lace to li!eK 'ood weather8 'ood action8
and 'ood "eo"le7
)om"etiti!e 6y Nature
$$
I9m known as a "rofessional 'am6ler rather than Bust a "rofessional "oker
"layer8 and I ha!e to admit that I am7 I9!e 6een known to 6et on Bust a6out
anythin'7 -nd 6ecause of that8 I9!e surely had my share of losers7 If I had
stuck to "oker8 I9d "ro6a6ly 6e a far wealthier man today7 (ut old ha6its are
hard to 6reak8 and I Bust like to 'am6le7
Howe!er8 it9s more than Bust likin' to 'am6le7 I9m !ery com"etiti!e 6y
nature7 -s lon' as there9s a contest:any kind of contest8 e!en if it9s a mar6le
shootin' contest:I want to 6e a "art of it7 If I can9t 6e an acti!e "artici"ant
as I am at "oker and 'olf:and therefore 6ettin' on myself:I ha!e to 6et on
one side or the other8 6e it a foot6all 'ame8 a "ri%efi'ht8 or whate!er7
My com"etiti!e nature is one of the reasons I feel I9!e 6een so successful
"layin' "oker7 ;ou9!e 'ot to "lay hard to 6e a consistent winner at "oker8
and I9m a6le to do that instincti!ely7 I was a !ery fierce com"etitor as an
athlete in hi'h school and colle'e7 That com"etiti!e s"irit remains with me7
I9m sure it has a lot to do with my success at the "oker ta6le7 I9!e ne!er lost
the feelin' of ehilaration that comes when you9re doin' the 6est you can and
'am6lin' real hi'h7 There9s no feelin' Juite like it7
Net to "oker8 'olf is my fa!orite 'ame8 and I9m considered a "retty 'ood
"layer:"ro6a6ly a little 6etter than the net 'uy7 Lnfortunately8 Juite a few
of those net 'uys ha!e "layed a shade 6etter than me when we 'ot to 6ettin'
on the course7 I remem6er 'oin' 6ack east one year with my 6est friend <ack
(inion and endin' u" "layin' 'olf with a millionaire7 +e ke"t raisin' the
stakes until finally we had C1038333 ridin' on one hole7 He "utted out for a
"ar to my 6o'ey and all that money Bust flew away7 -nd that9s Bust one of
se!eral such stories I could tell you7 Now8 the title of the first Su"er#System
was ori'inally How I Made o!er C183338333 Playin' Poker7 The title of my
net one is 'oin' to 6e How I Lost o!er C183338333 Playin' ,olf7 There9s
definitely a moral in there somewhere7
- lot has 6een written a6out my winnin' the 141/ and 1411 +orld Series of
Poker for a total of some CI/383337 ;ou may ha!e read some of the many
stories7 They were tou'h 'ames a'ainst tou'h com"etitors7 The 6est "layers
in the world sat at those ta6les and the "ace was 'ruelin'7 That kind of
"layin' is not somethin' I would care to do e!ery day8 6ut for a sheer 'ut>
$.
le!el contest8 it can9t 6e 6eat7 There9s a certain "ride you take from knowin'
that you9!e taken on the 6est and come out on the to"7 (ut with this "ride
also comes the reali%ation that you can ne!er afford to 6ecome com"lacent7
In 6oth the 141/ and 1411 Series8 I made a full house only when the final
card was "layed7 -nd "erha"s there9s a moral in that8 too7 -s I noted8 in
"oker as in life8 you can9t count a man out until the last card falls7
1410 -N* (E;ON*
Life is always chan'in'8 ne!er constant7 ;ou really can9t count on anythin'
stayin' the same7 Late in 14118 I added the finishin' touches to the ori'inal
Su"er#System8 and its "u6lication would chan'e "oker for me fore!er in ways
I hadn9t antici"ated7
The "eo"le closest to me8 6oth my friends and my "oker o""onents8
continued to see me in "retty much the same li'ht7 (ut it was the "eo"le and
the "layers I9d ne!er met 6efore who 6e'an treatin' me differently7 For the
most "art8 they treated me with more re!erence8 and that was flatterin'7
No6ody e!er sat in a "oker 'ame anymore who didn9t know who I was7 -nd
so many stran'ers had read my 6ook in the first months after its "u6lication
that I ne!er knew when I was "layin' a student of my 'ame "lan8 who was
e"ectin' me to "lay "oker "recisely as I had descri6ed and ea'er to take
ad!anta'e7
For'in' -head
-lthou'h I had to adBust my strate'y a little to kee" these "layers confused8 I
was a6le to "retty much stick to my 'ame "lan and "lay Bust as I had written7
It worked8 6ecause the strate'y was so "owerful that you could almost tell
your o""onents what you9re 'oin' to do:how you9re 'oin' to 6et8 how
often you9re 'oin' to 6luff:and there wouldn9t 6e much they could do a6out
it7 I had de!ised a "ro!en world>class 'ame "lan for winnin'7 -nd when you
ha!e a world>class 'ame "lan for winnin'Mwell8 you Bust win7 Hardly
anythin' else can ha""en8 and I wasn9t a6out to chan'e my style of "lay
dramatically8 Bust 6ecause I9d shared my secrets with the world7
$2
Stran'ers could take my secrets and 6eat almost e!eryone with them8 6ut I
was determined that they weren9t 'oin' to use them to 6eat me7 -nd they
didn9t7
(ut thin's chan'ed some7 Poker chan'ed7 More and more8 a new ty"e of
"layer was comin' on the scene:more literate8 more refined7 Old 'am6lers
were true 'am6lers8 ready to "ut all their money on the ta6le anytime8
anywhere7 Most of them had no other o"tion as a li!elihood8 either7 Poker
was a "ath out of "o!erty7 Many old 'am6lers were uneducated7 Today8
"layers often ha!e de'rees and treat "oker as a 6usiness rather than a "ure
form of 'am6lin'7 Modern "layers are 'rowin' u" in a world of the Internet8
and many e!en "lay "oker online8 somethin' that would ha!e 6een 6eyond
anyone9s wildest ima'ination when the first co"y of Su"er#System was
"urchased7
-nd "oker has 'rown so !astly in recent years7 So !astly7 The old ways:
those seedy 'ames in the 6ack of "ool halls8 in ta!erns8 those "ri!ate home
'ames and the ones held 6y fraternal or'ani%ations like the Elks and the
NF+:are Juickly fadin'7 It was so much more difficult to 'et 'ood 6ack
then7 ;ou had to do it the hard way7
Today8 you can take a shortcut to winnin' Bust 6y readin' what the e"erts
and "ro!en "layers ha!e contri6uted8 rather than ha!in' to de!elo" "oker
talents throu'h trial and error7
(i' Money
-fter 14118 I started accumulatin' 6i' money7 The re'ular 'ames were 'ood8
and the side 'ames at the +orld Series of Poker were ecellent7 (ut this
'olden a'e for "oker "rofits didn9t last7
*id you know that satellites ruined the cash 'ames at the tournamentsE The
"layers who "re!iously came to town ea'er to risk their 6ankrolls a'ainst the
to" "ros in side 'ames suddenly disco!ered they could 'et their adrenaline
rush 6y "layin' in these one>ta6le shootouts8 tryin' to win entries into the
tournaments Bust 6y 6eatin' e!eryone at a sin'le ta6le7 It was addicti!e for
them7 -nd it worked "erfectly to increase the num6er of entrants in the
tournaments7 (ut it didn9t work well for those of us who had "re!iously
6enefited when these ine"erienced "layers 6um"ed heads a'ainst us durin'
$I
those tournaments7 Satellites had arri!ed8 and that kind of easy "rofit was
'one7 - few ad!enturous "layers still sou'ht us out8 wantin' the challen'e7
(ut mostly8 the o""ortunities for su"er>soft side 'ames at tournaments were
'one7
*es"ite this8 my "oker 6ankroll continued to 'row7 It was almost all smooth
sailin'8 almost all success7 E!erythin' went strai'ht u"7
It was a time when the ,am6lers In!itational ,olf Tournament8 hosted 6y
<ack (inion8 6rou'ht all the 'am6lers to'ether and 6oasted some of the
6i''est 'olf 'ames in the history of the s"ort7 Those who think that there9s
6i' money of the P,- tour ha!e no idea what 'oes on when a 6unch of 'olf>
cra%ed 'am6lers 'et to'ether7 -nd it didn9t matter how well or how "oorly
you "layed the 'ame8 if you had a 6ankroll and a set of clu6s8 we9d fi'ure out
a way to make it a fair 'am6le7
*u6ious 5e"utations
I made a load of money 'olfin'8 "artly 6ecause I had a re"utation for 'i!in'
action7 ;ou9!e 'ot to 'i!e action to 'et action7 I used sheer mental tou'hness
and com"etiti!eness8 as well as a ,od>'i!en 'ift for athletics8 to come out on
to"7 There were million dollar days7
(ack then8 not e!eryone we wa'ered with at 'olf 6elon'ed in the @re"uta6le
'am6lerA cate'ory7 Take <immy )ha'ra8 a con!icted dru' dealer who was
later re!ealed to 6e one of the 6i''est su""liers in the Lnited States7 +e9re
talkin' 6oatloads from )olum6ia7 +ell8 that was the @successfulA side of
)ha'ra7 On the less successful side8 he had his 'olf 'ame !astly o!errated7
He was so wron' a6out his a6ility that he demanded to "lay C1338333
Nassaus with automatic "resses anytime someone 'ot two holes down7
No6ody else could easily afford to "lay that hi'h8 so I decided take the
challen'e and also to stake the le'endary "oker "layer Pu''y Pearson from
Nash!ille and <erry Irwin from Indiana"olis8 6oth "artici"ants in <ack9s
tournament7 Now Pu''y had a du6ious re"utation for takin' ad!anta'es that
were8 well8 let9s Bust say they a""roached the 'ray area on a scale of 'olfin'
"ro"riety7 -ll three of us 6eat )ha'ra the first two holes and8 on the third8 the
automatic "ress started7
$/
Net hole7 Pu''y and I are on the 'reen in two8 while )ha'ra finds himself in
a sand tra"7 There9s a meanin'less s"ot of sun>dried 'rass in front of Pu''y9s
6all8 a 6lemish on the 'reen "ath to the hole8 6ut not a hindrance to his "utt in
any way7 For some reason I9ll ne!er li!e lon' enou'h to understand8 Pu''y
mo!ed his 6all a few inches away from the suns"ot8 to no ad!anta'e7 May6e
it9s Bust Pu'9s nature7
)ha'ra had his 6ody'uard ridin' in the cart with him7
@<immy8 Pu''y mo!ed his 6all8A the 6ody'uard announced7
+ell8 )ha'ra went 6allistic8 screamin'8 6ellowin'8 threatenin'8 @I9m 'onna
6low all you 6lankety>6lanks awayFA
I fi'ure Pu''y cost me C$ million in future earnin's that day8 may6e more8
and I9!e ne!er let him for'et it7 +hile I "ersonally had success a'ainst
)ha'ra after that8 Pu''y ne!er 'ot another chance7 He was 6anished fore!er
from our 'rou"7
My Saddest Hour
Life is like "oker sometimes7 <ust when thin's are 'oin' so 'ood that you
think you9re su""osed to win e!ery "ot8 you 'et a monster hand cracked8 and
it s"ells the 6e'innin' of a di%%yin' downward s"iral7 That9s how it was
when *oyla died at ei'hteen7
She9d 6een attendin' LNLN7 +e knew she had a !al!e "ro6lem with her
heart8 6ut it wasn9t su""osed to 6e serious7 They say it was too much
"otassium that took her from us7 It was so une"ected8 like 6ein' kicked in
the 'ut so hard you don9t think you can e!er stand u" a'ain8 6reathe a'ain7
;ou know how each of us sometimes searches for the meanin' of lifeE
Losin' *oyla started my search in earnest7 *oyla was a de!out )hristian8 as
is her mother8 Louise7 To 6e sure8 I had )hristian 6eliefs8 too7 (ut I wasn9t
really "racticin' them7 I 'uess I had strayed a6out as far away from ,od as
you can and still 6e a 6elie!er7 Thinkin' 6ack8 I was too cau'ht u" in myself
and my Juest for success8 my desire to 6e rich and famous and such7
I sunk into a lon' de"ression7 *urin' this time I studied the (i6le and other
)hristian literature7 It awakened me7 ,radually8 so 'radually o!er the net
year8 my stren'th returned8 and with it my resol!e and my s"irit7
I came to reali%e that ,od allows us to ha!e a free will and do as we "lease7
$1
-nd so8 *oyla had used her free will when she took too much "otassium8 the
e!ent that "ut her system out of 6alance and sto""ed her heart7 It must not
ha!e seemed like a 6i' thin' to her8 such a small mistake7 (ut sometimes
choices we make ha!e conseJuences 6eyond what we could e!er ima'ine7 I
remem6er *oyla e!ery day8 and the shock and the sadness of losin' her will
ne!er end7 (ut I9m at "eace with ,od7 Had I not come to acce"t that "eace8 I
could ne!er ha!e returned successfully to "oker7
I finally came to understand that *oyla9s and Louise9s )hristian 6eliefs were
ri'ht for me7 -nd I was ready to re!isit "oker with a new !i'or7
I mo!ed to )alifornia and found !ery soft action at the "oker ta6les7 -t the
(icycle )lu68 I won o!er a C1 million !ery Juickly7 I was 6ack7
Esse8 En'land
I9!e 6ecome more reflecti!e a6out life as I9!e continued to mature7 It9s
stran'e to reali%e that a man can 'et to 6e fifty8 sity8 and now se!enty and
still find himself maturin'7 (ut that9s what ha""ens7
-6out twenty years a'o8 I took an interest in 'enealo'y8 wonderin' how I
came to 6e7 I learned that 5o'er (runson8 the first historically recorded
(runson in -merica8 could 6e traced to )onnecticut in 1/$I7 -nd you can
trace my linea'e 6ack to Esse8 En'land in the 1I33s7
-ctually8 the early surnames in my family weren9t all (runson7 They were
(rownson8 meanin' son of (raun8 and (ronson7 (ut these were all related8
all from the same family tree7 I disco!ered that8 ece"t for Nati!e -mericans8
no families can trace their roots to this continent further 6ack than the
(runsons7
Sometimes I wonder if any of the (runsons who "receded me had 'am6lin'
in their natures7 +ere they 'reat risk takersE *id they o!ercome ad!ersity or
'et 6uried 6y itE +hat an'uish did they face that in!ol!ed their familiesE
+hat !ictories made them "roudestE History doesn9t "ro!ide me enou'h
detail7 Still8 I wonder7
-s for me8 life9s "ath has 6een "e""ered with "retty "anorama and disastrous
detours7 May6e e!eryone9s life is a little like that7 May6e thin's that ha""en
to you Bust seem ma'nified and out of "ro"ortion when com"ared to e!ents
that ha""en to others7
$0
Thinkin' (ack
The e!ents that I most remem6er "lay out in my mind like sound 6ites7
Occasionally I can9t recall details or e!ents until one of these monumental
moments in memory 'ets me started8 and then that tri''er leads me to the
net remem6rance and the net7
Like my children lea!in' the nest7 Like when my closest friends and some of
my family 6e'an to die off:Sailor8 *7)78 Mom8 three aunts8 and four uncles
:all within two years7 -nd this8 once a'ain8 'ot me to wonderin' a6out the
meanin' of life7 +hat9s it all a6outE (ut this time8 my newly disco!ered faith
6rou'ht me throu'h7
Then there were those 6ad in!estments:tele!ision stations8 minin' !entures8
you name it7 *es"ite my ad!anced education in 6usiness8 I Bust couldn9t seem
to 'et it ri'ht7 May6e the Lord intended for me to 6e a "oker "layer7 May6e
"oker is my "ath to 'reater awareness7 May6e whene!er I stray from that
"oker "ath8 the Lord decides to yank me around a little and remind me to stay
on course8 doin' what I do 6est7 It sure seems that way7
-nd I9!e noticed this in other 'reat "oker "layers as well7 They yearn to take
a shot at somethin' 6eyond "oker8 and as likely as not8 whene!er they do it8
they end u" 'ettin' yanked around8 too7
Enter the +orld Poker Tour8 the tremendously successful tele!ised series
that9s hel"ed to "o"ulari%e our 'ame as much as anythin' else in "oker
history7 +hen Lyle (erman8 founder of the +PT offered me a chance to 6uy
in8 I was so 'un>shy from failed in!estments that I turned it down7
Life9s stran'e7 Here I am8 all my life8 takin' shots at shaky in!estments
ha!in' nothin' to do with "oker7 Many of those shots are doomed from the
'et>'o8 and here9s one with the ri'ht "eo"le 6ehind it8 with the ri'ht !ision8 at
the ri'ht time8 in!ol!in' the ri'ht 'ame:my 'ame:and I turn it down7
;eah8 life9s stran'e and so are the choices that "eo"le make in life7 ;ou
ne!er know what the net deal 6rin's7 Sometimes you "lay hands and wish
you hadn9t7 -nd sometimes you throw away hands8 only to see a "erfect flo"8
and you wished you9d stuck around to enBoy it7
More Twists and Turns
My 6est friend o!er the "ast thirty years has 6een <ack (inion8 who took o!er
$4
as "rinci"al owner of the Horseshoe after his le'endary father8 (enny (inion8
died7 May6e you9!e heard a6out the family dis"ute that "itted <ack a'ainst
his sister8 (ecky7 It was hi'hly "u6lici%ed7 Naturally8 my friendshi" dictated
that I side with <ack8 and when he left the Horseshoe in his sister9s char'e
and o"ened casinos down South8 I deserted the +orld Series of Poker for
four years7
It was a hard thin' to do8 6ecause I was the leadin' money winner lifetime at
the tournament8 and I knew that with e!er>'rowin' tournaments and 6i''er
"ri%e money8 other "layers would likely 6e "assin' me as I sat on the
sidelines7 ;et e!en today I remain in a tie with <ohnny )han and Phil
Hellmuth for total first>"lace 6racelets won7 +e9!e each won nine7
That family dis"ute has 6lown o!er8 and may6e I9ll 6e a6le to add more
6racelets in the years ahead8 althou'h with the num6er of entrants "er e!ent
often a""roachin' 18333 nowadays and sur"assin' $8/33 for the $332 main
e!ent8 that 6ecomes a much tou'her challen'e7
Ni'htmare
I remem6er the last year I "layed in the +SOP 6efore my 6oycott7 I finished
first8 second8 and third durin' the series of e!ents7 (ut on the ne'ati!e side8 I
was ro66ed at 'un"oint8 6eaten8 and hit o!er the head7 (ut the ni'ht it
ha""ened tau'ht me Bust how saintly and 6ra!e Louise really was7 I9d always
known it in my heart8 6ut this time she "ro!ed it in a way that will always
haunt me7
;ou9d think I9d know 6etter than to carry lar'e amounts of money8 and I do
know 6etter7 (ein' held u" and hiBacked8 rolled and ro66ed from my earliest
"oker days in Teas has tau'ht me caution7 (ut8 a""arently not enou'h
caution7 It wasn9t cash I was carryin' si years a'o8 Bust chi"s from the "oker
'ames at the +SOP7 (i' chi"s7 Lots of them7
-nd I 'ot home with them safely7 -lmost7
One of the worst ni'htmares8 not only for a "oker "layer8 6ut for any citi%en8
is a home in!asion7 It was midni'ht7 -s I left my car8 headin' for my door8 I
was confronted 6y two men8 one with a 'un7 They wanted the keys7 I flun'
them far into the 6ushes8 6ut not far enou'h7 One of the men retrie!ed them7 I
decided I sim"ly wasn9t 'oin' inside the house7 No way7 So8 I faked a heart
.3
attack7 It was a con!incin' act8 and they 6ou'ht into it7 (ut that didn9t send
them scurryin' into the ni'ht7 They sim"ly unlocked the door and dra''ed
me throu'h it7
Naturally8 we ha!e all sorts of security features8 as most hi'h>stakes "layers
do7 One of those was a delayed alarm8 which had 6een set 6y Louise8 who
was u"stairs slee"in'7 +hen I didn9t deacti!ate it8 the alarm sounded8 Bust as
I9d ho"ed7
They demanded to know how to turn it off7 I ke"t fei'nin' semi>
consciousness and 'i!in' them the wron' com6inations8 askin' them to call
the "aramedics7 Sym"athy from them was not forthcomin'8 howe!er7 I was
"istol>whi""ed and they 6roke my nose in the "rocess7 My face was 6adly cut
u" when Louise came downstairs to in!esti'ate the commotion7
The "hone ran'7
@That9s the alarm com"any8A one of the men 'rowled7 @Tell them
e!erythin'9s all ri'ht8 or we9ll kill you ri'ht nowFA
It was8 indeed8 the security com"any8 res"ondin' to a standard alert7 In order
to determine whether this was a false alarm8 they asked for a "assword that
would let them know e!erythin' was okay7 Louise took the call and had the
"resence of mind to 'i!e the wron' "assword8 Bust as I had 'i!en the wron'
codes7 (ut instead of "ickin' u" on the clue that somethin' was terri6ly
amiss at the (runsons9 residence8 the woman on the other end admonished
Louise8 sayin' she had 6een 'i!en the wron' "assword7
@;es8 I know8A Louise confirmed "olitely8 ho"in' the intruders wouldn9t
di!ine the direction of the "hone con!ersation7 She a'ain re"eated the in!alid
code and hun' u"7 Now8 you9d think that was enou'h to send hel" on its way7
(ut no7 The "hone ran' a'ain7 -nd a'ain it was the security com"any7 This
time one of the ro66ers answered and tried8 "athetically8 to sound like a
woman7 He was told that the code "re!iously 'i!en is in!alid7 (elatedly8 the
a'ent 'ot sus"icious and fi'ured it out7 Finally8 she hun' u" and called the
"olice7
Slammin' the "hone down8 the ro66er lost his cool8 char'ed 6ack into the
room where the other 6andit had a 'un to my head7
@*on9t kill him8 kill meFA It was my dear Louise9s !oice7 +hen the man had
.1
ste""ed 6ack from me8 she had Bum"ed 6etween me and the 'un7
The ro66ers seemed fla66er'asted7 They threatened us a'ain8 then took chi"s
and some money from my "ockets7 They didn9t search the house8 and they
wouldn9t ha!e found any cash there8 anyway7 I don9t kee" cash at home8
mostly 6ecause it could endan'er my family7 They sensed they were runnin'
out of time8 and so they fled7
E!en throu'h the "ain8 one thou'ht struck home7 It was my astonishment at
Bust how coura'eous Louise is7 I9d always known she was like that8 6ut that
ni'ht set a new standard7
(y the way8 I9d learned that heart attack trick from another le'endary
'am6ler8 Titanic Thom"son7 It was in his 6ook7 (ut he would take it a ste"
further8 comin' out with a hidden "istol7 They say he killed fi!e 'uys that
tried to ro6 him7
- 5eunion
My life has 6een a lon' chain of ad!entures7 -nd when I think 6ack8 I reali%e
that the thin's you e"erience are your 'ifts to remem6er7 Permanent 'ifts8
like diamonds7 They s"arkle in your head8 and they are yours fore!er7
-nd I Bourney 6ack to my colle'e years at Hardin>Simmons7 It9s as if I can
remem6er it all8 the 'ames8 the 'lory8 the shots I made8 the shots I missed7 It
all "lays out a'ain8 like 6rand new8 on a 6asket6all court in my mind7
E!eryone9s there7 My friends7 My teammates7 The crowds7
It had 6een like that for many years8 those !i!id memories7 -nd so8 I in!ited
my whole team to a reunion7 Sur"risin'ly8 all 6ut two were still ali!e:
twenty>fi!e of them7 +ould you 6elie!e that twenty>two showed u" at my
home8 more than fifty years after we9d had our cham"ionshi" season in the
(order )onferenceE Our conference included 6i' time schools such as
-ri%ona8 -ri%ona State8 New Meico8 Teas Tech8 and LTEP8 then known as
Teas +estern7 Our Hardin>Simmons team was one of siteen elite teams
that com"rised the N)-- 6asket6all tournament at that time7
My old teammates had 6ecome educators and "reachers and 6usinessmen7
None was a "oker "layer7 I was the 6lack shee" of the uni!ersity7 Hardin>
Simmons has stron' reli'ious roots8 and I9m 6ettin' I was the only one who
turned out to 6e a "rofessional 'am6ler in the history of the school7
.$
No wonder I9!e 6een "assed u" for my colle'e9s Hall of Fame8 des"ite my
accom"lishments in track and 6asket6all there7 (ut the reunion made u" for
it8 and it turned out to 6e one of the fondest e"eriences of my life7
+e all reminisced a6out that cham"ionshi" year8 and time stood still7 -nd for
a 6rief8 whimsical8 ma'ical moment8 I 6elie!ed:may6e we all 6elie!ed:we
could still do it7 +e could do it a'ain7
Heart6reak and Peace
-nd so my time on earth so far has 6een a Bourney7 -lon' the way8 I9!e faced
heart6reak and found "eace7 I9!e stru''led 6ut ultimately conJuered7 -nd
now8 ha!in' com"leted my se!enth decade on earth8 I reflect7
That9s one of the two thin's I do most nowadays7 5eflect7 -nd "lay "oker7
I don9t "lay in a lot of tournaments outside of Ne!ada these days8 6ut 6ecause
the +PT has 'rown so "o"ular8 there9s a sudden interest in "oker7 I9!e 6een
in!ited re'ularly to a""ear on TN shows8 the inter!iews for maBor
"u6lications ha!e 6ecome common"lace8 and a mo!ie scri"t a6out my life
has Bust 6een com"leted7
Poker is hot7 -nd I9m "roud of my "art in it8 honored 6y e!ery award that ties
me to our 'reat 'ame of "oker:Poker Hall of Fame8 Seniors Hall of Fame8
Teas Hall of Fame8 Tro"icana )asino Le'ends Hall of Fame7 -s I sat
writin' this section8 I had the honor of 6ein' interru"ted 6y an in!itation from
the )ommerce )asino near Los -n'eles8 the 6i''est "oker "alace in the
world7 I was one of three @"layersA to 6e inducted into their new Poker +alk
of Fame8 alon' with actor <ames ,arner8 who "layed Ma!erick on the most
"o"ular TN series in its day8 and ,us Hanson8 who won three maBor tele!ised
tournaments last year7 That9s an ama%in' feat8 es"ecially in li'ht of the
increased num6er of com"etitors "er e!ent7 This sur'e in "oker "o"ularity
means more "layers to 6eat8 and you can 'o a lon'8 lon' time 6efore winnin'
Bust one maBor tournament8 no matter how skillful you are7 +innin' three in a
season is remarka6le7
-nd to show the im"ortance of all this e"osure8 not many would ha!e
named ,us as a to" contender until that7 Today8 if you "lay well and 'et on a
streak8 you9ll 6e in the s"otli'ht and can stay there for a lon' time7 ,us will7
Peo"le9s im"ressions of those tele!ised !ictories lin'er and are lon'
..
remem6ered7
,us9s "erformance is the most etraordinary feat since <ohnny )han won two
+SOP main e!ents 6ack>to>6ack in the same twel!e months that he won the
two "resti'ious Hall of Fame main e!ents and then finished second at the
+SOP the followin' year7 +ith the dramatically increased num6er of
entrants8 a "erformance like that will surely ne!er 6e re"eated7
)han'es
My life has e!ol!ed radically since the days that Slim and Sailor and I
tra!eled Teas and the South in an old Fairlane Ford7 Thin's ha!e chan'ed so
much7
I still "lay "oker re'ularly7 (ut often I decide to esca"e8 e!en thou'h it means
sacrificin' some "rofit7 Then I stay at my "lace on Flathead Lake in
Montana8 out of the Las Ne'as heat8 relain'7 -t those times8 life is "assin'
me 6y8 and I feel renewed7 -nd there8 as e!erywhere8 I reflect7 5eflectin' on
my life8 and life in 'eneral8 has 6ecome almost an o6session with me in
recent years7
+hat 'ood is life8 you know8 if you can only li!e it onceE ;ou own your
e"eriences7 They are yours to kee"7 ;ou should think a6out that as you 'o
throu'h life7 +hat you do now will 6ecome a "ermanent "art of you7 The
'ood thin's and the 6ad thin's7 I can9t tell you that the cards you9re dealt will
6e the ones you want8 6ut whate!er they turn out to 6e8 "lay them wisely7
That9s the secret7
It all 'oes 6y so Juickly8 life7 My son Todd and my dau'hters Pam and
)heryl were Bust kids yesterday7 Now they9re 'rown7 -nd I9!e watched Todd
Juit colle'e to follow in his father9s footste"s in the "oker arena7 He9s
im"ressed me 'reatly8 e!er since he trium"hed in one of his first tournaments
at the (icycle )lu67 Many world>class "layers ha!e told me that Todd is one
of the 6est youn' "layers today7 So8 don9t Bust 'o 6y what I say7 I could 6e
6iased7 Todd has "ro!en himself to the "oker world8 and that9s why he9s in
this 6ook7
I think 6ack on why I liked "oker in the first "lace7 It was the freedom8 I
think7 ;ou9re as free as a cloud floatin' in the sky7 That9s the most 6eautiful
"art of 6ein' a 'am6ler7
.2
Middle It at 1$3
-s you "ro6a6ly know8 I9!e 6een !ery hea!y most of my adult life7 Peo"le
ke"t warnin' me of the health "ro6lems that 'o alon' with carryin' around
those etra "ounds7 (ut it didn9t really hit home with me 6ecause I was a6le
to mo!e a6out swiftly8 'olf with a low handica"8 and stay acti!e7
(ut recently I sat down and chatted with myself7 Thin's were not as they had
6een7 I was o!er se!enty7 In recent years8 like a classic car8 my chassis wasn9t
in 'ood sha"e7 My le's weren9t carryin' me well and my shoulder ached7 (ut
my heart was healthy8 like a 'reat>workin'8 tireless car6uretor7 May6e that9s
6ecause 6lood has flowed !ery fast throu'h my !eins durin' the "ressure
situations at "oker7 May6e that cleansed me7
Two different doctors ha!e told me that my 6ody must 6e "ro'rammed to
li!e 1$3 years8 as 6adly as I9!e treated it7 One said 1.38 one said 1138 so I
middled it at 1$37
Then I decided that I may as well "lan for a lot more hands of "oker8 and I
had 'astric 6y"ass sur'ery to reduce my wei'ht7 I did that si months a'o8
and I feel a lot healthier now7
(ut what ha""ens after those 1$3 yearsE I9ll 6e 'one and "erha"s some
as"irin' "layers will read this 6ook and new "oker stars will 6e created7
They9ll kee" "oker9s flame flickerin'8 and if the Lord allows8 I9ll o6ser!e
from a6o!e and share their ad!entures7
-s for now8 I9m lookin' forward to the net fifty years7 -nd while that may
not 6e eactly realistic and may not ha""en8 in life and in "oker8 the 6est you
can do is try7 -nd I9ll 6e tryin'7
)randell -ddin'ton
Some of my fondest memories of the old days include )randell -ddin'ton7
+e met o!er forty years a'o when we were 6oth sin'le and ad!enturesome7
+e "layed "oker in 6ackrooms8 sawdust Boints8 and hi'h stakes 'ames
throu'hout Teas8 -la6ama8 Oklahoma8 Louisiana8 and other southern states7
+e sur!i!ed numerous ro66eries8 arrests and other situations that would ri!al
the action scenes you see on the mo!ie screens today7
)randell8 myself8 and a half do%en other hi'h stakes "layers from Teas
introduced no>limit Teas hold Oem to Ne!ada in the late 14/39s7 Then later
.I
on in 140I8 at the reJuest of (enny (inion8 )randell and <ack Strauss went
on a month>lon' tour of ,reat (ritain to show their 'am6lers how to "lay the
'ame7
)randell was an ori'inal "artici"ant and the winner of the 14/4 Teas
,am6lers )on!ention held in 5eno8 the "rofessional "oker tournament that
6ecame the +orld Series of Poker in 14137 )randell then "layed in the
+SOP the net nine years at (inion9s Horseshoe )asino in downtown Las
Ne'as7 He com"iled an outstandin' record in the +SOP8 includin' two
second "lace finishes7
Now retired from "oker8 )randell runs his oil e"loration com"any8 alon'
with his "recious metals and "harmaceutical com"anies7 He remains one of
the most colorful and 'reatest "layers in "oker history7
./
THE HISTO5; OF NO>LIMIT TEP-S HOL*9EM
6y )randell -ddin'ton
This is the story of how a small 6and of Teas 'am6lers unwittin'ly created
the "oker colossus that is currently enBoyed 6y more than fifty million
"rofessional and amateur "layers and is seen 6y millions of "eo"le worldwide
on some of the most "o"ular shows on tele!ision7 Here9s how it all started7
In the early 14/3s8 "oker was an ille'al acti!ity throu'hout the Lnited States8
with the ece"tion of Ne!ada and )alifornia7 (ut that didn9t sto" Teans like
Pinky 5hoden of Lu66ock8 @*uckA Mallard of Lockhart8 <esse -lto of
)or"us )hristi8 <ack Straus of Houston8 and Tom Moore of San -ntonio from
hostin' hi'h stakes 'ames all o!er their state7 Some 'ame o"erators e!en
dis'uised their or'ani%ations as fraternal or'ani%ations8 such as the 5edmen
and Elks )lu6s8 ho"in' to "re!ent raids from the authorities7 Sometimes this
worked8 sometimes it didn9t7
These men and more:includin' the se!en Teans who e!entually 6rou'ht
no>limit Teas hold9em to Ne!ada:tra!eled from town to town across Teas
and the dee" South "layin' "oker7 They 6ecame known as @outsideA or
@roadA 'am6lers8 and they s"eciali%ed in Hansas )ity low6all draw and Teas
hold9em8 then a new 'ame that offered the 6est "latform for de!elo"in'
multi"le strate'ies and tactically im"lementin' them7
-round this same time8 Tom Moore8 Slim Lam6ert8 and 5ed (erry were
runnin' a weekend casino with ta6le 'ames in the heart of Teas7 These
@(oss ,am6lers of (ear )ountyA o"erated their casino in the incor"orated
city of )astle Hills8 which was entirely surrounded 6y San -ntonio7 In a
ram6lin' house attached to the casino on +est -!enue8 they ran a second
ille'al o"erationK a hi'h stakes "oker 'ame si days a week:fi!e days of no>
limit8 one day of limit7
In 14/.8 at the a'e of twenty>fi!e8 I 6e'an to "lay in this 'ame7 This was one
of the softest hi'h stakes no>limit 'ames in the state due to the num6er of
"roducers it drew8 such as <ohn Monfrey8 the Falstaff 6eer distri6utor for
South TeasD -ustin Hem"hill8 a Ford dealerD and other oilmen8 6ankers8
ranchers8 restaurateurs8 contractors8 and car dealers7 (ecause of this8 Moore
.1
was "rotecti!e of his 'ame8 and the only outside 'am6lers welcome to "lay
were those of us who were his "ersonal friends7
Howe!er8 as soft as this 'ame was8 sometimes the fish ate the "elicans7 One
ni'ht on +est -!enue8 I witnessed one of the 6i''est laydowns and three of
the hi'hest hands that can 6e dealt in Teas hold9em7 The fish was a San
-ntonio contractor who was a re'ular at the 'ame8 and fortunately for the
two "elicans:,il6ert Hess of *allas8 who would later marry Felton
Mc)orkindale9s widow8 and *oyle (runson:it occurred on the one ni'ht of
the week when the limit 'ame was in session7 Otherwise the "elicans would
ha!e had a smooth s"ot to shuffle on where all their chi"s had 6een7
The limit was C03#C1/38 chea" 6y today9s standards8 6ut hi'h enou'h 6ack
then7 There was a round of raises 6efore the flo"8 then the flo" fell ->2>$7
The maimum 6ets and su6seJuent raises were made and called 6y all three
"layers7 -t this "oint8 *oyle was holdin' tri" aces8 ,il6ert Hess was holdin'
tri" deuces8 and the fish was holdin' tri" fours7
The turn came a deuce7 *oyle led with aces full8 6ut when the dou6le raise
came 6ack to him8 he laid down the hand7 Since I ha!e already told you that
on this "articular ni'ht the fish ate the "elicans8 you already know that the
ri!er card was the fourth four7 So the contractor won the hand a'ainst odds
that only some to" "oker mathematician and theorist8 such as Mike )aro8
mi'ht 6e interested in calculatin'7
-nyway8 four years later8 Tom in!ited me to "artici"ate in the acJuisition of
the Holiday Hotel in 5eno8 and thanks to my success at his ta6le8 I was a6le
to acce"t7 In 14/18 I mo!ed to Ne!ada with him and his family7
Lnfortunately8 we ran into trou6le securin' a 'amin' license8 so the Holiday
Hotel ne!er Juite "anned out8 for me at least7
The ori'inal licensees of the Holiday Hotel in 5eno 6ecame Tom8 <ohn
Monfrey8 and -ustin Hem"hill8 who would later "artner with 5ed Mc)om6s8
owner of the Minnesota Nikin's and former owner of the San -ntonio S"urs
and *en!er Nu''ets7
(ut8 hotel or not8 I was "layin' enou'h "oker to kee" me occu"ied7 I had
decided a'ainst 6ecomin' an inside 'am6ler and instead continued tra!elin'
all o!er the country and Meico "layin' hi'h stakes 'ames7 +hat I didn9t
.0
know:what no one could ha!e known:was how our introduction of Teas
hold9em would end u" chan'in' the landsca"e of "oker fore!er7
-t the time8 Ne!ada had only one le'al "oker room8 which was located in the
,olden Nu''et and o"erated 6y (ill (oyd8 a master fi!e>card stud "layer7 It
was truly a @sawdust Boint8A with red>flocked wall"a"er on the walls and
oiled sawdust co!erin' the floors7 Ne!ada and )alifornia "layers came there
to "lay fi!e>card stud8 ra%%8 and )alifornia low6all draw7 This would chan'e
when a small 'rou" of Teans8 led 6y Felton Mc)orkindale and includin'
*oyle (runson8 (ryan @SailorA 5o6erts8 <ohnny Moss8 -marillo Slim8 <ack
Straus and me8 introduced hi'h>stakes no>limit Teas hold9em to Ne!ada7
Teas hold9em "ro!ed "o"ular amon' the "layers8 6ut for years there was no
casino other than the ,olden Nu''et in which to s"read a 'ame7 The ,olden
Nu''et didn9t eactly attract the same num6er of hi'h roller casino "atrons
that the Stri" casinos reeled in 6y the thousands7 This meant there was !ery
little o""ortunity to catch a dro">in "layer or "roducer at the "oker room7 (ut
in 14/48 Sid +yman8 the 6oss of the *unes Hotel and )asino8 today the site
of the (ella'io8 in!ited us to s"read a hi'h>stakes no>limit 'ame Bust outside
the entrance to his main showroom8 where we were a6le to catch lots of dro">
ins8 includin' the late MaBor 5iddle8 the maBority owner of the *unes7
5emem6er8 Ne!adans and )alifornians were "rimarily fi!e>card stud "layers7
-nd althou'h he was ori'inally from Lockhart8 Teas8 5iddle was 6y now a
trans"lanted Ne!adan7 -s such8 he had no e"erience "layin' a 'ame that
reJuired such su6lime strate'y8 and it is fair to say that he and others new to
the 'ame were faced with a stee" learnin' cur!e7 Their ine"erience hel"ed
fill the lock6oes of the outside 'am6lers from Teas who 6rou'ht the 'ame
west7
One such incident took "lace at the le'endary "oker ta6le in the *unes7 On
one hand8 all 6ut Tean <ohnny Moss and MaBor 5iddle folded8 lea!in' a
hu'e heads>u" "ot7 <ohnny was in the lead and ne!er checked his handD
5iddle ne!er hesitated to call <ohnny9s 6ets from 6efore the flo" or after the
ri!er7 +hen all the cards were out8 the 6oard was H>H>4>4><7 Moss mo!ed in
on 5iddle8 and 5iddle called him7 Moss rolled a "air of nines out of the hole
for four of a kind7 MaBor 5iddle rolled a "air of deuces out of the hole7 See
.4
what I mean a6out the fi!e>card stud "layers and their learnin' cur!eE 5iddle
had a wired "air8 and he was not a6out to lay them down8 not reali%in' that he
had the worst hand "ossi6le in this situation and could not e!en 6eat the fi!e
cards on the 6oard7
One "layer8 <oe 5u6ino8 who was from -la6ama and a 'ood Hansas )ity
low6all "layer =6ut not much of a Teas hold9em "layer?8 went so far as to
re'ister an o6Bection to <ohnny winnin' the "ot7 5u6ino claimed that since
5iddle could not 6eat the 6oard with his two deuces8 he should 6e a6le to take
his last call 6ack7 It didn9t take <ohnny 6ut a second to tell him that
sometimes the 6oard is the 6est "ossi6le hand in Teas hold9em and that his
comment showed how little he knew a6out the 'ame7 He also told him a
cou"le of other thin's a6out mindin' his own 6usiness when he was not
in!ol!ed in a "ot7
-s the 'ame 6e'an to catch on in Las Ne'as durin' the late sities and early
se!enties8 hi'h stakes no>limit Teas hold9em 'ames ran'ed from C138333 to
C1338333 chan'e>in =that9s a6out C/38333 > C/338333 in terms of today9s
dollar?7
In 14/08 Tom and Lafayne Moore decided to hold a ta6le 'ames tournament
in order to "romote the Holiday Hotel in 5eno7 They desi'ned ela6orate
in!itations to The First -nnual ,amin' Fraternity )on!ention and sent them
to a select 'rou" of a""roimately fifty hi'h rollers7 The e!ent met with
limited success8 so in 14/4 Tom decided to chan'e the format to a hi'h>
stakes "oker 'ame and in!ite all the to" "layers and some of the 6i''est
6ookies in the L7S7
Moore8 a 'ood "oker "layer himself8 knew that the 6ookmakers would 6e the
"roducers of The Second -nnual ,amin' Fraternity )on!ention7 This was
the first e!er maBor "oker tournament8 and it drew twenty or thirty "oker
"layers8 6ookmakers8 and "ool hustlers8 includin' myself8 <ohnny Moss8
*oyle (runson8 <ames @Lon''oodieA 5oy8 -u6rey *ay8 (enny (inion8
-marillo Slim8 Pu''y Pearson8 <immy )asella8 Minnesota Fats8 (ill (oyd8
<ack Straus8 Felton @)orkyA Mc)orkindale8 ,eor'e (arnes8 @SailorA 5o6erts8
<ohnny <ose"h8 and the notorious father of actor +oody Harrelson8 )harles8
now ser!in' life for the 1414 assassination of <ohn H7 +ood8 a L7S7 *istrict
23
)ourt Bustice in San -ntonio7
The e!ent8 which lasted one week8 featured Teas hold9em8 Hansas )ity
low6all draw8 ra%%8 stud8 and ace>to>fi!e low6all draw7 -ll the 'ames were
@li!eA 'ames8 that is8 "layers could re6uy chi"s if they went 6roke7 This
meant that the winner had to 6e the 6est "layer8 not Bust the luckiest7
-t this tournament8 I won the @Mr7 OutsideA tro"hy8 desi'natin' me as the
6est outside or road 'am6ler at the tournament7 Oddly enou'h8 6oth Tom
Moore and (ill (oyd8 who ran their own 'ames and therefore were thou'ht
of as inside 'am6lers8 were under consideration for the award as well7
(enny and <ack (inion were im"ressed with the success of the tournament
and acJuired the ri'hts to it when Tom Moore sold the Holiday in 14137 They
renamed it the +orld Series of Poker7 For the inau'ural tournament8 which
was held at (inion9s Horseshoe )asino8 he retained the multi>'ame format of
Moore9s ,amin' Fraternity )on!ention8 6ut with the ece"tion of a few
6ookmakers8 there were no "roducers7 E!en thou'h the "roducers had not yet
found their way to the +orld Series of Poker8 this tournament was as
successful as its "redecessor7 (ut unlike Tom Moore9s tournament8 the first
+orld Series of Poker was attended 6y !arious re"resentati!es of the "rint
media7
The followin' year8 Los -n'eles Times Bournalist Ted Thackrey su''ested to
(inion a new formatK a sin'le no>limit Teas hold9em tournament7 Thackrey
"romised that he and <immy @The ,reekA Snyder could 'et nationwide
"u6licity if the e!ent were 6illed as a winner>take>all world cham"ionshi"7
That was all (enny (inion needed to hear7
The P5 cam"ai'n worked and "layers from far and wide flocked to the
+orld Series of Poker7 Interestin'ly enou'h8 the "rinci"al attraction of the
tournament was not the tournament itself8 6ut rather the o""ortunity to win
lar'e sums from the "roducers in the li!e 'ames or side 'ames8 as they were
sometimes called7 In li!e "oker 'ames8 "layers can 6uy more chi"s:as
o""osed to tournament 'ames8 in which "layers are eliminated when they
lose their ori'inal 6uy>in7 Li!e 'ames need "roducersD that9s a cardinal rule
of hi'h stakes no>limit "oker7 -lthou'h a 'rou" of su"erior "layers mi'ht
s"read a 'ame amon'st themsel!es8 as we often did8 it is the "roducers
21
=6ookmakers8 oilmen8 6usinessmen8 and so on? that make a no>limit 'ame
thri!e7 Thanks to the ecitement 'enerated 6y (inion9s P5 cam"ai'n8 there
was no shorta'e of "roducers at the 1411 +orld Series of Poker7 In Las
Ne'as8 this was the 6e'innin' of the halcyon days of no>limit "oker7
-t one such li!e 'ame in the se!enties8 *oyle (runson and I took on a
"roducer named 5e )au6le8 a Tean who owned two eclusi!e western
wear and tack sho"s in *allas and Houston8 which he named @)utter (ill9sA
after a famous cuttin' horse7 -s it later turned out8 5e was also im"ortin'
certain a'ricultural "roducts from Meico that the *E- o6Bected to7 -nyway8
5e liked to "lay hi'h chan'e in no>limit Teas hold9em8 and he would show
u" at the Horseshoe durin' the +orld Series of Poker with a si%ea6le
6ankroll7
Now8 *oyle and I ha!e 6een friends for o!er forty years8 and we9!e "layed in
countless 'ames to'ether:6ut none ha!e e!er 6een as stran'e as this one7
On this "articular e!enin'8 5e wanted to "lay a CI38333 chan'e>in 'ame7
Four or fi!e of us took him u" on the challen'e7 (ut first8 *oyle was 'racious
enou'h to 'i!e 5e a thirty>minute crash course on the finer "oints of
hold9em7 Only after 5e was certain he had enou'h of the 6asics to "lay
credi6ly8 did we all sit down7
Less than thirty minutes into the 'ame8 an unraised "ot came u" 6etween 5e
and "oker world cham"ion (o66y (aldwin8 who 6eat me in 1410 for the title
and who is now President of the (ella'io and )EO of the Mira'e "ro"erties7
There came a flo" of H><>$8 three suits7 (o66y checked in front8 and 5e
checked7 The turn card was a /8 and 6oth "layers a'ain checked7 The ri!er
showed a 28 with no flush "ossi6le7 (o66y checked8 5e 6et C18I338 and
(o66y raised C.383337
5e8 with C/38333 in front of him8 "ondered and "ondered8 seemin' to
consider foldin' in order to "reser!e half his stack7 Finally8 clearly
intimidated8 he reluctantly called7
(o66y trium"hantly rolled .>I out of the hole for the nuts7 His strai'ht
couldn9t "ossi6ly 6e 6eat7 +hat do you think 5e rolled out of the holeE
Since 5e was last to act and had C.38333 in chi"s still in front of him8 you
would ne!er 'uess his holecards to 6e .>I8 the same as (o66y9s8 6ut they
2$
were7 5e had Bust smooth called with the nuts7
-t this "oint8 *oyle uttered his fa!orite "hrase of astonishmentK @I9ll 6e a
sun6urned son of a 6itch7A I had to su""ress a lau'h7 (ut 6ack in the early
days of the +orld Series of Poker8 this kind of thin' ha""ened7 The
tournament attracted many "roducers like 5e8 and some "layed with us for
e!en hi'her stakes7
The "o"ularity of the +orld Series was not lost on Sid +yman8 an affa6le
man and the "u6lic relations director for the *unes and the -laddin7 In 141.8
+yman 6rou'ht the 'ame of no>limit Teas hold9em across Las Ne'as
(oule!ard to the -laddin8 which was o"erated 6y Sam *iamond7 Hosted 6y
<ohnny Moss8 this hi'h>stakes no>limit Teas hold9em 'ame attracted not
only the Teas and Ne!ada 'am6lers8 6ut also more and more dro">ins7 It
was so well attended that 'ames often ran for days at a time8 and fortunes
chan'ed hands7 MaBor 5iddle was a freJuent "layer at the -laddin ta6le8 and
his "oor "lay led to his losin' maBority control of the *unes to "arties
re"resented 6y Sid +yman7
Moss e!entually mo!ed his 'ame to the oldest casino on the stri"8 the
Flamin'o8 which a'ain found itself the su6Bect of de6ate and criticism7 More
than thirty years earlier8 in 142/8 the Flamin'o "ro!ed the critics of the 1423s
wron' a6out the "ossi6ility of successful e"ansion of casinos from
downtown to a dusty8 remote location that e!entually 6ecame known as the
Stri"7 In 141/8 at the same hotel8 <ohnny Moss would "ro!e the critics of the
1413s wron' 6y successfully o"eratin' a "oker room in a Stri" casino7
-t the time8 other nota6le "oker "layers were 6e'innin' to see the ad!anta'e
of hostin' hi'h stakes 'ames8 includin' )hi" 5eese at the *unes and Eric
*rache and *oyle (runson8 who "artnered u" to o"erate the 'ame at the
Sil!er (ird8 the casino that MaBor 5iddle had acJuired after losin' control of
the *unes7 The ecitement 'enerated 6y new "oker rooms on the Stri" and
the +orld Series of Poker fueled Teas hold9em9s meteoric rise in
nationwide "o"ularity7
These "ros"erous days lasted until a6out the middle ei'hties7 (y that time8
satellites had 6ecome so "o"ular that they were runnin' twenty>four hours a
day and were occu"yin' more and more of the limited floor s"ace in the
2.
Horseshoe7 +hile at first8 this was seen as a "ositi!e chan'e for the
tournament8 it had the ironic effect of crowdin' out the li!e 'ames:the !ery
reason we had started the +SOP in the first "laceF
Today8 the 'ame of no>limit Teas hold9em that we introduced to Ne!ada so
many years a'o has 6een transformed8 thanks to its entertainment !alue8 to
tele!ision audiences7 E!er increasin' "artici"ation in maBor free%e>out
tournaments =more than $8I33 "layers in the $332 +orld Series of Poker?
ha!e forced tournament hosts to im"ose ra"idly increasin' ante and 6lind
structures in order to kee" the tournament times mana'ea6le7 -nd this has
"roduced an a6erration of the "ure form of the 'ame7 +ith certain nota6le
ece"tions8 the 'ame of no>limit Teas hold9em is a 'ame desi'ned to 6e
"layed after the flo"7 That9s when the real "lay is su""osed to 6e'in7
Howe!er8 many hands seen at tele!ised e!ents today are "layed 6efore the
flo"8 when the "layers ha!e recei!ed only their holecards7 This style of "lay8
sometimes referred to as @catch an ace and take a race8A re>introduces a
su6stantial amount of luck into a 'ame that had always fa!ored the 6est
"layer o!er the 6est card catcher7
(ut it a""ears that nothin' can sto" an idea whose time has come7 -nd for
the hundreds of thousands8 if not millions8 of "layers now acti!e on the
online "oker sites around the world8 surely the time has come7 In the future8
you can e"ect to see time mana'ement "ro6lems de!elo" for the tournament
hosts as more and more of the Internet "layers 'ain entries into the maBor
tournaments7
Lookin' into the future8 it9s not hard to ima'ine the creation of a "rofessional
"oker lea'ue8 with se!eral teams selected 6y some sort of draft7 In fact8 Bust
such a lea'ue is in an early in!esti'ati!e sta'e today7
The creation of new o""ortunities to e"loit the "oker "henomenon is limited
only 6y the ima'ination of men like (enny (inion7
So now you know the history of no>limit Teas hold9em:the story of a
small 6and of Teas 'am6lers who chan'ed the 'ame of "oker fore!er and of
how the modern "oker tournaments are descendants of an ille'al hi'h stakes
'ame in San -ntonio that 'y"sied to 5eno8 then 6lossomed into the +orld
Series of Poker8 the "ro'enitor of e!ery "oker tournament "layed and
22
tele!ised today7
2I
ONLINE POHE5
6y *oyle (runson
Technolo'y surrounds us7 Thin's chan'e7 -nd the swiftness of chan'e today
is un"aralleled in history7 Nothin' makes "oker "layers more aware of this
chan'e than the ad!ent of online "oker7
)om"uters chan'ed e!erythin':from "roducti!ity8 to research8 to 'ames7
Poker8 too7 ;ou see8 alon' came the Internet and suddenly you could find
almost any answer in seconds8 6e anywhere in the world8 instantly:not
"hysically8 of course8 6ut we learned we didn9t need to 6e "hysically "resent
to 6e there7 -nd so we could "lay "oker without 6ein' "hysically "resent7 +e
could 6e at the ta6le7 Instantly7
I remem6er the first time I "layed "oker online was in 14447 I think it was a
tiny C. limit 'ame8 and I was used to "layin' C$8333 limit and hi'her 'ames
where you could win or lose u"wards of C1 million without lea!in' your seat7
I9d 'otten curious8 6ecause Mike )aro had endorsed an online "oker site8 and
I thou'ht this was stran'e8 considerin' he had "re!iously written a column
warnin' of the "itfalls of online "lay7 If he9d chan'ed his mind8 then the least
I could do was in!esti'ate for myself7 5emarka6ly8 it was as ecitin' as any
"oker I9d e!er "layed7 There I was8 "artici"atin' in "oker on the screen with
o""onents seated inches away8 6ut knowin' they weren9t actually inches
away7 They were in En'land and ,ermany and Hon' Hon'7 E!erywhere7 I
was "layin' "oker in a 'ame that could ne!er ha!e 6een "ossi6le 6efore7
- TO5N-*O
-nd so8 une"ected and out of nowhere8 online "oker 6lew onto the scene7 It
was like a tornado swee"in' down the Teas Panhandle7 -nd I reali%ed:
'rud'in'ly at first:that it was here to stay7 ;ou could now "ut "oker into
two main cate'oriesK online "oker and real>world "oker7 Notice that I9m
sayin' @real>worldA "oker8 not @realA "oker7 That9s 6ecause online "oker is
real "oker7 It is certainly real for the hundreds of thousands of new "layers
around the world who are "layin' for real moneyF In fact8 what is there a6out
online "oker that makes it unrealE Not much8 and that9s why I think most of
2/
us ha!e started differentiatin' "oker 6y Bust these two termsK online "oker and
real>world "oker7
-nd real>world "oker8 the kind you sit down and "lay with "hysical cards at a
real ta6le a'ainst o""onents you can reach across the ta6le and shake hands
with8 can itself 6e di!ided into su6cate'ories7 For instance8 we could talk
a6out home "oker and casino "oker7 Each offers a sli'htly different fla!or7
That9s the same with 6asket6all8 you know7 There is 6asket6all "layed
outdoors on concrete sla6s8 hi'h school 6asket6all8 colle'e 6asket6all8 N(-
6asket6all8 and international 6asket6all that you see in the Olym"ics7 (ut it9s
all 6asket6all7
-nd I9m here to tell you today8 that online or real world8 "oker is "oker7 It9s
all "oker7 There9s hardly any ad!ice on these "a'es that won9t hel" you
6ecome a much 6etter online "layer8 sim"ly 6ecause it will hel" you to
6ecome a much 6etter "oker "layer8 "eriod7
*O;LE9S 5OOM
www7doylesroom7com
(efore I 'i!e you some s"ecific ti"s and insi'hts a6out "layin' "oker online8
I want to tell you somethin' that may sur"rise you7 The truth is8 it sur"rises
me8 6ecause not too many years a'o8 I couldn9t ima'ine myself 6ein'
in!ol!ed in online "oker at all7 (riefly8 I 'ot myself talked into endorsin' a
friend9s start>u" we6site8 6ut I etricated myself from that fiasco as soon as I
reali%ed that nowadays only the 6i' 6oys can afford to "lay in this 6usiness7
)halk it u" as another of my 6ad !entures when tryin' to hel" others out7
+ell8 then I 'ot smart7 If you want to know how smart8 check out
www7doylesroom7com for actual "lay in "ractice 'ames:and 6eyondF -nd
for other thin's a6out learnin' "oker8 try its sister site8 www7"oker17com7 I9m
ha""y to 6e the *oyle9s 5oom consultant and that they9re "uttin' my name
on the site:6ecause they9re "ayin' me a handsome endorsement fee8 and
6ecause it9s a site I9m "roud to 6e "art of7
Lsin' doylesroom7com as an eam"le8 I9ll walk you throu'h online "oker7
5emem6er8 6y the time you read this8 doylesroom7com and other com"etin'
sites may 6e e!en more ad!anced7 I en!ision 6ein' a6le to 6et Bust 6y
s"eakin' and 6ein' a6le to scrutini%e li!e8 mo!in' ima'es of o""onents8
21
6rin'in' to the online world the most sorely missed element of traditional
"okerK tells7
The one thin' that will shock you most is the num6er of "oker "layers
currently online7 <ust 6efore this 6ook went to "ress8 I was honored to 6e
inducted into the Poker +alk of Fame at the )ommerce )asino8 near Los
-n'eles7 Ha!e you e!er !isited that casinoE It9s the 6i''est "hysical
cardroom in the world7 There are hundreds of "oker ta6lesF
Now8 in my whole life as a "oker "layer8 I ne!er en!isioned that there would
e!er 6e fifty 'ames 'oin' under one roof8 let alone hundreds7 -nd )ommerce
isn9t the only maBor "oker room to host a hu'e num6er of "oker ta6les7 -lso8
near Los -n'eles8 you ha!e the (icycle )asino8 Hollywood Park )asino8
Hawaiian ,ardens8 and the Hustler7 -nd there are now hu'e "oker rooms in
Las Ne'as casinos8 includin' the (ella'io8 the ,olden Nu''et8 the Mira'e8
and others7
<ack (inion launched lar'e>scale "oker rooms in the Midwest8 and there are
now 6i' rooms on the East )oast8 too8 includin' those in Fowoods in
)onnecticut and others inside se!eral casinos in -tlantic )ity7 Poker is
6oomin' e!erywhere7
(ut "ut those all to'ether8 and you ha!e may6e 18333 ta6les7 This is
somethin' I ne!er ima'ined when I started my career8 steerin' around the
freJuent tum6le weeds that walked across the hi'hways of Teas8 'oin' from
one sin'le>ta6le "ri!ate 'ame to another7
+hen you "lay real>world "oker 'ames8 you ha!e to tra!el from one casino
to another to find the ri'ht 'ames7 +hen you "lay "oker online8 howe!er8
you9re instantly within reach of any ta6le7 - few clicks of your mouse and
you9re at another ta6le8 may6e at the same online casino8 may6e at another7
<ust how many ta6les are we talkin' a6outE ;ou9ll often find o!er 18333 real>
money online ta6les 'oin' on at the same time:some tournament ta6les8
some re'ular rin' 'ames7 Most days there will 6e o!er I38333 real>money
"layers that you can choose to "lay a'ainst in minutes8 without lea!in' your
home7 -nd then there are the free8 "ractice 'ames8 and I9d hesitate to count
how many "layers and ta6les there are of those7
(etween the sudden sur'e of tele!ised "oker and online "oker8 more new
20
"layers ha!e 6een e"osed to our 'ame than e!er 6efore in history7 -nd it
hel"s e!eryone7 The real>world casinos are flooded with new "layers7 *id
you e!er think "oker would 'et this hotE I didn9t7 It9s a fantasy come true7
I 6elie!e many "otential "layers8 who otherwise would feel too em6arrassed
to walk throu'h the front doors of a "u6lic casino to "lay "oker a'ainst more>
e"erienced o""onents8 will find that coura'e now that they can "lay their
first hands on the Internet7
So8 let9s see how "oker is "layed online7
T+O 5E-SONS +H; ONLINE
POHE5 IS +O5SE
Here are two ways that online "oker is worse than real>world "oker7 I readily
acknowled'e that there are other minor 'rie!ances that could 6e added8 6ut to
me8 these are the only two that stand out as im"ortant7
5eason G1K +here *id the Tells ,oE
I think e!ery serious "layer "refers real>world "oker at times7 There9s no
su6stitute for 6ein' a6le to stare an o""onent down and make decisions 6ased
on your o6ser!ations7 -nd there9s no 'reater feelin' in "oker than that of
intimidatin' o""onents into makin' costly mistakes7 Those elements are
missin':and missed:when you "lay online7
The first thin' you need to know is that8 at the time of this 6ook9s
"u6lication8 you can throw your skills at readin' o""onents9 6ody lan'ua'e
out the window7 (ut if you9re readin' Su"er#System $ Bust a cou"le years
down the road8 you may well 6e a6le to see real o""onents on your screen7
Poker will 6e like a !ideo conference8 and you9ll 6e a6le to focus on the
"layers across the ta6le from you and read them7 I "redict8 throu'h li!e !ideo
of each "layer re"lacin' the icons in the seats8 tells will 6e e!erywhere8 and
then full>scale "sycholo'ical warfare will come to the online "oker 6attlefield
:and nothin' will 6e missin'7
(ut for now8 online "oker sites:includin' doylesroom7com:de"ict "layers
as icons7 Sometimes those are cartoon characters8 6ut *oyle9s 5oom uses
your choice of sym6ols8 includin' fla's8 scenery8 and artistic words8 like
24
TILT7
Here are some of the icons you can choose to differentiate yourself from
other "layers at the ta6lesK
Think of it as selectin' one of those weird "ieces to re"resent yourself at
Mono"oly as you roll the dice and "rance around the 6oard7 Players think it9s
kind of fun choosin' their icon8 6ut you9re not 'oin' to 'ain any tells starin'
at them7 +ell8 may6e that9s not Juite true7 For instance8 my 'uess is that
"layers who choose an icon featurin' the word TILT are actually fairly ti'ht
"layers8 tryin' to decei!e you7
-re there other tells onlineE Indeed there areF -lmost all of them center
around the use of early action 6uttons7 Those are one of the in!entions that
make online "oker the fast>"aced 'ame it is7
+hat are early action 6uttonsE They are in'enious inno!ations that take
ad!anta'e of the fact that you can secretly tell the software what your net
action will 6e:6efore it9s your turn to actF Since your o""onents are sittin'
in their own homes8 "ossi6ly on the other side of the earth8 they ha!e no idea
which 6utton you9!e decided to "ush7
Later8 I9ll discuss s"ecific tells associated with early action 6uttons7 (ut8
o!erall8 you9re 'oin' to find yourself at a disad!anta'e online if you earn a
lot of your real>world "rofit 6y readin' your o""onents7
5eason G$K )an9t S"end the Money Immediately
Part of the thrill of the "oker I 'rew u" with is that you can send your
o""onents home with their tails tucked 6etween their le's8 whim"erin' and
whinin'8 while you9re s"endin' some of your freshly won money7 Sadly8 that
thrill is 'one from online "oker7 ;ou can9t send o""onents home
whim"erin'8 6ecause they9re already home whim"erin'7 -nd you can9t s"end
their money yet8 6ecause you can9t "hysically touch it7 It9s there in your
account8 6ut if you want to s"end it8 you9ll ha!e to reJuest a cash>out and it
will 6e se!eral days 6efore it arri!es7
Now8 I9ll wa'er you9re thinkin' that that mi'ht 6e a 'ood thin'7 I9m sure
there are thousands of "oker "layers who unwisely wasted 6i' chunks of their
6ankrolls after a 6i' win and wish they9d had to wait a few days to recei!e
their winnin's7 It9s hard for most "layers to acJuire the disci"line needed to
I3
han' on to a 6ankroll8 and I think that "layin' online hel"s "romote that
necessary ha6it7 (ut I9m listin' this fact as a ne'ati!e sim"ly 6ecause I
6elie!e a 'rown>u" "oker "layer should 6e a6le to enBoy his winnin's 6y
stuffin' them immediately into his "ockets7 )all me old fashioned8 6ut
anythin' else doesn9t set Juite ri'ht with me7
(ut ece"t for that and the fact that you can9t reach across the ta6le and
shake an o""onents9 hand or read him the way you can in a real 'ame8 online
"oker is Bust as 'ood as the traditional kind we9re accustomed to:and in
some ways 6etter7
$$ 5E-SONS +H; ONLINE
POHE5 IS (ETTE5
There are a 'reat num6er of ways in which online "oker actually ecels7 Each
"layer has his own fa!orite reasons why he thinks online "oker is in some
way su"erior to real>world "oker7 These are mineM
5eason G1K -lways a ,ame
Online "oker makes a mockery out of how I went a6out findin' 'ood 'ames
when I tra!eled the "oker circuit throu'hout Teas and the South in the
14/3s and early 1413s7 I mean8 sometimes you9d dri!e all day only to find
that the lucrati!e oil well you were ho"in' to drill had Bust dried u" an hour
6efore you 'ot there7 Then you had to swallow the disa""ointment and "lan
your net mo!e in accordance with how much it would cost to tra!el7 +as
the 'ame you9d heard a6out8 far down the road8 worth the hassle and the
e"enseE
Then came casino "oker7 That hel"ed8 6ecause there was often a choice of
'ames in town7 (ut many ni'hts there was only one 'ame of interest8 and
some ni'hts there weren9t any7 So8 ima'ine how I feel:ha!in' e"ended
most of my effort findin' the ri'ht 'ames8 rather than enBoyin' them:6ein'
a6le to sit down at my com"uter on a slee"less ni'ht and find the 6est 'ame
in the world after a few mouse clicks7
+hat9s e!en 'reater is that online "oker ne!er slee"s7 It9s always "rime time
for "oker somewhere in the world8 and you can Boin those 'ames8 e!en if
no6ody else is awake in your nei'h6orhood7
I1
5eason G$K Play -'ainst O""onents ;ou9d Seldom or Ne!er Meet in Person
The Internet has made the world so much smaller7 It mi'ht not look like it
now8 with all the "olitical flare>u"s and re'ional wars in the news8 6ut I
6elie!e that encounterin' "eo"le from far away "laces and strikin' u" instant
friendshi"s is 6ound to make the world more ci!il e!entually7 ;ou read a6out
Internet romances that lead to marria'e7 (usiness associations are formed
that would ha!e 6een "hysically im"ro6a6le7
It9s a 'ood thin'7 -nd one of the 6est effects of the Internet is what9s
ha""enin' to "oker7 (it 6y 6it8 "oker is 6ecomin' the world9s common
lan'ua'e of 'amin'7 In a real sense8 online "oker is doin' its "art to make the
world 6etter:as well as hel"in' to showcase the 'ame7
- main !irtue of online "oker is that it makes 'ames "ossi6le amon' ea'er
"layers who li!e so far a"art that they9d seldom ha!e a chance to sit down
to'ether at a real>world ta6le7
5eason G.K Take a Quick Fi!e>Minute
(reak to Play
Often you only ha!e a half>hour or less to s"are8 sometimes as little as fi!e
minutes7 If you had the ur'e to "lay "oker "rior to online "lay8 there wasn9t
anythin' you could do a6out it7 There certainly wouldn9t 6e time to sit down
and 6e dealt in7 Now8 that9s all chan'ed7 Sometimes8 I9ll lo' into a 'ame
when I ha!e Bust a few minutes to s"are7 I mi'ht only "lay half a do%en hands
at C133#C$33 limit8 6ut so whatE Lsually8 I wouldn9t "lay that small8 6ecause
:for me:it9s not worth the effort7 (ut those are hefty limits 6y online
standards8 where the maBority of "eo"le "lay C1I#C.3 limits and often much
smaller7
So8 I "lay those few hands8 and I can do the same thin' a'ain on my net
6reak7 Those hands all add u"8 and so does the "rofit7
5eason G2K ,reat Practice for Those New To Poker
I9m 6ettin' one of the reasons that "layers didn9t flock to the "oker rooms in
years "ast is that they Bust didn9t know what to e"ect when they 'ot there7
That can 6e intimidatin'8 ste""in' into a real world 'ame for the first time8
not knowin' how you9ll 6e acce"ted 6y the other "layers7 -nd for 6e'inners8
I$
the anonymity of online "lay 'i!es timid "eo"le the coura'e to di!e into the
"oker "ond8 whereas8 if it were a face>to>face 'ame8 they9d Bust ne!er 'o near
the water7
I 6elie!e many "layers will learn to ecel at "oker who mi'ht otherwise
ne!er ha!e "layed the 'ame7 It9s all 6ecause of the online "oker o""ortunity7
5eason GIK No Need to *ress L" or ,room
I 'ot to thinkin':there are times when you like to dress u" and times when
you don9t7 I try to look my 6est when I 'o to church or 'o to a decent
restaurant with my family7 It makes me feel 6etter a6out myself7
(ut there are times when I9d rather 6e flat>out comforta6le and I don9t care if
I9m dressed to im"ress7 One of those times is when I9m "layin' "oker7 Lnless
I9m 6ein' filmed8 I9m less choosey a6out what I wear to a "oker 'ame7 Of
course8 I dress reasona6ly well8 e!en then8 6ecause I think some of the attire
seen at the "oker ta6les is a downri'ht dis'race and reflects "oorly on our
'ame7 (ut8 6asically8 I don9t o!erdo it7
The truth is8 thou'h8 if it weren9t for how others mi'ht !iew me8 I9d rather
not 6other a6out how I look when I "lay "oker7 -nd online "lay 'i!es me the
o""ortunity to dress howe!er I like7 -s many ha!e noted8 you can "lay "oker
online in your "aBamas and no one will care7 Now8 that9s definitely a 6onus
you 'et only when "layin' "oker 6y com"uter7
5eason G/K Heads>L" )hallen'es
If you like to "lay heads>u"8 online cardrooms are 6e'innin' to "ro!ide
"re!iously una!aila6le o""ortunities7 Ha!e you e!er wondered why there are
so few heads>u" matches in real>world casinosE Surely8 heads>u" can9t 6e
that un"o"ular8 6ecause Bust the thou'ht of a hi'h>intensity one>on>one 'ame
can make "ulses race7 -nd aren9t the final heads>u" hands in a tournament
the most ecitin' to watch on tele!isionE Let me tell you8 ha!in' enBoyed a
lot of e"erience in this situation8 those final heads>u" hands are not Bust the
most ecitin' to watch:they9re also the most ecitin' to "layF
So8 why no heads>u"E It9s 6ecause those 'ames are not economical for
casinos7 Each 'ame takes u" !alua6le real estate:a full ta6le7 +orse8 each
'ame reJuires a dealer:who is hired to "ro!ide ser!ice to u" to ten "layers
at a ta6le:Bust to accommodate two customers7
I.
(ut online8 this all chan'es7 It costs nothin' to set u" a new ta6le for two
"layers8 and online casinos don9t worry a6out you usin' u" their ta6les8
6ecause they can "ro!ide as many as they want at no cost7 No ta6les to
"urchase7 No cardroom floor s"ace limitations7 (ut 6i''er than that is the fact
that online casinos don9t worry a6out "ayin' dealers7 The cards are all
shuffled and distri6uted 6y com"uter7 There9s no cost in!ol!ed in dealin'
more cards or addin' more7 That9s one reason why I 6elie!e you9re 'oin' to
see a sur'e in heads>u" "lay online7
There9s another8 darker reason why some "layers mi'ht choose heads>u"
online7 They fear collusion8 6ecause they9!e heard that o""onents mi'ht 6e
on the "hone sharin' information a6out each other9s hands in order to 'an'
u" on honest "layers7 Now8 while collusion is always somethin' to 6e alert to
:whether you9re "layin' "oker online or in the real>world:the fact is that
online "oker has an ad!anta'e in that there9s a data6ase of e!ery hand e!er
"layed7 Each hand you "lay is worth money8 when you9re "layin' the way I
ad!ise in this 6ook8 and twice the hands can mean u" to twice the "rofit7
5eal>world sur!eillance and 'ame "rotection has also increased dramatically
in recent years8 and I9m certain that8 on a!era'e8 "oker is more honest today
than it9s 6een at any time in history7 If you dou6t this8 Bust look at the "layers
who are re'ularly winnin' the maBor tournaments7 Often8 these are unknown
"layers:some rank amateurs7 That8 in itself8 is a testiment to the inte'rity of
real>world "oker today7
Still8 for those who are so concerned that they don9t trust anyone and don9t
want to risk "layin' a'ainst multi"le o""onents they can9t "hysically
scrutini%e8 heads>u" Bust mi'ht 6e the answer7 One o""onent can9t collude7
To me8 that isn9t an issue7 Online 'ames can 6e monitored in ways so
so"histicated that they9d shock those who aren9t technically sa!!y7 +hile I
enBoy shorthanded 'ames and e!en heads>u" 'ames8 I9m !ery comforta6le
a'ainst multi"le o""onents and sometimes "refer to "lay a'ainst a ta6le full
of o""onents online7
Heads>u" is often a war of e'os7 -nd only online can you sit in London and
"lay a hotly contested match a'ainst someone at home in 6ed with a la"to"
com"uter in -ustralia7
I2
5eason G1K More Hands Per Hour
+hen online "oker first de6uted in the late nineties8 "oker rooms actually
6uilt in a delay to simulate the time it took to deal cards in the real world7
(oy8 was that a mistakeF It Juickly 6ecame a""arent that "layers didn9t want
the delays7 The faster their cards arri!ed8 the ha""ier they were7 That9s why
doylesroom7com and most other online rooms ha!e taken all the air out of
dealin' and shufflin'7 There is no delay7
;ou can "lay many more hands "er hour online8 a6out twice as many as
you9d "lay in the real world7 That means you can make more money faster7
Each hand you "lay is worth money when you9re "layin' the way I ad!ise in
this 6ook8 twice the hands can mean u" to twice the "rofit7
5eason G0K Play Two or More ,ames at Once
;ou see some "retty weird thin's at "oker7 I9!e seen "layers hold seats at
adBoinin' ta6les and scurry 6ack and forth8 tryin' to "lay 6oth 'ames for
short "eriods of times7 This usually ha""ens when the "layer has free hands
remainin' 6efore the 6lind at one 'ame and has 6een called to a seat from the
waitin' list for another 'ame7 Needless to say8 "layin' two 'ames at once in
the real world doesn9t work well7 It9s "hysically im"ractical8 and you9re
almost certain to rudely delay the "lay of a hand at one ta6le8 while
com"letin' action at another7
(ut online8 it9s much sim"ler7 ;ou Bust click to enter a second8 third8 or e!en
more 'ames7 +hen it9s your turn to act8 the software notifies you8 and you
sim"ly click on your decision to fold8 call8 check8 or raise7 Since you don9t
ha!e to 'et out of your seat and "hysically mo!e to the other ta6le8 multi"le
'ame "lay 6ecomes "ractical online7
*oes this mean more "rofit for youE It can:if you9re 'ood enou'h7 Try to
remem6er8 thou'h8 that you won9t 6e a6le to focus as closely as you would
on a sin'le 'ame7 ;ou9ll miss some of the nuances and won9t 6e a6le to track
your o""onents9 tendencies as readily7 That means your a!era'e earnin's "er
'ame are sure to suffer when you "lay more than one7 (ut when you add
those sli'htly diminished "rofits from multi"le 'ames to'ether8 you9ll
"ro6a6ly find that you9ll earn more total "rofit7 +hether you do de"ends on
your skills7
II
I recommend that you stick to Bust one 'ame at first8 6ecause it can 6e Juite
hectic concentratin' on two or more at once7 (ut as you 'et accustomed to
"layin' multi"le 'ames8 you mi'ht find it ecitin' and rewardin'7 )ertainly8
there9s no eJui!alent in real>world "oker7
5eason G4K Pre>Select (uttons
One of the 'reat in!entions of online "oker are the early action or "re>select
6uttons7 Since you aren9t 6ein' watched 6y other "layers8 you can decide
what to do in ad!ance of the action reachin' you7 In real>world "oker8 "re>
selectin' wouldn9t 6e a""ro"riate8 6ecause that would let o""onents who act
6efore you know how you "lanned to res"ond7
The early action choices hel" s"eed u" the "lay8 and they9re es"ecially useful
if you9re "layin' other 'ames simultaneously7 For instance8 when you know
you9re 'oin' to fold8 no matter what8 you can Bust click the fold 6utton 6efore
the action 'ets to you and concentrate on a different ta6le8 where you hold a
more "romisin' hand7
The "re>select choices chan'e accordin' to the action7 Here9s an eam"le
from *oyle9s 5oomK
Here I9m holdin' the se!en and three of clu6s on the left side of the ta6le7 It9s
a strai'ht limit 'ame8 and I9m waitin' for *r7 (lue6erry8 at the 6ottom of the
screen8 to act7 (ut8 if you9re in a situation like this8 you don9t ha!e to wait
until it9s your turn to make a decision7 Look at the 6ottom of the screen7 ;ou
can click ri'ht now Fold8 )all I8 )all any8 5aise I8 or 5aise any7
There is somethin' I find useful a6out these "re>select 6uttonsK they can
"ro!ide tells7 +atch the s"eed with which someone acts7 If a decision is "re>
selected8 then it usually will occur instantly when the action reaches that
"layer7 I say @usually8A 6ecause occasional la"ses in Internet communication
can cause a delay7 Most of the time this delay won9t ha""en8 and you can 'et
some information 6ecause of o""onents9 use of these s"ecial 6uttons7
The main thin' I kee" in my head is that when an action ha""ens instantly8
it9s "ro6a6ly a result of a "re>selected action7 +hy would an o""onent "re>
selectE There9s only one reason I can think of7 That o""onent knows that he9s
'oin' to take that action8 no matter what anyone else does in front of him7
That "uts an added em"hasis to that o""onent9s decision8 in my mind7
I/
-lthou'h the screen shot you Bust looked at was for a situation where
someone had already 6et8 sometimes no one has 6et7 Then one of the "re>
select 6uttons will 6e to check7 +hat if an o""onent checks instantlyE
)hances are8 that "layer has determined in ad!ance that he is 'oin' to check7
-t *oyle9s 5oom8 he may ha!e selected either the )heck#Fold 6utton8 which
is a !ery freJuent choice8 or the less likely )heck#)all any 6utton7 If
)heck#Fold is the choice8 then I can assume that the instant check means the
"layer "ro6a6ly would ha!e automatically folded if there had 6een a 6et7 In
that case8 I 'i!e the "layer less credit for ha!in' a stron' hand7
Similarly8 if an o""onent raises instantly8 I9m "retty sure he intended to raise
no matter what8 and that usually indicates a !ery stron' hand7
There are other tells you can di!ine from these "re>select 6uttons8 when you
take the time to think a6out what an instant action means7 If an o""onent
seems to freJuently use the "re>select 6uttons8 6ut occasionally hesitates8 you
can fi'ure him for a ty"e of hand where the decision is not o6!ious7 So8
always consider what an instant action:or the lack of one:mi'ht mean7
;ou can8 of course8 wait until the action reaches your seat7 Here9s a no>limit
eam"le of what your choices would look like thenK
5eason G13K The Shuffle
Some "layers dou6t whether the shuffle in online "oker is as random as in
real>world 'ames7 In fact8 online shuffles are instant and more random than
real>world shuffles7 That9s
6ecause any com"etent online cardroom knows the ri'ht
formulas to "ut into the software7 They tell me that the science of simulatin'
random e!ents8 includin' card distri6ution8 is !ery mature7 I 'uess that means
that a lot of research has 'one into it8 and it9s im"ossi6le for a human dealer
to e!en come close in dealin' cards with the same efficiency or
un"redicta6ility7
-nother im"ressi!e thin' a6out com"uteri%ed shufflin' and dealin' is that
you won9t ha!e any misdeals7 -nd you9ll ne!er encounter one of the
common irritations of real>world "oker8 6ecause no cards will 6e
inad!ertently flashed7
5eason G11K 5akes -re -ctually Less
I1
-t the hi'her limits I "lay8 "ots are seldom raked7 Instead there9s an hourly
seat rental7 (ut most e!eryday limits8 C13#C$3 and often hi'her8 are raked7 If
you9re lookin' for a 6ar'ain8 you9ll find that those rakes are a little less
online7
5eason G1$K No Ti""in'
It9s customary to ti" the dealer when you win a "ot7 It9s not mandatory8 6ut
most "layers do it7 In a CI#C13 'ame8 you mi'ht throw a dollar the dealers
way whene!er you win a "ot with any si%e to it7 The dealer9s make most of
their income from these ti"s8 6ecause they9re "aid !ery low 6ase wa'es7
These dollars you ti" add u"8 and you could 6uy some nice )hristmas
"resents at the end of the year if you didn9t ha!e to "ay them7 +ell8 online8
you don9t7 In fact8 you can9t8 6ecause there is no real dealer to a""reciate or
acce"t your 'esture7
(ut I had a stran'e thou'ht7 Players 6ein' as su"erstitious as they are8 I9m
wonderin' if *oyle9s 5oom should add an
o"tional Ti" 6utton7 I 6elie!e so many "layers would choose to ti" the non>
eistin' dealer that I mi'ht wai!e my endorsement fee and 'et rich off those
ti"s7
5eason G1.K Poker )lock
In "oker8 an o""onent can9t stall fore!er8 whether it9s an
e!eryday 'ame or a tournament7
-lthou'h it9s rare8 you9ll sometimes see a "layer take a lon' time 6efore
actin' on a hand7 Now8 in no>limit "lay8 this is
occasionally acce"ta6le7 *ecisions can ha!e etreme im"ortance8 and a
"layer needs time to think a6out the situation and study his o""onent7
(ut e!en in no>limit8 most "layers act more Juickly than you9d e"ect7 It9s
rare for them take a lot of time to "onder7 -nd in limit 'ames8 it9s downri'ht
rude to waste time o!er and o!er a'ain when the action 'ets to you7 I 6elie!e8
if you know you9re 'oin' to fold8 then you should usually Bust fold7 *on9t
make a show of it7
Sometimes "layers take so lon' that if you allowed them to stall fore!er8 the
'ame would come to a halt7 That9s why in real>world "oker8 you can always
ask to "ut the clock on an o""onent7 That 'i!es him a set amount of time to
I0
com"lete the decision7 Failure to act constitutes a fold7
The "ro6lem with that system is you don9t want to 6e needlessly rude to
o""onents7 May6e they really do need the time7 May6e they9re losin' and
confused7 May6e they9re darin' you to ask for the clock8 so they can 6e
hostile in return7 +ho knowsE
The 'ood thin' a6out online "oker is that it takes away the awkwardness of
askin' for the clock7 If a "layer doesn9t click on a decision 6utton8 after 13
seconds or so he9ll 6e "rom"ted to do so7 Some sites "ro!ide a countdown
clock7 *oyle9s 5oom uses 'entle chimes to warn that you ha!e 13 seconds
left to act7 +hat ha""ens if you don9t act online differs from cardroom to
cardroom and situation to situation7 If you ha!en9t "ut any money in the "ot8
your hand will 6e folded7 If you ha!e8 you9ll usually 6e treated as if you9re
all>in8 e!en thou'h you still ha!e chi"s in front of you7 That means
com"etin' for a "artial "ot7
;es8 unscru"ulous "layers sometimes try to use the all>in feature unfairly to
their ad!anta'e7 They9ll "retend to 6e ha!in' Internet communications
"ro6lems8 not reali%in' that most sites can tell if they9re actually still
connected7 Sometimes they9ll succeed in 'ettin' a free shot at "art of a "ot8
when they would otherwise ha!e folded7 That9s why most sites only allow
one or two artificial all>ins to 6e used "er session8 6eyond which hands are
folded8 no matter what7 That9s also why "layers who a6use the treat>as>all>in
"ri!ile'e are sus"ended or 6arred7
*es"ite this timed>out issue8 which is hard to deal with and uniJue to online
"oker8 the "resence of an automatic clock kee"s the 'ames mo!in' swiftly7
It9s "art of the reason why there are so many more hands dealt to you each
hour online7
5eason G12K +ith More Hands8 ;our
5esults +ill E!en Out More Quickly
In most 'ames of skill8 the ri'ht decisions are Juickly rewarded7 In "oker8 the
ri'ht decisions can cause misery in the short term7 If you9re not "re"ared for
the frustrations that 'o with Juick chan'es in fate8 you don9t ha!e the ri'ht
tem"erament to 6e a "rofessional "oker "layer7
-lthou'h su"erior "layers win in the lon' run8 and you hardly e!er hear
I4
a6out any full>time "ros ha!in' a losin' year8 it9s not hard to s"end weeks or
e!en a month sufferin' a net loss7 (ut the lon'er you "lay8 the more Juickly
that familiar law of "ro6a6ility takes hold8 and the closer your results 'et to
what really should ha""en7
(ut e!en thou'h we talk a6out chance takin' time to e!en out8 it really
doesn9t take a lot of time:it takes a lot of hands7 +hat if you could 'et all
those hands "layed in a short timeE +ell8 suddenly8 when you9re "layin'
online8 instead of in a "hysical casino8 you9re "layin' a lot more hands7 The
deals are ama%in'ly 6risk7 The action is swift7 E"ect to 'et twice as many
hands "layed each hour7 -nd that9s if you only "lay at a sin'le ta6le7 Many
winnin' "layers re'ularly "lay two or three 'ames at once7 That9s u" to si
times as many hands "er hour7
+hat does this mean in terms of a 6ad streakE It means that a streak that
would ha!e droned on for si days will sto" showerin' misery on you after
only one day7 For certain8 thin's will e!en out faster online7 So8 if you9re a
su"erior "oker "layer8 you can e"ect to win more consistently on a week>to>
week 6asis when you "lay online7
5eason G1IK Tournaments on *emand
This is amon' online "oker9s 'reatest ad!anta'es7 ;ou can "lay tournaments
day and ni'ht7 ;ou mi'ht see e!ents scheduled for three in the mornin':so8
if you ha""en to 6e awake8 di!e ri'ht in7 +hy so early in the mornin'E
5emem6er that "oker is now a worldwide s"ort8 and when it9s early in the
mornin' for you8 it9s afternoon somewhere else7
(ut if tournaments scheduled around the clock aren9t enou'h for you8 try the
unscheduled onesF There9s a fast>and>furious form of tournament "oker:the
sin'le>ta6le shootout7 ;ou "lay down to one winner8 with second and third
"lace finishers also recei!in' money7 It9s the same as those "o"ular one>ta6le
satellites that annoyed me 6y dryin' u" the side action years a'o at the maBor
tournaments7 The difference online is that you9re "layin' for cash8 not for a
seat into a lar'er tournament7
+hat you need to know a6out these tournaments is that there9s no scheduled
startin' time7 That9s why the "o"ular name for them today is Sit>and>,oes7
;ou take a seat at the ta6le =or "ut your name on the list?8 and as soon as
/3
there9s a full ta6le8 the cards automatically 'et dealt7 ;ou can "ut your name
on other SN, lists and then "lay se!eral of these tournaments at a time7
Lsually8 they take less than an hour:and a ty"ical "layer will last a6out $3
minutes8 on a!era'e8 sometimes 6ein' eliminated almost immediately8
sometimes sur!i!in' lon' enou'h to win7 ;ou can "lay them all day if this is
your fa!orite "oker form7 <ust take a seat or click to 'et on the list7 In other
words8 sit7 -s soon as there9s a full ta6le8 it9s time for the tournament to
6e'in7 - ta6le often fills in a matter of a minute or two7 In other words8 'o7
Sit>and>'oes can 'et to 6e a ha6it in a hurry:and a !ery "rofita6le one for
accom"lished "layers7 The trick is to "lay a solid 'ame8 tryin' to sur!i!e and
share in one of the three "ayouts for first8 second8 and third7 -s much as my
tem"erament tells me to always 'o for first "lace8 this really isn9t the 6est
strate'y in these one>ta6le shootouts8 where no6ody kee"s track of your
@cham"ionshi"sA anyway7 It9s 6etter to "lay a more conser!ati!e 'ame than
you would in a re'ular rin' 'ame7 ;ou should "lay a little more selecti!ely8
tryin' to sur!i!e until there are Bust two "layers left8 and then o"en u"7
The same is true of all online tournaments where you "lay down to a few
"layers who share the "ri%e money7 ;ou won9t ha!e the same o""ortunities
to "sycholo'ically conJuer o""onents as you would in real>world 'ames8 so
the "ro!en 6est choice is to "lay more solidly7
5eason G1/K More )omforta6le Than at a )rowded Ta6le
I hate sittin' el6ow to el6ow7 I9m a 6i' man:at least I was until my recent
'astric 6y"ass sur'ery:and you can ima'ine how im"ortant it has 6een
throu'hout my "oker career to ha!e enou'h room to feel comforta6le7 In the
real world8 I usually "lay shorthanded8 6ut when I ha!e to crowd into a nine>
or 13>hand 'ame8 as I do for tournaments8 I9m always wishin' for more
s"ace7 Online8 I don9t worry a6out that7 I can "lay from a recliner with a
key6oard in my la"8 if I want to8 and still 6e at a full ta6le7
5eason G11K Small>Limit ,ames That -re
Ln>Economical in the 5eal +orld
In my mind8 this is online "oker9s 'reatest contri6ution to our 'ame7 Most
"rofessionals don9t think of C$ and C2 'ames as meanin'ful limits7 (ut when
you9re Bust startin' out and on a small 6ankroll8 e!en the difference 6etween a
/1
CI3 win and a CI3 loss can 6e im"ortant7 Those small limits can 6e
uncomforta6le for "layers Bust learnin' the 'ame7
I9ll 6et it9s occurred to e!eryone who "lays "oker seriously that it would 6e a
'reat idea to ha!e formal 'ames for 6e'inners where you could 6et Bust 13
cents7 Those would 6e the trainin' 'round for those neo"hytes who are too
timid to risk meanin'ful money at "oker7 ;ou9d let new "layers 'et
comforta6le with the 'ame8 "layers who would otherwise ne!er e"erience
the thrill of "oker in a casino7
-s I "ointed out earlier8 real>world casinos can9t afford to do this8 6ecause of
the costs in!ol!ed in "ro!idin' "hysical ta6les and "ayin' human dealers7
(ut online "oker rooms can and do make this 'reat contri6ution to our 'ame7
5eason G10K Free ,ames for Practice
(ut why not take this ad!anta'e of 6ein' a6le to s"read 'ames economically
online a ste" furtherE +hy not offer Bust>for>fun 'ames for those who aren9t
ready to "lay "oker for kee"sE
Most online "oker rooms do eactly that7 They let "layers learn the
mechanics of the 'ame 6y "layin' for ima'inary money7 -nd they char'e
nothin' for this "romotional ser!ice to the "oker community7 5eal>world
casinos can9t afford to do that7
Look closely at the 'ame 6elow7 Notice that this *oyle9s 5oom 'ame says8
@Play Money Ta6le8A down toward the 6ottom of the cloth7
I wouldn9t 6e sur"rised if many successful real>world "layers8 and e!en
future +orld Poker Tour and other cham"ions8 will launch their careers on
free online ta6les Bust like this one7
5eason G14K Hi'h Percenta'e of 5eal>+orld Tournament Players +ho
Qualified Online
;es8 I was ske"tical of the !alue of online "oker a few years a'o7 So were
many of the "eo"le who mana'ed real>world cardrooms7 They were afraid
that online "oker would si"hon off their 6usiness more than it would hel"
6rin' in new "layers to their "hysical cardrooms7
That ar'ument has 6een resol!ed7 Today8 it9s hard to find anyone in the
industry who doesn9t reali%e that online 'ames ha!e hel"ed in the resur'ence
of real>world "oker7 I meet "layers e!eryday at the (ella'io8 )ommerce8 and
/$
elsewhere who 6e'an 6y "layin' "oker online7
-nd the one thin' that "ro!es the "oint most con!incin'ly is the num6er of
"layers at the maBor tournaments who Jualified online7 For some8 these real>
world tournaments constitute their first e"osure to casino "oker7 They like
the ad!enture of "layin' a'ainst li!e o""onents they actually can shake hands
with and s"eak to at the ta6les7 -nd they enBoy tryin' to read them and s"ot
tells:somethin' that isn9t "ossi6le online7
)ount the new "layers "ourin' into casino "oker tournaments throu'h online
channels8 and you9ll 6e as con!inced as I am that online "oker has hel"ed
'reatly to 6rin' our 'ame into the "u6lic s"otli'ht8 'i!in' it the res"ect it
always deser!ed8 6ut ne!er had7
5eason G$3K O"tional Four>)olor *ecks
I9!e 'ot to confess8 I9!e ne!er 6een a fan of four>color decks7 +ith the
traditional deck of cards I 'rew u" with8 hearts and diamonds are 6oth red8
and s"ades and clu6s are 6oth 6lack7 They tell me that four>color decks8 with
each suit ha!in' its own color8 were tried o!er a hundred years a'o7
-""arently8 it wasn9t as economical to "rint them that way8 and two colors
6ecame the custom7
I "refer two>color decks8 6ecause that9s what I9m used to7 (ut8 there9s
o6!iously a stron' ar'ument for a four>color deck7 It makes it much easier to
s"ot flushes and flush "ossi6ilities at a 'lance7 +hen Mike )aro "u6licly
started makin' a 6i' deal a6out chan'in' to four>colors ten years a'o8 I
thou'ht he was 'oofy7 He tried unsuccessfully to introduce four>color decks
to real>world casinos8 e!en 'oin' so far as "romotin' a @)>*ayA for )olor
*eck *ay where this no!elty was introduced to sity>fi!e casinos
simultaneously7
The effort fell flat8 6ecause "oker "layers don9t like chan'e and 6ecause the
differences in colors that he chose were too su6tle to 6e easily distin'uished
across the ta6le7 Old timers like me 6alked8 while many 6e'inners liked the
decks7 It would ha!e 6een nice if e!eryone could "lay with the deck they
"referred8 6ut that was o6!iously im"ossi6le7 ;ou had to choose one or the
other8 and the traditional two>color deck continued to rule in real>world
casinos7
/.
Online8 it9s different7 ;ou can "lay with the deck of your choice7 That9s
6ecause the deck you choose is only dis"layed on your own com"uter screen7
;our o""onent can 6e lookin' at a different deck8 and it won9t make any
difference to you7 That9s why four>color decks ha!e 'ained a new lease on
life online:and only online8 so far7
5eason G$1K Software Lets ;ou Hnow +hen It9s ;our Turn
;ou9!e had this ha""en 6efore7 - "layer sits "atiently8 6ecause he doesn9t
reali%e it9s his turn7 ;ou sit "atiently8 too8 6ecause you don9t want to 6e rude
while8 you assume8 he9s makin' a decision7 ;es8 we9!e all seen this im"asse
time and a'ain7
Online8 this awkward moment ne!er ha""ens7 The software "rods "layers for
a decision8 lettin' them know "recisely when it9s time to act7
5eason G$$K No Social Sti'ma -6out Lea!in' a ,ame Early with ;our
+innin's
I 6elie!e that a "layer should ne!er need to "ro!ide a reason for lea!in' a
'ame7 The common notion that you9re 6ein' unfair if you sit down for a short
time and lea!e with a 6i' "rofit is nonsense7 In "oker8 you "ut your money at
risk7 If you win8 it9s your money8 and you can 'et u" and lea!e anytime you
feel like it7
Still8 this is sometimes hard to do in the real world7 If you hit and run too
often8 you9re a"t to 'et a re"utation as the ty"e of "layer some don9t like to
"lay a'ainst7 It ne!er 6others me when "layers win and lea!e Juickly8 6ut it
does 6other others7 Personally8 I usually "refer to "lay lon'er sessions8 6ut I
don9t frown on those who9d rather "lay short ones7
Online8 you won9t encounter any resistance when you take the money and
run7 O""onents reali%e that you mi'ht only ha!e ten minutes to "lay ri'ht
then8 and you can Bust click Lea!e Ta6le and 6e out of the 'ame without
fanfare or makin' ecuses7 In fact8 "layers need to "ay attention to e!en
notice who comes and 'oes in a 'ame8 6ecause it ha""ens so Juickly online7
If you9re one of those "layers who likes to "lay short sessions and lea!e with
your winnin's intact8 online "lay is your kind of "oker7 For the most "art8
no6ody cares or e!en notices7
/2
+H-T -*<LSTMENTS +ILL ;OL NEE* TO M-HE ONLINEE
Finally8 I9ll 'i!e you some 6asic ad!ice a6out how to win online7 -lmost
e!erythin' in this 6ook a""lies7 Online "oker is real "oker7
Hee" in mind how I ad!ise "layin' a'ainst 6ad "layers8 6ecause you can Bust
assume most of the "layers you9ll confront online are 6ad7 Or at the !ery
least8 you9ll find yourself u" a'ainst more unso"histicated and too>loose
"layers than you will in real>world casinos7
The trick to 6eatin' 'ames a'ainst that ty"e of "layer is to seldom do
anythin' fancy7 ;ou don9t need to7 Most of your "rofit will come from
choosin' to do the o6!iously correct thin'7 5aise when your lo'ical first
choice is raisin'7 Fold when your hands are weak7 (luff s"arin'ly in limit
'ames7 -'ainst the ty"e of "layer you meet online8 you should try a lot less
tricks than you would in the real world7
Mike )aro and I are in the "rocess of makin' instructional !ideos a6out real>
world "oker and online "oker7 Some of these !ideos will 6e 'i!en away at
doylesroom7com eclusi!ely7 Many others will 6e a!aila6le to the "u6lic7 +e
e"ect this "roBect to do for "oker !ideos what Su"er#System did for "oker
literature7
Lse all the "rofessional techniJues you9!e learned in this 6ook8 6ut kee" it
sim"le whene!er "ossi6le7 That9s the "urest "ath to online "oker "rofit7
/I
EP)LLSINE SLPE5#S;STEM $
TIPS F5OM MIHE )-5O LNINE5SIT;
Mike )aro
From his earliest days as @)ra%y MikeA to his current stature as the le'endary
@Mad ,enius of PokerA and @-merica9s Mad ,enius8A Mike )aro has
"ioneered some of the most im"ortant conce"ts used 6y the to" "layers today7
In "u6lic8 he can 6e off>the>wall and entertainin'8 6ut when he offers ad!ice
and research8 world>class "oker com"etitors take his word as 'os"el7 -nd
e!en those "layers who ha!en9t had "ersonal contact with Mike ha!e no
dou6t 6een 'reatly influenced 6y his "ioneerin' theories in ways they don9t
e!en reali%e7
+hen I met him in 14118 Mike was thirty>two and already the 6est draw
"oker "layer in the world7 Since then he has e!ol!ed into the "remier
authority on "oker strate'y8 "sycholo'y8 and statistics7 Now at sity8 he has
hel"ed 'enerations of "layers reach le!els of achie!ement they ne!er
dreamed "ossi6le throu'h his 6ooks8 columns8 seminars8 and !ideos7
- few years a'o8 he founded Mike )aro Lni!ersity of Poker8 ,amin'8 and
Life Strate'y with an online cam"us located at www7"oker17com8 yet another
inno!ation that electrified the "oker community7 5eco'ni%ed as @the manA in
"oker circles8 his unJuestioned inte'rity8 un"recedented in'enuity8 and
tireless de!otion to our 'ame ha!e left their mark throu'hout the world of
"oker7
In the followin' "a'es you9ll 'et a taste of what Mike teaches at his standin'>
room>only seminars7 These "owerful ti"s and conce"ts will likely 6e as
!alua6le as any ad!ice you9ll e!er recei!e7
2. EP)LLSINE
SLPE5#S;STEM $ TIPS F5OM MIHE )-5O LNINE5SIT;
(y Mike )aro
Each ti" in this cha"ter works in conBunction with e!erythin' *oyle (runson
and his colla6orators teach in the followin' cha"ters7 I know this 6ecause
"oker is "owerful science7 I know this 6ecause8 in many ways8 "oker is eact
//
science7 I know this 6ecause any true world>class "layer:"articularly one
selected 6y *oyle:must honor all esta6lished laws of "oker science7 I also
know this 6ecause I9!e already seen the cha"ters7
The followin' ti"s are selected from o!er 18333 candidates in the li6rary of
articles8 lectures8 courses8 and seminar transcri"ts found at Poker17com7
That9s the online home of Mike )aro Lni!ersity of Poker7 M)L ser!es as the
eclusi!e educational win' for doylesroom7com8 where you can "lay internet
"oker a'ainst real o""onents worldwide7 ;ou9ll find *oyle9s teachin's
online8 alon' with my own8 at Poker17 (ut this is the way I still "refer to
teach:offline8 in traditional "rint7
For many years8 I didn9t want my "oker conce"ts to a""ear in "rint at all7 I
ne!er wanted to share "oker secrets7 I was "erfectly content to 6e a
"rofessional "oker "layer for the rest of my life7 (ut in 14118 *oyle
"ersuaded me to create the draw "oker and statistics sections for the ori'inal
Su"er#System8 and in doin' so8 he o"ened my eyes to the "ros"ect of
"ro"ellin' "oker 6eyond its dark and din'y history7 He dreamed of 6rin'in'
our 'reat 'ame into the li'ht of day8 writin' o"enly a6out tactics8 and hel"in'
the "u6lic see "oker as a worthy strate'y 'ame8 Bust like chess8 6ack'ammon8
and 6rid'e7
-s soon as Su"er#System was "u6lished in 14108 I reali%ed the sco"e of
*oyle9s dream7 Poker "layers8 who had 6een hun'ry for real analysis:not
homes"un hit>and>miss wisdom found in "re!ious 6ooks:e"ressed their
'ratitude o"enly8 not Bust to *oyle8 6ut to me and all the e"erts on the first
Su"er#System team7
;es8 the early research I contri6uted 6ack then was ahead of its time8 6ut it
doesn9t com"are with the truths we9!e learned since7 Today8 we9re
unra!elin' some of "oker9s 'reat tactical mysteries8 as you9ll disco!er when
you mo!e 6eyond this cha"ter7
*raw Is *ead
@*raw "oker is dead8A *oyle said8 and he su''ested that8 rather than re!isin'
and moderni%in' 6oth the fi!e>card draw hi'h and low6all sections for
Su"er#System $8 I create an introductory @seminar8A 6ased on the ones I
/1
"resent to casinos8 6ut with dee"er e"lanations worthy of Su"er#System7 The
ti"s would a""ear on @screens8A Bust as they do at my li!e "erformances7 Fine7
I don9t a'ree that draw "oker is dead8 6ut let9s do that seminar8 anyway7
I9!e di!ided the "resentation into four sessionsK
=1? Insi'hts and -ttitudeD
=$? Strate'y and TacticsD
=.? Psycholo'y and TellsD and8
=2? Two Final (onus Ti"s7
If you9re ready8 I am8 too8 so let the eclusi!e M)L
Su"er#System $ seminar 6e'inF
Insi'ht and -ttitude
TIP 1
I know what you9re thinkin'7 That9s a stran'e way to 6e'in a cha"ter tar'eted
to readers who seek to "lay "oker seriously7 I read your mind8 ri'htE ,et used
to it7
;ou9re lookin' at my most famous Juote8 so let me e"lain why it is an
im"ortant startin' "oint7
The main skill that successful "eo"le "ossess is the a6ility to closely estimate
their chances in life7 The main skill that winnin' "oker "layers "ossess is the
a6ility to closely estimate their chances of winnin' a hand or makin' a "rofit
in a 'ame7
How do you closely estimate your chancesE It9s a matter of o6ser!in' what
'oes on around you and determinin' how likely e!ents are to affect you7
Easier said than done8 ri'htE 5i'htF -nd you9ll ne!er 'et anywhere near
"erfect when it comes to estimatin' your chances7 (ut the closer you come8
the more likely you are to conJuer o""onents at life and at "oker7
(ut8 here9s what you need to understandK If you don9t know how to estimate
chances or you don9t ha!e any information at all a6out a situation8 then that
e!ent a""ears to 6e an e!en money situation7
E"erience tells us that some thin's are not e!en money7 If you lea" from a
twenty>story 6uildin'8 you "ro6a6ly won9t land safely7 (ut8 waitF ;ou mi'ht
/0
land safely7 ;ou mi'ht ha!e your fall 6roken 6y a 'iant "ile of feather
"illows7 Of course8 you and I know it9s not an e!en>money "ro"osition that
this will ha""en7 +e know that lea" "ro6a6ly isn9t 'oin' to end "retty7
Okay8 so how would you know it wouldn9t end "retty if you didn9t
understand 'ra!ity or fallin' or collisions with concrete or anythin' elseE
;ou wouldn9t7 ;ou9d Bust Bum" and take your chances7 To you8 the act would
seem no more or less dan'erous than slee"in'7 Landin' safely would seem
like an e!en>money 6et to you7
(ut as you 'ain e"erience and 'ather information8 you9re a6le to 6etter
assess your chances7 In fact8 your 'oal in "oker and in life is to defeat the
notion that a situation is e!en money and re"lace it with truer odds:which
sometimes mi'ht actually turn out to 6e e!en money after all7 ;ou don9t
necessarily do this 6y kee"in' actual odds or num6ers in your head8 Bust 6y
usin' 'ood Bud'ment 6ased on the information a!aila6le7 In the lon' run8 the
"erson who does that 6est succeeds most7
+e want you to succeed at "oker7 The information in this 6ook will hel" you
monumentally when it comes to assessin' your chances8 makin' the ri'ht
decisions8 choosin' the ri'ht 'ames8 and decidin' which 'am6les are 'ood
for you7
TIP $
-'ain8 you9re "ro6a6ly 6ewildered8 6ecause the ti" seems too sim"le7 I9m
6ettin' you9re thinkin' somethin' like8 @O6!iously money you don9t lose is
Bust as 'ood as money won8 6ecause you sa!ed it7 -nd sa!ed money can 6e
s"ent7A Fine8 6ut then how come most "layers8 e!en most "rofessionals8 often
"lay "oorly when they9re losin'E If you sometimes find yourself doin' that8
then you need to "ay close attention now7
Here9s the way I e"lain the conce"t at li!e seminars7 If you9re losin' C48$$I
in a CI3#C133 limit 'ame8 it "ro6a6ly won9t feel much different to you if you
lose C484$I instead7 E!en thou'h lo'ically you know that the difference is
C1338 emotionally it doesn9t seem like C133 you can s"end7 +hen you lose
C48$$I8 you9re thinkin' in terms of that money no lon'er 6ein' a!aila6le7
Same 'oes for losin' C484$I7 ;ou9re not thinkin' that you can s"end
anythin'8 in either case7 (ut you canF
/4
If you lost Bust C48$$I8 you9d still ha!e C133 to s"end that you wouldn9t ha!e
if you had lost C484$I7 O6!ious8 I know7 (ut the difference doesn9t feel like
much in the heat of "oker com6at7 +hen you 6e'an "layin' for the day8
thou'h8 you would ha!e felt that you were ahead if you9d won C133:
o6!iously7 That9s 6ecause it would 6e !ery clear to you that you ha!e C133
etra to 6uy thin's with7 +ell8 the same is true if you "lay as well as you can
when you9re runnin' 6ad and cut the loss 6y C133 throu'h su"erior "lay7 ;ou
ha!e C133 to s"end8 e!en thou'h8 in our eam"le8 you lost o!er C483337
If you9re una6le to see it that way8 may6e this will hel"7 Su""ose you were
ha!in' a really rotten year and had lost C$2383337 Now a 'enie "o"s out of a
6ottle7 *on9t snicker:this actually ha""ens to me re'ularly7 The 'enie says8
@+anda8A assumin' your name is +anda8 which it mi'ht not 6e8 @I can
rewrite history and make you e!en for the year7A
;ou say8 @That9s 'reat8 'enieF Thank you so !ery muchFA
@There9s Bust one thin' I need to know7A
@I knew there was a catch8A you com"lain7
@<ust tell me8A the 'enie continues8 i'norin' your una""reciati!e remark8
@whether you want me to rewrite history 6y addin' a little to each of your
wins8 so that they total C$238333 more8 or take a little from each of your
losses8 so that they total C$238333 less7A
Immediately you 6lurt8 @I don9t care8 'enie7 It doesn9t matter7 <ust do it7A
-nd then you reco'ni%e the meanin' of your own words7 It really doesn9t
matter8 6ecause sa!in' a little from each loss:e!en a 6i' loss:is Bust as
im"ortant as addin' to a win7 It9s not almost the same money or theoretically
the same money8 6ut eactly the same money7 -nd once you reali%e the truth
of this8 you will always "lay "oker with the same amount of care8 whether
you9re winnin' or losin'7 It always matters eJually7
TIP .
In order to 6e successful at "oker8 you must understand this7 -lways make
your decision a6out whether to call8 fold8 check8 or raise in accordance with
how much money is in the "ot8 wei'hed a'ainst what it will cost you to
wa'er7 That decision should 6e the same whether the "ot is "ro!ided as a
"romotion 6y the casino or you somehow "ut the entire sum in yourself7
13
Once you "ut money in the "ot8 it9s u" for 'ra6s and is no lon'er yours8 any
more than it is anyone else9s7 For that reason8 you should ne!er consider how
much you "ersonally ha!e in!ested in a "ot in e!aluatin' a "oker decision7
The same conce"t 'o!erns your e!eryday life7 Let9s su""ose you fancy
yourself a world>renowned collector of antiJue radiator ca"s8 as many of us
dreamed of 6ein' when we were kids7 Two years a'o you were a6le to
acJuire a radiator ca" si'ned 6y Edward <ones Miscellania8 a res"ected local
automo6ile mechanic8 for C.3383337 Two years later8 an a""raisal "laces the
true !alue at a disa""ointin' C1I83337
Then a fellow collector offers you C1I383337 Okay8 now you ha!e a choice7
;ou can say8 @*on9t 6e ridiculousF I already ha!e C.338333 in!ested in this
radiator ca"7A Or you can correctly reasonK +hat I "ersonally ha!e in!ested
doesn9t matter7 The only thin' I should consider is whether the C1I38333 is a
'ood "rice for my radiator ca"7 If you o"t for the second choice and "ocket
the C1I383338 you9!e learned a key secret in life and "okerK +hat you
"ersonally ha!e in!ested ne!er matters7
TIP 2
;ears a'o a re"orter asked me8 @+hat9s the main o6Becti!e in "oker:ece"t8
of course8 winnin' "ots7A +ell8 I had to e"lain to him that winnin' "ots isn9t
an o6Becti!e in "oker8 at all7
;ou shouldn9t e!en care whether you win a "ot7 ;ou should only care a6out
makin' the correct decisions7 Makin' Juality decisions is the only thin' you
'et "aid for in "oker7 In fact8 it9s easy to 6ecome the 'rand cham"ion of
winnin' "ots7 -ll you need to do is call and raise your way toward the
showdown e!ery chance you 'et7 If you don9t "ick u" the "ot early8 e!ery
hand that could "ossi6ly ha!e 'otten lucky enou'h to win8 will win that final
showdown7 Many of these will 6e hands with lon'>shot8 un"rofita6le chances
that you stu66ornly continued to "lay a'ainst the odds7 If you9d thrown all of
them away8 you would ha!e sa!ed a lot of money8 6ut you wouldn9t ha!e
won any etra "ots7 If you don9t throw any hands away8 you9re "ro6a6ly
'oin' to win more "ots than anyone else:ri'ht u" until you 'o 6roke7
So8 o6!iously8 the o6Bect in "oker isn9t to win "ots7 ;ou need to take that
attitude to the "oker ta6le7 +hene!er you make the correct decision to fold a
11
hand8 you9!e made money7 Notice that I didn9t say that you sa!ed money7
That9s 6ecause:as you learned from the "re!ious ti":money made and
money not wasted can 6e s"ent eJually well7 So8 there9s "rofit in throwin'
hands away7
Of course8 makin' the ri'ht decisions can sometimes hel" you win a "ot8
es"ecially when you 6luff at a "rofita6le moment7 (ut it9s that decision you
'et "aid for8 not winnin' the "ot7 Stri!in' to make the ri'ht decisions:not to
winnin' "ots:is so im"ortant that I do somethin' you9re 'oin' to consider
weirdK I root for my o""onents to win "ots7 This kee"s me 'ood>natured in a
"oker 'ame and makes my o""onents 6elie!e I 'enuinely care a6out them:
6ecause it9s true7 (y rootin' for an o""onent to win the "ot8 only two thin's
can ha""enK
=1? If the o""onent wins8 I9m ha""y7
=$? If the o""onent loses8 I 'et the "ot as a consolation "ri%e7
I9m always aware that the more times my o""onents 'o a'ainst the odds and
win8 the "oorer they9re "layin'8 and the more money I9ll earn e!entually:
es"ecially in limit 'ames8 where a!era'e "layers enter too many "ots7 This
attitude and this success come from reali%in' that winnin' the "ot is not the
o6Bect of "oker7
TIP I
;ou want to 6e in the most "rofita6le 'ames8 ri'htE +ell8 when you hear
lau'hter8 it9s often an indication that "layers are there to enBoy "oker8 not to
take it seriously7 On a!era'e8 friendly 'ames8 es"ecially those with lau'hter8
are the most easily 6eata6le7 )on!ersely8 silence is usually an indication that
o""onents are "layin' way too seriously8 and your "ros"ects for makin' a
"rofit are diminished7 +hen you ha!e a choice8 choose a ta6le where "layers
are lau'hin'7
TIP /
Ty"ical "oker tournaments continue until one "layer has all the chi"s8 and
e!eryone else 'oes 6roke7 (ut if the stakes Bust stayed the same8 a tournament
mi'ht last many years7 It would 6e !ery hard to eliminate "layers7 So8 in
tournaments8 the stakes kee" 'ettin' lar'er and lar'er "eriodically8 until all
1$
6ut one "layer is 'one7
(ut8 you know whatE If you only ha!e a small 6ankroll8 you can make your
own tournament any day7 (uy into a small 'ame and kee" mo!in' to a 6i''er
limit e!ery hour until you either 'o 6roke or win at the CI8333#C138333 limit
or lar'er7 ;ou see what I9m 'ettin' at8 ri'htE ;ou9re almost certain to 'o
6roke8 6ut you mi'ht 'et etremely lucky and increase your 6ankroll
hundreds of times7 Most likely8 you9re 'oin' to end u" misera6le7
;ou9d 6e sur"rised how many otherwise skillful "layers fail at "oker8 sim"ly
6ecause they treat their 6ankrolls like tournament 6uy>ins7 Sure8 they don9t
do it all in one day8 as in the ea''erated eam"le I "ro!ided7 (ut they kee"
"romotin' themsel!es to hi'her and hi'her le!els that the si%e of their
6ankrolls can9t Bustify7 -lmost all of them 'o 6roke8 des"ite their skills7
Please don9t do that7
TIP 1
@+hat "ercenta'e of hands should I enter "ots withEA It9s a common
Juestion7
@It de"ends on your ima'e and what you9re tryin' to accom"lish7A That9s my
answer7 -s stran'e as it may seem to you8 one "rofessional can "lay twice as
many hands as another and 6oth can earn the same amount of "rofit in the
lon' run7
How comeE It9s 6ecause so many hands are mar'inal8 meanin' they will
6reak a6out e!en8 that you could "lay almost all of them or almost none of
them and still earn the same7 Most of your "oker "rofit comes from relati!ely
few Juality hands7
Still8 you need to consider the 'ood and the 6ad a6out "layin' a lot of
mar'inal hands7 +hen you do8 you9re seen as an action "layer8 and you9re
likely to make more money when you hold your 6est hands8 6ecause
o""onents feel comforta6le "layin' a'ainst you7 That9s 'ood7 (ut8 6ecause
o""onents don9t "ercei!e you as conser!ati!e8 it will 6e harder for you to
6luff "rofita6ly7 That9s 6ad7 -lso8 when you "lay most of your mar'inal
hands8 the si%e of your 6ankroll 6ecomes more !olatile8 and that means you
need more money to afford the same si%e 'ames7
1.
+hen I9!e esta6lished a friendly8 carefree ima'e8 which is what I usually
stri!e for8 I 'enerally "lay most mar'inal hands7 In addition to fittin' my
ima'e8 this strate'y 'i!es me o""ortunities to etract "rofit from small ed'es
later in hands when o""onents make mistakes7 These small>"rofit
o""ortunities add u"8 and they wouldn9t 6e a!aila6le to me if I didn9t "lay
those hands7 In 'eneral8 *oyle and almost all world>class "layers a'ree and
"lay a lot of mar'inal hands7
(ut8 you need to kee" in mind that mar'inal hands are mar'inal for a reason
:they a6out 6reak e!en7 -nd since there are so many hands in this cate'ory
com"ared with so few hi'h>Juality hands8 it9s easy to see how one
"rofessional "layer can contend for twice as many "ots as another and 6oth
can e!entually end u" with a6out the same "rofit7
TIP 0
*on9t 6e too "roud of your success callin' 6ets in limit "oker 'ames7
5emem6er8 the "ot is always lar'er than the si%e of the 6et8 6ecause there will
always 6e some money in the "ot when the 6et is made7 In limit 'ames8 the
"ot is usually many times the si%e of the 6et7 Let9s say you9re heads>u" and
your o""onent 6ets C233 into a C$8233 "ot on the last 6ettin' round7 )learly
your call only needs to 6e successful once in a while8 not e!ery time7
S"ecifically8 there9s C$8033 out there to win =the C233 Bust 6et8 "lus the
C$8233 that was already there?8 and it will cost you C233 to find out if your
hand is 6est7 ;ou9re 'ettin' 1 to 1 odds =C$8033 to C233?7
That means if you win once in ei'ht times when you call in this
circumstance8 you9ll 6reak e!en =se!en C233 losses8 totalin' C$80338 !ersus
one C$8033 win?7 So8 this is a call you should make8 e!en if you estimate that
you9re 'oin' to lose I out of / times7 That would cost C$8333 for the fi!e
unsuccessful C233 calls and "ro!ide C$8033 for the one successful call:a net
'ain of C033 for si calls7 That9s a6out C1.. "rofit "er call8 on a!era'e7 So8 if
you don9t make that call:6ecause you know you9re usually 'oin' to lose:
you9re costin' yourself a lot of money7
Now8 sometimes you call 6ecause you9!e read your o""onent and are actin'
in res"onse to a "owerful tell7 If you9re 'ood at readin' o""onents:and I9ll
hel" you out with that in a few minutes:you will increase the "rofit you
12
make 6y callin'7 Otherwise8 most of your calls will 6e made on the 6asis of
e!aluatin' the cards in relation to the si%e of the "ot7 ;ou see8 in those cases8
you9re usually not su""osed to win when you call7 (urn this into your 6rain
once and for allK @I9m "ro6a6ly 'oin' to lose when I call8 6ut it9s a 'ood
thin'FA ;ou could8 of course8 only call with your most>likely winnin' hands7
Then you9d a!era'e a lot of "rofit "er call7 (ut that would 6e !ery 6ad8
6ecause in order to a!era'e a lot of money callin'8 you must sacrifice 6y not
makin' calls that are indi!idually less "rofita6le8 6ut hu'ely "rofita6le
com6ined7 The truth is that you don9t want to a!era'e a lot of "rofit "er call8
and you shouldn9t 6e "roud of the fact8 if you do7
TIP 4
It makes no sense to stay in a "oker 'ame8 stru''lin' to 'et e!en8 unless you
would normally continue to "lay that 'ame if you were ahead7 If you9re a
"rofessional "layer8 then the more hours you s"end in 'ames8 under 'ood
workin' conditions8 the more "rofit you9ll earn7 ;ou 'et "aid 6y the hour:
"ure and sim"le7 Sometimes it mi'ht not seem that way8 6ecause the
fluctuations in "oker are so 'reat that it9s hard to ima'ine yourself workin'
for an hourly wa'e7 (ut that9s what9s ha""enin'7
E!entually8 the more hours you "lay under "rofita6le conditions8 the more
your 6ankroll will 'row7 (ut8 you only ha!e so many hours to in!est in
"oker8 and you need to in!est them wisely7 Find the 6est 'ames7 Make sure
you9re "layin' when you9re in condition to do the 6est Bo67 ;ou need to
wei'h e!erythin'7 For instance8 it9s not 'ood to "lay "oker when you9re tired7
(ut if the 'ame is !ery 'ood8 you mi'ht occasionally choose to continue
"layin'8 e!en if you9re tired7 )on!ersely8 sometimes you mi'ht choose to 'o
home early and rest8 e!en thou'h the 'ame is "rofita6le8 6ecause you think
another 'ame will 6e more "rofita6le tomorrow7
So you need to make choices a6out which hours will 6e the most "rofita6le7
Okay8 6ut what you do not need to do is choose to "lay for hours on end in an
attem"t to 'et e!en for the session7 +hether you win or lose today has
nothin' whatsoe!er to do with your o!erall success7 It doesn9t matter when
you Juit or when you "lay:as lon' as your decision is 6ased on how
1I
"rofita6le the net hour will 6e7
Think a6out thisK ;ou start e!ery "ot e!en7 ;our 6ankroll is always only as
6i' as when the "ot 6e'ins7 ;ou9re ne!er winnin' or losin' when the cards
are dealt7 ;ou9re always e!en7 So it makes no sense to try to 'et e!en7 ;ou
already are7
TIP 13
@I9!e won twenty>three days in a rowFA
Peter was "roud as he told me this7 (ut he shouldn9t ha!e 6een7 Earlier
durin' this win streak8 he9d 6ra''ed a6out ha!in' 6een 6uried one day for
C18133 in the C13#C$3 hold9em 'ame he "layed as an as"irin' "rofessional7 @I
stuck it out like a world>class "ro8A he9d 6ra''ed7 @-t a Juarter to fi!e in the
mornin'8 I counted down my stack and I was C0 ahead7 I didn9t e!en 6other
to "lay out my free hands until the net 6lind7 I Bust cashed out immediately7
That 'i!es me se!enteen wins in a rowFA
Now8 you see the "ro6lem hereE Peter was manufacturin' his win streak7 It9s
a "retty easy thin' to do7 ;ou Bust refuse to take a loss until it 'ets so 6i' that
there9s hardly any ho"e of reco!ery7 If you 'et lucky and reco!er8 you cash
out immediately with a small win7 If you start off winnin'8 you9re Juickly
satisfied8 and you also settle for a small win7 The hallmark of a "layer who
manufactures winnin' streaks is that his a!era'e wins are much smaller than
his a!era'e losses7
;es8 you tend to ha!e a lot of lon' winnin' streaks8 6ut at what costE (y
tryin' to reco!er from a dee" loss8 you9re likely to find yourself "layin' in
the worst conditions:when 'ames yield smaller "rofits8 on a!era'e7
-lthou'h there are ece"tions8 always kee" in mind that 'ames where you9re
losin' are likely to 6e made u" of stron'er o""onents7 These 'ames will
therefore 6e less "rofita6le than 'ames where you9re winnin'8 which tend to
consist of weaker o""onents7 -lso8 when you9re losin'8 many o""onents are
aware of this and don9t see you as much of a threat7 Often they9re moti!ated
6y your 6ad run and "lay 6etter7 For these reasons8 you9ll "ro6a6ly 6e in a
less "rofita6le situation if you stick around8 stru''lin' to 'et e!en7
5emem6er8 you9re 'ettin' "aid 6y the hour8 and here you are8 "uttin' in lots
of etra hours under "oor workin' conditions8 with "oor "ay7
1/
It9s also 6ad to Juit when you9re winnin'8 Bust to kee" your streak ali!e7
;ou9ll !ery likely 6e desertin' a 'ood 'ame7 +hen you9re winnin'8 'ames
are more "rofita6le on a!era'e than when you9re losin'7 -nd "layers you9re
6eatin' are more easily intimidated8 6ecause they9!e seen you winnin'8 fear
you more8 and are less likely to "lay their 6est 'ame a'ainst you7 So8 when
you lea!e a 'ame to enhance a winnin' streak8 you9re usually takin' off work
under the 6est conditions8 where the hourly wa'es were hi'hest7
Put it all to'ether and you can see why a manufactured win streak isn9t a
'ood thin'7 It9s certainly nothin' you should 6e 6ra''in' a6out7
TIP 11
This 6rin's us to "oker9s stu"idest JuestionK @+hy didn9t you Juit when you
were aheadEA S"ecifically8 "eo"le will ask this Juestion after you9!e lost a lot
of your winnin's or unfortunately turned a win into a loss7 Often they know
a""roimately how much you were winnin' and will "hrase the Juestion
similarly to what you see a6o!eK @+hy didn9t you Juit when you were
C118333 aheadEA
I9ll tell you why I didn9t Juit when I was C118333 aheadF I didn9t Juit8
6ecause I wanted to make more money7 I didn9t Juit8 6ecause when I9m
winnin'8 'ame conditions tend to 6e 6est8 and since I 'et "aid 6y the hour8 I
wanted to 'et in more hours under those conditions7 I didn9t Juit8 6ecause
neither you nor I had any way of knowin' at the time whether the cards
would 6e 'ood or 6ad from that "oint on7
Here9s the main reason that @+hy didn9t you Juit when you were C118333
aheadEA is the stu"idest Juestion in "okerK +hen you win CI383338 no6ody
e!er asks it7
TIP 1$
Most serious "layers understand this ti"8 6ut few understand its full !alue7
Since the action mo!es clockwise around the ta6le in "oker8 "layers to your
ri'ht usually act 6efore you7 I say usually8 not always8 6ecause if the "layer
on your ri'ht is in the dealer "osition8 he9ll act last throu'hout the hand7 Or if
he9s in one of the 6linds and you9re not8 he9ll act after you on the first 6ettin'
round7 -lso8 in a stud 'ame8 the face>u" cards:not ta6le "osition:dictate
who 'oes first8 6ut you still ha!e an o!erall "ositional ad!anta'e a'ainst stud
11
"layers to your ri'ht7
For the most "art8 you will act after "layers to your ri'ht8 and this means
you9ll usually 'et to see what they do 6efore makin' your decision7 That9s
called "ositional ad!anta'e7
In fact8 "ositional ad!anta'e is so hu'e in full>handed 'ames that most of the
money you make in your "oker>"layin' career comes from the "layers one or
two seats to your ri'ht8 and most of the money you lose 'oes to "layers one
or two seats to your left7
TIP 1.
(ecause most of your lifetime "rofit comes from "layers who act 6efore you
do8 it9s im"ortant to choose a seat8 whene!er "ossi6le8 that "laces the correct
ty"es of "layers to your ri'ht7 In other words8 you sit to the left of them7
+hen you ha!e a choice8 sit to the left of "layers who either "ose the 6i''est
threat or who su""ly the most money7 In the 6i''est threat cate'ory are
"layers who are so"histicated8 a''ressi!e8 and un"redicta6le7 ;ou can 'reatly
diminish their effecti!eness 6y forcin' them to act first8 'i!in' you "ositional
ad!anta'e o!er them7 If they were seated to your left8 they could use that
ad!anta'e to "ummel you7
(ut e!en more im"ortant to your lon'>ran'e "rofit is sittin' to the left of
loose o""onents8 "articularly non>a''ressi!e ones7 Loose 6ut non>a''ressi!e
"layers su""ly most of the money you win8 6ecause they enter too many "ots
and don9t always take full ad!anta'e of "rofita6le o""ortunities 6y 6ettin' or
raisin' when they ha!e you 6eat7 They9re likely to lose8 and you9ll ha!e a
6etter shot at their money if they act first7 +hen you hold your most
"rofita6le hands8 you9ll freJuently see them callin' a 6et with weak hands
6efore you raise7 Then8 when you do raise8 they9re tra""ed for more money7
If the situation were re!ersed and you acted 6efore them with an o""ortunity
to raise another o""onent8 your raise would likely scare away those weak
"layers to your left =alon' with their weak hands?7
The two ty"es of "layers you want to sit to the left of are almost o""osite in
nature7 One ty"e is loose and timidD the other is selecti!e and a''ressi!e7
;ou9ll often ha!e to choose 6etween ha!in' your 6i''est money su""lier or
your 6i''est threat on your ri'ht7 (ut try to make sure one or the other is
10
there:and sometimes you9ll 6e fortunate enou'h to accom"lish 6oth when
your loosest o""onent and8 also8 your most threatenin' one sit in the two
seats to your ri'ht7
Now let9s talk a6out the seat on the other side of you7 +hat ty"e of "layer
can you sit to the ri'ht of8 there6y surrenderin' your "ositional ad!anta'eE
Here9s the secretK Ideally you should ha!e !ery conser!ati!e 6ut
unima'inati!e "layers actin' after you7 These "layers don9t enter enou'h "ots
to interfere with your strate'y !ery often and don9t "lay a''ressi!ely enou'h
to e"loit their su"erior "osition8 e!en when they do 'et in!ol!ed7
,i!en all these considerations8 my first "riority is usually to sit to the left of
my loosest o""onents7 I want to act after them8 6ecause they9re the most
likely to 6uild my 6ankroll7
TIP 12
I9ll admit I s"ent a lot of my ener'y in my youn'er days "layin' a'ainst the
tou'hest o""onents7 This was !alua6le as a way to hone my skills8 6ut I
o!erdid it7 -lthou'h8 I "layed "rofessionally for fourteen years8 I think I
would ha!e made e!en more money had I concentrated more on findin'
weaker 'ames8 rather than 'ainin' res"ect 6y 6eatin' world>class o""onents7
TIP 1I
The full name of M)L is Mike )aro Lni!ersity of Poker8 ,amin'8 and Life
Strate'y7 I take the life strate'y "art of that seriously8 and in my teachin's
there are many o!erla""in' themes 6etween "oker and e!eryday endea!ors7
Few conce"ts ha!e resonated with students more than )aro9s Threshold of
Misery7 I continually recei!e letters8 e>mails8 and face to face thanks from
6oth "oker "layers and "eo"le in the @real world8A tellin' me how much this
sim"le truth has meant to them7
Here9s how it 'oesK Su""ose you9re a small> to medium>limit "layer8 and you
can en!ision yourself comforta6ly losin' a maimum of C18I33 today7 I9m
not su''estin' that you9ll 6e ha""y a6out losin' that much8 Bust that you can
comforta6ly handle it and that anythin' more will 6e'in to feel
uncomforta6le7
Okay8 now you find yourself down CI338 then C181338 then:6efore it
14
re'isters:you9!e %oomed "ast C18I33 and are losin' C180337 ;ou9!e entered
dan'erous territory7 -nd it 'ets worse7 -nd worse7 Hours later8 you find
yourself losin' C28I.37 Now8 your mind is num67 I 6elie!e that most "eo"le
at this "oint can9t mentally com"rehend added losses7 It all feels the same7
;ou9!e crossed )aro9s Threshold of Misery8 which is the "oint at which
mental and emotional "ain is maimi%ed and anythin' further won9t re'ister7
;ou must 6e aware when you cross the threshold8 6ecause 6eyond it
decisions don9t seem to matter7 This is true in real life8 too7 +hen romances
unra!el or 6usinesses fail8 you mi'ht cross the Threshold of Misery and sto"
carin' a6out makin' critical decisions re'ardin' other thin's7 That9s 6ecause
the "ain is already maimi%ed and anythin' else that 'oes wron' can9t add to
the a'ony7 Listen closely7 -t these times8 in "oker and in life8 the secret is to
kee" "erformin' as if you care7 5emem6er that8 althou'h you can9t
emotionally feel the im"ortance of makin' Juality decisions at the moment8
there will come a time when you will feel that im"ortance and 6e 'rateful for
the 'ood decisions that you make now7 ;es8 you9!e crossed the threshold and
decisions don9t seem to matter7 They do still matter8 and anythin' that
su''ests otherwise at this moment is an illusion7
Strate'y and Tactics
TIP 1/
E!en some "rofessional "layers make the mistake of 6ettin' a''ressi!ely
after dece"ti!e "layers check7 They9d earn much more money if they didn9t
ha!e this 6ad ha6it7 Throu'hout your "oker "layin' years8 always think a6out
the "layer you9re a6out to 6et into 6efore firin' away with a medium>stron'
hand7 If it9s a tricky "layer8 you should 6e much less moti!ated to 6et8
6ecause he won9t Bust fall in line and call meekly7 He will sur"rise you
occasionally 6y raisin' as a 6luff8 sometimes 'ettin' you to throw away the
6est hand7 -nd he will also tend to 'et maimum !alue out of his stron'
hands 6y raisin' darin'ly8 costin' you an etra 6et whene!er you call and
lose the showdown7 ;ou should tend to 6et much more often when the check
comes from meek and non>dece"ti!e foes7 So8 you should not 6et as
03
freJuently or as willin'ly after a dece"ti!e o""onent checks7 Make that a "art
of your "ermanent 'ame "lan7
TIP 11
This is another M)L maim that some "rofessionals too often i'nore8 costin'
them etra "rofit for their whole careers7 +hen a freJuent 6luffer waits to act
after you8 there can 6e considera6le !alue in lettin' him make his "rimary
mistake:6luffin' too often7 -'ainst this ty"e of "layer8 a medium>stron'
hand will often earn more in the lon' run as a 6luff catcher than a hand you
would 6et a''ressi!ely for etra !alue7
TIP 10
One of the reasons 6luffs are successful is that they often 6eat other eJually
weak hands7 Had you checked8 you would ha!e won some showdowns
6etween 'ar6a'e hands7 -nd you would ha!e lost some7 (y 6ettin'8 you
ensure a win under those circumstances8 and that adds su6stantially to the
!alue of the 6luff7
(ut when a freJuent 6luffer checks8 it9s much less likely that you can win 6y
chasin' away an almost eJually weak hand that mi'ht ha!e sJueaked throu'h
in a showdown7 So that factor won9t work in your fa!or7 -dditionally8
freJuent 6luffers check a dis"ro"ortionate num6er of hands that they intend
to call with7 That makes a 6luff e!en riskier7
I won9t tell you to ne!er 6luff when a freJuent 6luffer checks8 6ut you
wouldn9t cost yourself much 6y ado"tin' that "olicy7 ;ou need to 6e !ery
certain you9re on solid 'round7 Otherwise8 don9t 6luff7
TIP 14
- !alue 6et is sim"ly an a''ressi!e wa'er that tar'ets e!ery last dollar of
"otential "rofit7 +hene!er you !alue 6et8 the decision is close enou'h that
you could easily ha!e checked8 instead8 without so"histicated o""onents
thinkin' you did anythin' stran'e7
The "ro6lem with !alue 6ettin' is that many "layers do it as a matter of
"olicy8 without reali%in' that there are times you should and times you
shouldn9t7 (y !alue 6ettin' without a""lyin' the correct 'uidelines8 these
01
"layers turn a tactic that should add 'reatly to their "rofit into one that may
do little more than 6reak e!en7
I don9t want that to ha""en to you7 So here are two lists tellin' you whether
to !alue 6et or to checkK
Four )onditions That Fa!or a Nalue (etK
17 ;ou9!e Esta6lished a *ominant and Ln"redicta6le Ima'e
This intimidates your o""onents8 makin' them more likely to call with
weaker hands out of confusion7
$7 ;ou9re +innin'
This also intimidates your o""onents8 makin' them less likely to raise
a''ressi!ely8 which will cost you etra money when their hands are
somewhat 6etter than yours7
.7 ;our O""onent Is Timid
O""onents who are8 6y nature8 timid8 are unlikely to "ress a su"erior hand for
maimum !alue or steal the "ot with an une"ected 6luff>raise7
27 ;our O""onent Tends to )all More Often Than the -!era'e Player
That9s eactly what you9re seekin' from your !alue 6ets:lots of calls with
weaker hands7
Four )onditions That Fa!or a )heckK
17 ;ou9!e Failed to Esta6lish a *ominant and Ln"redicta6le Ima'e
This usually means your o""onent is not intimidated and less likely to call
out of confusion7
$7 ;ou9re Losin'
;our o""onents8 aware that you9re losin'8 often 'ain the coura'e to 'et
maimum !alue 6y raisin' with hands that may 6e sli'htly 6etter than yours8
costin' you etra 6ets7
.7 ;our O""onents Ha!e a Tendency to 5aise Li6erally
This means that due to their nature8 they 'et maimum !alue from hands that
are sli'htly 6etter than yours7
0$
27 ;our O""onent Plays Ti'ht
Ti'ht "layers are unlikely to call li6erally with weaker hands than yours8
takin' the !alue out of your 6et7
These lists don9t co!er e!ery concei!a6le thin' you mi'ht consider7 (ut they
do include the thin's I consider first when decidin' whether or not to !alue
6et7 If you do that8 too8 you9ll make a lot of etra money7 Nalue 6ettin' Bust
for its own sake doesn9t make much money7 Nalue 6ettin' for the ri'ht
reason does7
TIP $3
+hene!er you hold an un6eata6le hand:or one close to it:you mi'ht
consider checkin' and then raisin' if an o""onent 6ets8 also known as
sand6a''in'7 (ut when two or more o""onents are in!ol!ed in the "ot with
you8 there9s an im"ortant factor you9ll need to consider 6efore decidin'
whether to 6et or to sand6a'7
Here it isK ;ou should sand6a' your stron'est hands when the "layer
immediately to your left is the one most likely to make the first 6et8 and
usually not otherwise7 +hy is thatE (ecause 6y sand6a''in' with a "owerful
hand8 you9re tryin' to win more money7 ;ou9re declinin' to 6et8 riskin'
direct money throu'h calls8 in the ho"es that someone else will do your
6ettin' for you8 and then you can raise and win etra7
+ell8 su""ose there are three "layers in the "ot7 If you check8 the "layer to
your left checks8 and the other o""onent checks8 you win nothin'7 ;ou
'am6led that someone else would 6et8 and you lost that 'am6le7 If you check8
the "layer to your left checks8 and the other o""onent 6ets8 that9s not so 'ood8
either7 ;ou 'et to raise8 6ut your seatin' "osition relati!e to your o""onent9s
'reatly reduces the effecti!eness7 ;our raise will make it !ery difficult for the
"layer to your left to Bustify callin' with anythin' 6ut a nearly un6eata6le
hand7 ;ou9ll almost certainly chase that "layer away7 ;ou mi'ht 'et the
6ettor to your ri'ht to call your raise8 6ut you mi'ht not7
+hat you9d really like to see ha""en after you check is a 6et from the "layer
to your left7 Then8 if all 'oes well8 the other o""onent will call8 and then you
can raise and ho"e they 6oth call the raise7 This call and o!ercall often
ha""ens in a limit 'ame8 6ecause the "ot is so lar'e8 relati!e to the cost of the
0.
call7
That 'reat outcome8 where you win four 6ets:two from each o""onent:is
only likely to ha""en if the o""onent to your left is the most likely 6ettor7 So8
6ecause sand6a''in' a hu'e hand is often only mar'inally su"erior to
6ettin'8 usually you should try it only when the "layer to your left is the one
you think will 6et7
This ha""ens a lot in hold9em when the "layer to your left 'ot the last raise in
6efore the flo" and many "layers are still contestin' the "ot7 Now8 if the flo"
hits you "erfectly and mi'ht 6e satisfactory to the "layer to your left8 you
often should check7 If that first>round a''ressor a'ain 6ets8 you mi'ht see a
lot of other callers 6efore the action returns for your raise7 ;ou should also
consider the "layin' styles of the "layers you9re checkin' into7 In "articular8
you should 6e more willin' to sand6a' your stron'est hands when the "layer
to your left is a li6eral 6ettor7
+hen you9re first to act8 ha!e a 6i' hand8 and are considerin' a sand6a'
a'ainst two or more o""onents8 ask yourself who9s most likely to 6et7 Left is
ri'ht7 5i'ht is wron'7
TIP $1
Lots of money is lost in "ots with at least three "layers when one of them
raises from a middle seat on the last round of 6ettin'7 Lower le!el
"rofessionals Juite often make the mistake of raisin' with fairly stron'8 6ut
not in!inci6le8 hands7
;ou seldom want to raise with this secondary stren'th7 (y @secondary8A I
mean that the hand is !ery "owerful8 6ut falls short of "rimary stren'th8
which consists of hands that cannot 6e 6eat or8 at least8 are !ery nearly
in!inci6le7 -''ressi!e "layers that are accustomed to dominatin' the 'ame
6y 'ettin' maimum !alue throu'h 6ettin'8 ty"ically raise much too li6erally
in this situation7 The mistake costs them dearly8 6ut they "ro6a6ly don9t e!en
reali%e it7
The "ro6lem with this middle raise is that hands with secondary stren'th
usually make more money if you 'i!e a third "layer the chance to o!ercall7 -
raise will likely chase away that money and8 if the first "layer is 6luffin' or
has a hand too weak to call8 that raise 'ains you nothin'7 (y not raisin'8 you
02
also "rotect yourself a'ainst losin' more money with a second>6est hand
when you collide with the "erfect hand7 The solutionK Seldom raise in the
middle "osition on the last 6ettin' round7 ;ou can make an ece"tion and
raise ifK
=1? ;ou ha!e a weak hand and you think you9re 6ein' 6luffedD or
=$? ;our hand is etremely stron'7
In the first case8 you raise to eliminate the "layer waitin' to act 6ehind you8
so you can 6eat the "ossi6le 6luff7 In the second case8 you raise strictly
6ecause your hand is stron' enou'h to withstand a reraise from anyone and
you9ll 6eat the "layer 6ehind you8 if he calls a raise7 E!en in the second case8
you mi'ht choose to Bust call7
So seldom raise7
TIP $$
+hile most to" "rofessionals understand this8 some don9t7 -nd the maBority
of second>tier "rofessionals8 alon' with most serious amateurs8 don9t seem to
understand it at all8 6ased on the way they "lay in this situation7 I9ll try to
e"lain it as sim"ly as I can8 6ut you9ll need to work with me a little7
The mistake ha""ens mostly in limit 'ames7 Ima'ine thisK ;ou9re "layin'
C$33#C233 hold9em7 Three of you ha!e sur!i!ed to see the ri!er card and here
comes the final round of 6ettin'7 ;ou9ll 6e last to act8 and you9re holdin'
-R <R with a 6oard of
<S 2R HR 4T QT7 The "ot is C.8133 and the first "layer 6ets8 makin' it 'row
to C.8I337 ;ou eamine the situation and estimate that you ha!e rou'hly 1
chance in / of 6eatin' this 6ettor in a showdown7 -s you know8 1 chance in /
means that the odds are I to 1 a'ainst you7 That means8 in order to 6reak e!en
on the call8 the "ot would need to 6e at least fi!e times as lar'e as your C233
call7
+ell8 the "ot in this case is already C.8I33:much lar'er than the C$8333
needed to Bustify a call:so o6!iously you9re su""osed to call7 In fact8 if you
made si calls and won once8 you9d lose C233 fi!e times8 for a total of
C$83338 and win C.8I33 once:an o!erall 'ain of C18I338 or C$I3 "er call7
(ut8 waitF There9s another "layer in!ol!ed in this "ot7 Her name is (eth and
0I
you9!e "layed "oker with her many times 6efore7 She 'ets to act 6efore you
do7 (eth calls the 6ettor8 and you estimate her chances of ha!in' a 6etter
hand than his to 6e Bust a6out the same as yours7 Now whatE Now you need
to consider what your chances are of 6eatin' 6oth the 6ettor and (eth7 The
mistake "layers make here is that they tend to o!ercall with the same hands:
or only sli'htly stron'er ones:than they would ha!e called with had (eth
folded7 That9s wron'F ;ou need a si'nificantly stron'er hand to o!ercall than
you need to call7
Here9s whyK 5emem6er8 you feel that you ha!e an eJually 'ood chance of
6eatin' the 6ettor as (eth does7 Mentally8 here9s where most "layers:e!en
!ery e"erienced ones:'o off course with their lo'ic7 They think8 @If she
can call8 then so can I8 6ecause I ha!e Bust as 'ood a chance as she does and
now the "ot is e!en 6i''er7A -nd they9re "artially ri'htK The "ot is e!en
6i''er nowD it was C.8I338 and now8 with (eth9s C233 call8 it9s C.84337
So8 should you o!ercallE NoF If your estimates are correct8 and we9re
assumin' they are8 then you still ha!e 1 chance in / of 6eatin' the ori'inal
6ettor in a showdown7 (ut8 if you succeed there8 you still must 6eat (eth8 and
you9!e estimated that you ha!e an e!en money shot of doin' that7 So8 if a
!ery similar hand were "layed o!er and o!er throu'h eternity8 for e!ery two
times you 6eat the 6ettor =and that would only ha""en 1 out of /8 or $ out of
1$ attem"ts?8 you9d also need to 6eat (eth =and that would only ha""en half
the time?7 So8 (eth9s "resence takes away half your chances of winnin' the
"ot8 makin' your real chances only 1 in 1$8 instead of $ in 1$7
How does that translate in terms of money chancesE How 6i' would the "ot
need to 6e to callE If you followed the earlier lo'ic8 analy%in' the odds 6efore
(eth9s call8 you know that at 1 chance in / 8 you needed a "ot fi!e times as
lar'e as the call to 6reak e!en7 Now8 at 1 chance in 1$8 the odds are 11 to 1
a'ainst you8 and you need a "ot ele!en times the si%e of the C233 call to
6reak e!en7 So8 in order to Bustify this o!ercall8 the "ot needs to 6e at least
C28233 lar'e7 It isn9t7 It9s only C.84337 Lsin' the same formula as 6efore8 we
see that we9re 'oin' to lose C28233 on those ele!en failed calls8 and win
C.8433 once7 That lea!es us CI33 short of 6reakin' e!en o!er twel!e tries8 so
the a!era'e cost is Bust less than C2$7
0/
*o you see what ha""ened hereE It was worth C$I38 on a!era'e8 e!ery time
you called Bust the 6ettor8 6ut costs you C2$ e!ery time you o!ercall after
(eth7 I know this was a tou'h lesson8 6ut it9s somethin' you need to know7
Thanks for indul'in' me7 Let9s mo!e onM
TIP $.
;ou9!e heard a lot a6out thinnin' the field7 The term refers to eliminatin'
some of the "layers that are in com"etition for the "ot7 Thinnin' the field is
sometimes an im"ortant wea"on7 Indeed8 there are hands that can 6e "layed
more "rofita6ly a'ainst one or two o""onents than a'ainst a whole herd of
them7
I9m on record as not 6ein' a fan of thin>the>field strate'y8 6ecause I 6elie!e
that "layers usually attem"t it at times when they would make more money
6y allowin' etra o""onents in7 The really 6i' issue I ha!e with this strate'y
is that8 if you succeed in thinnin' the field8 you !ery likely ha!e chased away
the weakest hands8 which mi'ht ha!e "ro!ided "rofit to you had they stayed
in the "ot7 Instead8 you9!e left yourself stranded a'ainst only the stron'er
hands that you wanted to chase from the "ot8 6ut didn9t7
Okay8 now that I9!e shared my innermost thou'hts a6out thinnin' the field8
here9s when to try it and when not to try it7 The most ad!anta'eous time to
thin the field is when weak "layers are already committed to the "ot and
stron' "layers are waitin' to act 6ehind you7 If you raise8 you9re likely to
chase stron' "layers out and "lay a'ainst weak o""onents and weak hands7
The worst time to use this strate'y is when stron' "layers are committed to
the "ot and weak "layers remain to act 6ehind you7 If you raise8 you9re likely
to chase weak "layers out and "lay a'ainst Bust the stron' "layers with stron'
hands7
Net time you attem"t to thin the field8 don9t Bust think a6out the num6er of
o""onents you9d like to thin8 think a6out which "layers you9re 'oin' to thin7
TELLS -N* PS;)HOLO,;
TIP $2
01
;ou want weak "layers in your 'ame7 Lsually8 they9re "layin' recreationally8
not seriously7 They9re a"t to "lay hands for the sheer fun of it7 They may
e!en enBoy 'oin' u" a'ainst the odds7 +hen you insult them for their @6adA
"lays8 you9re makin' them uncomforta6le and moti!atin' them to "lay 6etter
in the future7 *on9t do that7
)oncludin' his se!en>card stud hi'h>low cha"ter8 Todd (runson 'i!es
further insi'ht a6out the disastrous mistake some "rofessionals make 6y
rudely critici%in' weak o""onents7 I feel so stron'ly a6out this that I often
'i!e encoura'ement to "layers who 'o u" a'ainst hea!y odds to win a "ot
from me7 I9ll say8 @+owF Most "eo"le don9t e!en "lay 2>. offsuit8 and
usually I don9t8 either7 (ut I won with it three times yesterday7 May6e you
and I are on to somethin'FA
*o you understand why I say thatE I9m makin' the weak "layer feel 'ood
a6out 'ettin' lucky7 I9m "ractically makin' him into a hero7 -t the same
time8 I9m tellin' him that I @usuallyA don9t "lay that hand8 makin' me sound
sincere and 6elie!a6le7 =-t a "oker ta6le8 it9s "erfectly "ermissi6le to lie
a6out your hands and a6out the way you "lay them7 In fact8 it9s "art of the
"sycholo'y of winnin'7 -nd once in a while8 you should throw in the truth8
Bust to kee" o""onents off 6alance7? (ut8 I9m sayin' more7 I9m claimin' that I
"layed the same hand successfully8 e!en thou'h I su''est that I know 6etter7
This 'i!es him @"ermissionA to "lay 6adly a'ain in the future7 If I do it8 so
can he7 It will 6e fun for him to try to succeed a'ain and 6e rewarded with
more "raise7 +hen "layers make him feel 6adly a6out weak "lays8 they9re
"roddin' him to "lay 6etter7 That9s eactly the o""osite of what they should
want7 -nd it isn9t fair to other com"etitors to make their money su""liers
uncomforta6le a6out su""lyin' money7
TIP $I
+hile I often "raise weak o""onents for 6ad "lays8 I ne!er "raise them for
'ood "lays7 That would make them "roud of @"leasin' me7A They mi'ht
decide to take the 'ame seriously:and wouldn9t that 6e a disasterE
00
TIP $/
I9!e seen e!en some of the 6est "layers in the world !iolate the ad!ice shown
a6o!e7 Ne!er for'et that recreational "layers su""ly most of your "rofit7 They
came for the fun of "oker8 not to analy%e it to death or to take it seriously7
+hen you sit at the ta6le discussin' the finer "oints of "oker strate'y8 you9re
alertin' the "layers who su""ly your "rofit that they mi'ht 6e com"etin'
a6o!e their lea'ue7 ;ou9re makin' them uncomforta6le8 and it9s Juite
"ossi6le that they9ll either decide to sit in your 'ames less often or to "lay
6etter7 ;ou don9t want either of those thin's to ha""en7
I often hear so"histicated "layers de6atin' the technical merits of how a hand
was Bust "layed in the "resence of weak o""onents7 Serious discussions of
strate'y can alert these recreational "layers to the notion that there is strate'y7
;ou don9t want to do that7 -nd8 e!en more "eculiar to me8 the de6ates are
usually o!er somethin' as inconseJuential as whether a call or a raise in a
6orderline situation was the 6etter choice7 These way>too>technical
ar'uments can ne!er really 6e resol!ed =ece"t8 "ossi6ly8 6y me?8 6ecause
there are too many side factors in!ol!ed8 such as how o""onents were likely
to res"ond emotionally at the moment and what the 6ettor9s ima'e was7
The truth is8 the discussion is often a6out which choice is .1U 6etter8 when
Bust 6y talkin' a6out it in front of a recreational "layer8 the de6aters
"otentially are costin' themsel!es thousands of dollars7 Let me "ut in 'ently8
without insultin' some of my "oker>"layin' friends who9!e made this
mistakeK The economic ad!isa6ility of discussin' ad!anced strate'y at a
"oker ta6le "o"ulated with weak o""onents is here6y 6rou'ht into Juestion7
TIP $1
Now I9m 'oin' to tell you a story7 I9!e told it many times8 6ut I think it
illustrates this "oint so well that I9!e chosen to immortali%e it 6y includin' it
in Su"er#System $7
I9m not sure what year it was:140I8 I think7 +ell8 actually8 it was 6oth 140I
and 140/8 6ecause this ha""ened on New ;ear9s E!e and shortly thereafter7
Okay8 I9m "layin' "oker at the (icycle )asino near Los -n'eles8 not 6ecause
04
I9m a "oker Bunkie8 6ut 6ecause my wife Phyllis )aro is in char'e of the
dealers and is workin' that ni'ht7
-nyway8 as the hour a""roaches midni'ht8 'ames start to 6reak as "layers
head home to their families7 Pretty soon there are sadly no 'ames with much
si%e to them7 *on9t you hate it when "layers 'et their "riorities confusedE So
I settle for killin' some time "layin' a tiny no>limit 'ame with C1 and C$
6linds7 -s you9re "ro6a6ly aware8 no>limit isn9t a6out the si%e of a "oker
'ameD no>limit is a method of 6ettin' in a "oker 'ame7 Since the forced>6lind
6ets are the initial tar'ets8 all wa'erin' should 6e in "ro"ortion to the si%e of
those 6linds7 Theoretically8 no>limit 'ames with C133 and C$33 6linds should
result in "ots that are8 on a!era'e8 133 times as lar'e as the "ots in the 'ame
where I now sit8 with "altry C1 and C$ 6linds7 -ctually8 I could ha!e sat in
that 'ame for that hour 6efore midni'ht8 seen a6out twenty deals8 folded
e!ery hand8 and it would ha!e only cost me C/ in 6linds7 That9s how small
the 'ame should ha!e 6een7
Notice that I said8 @should ha!e 6een7A ;ou see8 somethin' stran'e was
ha""enin'7 I9m sure the a!era'e "ot was o!er C1338 and many "ots were
thousands of dollars lar'e7 I was suddenly winnin' a 'reat deal of money in a
'ame I hadn9t e!en considered to 6e a "rofit>makin' o""ortunity7 I mean8
here was the loosest8 wildest 'ame of "oker I9d e!er seen in my lifeF
Midni'ht a""roaches7 The (icycle )asino staff "asses out those annoyin'
noise makers and 'oofy hats7 They also 'i!e away streamers you9re su""osed
to throw in the air to show how thrilled you are that time mo!ed forward
smoothly to the net year8 Bust as most scientists "redicted it would7 I know I
sound 'rum"y8 6ut lucrati!e "oker 'ames should not 6e interru"ted for this
sort of silliness7
It 'ets to 6e a cou"le minutes to the hour7 That hour7 - second>6y>second
countdown 6e'ins7 E!eryone has left the ta6le8 'ettin' ready to kiss their
'irlfriends8 6oyfriends8 or s"ouses7 Me too7 I fi'ure8 @+hy notEA No6ody9s
sittin' at the stu"id ta6le anyway7 So e!eryone smooches and hu's and
"roduces stran'e8 loud 6ellows that sometimes sound more an'uished than
Boyful7 I kiss Phyllis8 6ut make no loud noises whatsoe!er7 Streamers snake
throu'h the air and sully the car"et7 More o6noious sounds are comin' from
43
e!erywhere8 courtesy of the (icycle )asino9s free noise makers7
It 'oes on for a cou"le of minutes and e!eryone returns to the "oker ta6le7 Let
me tell you8 this is now the ti'htest "oker 'ame in the history of our "lanet7
No6ody9s 'am6lin'F ;ou know why8 ri'htE New ;ear9s resolutions7
E!eryone has decided to "lay 'ood this year8 and:knowin' "oker "layers as
I do:this resol!e mi'ht last for twenty minutes7 So8 I cash out my winnin's
and hurry home7
+hat9s the "oint of this storyE The "oint is that your o""onents resol!e to
"lay well from time to time8 not Bust on New ;ear9s E!e7 -nd you need to 6e
"re"ared for it7 Ty"ically8 "layers will resol!e to "lay 6etter when they Bust
sit down for the ni'ht7 They9re "ro6a6ly thinkin'K @This is the day I9m finally
'oin' to stay disci"lined and "lay 'ood7A -nd like I said8 their resol!e can
last u" to twenty minutes8 6ut ne!er any lon'er7 *urin' this 6rief window of
o""ortunity8 you can 6luff successfully a'ainst them7 -nd they won9t 6e
"layin' weak hands7 The same holds true for "layers who were 6uried in a
'ame and "layed recklessly with the faint ho"e of 'ettin' e!en7 If they
miraculously do 'et e!en8 e"ect their style of "lay to ti'hten7 -'ain8 you can
6luff them8 and they won9t 6e "layin' fri!olous hands7
So8 adBust your strate'y accordin'ly7
TIP $0
+hen "layers com"lain a6out 6ad luck8 they9re seekin' sym"athy7 They9re
feedin' off their own misery8 and they want to show you the hands they lose
with to "ro!e their "oint7 It9s rare that "layers who are com"lainin' in this
way will try to 6luff7 More often they9ll sim"ly show you that they missed
and8 "erha"s8 say8 @See what I mean7A
So8 when they 6et8 it9s !ery unlikely that they9re 6luffin'8 and it9s usually
safe to fold medium hands you mi'ht otherwise call with7
TIP $4
+hat ha""ens when you com"lain a6out 6ad 6eatsE *o your o""onents 'row
sym"athetic and teary eyedE No7 They mi'ht fei'n sym"athy8 6ut actually
they9re thinkin'8 @HeyF There9s someone more unlucky than I amF There9s
41
some6ody I can 6eatFA -nd they 6ecome ins"ired and "lay 6etter a'ainst you7
There "ro6a6ly aren9t any "oker "layers who ha!en9t sometimes felt as if
they were settin' the world record for 6ad 6eats7 That9s 6ecause it9s lonely at
the ta6le8 and when your luck turns terri6le8 you9re the only one that9s "ayin'
full attention to it7 The most you 'et from anyone else is !a'ue awareness
and an occasional half>hearted8 @+owF (ad 6eatFA -nd that9s it7
It 'ets so 6ad sometimes that you wish you could show a !ideo of what
ha""ened to you8 so e!eryone could ooh and ahh a6out what you went
throu'h7 @+ant "roofE ;9all meet me o!er at my house8 we9ll ha!e a
6ar6eJue8 and then we9ll all sit around and watch tele!ised e!idence of how
6adly I9!e 6een sufferin' at "oker7A For'et a6out itF Ece"t for 6ein' ins"ired
6y your sadness8 no6ody cares7 Hee" your 6ad luck to yourself7
Now8 the last thin' I want is for su"erstitious o""onents to 'et ins"ired
6ecause I9m runnin' "oorly7 So8 I don9t 6roadcast my 6ad 6eats7 I deny them7
-nd I make a deal with my students7 I e"lain8 @+hen you tell me a 6ad 6eat
story8 I don9t really listen7 I nod sadly and "retend to care8 6ut actually I9m
usin' the time to think a6out more im"ortant thin's7 That way8 you feel the
sym"athy you9re seekin'8 and I "ut my time to 'ood use7 It works for 6oth of
us7A
I e!en deny that I9m ha!in' a 6ad run8 if someone mentions it at the ta6le7 I9ll
often say somethin' like8 @That was a "retty stran'e 6eat8 6ut actually I9!e
6een !ery lucky lately7A +hile I9m not su"erstitious and don9t allow my
students to 6e8 many o""onents are7 They think luck runs in streaks7 (ut8 as
I9!e 6een "ointin' out for twenty>fi!e years8 a streak is Bust somethin' you
see in the rear!iew mirror7 It mi'ht continue and it mi'ht not8 6ut you9re
'au'in' the len'th of a streak on the 6asis of what9s already ha""ened8
what9s 6ehind you in the mirror7
;ou see8 the latest la6 research su''ests that cards lack the "hysical stren'th
to re"osition themsel!es7 So8 e!en if they were determined in their tiny 6rains
to make your life misera6le8 their muscles are too weak to follow throu'h7
TIP .3
4$
;our o""onents didn9t come to the card room ho"in' to throw hands away7
They ha!e a 6ias toward callin'7 -nd most of them are lookin' for reasons to
call8 e!en if they ha!e to in!ent those reasons7
That9s why you9re more likely to 6e called if you9re sli'htly animated7
O""onents mi'ht unconsciously 6e aware that you twitched or si""ed your
coffee7 They9re instincti!ely thinkin'8 @That9s stran'eD may6e that means
he9s 6luffin'7A They9re a little 6it like snakes8 "redis"osed to strike at the
sli'htest mo!e7 Ece"t they9re "oker o""onents8 "redis"osed to call for the
sli'htest reason7 I9!e 'i!en this uni!ersal "oker condition a nameK The
)allin' 5efle7 -nd it9s easy to take ad!anta'e of it7
In fact8 here9s one hu'e ti"K +hen you hold a stron' hand and you know your
o""onent is a6out to fold8 do anythin'F It9s a freeroll8 6ecause you9re already
a6out to lose the call8 and if you can chan'e an o""onent9s mind at the last
moment8 you9ll win a whole 6et you would ha!e lost 6y Bust sittin' there7 It9s
"ure "rofit7
So8 always kee" in mind that your o""onents ha!e callin' reflees7 -s they
6e'in to fold:assumin' you want to 6e called:Bitter8 shift your wei'ht in
your chair8 knock o!er some chi"s8 Bust do somethin' new7 Once in a while8
you9ll 'et your o""onent9s attention8 he9ll 'et sus"icious8 reconsider8 and call7
;ou won9t usually 6e a6le to tri''er that callin' refle at the last moment8
6ut you will sometimes7 It9s like makin' a snake strike7 -nd it doesn9t cost
anythin' to tryF
TIP .1
I9!e written a whole 6ook a6out the 6ody lan'ua'e of "oker:a6out your
o""onents9 mannerisms that su''est whether they9re holdin' stron' or weak
hands and whether they9re 6luffin' or not7 These mannerisms are called
@tellsA in "oker8 6ecause they often tell you somethin' a6out your o""onents9
secret cards7 The main thrust of the 6ook is that o""onents are either actin' or
they aren9t7 If they9re actin'8 you should usually determine what they9re
tryin' to con!ince you to do and disa""oint them7 If they9re ehi6itin' what I
term @in!oluntary tells8A they9re not actin'8 and if the tell is stron' enou'h8
you should react directly in accordance with what it im"lies7 (e aware that
the most e"erienced "layers in the 6i''est 'ames ehi6it tells less
4.
freJuently7 -nd when they do8 the tell is likely to 6e a more su6tle !ariation
of the one you9ll see when confrontin' weak and a!era'e o""onents7
One of the core "rinci"les 'o!ernin' acted tells is that a "layer lookin' away
is always more dan'erous than a "layer starin' at you7 - "layer starin' away
from the a""roachin' action8 as you see here8 is "retendin' to 6e uninterested
in the "ot7 -ctually8 he has a stron' hand and is "re"arin' to 'et in!ol!ed7
He9ll "ro6a6ly raise if you9re silly enou'h to 6et a !ulnera6le hand into him7
If you see a "layer starin' away like this when it9s your turn to act8 6ewareF
TIP .$
Here9s one of the most misunderstood and most "rofita6le tells in "oker7 It9s
not acted7 It9s a natural reaction that your o""onents can9t control7 ;ou9ll
occasionally see this e!en amon' a few to" "layers in the 6i''est limits:and
when you do8 you can sa!e a lot of money 6y foldin'7
I9m talkin' a6out a suddenly shakin' hand7 Please "ay attention to what I Bust
said:a @suddenlyA shakin' hand7 If your o""onent9s hands tend to 6e
unsteady most of the time8 this tell won9t hel" you much7 (ut8 fortunately8
few "layers ehi6it constant trem6lin'7 So8 what ha""ens when:all of a
sudden:the o""onent 6ets and his hand 6e'ins to trem6le7
I9ll tell you what ha""ens in a lot of o""osin' "layers9 minds7 They think8
@Look at that hand shake7 That 'uy9s ner!ous7 I9ll 6et he9s 6luffin'8 so I9m
'oin' to callA Now8 there9s a thou'ht that9s 'uaranteed to cost you moneyF
Ty"ically8 "layers who 6luff 6olster themsel!es and often 6ecome ri'id7 They
don9t allow themsel!es to shake8 6ecause they9re afraid the shakin' would
make you sus"icious and "rom"t you to call7
+hen you see an o""onent shakin'8 it9s a release of tension that comes
automatically when the sus"ense ends7 That o""onent has made a 6i' hand:
often a truly monumental one:and e"ects to win7 If this seems counter>
intuiti!e to you8 start watchin'7 - suddenly shakin' hand si'nals the ha""y
endin' to a drama7 It indicates that the "layer has 'otten lucky and is
mentally already stackin' those chi"s7 The trem6lin' means a stron' hand8
and you should almost always fold:unless your own hand is also !ery
"owerful7
42
TIP ..
+e talked a6out the callin' refle8 and oddly8 most o""onents are
instincti!ely aware of it7 They9re not aware to the etent that they9re a6le to
harness their own callin' refle8 6ut su6consciously they9re aware that the
other "layers ha!e one:althou'h they9!e "ro6a6ly ne!er "ut it in words7
(ecause of this !a'ue awareness8 your o""onents are afraid of tri''erin'
your callin' refle after they 6et weak hands7 So8 they instincti!ely make
themsel!es less noticea6le7 Sometimes they free%e and sometimes they e!en
sto" 6reathin'F +hen o""onents a""ear not to 6e 6reathin' after they 6et8
there9s a much hi'her>than>normal chance that they9re 6luffin'7
TIP .2
Here9s Bust another mem6er of the same "owerful family of tells7 )losely
o6ser!e o""onents who are suckin' on candy or chewin' 'um7 If they
continue to do so naturally after 6ettin'8 they9re "ro6a6ly relaed and ho"in'
for your call7 If they sto" suckin' or chewin'8 it9s likely that they9re 6luffin'7
;ou can sometimes force this tell when you9re holdin' a mar'inal callin'
hand 6y reachin' sli'htly toward your chi"s7 Often a "layer who is 6luffin'
will 'row concerned and all suckin' or chewin' will suddenly cease7 That9s
when you should call7 If you don9t 'et that reaction8 fold7
TIP .I
;our o""onents are always conscious that you mi'ht 6e o6ser!in' them7 It
makes them uncomforta6le8 and that9s why they 6ecome actors8 es"ecially in
the low> and medium>limit 'ames7 They try to fool you 6y almost in!aria6ly
actin' weak when they hold stron' hands and stron' when they hold weak
hands7
This means that when you see an o""onent shru' or hear a si'h8 that9s an act
intended to con!ey sadness7 *on9t 6e fooled7 ;ou9re "ro6a6ly facin' a
"owerful hand7 +hy would "layers 'o out of their way to con!ey sadness and
make you sus"icious if they didn9t want you to callE They wouldn9t7
4I
)onfronted with cons"icuous sadness8 you should usually fold all medium>
stron' hands7
TIP ./
-nother common way that o""onents try to con!ey sadness is throu'h the
tone of their !oices when they say @6et7A Listen closely for it7 +hene!er you
hear8 @I 6etA s"oken in a sin'son'8 drawn>out manner that su''ests8 @,osh8 I
wish I didn9t ha!e to do this8A that9s almost certainly an indication of a
"owerful hand7 Seldom call unless you ha!e one8 too7
TIP .1
Here9s an occasional tell that you9ll see8 sometimes e!en in the 6i''est>limit
'ames7 Su""ose an o""onent tries to 6et a stack of chi"s8 6ut some s"ill off
the to" as he "ositions them in the "ot7
+hat does that im"lyE Lsually nothin'7
It9s what ha""ens net that matters7 If the "layer is holdin' a weak hand or is
6luffin'8 he9s "ro6a6ly worried that the mistake will make you sus"icious
and in!ite you to call =remem6er the callin' refleE?7 So if you9re facin' a
weak hand8 you9re likely to see the o""onent try to neaten u" the chi"s:to
erase the error7 If that ha""ens8 you should 6e much more willin' to call7
(ut8 if there is no attem"t to correct the fum6led 6et8 you9re likely to 6e
a'ainst an o""onent who isn9t worried8 and you should 6e reluctant to call7
TIP .0
One of the stron'est ti"s for hold9em or Omaha "layers is to a!oid watchin'
the flo"7 It will still 6e there later7 -s the dealer turns o!er those first three
6oard cards8 o6ser!e your o""onents7 This is a 'oldmine for tells7
Most "layers are unaware that you9re watchin' them at the moment the flo"
hits8 so they9re unlikely to 6e actin' ri'ht then7 +hat you9re lookin' for is
"rimarily thisK
=1? Players who instincti!ely 'lance immediately toward their chi"s liked the
flo" and are considerin' 6ettin'7
4/
=$? Players who stare at the flo" a little lon'er "ro6a6ly didn9t 'et any hel"7
This falls somewhere in the 'ray area 6etween acted tells and in!oluntary
tells7 Starin' for a short time is in!oluntary8 indicatin' the "layer didn9t 'et
hel" and has no reason to either look at his chi"s or look away as if
uninterested8 in an effort to make your 6et seem safe7 )ontinued starin' for a
lon'er time usually indicates weakness:the "layer is fei'nin' interest8 6ut
"ro6a6ly won9t call a 6et7
The flo" affords you the o""ortunity to read 6oth acted and non>acted tells7
The first instinct of some "layers who hel" their hands is to 'lance toward
chi"s8 "re"arin' to "ut them to use7 That9s non>acted7 The "layer8 ha!in'
hel"ed his hand8 will often closely follow this in!oluntary 'lance 6y lookin'
away from the a""roachin' action as if uninterested7 That last "art is an act8
"ortrayin' weakness8 which actually indicates stren'th7
Players who continue to stare at either the flo" or their chi"s lon' enou'h that
they think you9re watchin' are tryin' to con!ey an interest in the "ot that
their cards don9t merit7 They9re usually not a threat7 -nd many "layers8 who
see a flo" that hel"s them8 don9t instincti!ely 'lance toward their chi"s at all
6efore lookin' away7 They9ll Bum" ri'ht to the lookin' away "art:an act
that also tells you they9re holdin' stron' hands7
Payin' attention when the flo" hits can earn you a lot of money7 (ut8 this can
only ha""en if you9re "ayin' attention to the "layers7 If you9re "ayin'
attention to the cards instead8 like almost e!eryone else is8 you9ll miss this
o""ortunity7
TIP .4
(efore you act on your hand8 eamine the "layers who will act after you7 The
four "oints a6o!e are stron' indications that o""onents aren9t interested in
callin' any 6ets7
This is "articularly im"ortant on the first round of 6ettin'7 I9m a6le to
con!ince e!en "rofessional o""onents that I9m in the 'ame to 'am6le8
"layin' hands that are too weak for my "osition:without actually doin' itF
HowE It9s sim"le7 I Bust look 6ehind me and when I see one or more
41
o""onents "ro!idin' these stron' indicators that they9re 'oin' to fold8 I rela
my hand reJuirements8 su6stitutin' what I would need if I were that many
seats later in "osition7 It means I can "rofit from hands I wouldn9t ha!e 6een
a6le to "lay if I weren9t o6ser!ant8 and8 at the same time8 it does wonders for
esta6lishin' my carefree ima'e7
TIP 23
(ut8 if I see these indicators when I eamine "layers who will act after I do8
then I9m in trou6le with a weak or medium hand7 I need real stren'th to
Bustify a 6et7 -nd I9ll 6e more willin' to sand6a' a su"er>stron' hand on later
6ettin' rounds8 6ecause it looks like someone will do my 6ettin' for me8 if I
check7
TIP 21
Now that we9!e discussed some key tells8 I need you to understand
somethin'7 Nery few tells are 133V accurate7 ;ou need to use them like you
would any other 6it of information7
For instance8 if you9re "layin' se!en>card stud and you raise with a Jueen
showin' on the first 6ettin' round8 a reraise from an o""onent with a kin'
showin' !ery likely indicates a "air of kin's7 (ut it mi'ht not:the clue isn9t
"erfect7 ;ou need to adBust your tactics so that you 'i!e more consideration
to a "air of kin's than you would ha!e8 while kee"in' o"en the "ossi6ility
that you9re facin' a "air of 6uried aces8 a smaller 6uried "air8 three suited
cards8 or an outri'ht 6luff7 The raise is an indicator that makes you ree!aluate
the likely hands your o""onent has7 - "air of kin's 6ecomes more likely8
other hands less likely8 6ut still "ossi6le7
It9s the same with a tell7 It9s Bust another factor8 Bust an indicator7 The
stron'er it is8 the more it should influence your decision7 (ut you should
seldom let a tell 6e the only factor that 'oes into your decision7
One other word of cautionK (ecause "layers ha!e a 6ias toward callin'8 many
will use tells incorrectly7 They9ll 'o out of their way to s"ot ima'inary tells
that "rom"t them to call and almost com"letely i'nore actual tells that "rom"t
40
them to fold7 If you do that8 you9ll "ro6a6ly lose money with tells and would
6e 6etter off not usin' them at all7
My ad!ice is that you 'et as 'ood as you can at usin' tells and a""lyin'
"oker "sycholo'y7 If you9re a serious winnin' "layer8 you mi'ht easily
dou6le your income 6y masterin' these skills7
Two Final (onus Ti"s
TIP 2$
I see this mistake Juite often8 and it dri!es me cra%y7 =I ha!e to 6lame my
condition on somethin'8 ri'htE? Let9s say your hand is fairly weak for the
situation8 6ut the "ot is so 6i' that you9re 'oin' to call a 6et no matter what7
Faced with this circumstance8 "layers instincti!ely try to "re!ent a 6et8
"erha"s 6y reachin' for their chi"s menacin'ly7 Listen8 if you know you9re
'oin' to call8 you should encoura'e your o""onent to 6et8 e!en if you9re
ho"in' he doesn9tF
That9s 6ecause the only times you9re likely to succeed in discoura'in' a 6et
are when your o""onent holds weak hands or would ha!e 6luffed7 Those are
"recisely the hands you would ha!e 6eaten with your call7 (y not
discoura'in' a 6et8 you9re in!itin' an o""onent to 6et all the hands that will
6eat you:which he would do anywayF Plus8 you9re makin' him feel
comforta6le a6out 6ettin' all those etra hands you can 6eat when you call7
*iscoura'in' a 6et you intend to call only sto"s o""onents from 6ettin'
hands you9ll 6eat8 not from 6ettin' hands you won9t 6eat7 So don9t do it7
TIP 2.
For most "layers8 it9s !ery uncomforta6le facin' a "oker 6ully:one that tries
to dominate the 'ame throu'h su"er>a''ressi!e "lays8 mied with
6ewilderin' 6luffs7
(ut it9s easy to defeat "oker 6ullies and send them home cryin' for their
mommies7 ;ou9re lookin' at the three>ste" formula now7 If you follow it:
rather than 6e lured into an escalatin' 6attle to determine who can 6e more
forceful and creati!e:6ullies can9t dama'e you7 There is no counter>strate'y
44
a!aila6le to them8 and ultimately they ha!e no choice other than to 'i!e you
their money or 6eha!e7
I9!e enBoyed s"endin' this time with you7 -nd now I9ll return the sta'e to
*oyle (runson and the rest of his world>class e"erts7
133
SPE)I-LIWE O5 LE-5N TO PL-; POHE5
6y Ste!e Wolotow
THE FOP -N* THE HE*,EHO,
Se!en>hundred years 6efore the 6irth of )hrist8 the ,reek "oet -rchilochus
distin'uished 6etween the fo and the hed'eho'8 sayin' @The fo de!ises
many strate'iesD the hed'eho' knows only one8 6ut he uses it !ery
effecti!ely7A -s a 'am6ler which should you stri!e to 6eE Should you try to
learn a lot of 'ames or Bust oneE
Many "oker "layers ado"t the hed'eho'9s strate'y7 +hen "resented with an
encyclo"edic 6ook such as this one8 they immediately turn to the cha"ter that
co!ers their fa!orite 'ame and study that cha"ter eclusi!ely7 They either
'i!e a cursory 'lance to sections dealin' with other 'ames8 or they o"t not to
look at them at all7 The ad!anta'e to 6ein' a hed'eho' is !ery sim"le7 ;ou
can 6ecome !ery 'ood8 "erha"s e!en 'reat8 at your s"ecialty7 +hat could 6e
wron' with thatE If you 6ecome an e"ert at one 'ame8 you won9t 6e afraid
of any o""onent8 and you9ll win consistently7
So why would you e!en consider the fo9s strate'yE +hy learn a !ariety of
'ames8 es"ecially if it is !irtually im"ossi6le to "lay multi"le 'ames as well
as you can learn to "lay Bust oneE Here are fi!e reasons whyK
17 Times )han'e
;our chosen 'ame mi'ht not stay "o"ular fore!er7 Some 'ames that were
once !ery "o"ular ha!e faded almost com"letely away7 Ima'ine how much
the fi!e>card>stud or draw>hi'h e"erts make now7 +hen I first "layed in
New ;ork )ity8 many home 'ames "layed hi'h>low declare7 I ne!er see
declare 'ames 6ein' "layed these days7
$7 -da"ta6ility Means Hi'her Profits
;ou ne!er want to "ass u" the o""ortunity to make money at another 'ame7
Say you ha!e a choice 6etween a tou'h stud 'ame and an un6elie!a6ly weak
Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter 'ame7 - 'reat se!en>stud hed'eho' mi'ht 6arely
co!er the rake8 while a fo who is 6arely com"etent in Omaha will o"t for the
weak 'ame and clean u"7
131
.7 Hnowin' More Ne!er Hurts
+hile learnin' one 'ame8 you mi'ht "ick u" somethin' that hel"s you master
another7 (efore I started "layin' "ot>limit Omaha8 I didn9t understand the
im"ortance of makin' 6i' laydowns on the ri!er in that 'ame7 -nd you need
to 6e !ersatile in learnin' the difference 6etween cash 'ames and
tournaments8 too7 ;ou ne!er know where the "rofit will 6e7 In cash 'ames8
how you "lay with or a'ainst a short stack isn9t !ery im"ortant7 In
tournament "lay it is a crucial skill you can de!elo"7
27 Flei6ility
If you are a fo8 you will 6e a6le to "lay mied 'ames or dealer9s choice
'ames7 Many home 'ames and most of the 6i''est 'ames are mied 'ames8
in which the 'ame chan'es after a set num6er of hands is "layed or a certain
amount of time ela"ses7 The most "o"ular multi>'ame mi in casinos is
H7O757S7E78 an acronym for the com6ination of hold9em8 Omaha ei'ht>or>
6etter8 ra%%8 stud>hi'h8 and ei'ht>or>6etter stud7 Some common two>'ame
mies are stud and hold9emD no>limit hold9em and "ot>limit OmahaD and
hi'h>low stud and hi'h>low Omaha7 +ith so many 'ames to "lay8 a
hed'eho' would ha!e a lot of trou6le com"etin' at these ta6les7
I7 Nersatility
- fo is much 6etter "re"ared for any new 'ames that de!elo" than a
hed'eho'7 The more !ersatile you 6ecome8 the easier it will 6e for you to
"ick u" a new !ariation when you are faced with it7
+H-T TO LE-5N
+hat "oker !ariations should you learn firstE To some etent that de"ends on
where you are and what 'ame you normally "lay7 No>limit hold9em is a 'ood
'ame to master first7 Not only is it the most "o"ular 'ame8 6ut it9s also
'rowin' faster than any other7 If you intend to "lay a lot of tournaments8 you
should definitely learn no>limit hold9em8 6ut don9t for'et to study the limit
and "ot>limit !ariations7
On the East )oast8 stud is "o"ular and should 6e your second choice7 In
Euro"e and the South8 "ot>limit Omaha should 6e your second choice7 In
13$
Ne'as and )alifornia8 Omaha hi'h>low s"lit is a reasona6le second 'ame to
learn8 6ut make sure you learn how to "lay 6oth tournaments and li!e 'ames7
E!entually you should "ractice enou'h to feel comforta6le "layin' limit8 "ot>
limit8 and no>limit 'ames7 ;ou should also stri!e to learn all the most "o"ular
'ames8 includin' hold9em8 se!en>stud8 Omaha hi'h8 Omaha hi'h>low8 se!en>
stud hi'h>low8 deuce>to>se!en tri"le>draw8 ra%%8 and low6all draw:6oth ace>
to>fi!e8 usually "layed limit8 and deuce>to>se!en8 usually "layed no>limit7
The to" "layers know and "lay all of them7 +hy shouldn9t youE
I would e!en recommend the study of certain academic disci"lines8
es"ecially mathematics and "sycholo'y7 Psycholo'y will hel" you 6etter
understand your o""onents and what they are doin'7 It may also ena6le you
to find8 understand8 and eliminate some of your own mistakes7 Pro6a6ility
and statistics are etremely useful as well7 Poker "layers ha!e 6een known to
use 'ame theory to determine the "ercenta'e of 6ets that should 6e 6luffs7
-ssumin' you are etremely intelli'ent:and you must 6e if you are readin'
this 6ook:and hard workin'8 you should 6e a6le to master all of these 'ames
and academic disci"lines in a""roimately fi!e lifetimes7 That9s why8 in
order to make the most money8 you should master one or two 'ames8 while
achie!in' hi'h com"etence in the others7
13.
LIMIT HOL*&EM POHE5
6y <ennifer Harman
Thou'h <ennifer Harman is "roficient in all "oker 'ames8 I chose her to write
the limit hold9em cha"ter 6ecause I9!e seen her win consistently at this 'ame8
often 6eatin' the 6est "layers in the world7 Ha!in' "layed hi'h>stakes "oker
with <ennifer the "ast few years8 I9m con!inced that she9s not only the 6est
all>around female "layer ali!e8 6ut also ranks amon' the elite "oker "layers
of the world7
Her a''ressi!e "lay8 a style that fits ri'ht into the "ower "oker I ha!e always
recommended8 has im"ressed me for years7 <ennifer is one of the few women
who ha!e won o"en e!ents at the +orld Series of Poker8 and she is the only
woman who has done it twice7 In $333 she won the deuce>to>se!en title:a
'ame that was new to her at the time:and in $33$ she won the limit hold9em
cham"ionshi"7
To further illustrate her !ersatility8 <ennifer also has a""eared at the final
ta6le at the +SOP in se!en>card stud8 "ot>limit hold9em8 and twice in limit
hold9em e!ents7 She won the no>limit hold9em cham"ionshi" at the
)ommerce )asino in 14408 the same year that she won the limit hold9em
e!ent at the Orleans O"en7 In $33$ <ennifer made her final ta6le de6ut at the
"resti'ious +orld Poker Tour in -ru6a7 +e9ll 6e hearin' more roars from
this 133>"ound "oker lioness in the future7
INT5O*L)TION
There are si'nificant differences 6etween limit and no>limit hold9em7 One
o6!ious difference is that in no>limit8 if you "lay your cards ri'ht8 you can
tra" your o""onents for all their chi"s7 That9s Bust not the case in limit
hold9em7 +hile no>limit is a 'ame of tra"s8 limit hold9em is all a6out !alue
6ettin'8 which means you want to 'et maimum !alue for your hand8 often
throu'h a''ressi!e 6ettin'7 ;ou9ll find that in limit hold9em it9s 6est to "lay
in a strai'htforward manner8 that is8 6et and raise when you actually ha!e a
decent hand7 (ut don9t 6e "redicta6le8 and don9t for'et that 6luffin' is one of
the most "owerful wea"ons you can use in limit hold9em7 Let9s 'et to itF
132
(LIN*S -N* -NTES
I would like to start with a discussion of 6lind structures7 -fter all8 "ostin'
the 6linds is the first ste" in any hold9em 'ame7 In this cha"ter we are 'oin'
to co!er the different a""roaches that should 6e considered 6ased on the 6lind
structure 7
- full>limit hold9em 'ame has either nine or ten "layers seated at the ta6le7
These 'ames are often referred to as rin' 'ames7 Ty"ical lower limit 'ames
are "layed ten>handed8 6ut as the limits 'o u"8 ei'ht> and nine>handed 'ames
are more common7 ,ames with three to si "layers are called shorthanded
'ames8 and those "layed with Bust two "layers are called heads>u" 'ames7
Hold9em is a "ositional 'ame7 - little "uck or 6utton mo!es clockwise
around the ta6le re"resentin' the dealer7 In home 'ames8 the deal sim"ly
mo!es to the left each hand8 6ut casino 'ames use a "rofessional dealer7 The
"osition of the 6utton on the ta6le determines the order of action7 -fter the
first round of 6ettin'8 the 6utton always acts last8 which is a 'reat ad!anta'e7
-s the last "layer to act8 the 6utton is a6le to watch his o""onents act on their
hands8 re!ealin' "ossi6le stren'ths and weaknesses8 6efore he makes his own
decision7
Two "layers8 the 6linds8 are forced to "ut money into the "ot 6efore the hand
is dealt7 The small 6lind sits directly to the left of the 6utton8 and the 6i'
6lind sits directly to the left of the small 6lind7 There are two 6asic ty"es of
6lind structuresK a two>and>three chi" and a two>and>four chi"7 In a two>and>
three chi" 6lind structure8 the small 6lind "uts in two chi"s8 while the 6i'
6lind "uts in three chi"s7 For eam"le in a C1I#C.3 limit hold9em 'ame8 the
small 6lind must 6et C13 while the 6i' 6lind must 6et C1I7
In a two>and>four chi" 6lind structure =a one>and>two chi" structure is
identical?8 the 6i' 6lind "osts dou6le the amount of the small 6lind7 So in a
C$3#C23 limit hold9em 'ame8 the small 6lind would 6e C13 and the 6i' 6lind
would 6e C$37
O"timal limit hold9em strate'y differs de"endin' on which 6lind structure
you are "layin'7 - two>and>three chi" 6lind structure will cost you more
money "ro"ortionately "er round than the two>and>four chi" structure7 -s a
result8 two>and>three chi" 'ames are looser than two>and>four chi" 'ames8
13I
and you will need to com"ensate for this 6y "layin' more hands7
The difference 6etween the two structures seems "retty insi'nificant8 so why
the need to adBust your "layE
Two>and>Three )hi" Structure
In the two>and>three chi" structure8 the small 6lind already has $#. of a 6et in
the "ot7 If there is no raise 6efore the flo"8 it9s hi'hly likely that the small
6lind will com"lete the 6et and see the flo"7 There are few8 if any8 situations
in which the "layer in the small 6lind should fold a hand rather than kick in
one more chi"7 For eam"le8 let9s say you are in the small 6lind in a
C.3#C/3 hold9em 'ame7 - "layer from middle "osition calls C.38 as does the
6utton7 -s the "layer in the small 6lind8 you already ha!e C$3 in!ested8 and
includin' the 6i' 6lind9s C.38 the "ot already stands at C1137 Since callin'
will only cost you C138 you are 'ettin' 11 to 1 odds on your in!estment7 -nd
since there are !ery few hands that would 6e worse than an 11 to 1 underdo'
to win8 it9s 6asically an automatic call no matter what you are holdin'7
If only you and the 6i' 6lind remain8 remem6er that there is already CI3 in
the "ot and you ha!e to throw in Bust one more chi" to call7 In this case8 you
are 'ettin' I to 1 on your money8 and you only ha!e to 6eat one "layer7 E!en
if you lim" in with a mar'inal hand and the 6i' 6lind raises you8 it9s not the
end of the worldD you9!e still made the ri'ht "lay7
In a two>and>four chi" 6lind structure8 the 'ame should 6e "layed a 6it more
conser!ati!ely7 -s the small 6lind8 you9ll ha!e to "ut in one>half more 6et to
see the flo"8 as o""osed to the 1#. 6et in the two>and>three chi" structure7
Let9s a""ly the scenario a6o!e to a two>and>four chi" structure7 Once a'ain8
you are in the small 6lind8 this time with a C13 6et in!ested7 - middle
"osition "layer lim"s in for C$38 as does the 6utton7 There is C13 in the "ot8
and you ha!e to call C13 more to see the flo"7 In this scenario8 you are 'ettin'
1 to 1 on your money8 which isn9t 6ad7 ;ou should still "lay a maBority of
your hands8 6ut not as many as you would ha!e in the two>and>four chi"
structure7 If only you and the 6i' 6lind remain8 you9ll ha!e to call C13 into a
C.3 "ot:not that hi'h a "rice a'ainst Bust one "layer8 6ut it9s still much less
enticin' than in the
two>and>three chi" 6lind structure7 -s the small 6lind in this ty"e of 'ame8
13/
you should "lay more conser!ati!ely8 as it costs you less money "er round7
+hen decidin' what limit to "lay8 consider what ty"e of 6lind structure suits
your style7 If you are an a''ressi!e "layer 6efore the flo" and like to "lay a
lot of hands8 the two>and>three chi" 6lind structure is "ro6a6ly the 6est
choice7 )on!ersely8 if you are the ty"e of "layer who likes to sit 6ack and
wait for 6i' hands8 then the two>and>four chi" structure is definitely 6etter
suited to your style7
P5E>FLOP ST5-TE,;
+hen "eo"le who are new to "oker ask me for "ointers8 I usually tell them to
"lay fewer hands7 If you are a 6e'inner8 you should stick to strict 'uidelines
with your "re>flo" hand selection7 This will 6enefit you in two key waysK
=1? ;ou9ll learn the im"ortance of "atience and disci"line7
=$? ;our daily swin's won9t 6e as lar'e7
+hen you are Bust startin' out8 your 'oal should 6e to 'et accustomed to the
'ame7 -s you im"ro!e8 you9ll 6e a6le to e"and your startin' reJuirements
and "lay e!en more hands for a "rofit7 -s with strate'ies for any "oker
!ariation8 there are 6asic "rinci"als and 'uidelines you should kee" in mind8
6ut remem6er that nothin' is set in stone7 -s your "oker a6ilities im"ro!e8
you9ll want to add some creati!ity to your "re>flo" "lay so your o""onents
will ha!e a tou'her time 'ettin' a read on you7
;our "re>flo" strate'y will differ 'reatly de"endin' on the num6er of "layers
at the ta6le7 Later in the cha"ter8 we9ll discuss different strate'ies for 'ames
of all si%es8 6ut for now let9s look at o"timal "re>flo" strate'y for rin' 'ames8
those "layed nine> or ten>handed7
Position is an im"ortant factor in hel"in' you decide how to "lay any 'i!en
hand7 In a ty"ical ten>handed 'ame8 there are three "ositions other than the
6linds =we9ll 'et to 6lind "lay later in the cha"ter? you can 6et fromK early8
middle8 and late7 The later you act8 the 6etter your "osition8 and the more
hands you can "lay for a "rofit7 )on!ersely8 if you are in a 6ad "osition =early
"osition?8 you need a "remium startin' hand to enter the "ot7 For the sake of
this discussion8 we9ll call "ositions three throu'h fi!e to the left of the 6utton
131
the early "ositions8 "ositions si throu'h ei'ht the middle "ositions8 and
"ositions nine and ten =the 6utton? the late "ositions7 In a nine>handed 'ame8
"layers one and two are in the 6linds8 "layers three and four in early "osition8
fi!e throu'h se!en in middle "osition8 and ei'ht and nine in late "osition7 The
last "layer of each "osition falls in the middle of the two "ositions7
Early Position
+hen in early "osition8 it is im"ortant to remem6er that the rest of the
"layers act 6ehind you8 so your hand has to 6e stron' enou'h to stand a raise7
So as a 'eneral rule8 you should only "lay the followin' hands in early
"ositionK ->-8 H>H8 Q>Q8 <><8 13>138 ->H8 and ->Q:"lus ->< suited and H>
Q suited7 These may sound like strict 'uidelines8 6ut kee" in mind that the
teture of the 'ame will dictate whether or not you can e"and on them7 If
you find yourself in an a''ressi!e 'ame with a lot of "re>flo" raisin'8 you9re
6etter off stickin' to these 'uidelines7 On the other hand8 if you are in a
"assi!e 'ame with little a''ression or "re>flo" raisin'8 you can 6roaden your
hand selection to include ->13 suited8 4>48 and 0>07
If you are dealt a "remium hand in early "osition8 you should raise7 If you
always raise with a "remium hand8 you9ll actually 6e 'i!in' away less
information a6out the stren'th of your hand than if you only raise with aces
and kin's7 If you ado"t this strate'y of always raisin' with a "remium hand8
your o""onents won9t know if you are raisin' with ->-8 ->H8 H>Q8 and so
on down the list7 Howe!er8 if you always lim" in with hands other than aces
and kin's8 your o""onents will soon 6e onto you and learn to ne!er call when
you raise7
;our "re>flo" raise with these hands ser!es two "ur"osesK
=1? It enlar'es the "ot7 +hen you are holdin' "remium cards8 you want as
much money as "ossi6le in the "ot7
=$? It narrows the field7 The !alue of your 6i' "airs decreases in multiway
"ots7 (y narrowin' the field with a raise8 you increase the chances that your
"remium hand will stand u"7
-s you 6ecome more comforta6le with the 'ame8 you mi'ht consider
occasionally lim"in' in with a "remium hand in order to throw off your
130
o""onents7 (y lim"in' in8 you mi'ht cause many "layers to rule out the
"ossi6ility that you9re holdin' aces or another "remium hand7 ;our "re>flo"
dece"tion mi'ht win you more 6ets in later rounds7 ;ou could e!en consider
lim"in' in with ->H suited in early "osition7 If it is raised 6ehind you8 you
could 'o ahead and reraise when it 'ets 6ack to you7 (y doin' this8 you could
actually re"resent aces or kin's7 So e!en if you miss the flo"8 you can 6et out
and try to take it on the flo"7
Lim"in' in from Early Position
Some e"ert "layers like to lim" in with kin's in early "osition7 I9m not a 6i'
fan of this "lay7 If someone is 'oin' to 6eat me with an ace>ra' hand8 I want
to make sure I make him "ay for it 6efore the flo"7 If more than three "eo"le
see the flo" and an ace flo"s8 you can Juietly de"osit your kin's in the muck7
If the "ot was three>handed or heads>u" and an ace flo"s8 you mi'ht want to
test the waters and 6et out7 If you 'et raised8 you9ll ha!e to rely on your
Bud'ment when it comes to decidin' whether to call or fold7 ;our decision
should 6e 6ased on your read of your o""onent7 +ould he raise me here with
a drawE Mi'ht he e!en raise me with middle "airE *oes this 'uy e!er 6luffE
+ould this 'uy "lay ace>ra'E (y answerin' all of these Juestions8 you should
ha!e a sufficient num6er of clues to hel" you make the ri'ht choice7
This is why it9s so im"ortant to "ay attention to the hand you9re in!ol!ed in8
as well as hands you9!e already folded7 (y watchin' the 'ame8 you should 6e
a6le to fi'ure out who likes to lim" with -> and who "refers "layin' suited
connectors7
;ou may consider lim"in' with H>Q suited as well7 Lnlike hi'h "airs like ->
- or H>H and other "remium hands8 this hand "lays well in multiway "ots7
*ece"tion and miin' u" your "lay should 6e an im"ortant "art of your
'ame8 6ut unfortunately there is only so much you can do from early
"osition7 For the most "art8 you Bust want to "lay fundamentally sound "oker7
+hen you find yourself under the 'un8 don9t try too hard to 6e creati!e8
6ecause it may cause you to 6e faced with more difficult decisions later in the
hand8 and you can end u" outwittin' yourselfF
Middle Position
In middle "osition8 you should definitely "lay the "remium hands we
134
mentioned a6o!e8 6ut now8 with fewer "layers actin' after you8 you can "lay
a few more7 -lthou'h middle "osition allows you to 6roaden your hand
selection8 remem6er that8 unlike early "osition8 you now ha!e to take into
account what has ha""ened in front of you7
Playin' Premium Hands from Middle Position =->-8 H>H8 Q>Q8 ->H?
For the most "art8 you should "lay your "remium hands from middle "osition
the same way you would from early "osition7 If you are the first one in with
->-8 H>H or ->H8 you should raise7 If some6ody has raised in front of you8
you should 6e a''ressi!e and reraise7 -s you read on throu'h this cha"ter8
you9ll find a recurrin' themeK a''ressionF
Sometimes8 you mi'ht want to "ractice a little 6it of dece"tion 6y callin' a
raise with a hand like ->H suited8 the 6est drawin' hand of them all7 E!en if
you flo" a flush draw with no "air8 you still ha!e fifteen outs a'ainst a hand
like Q>Q8 which8 6y the way8 would make you the fa!orite to win the "ot7 If
you are u" a'ainst another un"aired hand8 you9d ha!e the 6est hand8 as well
as the 6est draw7
There are other reasons why you mi'ht Bust want to call a raise with ->H
suited7 Say you are holdin' -E HE in a loose 'ame with lots of action7 (y
smooth callin'8 you mi'ht "ersuade others to stay in the "ot7 (ein' heads>u"
with the initial raiser wouldn9t 6e horri6le8 6ut it mi'ht 6e e!en more
"rofita6le to let others in7 So let9s say you call8 as do three others8 and the
flo" comes 6ad for your hand:1>0>4 with two hearts8 for eam"le7 No
"ro6lem:Bust check>muck it8 thus sa!in' one 6et7
Playin' Middle Pairs from Middle Position =<><8 13>138 4>4?
If you are the first to enter the "ot8 you should raise comin' in7 5emem6erK
a''ression8 a''ression8 a''ressionF If someone has raised in front of you8 you
should reraise to narrow the field and 'i!e yourself the 6est chance to win the
"ot7 Lnlike a hand such as ->H suited8 these middle "airs don9t "lay !ery
well in multiway "ots7 (y reraisin'8 you9ll 'et a little 6it more information
a6out the initial raiser9s hand7
If the initial raiser makes it four 6ets8 he "ro6a6ly has a 6i''er "air or at least
->H7 *efinin' your hand as a stron' one is a 'ood idea8 and 6y reraisin' you
can re"resent a "remium hand7 +hy is this 'oodE Take this eam"leK Say you
113
reraise with 13>13 a'ainst a "layer who has raised from early "osition7 ;ou
'et it heads>u" and the flo" comes down 1>.>$7 The initial raiser checks8 and
you 6et your 13>137 If your o""onent has ->Q8 he would 6e correct in callin'
one more 6et on the flo"7 Howe!er8 since you9!e re"resented a stron'er hand
than you actually ha!e8 the initial raiser may fold thinkin' that you mi'ht
already ha!e ->-7
Playin' ->Q from Middle Position
-s when "layin' middle "airs from the middle "osition8 if you ha!e ->Q and
are the first to enter the "ot8 you should raise comin' in7 On the other hand8 if
you are facin' an early "osition "layer who has already raised8 "layin' ->Q
from the middle can create some "otentially sticky situations7 +hat you
should do a'ainst an early "osition raiser will de"end hea!ily on your read of
that "layer7 If the 5ock of ,i6raltar raises from first "osition8 you9re ->Q
isn9t worth two centsF Howe!er8 if you know the raiser to 6e a loosey>'oosey
ty"e "layer8 you should "ro6a6ly try to isolate him 6y reraisin'7
There are a few situations where sim"ly callin' an early "osition raise is
acce"ta6le8 6ut if you think the hand is worth callin' with8 you should 'o
ahead and reraise7 Otherwise8 dum" it7 ;ou9ll then want to kee" the lead on
the flo" whether you flo" a "air or not7 +hat you do after the flo" will
de"end on the teture of the flo"8 your o""onents8 tendencies8 and the
num6er of "layers in the "ot7 (ut as a 'eneral rule8 you should ne!er call a
raise and a reraise with a hand as weak as ->Q7
Playin' Mar'inal Hands from Middle Position =-> suited8 H>Q8 H><8 Q><8 <>
138 13>4 suited8 1>0 suited8 and Small Pairs?
This is where your startin' reJuirements 'et a little tricky 6ecause there is an
added !aria6leK what has ha""ened in front of you7 For eam"le8 let9s look at
a hand like <>137 If no one has entered the "ot8 you should consider raisin' it
u"8 ho"in' to "ick u" the 6linds7 (ut if someone has already raised in front of
you from an early "osition8 chances are they can 6eat Back hi'h7 Since it9s no
lon'er "ossi6le to "ick u" the 6linds8 your 6est "lay here is usually to fold7
I say usually8 6ecause there are !ery few a6solutes in "oker7 Each situation is
uniJue and !aryin' your "lays will hel" confuse your o""onents7 How often
you use these !ariances de"ends on many factors8 includin' ta6le
111
com"osition8 ta6le ima'e8 and more7
Here are a few 'eneral 'uidelines to think a6out when "layin' mar'inal
hands in middle "ositionK
=1? In an a''ressi!e 'ame with "re>flo" raises comin' from all "ositions8 you
should a!oid 'ettin' in!ol!ed if you are holdin' only small suited
connectors7 +hile these hands "lay well in multiway "ots8 they do much
worse in heads>u" situations8 es"ecially when "layed from early or middle
"osition7
=$? In a "assi!e 'ame you can o"en u" a little 6it with a mar'inal hand7 If no
one has entered with a raise8 you mi'ht want to raise with all of your 6i' card
and small "air hands =H><8 Q><8 <>T8 13>4 suited8 1>18 />/8 etc7?7 ;ou should
also raise with any suited ace if you are the first one to enter the "ot7 In a
"assi!e 'ame8 "layin' a''ressi!ely with a mar'inal hand is the way to 'o8 as
it 'i!es you the o""ortunity to "ick u" the "ot when no one calls "re>flo"7
E!en when your raise is called8 you could still win the "ot with a 6et on the
flo"7 That is8 if an o""onent doesn9t catch a "iece of the flo"8 which will
ha""en more often than not7
=.? In a loose 'ame with many "re>flo" lim"ers8 you should still "lay the
maBority of your mar'inal hands:6ut unlike in a "assi!e 'ame8 you should
not "lay them a''ressi!ely7 In this situation8 your o6Becti!e is to 'et full
!alue on your hand8 and a raise will only deter others from callin'7 In these
more li6eral 'ames8 your motto should 6e @The more the merrierFA For
instance8 if you are holdin' 1>0 suited and one "layer raises while two others
call8 you should call the raise7 )hances are there is a 6i' "ot de!elo"in'8 and
you9!e 'ot the ri'ht kind of hand to take it down7
Late Position
Now it9s time to ha!e some funF Late "osition is definitely my fa!orite "lace
to 6e and once you9!e finished readin' this limit hold9em section8 you9ll
know why7 Playin' late "osition is fun for se!eral reasons7 For one8 you 'et
to "lay a lot more hands than you do in early and middle "osition7 Secondly8
as a late "osition "layer8 you ha!e access to a lot more information than the
other "layers8 such as who called8 who raised8 how many ha!e called8 etc7
Furthermore8 late "osition is the "osition from which you9ll want to do the
11$
maBority of your stealin':6ut only when no one has entered the "ot ahead of
you7 If you are in the 6utton8 the last seat8 you ha!e the o""ortunity to knock
off other late "osition steal attem"ts 6y isolatin' them and makin' it three
6ets7 )onfused yetE *on9t worry8 I9ll e"lain7
Stealin' from Late Position
+hen I say stealin'8 I9m referrin' to a late "osition "layer9s attem"t to 'ra6
the 6linds with a less than "remium hand7 - stealer comes in with a raise8
ho"in' to re"resent a "remium hand8 which will cause all of the stealer9s
remainin' o""onents to fold7 5emem6er8 it9s hard to hit flo"s8 and your
o""onents know it7 So 6y stayin' a''ressi!e8 you can "ick u" a lot of loose
chan'e when your o""onents miss and 'i!e u" on the "ot7
Sometimes8 thou'h8 steals don9t 'o Juite this smoothly7 If your o""onents
disa""oint your steal attem"t and call your raise8 you9ll ha!e to try to "ick u"
the "ot on the flo" whether you ha!e anythin' or not7 - "layer mi'ht e!en
call 6ehind you or try to isolate you 6y makin' it three 6ets7 If you do ha""en
to 'et reraised8 you are now at the mercy of the deck7
If you don9t catch a "iece of the flo"8 your 6est "lay is usually Bust to 'i!e it
u"8 6ut de"endin' on what ty"e of hand you ha!e8 you can also take one off
and try to "ick u" somethin' on the turn7 If your o""onent doesn9t reraise 6ut
smooth calls your late "osition raise with "osition8 you are "resented with a
new set of dilemmas7 The first thin' you need to consider is what hands
mi'ht this "articular o""onent "lay this way7 Ty"ically8 stron' "layers will
three>6et you in these situations8 while some weaker "layers who see lots of
flo"s mi'ht call you with Bust a6out anythin'7 So8 unless the flo" looks
etremely 6ad for your hand8 you should continue leadin' and 6et the flo"7
Let9s say that you are holdin' />1 suited in the nine "osition of a ten>handed
'ame7 E!eryone has folded to you8 and you raise 6efore the flo"7 The 6utton8
seated ri'ht net to you in the ten "osition8 calls the raise and 6oth 6linds
fold7 Now it9s heads>u"8 and the flo" comes ->4>$ rain6ow:three unsuited
cards7 +hat is your "lay hereE I would ad!ise you to 6et Bust as you normally
would when you9re the initial raiser and find yourself heads>u"7 Since the
6utton almost certainly has the 6etter hand8 you9re ho"in' that he will throw
it away 6ased u"on the stren'th you showed 6y raisin'7 If he doesn9t ha!e an
11.
ace he9ll "ro6a6ly Bust dum" his hand8 and if he does ha!e an aceMoh well7
It9s only 'oin' to cost you this one 6et to find out7 Howe!er8 if he calls or
raises you8 you should shut down and fold your hand7
This ace flo" is a 'ood one to 6luff7 It is unlikely that your o""onent has an
ace7 Lnless he is a "assi!e "layer8 chances are your o""onent would ha!e
reraised with a 6i' ace8 such as ->H8 ->Q8 -><8 or ->137
The flo"s you should worry a6out are those that connect to hands like 0>48 4>
138 13><8 <>Q8 Q>H7 More often than not8 your o""onent9s holdin's will fall
into this ran'e8 so8 you may want to sa!e a 6et if the flo" comes down 0><>Q
or H><>47 If your o""onent 6ets one of these flo"s8 you are done with this
hand7 If he checks one of these flo"s 6ehind you8 it can mean only one of two
thin'sK
=1? He flo""ed a monster and is tra""in' youD or
=$? He missed the flo" as well7
Isolatin' from Late Position
;ou9ll hear me use the term @isolationA se!eral times throu'hout the cha"ter7
To "ut it "lainly8 if you are 'oin' to succeed "layin' hi'her limit hold9em8
you are 'oin' to ha!e to learn the nuances of isolation "lays7
So what is an isolation "layE Quite sim"ly8 isolation is a "lay you make in
order to create a one>on>one situation with your o""onent and take the flo"
heads>u"8 usually with "osition7 For eam"le8 say an a''ressi!e "layer raises
from middle to late "osition and you find 0>0 on the 6utton7 +ith no one else
in the "ot other than the raiser8 you would reraise him and ho"e to knock 6oth
6linds out8 thus isolatin' him and allowin' you to "lay the hand a'ainst Bust
one o""onent8 with the added ad!anta'e of ha!in' "osition on e!ery street7
This eam"le "uts you in a mar'inal situation8 6ut it is a situation from which
you should "rofit due to your fa!ora6le "osition7 Ideally8 your o""onent will
ha!e a non>"aired hand like ->H8 ->138 Q><8 or e!en 1>0 suited7 ;our "air of
ei'hts is a mathematical fa!orite o!er any of these hands7 )ou"le that with
the fact that you may 6e a6le to 'et your o""onent to fold on the flo" and it
makes this "lay a "rofita6le one7
In addition8 you may e!en 6e a6le to 6luff your o""onent off of the 6est
handF HowE +ell8 let9s say your o""onent has 4>47 The flo" comes down ->
112
<>137 It looks like a horri6le flo" for you8 6ut if your o""onent checks and
you 6et8 how can he call youE He doesn9t know that you hate this flo" Bust as
much as he doesF (ut 6ecause you took the initiati!e and made it three 6ets to
'o8 your o""onent is in no man9s land:!irtually forced to fold the 6est hand7
There are many similar eam"les8 all 6ased on a com6ination of "re>flo"
a''ression and "osition7 The more you "lay limit hold9em8 the more you9ll
understand how deadly this com6ination can 6e7
+hat do you do when the flo" comes a little more difficult:somethin' like
<>4>$ rain6owE +hat ha""ens if your o""onent checks8 you 6et8 and your
o""onent callsE He could ha!e a num6er of different hands8 so what you do
on the turn should 6e determined 6y the card that comes off and your read of
your o""onent7 In these situations8 as well as !irtually all hold9em hands8 the
most difficult street to "lay is the turn7 Hey8 no one said this was 'oin' to 6e
easyF
If your o""onent check>raises you on the flo"8 that9s a different story all
to'ether7 In this case8 your o""onent most likely has 6etter than you8 6ut there
are still a few hands you can 6eat7 *e"endin' on the o""onent8 you mi'ht 6e
u" a'ainst nothin' more than a "air of deucesF -'ain8 your decision on what
to do here and on the turn de"ends on your read of your o""onent and the
situation7
-s a 'eneral rule8 you should rarely try to isolate some6ody who has raised
or called from early "osition7 Here9s whyK unless you9re facin' an etremely
weak or wild "layer8 you can assume that anyone enterin' a "ot from such a
dan'erous "osition "ro6a6ly holds an etremely stron' hand:and why
would you want to isolate a hand like thatE -'ainst an early "osition raiser8
the chances are Bust too 'ood that your o""onent has a 6i' "air8 makin' the
odds of outdrawin' him more than 2 to 1 a'ainst you7 E!en if it9s not a 6i'
"air8 your o""onent mi'ht still 6e holdin' ->H or ->Q8 hands that he mi'ht
6e willin' to 'o to the ri!er with7 This means that you are less likely to win
the "ot ri'ht on the flo" when they miss7 It9s also less likely that they are
raisin' with suited connectors and such8 hands you could mo!e them off of
on the flo"7
,eneral Hand Selection -d!ice for Late Position
11I
;our startin' reJuirements in late "osition should 6e wide8 to say the leastF
Play all of the "remium hands8 of course8 all the hands I mentioned for
middle "osition8 and:in the ri'ht situations:some offsuited connectors7
Here are some more 'uidelines and 6asic "rinci"als to consider when you are
in late "ositionK
=1? If no one has entered the "ot in front of you8 you should raise8 as there is a
decent enou'h chance that no one will call the raise7
=$? If there are se!eral lim"ers in front of you and you are holdin' a weaker
hand8 you can 'o ahead and lim" in7 In fact8 with hands like 13>4 or 4>0
suited8 you mi'ht e!en want to raise from time to time:not 6ecause you
think you ha!e the 6est hand8 6ut 6ecause it adds a little dece"tion to your
"lay and at little cost7 +ith these ty"es of drawin' hands8 "layin' lar'er "ots
with multiway action is 'oin' to 6e a "rofita6le decision8 not to mention the
fact that your "re>flo" raise mi'ht earn you a free card on the flo"7 This mi'ht
'i!e you an o""ortunity to "ick u" a draw on the turn if you didn9t already
flo" one7 If you did flo" a draw8 you mi'ht 6e a6le to "ick u" a free card on
the turnF HuhE +ell let9s say you do flo" a draw and 6et it from last "osition7
If you miss the draw on the turn and no one has 6et in front of you8 you9ll 'et
a free shot to make your hand on the ri!er7
=.? -!oid 6ein' o!erly a''ressi!e in multiway "ots with hands that "lay
6etter shorthanded7 If si "eo"le ha!e already lim"ed in 6efore you8 raisin'
with hands like ->Q offsuit or
->< offsuit is counter"roducti!e7 +ith so many "layers in the "ot8 the chances
of runnin' the hand throu'h to the ri!er without im"ro!ement aren9t 'ood7
;ou will need to flo" at least a "air8 and e!en that doesn9t 'uarantee you will
win the "ot7 The more "layers in the "ot8 the more likely it is that someone
will make two "air8 tri"s8 a strai'ht8 a flush8 or 6etter7 Furthermore8 6y raisin'
"re>flo" with ->Q offsuit or the like in multiway "ots8 you also induce your
o""onents to take lon'>shot draws a'ainst you7 Of course8 this doesn9t mean
you should fold these hands in multiway "ots8 6ut you should certainly
"roceed with caution7 Lim" in chea"8 and ho"e to flo" somethin' solid7 If the
flo" comes 13>/>1 to your ->Q8 for eam"le8 you would 6e foolish to call any
6ets on the flo"7
11/
These three rules are sim"ly 'uidelines7 Each "oker hand contains a
com"letely different set of !aria6les8 so there will always 6e scenarios where
you mi'ht want to 6end the rules Bust a little7
TH5EE IMPO5T-NT LIMIT
HOL*9EM )ON)EPTS
Learnin' the fundamentals8 im"ro!in' your hand readin' skills8 and fi'htin'
the "sycholo'ical wars at the ta6le are three essential in'redients in 6ecomin'
a fierce8 winnin' "layer7 ;ou mi'ht 6e a6le to 'et 6y in the lower stakes
'ames 6y sim"ly "layin' fundamentally sound8 6ut once you are u" a'ainst
some tou'h com"etition8 relyin' on fundamentals alone will 'et you crushed7
Hand readin' skills and "sycholo'ical warfare are certainly !alua6le tools8
6ut a'ain8 without any fundamental understandin' of the num6ers you won9t
6e a6le to succeed at the hi'hest le!els7
17 Fundamentals
In order to "lay fundamentally sound limit hold9em8 you need to do your
homework7 Once you9!e studied the odds of8 say8 makin' a flush with two
cards to come or hittin' a strai'ht with one card to come8 makin'
fundamentally sound decisions is much easier7 So if you find yourself on a
drawin' hand8 sim"ly com"are the odds of hittin' your hand with the "rice
you are 6ein' laid7
)om"arin' the Odds
To illustrate this "oint8 let9s look at a ty"ical hold9em handK Playin' C$3#C23
and holdin' />1 of clu6s8 you9!e called a raise from the 6i' 6lind7 It9s a fi!e>
way action "ot8 so that9s C$13
=I "layers C23 X the C13 small 6lind?7 Now the flo" comes
QE 0E 2E8 'i!in' you an inside strai'ht draw and a 6ackdoor flush draw7 ;ou
check8 one "layer 6ets8 and three call7 That9s an etra C03 added to the "ot for
a new total of C$437
The "rice you are 6ein' laid to make your strai'ht on the net card is $43 to
$38 or 127I to 17 ;ou know that the odds of hittin' the strai'ht on the net
card are 2. to 2 or 1371I to 17 So on the flo"8 you are 'ettin' 127I to 1 in a
situation where the true odds are 1371I to 17 ;ou9ll take those odds any day8
111
so you call7
The turn 6rin's the $E8 which is no hel"7 The first "layer 6ets a'ain8 and all
fold 6ack to you7 Should you call or foldE Let9s take a look inside the
num6ers7 There is now C.I3 in the "ot =C$13 "re>flo"8 C133 more on the flo"8
and now C23 6et at you on the turn?7 It will cost you C23 more to see if the
ri!er card is a I8 which would 'i!e you the nut strai'ht7 In decidin' how to
"roceed8 you should 'o throu'h the same mental "rocess as a6o!e7 Since you
know there are forty>si unseen cards remainin' and only four hel"ful cards8
there must 6e 2$ unhel"ful ones7 *i!ide 2$ 6y 2 and you know you9re a 137I
to 1 underdo'7
-re we 6ein' laid enou'h "ot odds to callE No7 Our C23 in!estment will only
earn us C.I38 not includin' 6ets we may make u" on the ri!er7 (ut .I3#23
eJuals only 071I to 17 E!en if you know your strai'ht cannot 6e tied8 unless
you9re certain you9ll 6e a6le to check>raise the ri!er and 'et called8 foldin' is
still the correct decision8 e!en thou'h it9s !ery close now7
)asinos make a fortune 6y takin' the 6est of it on "ro"ositions similar to
these7 If you are mindful of the "ot odds you are 6ein' laid8 and ha!e a 'ood
understandin' of the situation8 you too could make a fortune 6y makin'
fundamentally correct decisions7 -s you 'et more "layin' e"erience8 these
eercises 6ecome second nature7 - second or two is all you9ll need to fi'ure
out the correct "lay7
$7 Hand 5eadin' Skills
In order to make fundamentally correct "lays8 it9s im"ortant to ha!e some
idea a6out what you are u" a'ainst7 So how do you "ut your o""onent on a
handE Sim"leK "ay attentionF I can9t stress this enou'h7 +hether you are in
the current hand or not8 you need to "ay attention to the action at all times in
order to learn what your o""onents9 tendencies are7 (y sim"ly watchin' the
action8 you9ll likely 6e a6le to find the answers to the followin' JuestionsK
On the Pre>Flo"
=1? +hat hands will o""onents raise withE
=$? +hat hands will they call withE
=.? *o they "lay conser!ati!ely or loosely from early "ositionE
=2? How often do they defend their 6lind to a raiseE
110
=I? *o they raise a lot of hands8 or are they on the careful sideE
On the Post>Flo"
=1? +hat ty"e of hands will they check raise withE
=$? *o they "lay draws a''ressi!ely or "assi!elyE
=.? *o they slow>"lay made handsE
=2? *o they e!er 6luffE
=I? *o they fold often on the flo"8 or will they call all the way to the ri!erE
These are ten Juestions that you9ll learn the answers to sim"ly 6y "ayin'
attention and makin' mental notes7 If you s"ent the last forty>fi!e minutes
watchin' the 6all 'ame8 how can you "ossi6ly 6e ready to answer these
Juestions when the time comesE These Juestions are Bust the ti" of the
ice6er'8 6ut think a6out how much 6etter you9d do a'ainst an o""onent if you
knew the answer to all tenF -nd the more you "lay8 the 6etter you9ll 'et at it7
If you make the most of your time at the ta6le8 your skills will im"ro!e that
much Juicker7 +hen you are out of a hand8 make a 'ame of it7 (efore the
flo"8 "ut an o""onent on a ran'e of hands 6ased on his "re>flo" action7 Then8
try to narrow his holdin' down further after the flo"8 a'ain on the turn8 and
finally on the ri!er7 *on9t 'et discoura'ed if you are way off at first7 I
"romise you that the more you try this eercise the 6etter you9ll 'et at it7
.7 Psycholo'y
+hat distin'uishes a 'ood "oker "layer from a 'reat "oker "layer is sim"ly
the a6ility to read the thou'hts of his o""onents7 +hen I first 'et into a 'ame8
I sit 6ack for a6out ten minutes and watch how the others are "layin'7 It9s
im"ortant to know how the 'ame is "layin' in order to make 6etter decisions7
*oes the 'ame seem more a''ressi!e than normalE *oes it seem looser or
ti'hterE -re there any "layers who are u"set and "layin' 6adly or on tiltE Or
con!ersely8 who is winnin' and really "layin' their ->'ameE
The teture of the 'ame can chan'e in an instant8 and a "layer can 'o from
6ein' on his ->'ame to 6ein' on tilt with Bust one 6ad 6eat7 ;ou need to kee"
ta6s on all of your o""onents and their e!er>chan'in' states of mind7 +hen it
comes to im"ro!in' your a6ility to focus and your "eo"le readin' skills8
nothin' is more !alua6le than e"erience at the ta6le7 This 6ook should hel"
114
"re"are you for the ta6les8 6ut the rest is u" to you7 The more intense and
focused you are at the ta6les8 the 6etter your results will 6e7 That8 I can
'uarantee7
Lnderstand also8 that while you are focusin' on your o""onent9s emotional
and mental states8 they will 6e doin' the same to youF +hate!er your ta6le
ima'e is at any 'i!en time8 it will ine!ita6ly ha!e an affect on how your
o""onents choose to "lay a'ainst you8 so it9s im"ortant for you to 6e aware of
your ima'e and make the necessary adBustments to your "lay7 If you ha!e Bust
raised8 lost your fourth hand in a row8 and turned 6eet red8 chances are your
o""onents will assume that you are steamin'7 If you decide to raise a fifth
consecuti!e hand8 chances are your o""onents won9t 'i!e you credit for acesF
In fact8 if they are "erce"ti!e8 they will likely "lay 6ack at you with mar'inal
hands assumin' that their hands "ro6a6ly stack u" "retty well a'ainst the
trash you are raisin' withF
If your ta6le ima'e is shot8 it9s time to throw your o""onents a cur!e 6all and
ti'hten u" a little 6it7 Stealin' 6linds is only "ossi6le if your o""onents ha!e
some res"ect for your raises7 If they think you are steamin'8 they won9t let
you 'et away with anythin'F Of course8 the o""osite is true as well7 If you
ha!e 6een winnin' e!ery chi" in si'ht8 your o""onents may fear you7 They
may decide to sim"ly 'et out of your way7 If they do that:"ound OemF
THE FLOP
This is the street where you ha!e to 6e a''ressi!e7 If you "lay too "assi!ely
on the flo"8 you risk 6ein' run o!er and 'i!in' away "ots you should win7 I
don9t ad!ocate 6ettin' with reckless a6andon8 6ut when you ha!e the lead
and flo" somethin'8 think a6out "rotectin' your hand more than worryin'
a6out whether or not your o""onents ha!e the nuts7 If you miss the flo"
entirely8 there may 6e situations where it would 6e correct to take one off8
ho"in' to "ick u" a draw or make a "air7 Otherwise8 it mi'ht 6e a 'ood time
to muck your hand7
This is why a''ression is so im"ortant7 If you had the "re>flo" lead8 meanin'
you were the raiser8 you can usually kee" the lead on the flo"7 So if 6oth you
and your o""onent miss the flo"8 which often ha""ens8 your a''ression mi'ht
1$3
Bust win you the "ot7 If you use 'ood Bud'ment and "lay your hands
a''ressi!ely8 you9ll 6e one ste" ahead of the 'ame7 ;ou9ll find that the 6est
way to 'o in limit hold9em is "layin' in a strai'htforward manner8 that is8
6ettin' and raisin' when you actually ha!e some kind of a hand7
Fancy Play
+hen I say that you should "lay strai'htforward8 that isn9t to 6e confused
with "redicta6le7 ;ou still need to think a6out "layin' dece"ti!ely8 6ut you
want to a!oid what Mike )aro terms Fancy Play Syndrome =FPS?7 FPS leads
to missed 6ets8 'i!in' away free cards8 or e!en "layin' a hand in such an
unorthodo fashion that it actually costs you a "otF More often than not8
fancy "lays will minimi%e your "rofit on a hand7 Sure8 when these "lays work
you feel like a 'enius8 6ut you9re 6etter off "layin' a more fundamentally
sound 'ame7
(efore we 'o any further8 I want to hel" you with a common scenario that
arises when you are "layin' fundamentally well7 Let9s look at an eam"le
and 'o from there7
;ou are holdin' -E HE in early "osition7 ;ou are the initial "re>flo" raiser
and 'et two callers 6ehind you8 as well as the 6i' 6lind7 Now the "erfect flo"
comes downK -E 2E 4E7 So here you are with to" "air and to" kicker7 The 6i'
6lind checks8 so it9s your turn7 Since you were the "re>flo" raiser8 it9s natural
for you to 6et here7 The fancy "lay8 the check8 mi'ht work8 6ut it won9t
necessarily win you any more money than a 6et would7 ;ou ha!e a stron'
hand8 and a check>raise would only 'i!e away information7 The ri'ht mo!e
here is to sim"ly 6et7
Of course8 a check mi'ht do more harm than 'i!in' away information Y it
could cost you the "otF The ri'ht free card mi'ht 'i!e your o""onent a 6i'
draw on the turn7 ;ou9re 6etter off takin' what9s in the middle and 'ettin' rid
of hands like
13E <E7 If your o""onent was lucky enou'h to 'et a free card with that hand8
he could "ick u" as many as fifteen outs a'ainst you 'oin' in to the ri!er7 -n
0E on the turn8 for eam"le8 would "ose a serious threat to your hand7
+hat else could ha""enE ;ou could miss a !alua6le 6et7 Many of your
o""onents mi'ht call once more on the flo" with a hand like 13>13 or e!en 0>
1$1
47 Say it 'ets checked around on the flo" and a kin' hits the turn7 +ith a 6et
now8 you will "ro6a6ly lose 6oth the 13>13 and the 0>48 costin' you two 6ets
on the flo"8 not to mention the fact that you allowed 6oth of your o""onents
to draw out on you for free7
So in this situation8 the fancy "lay8 the check8 could do one of three thin'sK
=1? ,i!e away the stren'th of your hand7
=$? )ost you the entire "ot7
=.? Miss 6ets on the flo"7
On the fli" side8 what could you 'ainE ;ou may 6e a6le to 'et a check>raise
in and look cool:whoo"ee7 Stick to strai'htforward "lay8 and lea!e the
fancy "lays to the hotshots7 +hen you are the "re>flo" raiser8 you should
usually 6et the flo" whether you like it or not7 Of course8 there are se!eral
ece"tions to this rule7 5emem6er8 in "oker there are !ery few rules that are
set in stoneD always 6ettin' the flo" when you raised "re>flo" isn9t one of
them7
Two ->H Scenarios
If you ha!e -E HE in a multiway "ot and the flo" comes
1>0>4 of diamonds8 sa!e your money and Bust 'i!e u"7 ;ou can9t run this
hand throu'h often enou'h to make a 6et "rofita6le7
Let9s look at a less o6!ious and more difficult eam"leK +ith your -E HE
a'ain8 you raise after two "eo"le lim"ed in8 and 'et one "layer 6ehind you to
call So it9s four>handed to see a flo" of /E 1E 0E7 E!en if the first two lim"ers
check to you8 I would still ad!ise you to check more often than not7 This flo"
Bust connects with too many hands that "layers would lim" in with8 such as 4>
138 />/8 4>48 ->18 and a6out a million others7 If there is a 6et on the flo"8 you
should "ro6a6ly 'i!e u"7 Sure8 you may 6e foldin' the 6est hand e!ery now
and then8 6ut foldin' here is the safe8 strai'htforward "lay7
Now let9s look at a situation where you mi'ht decide to continue after the
flo"7 +hat if8 in the same scenario8 e!eryone checks to the "layer in last
"osition8 who 6ets and sees 6oth lim"ers fold7 ;ou ha!e a decision to make7
The last "layer may only 6e on a strai'ht steal here8 Bust takin' ad!anta'e of
his "osition7 (ut then a'ain8 may6e he9s 'ot a hand7 Here is where you9ll
1$$
need all of your "oker skills to answer some im"ortant JuestionsK If he held a
hi'h "air 6efore the flo"8 would he ha!e reraised youE +ould this "layer call
your raise with a mar'inal hand that hits this flo"E +ould he 6et here with a
hand like ->< or ->13E Is he a ha6itual 6luffer8 who always 6ets when
checked to re'ardless of his handE Or is this "layer a careful 6ettor8 who only
6ets with stron' handsE
Once you9!e answered the im"ortant Juestions8 you9ll ha!e a much 6etter
idea a6out whether or not you should take one off8 ho"in' to catch an ace or a
kin'8 or e!en whether or not you should call your o""onent down all the way
to the ri!er7 In 'eneral8 if you9!e answered your Juestions a6out your
o""onent and still ha!en9t found !ery stron' reasons to "roceed8 you should
fold7
So now that we are all warmed u"8 let9s look more closely at the "lay of
s"ecific hands on the flo"7
Playin' (i' Pairs
-s I mentioned "re!iously8 you should "lay 6i' "airs a''ressi!ely 6efore the
flo" in order to narrow down the field7 (i' "airs do etremely well a'ainst
one or two "layers8 6ut the more o""onents you ha!e8 the more likely it is
that your 6i' "air will 'et cracked7 If the flo" doesn9t 'o your way8 it9s
im"ortant to a!oid 'ettin' too attached to your hand and fold in the face of
too much action7 Ima'ine you ha!e two 6lack aces in a multiway "ot and the
flo" comes />1>0 of diamonds7 I don9t know a6out you8 6ut I really don9t like
this flo" for two 6lack aces7 Now8 you shouldn9t necessarily fold on the flo"8
6ut if the action 'ets hot and hea!y8 you can "ro6a6ly assume that you are
dead or that your o""onents at the !ery least ha!e se!eral outs a'ainst you7
-'ain8 e!en if you9re ->- is 'ood at the moment8 a 28 I8 48 138 any diamond8
or an 0 could seal your fate7 -nother scary flo" for aces is one that contains
hi'h strai'ht cards like <>13>07 +hile aces are 'ood here a hi'h "ercenta'e of
the time8 there are se!eral cards that could "otentially kill you on the turnK 18
48 138 Back8 Jueen8 kin'7 ;ou shouldn9t muck those aces Bust yet8 6ut you
should consider takin' your "edal off the 'as until you see the turn card7 If
the turn card is safe:$8 .8 28 etc7:you mi'ht want to 'et a''ressi!e and try
to eliminate "layers7 Howe!er8 if a scare card comes on the turn:a 4 or a
1$.
Jueen would 6e the scariest:and the action 'ets hea!y8 you should consider
foldin'7
+hile Q>Q is still considered a 6i' "air8 there are e!en more trou6le flo"s to
that hand than to ->-7 In addition to all the scary flo"s ->- faces8 any ace or
kin' on the flo" mi'ht do you in8 as well7 Let9s say you raise with the Q>Q
and are reraised "re>flo"7 Now the flo" comes <>13>28 'i!in' you an o!er"air7
Only "ro6lem is8 what can you 6eatE +ell sure you ha!e ->H or ->Q 6eat8
6ut if your o""onent has ->-8 H>H8 <><8 or 13>138 you are in "retty 6ad sha"e7
-'ain you shouldn9t automatically fold in these situations8 6ut it9s "ro6a6ly
6est to "lay a small "ot and sim"ly call your o""onent down7 If he does ha!e
a 6i' ace8 then you are sim"ly lettin' your o""onent 6luff his chi"s off to
you7 True8 you may 6e missin' some 6ets alon' the way8 6ut that9s 6etter
than 'ettin' in a whole lot of 6ets when you are dead to two outs7
Flo""in' To" Pair
+hen flo""in' to" "air8 your main o6Becti!e should 6e to narrow down the
field8 while "unishin' those o""onents that are drawin' to 6eat you7
-''ression8 which is the theme of this entire cha"ter8 is key in this situation7
Of course8 there are certain ty"es of flo"s that you should "lay carefully and
other8 safer flo"s that can 6e "layed full s"eed ahead7 Let9s first take a look at
some of the more friendly flo"s7
Safe Flo"s7 - scenario mentioned earlier is a 'ood eam"le of a safe flo"7
Say you ha!e ->H and hit an ->4>2 rain6ow flo"7 There is no le'itimate
strai'ht draw out there8 and no flush draw either7 -t this "oint8 only two "air
or tri"s would ha!e you 6eat7 This is a 'reat flo" for your hand8 and ideally
you9d 6e u" a'ainst a "layer holdin' a hand like ->Q8 -><8 or e!en ->137
;ou are a hu'e fa!orite a'ainst any of these hands8 as they can only 6eat you
if they hit one of three remainin' kickers on the turn or the ri!er7 Of course8 if
either one of those cards is a kin'8 they sim"ly can9t win unless they ha""en
to make a 6ackdoor flush7 This is a dream situation for you8 not only 6ecause
it9s unlikely that you9ll lose8 6ut you also stand to win se!eral 6ets from your
o""onent7 How you 'o a6out doin' this de"ends on se!eral !aria6les8
includin' your ta6le ima'e8 your o""onent9s tendencies8 your "osition8 and so
on7 ;ou mi'ht e!en choose to make a fancy "lay on a flo"8 6ut remem6er
1$2
that I recommend strai'htforward8 6rute a''ression7 If you "lay the hand
a''ressi!ely you should 6e a6le to win the maimum amount of 6ets8 or close
to it7
Let9s look at a more detailed eam"le of how you9d 'o a6out "layin' this
hand in a s"ecific situation7 Say you are in the 6i' 6lind with an ->H7 -
"layer in first "osition raises and 'ets two callers7 )allin' here will hel"
dis'uise your hand more than raisin' will8 and since you can9t really narrow
down the field any more8 callin' is "ro6a6ly the 6est way to "lay it7
Okay8 so your hand is -E HE8 and the flo" comes
-E 2E 4E7 ;ou9re first to act7 This is a 'ood o""ortunity for you to 'et a
check>raise in7 Since there was an early "osition raiser8 it9s likely he9ll 6et
this flo" whether or not he has the ace7 (y check raisin'8 you9ll 6e a6le to
tra" anyone who called on the flo"7 Of course8 this is not the only way to "lay
this hand8 6ut it is certainly the 6est or the second>6est way to 'o7 ;our other
o"tion would 6e to lead ri'ht into the "re>flo" raiser8 ho"in' that he raises
you with a weaker ace8 thus 'i!in' you the o""ortunity to make it three 6ets7
+hat method you choose will once a'ain de"end on those !aria6les we9!e
discussedK ta6le ima'e8 your o""onents9 tendencies8 history8 and so on7
Let9s mo!e you to late "osition with this same hand and same flo"8 6ut this
time8 only you and an early "osition raiser remain7 Holdin' -E HE8 you
decide to smooth call here8 6ecause you know your o""onent is a ti'ht "layer
who only raises with "remium hands7 The flo" comes -E 2E 4E8 and your
o""onent 6ets into you7 There is a chance he also has ->H or e!en ->-8 6ut
it9s more likely that he holds a hand like ->Q8 -><8 or may6e H>H8 Q>Q8 or <>
<7 Since this is such a safe flo"8 smooth callin' on the flo" mi'ht Bust work7 If
your o""onent 6ets the turn8 you can 'o ahead and raise him now that the 6et
has dou6led7
+hat if he checks the turnE +ell8 there 'oes the raise>the>turn "lan7 This is
another 'ood illustration of the im"ortance of a''ressi!e "lay on the flo"s7
-'ainst most o""onents8 the raise the turn "lay will only work when your
o""onent actually flo" an ace as well7 If he doesn9t8 he may 6e leery of your
call on the flo" and decide to shut down on the turn7 So the raise>the>turn
"lay has some merit8 6ut I recommend usin' it sim"ly as a !ariation "lay
1$I
a'ainst an o""onent that may 6e 'ettin' a line on your "lay7 Otherwise8 you
should "lay these flo"s in a strai'htforward manner7
*an'erous Flo"s7 - dan'erous flo" for to" "air is one that "uts your hand in
Beo"ardy due to the "resence of a strai'ht or flush draw7 *e"endin' how hi'h
your to" "air is8 you ha!e to consider the added risk of an o!ercard hittin' the
turn7 O6!iously8 more flo"s are dan'erous to a hand like 0>0 than to a hand
like ->-7 For this reason8 if you are holdin' 0>0 or the like8 it9s etremely
im"ortant to narrow the field on the flo" 6y "layin' a''ressi!ely8 ho"in'
your o""onents won9t draw out to o!ercards7 ;ou should 6e a''ressi!e with
the ->- hand as well8 6ut for different reasons7 +ith ->-8 your 'oal is to 'et
more money in the "ot7
Let9s look at an eam"le7 ;ou are on the 6utton with the 0>13 of hearts7 ;ou
lim" in8 as do two other "layers7 The small 6lind also calls8 makin' it a fi!e>
way action "ot7 The flo" comes 0E 2E .E8 and all check to you7 ;ou should
always 6et here7 Now8 I know I9!e told you that there are only a few
a6solutes in "oker:this is one of them7 ;ou sim"ly cannot 'i!e free cards to
hands like Q><8 ->I8 H>138 etc7 So you 6et and 'et two callers7 -t this "oint8
you should feel 'ood a6out ha!in' the 6est hand7 No one check>raised8 so it9s
unlikely that anyone holds an o!er"air or e!en an 0 with a 6etter kicker7
The real threat to your hand is an o!ercard on the turn or an o""onent slow>
"layin' a set8 lookin' to check>raise you on the turn7 ;ou should always ha!e
an idea a6out what your o""onents are 'oin' to call you with on the flo"8 so
that you9ll ha!e a 6etter idea of what to do on the turn7
Let9s say you are on the 6utton with the same hand =0E 13E? in the eact same
situation =the flo" comes 0E 2E .E?8 only this time some6ody leads into you
on the flo"7 (ased on what we9!e discussed earlier8 you should know that a
raise is your 6est o"tion7 ;our 'oal here is to dri!e out the o!ercards and "lay
the hand heads>u"7
5aisin' will also 'i!e you a 6etter idea a6out what the lead 6ettor9s hand is7
If he reraises you8 chances are he has your "air of ei'hts 6eat7 Of course8 if
you "ick u" no hel" on the turn8 it is time to make a difficult decision8 one
6ased on the read you9!e acJuired on your o""onent7 If he is a conser!ati!e
-()>ty"e "layer8 he "ro6a6ly does ha!e an o!er"air8 a set8 or an 0 with a
1$/
6etter kicker7 If he is a fast8 loose8 and a''ressi!e ty"e of "layer8 he may ha!e
a hand like 0>48 ->28 or e!en a draw like I>/7 So in closin'8 a''ression on the
flo" here hel"s narrow the field and defines your o""onent9s hand a little
more clearly7 ;ou9ll find that this will 6e the case in most situations when
"layin' limit hold9em7
Flo""in' Middle Pair
+hen flo""in' middle "air8 your choice of strate'y hea!ily de"ends on the
num6er of acti!e "layers7 The more "layers in the "ot8 the less likely it is that
your hand is 'ood enou'h to hold u"7 In a heads>u" "ot8 you are sim"ly 'oin'
to ha!e to take this hand to the ri!er more often than not7 The only time you
should fold is if the 6oard came etremely 6ad on the turn and ri!er8 or if you
ha!e a 'ood read on your o""onent and know that he wouldn9t 6et with a
hand you could 6eat7 ;our kicker should also 6e a key consideration as well7
,enerally8 the hi'her the kicker the 6etter8 6ut it mi'ht 6e e!en 6etter if your
kicker "resented you with added outs:for eam"le8 if you held 1>0 and the
flo" came />1>137 In this case8 a 4 would make you a strai'ht8 while an 0
would make you a dan'erous two "air:or your kicker mi'ht e!en 'i!e you a
flush draw7
Furthermore8 say you held Q>< with the Back of hearts8 and the flo" came H>
Q>28 all hearts7 In this case8 you mi'ht ha!e the 6est hand with the "air of
Jueens8 6ut if not8 the Back of hearts 'i!es you a 6acku" "lan7
It9s also im"ortant to consider what may ha""en if you do hit your kicker7
)ould it com"lete the hand of one of your o""onentsE Let9s say you held HE
13E and the flo" came
QE 13E 0E7 +ith a flush and strai'ht draw "resent8 you could hit your kicker
6ut still need hel"7 The HE of hearts would 6e considered a 'ood card for
your hand8 6ut it could also 6e the worst card in the deck for youF It would
fill any flush8 as well as make the ->< strai'ht:not to mention the "ossi6ility
of kin's and Jueens8 or the fact that you could 6e u" a'ainst a made strai'ht
or a set already7
In a situation like this8 you9d want to "roceed with caution8 that is8 if you
continue with the hand at all7 *es"ite this8 added outs are always 'ood8 e!en
if some of them aren9t li!e outs7 That9s es"ecially true in heads>u" "ots7
1$1
Playin' Middle Pair from the (linds:Heads>u" Pots
This Bust mi'ht 6e one of the trickiest scenarios in limit hold9em7 ;ou are
usually out of "osition with a mar'inal hand7 The 'reat "layers thri!e in these
situations8 while a!era'e "layers are often o!erwhelmed 6y them7 There are
se!eral different ways to a""roach "layin' middle "air from the 6linds7
-'ain8 the num6er of "layers is the key8 as are the raiser9s tendencies8 the
"osition the raise came from8 and so on7 -nswer these Juestions each time
you are faced with this scenario and you9ll 6e one ste" ahead of the 'ame7
Once you9!e 'athered this information8 you9ll ha!e to decide whether to lead>
6et8 check>raise8 check>fold8 or check>call7
Let9s look at an eam"leK ;ou ha!e 13>0 in the 6i' 6lind8 and a "layer on the
6utton raises it8 so the two of you see a flo" of
H>0>2 rain6ow7 Foldin' in this situation is far too weak a "lay7 So8 that lea!es
you with three le'itimate o"tionsK check>call8 check>raise8 or 6et ri'ht out7
This is a 'ood o""ortunity to 'o for a check>raise7 -s the "re>flo" raiser8 your
o""onent should 6et re'ardless of his holecards8 and 6y check>raisin'8 you9d
also 6e re"resentin' a kin'7 If your o""onent has ->< in this s"ot8 he would
6e correct in callin' another 6et on the flo"7 Howe!er8 since you are
re"resentin' a kin'8 he mi'ht fold8 thinkin' he can only win if he catches an
ace7
+hen you check>raise8 you are riskin' two small 6ets on the flo" and are
committed to one more when you lead out at the turn8 so if you 'o for the
check>raise when you are u" a'ainst a 6etter hand8 it9s usually a more
e"ensi!e loss than it would ha!e 6een had you Bust led out7 If your o""onent
has a hand like ->H8 you are 'oin' to 'et "unished7 (ut8 that9s not 'oin' to
ha""en often enou'h for you to worry too much a6out it7
If you are really a!erse to takin' risks8 you can minimi%e your losses =as well
as your "rofits? 6y leadin' out at the flo"7 If you lead out and your o""onent
has nothin'8 you9ll likely 6e losin' a 6et:the one your o""onent "ro6a6ly
would ha!e made:on the flo"7 If he raises you8 he "ro6a6ly has at least a
"air8 6ut not necessarily one that 6eats ei'hts7
Some 6elie!e that you 'ain more information a6out your o""onents 6y
leadin' out rather than check>raisin'8 6ut I disa'ree7 ;our 6et on the flo"8
1$0
known as the weak lead8 doesn9t do much to define your hand at all8 which
mi'ht make your o""onent may "lay 1>0 a''ressi!ely8 thinkin' it9s the 6est
hand7 -fter all8 he may 6e thinkin'8 @If the 6i' 6lind has a kin'8 why
wouldn9t he ha!e check>raisedEA
-'ainst a tou'h "layer8 the weak lead does little to define his hand8 thou'h
leadin' here with middle "air mi'ht 6e the ri'ht mo!e7 It all de"ends on your
o""onent9s im"ression of your "lay7 +hat has he seen you do thus farE +hen
you led out in the "ast8 did you always turn o!er a drawE If so8 a lead here
mi'ht fool your o""onent into thinkin' that you are on a semi>6luff8 and he
mi'ht call you down the whole way with ace>hi'h7
*ecidin' whether to lead or check>raise adds dece"tion to your 'ame7
Situations like these are 'reat o""ortunities to kee" your o""onents off
6alance7 ;ou want to use the information "layers 'ather a6out your "layin'
style a'ainst them7 If they think you will 6et with nothin'8 6et with
somethin'7 If they think you will only check>raise with somethin'8 check>
raise with nothin'F <ust stay aware of your ta6le ima'e and a!oid 6ein' too
"redicta6le7 Think of it like a 'ame of "a"er>rock>scissors7 @+ell8 he went
rock two hands in a row8 I think he9ll 'o "a"er this time7A Or e!en8 @I went
scissors three times in a row8 now my o""onent will think I9ll 'o for it four
times in a rowFA
If the raise comes from early "osition8 the situation chan'es dramatically7 If
you ha!e that same 0>13 on the H>0>2 flo"8 you mi'ht decide that you9ll 'et
more information if you lead ri'ht out7 If you are raised8 you should "ro6a6ly
'i!e your o""onent credit for a kin' or may6e e!en a "ocket "air like <><7 If
you don9t im"ro!e on the turn8 you should "ro6a6ly let it 'o7 Of course8 if
you make two "air or tri"s8 it would 6e the "erfect o""ortunity to 'o for the
check>raise8 6ut since it9s so much more likely now that your o""onent
actually has somethin'8 it mi'ht 6e safer to lead out7
Playin' Middle Pair with Multiway Pots
Thin's 'et e!en more trou6lesome with your middle "airs when more "layers
are in the "ot7 If you are in the 6linds8 you9ll ha!e to "lay the hand from the
worst "osition "ossi6le on the flo"8 turn8 and ri!er7 If there is any real action
on the flo"8 you should take the safe route and dum" your hands7 -'ain8 e!en
1$4
if you ha!e the 6est hand on the flo"8 there is a !ery 'ood chance that it won9t
6e 6y the time the ri!er card hits7 In a multiway "ot8 you should usually
check the flo" to see what de!elo"s7
If it9s 6et and raised in front of you8 the decision to fold has 6een made for
you7 Howe!er8 if it looks like there is a 'ood chance no one has to" "air8 you
should commit to your read and 'et a''ressi!e7 If the flo" isn9t too scary and
it9s checked around8 you should fire at the turn7 If a "layer in a fa!ora6le
"osition 6ets8 check>raise to isolate him7
Let9s look at another situation7 ;ou find yourself in the 6i' 6lind with Q>/
off7 Two early "osition "layers lim" in8 as do the 6utton and small 6lind7 The
flo" comes <E /E $E7 The small 6lind checks8 as do you7 In fact8 all check to
the 6utton who 6ets7
Let9s assume the 6utton is an a''ressi!e "layer who will 6et all ty"es of
hands7 +hat is your "layE 5aise7 ;es8 I reali%e there are still se!eral "layers
to act 6ehind you8 6ut since they all checked the flo"8 they "ro6a6ly don9t
ha!e much7 Otherwise they would ha!e 6et themsel!es7 True8 they could 6e
check>raisin'8 6ut in order to 6ecome a to" limit hold9em "layer8 you are
'oin' to ha!e to take some calculated risks7 )onsider how many 'ood thin's
can ha""en if you raise7 +hat if the first lim"er actually had 1>1E That hand
has you 6eat8 6ut is he willin' to call two 6ets8 ho"in' that you don9t ha!e
BacksE )hances are8 you9ll 'et him to lay down the 6est hand7 E!en if you are
wron' and the ori'inal 6ettor does ha!e the Backs8 you could still hit a Jueen
or a / on the turn7
Now if the 6et were to come from early "osition8 raisin' after you checked
would 6e dan'erous7 For eam"le8 if the first lim"er 6ets and all call8 it mi'ht
6e a 'ood idea to Bust call the 6et and ho"e to make two "air or tri"s7
Playin' Middle Pair from Early Position
If you are enterin' the "ot from early "osition8 chances are you9!e raised
comin' in7 If you ha""en to flo" middle "air8 you should continue with the
lead since you were the a''ressor 6efore the flo"7 Let9s say you9!e raised
comin' in with ->Q and the flo" comes H>Q>$7 ,o ahead and 6et if no one
else has 6et in front of you8 re'ardless of the num6er of "layers in the "ot7 (y
6ettin'8 you9ll 'et a 6etter idea of whether or not you ha!e the 6est hand at
1.3
the moment7 If you 'et raised on the flo"8 it9s time to ree!aluate the situation7
-'ain8 you9ll ha!e to ask yourself some Juestions7 +ould my o""onent raise
with a drawE +ould my o""onent raise with a Jueen and a worse kickerE
If the answer to 6oth Juestions is no8 you ha!e to 'i!e your o""onent credit
for at least a "air of kin's7 ;ou should still call one 6et on the flo"8 thou'h8
and if you don9t im"ro!e on the turn8 you should "ro6a6ly fold7
Let9s say you decide to check>raise rather than lead out7 Now the Juestions
you9ll ha!e to ask yourself are more difficult to answer7 If one of your
o""onents 6et after you showed weakness 6y checkin'8 he could ha!e a
num6er of hands7 He may decide to 6et with anythin' from H>Q8 4>48 Q>138
-><8 or <>137 Fi'urin' out which hand is 6ein' 6et is a difficult task7 Had you
Bust 6et out on the flo" as I recommended8 you9d ha!e a lot more information
to 'o on8 which in turn would hel" you make correct decision7
Let9s look at a sli'htly different situation7 -'ain8 you are in early "osition
with the ->Q on a H>Q>$ flo"7 This time8 the 6i' 6lind 6ets into you7 +hat
nowE Lnless you ha!e information that indicates immense stren'th from the
6i' 6lind8 you should 'o ahead and raise himF If you know that this "layer
always has at least to" "air when he 6ets8 foldin' would 6e correct7 Howe!er8
most "layers don9t "lay that way7 - ty"ical o""onent mi'ht ha!e a Q>$8 <>138
-><8 or the like8 and is tryin' to "ick u" the "ot on the flo"7 There is an
ecellent way to find outK raise7 ;our raise accom"lishes two thin'sK
=1? Narrows down the fieldD
=$? Hel"s define the 6ettor9s hand7
If the lead 6ettor Bust calls your raise8 there is a !ery 'ood chance your "air of
Jueens with an ace kicker is the 6est hand7 If this is not the case8 and your
o""onent has somethin' like H>I8 you still ha!e fi!e outs to im"ro!e with an
ace or a Jueen7
Playin' Middle Pair from Late Position
+hether or not you are in a heads>u" "ot or a multiway "ot8 you should
usually 6et middle "air when you o""onents check to you on the flo"7 For
eam"le8 say you ha!e ->/8 and the flo" comes H>/>$ rain6ow7 Since
e!eryone has checked to you8 it looks like your "air of sies is the 6est hand
1.1
here7
Of course8 if you 'et check>raised8 you9ll 6e faced with a difficult dilemma7
Since you are 6ettin' in last "osition8 a "layer check>raisin' you doesn9t
necessarily ha!e to ha!e you 6eat7 He may 6e testin' the waters8 ho"in' that
you are on a steal7 If the small 6lind had />18 he may raise to isolate your
likely 6luff7 -s discussed in the section on "layin' middle "air from the
6linds8 a 'ood "layer will often make this "lay a'ainst you when you9!e 6et
from steal "osition7 ;our 'oal then8 is to fi'ure out what ty"e of "layer you
are u" a'ainst and "lay accordin'ly7 If you are check>raised 6y a ti'ht "layer
who lim"ed from first "osition8 chances are he has the kin'7 ;ou should still
call one more 6et8 ho"in' to hit an ace or a /8 6ut if you miss8 6e "re"ared to
dum" your hand7
So what do you do if you flo" middle "air8 and it9s already 6et in front of
youE -'ain8 as is true with most "oker situations8 it de"ends on a num6er of
factors7 Let9s look at a cou"le of eam"les7
Eam"le OneK In a four>way "ot you hold />/ on the 6utton7 The flo" comes
HE 2E HE8 and the "layer to your immediate ri'ht 6ets7 In this s"ot8 you9ll
want to raise for four reasonsK
=1? To narrow the fieldD
=$? To find out if any of the other "layers ha!e a kin'D
=.? ;our />/ is likely the 6est handD
=2? ;ou may knock a hi'her "air than yours out of the "ot7
Lnless you are u" a'ainst an etremely careful "layer8 raisin' here is your
6est o"tion7 The lead 6ettor may ha!e a 28 a flush draw8 or e!en a hand like
->13:or nothin' at all7 He certainly doesn9t need a kin' to make a 6et here7
Eam"le TwoK In a fi!e>way "ot made u" of two lim"ers8 two 6linds8 and
yourself on the 6utton with <>0 of hearts8 the flo" comes 13E 0E /E7 E!eryone
checks to the "layer on your immediate ri'ht who 6ets7 So you raise8 ri'htE
+ron'7 I think this 6oard is a little too scary7 I9d su''est a!oidin' this
dan'erous flo" and mo!in' onto the net hand7 If your o""onent ha""ens to
ha!e the flush or strai'ht already8 you9d need two "erfect cards to win7
Flo""in' a Set
1.$
;our a""roach to "layin' sets should de"end on the teture of the flo"7 Make
your decision as to whether or not you can set a tra" or whether you9ll 6e
forced to "lay it fast 6ased u"on how dan'erous the 6oard looks7 The scarier
the 6oard8 the more a''ressi!e you should 6e7 *on9t worry too much a6out
a''ressi!e "lay costin' you action7 Stran'ely enou'h8 many of your
o""onents will mistake your a''ression for weaknessF Here is an eam"leK
Let9s say you lim" in from middle "osition with />/7 The flo" comes HE /E
1E8 and the "ot is raised 6ehind you7 +ith fi!e of you in the "ot8 the first two
"layers check to you7
- 6usy flo" like this is the "erfect o""ortunity for you to ram and Bam the
flo" with your set of sies8 maimi%in' your "rofit7 Try 6ettin' ri'ht out into
the raiser and see what ha""ens7 If the "re>flo" raiser has a hand like ->-8 ->
H8 or e!en Q>Q8 he may decide to "rotect his hand and raise your 6et7 This
will 'i!e you the o""ortunity to raise it once more on the flo"8 6uildin' a
si%ea6le "ot7 (y "layin' the hand strai'htforward:raisin' with what9s likely
the 6est hand:you may 'et e!en more action than if you had slow>"layed it7
-fter all8 the "re>flo" raiser may "ut you on a hand like H> or e!en a flush
draw or strai'ht draw8 thinkin' that you would ha!e checked a set7 -'ain8
"lay your sets accordin' to the flo" teture8 your "osition8 and your
o""onents9 tendencies7
So what a6out settin' a tra"E Let9s take a look at another eam"le7 From
middle "osition with />/8 you raise and are reraised 6y the 6utton7 -ll others
fold8 and you and the 6utton take a flo" of 13>/>$ rain6ow heads>u"7 ;ou
ha!e numerous o"tions in this situation7 ;ou could 6et8 ho"in' to reraiseD 6et
and Bust call a raise now8 and then check>raise on the turnD check>raiseD or
check>call8 and then check>raise the turn7
This is where "layin' hold9em 'ets fun7 ;ou9!e 'ot your o""onent ri'ht
where you want him and will 6e usin' one of these "lays to make him "ay the
maimum7 So how do you fi'ure out which one works the 6estE -ll of these
o"tions are 'ood8 so you ha!e to 6ase your decision on your o""onent9s
tendencies8 as well as his im"ression of you7 The hands you9!e "layed a'ainst
him should 6e considered when decidin' on a course of action7
Let9s say you know your o""onent to 6e an etremely a''ressi!e "layer who
1..
won9t 'i!e away any free cards7 In this case you know that a check>call
followed 6y a check>raise on the turn will work7
+hat if your o""onent likes to kee" the lead on the flo"E In this case8 you
mi'ht choose to 6et ri'ht out and look to 'et etra 6ets in on the flo"7 Or you
mi'ht check>raise the flo" and try to win e!en more 6ets if you think your
o""onent is a''ressi!e enou'h to reraise after you check>raise7 +hate!er you
decide to do8 make sure you don9t 'et stuck "layin' a made hand the same
way e!ery time7
Lsin' all of the tools a!aila6le will hel" you in !arious other situations as
well7 HowE +ell8 let9s say you used the check>call8 check>raise on the turn
"lay7 Once your o""onents see this8 they will now 6e worried that when you
check twice8 it doesn9t necessarily mean you ha!e a weak hand7 That way8
when you actually are on a draw8 you may win yourself a free card7 Flo""in'
a set in "osition 'i!es you e!en more leeway than if you had "layers 6ehind
you7 In "osition8 you ne!er ha!e to worry a6out missin' a 6et and 'i!in'
away a free card7 (ein' in "osition also allows you to safely set tra"s as well7
For eam"le8 say you lim" on the 6utton with .>. in a four>way action "ot8
and the flo" comes H>0>. rain6ow7 This would 6e a !ery safe flo" to smooth
call and ho"e to raise the turn7
Flo""in' Flush *raws
There are se!eral !aria6les that will affect how you "roceed with flush draws
on the flo"K your "osition8 the num6er of "layers8 the teture of the 'ame
="assi!e or a''ressi!e?8 whether or not you ha!e the nut draw8 where the "re>
flo" raise came from8 and so on7 *e"endin' on the !aria6les8 the correct
strate'y mi'ht 6e to "lay the hand !ery a''ressi!ely8 !ery cautiously8 or
somewhere in 6etween7
Monster Flush *raws
If you were to flo" an o"en>ended strai'ht flush draw8 you9d most likely want
to 'et as many 6ets in on the flo" as "ossi6le since your hand would 6e
fa!ored o!er most of the hands you9d 6e u" a'ainst7 ;ou would certainly 6e a
money fa!orite re'ardless of the num6er of "layers in the "ot7 For instance8 if
you held 1>0 of hearts and the flo" came IE /E <E8 you should try to 'et as
much money in the "ot as you can7 Howe!er8 sim"ly raisin' and reraisin'
1.2
may not necessarily 6e the 6est way to do that7 ;ou want more money in the
"ot8 sure8 6ut you also want as many "layers to stay in the "ot as "ossi6le7 If
it9s checked to you8 you should always 6et the hand7 Howe!er8 if the 6et
comes in front of you and there are still three "layers to act 6ehind you8 you
ha!e a dilemma7 5aise or callE
If you raise you mi'ht knock out "layers you want in the "ot7 In this
situation8 you should "ro6a6ly Bust call and in!ite others to do the same7 If
they raiseM'reatF That9s not 'oin' to hurt your hand one 6it7 In fact8 if a
"layer raises 6ehind you and all call8 you may e!en consider Bammin' the
"otF Of course8 the "ro6lem is that the more "layers that are in the "ot8 the
6etter the chances are that one of them has a 6i''er flush draw than yours7 No
matter8 you can still hit the strai'ht or the two key hearts to fill your strai'ht
flush7
Playin' monster draws a''ressi!ely adds dece"tion to your 'ame at
a6solutely no cost7 Often times that draw of yours will actually 6e a fa!orite
o!er your o""onent9s hand anyway7 Let9s say you held -E HE on a flo" of $E
1E 13E8 and your o""onent held QE QE7 *es"ite the fact that the Q>Q a""ears
to 6e leadin' at this "oint8 your two o!ercards and a flush draw is actually the
fa!orite to win the "otF Or let9s say you "ut your o""onent on a "air of aces
while you hold the 4E 13E to a flo" of 0E 13E <E7 -'ain8 all you ha!e is a "air
of tens8 6ut with all those outs you should 6e ha""y to "ut in as many 6ets as
the aces would like7 In this situation there are twenty cards that hel" you8 and
you ha!e two chances to hit one7 That9s what I call a 'ood s"ot7
+hat a6out another monster draw8 like -E HE on a flo" of -E /E 13EE Here
a'ain8 you should Bam the "ot:ca" it if you can7 True8 you mi'ht 6e 6eat at
this "oint8 6ut e!en so8 a s"ade that doesn9t "air the 6oard makes you the
nuts7 ;ou should lead out if it9s u" to you8 or raise and reraise if you 'et the
o""ortunity7 In some cases8 it mi'ht 6e 6etter for you to set a tra" with this
hand8 6ut as a 'eneral rule8 you don9t want to slow>"lay it7
Mar'inal Flush *raws
So what ha""ens when you don9t flo" such a monster drawE -ll of the a6o!e
eam"les are dream hands7 -ny monkey can "lay hands like those7 +hat
se"arates the really 'ood "layers from the rest is how they "lay mar'inal
1.I
flush draws in mar'inal situations7 +hene!er you don9t ha!e the nut flush
draw8 you are !ulnera6le to losin' a lot of 6ets7 To a!oid losin' the maimum
with less than stellar flush draws8 you should 6e a lot more cautious than you
would with a monster draw7
If all you ha!e is a naked flush draw:meanin' you ha!e no other added outs
:you don9t want to 'et in!ol!ed in a raisin' war7 ;ou should try to make a
hand like this as chea"ly as "ossi6le8 and then if you do8 you are left ho"in'
that no one else has a 6i''er flush draw than yours7 5emem6er now8 the more
"layers and more action you see on the flo"8 the more likely it is that
someone else is also drawin' to the flush7 In multiway "ots8 you really ha!e
to "ay attention to the action7 It9s im"ortant to 'et a 'ood read on your
o""onents when you are holdin' a small flush draw7
(ased on the flo" action8 you need to decide whether or not one of your
o""onents has a 6etter draw than you and 'o with it7 To do this8 it hel"s to
watch their 6ody lan'ua'e and to know their tendencies with drawin' hands
in these situations7
;ou should also 6e cautious when three of a suit flo"s8 say three hearts8 for
eam"le7 In this situation8 you shouldn9t "roceed "ast the flo" in a multiway
"ot without the nut draw7 E!en with the nut draw8 I9m not all that cra%y a6out
this hand7 -fter all8 if a fourth heart hits the 6oard8 the flush would 6e
o6!ious8 so it would 6e difficult to etract any more 6ets from my o""onents7
O6!iously8 you shouldn9t fold an ace>hi'h flush draw8 6ut you don9t want to
"ut in too much action unless you also flo""ed a "air or think your ace>hi'h
mi'ht 6e the 6est hand7 -ny other flush draw should 6e thrown away on the
flo" in a multiway "ot7 For eam"le8 if the flo" came HE /E 2E8 you "ro6a6ly
shouldn9t "ut in another chi" with a hand like 13E <E7 Sure you ha!e a 13>
hi'h flush draw8 6ut e!en if you make it8 kee" in mind that any ace8 Jueen8 or
Back of hearts 6eats you7
If you are lucky enou'h to flo" a flush8 you want to make your o""onents "ay
to outdraw you8 6ut you may 6e 6etter off doin' so on the turn7 How soE
+ell8 let9s say you ha!e the
IE /E on a 13E <E $E flo"7 -nyone with the ace of hearts is 'oin' nowhere7 -
1./
set or two "air are also 'oin' nowhere7 If you are in a looser lower limit
'ame8 you may not e!en 6e a6le 'et a hand like 4E 4E outF Not to mention the
fact that anyone who9s flo""ed a 6i''er flush than you is certainly not 'oin'
to fold if you "lay your hand a''ressi!ely7 +ell since a heart on the turn
com"letely destroys your hand8 why "ut in etra 6ets on the flo"E +hy not
wait to see what de!elo"s on the turn and then 'et a''ressi!eE Playin' this
way8 you9ll lose the minimum if a heart does hit the turn8 and you may 6e
a6le to 6etter "rotect your hand with a timely raise on the turn7
If you ha""en to 'et reraised on the turn8 you are 'oin' to ha!e to use your
readin' skills to fi'ure out whether or not your o""onent is 6luffin'7 If you
know the "layer has to ha!e the nuts to make a raise like this8 it9s time to
dum" your hand to the third 6et7 Howe!er8 if you are u" a'ainst a maniac8
you can for'et a6out foldin'7 In fact8 you mi'ht e!en want to make it four
6etsF I wouldn9t recommend that "lay too often thou'hD the situation has to
6e "erfect7 Normally8 Bust callin' down the maniac is acce"ta6le7
Playin' Flush *raws Out of Position
Playin' mar'inal flush draws is e!en more difficult when you are out of
"osition7 Let9s 'et strai'ht to an eam"leK ;ou are in the 6i' 6lind with 0>4 of
hearts in a raised multiway "ot7 The flo" comes $E .E 13E7 In this situation
you should "ro6a6ly Bust check to the ori'inal raiser8 es"ecially if he raised
from early "osition7 If you were to 6et out8 there is a !ery 'ood chance that
the initial raiser will raise you to knock out the "layers 6ehind him7 *on9t
hel" him7 Hel" yourself 6y kee"in' them inF The worst>case scenario for you
is that your 6et8 cou"led with your o""onent9s raise8 takes you to the turn
heads>u"7 Not 'ood7 So now that you9!e checked8 the initial raiser 6ets8 and
all others call7 It9s time to check>raise8 ri'htE +ron'7 If you check>raise8 you
run the risk of the initial raiser three>6ettin' you in an attem"t to thin the
field7 ;ou want a 6i' field8 so check>raisin' here is a no>no7
Playin' Flush *raws in Position
*rawin' hands are much more "rofita6le when "layed from late "osition7 In
late "osition8 you ha!e more control o!er what9s ha""enin' on any 'i!en
street7 Since you 'et a chance to see what e!eryone in front of you does8 you
will 6e 6etter eJui""ed to maimi%e your "rofits or minimi%e your losses7 If
1.1
you flo" the nut flush draw8 you can Bam the "ot on the flo"7 Since you
"layed so a''ressi!ely on the flo"8 chances are that your o""onents will
check to you on the turn7 O6!iously8 if you make your hand you should 6et8
6ut if you miss8 you can take the free card7
<ust to make sure we are on the same "a'e8 let9s look at an eam"leK -n early
"osition "layer raises8 there are two calls in 6etween8 and you call with ->13
of diamonds on the 6utton7 The flo" comes $E 4E QE7 The initial raiser 6ets8
and 6oth "layers in front of you call7 In this case8 you should raise8 e!en
thou'h you run the risk of the initial raiser three>6ettin' it and knockin' out
the other two "layers7 That wouldn9t 6e 'ood8 6ut it doesn9t ha""en often
enou'h to ne'ate the !alue of the raise7 If the initial raiser reraises8 it9s not a
com"lete disaster7 If he doesn9t8 you9!e succeeded in 'ettin' more money in
the "ot8 and you may Bust "ick u" a free card for yourself on the turn if you
miss7
Playin' Flush *raws Heads>L"
- lot of the rules that would a""ly to "layin' flush draws in multiway "ots 'o
ri'ht out the window when you are heads>u"7 Heads>u" "oker is like a "ower
stru''le8 each "layer tryin' to 'et last action and force the other "layer to
6ack down7 More often than not in heads>u" "oker8 6oth "layers will flo"
nothin'7 The "layer that wins the maBority of those "ots usually comes out
ahead7 -lthou'h it has no real !alue at the time8 flo""in' a flush draw 'i!es
you the o""ortunity to take the initiati!e on a hand with the ho"e of either
semi>6luffin' your way to a flush or forcin' your o""onent to fold7
In heads>u" situations8 you can check>raise with a flush draw out of "osition7
In fact8 it9s often a !ery 'ood "lay7 Of course8 you can always 6et ri'ht out as
well7 If you ha!e "osition8 raisin' your o""onent on the flo" or the turn mi'ht
hel" you win the "ot8 whether you make the flush or not7 How you decide to
"lay a flush draw heads>u" on the flo" de"ends on a few key factorsK your
"osition8 the "re>flo" action8 your o""onent9s tendencies8 your ta6le ima'e8
and your "ersonal history with your o""onent7
Flo""in' Strai'ht *raws
There are three ty"es of strai'ht draws that we will co!er in this sectionK
o"en>ended draws8 dou6le 6elly>6uster strai'ht draws8 and 'utshots7 -n
1.0
o"en>ended strai'ht draw would look somethin' like thisK ;ou ha!e 4>13 and
the flo" reads 1>0>$7 In this case8 you ha!e ei'ht cards that would make your
strai'ht =four sies "lus four Backs?7
Then there is the dou6le 6elly>6usterK Say you ha!e 1>0 and the flo" comes 2>
/>137 (oth a I and a 4 would make you a strai'ht8 which 'i!es you the same
amount of outs as the o"en>ended draw =ei'ht?7 This draw would 6e eactly
the same as an o"en>ended strai'ht draw8 ece"t these 6elly>6uster draws can
6e sli'htly more "rofita6le since the hand is less o6!ious7
Finally8 we ha!e the 'utshot strai'htK ;ou ha!e 4>13 and the flo" reads Q>0>
$7 In this case8 you can only make your strai'ht with a Back7 The o"en>ended
draws 'i!e you ei'ht outs8 while this 'utshot 'i!es you Bust four7
Playin' O"en>Ended and *ou6le (elly>(uster Strai'ht *raws
These draws can 6e "layed much like a flush draw on the flo"8 e!en thou'h
the flush draw 'i!es you nine outs8 while these draws only 'i!e you ei'ht7
There are other draw6acks that affect the strai'ht draw which don9t affect the
flush draw7 If there is also a flush draw on the flo"8 you mi'ht make your
strai'ht with the same card that fills your o""onent9s flush7 For eam"le8 you
hold 4>13 and your o""onent holds ->. of hearts7 The flo" comes -E 1E 0E7
In this case8 you9d ha!e ei'ht cards to fill your strai'ht8 6ut notice that if you
fill it with the /E or the <E8 you9d lose anyway8 lea!in' you with only si "ure
outs7 E!en if you hit your nut strai'ht on the turn8 your hand is still
!ulnera6le to any of nine remainin' hearts on the ri!er7
There are some hidden ad!anta'es to o"en>ended strai'ht draws7 +hen a
third flush card hits on the 6oard8 it sets off alarm 6ells in your o""onents9
heads8 knowin' that any two hearts make a flush7 If they hold to" "air8 two
"air8 or e!en a set8 a third flush card mi'ht cause them to "ut on the 6reaks7
Strai'ht draws aren9t Juite as o6!ious7 +hen you hit one8 you will likely 'ets
lots of action from anyone holdin' an o!er"air8 two "air8 or a set7 If you flo"
13>4>/ to a hand like 1>08 an o""onent holdin' a hand like 13>13 will 'o to
war with you7 ;ou would need to ha!e "recisely 1>0 to ha!e him 6eat8 which
wouldn9t 6e the case with a flush 6oard7 If the 6oard is 13>1>$ of hearts8 that
same "layer with a set of tens may 6e a little more cautious8 reali%in' that any
hand with two hearts has him 6eat7
1.4
Semi>(luffin' with Strai'ht *raws
-'ain8 if you 6et when two hearts flo"8 your o""onent mi'ht decide to "ut
you on a flush draw7 Howe!er8 when you 6et a strai'ht draw on the flo"8 it9s
not Juite as o6!ious7 This actually 'i!es you more semi>6luffin'
o""ortunities than you would ha!e when 6ettin' flush draws7
Let9s look at an eam"le of a situation where you may decide to run a semi>
6luff with a strai'ht draw7 ;ou find />1 in the 6i' 6lind7 -n early "osition
"layer raises8 and you call7 The 'ame is si>handed8 and you know that your
o""onent would raise with any two cards 13 or hi'her8 most ace>hi'h hands8
and any "air7 =Later8 in the shorthanded section8 you9ll learn why this is not a
6ad strate'y7? The flo" comes 2>I>4 rain6ow8 'i!in' you an o"en>ended
strai'ht draw7 This flo" 'i!es you an ecellent o""ortunity to win this "ot8
whether you make a hand or not7 ;ou can "lay it se!eral waysK 6et out8
check>raise8 or check>call7 Let9s look at each o"tionK
(ettin' Out7 This "lay is acce"ta6le 6ut not ece"tional7 (y leadin' out8 you
should 6e a6le to 'ather some information a6out your o""onent9s hand7 If he
folds8 'reatF If he decides to call8 it9s unlikely:6ut not im"ossi6le:that he
has a "air of nines or 6etter7 More often than not8 he9ll 6e tryin' to make a
"air on the turn with a hand like H><7 If he calls8 you should usually 6et the
turn no matter what card hits7 If he raises you on the turn when you miss8 it9s
time to make a strai'ht on the ri!erF If he raises you on the flo"8 you ha!e to
'i!e him credit for ha!in' you 6eatD after all8 you ha!e 1>hi'hF True he mi'ht
6e lookin' for a free card with ->H8 6ut as lon' as an ace or a kin' doesn9t
hit the turn8 you will most likely 6e the one 'ettin' the free card7
)heck>5aisin'7 This mi'ht 6e an e!en stron'er "lay7 Since your o""onent
came in raisin'8 he9ll usually kee" the lead and 6et the flo"7 (y check>raisin'
him8 you are lettin' him know that you ha!e a 'ood hand and that you are
'oin' to fi'ht for this "ot7 If he has a hand like ->< he9ll "ro6a6ly take one
off8 6ut if he misses on the turn8 you mi'ht 6e a6le to win it ri'ht there with a
6et7 In fact8 de"endin' on your o""onent and his im"ression of you8 you
mi'ht e!en 6e a6le to force him off a hand like 1>1F Now that would 6e an
ecellent result7
123
)heckin' and )allin'7 If you choose this o"tion8 you 'i!e u" any chance of
winnin' the "ot without im"ro!ement7 ;ou com"letely 'i!e u" control of the
hand7 ;ou may end u" lettin' your o""onent win the whole "ot 6y default
with <>13 hi'h7 Of course8 if for some reason you think there is a6solutely no
chance you can win the "ot 6y out"layin' your o""onent8 checkin' and
callin' mi'ht 6e your 6est 6et7
,utshot Strai'ht *raws
- 'utshot strai'ht draw is a real lon' shot7 +ith one card to come8 you are an
137I to 1 underdo' to hit your strai'ht7 If you decide to call with a 'utshot8 6e
sure that the "ot si%e is 6i' enou'h and that all of your strai'ht cards will win7
If there are two hearts and two s"ades on the 6oard in a fi!e>way action "ot8
you may only ha!e two outs to win the "ot8 as the other two strai'ht cards
may com"lete someone else9s flush7 That would make you a $$ to 1
underdo'F
+ith one card to come on the turn8 it9s rarely correct to call with a "ure
'utshot8 unless you ha!e added outs8 such as a "air or o!ercards7 Since the
6et si%e doesn9t dou6le until the turn8 it will often 6e correct to call on the
flo"7
Let9s look at a ty"ical eam"leK Playin' C13#C$38 you are in the 6i' 6lind
with 4>13 of clu6s7 The small 6lind folds8 and you call a raise in a four>way
action "ot7 The flo" comes QE .E 0E7 ;ou check8 the first "layer 6ets8 and one
other calls7 There is C13I in the "ot8 and it9s C13 to call7 It9s 1371I to 1
a'ainst you makin' the strai'ht on the turn7 Should you callE (ased on the
eact "rice you are 'ettin' at this "oint8 the answer would 6e no7 So we fold
then8 ri'htE +ron'7 There are three more !aria6les you need to think a6outK
im"lied odds8 the "otential to see two cards for the "rice of one8 and etra
outs:you may ha!e more than you think7
;our im"lied odds in this situation are more than enou'h to call7 ;ou are
already 'ettin' 137I to 1 as an 1371I to 1 underdo'7 If you 'et Bust one more
6et out of your o""onents on the turn or ri!er8 you would 6e 'ettin' the ri'ht
"rice7 -lso8 the "re>flo" raiser 6et the flo"8 6ut who9s to say you won9t 'et a
free card on the turnE There is also an outside chance that if you hit a "air of
nines or tens you9d win7 It9s "ossi6le that the first raiser could ha!e ->H and
121
the caller ->07 Think a6out what mi'ht ha""en if your o""onent flo"s a set
and you hit that strai'ht on the turn7 )hances are8 you9ll win at least four
more 6i' 6ets on the turn and ri!er8 "ro!ided the 6oard doesn9t "air on the
ri!er7 -ny time you hit a "ure 'utshot it9s 'oin' to 6e hidden7 It9s 'oin' to 6e
difficult for your o""onent to "ut you on a draw like that8 so they9ll often lose
more 6ets than they should7
Let9s say you are in a multiway "ot and hold />2 of hearts in the 6i' 6lind7
The flo" comes HE 1E .E8 and the "ot Bustifies a call7 Now8 off rolls the I7
(in'oF If one of your o""onents ha!e
->-8 ->H8 two "air8 or a set8 you should 6e a6le to win a lot of 6ets here7
5emem6er8 you "ick u" !alue with the im"lied odds7
Flo""in' a Made Hand
- made hand is a fi!e>card hand8 such as a strai'ht8 flush8 full house8 or
6etter7 There are times when you9ll want to slow>"lay a made hand8 and
others where it mi'ht 6e correct to Bam the "ot7 In this section8 I ho"e to hel"
you make 6etter decisions when you flo" a made hand7
Flo""in' a Full House
+hen you flo" a full house your 'oal sim"ly is to 'et as much money in the
"ot as "ossi6le7 How you do that will de"end on many factors7
Let9s look at an eam"leK ;ou ha!e "ocket kin's and the flo" comes H>0>07
How niceF So you must decide whether to "lay it fast or let lon' shot draws
in chea"ly7 ;our decision should 6e 6ased on what you think your o""onents
ha!e7 If you think one of your o""onents flo""ed three ei'hts8 you should
"lay it fast7 Ho"efully8 your o""onent will think you ha!e ->- or ->H and
continue to raise you7
So how will you 6e a6le to fi'ure out if one of your o""onents has an 0E
+ell8 that will de"end on se!eral 6its of information you9!e 'athered "re>flo"
and on the flo"7 Let9s say you 6et and are raised on this flo"8 knowin' no
flush draw is "ossi6le7 Then the 6i' 6lind decides to call two 6ets cold7
)hances are8 he9s flo""ed three ei'hts7 +hat else could he ha!eE Lnless it9s a
!ery 6ad "layer8 he at least has the case kin'8 6ut more likely three ei'hts7 It9s
also "ossi6le that he9s flo""ed Juads8 6ut that would 6e a rare occurrence7
If there is a flush draw on the flo"8 then slow>"layin' would 6e silly7 ;our
12$
o""onent with the flush draw isn9t 'oin' to fold anyway8 so you mi'ht as
well make him "ay to draw deadF -fter all8 if he misses his flush8 you aren9t
'oin' to 'et any more 6ets on the ri!er7 Put those 6ets in on the flo"D your
o""onent wonOt "ut you on a full house7 If you know the "layer on a flush
draw to 6e etremely conser!ati!e and won9t draw to the flush with a "air on
the 6oard8 you may not want to 'o too cra%y on the flo"7 He is drawin' dead8
and you always want to encoura'e thatF
Flo""in' a Full House8 Heads>L"7 In a heads>u" "ot8 it9s more than likely
that your o""onent has flo""ed nothin' to the H>0>0 flo"7 Lnless he has an 08
->-8 ->H8 or a flush draw8 it will 6e difficult to 'et much action7 The 6est
course of action here may 6e to slow>"lay your hand a little 6it7 Let9s say you
ha!e "osition on your o""onent8 and he decides to 6et out7 This is a tricky
situation 6ecause you don9t want to lose him7 If you raise here8 he mi'ht
throw away his hand7 If you call8 he mi'ht Bust check and fold on the turn7 -ll
you need to 6e concerned with is kee"in' your o""onent interested in this
"ot7 Ho"efully he9s flo""ed tri"s8 a flush draw8 or has the ->- or ->H hand7
If not8 ho"efully he makes a smaller full house on the turn7 May6e he has 4>47
How sweet a 4 would 6e on the turnF
-'ain8 you need to "ay attention to the information you recei!ed "re>flo"7
*id your o""onent raise comin' inE +as he in early "ositionE If so8 the
chances that he9s flo""ed three ei'hts is remote8 thou'h ->H8 ->-8 or another
"air is !ery "ossi6le7 -'ainst one of these hands8 it9s usually a 'ood idea to
Bam the flo" as you are sure to 'et action7 If your o""onent calls from late
"osition or from the 6linds8 you9ll 6e ho"in' now that he9s flo""ed three
ei'hts or may6e a flush draw7 More often than not8 your o""onent is 'oin' to
miss this flo"7 It9s unlikely he has the case kin' and also unlikely that he has
an 07 In this situation8 it mi'ht also 6e correct to slow>"lay your hand and
ho"e that your o""onent "icks u" a draw on the turn7 ;ou can do that only if
you feel that your check on the flo" wonOt 'i!e away your hand7 The tou'her
your o""onent8 the less often the check on the flo" is 'oin' to tra" him7 To
tra" a tou'h "layer here8 "lay strai'ht>forward and 6et the flo"7
Flo""in' a Flush
+e touched on this su6Bect a little when we discussed "layin' flush draws on
12.
the flo"7 In that section8 we talked a6out "layin' a 6a6y flush carefully on the
flo" and 'ettin' a''ressi!e on the turn7 Interestin'ly enou'h8 we "ro6a6ly
want to "lay our nut flushes similarly8 waitin' until the turn 6efore 'ettin'
6usy7
Of course8 this all de"ends on the teture of the flo"7 If you hold -E 0E on a
HE 1E $E flo"8 the only real draw out there would 6e the nut flush draw:6ut
you already ha!e that co!ered7 )hances are you will 'et more action if the
flo" comes
13E <E 1E7 More of your o""onents are 'oin' to hit this flo" with a "air8 two
"air8 a strai'ht8 or e!en a strai'ht draw7 If your o""onent has a hand like HE
<E8 he may decide to "lay it really fast on the flo"7 +ith that first flo" you
want anyone interested in the "ot to stay in8 so make it chea" on them7 On
that second flo" howe!er8 you will 'et away with Bammin' it 6ecause the
chances of your o""onents continuin' anyway are much 'reater7
Flo""in' a Strai'ht
+hen flo""in' a strai'ht you need to consider the risks in!ol!ed7 For
eam"le8 say you9!e flo""ed a strai'ht8 6ut there are two flush cards on the
6oard8 or you9!e flo""ed the 6ottom end of the strai'ht8 and so on7 +hen you
flo" a lower>end strai'ht8 it9s im"ortant to try and knock out hi'her strai'ht
draws or at least ha!e them "ay the maimum if they choose to call7 Or8 if
you "ut your o""onent on a flush draw8 you should "lay any strai'ht fast on
the flo"7 ;ou aren9t "layin' your hand fast only to try to knock a flush draw
out of the "ot8 6ut rather to 'et more money into the "ot as the fa!orite7
For this reason8 I rarely slow>"lay a strai'ht on the flo"7 There are too many
cards on the turn that could hurt your hand7 - 6oard "air8 a flush card8 or
e!en a hi'her strai'ht card can turn your nut hand into a loser7 Of course8 in
heads>u" situations8 I may choose to slow>"lay a strai'ht on the flo"8 ho"in'
to 'et two 6ets in on the turn7 Say you hit a flo" of />1>0 to 'o with your
4>13 in the hole7 It9s a 'reat situation8 6ut a 4 or a 13 "uts your hand in
Beo"ardy7 The 4 fills the <>13 strai'ht and the 13 fills the <>4 strai'ht7 (e
a''ressi!e on the flo"8 6ut if a dan'erous card comes off on the turn8 don9t
"ut in unnecessary action7 I9m not sayin' that you should fold8 6ut if you 'et
raised on a />1>0>4 6oard8 you shouldn9t always reraise7 )hances are8 your
122
o""onent also has a 13>hi'h strai'ht8 6ut it could 6e worse than that for you7
He may ha!e the <>138 or e!en a 13 with a flush draw 'i!in' him a freeroll7
Or8 if he has Q>13 and a Back hits the ri!er8 he9ll ha!e a freeroll a'ainst you7
Here9s a final eam"le of when you should "lay a strai'ht fast on the flo"K
;ou ha!e Q><8 and the flo" comes 0>4>137 This is a flo" that will hit a lot of
"eo"le7 Of course8 none of your o""onents can hit it 6etter than you ha!e8 6ut
that won9t sto" them from "uttin' in lots of 6ets7 ;ou mi'ht win a monster
"ot if all 'oes well on the turn and ri!er7 If you are u" a'ainst any of the
followin' hands you should win tons of 6ets 6y kee"in' your foot on the 'as
and firin' awayK />18 13>138 4>48 0>08 <><8 Q>Q8 H>H8 ->-8 13><8 13>Q8 H>Q8
H><8 -><8 4>138 4>08 13>08 and similar holdin's7 Of the siteen hands I
mentioned8 most of them would 6e "layed only 6y a!era'e "layers:and I
didn9t e!en 'et to the hands where an o""onent flo"s a flush drawF +hen you
flo" a monster on what I call an action flo"8 it will often "ay 6i' di!idends7
Of course you will sometimes 6e outdrawn on these hands8 6ut you9ll do
yourself a 'reat ser!ice in the lon' run 6y "uttin' in as many 6ets as "ossi6le
on the flo"7
PL-;IN, THE TL5N
The turn is "ro6a6ly the most difficult street to "lay7 This is where you will
need all of your "oker skills to make the ri'ht decisions7 -s *aniel Ne'reanu
wrote in one of his )ard Player columns8 @(y the turn8 you should ha!e
enou'h information a6out your o""onents9 hands to narrow down their
holdin's some7 -fter factorin' in their "re>flo" action8 their "lay on the flo"8
and the teture of the 6oard8 the turn is the street where you9ll need to make
the key decision as to what your o""onents are holdin'7A - 6i' reason for
this is that the 6ets now dou6le7
+hen To )all
In many cases8 callin' on the turn is your 6est course of action7 Let9s look at
four situations7
17 -'ainst a (luffer
Normally when you feel like there is a 'ood chance you ha!e the 6est hand
on the turn8 you should "ut in as many 6ets as "ossi6le7 Howe!er8 a'ainst a
12I
ha6itual 6luffer8 your raise may scare him off8 costin' you a 6et on the ri!er7
Let9s say you raise with ->138 and only Mr7 (luffer in the 6i' 6lind calls7 The
flo" comes -E 4E 2E8 Mr7 (luffer 6ets8 and you decide to call7 The turn 6rin's
the 1REand Mr7 (luffer a'ain 6ets out7 )hances are that your "air of aces
with a 13 kicker is the 6est hand7 Howe!er8 it is "ossi6le that Mr7 (luffer
woke u" with a hand and has you 6eat7 5e'ardless8 you are con!inced you
ha!e the 6est hand8 6ut you know that Mr7 (luffer will fold if you raise7 Since
there isn9t much of a draw "resent8 why not Bust call the turn and ho"e that
Mr7 (luffer wastes one more 6et with a des"eration attem"t at the ri!erE This
hel"s you in two waysK
=1? ;ou9ll lose the minimum when he has you 6eat7
=$? ;ou9ll 'ain an etra 6et when he tries to "ick it u" on the ri!er7
In this case you run the risk of "ossi6ly 'i!in' your o""onent a free shot to
6eat you on the end8 6ut since it9s a remote "ossi6ility with this 6oard8 callin'
will 'et the most out of him7
$7 +hen Out of Position with Mar'inal Hands
In this eam"le8 you raise with 4>4 from late "osition7 The 6utton reraises
you8 so it9s heads>u" to see the flo"7 The flo" comes down QE 1E $E7 ;ou
check8 and your o""onent 6ets the flo"7 )heck>raisin' is an o"tion here8 6ut
for this eam"le let9s assume you checked and called7 Now the turn 6rin's a
IE7 This "resents you with a dilemma7
Since you raised in late "osition8 and it was the 6utton that reraised you8 he
mi'ht hold one of a wide ran'e of hands that ha!e you 6eat8 as well as one of
many others that don9t7 Let9s assume that the 6utton is the ty"e of "layer who
will raise you with any "air8 any suited ace8 any two "icture cards8 and any ->
0 and a6o!e7 -lso throw in the occasional !ariation raise with hands like 0>4
suited or e!en I>/ suited7 If you know your o""onent will three>6et you with
these ty"es of hands8 your hand is Bust too 'ood to fold7 -t the same time8
you don9t really want to lose any unnecessary etra 6ets7
In this situation8 you are 6etter off "layin' the hand to the ri!er as chea"ly as
"ossi6le7 ;ou don9t want to 'o cra%y and "ut in a lot of action7 5emem6er8
12/
you are out of "osition and could 'et mo!ed off the 6est hand here7 +hat if
your o""onent had ->H of hearts and decided to reraise you as a semi>6luffE
+ell8 you can9t really Bustify "uttin' in three 6ets on the turn and then
another one on the ri!er when you are likely drawin' dead to two outsF Play
the hand carefully7 +in the small "ots while a!oidin' the 6i' ones7 Sacrifice
some "otential !alue and lean toward cautionD that way you won9t 'et
out"layed7
.7 To -!oid )ostly Fancy Plays
Throu'hout this cha"ter you9ll notice that I "reach strai'htforward "lay7 +hy
use a fancy "lay that mi'ht work when a strai'htforward "lay will do Bust as
wellE To 6e s"ecific8 raisin' on the turn with drawin' hands in an attem"t to
force your o""onent to lay down the 6est hand is a "lay that should 6e used
infreJuently7 It works 6est on timid8 careful "layers8 6ut e!en they won9t fold
if they ha!e to" "air or 6etter7 Instead8 they9ll call you down on the turn and
a'ain on the ri!er7 -fter all8 6y raisin' the turn you9!e made the "ot so 6i'
that your o""onent is almost forced to call7 May6e years a'o you could use
this "lay more often8 6ut these days many "layers are aware of it7 So if there
is a draw "resent8 they9ll likely call8 ho"in' you are makin' a mo!e7 *on9t
6luff:!alue 6et7 That9s what limit hold9em is all a6out7
27 +hen *rawin' To Hands in Multiway Pots
The last thin' you want to do when on a draw is narrow down the field7 The
more "layers in the "ot the 6etter7 -ttem"tin' a lon' shot raise in ho"es of
6luffin' e!ery6ody out is Bust a 6ad "lay7 It9s not 'oin' to work nearly often
enou'h to make it "rofita6le7
+hen To 5aise
5aisin' the turn in mar'inal situations can 6e an e"ensi!e "lay8 6ut it9s one
you9ll need to make more often if you are "layin' in hi'her limit 'ames7
(efore you 'o raisin' u" a storm8 consider the followin' four situations
where this "lay is most effecti!e7
17 To Maimi%e ;our Profit
;ou should only make this "lay when you feel you ha!e the 6est hand7 ;our
121
'oal isn9t to dri!e your o""onent out of the "ot8 althou'h that wouldn9t
always 6e a 6ad thin'D rather8 you are sim"ly tryin' to 'et maimum !alue
for your hand7 Let9s look at an eam"le7
In the middle "osition with H>H8 you raise8 and only the 6i' 6lind calls7 On a
<E 1E .E flo"8 the 6i' 6lind check>raises you7 5eraisin' on the flo" wouldn9t
6e a 6ad "lay8 6ut what a6out Bust callin'E (y sim"ly callin' on the flo"8 you
will entice your o""onent to 6et the turn unless a scare card hits7 +hen he
does 6et the turn8 you can 'o ahead and raise him7
This would 6e considered a !ariation "lay7 ;ou should only use it on a
relati!ely safe flo"7 If there is a flush draw or strai'ht draw "resent8 there are
too many "otential scare cards out there that would cause your o""onent to
check the turn8 thus costin' you a 6et7 For eam"le8 on a flo" like 4E 13E IE8
any heart or any o!ercard may scare your o""onent into checkin'7 So on a
dan'erous flo"8 you9re 6etter off "layin' the H>H fast7
$7 Semi>(luffin' on a Scare )ard
Earlier8 I ad!ised you to a!oid fancy "lays when the strai'htforward "lay will
work7 That still holds true8 6ut there are certain situations where a well>timed
fancy "lay will win you the whole "ot with little risk7 )onsider the followin'
situation7 ;ou ha!e <E 13E from early "osition7 -lthou'h you9d often Bust
call8 this time you mi u" your "lay and raise8 and only the 6i' 6lind calls
you7
The flo" comes 1E 4E $E7 The 6i' 6lind check>raises you on the flo"8 and you
decide to Bust call7 Now the turn card comes the HE8 and your o""onent 6ets7
If you don9t think your o""onent can 6eat a "air of kin's8 this wouldn9t 6e a
6ad s"ot to try to take the "ot from him7 Since you raised from early "osition8
you could easily 6e re"resentin' ->H7 ;ou are "layin' the <E 13E eactly as
you would the ->H8 and if your o""onent 6elie!es you9!e 'ot ->H8 he may
decide to fold a "air of nines7 If not8 oh well7 ;ou were 'oin' to call the turn
anyway8 so it only cost you one etra 6et7 If he does in fact ha!e a "air of
nines8 you may ha!e as many as twenty>one outs8 includin' an 0 or Jueen for
120
the strai'ht8 any heart8 or "ossi6ly a Back or a 13F
There is one im"ortant thin' to consider when makin' a "lay like thisK +hat
do you do on the ri!er if he called your turn raise8 and you ha!e missed your
handE (ettin' here is not automatic7 Lnless you ha!e reason to 6elie!e that
your o""onent was on a draw as well8 I would recommend 'i!in' u" at this
"oint7 If he called you on the turn with a "air8 he9s 'oin' to call you on the
ri!er as well7 It9s that sim"le7 Of course8 there is still a chance that you mi'ht
win the "ot with Back hi'h in a showdownF Think a6out itK if your o""onent
was on a draw8 may6e he has 0>138 />08 or e!en two 6a6y hearts7 If he has
one of these hands you9ll win the "ot 6ecause of your turn raise7
.7 Isolatin' -'ainst a Possi6le (luffer
This ad!anced "lay is eclusi!e to multiway "ots8 and I recommend you use
it only if you ha!e a solid feel for the 'ame7 In order for this "lay to work8
you9!e 'ot to ha!e a 'ood read on the turn 6ettor7 ;ou9!e 'ot to know that he
is a !ery a''ressi!e "layer8 and you also ha!e to 6elie!e he is either 6luffin'
or sim"ly 6ettin' a draw7 Let9s use an eam"le so that we can "aint a clearer
"icture7 ;ou raise from middle "osition with the ->1 of s"ades8 and the
6utton calls as does the 6i' 6lind7
The flo" comes down 13E 1E .E7 The 6i' 6lind checks8 you 6et8 and the
6utton raises7 Then the 6i' 6lind calls8 as do you7 -t this "oint you "ut the
6utton on a "air of tens and the 6i' 6lind on some kind of a draw7
The turn 6rin's the QE7 Out of nowhere8 the 6i' 6lind 6ets out7 ;ou still "ut
him on a draw8 may6e now a strai'ht draw and flush draw7 Howe!er8 you
know the "layer 6ehind you has you 6eat7 How a6out a raiseE If you raise
here8 the 6utton would 6e hard "ressed to call two 6ets7 So your raise would
accom"lish the followin'K
=1? Hnock out the 6est hand7
=$? ,et maimum !alue for your hand7
-'ain8 this is an ad!anced "lay and de"ends hea!ily on your readin' a6ility7
Lse it carefully7
27 +hen ;ou -re ,oin' To )all -nyway
124
On the turn8 you are often 'oin' to find yourself in mar'inal situations where
you think you ha!e the 6est hand and decide to Bust call your o""onent down7
+ell8 rather than sim"ly callin' your o""onent on the turn and ri!er8 many
times it mi'ht 6e "rofita6le to "ut 6oth of those 6ets in on the turn7 Here9s an
illustration7 ;ou raise in late "osition with ->1 of clu6s8 and only the 6i'
6lind calls you7
The flo" comes HE 1E .E8 your o""onent check>raises you8 and you decide to
call7 Now the turn 6rin's the 4E7 +ith 0 small 6ets already in the "ot8 you feel
that you are 6ein' laid a 'ood enou'h "rice to call:es"ecially considerin'
that you may still ha!e outs and that your "air mi'ht 6e the 6est hand7 So
now you decide that you are 'oin' to call the turn and then 6e forced to call
on the ri!er whether or not you im"ro!e7
Here9s an ideaK raiseF So many 'ood thin's can come as a result7 For one8 you
mi'ht force your o""onent to fold the 6est hand7 +hat would your o""onent
do8 for eam"le8 if he9s holdin' a hand like 0>0 or e!en H>$E *e"endin' on
your o""onent8 he mi'ht e!en lay down to" "air here7
+hat I like most a6out this "lay is that it usually costs you no etra 6ets8 6ut
you can win an etra 6et if you im"ro!e7 Let9s say your o""onent calls your
raise7 Lnless you catch an ace or a 1 you9ll Bust check it down and ho"e it9s
'ood7 +hen you im"ro!e8 you 'et the o""ortunity to !alue 6et the ri!er7
There is a downside to this "lay8 howe!er8 and that comes when your
o""onent reraises you on the turn7 If your o""onent makes it three 6ets8 he
"ro6a6ly has a !ery stron' hand7 ;ou can safely assume that your "air is no
'ood and should fold your hand7 ;ou lose the o""ortunity to outdraw him7
+hen To Fold
Sometimes the turn card comes so 6ad for your hand that you9ll ha!e to fold7
Other times you9ll ha!e "icked u" enou'h information 6efore the turn that
you can safely "ut your o""onent on a 6etter hand than yours7
17 *raws
This is a Juestion of "ot odds7 +hen the "ot isn9t layin' you the correct "rice
to call8 you9ll ha!e to fold7 Here9s an eam"le7 +ith />1 in the 6i' 6lind8 you
1I3
find yourself in a three>way8 unraised "ot7
The flo" comes I>0>H8 and it 'ets checked around7 Now the turn 6rin's a
Jueen7 -'ain you check8 6ut this time the first "layer 6ets8 and the second
"layer raises7 +hat do you doE The answer here is the result of a sim"le
calculation7 There are thirty>ei'ht 6ad cards for you and only ei'ht 'ood
ones8 so the odds of you catchin' the strai'ht are 271I to 17
-ll you need to fi'ure out now is whether or not the "ot is 'i!in' you
a""roimately I to 1 odds7 In a C13#C$3 'ame8 there already would 6e C43 in
the "ot8 and it will cost you C23 to call7 The first "layer will "ro6a6ly call too8
so let9s make it C113 to C237 Let9s assume that you9ll somehow win an
additional three 6ets on the ri!er8 6rin'in' the "ot total to C1137 E!en after
that8 you are still only 'ettin' 27$I to 17 In other words8 this one is a fold7
$7 +hen Potentially *rawin' *ead
Situations like these are easier to identify in multiway "ots7 The more "layers
in a "ot8 the more likely it is that the turn card hel"ed someone7 For eam"le8
if you flo""ed to" "air in a multiway "ot 6ut the turn 6rou'ht a third flush
card8 you should seriously consider foldin'7 Foldin' will de"end on your read
of the "layer as well as the situation7 If you are u" a'ainst a wild "layer8 don9t
6e too Juick in 'i!in' him credit for a made hand7 )on!ersely8 a'ainst a
conser!ati!e -()>ty"e "layer in most situations8 it should 6e an easy
laydown to make7
There are other situations where you mi'ht e!en flo" a flush draw8 6ut then
release it on the turn7 Let9s say you ha!e the
I>/ of hearts and find yourself in a multiway "ot with multi"le 6ets in it7 The
flo" comes HE <E 2E8 followed 6y the 4E on the turn7 If there are four "layers
in this "ot8 there is a !ery 'ood chance someone has a 6i''er flush draw than
yours8 lea!in' you drawin' dead7 So8 e!en if the "ot is layin' you the ri'ht
"rice to draw to the flush8 you9d still want to muck this hand if there is a
reasona6le chance that you are drawin' dead7
.7 +hen ;ou Hnow ;ou -re (eat
If after the flo" you feel confident that you are 6eat8 you should fold:unless
1I1
of course you are 'ettin' the ri'ht "ot odds to outdraw your o""onent7 Let9s
say with 1>1 you raise "re>flo" and 'et two callers7 The flo" comes H>Q>28 so
you 6et and are raised7 ;ou call8 ho"in' to see whether or not you can s"ike a
1 or that your o""onent checks 6ehind you with a draw7 If the turn comes
with a 4 and your o""onent 6ets8 you can safely fold the 1>1 7 -fter all8 what
can you 6eatE E!en if he was raisin' with a draw like 4>138 4><8 or <>138 he
now has you 6eat7 5ealistically you can only 6eat hands like ->28 -><8 and ->
137 The odds here are stacked a'ainst you8 so unless you ha!e reason to
6elie!e your o""onent is on a total 6luff8 this would 6e a 'ood time to 'i!e u"
on the hand7
-''ression on the Turn
-s you mo!e u" in limits8 you9ll notice that the 6etter "layers are the ones
who "lay ferociously on the turn8 fearin' nothin'7 In C13#C$38 C1I#C.38 and
C$3#C23 'ames8 many "layers tend to "lay "assi!ely on the turn8 always
fearin' the worst:checkin' Q>Q when a kin' hits8 checkin' when a strai'ht
card hits8 and so on7 In order to reach the elite le!els of limit hold9em8 you
ha!e to 6e a little fearless and kee" the "ressure on7
Let9s look at a situation where you are faced with a choiceK either 'i!e away
a free card or risk 6ein' check>raised7 ;ou raise on the 6utton with 1>0 of
s"ades8 and only 6i' 6lind calls7 The flo" comes <E 0E 2E7 ;ou 6et the flo"8
and your o""onent calls7
The turn 6rin's the QE8 and a'ain your o""onent checks7 That QE looks like a
terri6le card for your hand8 and it !ery well could 6e7 Howe!er8 your
o""onent did check and call on the flo"8 and he has now checked the turn7
)ould he 6e settin' a tra" for youE Possi6ly7 If in fact he is settin' a tra"8
checkin' would certainly 6e the 6est "lay8 as you would8 in effect8 6e takin' a
free shot at a 1 or an 07
(ut what if he9s not settin' a tra"E If you check here you mi'ht 6e 'i!in'
your o""onent the free card he needs7 If he9s a ty"ical "layer8 he mi'ht ha!e
any of the followin' handsK ->HD ->13D ace anythin'8 for that matterD H>13D a
"air of fours with a random kickerD or e!en a 'utshot strai'ht draw8 like />1
or
13>17 +ith your hand8 it9s im"ortant to 6et here and knock one of these hands
1I$
out:and you9ll knockout the "ossi6ility of causin' your o""onent to fold if
he9s holdin' an 0 with a 6etter kickerF
-s a 'eneral rule in this situation8 I would ad!ise kee"in' the lead and
stayin' a''ressi!e7 If you ha""en to 'et check>raised8 so 6e it7 It9s not the end
of the world7 ;ou9ll sim"ly ha!e to make an educated decision as to what
your o""onent has and "roceed accordin'ly7 *on9t 6e afraid to force yourself
to make these ty"es of "lays7 Makin' decisions like these will hel" you
6ecome a 6etter "layer7
Semi>(luffin' the Turn
In situations where you9!e decided to check and call the turn anyway8 you
mi'ht 6e 6etter off 6ettin'7 5emem6er8 takin' the lead and 6ein' a''ressi!e
are "ro6a6ly the most im"ortant factors in limit hold9em7
For eam"le8 say a fairly ti'ht early "osition "layer raises your 6lind and you
decide to defend with the ->1 of s"ades7 The flo" comes /E 1E 0E7 5ather
than 'o for a check>raise8 you decide to 6et and see where you are7
Lnfortunately8 this ti'ht "layer decides to raise you8 which means you can
safely assume that you are 6eat7 Of course8 with a 6ackdoor flush draw8 tri"
draw8 and two>"air draw8 you are 'oin' to call one more 6et7
Now the turn 6rin's the 2E7 How a6out 6ettin' a'ainE -fter all8 you now
"icked u" a flush draw and are 'oin' to call anyway8 so why not re"resent the
strai'ht and "ossi6ly force your o""onent off the 6est handE It9s hi'hly
unlikely that your o""onent will raise you here8 as he would need to ha!e at
least a I8 or may6e e!en 4>137 Since you know him to 6e a ti'ht "layer8
chances are he has an o!er"air or "ossi6ly a set7 If he does call8 oh well7 ;ou
still ha!e lots of outs and would ha!e called a 6et anyway7 If you miss on the
ri!er8 you should "ro6a6ly a6ort the 6luff7 If he decides to call you on the
turn8 he is 'oin' to make one last des"eration call on the ri!er if he has you
6eat7 Sa!e your money and check it down7
THE 5INE5
Not a lot needs to 6e written a6out the ri!er7 -t this "oint8 the "ot is usually
lar'e enou'h that makin' decisions is easy7 If you ha!e a le'itimate chance to
1I.
win the "ot8 you should call7 ,enerally s"eakin'8 when in dou6t8 check or
call7 There are other elements related to the ri!er that are worth mentionin'K
when to call or raise8 when to fold8 when to !alue 6et8 and when to 6luff7
Let9s take a look at the choices7
)allin'
In the world of "oker8 you hear a lot of talk a6out what se"arates the 'reat
"layers from the 'ood ones7 Some will say the difference lies in the 'reat
"layers9 a6ility to lay down stron' hands in difficult situations7 +hile that
may 6e true to some etent8 tryin' too hard to "lay carefully on the ri!er
often leads to 'ettin' 6luffed off of "ots that were ri'htfully yours7
Often times8 one 6ad decision can ne'ate as many as ten 'reat laydowns7
Let9s think a6out that for a minute7 If there is C$33 in a "ot8 and it will cost
you C$3 to see if you ha!e the 6est hand8 you 6etter 6e almost 43 "ercent sure
that foldin' is correct7 E!en if you were ri'ht to fold in ei'ht out of ten
situations8 you9!e still lost moneyF Now I don9t know a6out you8 6ut to me
that9s a lot of "ressure7 I would ad!ise you to a!oid disastrous errors in fa!or
of minor8 less harmful ones7
Foldin'
-lthou'h I recommend callin' if you ha!e any chance to win the "ot8 there
are times when you are so o6!iously 6eat that it would 6e silly to call7 The
maBority of these situations arise in multiway "ots7 Here is an etreme
eam"leK Say you ha!e 6ottom "air and a 6et and three calls are on the ta6le7
Sure8 the first "layer mi'ht 6e 6luffin'8 6ut one of the three callers certainly
has you 6eat7 It doesn9t matter how 6i' the "ot is here8 you can safely assume
that you are 6eat7 E!en when it is sim"ly 6et and raised to you8 the safe mo!e
would 6e to fold any hand that could only 6eat a 6luff7 -fter all8 e!en if the
raiser is 6luffin'8 the first "layer "ro6a6ly isn9t7
-nother key factor to consider is the "rice you9d ha!e to "ay to find out7
Since you9re faced with callin' two 6ets instead of one8 it cuts your "ot odds
in half7 I could list se!eral situations where you could make more
so"histicated laydowns8 6ut the one key factor is your a6ility to read your
o""onents7 If you don9t ha!e an ecellent understandin' of your o""onents9
ca"a6ilities and tendencies8 makin' monster laydowns is foolish7 The more
1I2
time you s"end "layin' a'ainst any 'i!en "layer8 the easier it will 6e to
define his hand7 If you 'et really 'ood at it8 you9ll no lon'er ha!e to make
automatic calls on the ri!er7 -s your skills im"ro!e you9ll 6e a6le to "ass u"
13>1 "ot odds 6ecause you9ll trust yourself to 6e ri'ht 41 times out of 1337
Lntil that time howe!er8 the 6est ad!ice I can 'i!e you isK "ay and see7
Nalue (ettin'
-s we9!e said throu'hout the cha"ter8 sheer a''ression is key in limit
hold9em7 It is a mathematical 'ame8 one in which you want to maimi%e your
wins while minimi%in' your losses7 In order to maimi%e your wins8 you9ll
need to 6e sure that you 'et full !alue for e!en the most mar'inal of hands7
To !alue 6et in the correct s"ots8 it9s im"ortant to think a6out what your
o""onent could ha!e7
If you "ut your o""onent on nothin' 6ut a draw8 he sim"ly won9t call you on
the ri!er unless he makes it7 E!en then he "ro6a6ly won9t Bust call you8 he9ll
raise youF For eam"le8 say you hold -E <E8 and you take the lead the whole
way7 The turn comes <E 4E /E $E7 -t this "oint8 you are Juite sure you ha!e
the 6est hand and think your o""onent is on a flush or strai'ht draw8 or
"ossi6ly a "air of nines or e!en Backs7
So now the ri!er comes with the 4E8 and itOs u" to you7 If your o""onent was
on a draw8 there is little !alue in 6ettin' hereD he9s o6!iously missed and will
fold7 If he also has a "air of Backs8 there is a 'ood chance he will 6et when
you check anyway7 More im"ortantly8 if your o""onent does ha!e the three
nines8 he9ll raise you8 and that will usually cost you an etra 6et7 These are
situations where you mi'ht want to a!oid !alue 6ettin'7
Notice that in this eam"le you are out of "osition7 +hen you are in "osition8
you will ha!e at least twice as many o""ortunities to !alue 6et than when out
of "osition7 If a "layer has checked the ri!er to you8 you should usually 6et if
you feel you ha!e the 6est hand7 Lnless your o""onent is settin' a tra" for
you8 his check on the ri!er will mean it didn9t hel" him7 If you had the lead
'oin' into the ri!er8 chances are you still ha!e it7
(asically8 you should !alue 6et any time you feel that your o""onent will call
with the worst hand more than half the time on the ri!er7 If you ha!e 6ottom
"air 6ut feel your o""onent would call you with ace>hi'h8 you should 6et7
1II
Furthermore8 if you feel your o""onent is callin' you down with ace>hi'h8
you mi'ht e!en 6et with as little as ->H hi'hF That situation is rare8 6ut not
unheard of7 In closin'8 don9t 6e o!erly worried a6out a check>raise7 It9s not
like no>limit8 where a check>raise could cost you your whole 6ankroll7 In
limit "oker8 it9s only 'oin' to cost you another 6et7 ;ou should 6e a6le to
make u" for a lost 6et or two 6y "ickin' u" your fair share of !alue 6ets on
the ri!er7
(luffin'
(luffin' on the ri!er is less effecti!e than 6luffin' on the turn7 Lsually when
your o""onents 'et to the ri!er8 they are 'oin' to throw in that last 6et if they
ha!e any chance of winnin'7 -s you9!e learned in this cha"ter8 that9s not
eactly a 6ad strate'y7
Howe!er8 the "ay>off for a 6luff on the ri!er that does work is tremendous8
6ut in order for one to work8 it has to 6e set u" 6efore the ri!er7 Sim"ly
callin' all the way to the ri!er and 6ettin' when an innocuous $E hits won9t
'et the money7 5i!er 6luffs will work only if you had the lead 'oin' into the
ri!er8 or a si'nificant scare card hits that you can re"resent7
For eam"le8 say you are holdin' <>48 the 6oard reads
QE 13E $E .E8 so you are drawin' at an o"en>ended strai'ht7 ;ou check>call
on the turn and "ut your o""onent on at least a "air7 Now the ri!er comes the
-E7 That is the scare card of all scare cards7 If your o""onent held Q><8 he
now couldn9t 6eat any flush8 any ace8 or H><7 Since you "layed the hand like
a draw8 your o""onent mi'ht think he can9t 6eat anythin'8 and fold his hand7
Now remem6er8 this "lay doesn9t ha!e to 6e successful too often in order to
6e "rofita6le7 If there is C$33 in the "ot8 your C$3 6et has to win the "ot only
one out of ele!en times to 6reak e!en7 +hen it doesn9t work8 oh well8 chalk it
u" to your ad!ertisin' 6ud'et7
*on9t (luff with ->H Hi'h
I often see "layers make last ditch efforts to win "ots on the ri!er8 thinkin'8 @I
can9t win if I check7 This is the only way I can win7A The "ro6lem with this
lo'ic is that this "layer can9t win 6y 6ettin' eitherF ->H hi'h is 'oin' to 6eat
any 6usted draws7 If that9s what your o""onent has8 there is no reason to 6et7
If your o""onent does in fact ha!e a "air8 he9s sim"ly not 'oin' to fold:not
1I/
!ery often8 anyway7
Here is an eam"le of a 6i' 6ut common mistake7 Player - has 6een 6ettin'
at a 6oard of .E $E /E .E8 and finally the QE comes on the ri!er7 Player -
decides to check8 and Player ( foolishly throws in a des"eration 6et with ->H
hi'h7 Player - Juickly calls8 and "layer ( is left cursin' his 6ad luck as
Player - shows him his "air7 This 6et is flat out silly7 Most likely8 Player -
checked the ri!er fearin' the Jueen7 He didn9t want to 'et raised8 6ut that
doesn9t mean he isn9t callin' with e!en a "air of deuces7 Player (9s 6est 6et
with the ->H would ha!e 6een to check it down and ho"e that Player - 'i!es
u" on his 6luff7
Of course8 there is an ar'ument for !alue 6ettin' ->H hi'h if you "ut your
o""onent on -> hi'h8 6ut that is a rather ad!anced "lay7 In order to !alue 6et
->H on the ri!er8 you9d ha!e to ha!e tons of data on your o""onent 6ackin'
u" your decision7 It9s im"ortant to clarify that if you made this "lay you
would 6e !alue 6ettin'8 not 6luffin'7
Settin' L" (luffs
Earlier I talked a6out how successful 6luffs start 6efore the ri!er7 In order for
a 6luff to work8 it9s im"ortant to "lay in accordance with the hand you are
tryin' to re"resent7 If you are 'oin' to 6luff when a flush card hits the ri!er8
you 6etter ha!e "layed the hand like you would ha!e if you9d the flush draw7
;ou9ll also want to "ick the ri'ht tar'et:not the 'uy with the un6luffa6le
si'n on his forehead7 ;ou should "ick the one who "rides himself on makin'
masterful laydowns on the ri!er7
If that9s your o""onent9s stren'th8 it can 6e turned into a weakness8 and
6luffin' is the way to e"loit it7 If you ha!en9t set u" your o""onent for a
6luff alon' the way8 it would 6e foolish to attem"t it on the ri!er7 E!en the
laydown artist8 lets call him @Mr7 ,enius8A will call you if it looks too
sus"icious7 So how is it doneE
Let9s look at an eam"le7 ;ou hold the I>/ of diamonds7 Mr7 ,enius lim"ed
in early "osition8 as do two other "layers from middle "osition8 so you
welcome the "ot odds7 Four of you take the flo" of <E .E 2E8 'i!in' you an
o"en>ended strai'ht draw7 Mr7 ,enius 6ets the flo"8 and you raise lookin' for
a free card8 while all the others fold7 Now the turn 6rin's the 0E for no hel"
1I1
and Mr7 ,enius checks8 as do you7 -t this "oint Mr7 ,enius feels a little silly7
He now @knowsA you ha!e a flush draw and has 'i!en you a free card7 The
ri!er 6rin's the HE7 Mr7 ,enius decides to check7 Here is your chance7
;ou9!e "layed the hand as you would ha!e if you9d actually had the flush8
and the ri!er 6rou'ht an o!ercard as well7 Take a chance and 6et it7 Ho"efully
you9ll hear Mr7 ,enius 'o on a6out how he was so unlucky this hand7 @I had
you 6eat until that card came8 6ut I know you ha!e the flush7 Take it7A Music
to your earsF +hate!er you do8 don9t show Mr7 ,enius your hand7 Let him
continue to think he is the master of "oker7 In fact8 you can e!en take it one
ste" further8 sayin'8 @,ood laydown7A No need to tell him the truth8 that you
are ro66in' him 6lindF
SHO5TH-N*E* PL-;
- 'ame "layed fi!e>handed or less is 'enerally considered shorthanded7
+hen "layin' shorthanded8 remem6er the two keys to successK a''ression
and isolation7 Shorthanded "oker is an a''ressi!e 6attle for the antes7 Since
the "rice "er hand is hi'her8 you need to 'et in there and fi'ht as well7 If you
sit 6ack and wait8 you will 6e 'i!in' u" too much and 'et 6linded to death7
5aise and reraise with a "laya6le hand8 takin' the lead and "ushin' small
ed'es7 In the 6linds8 understand that you are 'ettin' ecellent "ot odds8 and
there is no reason to worry a6out 6ein' dominated7
Shorthanded8 your 'oal is to isolate a lone o""onent and fi'ht for what9s in
the middle7 Since winnin' the "ot uncontested or 'ettin' the hand heads>u"
with "osition are 6oth fa!ora6le situations8 it makes sense that you want to
raise with any hand you are 'oin' to "lay7
-s (o66y (aldwin wrote in the ori'inal Su"er#System8 when it comes to
limit hold9em8 @-ll hands worth "layin' are now worth raisin'7A Limit
hold9em8 es"ecially shorthanded8 is all a6out takin' the lead and 6ein' the
a''ressor7 (y doin' this8 you will force your o""onent to hit flo"s7 +hen
your o""onent misses8 your a''ressi!e "re>flo" "lay will often win you the
"ot re'ardless of what your holecards are7
Let9s look at an eam"le of how this works7 Say a "layer o"ens for a raise
and you find <E 13E on the 6utton7 5ather than sim"ly call the raise8 why not
1I0
reraiseE That will hel" you 'et the hand heads>u" with "osition and will also
'i!e you the lead:6oth 'ood thin's8 6y the way7 Now the flo" comes
/E 1E QE7 ;our o""onent checks to you8 and you 6et7 Lnless your o""onent
started with a "remium hand or hit the flo"8 he often will throw his hand
away ri'ht there7
One im"ortant thin' to understand when "layin' shorthanded8 is that you are
"ayin' more in 6linds "er hand dealt7 For eam"le8 in a ten>handed C$3#C23
'ame you are "ayin' C.3 to see ten hands8 or C. a hand7 )om"are that to a
fi!e>handed 'ame where you are "ayin' that same C.3 to see fi!e hands8 or
C/ a hand7 Hnowin' this8 you can see why you sim"ly can9t wait for "remium
hands all the time7 If you do8 you9ll 'et eaten u" 6y the 6linds7 +ith fewer
"layers at the ta6le8 hi'h "airs8 ace>anythin'8 6i' cards8 and small "airs all 'o
u" in !alue7 -t the same time8 small suited connectors lose some !alue since
you won9t 6e 'ettin' multiway action8 and these hands hold u" rather "oorly
in a''ressi!e shorthanded 'ames7
Small Pairs
+hile small "airs often do well in multiway "ots8 they also do Juite well
shorthanded8 es"ecially with "osition7 For eam"le8 if you are facin' a late
"osition raise with I>I on the 6utton8 reraisin' would likely ha!e "ositi!e
!alue7 Lnless your o""onent is already "aired8 you ha!e a sli'ht ed'e with
the 6est hand8 "osition8 and the lead7 -s lon' as your o""onent misses the
flo"8 chances are you will win it either on the flo" or with another 6et on the
turn7 This "lay doesn9t e!en need to work I3 "ercent of the time for it to 6e
"rofita6le since there often will 6e added dead money in the "ot8 like the
6linds7
Hickers
In hold9em8 you9ll often find yourself with kicker trou6le when holdin' hands
like ->18 H>08 Q>138 and so on7 In a ty"ical rin' 'ame8 an early "osition raiser
dominates these hands7 That9s not necessarily the case shorthanded7 For
eam"le8 if you hold Q>< on a flo" of Q>1>$ a'ainst an early "osition raiser in
a rin' 'ame8 there is a !ery real chance that you are u" a'ainst
->-8 H>H8 Q>Q8 ->Q8 or e!en H>Q7 That9s sim"ly not as realistic a threat
shorthanded since your o""onents will 6e raisin' with a much wider !ariety
1I4
of hands7 If they aren9t8 they sim"ly aren9t "layin' correctly and are "layin'
far too ti'ht7
+hen you flo" a "air shorthanded8 you should 6e 'oin' to the ri!er more
often than not:e!en if it9s 6ottom "airF Let9s look at another eam"le7 Say
you ha!e ->0 offsuit under the 'un in a ten>handed 'ame7 +hat should you
doE If you said fold8 you9d 6e correct7 How a6out the same Juestion in a
four>handed 'ameE If you said fold a'ain8 you couldn9t 6e more wron'7 +ith
only three "layers to act 6ehind you8 the chances of you runnin' into kicker
trou6le are less8 and the "ossi6ility that you ha!e the 6est hand is 'reater7 If
an ace flo"s8 that makes it e!en less likely that you are u" a'ainst an ace with
a 6etter kicker7
Suited )onnectors
The "ro6lem with hands like />1 suited is that if you don9t im"ro!e your
hand8 you ha!e !irtually no chance of winnin' the "ot in a showdown7 The
way limit hold9em is 6ein' "layed today8 ha!in' a hand that can win in a
showdown is e!en more !alua6le7 ;ou can 6lame some of that on internet
"oker7 Since "layers can9t "ick u" "hysical tells while "layin' "oker online8
they tend to call more often when there is a reasona6le chance that you are
6luffin'8 ho"in' their small "air or ace>hi'h will "ick off a 6luff7 *es"ite
that8 you shouldn9t com"letely rule out "layin' suited connectors7 5emem6er8
you need to "lay more hands shorthanded anyway7
I9m not su''estin' that you a!oid "layin' these hands8 Bust that you "lay
them for different reasons7 For eam"le8 in a shorthanded 'ame8 you don9t
really want to lim" into a fi!e>handed "ot with the />1 of hearts7 ;ou can still
"lay it8 6ut if you do8 raise itF Take the lead and try to re"resent a 6i' hand on
the flo" whether you hit the flo" or not7 If you meet with some resistance8 it9s
time to a6ort the mission and sim"ly 'i!e u" on the 6luff 6efore it9s too late7
(lind *efense
(y now8 you should 6e a6le to 'uess that I ad!ise defendin' your 6linds
fiercely when "layin' shorthanded7 *on9t 6e "aranoid8 fearin' "remium
hands all the time7 Shorthanded8 your o""onents will 6e raisin' will all kinds
of Bunk8 and there is no reason to think they ha!e a 'reat hand Bust 6ecause
they raised7
1/3
For instance8 say in a ten>handed 'ame8 you hold ->1 offsuit7 The first "layer
raises and all fold to you7 Should you call8 fold8 or reraiseE If you said fold8
you9re correct7
Same hand8 same situation:only this time the raise came from the 6utton in
a three>handed 'ame7 +ould foldin' still 6e correctE Of course not7 In this
situation you should lean toward reraisin' and sometimes Bust callin' to mi
u" your "lay7 ->1 sim"ly fi'ures to 6e 6etter than the initial raiser9s startin'
hand8 and you want to reraise to take control of the hand7 It9s a decent hand
that can win without im"ro!ement8 6ut more often than not you would 6e
ha""y to win it on the flo" with a 6et7
HE-*S>LP PL-;
To some de'ree8 you can throw the rule6ooks out the window when "layin'
heads>u"7 Now8 anythin' 'oesD it is "sycholo'ical warfare in its "urest form7
;our 'oal is to seek out your o""onent9s weaknesses and fi'ure out a way to
e"loit them7 How you do that de"ends on what those weaknesses are7
Pre>Flo" Play
+hen "layin' heads>u"8 the 6utton acts first 6efore the flo" 6ut last on the
remainin' 6ettin' rounds7 The 6utton has the small 6lind8 while the other
"layer has the 6i' 6lind7 -s we9!e stressed throu'hout this cha"ter8 "osition
is of "aramount im"ortance in Teas hold9em 6ut es"ecially when "layin'
heads>u"7 This makes !irtually any hand "laya6le on the 6utton7 In fact8 if
you were to watch two world>class "layers "lay heads>u"8 you9d soon notice
that 6oth "layers see a lar'e "ercenta'e of the flo"sF
The flo" is usually raised 6y the 6utton and either called or reraised 6y the
6i' 6lind7 The 6utton raises 6ecause of his "owerful "osition8 and the 6i'
6lind usually calls or reraises 6ased on the merit of his holecards:unless he
is holdin' one of the rare hands he folds7
If you decide to "lay on the 6utton8 which I su''est you do with o!er 1I
"ercent of the hands dealt8 you should come in for a raise7 Lim"in' in to mi
it u" is fine8 6ut you can9t 'o wron' with a raise7 -s the 6i' 6lind8 it9s
im"ortant that you res"ect your "ositional disad!anta'e7 ;ou should still
1/1
defend your 6lind most of the time8 6ut you don9t want to 'et too carried
away and end u" o!er"layin' your hand 6efore the flo"7 +hen the 6utton
raises8 you will 6e 'ettin' . to 1 on your money to call a 6et7 The 6utton is
two 6ets8 "lus the one you already ha!e in the 6i' 6lind7 That9s sim"ly too
'ood a "rice to "ass u" with most any hand you are dealt7 E!en <>/ offsuit is
worth a call here7
Post>Flo" Play
One thin' we know for sure is that you will miss the flo" more often than you
will hit it7 +hen you do hit a "iece of the flo"8 it9s usually correct to take the
hand all the way to the ri!er8 de"endin' on the action and the cards that come
off on the turn and ri!er7 For eam"le8 say the 6utton raises and you call the
raise with H>/7 The flo" comes Q>0>/8 'i!in' you 6ottom "air and an
o!ercard7 ;ou should ne!er throw this hand away on the flo"7 It9s !ery
"ro6a6le that you ha!e the 6est hand8 and e!en if you don9t8 you ha!e fi!e
outs to win the "ot8 namely three kin's and two sies7 In fact8 if you flo" this
hand you should "ro6a6ly 6et ri'ht out or 'o for the check>raise on the flo"7
*e"endin' on your o""onent8 you may e!en decide to sim"ly check and call
on the flo"8 6ut that could "otentially 'i!e your o""onent the free card he
needs to 6eat you7 The 6est "lay here would 6e check>raisin'8 followed
closely 6y 6ettin' ri'ht out8 and lastly check>callin'7 Foldin' is not an o"tion7
If you are waitin' to flo" 6etter than that8 you sim"ly aren9t 'oin' to 6eat
any6ody "layin' heads>u"7
Playin' -'ainst a Passi!e Player
I could easily su6stitute 6ad or weak "layer for "assi!e "layer in this
section9s title7 - "assi!e "layer is your ideal o""onent heads>u"7 -'ainst a
"layer like this8 you should 6e a6le to take full control and win all the "ots
where 6oth you and your o""onent miss the flo"7 The "layer who wins the
maBority of these "ots is 'enerally the "layer that will 'et the money in the
end7
If your o""onent is foldin' too many hands "re>flo"8 you should 6e raisin' on
the 6utton 133 "ercent of the time:e!en with 1>$F Think a6out it8 if your
o""onent isn9t defendin' his 6lind with 13>/8 H>$8 0>I8 etc78 raisin' with any
hand on the 6utton is "ro6a6ly enou'h to ensure a win7 - "re>flo" raise
1/$
followed u" 6y a "osition 6et will force your o""onent to either hit the flo" or
try to make a "lay at the "ot7 -nd who9s to say that you can9t hit the flo"E
*escri6in' a "layer as "assi!e in heads>u" "lay is a more "olite way of
sayin' that he can9t win7
Playin' -'ainst an -''ressi!e Player
+ell8 if you ha!e a choice 6etween Mr7 Passi!e and Mr7 -''ressi!e8 you
mi'ht want to a!oid Mr7 -''ressi!e and "ound on "oor old Mr7 Passi!e7
Howe!er8 if you do find yourself u" a'ainst an a''ressi!e "layer heads>u"8
there are some thin's you should kee" in mind7
*efeatin' a "assi!e "layer 6y "layin' a''ressi!ely works8 so we should
assume that the remedy for an a''ressi!e "layer would 6e to "lay "assi!ely8
ri'htE +ron'7 -'ainst an a''ressi!e "layer you9ll sim"ly ha!e to fi'ht fire
with fire and attack him with an array of wea"ons8 the most deadly 6ein' the
check>raise7
+hen you know that your o""onent will 6et almost any flo"8 the 6est way to
take ad!anta'e is to check>raise him out of "osition8 then raise him in
"osition7 If you can call8 raise7 +hen you feel like you ha!e the 6est of it8
take the lead and try to "ut in the last 6et on e!ery street8 'ettin' full !alue for
your hand7
Sittin' 6ack and waitin' to tra" your o""onent with a 6i' hand sim"ly
doesn9t work in limit "oker7 This is a !ia6le strate'y in no>limit 6ecause you
can tra" a "layer for his whole stack8 6ut in limit "oker the 6est you can do is
may6e win an etra 6et or two7 In the meantime8 while you are waitin' to
tra" him8 he9s Bust "icked u" more than three or four 6ets from you with
nothin'F 5emem6er8 the winner of a heads>u" "ot will 'enerally 6e the "layer
who "lays 6etter in mar'inal situations7
Limit hold9em is all a6out "ound8 "ound8 "ound7 No fear7
1/.
OM-H- EI,HT O5 (ETTE5
6y (o66y (aldwin
-s one of the all time 'reats in any form of hold9em8 (o66y (aldwin was a
lo'ical choice to 6e my limit hold9em colla6orator in the ori'inal
Su"er#System7 Hnowin' the rare insi'ht he 6rin's to all "oker 'ames he
"lays8 I asked him to shift 'ears and write a section on Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter
for Su"er#System $7
(o66y8 who ser!es as )EO of the Mira'e )or"oration and President of the
multi>6illion dollar (ella'io Hotel and )asino8 told me he would do it on one
condition7 *ue to the demands of his !arious "ositions8 he asked to enlist the
hel" of Mark ,re'orich7 I readily a'reed8 thinkin' that three heads are 6etter
than two and knowin' Mark to 6e a to" Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "layer7 So
(o66y su"er!ised the writin' and had the final word on the strate'ies you
will find in the cha"ter7
(o66y left "rofessional "oker in 1410 after winnin' the +orld Series of
Poker main e!ent8 and now he "lays only in the ultra hi'h stakes 'ames7
Howe!er8 his analysis of Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter can 6e used to win at any
le!el of "lay7 ;ou are a6out to disco!er the "owerful thou'ht "rocesses and
"oker strate'ies that "ut (o66y into the Poker Hall of Fame7
S"ecial -cknowled'ment To Mark ,re'orich
This cha"ter could not ha!e 6een com"leted without the s"ecial e"ertise and
coordination of Mark ,re'orich8 who is re'arded as one of the 6est Omaha
hi'h>low "layers in the world7 In fact8 in a $331 )ard Player ma'a%ine
"layers "oll conducted durin' the +orld Series of Poker8 Mark was !oted the
G1 li!e action Omaha hi'h>low "layer7
INT5O*L)TION
Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter is a newcomer on the "oker scene7 *iscussion of the
'ame wasn9t e!en included in the ori'inal Su"er#System7 It9s hard to 6elie!e
that a relati!ely new 'ame could achie!e such a loyal followin' so ra"idly7
Howe!er8 it is now the 'ame of choice for thousands of "oker "layers in the
Lnited States and around the world7 ;ou can find 'ames at !irtually e!ery
le!el8 from 6e'inner ta6les to ultra hi'h stakes 'ames8 in most maBor card
1/2
rooms7
Pro6a6ly the most si'nificant reason for its "o"ularity is its well>deser!ed
re"utation as an action 'ame8 6ecause so many hands can 6e "layed 6efore
and after the flo"7 (ut there9s a lot to learn 6efore you hit the ta6les8 so let9s
'et to itF
(E,INNIN, OM-H- EI,HT>O5>(ETTE5
(efore we 6e'in a discussion of 'ame strate'y8 here is a 6rief course in the
rules of Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter7
(ettin'
Like Teas hold9em8 Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter is a flo" 'ame7 In fact8 once the
initial four downcards ha!e 6een dealt8 the "lay of the hand is identical to
hold9em7 The two "layers to the left of the dealer 6utton "ost the small and
lar'e 6linds7 -ction 6e'ins with the "layer to the left of the 6i' 6lind who
must call the amount of the 6i' 6lind8 raise8 or fold7 The action then continues
around the ta6le to the 6i' 6lind8 who has last action 6efore the flo"7
-fter the flo"8 the "layer still in the hand who is seated closest to the left of
the 6utton acts first8 as is the case with each successi!e round of 6ettin'7 In
most 'ames with fied limits8 the "re>flo" and flo" 6ets are one si%e8 and the
turn and ri!er 6ets are dou6le that7 For eam"le8 in a C$>C2 'ame8 the first
two rounds of 6ettin' must 6e in increments of C$ and the last two rounds in
increments of C27 In CI3#C133 'ames8 the increments would 6e CI3 and C1337
The standard 'ame features a maimum of one 6et and three raises "er round8
althou'h the maBority of 'ames in Las Ne'as "ermit four raises7
+hen the Pot Is S"lit
Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter is a hi'h>low s"lit 'ame8 which means the hi'h and
low hands each 'et half of the "ot7 There is always a hi'h hand8 which will
recei!e some "ortion of the "ot8 6ut sometimes no low hand is "ossi6le
6ecause to make a low hand8 a "layer must ha!e fi!e un"aired cards ei'ht or
6elow7 For eam"le8 if the flo" came H><>48 it would 6e im"ossi6le for any
"layer to make a hand of fi!e un"aired cards ei'ht or 6elow7 +hen there is no
low8 the hi'h hand wins the whole "ot7 The 6est "ossi6le low is I>2>.>$>-
1/I
and is commonly referred to as a wheel or a 6icycle7
Furthermore8 in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 strai'hts and flushes don9t count
a'ainst a low hand7 Thus8 />2>.>$>- of hearts would 6e a />2 low8 in addition
to a flush for the hi'h7
If two or more "layers hold the same hi'h or low hand8 they di!ide that half
of the "ot7 *i!idin' half a "ot in this way is called Juarterin'7 ;ou will
encounter this much more often on the low side of the "ot7
;ou Must Play Two )ards from ;our Hand
In hold9em a "layer is allowed to use one8 6oth8 or neither of the cards dealt
to him in conBunction with the cards on 6oard to make the 6est "ossi6le fi!e>
card hand7 Omaha "layers8 howe!er8 are forced to make their 6est fi!e>card
hand 6y usin' eactly two of their own cards and eactly three from the
6oard:no more8 no less7 (ut many different com6inations are "ossi6le7
;ou May Play *ifferent )om6inations for Hi'h and Low
In Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 you are allowed to make 6oth your 6est hi'h and
your 6est low hand 6y com6inin' two of your cards with three from the
6oard7 ;ou may use different cards in each direction8 or you can use a card
for 6oth your hi'h hand and low hand7 For eam"le8 su""ose you ha!e -E $E
1E HE and the 6oard isK .E 2E /E <E QE7 In this case8 you can use the ->1 of
clu6s for hi'h =ace>hi'h flush? and the ->$ for low =/>2>.>$>-?7
5ankin' of Low Hands
If you ha!e "layed stud ei'ht>or>6etter8 ace>to>fi!e low6all8 or ra%%8 you
already know the rankin' order of low hands in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter7 The
6est "ossi6le hand is I>2>.>$>-8 and the worst Jualifyin' low hand is 0>1>/>
I>27 To determine whether or not you ha!e your o""onent 6eat8 com"are the
hands in order of hi'hest card to lowest card7 Here is an eam"leK
;our handK 0>I>.>$>-7
;our o""onentK 1>/>I>2>.7
;our 0 is worse than his 18 so your o""onent wins this hand7 It9s also
common for 6oth "layers to share the 6oard cards7 For instance8 with 0>I>2
on the 6oard8 one "layer is likely to ed'e out another 6y holdin' ->$ a'ainst
->.7
1//
Hand 5eadin'
-ll of these different "ossi6ilities can 6e Juite confusin' for new "layers and
e!en e"erienced ones7 It is not uncommon for e!en a winnin' hi'h>limit
"layer to misread his own hand in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter7 If you are new to
the 'ame and unsure of what you9re holdin' at the end of the hand8 your 6est
6et is to turn your hand o!er at the ri!er and ask the dealer for assistance in
readin' it7 +ith a 6it of "ractice8 thou'h8 readin' your hand will 6ecome
second nature7
Hand 5eadin' Eam"les
The followin' are eam"les of some common situations that arise in Omaha
ei'ht>or>6etter:and some that are a little tricky7 If you ha!e trou6le
followin' some of them8 try dealin' out some sam"le hands and "ractice
identifyin' each "layer9s 6est hi'h and low hands7 Once you ha!e shar"ened
your hand readin' skills8 you will 6e ready to mo!e on to strate'y7
Eam"le One
;our handK ->.>H>H
O""onentK $>.>I>4
(oardK />1>0><>Q
This is a s"lit "ot8 as your 0>1>/>.>- low ed'es out your o""onent9s 0>1>/>.>
$8 and his hi'h hand8 a 4>hi'h strai'ht8 6eats your "air of kin's7
Eam"le Two
;our handK ->/>H>H
O""onentK ->2>0>0
(oardK $>.>2>I><
+ith a wheel =I>2>.>$>-? for 6oth hi'h and low8 your o""onent scoo"s7 ;ou
cannot make the nut low8 6ecause you must "lay 6oth the ace and / in your
hand8 lea!in' you with only a />2>.>$>- for low7 These cards don9t stretch to
make a strai'ht8 either8 so you9re stuck with Bust a "air of kin's for hi'h7
This may seem confusin'8 "articularly if hold9em has 6een your "rimary
'ame7 If this were hold9em8 you could "lay the ace to make a wheel8 and the
/ to make a />hi'h strai'ht7 (ut in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 you must always
"lay eactly two cards from your hand and eactly three from the 6oard7
1/1
Eam"le Three
;our handK ->.>I>/
O""onentK .>2><><
(oardK ->$>.>2>I
;ou wind u" with three Juarters of this "ot7 The low side is s"lit8 as your
o""onent "lays his .>2 with the ->$>I on the 6oard8 and you can "lay any
com6ination of ->.8 ->I8 or .>I to make the nuts8 the 6est hand7 Howe!er8
you can use your / and either your . or I to make a />hi'h strai'ht8 which
wins the hi'h half of the "ot7
Eam"le Four
;our handK ->->2>1
O""onentK $>I>I>1
(oardK $>2>/>1>0
-nother s"lit "ot7 ;our o""onent wins the hi'h with an
0>hi'h strai'ht8 6eatin' your two>"air hand of se!ens and fours7 Howe!er8
your 1>/>2>$>- low is 'ood enou'h to 6eat his 1>/>I>2>$7 The low hand is
somewhat tricky to read8 as 6oth "layers ha!e low cards matched 6y the
6oard7 - low can still 6e made8 "ro!ided some com6ination of fi!e cards can
6e "layed without a "air7 In Omaha Bar'on8 you ha!e a @li!e aceA for low7
Eam"le Fi!e
;our handK ->->2>1
O""onentK $>I>/>H
(oardK $>2>1>0>4
This time8 your o""onent wins the whole "ot7 His 4>hi'h strai'ht 6eats your
two "air8 and his low is 'ood as well7 ;ou must "lay an 0>1>2>$>- low8 6ut
your o""onent can "lay a 1>/>I>2>$7
Eam"le Si
;our handK ->.><><
O""onentK 2>2>0>Q
(oardK .>4>13><>Q
1/0
This hand is likely to send you shufflin' off to the dice ta6les shakin' your
head7 ;ou ha!e a set of Backs8 6ut lose to a Jueen>hi'h strai'ht7 Note that you
also ha!e a trey in your hand matchin' the trey on 6oard8 6ut you cannot
make a full house8 as this would reJuire three cards from your hand7 It is
im"ossi6le in Omaha8 as it is in hold9em8 to hold a full house when there is
no "air on the 6oard7
Eam"le Se!en
;our handK -E $E 0E 13E
O""onentK .>2>I>0
(oardK />1>4><>H =four hearts?
;ou win this "ot8 6ut not with a flush7 ;ou must hold two hearts in order to
make a flush8 so the ace 6y itself is meanin'less7 Howe!er8 the 13>0 in your
hand "roduces a
Back>hi'h strai'ht8 6arely ed'in' your o""onent9s 4>hi'h strai'ht7 No low is
"ossi6le here7
Eam"le Ei'ht
;our handK ->$>2><
O""onentK 2>I>1>1
(oardK .>.>1><><
;ou take another tou'h loss on this hand7 -'ain8 no low is "ossi6le8 and the
6est you can do for a hi'h is "lay the ->< from your hand with <><>1 from the
6oard8 'i!in' you tri" Backs with an ace kicker7 (e careful not to think you
ha!e a full house7 It could turn out to 6e an e"ensi!e mistake7 Playin' his 1>
1 with the 1><>< on the 6oard8 your o""onent does make a full house8 with
se!ens full of Backs7 Note that if you held ->$>.>< rather than ->$>2><8 you
would ha!e won the "ot with a 6i''er full house7
Eam"le Nine
;our handK $>.>.>Q
O""onentK ->$>.>Q
(oardK 0>0>0>0>4
So8 you finally decide to take an inferior startin' hand u" a'ainst your
o""onent8 and you emer'e !ictorious7 *o you see whyE Since only three
1/4
6oard cards can 6e used8 you take 0>0>0 from the 6oard and com6ine it with
your "air of threes for a full house7 The 6est hand your o""onent can make8
howe!er8 is 0>0>0>->Q7 (y the way8 any "layer holdin' two nines in his hand
would ha!e the nuts8 as nines full of ei'hts would 6eat all !arieties of ei'hts
full7 The second nutsE Two aces7
Eam"le Ten
;our handK ->2>I>0
O""onentK ->2>I>H
(oardK ->2>I>0>4
;ou win the entire "ot7 ;our aces and ei'hts ni" your o""onent9s aces and
fi!es7 Neither one of you can make a low hand8 as you must 6e a6le to "lay
fi!e un"aired cards7 If there had 6een a low card on the 6oard instead of the
nine8 6oth you and your o""onent would 6e a6le to make some kind of low
hand7
P5E>FLOP PL-;
(asic Pre>Flo" Play
Startin' Hand FundamentalsK -n O!er!iew
One of the 'reat features of most loose lower limit Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter
'ames is that adherin' to strict startin' hand reJuirements will 6e enou'h to
"roduce a "rofit7 The reason for this is that in many of these 'ames8 si or
more "layers see the flo"8 and in multiway "ots8 it takes a !ery stron' hand:
freJuently the nut hand:to win7 So knowin' which startin' hands are most
likely to "roduce nut hands and strictly "layin' only these cards will 'i!e you
a 6uilt>in ad!anta'e o!er your loose>"layin' o""onents7
In a multiway hold9em "ot8 there are times when you should "lay a lesser
holdin'8 such as 1>/ suited8 for eam"le7 Furthermore8 in hold9em8 hands
such as ->H decrease in !alue as the num6er of "layers in the "ot increases7
In Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 howe!er8 all hands are s"eculati!e8 e!en more so
than in hold9em7 The more "layers contestin' the "ot8 the more im"ortant it is
that you hold a "remium hand that can de!elo" into the nuts7
+hile startin' hand "lay can 'enerate a "rofit in loose low>limit 'ames8 this
113
will not 6e enou'h as you "ro'ress u" the ladder7 Nonetheless8 6ein' a6le to
hold your own in a 'ame durin' the learnin' "rocess is a nice 6onus7 It makes
for etremely chea" and "otentially "rofita6le lessons7 -s the limits 'et
hi'her8 it 6ecomes more im"ortant that you ha!e a mastery of all as"ects of
the 'ame8 as you will 6e facin' more hi'hly skilled o""onents7 (ut no matter
how hi'h or low the stakes8 the "layers who ha!e worked hardest to de!elo"
their 'ames win the most money7
+hat To Look For in a Startin' Hand
The -ce7 It is of "aramount im"ortance that you remem6er this factK
-lthou'h Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter is a s"lit>"ot 'ame8 the key to the 'ame is
winnin' the entire "ot or scoo"in'7 +ith this in mind8 you should select
hands that stand a 'ood chance of winnin' the whole "ot7 The key card is an
ace8 and few hands are "laya6le without one7 In fact8 if you9re Bust startin'
out8 it9s not a 6ad idea to routinely fold e!ery hand without an ace in it7 In
doin' so8 you9re not 'i!in' u" much "otential "rofit7 - num6er of
e"erienced "layers clin' to the @*on9t lea!e home without itA "hiloso"hy8
and it ser!es them well7
+hy are aces so si'nificantE Not only are they reJuired for the 6est low
startin' hands8 they are also the hi'hest card in the deck8 "ro!idin' the
hi'hest "air8 two "air8 three of a kind8 flush8 and strai'ht hands7 +hy would
you want to s"ot your o""onents a card this "owerful and !ersatileE
Middle )ards7 If aces are at the to" of the Omaha food chain8 then middle
cards are the lowest form of life7 Hands dominated 6y middle cards:se!ens8
ei'hts8 and nines8 and to a lesser etent fi!es8 sies8 and tens:stand !irtually
no chance of scoo"in'8 unless there9s no low hand7
*es"ite the fact that hands such as />1>0>4 "roduce many strai'hts8 the
"resence of these strai'hts means that a low will 6e "ossi6le8 and the "ot is
likely to 6e s"lit7 In order for no low to 6e "ossi6le8 the 6oard would ha!e to
contain three hi'h cards7 (ut that9s trou6le8 too7 For eam"le8 if the flo"
comes 13><>Q8 you ha!e made your strai'ht8 6ut you could easily lose to a
hi'her strai'ht7 -lso8 strai'hts are !ulnera6le hands in Omaha8 6ecause any
time a flush or full house is made "ossi6le 6y the 6oard8 it is Juite likely that
one of your o""onents has one7
111
Hi'h Hands7 Strai'ht hi'h hands such as 13><>Q>H can win some nice "ots
when they connect "erfectly with the 6oard7 Howe!er8 these hands don9t hit
often8 and sometimes the "ot still 'ets cho""ed 6etween you and an o""onent
with a low hand or the same hi'h hand8 ty"ically a strai'ht or two "air7
-lthou'h this ty"e of hand can 6e "layed at times8 it is im"ortant to
remem6er that it is a drawin' hand that will usually miss and 6e folded on the
flo"7
So with hi'h>only hands8 you should look for certain situations8 such as
multiway "ots8 when you can 'et in for one 6et and recei!e a 'ood "rice on
your in!estment7 It9s 'enerally 6est to "lay this hand chea"ly a'ainst a lar'e
num6er of o""onents8 in the ho"es of winnin' a si%a6le "ot should you
connect with the flo"7
-ce )om"anions7 So if the 6est startin' hands contain an ace8 what cards
make the 6est com"anions for the aceE Premium low cards are 6est8
"refera6ly a deuce8 6ut ace>trey com6inations are 'enerally "laya6le as well7
The 6oard will freJuently "air either your ace8 deuce8 or trey8 so ha!in' a
third low card8 I or 6elow8 is im"ortant as well7 (efore you 'o to war "rior to
the flo"8 make sure you ha!e at least three cards to a wheel8 includin' an ace
and either a deuce or trey7
Since scoo"in' is the 'oal8 it9s also im"ortant to ha!e hi'h>hand "ossi6ilities
with your low cards7 Two aces with a deuce or a trey hold two>way "otential8
as do suited cards7 O6!iously8 it9s 6est if your ace is suited8 6ut e!en small
suited com6inations add to your chances of scoo"in' the hand7 Hands like ->
$>.>4 unsuited are "laya6le due to the "resence of the three 6est low cards8
6ut these ty"es of hands will ty"ically only win the low side7 Mo!in' down
the ladder8 low hands without an ace8 such as $>.>2>138 are only mar'inally
"laya6le8 and hands such as 2>I>/>< are not "laya6le at all7
,ood Startin' Hands
The followin' are a few eam"les of 'ood Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter startin'
handsK
->->$> ->->.> ->->2>I
->$>.> ->$>2>H ->$>I>/
11$
->.>2>I ->H>Q>$ ->.>I>Q =dou6le>suited?
Notice that all of the "recedin' hands contain at least one ace7 5emem6er8 if
your hand doesn9t contain an ace8 there is one etra "remium card that could
6e in the clutches of your o""onents7 In a full Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter 'ame8
most of the deck is dealt8 so you can e"ect most of the aces to 6e in your
o""onents9 hands7
The Most Im"ortant *ecision of the Hand
Of all the decisions made durin' the course of an Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter
hand8 the choice of whether to initially "lay or fold is 6y far the most
im"ortant7 Seein' a flo" with an inferior hand mi'ht seem like a relati!ely
harmless decision8 6ut it is a mistake that tends to lead to more costly
mistakes7
Make this your Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter mantraK Play only hands that ha!e
o6!ious "otential of de!elo"in' into the nuts7
- hold9em "layer mi'ht occasionally "lay an inferior hand or ra's8 6ut he
will ty"ically 6e hard "ressed to continue after the flo"7 Howe!er8 due to the
four>card hands in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 "layers seein' the flo" with a
ra''y hand will freJuently flo" Bust enou'h of a draw to Bustify stayin' in:
often incorrectly7 -s a result8 instead of sim"ly missin' the flo" and foldin'8
a reckless "layer may find himself tied on until the ri!er8 chasin' a draw that
should not ha!e 6een "ursued7
Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter is a "erfect eam"le of that old com"uter maim
,I,OK @,ar6a'e In8 ,ar6a'e Out7A Startin' with middle cards will "roduce
lots of middle strai'hts8 which often either lose to 6etter hi'h hands or s"lit
with low hands7 Startin' with dou6le>suited medium cards will "roduce
flushes that often lose to 6i''er flushes7 Howe!er8 "layin' "remium cards8
such as suited aces with a deuce and#or a trey8 allows you to make the nut
low hand and 'i!es you a chance to de!elo" a hi'h hand as well7
5emem6er your mantra a6out only "layin' "ossi6le nut hands7 If you find
yourself uncertain a6out whether a hand should 6e "layed or folded8 it9s
'enerally 6est to fold7 (ein' too creati!e with your startin' hands is a
lia6ility in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter7
11.
5aisin' (efore the Flo"
- common misconce"tion is that it9s wron' to raise 6efore the flo"7 Many
"layers:es"ecially those that ha!e "layed a lot of hold9em:feel that
"layin' the flo" is the key to the 'ame and that only a minimal in!estment
should 6e made "rior to seein' the first three 6oard cards7 In hold9em8 hands
such as two aces are o6!ious raisin' hands8 as they need not im"ro!e to win
the "ot7 Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter hands almost always need to im"ro!e to win8
so many "layers consider this enou'h of a reason to a!oid makin' a raise
6efore the flo"7 -lthou'h flo" "lay is crucial to success8 there are numerous
situations in which it is in fact correct to raise "re>flo"7 ;ou will 6e makin' a
mistake if you ne!er raise 6efore the flo" in this 'ame7
There are two reasons to raise a "ot 6efore the flo"K
=1? To eliminate "layers and narrow the fieldD
=$? To 6uild a 6i''er "ot7
It is im"ortant to consider which of these effects your raise is likely to ha!e7
In the loose @no fold>emA 'ames common at some of the lower limits8 a raise
mi'ht not narrow the field7 If this is the case in your 'ame8 don9t raise7 This
doesn9t mean raisin' 6efore the flo" is incorrect in a no fold>em 'ameD rather8
a raise should 6e made only when you are lookin' to "lay a 6i''er "ot
a'ainst se!eral o""onents7
+hen is a raise likely to narrow the fieldE Ty"ically8 if the ta6le is fairly ti'ht
or most of the "layers are tryin' to "lay decent startin' hands8 which tends to
6e the case as limits "ro'ress in si%e8 raisin' will thin the crowd7 The raise
should 6e e!en more effecti!e if no one has entered the "ot yet7 -lso8 if your
o""onents "ercei!e you to 6e a ti'ht8 solid "layer8 they may 6e less likely to
call your raise7 Poker 'ames are almost always in a state of flu8 so it9s
im"ortant to "ay attention to how the 'ame is "layin'7 The addition or
su6traction of Bust one "layer is often enou'h to dramatically alter the entire
com"leion of the 'ame7
Hands that should 6e "rotected with a raise are those that fare 6est a'ainst
fewer o""onents7 These include most hands with two aces8 as two aces with
112
any two other cards are a fa!orite a'ainst nearly all other hands in a one>on>
one situation7 Other hands that ha!e 6oth low and hi'h "otential8 such as ->
$>H>8 ->.>I>H8 or ->$>Q>Q8 "lay well a'ainst few o""onents8 althou'h they
also "lay fine multiway7
Holdin' an ->H com6ination freJuently comes in handy in "ots a'ainst only
one or two o""onents7 +hen only a cou"le of "layers see the flo"8 the deck is
often richer in aces than normal7 This assum"tion is 6ased on the tendency of
Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "layers to "lay hands with an ace in them7 If 6oth you
and your o""onent are holdin' an ace and an ace flo"s8 your kin' may wind
u" "layin' as a kicker8 ena6lin' you to win the hi'h side of the "ot with ->H7
-lso8 you 'enerally won9t need as stron' of a hand to win a heads>u" "ot8 so
flo""in' a kin' or kin's u" has definite !alue7 Not unlike hold9em8 the !alue
of the ->H com6ination declines as more "layers contest the "ot8 since
stron'er hands:such as strai'hts8 flushes8 or full houses:will ty"ically 6e
needed to win the hi'h "ortion of the "ot7
,reat Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter hands like ->$>.>2 can 6e raisin' hands 6efore
the flo" as well8 6ut for another reason7 5aisin' in s"ots that are likely to
"roduce a short field is a mistake with this sort of hand8 due to its lack of
hi'h>hand "otential7 Howe!er8 in a "ot contested 6y se!eral "layers8 this hand
is ecellent7 If a low hand is "ossi6le:and a low hand will 6e "ossi6le most
of the time:you will most likely 6e holdin' the nuts7 *ue to this hand9s hi'h
"ro6a6ility of makin' the nut low8 'o ahead and raise to 6uild a 6i' "ot if
se!eral "layers ha!e already entered the hand7 -dditionally8 if your
o""onents seem to ha!e no res"ect for raises8 'o ahead and raise re'ardless of
your "osition7 ;ou should still 'et "lenty of action7
Other 'ood hands to raise with in multiway "ots include ->->$>8 ->$>.>8
and ->$>2>8 es"ecially if your ace is suited7 (ein' suited adds si'nificant
!alue to your hi'h "ros"ects8 and nut flush cards "lay !ery well in multiway
situations7 It9s okay to raise with Bust a6out any ->$ suited holdin' if se!eral
"layers are already in the "ot7 ;our o""onents will often make and o!er!alue
smaller flushes7 E!en hands like ->. suited are acce"ta6le raisin' hands in
!ery loose 'ames8 as you want to char'e your o""onents the maimum
amount for "layin' inferior8 low "ercenta'e hands7
11I
Playin' Hi'h>Only Hands
Pro"erly "layin' hands with four 6i' cards:6y definition8 nines or hi'her:
is not an easy task in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter7 Howe!er8 "layin' them
selecti!ely and skillfully will add to your "rofits7
(y definition8 a Juality hi'h>only hand contains four 6i' cards8 4 or hi'her7
Nines tend to taint the hand8 as they will not stretch to form "art of an ace>
hi'h strai'ht7 +hen a 4 is used as "art of a strai'ht8 two "ro6lems eistK
=1? If a 4 hel"s make the nut strai'ht8 then either a low or a full house will 6e
"ossi6le 6ased on the 6oard cards7
=$? If a 4 forms a strai'ht with no "ossi6le low8 then either a hi'her strai'ht
or a full house will 6e "ossi6le7
Hands such as H>H><>08 Q>Q>/>18 and H>Q><>. are not "laya6le in Omaha
ei'ht>or>6etter8 as they contain too many uncoordinated cards7 Think in terms
of the num6er of decent com6inations created 6y a hand8 and it9s easy to see
why these hands 6elon' in the muck7
There are8 howe!er8 a num6er of 'ood hi'h>only hands7 Here are some hands
that are "laya6le under many conditionsK
H>Q><>13 ->H>Q>13 Q><>13>4
H>H><>13 H>Q>Q>< ->H><><
Q>Q><><
In order to determine if it is correct to enter a "ot with a hand com"rised only
of hi'h cards8 there are se!eral !aria6les to consider7 On the "ositi!e side8
hi'h hands "lay 6est when you can "lay in an un>raised multiway "ot8
6ecause you want to 'et a 'ood "rice on your hand from the "ot7 In the case
of strai'ht>hi'h hands8 you will most likely miss the flo" and 6e forced to
fold7 Therefore8 if you can 'et in without much initial in!estment a'ainst
se!eral "layers8 you are 'ettin' far 6etter odds on your money than if you
"lay a'ainst only one or two "layers for a raise7 In some Omaha ei'ht>or>
6etter 'ames8 multiway unraised "ots are the norm7 If this is the case8 callin'
with Juality strai'ht>hi'h hands is acce"ta6le from e!en the earliest
"ositions7
Howe!er8 in many 'ames8 it is difficult to foresee whether the "ot will 6e
11/
raised or how many "layers will see the flo"7 If this is the situation8 you need
to use "osition to determine if a hi'h>only hand is "laya6le7 In early "osition8
you can9t count on an unraised multiway "ot8 so you should fold7
In later "ositions8 more information is a!aila6le to you7 If se!eral o""onents
come in8 then 'o ahead and "lay7 If the "ot will "lay out shorthanded8 callin'
a raise with a strai'ht>hi'h hand is 'enerally not a 'ood strate'y8 6ut in a
multiway situation8 it is fine to "lay for more than one 6et7 ;our hand will
usually miss the flo" =thus8 too much is risked for too little reward in
shorthanded raised "ots?8 6ut when it connects8 it will freJuently make the
nuts7 This is often what it takes to scoo" a multiway "ot7 Hi'h>only hands
take down some 6i' "ots in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter and can 6e "rofita6le if
discretion is utili%ed when decidin' whether to "lay them7
-lthou'h a''ressi!e "oker is winnin' "oker8 there aren9t many situations in
which raisin' with hi'h>only hands 6efore the flo" is 6eneficial7 In 'eneral8
since you will fold on the flo" a 'ood "ercenta'e of the time8 raisin' only
hurts the "rice the "ot is offerin' you7 The hand has 'reater im"lied !alue if
the flo" can 6e seen chea"ly7
+hen e!eryone has folded to you and you are in last "osition8 it is tem"tin'
to raise the "ot with four coordinated hi'h cards7 (ut this is usually incorrect7
In a heads u" situation8 few Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter startin' hands ha!e a
si'nificant ad!anta'e o!er any other7 Thus8 the 6linds will 6e correct to call
with mar'inal hands7 There are some ece"tions thou'h8 such as when the
6linds "lay either !ery ti'ht or "oorly7 If this is the case8 then 'o ahead and
raise7
One ar'ument for raisin' with hi'h>only hands in multiway "ots is that with
so many "layers in8 most of the low cards are 6ein' used7 This makes the
deck rich in hi'h cards7 This "erce"tion is lo'ical8 6ut lar'e fields often
contain other "layers tar'etin' the hi'h>only end as well7 This is assumin'
that the 'ame is one in which "layers are enterin' "ots with decent hands7
,enerally8 in these ty"es of situations the deck is actually rich in middle
cards8 as "layers ha!e entered the "ot with either hi'h or low cards8 or a mi
of each7
If you9re "layin' a'ainst o6ser!ant o""onents8 thou'h8 it is im"ortant to raise
111
occasionally with a hi'h>only hand7 *ece"tion is the reason for raisin'8 as it
is im"ortant that your o""onents not 6e a6le to read you like a 6ook7 In
'ames with a 'reat deal of turno!er or those in which the "layers are
inattenti!e8 this "lay is unnecessary7 Howe!er8 if you consistently "lay with
"layers who are familiar with you8 it9s necessary to mi u" your style a 6it7 If
your o""onents know that you only raise with low cards8 then they will fi'ure
out that they can 6et you out of the "ot if hi'h cards come7 ;ou don9t need to
raise with hi'h hands all that often in these 'ames8 6ut do it enou'h to make
your raisin' hands less trans"arent7
-d!anced Pre>Flo" Play
The Situational Nature of Omaha Ei'ht>or>(etter
Hold9em and Omaha are such com"le8 situational 'ames that 6asic "re>flo"
"lay conce"ts alone are not enou'h to make you a winner7 No sin'le strate'y
is adeJuate for e!ery situation7 To "lay o"timally8 you must de!elo" a dee"er
understandin' of the 'ame8 which will "roduce a more flei6le strate'y7 Then
you will ha!e what it takes to make accurate decisions at the ta6le7 O!er time8
accurate decisions will translate into "rofits7 This section hi'hli'hts some of
the key factors you should consider when decidin' how to "roceed with a
hand 6efore the flo"7
Loose ,ames !s7 Ti'ht ,ames
It is im"ortant that you ha!e a 'ood 'ras" of the style of the 'ame you9re
"layin'7 +hether the 'ame is mostly loose =with fi!e or more "layers
ty"ically seein' the flo"?8 or ti'ht =three or fewer?8 should ha!e a si'nificant
im"act on your hand selection7 In loose 'ames8 hands 'oin' hi'h>only or
low>only increase in !alue7 +ith low hands such as ->$>.>08 scoo"in'
a'ainst any num6er of o""onents will 6e a difficult task8 althou'h 'ettin' half
the "ot is !ery likely when a low comes7 Since winnin' half is the most likely
"ositi!e outcome8 it stands to reason that the more "layers in the "ot8 the
more money you should win with this hand7
If your ace is suited8 there is real "otential for makin' the 6est hi'h hand8 too7
-'ain8 this is not de"endent on the num6er of o""onents in the "ot7 If you
make the nut flush with this hand8 you will almost always win the hi'h
whether you ha!e one or se!en o""onents8 "ro!idin' the 6oard is not "aired7
110
Therefore8 it is 6est to "lay this ty"e of hand in a manner that won9t shut out
other "layers 6efore the flo"7
+hen you are "layin' in a ti'ht 'ame8 hands includin' two aces and !irtually
any other two cards 6ecome hands to "ush "re>flo"8 since raisin' with them
will likely narrow the field to one or two o""onents7 (y definition8 ti'ht
'ames are those in which o""onents are "layin' only !ery 'ood startin'
hands8 namely those with an ace7 Since you are holdin' two of the aces8 it is
unlikely that many o""onents will call your raise7
Passi!e ,ames !s7 -''ressi!e ,ames
-nother im"ortant distinction to make is whether the 'ame is "rimarily
"assi!e or a''ressi!e7 Passi!e 'ames are those in which there is !ery little
raisin' 6efore the flo"8 and not much later in the hand either7 -n ad!anta'e of
"layin' hands in late "osition is that you 'enerally ha!e a 6etter idea of how
much it will cost to see the flo"8 6ut this "articular 6enefit 6ecomes relati!ely
unim"ortant in "assi!e 'ames7 -s a result8 more decent hands are "laya6le
from early "osition in these 'ames7
The re!erse is true in etremely a''ressi!e 'ames8 as the "rice of seein' a
flo" is often two8 three8 or more 6ets7 Since the "ots will 6e lar'e8 it is 6est to
"lay hands that are hi'hly likely to de!elo" some sort of draw on the flo"8
allowin' you to remain in the hand7 In these 'ames the !alue of one>
dimensional hands decreases8 as they 'enerally miss the flo"7
-lthou'h hands that can swin' 6oth hi'h and low are always desira6le8 the
im"ortance of holdin' !ersatile cards is ma'nified when the "ot is Bammed
6efore the flo"7 The more likely you are to flo" a draw of some sort8 the
6etter "re"ared you are to "lay a "ot for se!eral 6ets7 Some eam"les of
hands that are !ersatile enou'h to "lay !ery well in 'ames with lots of "re>
flo" raisin'8 whether the 'ame is ti'ht>a''ressi!e or loose>a''ressi!e8
include ->$>.>H8 ->$>I>H8 ->$>.><8 ->->.>I8 ->.>2>Q8 and ->H>Q>$7
Pay -ttention To +ho Is in the Pot
-lthou'h it is freJuently correct to raise with hands containin' an ->$ or ->
.8 it is im"ortant to notice the Juality of your o""osition7 If one or two solid
"layers ha!e already entered a "ot and you decide to "ut in a raise with ->.>
0>13 offsuit8 your Omaha license should 6e re!oked7 *o you feel your hand
114
is 6etter than their handsE Most likely8 they ha!e low cards:and "rettier
!ersions than yours7
(ein' aware of when ti'ht "layers are in a hand is im"ortant in decidin' how
to "lay low cards7 In a 'ame in which si loose "layers ha!e lim"ed in8
raisin' with any suited ->$ or ->. is an acce"ta6le "lay7 Howe!er8 with some
solid "layers already in the hand8 it is "ro6a6ly 6est to raise only with
"remium hands8 includin' ->$>.> suited8 ->$>2>/ suited8 or ->$>2>H suited7
This is another ad!anta'e of late "osition8 as it is "ossi6le to 'et a read on
what ty"es of hands are likely to 6e out7
Hnowled'e acJuired from o6ser!ation of your o""onents9 raisin' standards
is a !alua6le tool in "layin' effecti!e "oker7 This includes understandin' how
their "osition and other factors8 such as how they are doin' in the 'ame8 will
affect their standards7 For eam"le8 if an etremely ti'ht "layer raises8 it is
freJuently correct to fold most ->. hands8 if the rest of the hand lacks Juality
:"ro6a6ly 6ecause it includes a 18 08 or 47
;our decision to raise8 call8 or fold 6efore the flo" can also 6e affected 6y the
skill le!el of the "layers in the 6linds8 "articularly the 6i' 6lind7 If the 6linds
are ti'ht8 solid "layers8 it may 6e worthwhile to raise in late "osition 6efore
the flo" with a hand that mi'ht only a""ear to ha!e callin' stren'th7 These
"layers are unlikely to 'i!e you any action after the flo" unless they ha!e you
6eat8 so why 'i!e them a free o""ortunity to outdraw youE The more
"otential your hand has to swin' 6oth hi'h and low8 the 6etter it is to make
the raise7
On the other hand8 "layers who "lay "oorly after the flo" are desira6le
o""onents7 Many Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "layers make the mistake of tra""in'
themsel!es when they9re in the 6linds7 They mi'ht 6e holdin' a hand that
they wouldn9t ha!e called one 6et with8 6ut now ha!e decided to chase some
ty"e of lon'>shot after 'ettin' a free "eek at the flo"7 If the 6linds are "layers
"rone to chasin' middle strai'hts or small flushes8 then it may 6e 6est to Bust
call and lea!e them in the "ot7 -'ainst these "layers8 the etra 6ets you are
likely to win in the lon' run are Bustification for "layin' your hand in this
manner7
Playin' Two -ces (efore the Flo"
103
Hands with a "air of aces in them are so freJuently mis"layed that some
additional discussion is warranted7 First8 it should 6e noted that hands
containin' two aces are not always "laya6le8 and the !alue of the hand is
hu'ely de"endent u"on the num6er of "layers in the "ot7 -'ainst one or two
o""onents8 the stren'th of the two aces alone will freJuently win the hi'h
side of the "ot7 +hen se!eral "layers are in8 howe!er8 you will need to
im"ro!e to win7 This im"ro!ement will often come in the form of a low or a
flush8 so ha!in' low cards or 6ein' suited will add !alue to the aces in a
multiway situation7
Hands with two aces and little else should 'enerally 6e thrown away if
se!eral "layers ha!e already entered the "ot7 Some eam"les of these trashy
aces hands includeK ->->1><8 ->->/>48 and ->->0>H7 If you are first in with
this ty"e of hand from early "osition8 foldin' is "ro6a6ly the 6est o"tion8
unless the 'ame is etremely ti'ht7 In this case8 a raise will likely narrow the
field enou'h that the aces will ha!e a 'ood chance of winnin' on their own
stren'th7
Hands with dou6le>suited aces8 e!en those without other Juality cards8
always ha!e enou'h hi'h "otential to Bustify seein' the flo"7 Playin' this
hand for one 6et in most cases8 rather than "uttin' in a raise8 is "ro6a6ly the
6est a""roach for three reasonsK
=1? If the hand does hit8 it will likely make a nut hand7 Thus8 the more
o""onents in the "ot8 the more money you will win7 5aisin' 6efore the flo"
mi'ht knock out a hand that would ha!e "aid off your nut flush7
=$? +hen the hand misses the flo"8 as it often will8 the "ot is small and you
can easily fold7
=.? Finally8 you add a de'ree of dece"tion to the hand8 as two aces are
"ercei!ed 6y many to 6e a raisin' hand7 Should you make a full house8 you
may 'et unwarranted action from o""onents who misread your hand7
If your hand features two aces and mar'inal side cards8 you mi'ht sometimes
"refer to "lay them for three 6ets 6efore the flo" instead of two7 (y "uttin' in
the second raise8 you make it likely that the "ot will 6e heads>u"7 This "lay
mi'ht not work in some of the loosest Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter 'ames8 6ut it
101
should 6e effecti!e in situations where "layers ha!e at least a little res"ect for
money7 +hen a "layer to your ri'ht has o"ened for a raise8 you can make it
three 6ets with hands like ->->/>08 ho"in' to make it heads>u"7 If it works8
you will 6e in a 'ood situation8 holdin' 6oth the 6est hand and "osition7 E!en
fairly loose "layers will ti'hten u" a 6it when faced with callin' two raises
cold7
Howe!er8 in the same 'ame8 if you are first to act with the same ->->/>08 it
is normally 6etter to fold than o"en for two 6ets8 6ecause it9s much easier for
other "layers to call one raise than two7 Therefore you will likely ha!e to "lay
this hand out of "osition a'ainst multi"le o""onents7 OuchF
There are times to raise or reraise with aces in order to 6uild a 6i''er "ot8
rather than to narrow the field7 +hen your hand includes a stron' su""ortin'
cast8 most si'nificantly a deuce with any other wheel card8 raisin' for !alue is
a 'ood "lay7 This is "articularly true if one or 6oth of the aces are suited7
Hands like ->->.>2 or ->->$>I dou6le>suited are 'reat startin' hands8
worthy of ca""in' the 6ettin' 6efore the flo"7 Lnfortunately8 this ty"e of
hand is rare7 In fact8 you are more likely to 6e dealt four of a kind than the
dream hand of ->->$>. dou6le>suited7 There are only twel!e com6inations of
->->$>. dou6le suited a!aila6le8 !ersus thirteen ways to 6e dealt Juads7
More 5eraisin' Situations
The 'oals of a reraise are essentially the same as those of a raise:you either
want to narrow the field or increase the si%e of the "ot7 Howe!er8 "uttin' in a
third 6et often tends to 6e an e!en more effecti!e means of eliminatin' the
other "layers7 Hands that many "layers would ha""ily call two 6ets with8
such as ->.>/>4 or ->2>I><8 now 'o sailin' into the muck7 E!en loose "layers
may 6alk at the "ros"ect of callin' three 6ets with 'ar6a'e7 So8 if you feel
your hand matches u" 6est a'ainst only one or two other hands8 a reraise may
6e used to set u" this scenario7 5emem6er8 it9s often "ossi6le to shut out
o""onents who must come in cold for multi"le 6ets8 6ut it9s almost
im"ossi6le to shut out o""onents who are already in!ol!ed7
Takin' note of how the 6linds "lay is im"ortant when wei'hin' the
"ossi6ility of makin' a reraise7 In 'eneral8 the 6etter the 6linds "lay8 the
harder you should try to raise them out7 Fairly 'ood "layers will routinely call
10$
one additional 6et from the 6i' 6lind with a lar'e num6er of hands8 ho"in'
for a 6i' flo"7 (y forcin' them to call two more 6ets8 you reduce the "rice
they 'et from the "ot7 This should con!ince them to fold most of the time7
-nother 6enefit you9ll recei!e 6y makin' this "lay is that you sometimes will
reraise with hands that don9t a""ear to merit it8 so it makes you more
un"redicta6le in the eyes of your o""onents7 On to" of that8 you9!e enhanced
this ima'e while makin' a sound strate'ic "lay7
There will 6e times when you hold a "remium hand and se!eral "layers are
already in the "ot for a raise or two7 In these cases8 'o ahead and reraise or
ca" the 6ettin'8 since you are holdin' a hand that "erforms well a'ainst
se!eral o""onents7 Hands such as ->$>.>28 ->$>.> suited8 and ->$>2>H
suited are 'ood candidates for creatin' a lar'e "ot8 as there is a hi'h
likelihood that the flo" will 6e "romisin' for you7 It should 6e noted8 thou'h8
that when some stron' "layers are in the hand8 it is likely that they hold hands
similar in stren'th to yours7 5eraisin' in this s"ot will lead to financial
fluctuations rather than increased "rofits7
5aisin' +hen ;ou9re in the (lind
*ue to the disad!anta'e of your "osition throu'hout the hand8 it is 'enerally
not a 'ood idea to raise 6efore the flo" when you are in either the small or 6i'
6lind7 +hen you do raise8 it will almost eclusi!ely 6e to 6uild a 6i''er "ot8
rather than to narrow the field7 The ece"tion here comes when you9re in the
small 6lind8 a "layer has raised the "ot from a late "osition8 and you reraise in
an attem"t to eliminate the 6i' 6lind7 For the most "art8 thou'h8 raisin' from
the 6linds should 6e reser!ed for "remium startin' hands such as ->$>.>
suited8 which ha!e enou'h !alue to o!ercome their "ositional handica"7
The (lind Structure and Playin' the Small (lind
Most limit "oker 'ames feature a 6lind structure in which the small 6lind is
half the si%e of the 6i' 6lind7 In these 'ames8 you should not call from the
small 6lind with the "oorest hands7 +hile you will call with most hands8 it is
a mistake to automatically toss in the half>6et8 as you9ll 'et in!ol!ed in some
hands that don9t ha!e much nut "otential7 (e careful8 6ecause "layin' these
hands mi'ht lead you into one of the numerous tra"s common in Omaha
ei'ht>or>6etter7 -s lon' as you aren9t holdin' one of the worst hands8 it is
10.
okay to loosen u" a 6it when callin' the half>6et in the small 6lind7
Other 'ames feature a two>and>three chi" 6lind structure7 In these 'ames8 it is
acce"ta6le to call nearly all the time from the small 6lind when the "rice is
only a third of a 6et7 Sa!e the chi" with hands such as tri"s and trash like $>$>
/>H7
*efendin' ;our (linds
Sometimes you should 6ase your decision of whether to "lay a hand on how
your o""onent "lays7 )allin' a raise from the 6lind has far more !alue if the
"layer or "layers in the "ot "lay much worse than you7 ;ou can9t take this
idea too far in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 6ecause startin' with the worst hand
out of "osition is a lot to o!ercome7 Nonetheless8 you should consider it if
your hand is decent7 -dditionally8 not all raises are created eJual:there is a
6i' difference in the hand stren'th of a solid "layer raisin' in early "osition
and that of a loose8 reckless "layer raisin' on the 6utton7 If you are in the 6i'
6lind and the "ot is heads>u"8 a hand such as $>2>/>0 can sometimes 6e
folded a'ainst the solid "layer9s raise 6ut is a clear call a'ainst the s"eeder7
-nother key consideration is the num6er of "layers in the "ot8 and the 6i'
6lind is the 6est "osition from which to determine how many "layers will see
the flo"7 ;ou should ha!e a 'ood idea of which hands are worth defendin'
a'ainst a lar'e field and which ha!e more !alue in a shorthanded situation7
For eam"le8 hands such as .>2>I>1 'reatly diminish in !alue in a multiway
raised "ot8 as it is likely the cards you are lookin' to flo":aces and deuces:
are dead7 This reduces your chances of makin' the nut low8 and you9d ha!e
to 6e rather creati!e to en!ision other ways that this hand can make the nuts7
5emem6er8 you will often reJuire the nuts to take down a multiway "ot7
+hen "layin' heads>u"8 thou'h8 the hand has more !alue7 For one thin'8 with
e!eryone else foldin'8 it seems more likely that there are still some aces left
in the deck7 -lso8 ha!in' a small flush draw adds !alue when "layin' heads>
u"8 whereas makin' a small flush a'ainst fi!e or si o""onents is likely to 6e
an e"ensi!e second>6est hand7 It is also reasona6le to assume that the raiser
"ro6a6ly has at least a cou"le of low cards7 If a low hand is "ossi6le on the
6oard8 he mi'ht 6e counterfeited8 meanin' that the 6oard has du"licated one
of the low cards in his hand8 renderin' it useless to him7 This will often allow
102
you to win the low7 If he9s not counterfeited8 his low hand mi'ht use cards
that make you the 6est hi'h hand8 either two "air or a strai'ht7 Small two
"airs can win when u" a'ainst only one or two o""onents8 6ut are relati!ely
ho"eless a'ainst a lar'e field7
+hile low hands like .>2>I>/ and .>2>I>1 "lay well a'ainst one or two
o""onents8 hi'h hands do not7 )allin' a raise with a hand like 4>13><>Q from
the 6i' 6lind a'ainst only one "layer isn9t as fa!ora6le as it seems7 Lnless the
6oard comes with mostly hi'h cards8 it will 6e tou'h for you to win the whole
"ot7 +hen hi'h hands connect8 they freJuently make the nuts8 which are Bust
as effecti!e in 6eatin' ei'ht o""onents as they are in 6eatin' one7
It9s nice to ha!e some ty"e of low hand to fall 6ack on when defendin' your
6lind a'ainst only one or two "layers7 Low hands are the easiest draws to
com"lete in the 'ame8 and they often ser!e as safety !al!es when your hi'h
"ros"ects fall throu'h7 E!en an emer'ency low such as ->0 is worth
somethin' in these situations7
+hen defendin' your 6lind in a "ot with se!eral o""onents8 it9s key to ha!e
some cards that can make nut hands7 Since you will 6e 'ettin' a 'ood "rice to
call8 it is acce"ta6le to allow your hand selection standards to di" a 6it8
"ro!ided you "lay hands ca"a6le of 6eatin' a lar'e field7 These ty"es of
hands may include cards such as -> suited8 $>.>2>8 or three face cards8
"refera6ly suited or dou6le>suited7 It is still im"ortant to a!oid "layin'
middle cards8 and any Juestiona6le hand containin' two cards in that ran'e
should almost always 6e mucked7
)onclusion
Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter is a 'ame of many draws7 If you ha!e a 'ood "re>flo"
strate'y and "lay the ri'ht kinds of hands8 you9ll draw to hands that you
actually want to make7 Playin' too loose will result in "oker9s 'reatest and
most e"ensi!e frustrationK makin' a lot of second 6est hands7 This will 6urn
u" your chi"s7 Only in rare circumstances should hands not containin' an ace
6e "layed7 It is also 'ood to reali%e that e!en hands containin' the key
com6inations ->- and ->. should on occasion 6e discarded 6efore the flo"7
Hee" in mind that the decisions you make 6efore the flo" will ha!e a
monumental im"act on your results7 Playin' 'ood startin' cards should 'i!e
10I
you a fair chance to 6eat most low>limit 'ames8 "ro!ided that your o""onents
"lay too loosely7 If you "lay too many hands8 you will ha!e little chance to
win7 -s the limits 'et "ro'ressi!ely hi'her8 the "layers 6ecome more skilled
and tend to 6ecome more aware of startin' hand !alues8 so the hu'e ed'e
selecti!e "layers hold at the smaller 'ames 6e'ins to e!a"orate7 -lthou'h a
'ood foundation in hand selection and "re>flo" "lay remains critical8 it alone
will not 6e enou'h to 6eat the 6i''er 'ames7
PL-;IN, THE FLOP
(asic Flo" Play
Once you ha!e esta6lished that your hand is "laya6le8 the flo" will "resent
you with a whole new set of !aria6les to consider7 To 6e a successful Omaha
ei'ht>or>6etter "layer8 you must 6ecome "roficient in e!aluatin' how the flo"
affects your chances of winnin'7 Here are some 'eneral 'uidelinesK
17 Playin' for the Nuts
+hen decidin' whether to remain in the hand8 it is im"ortant to consider how
many "layers are in the "ot7 The more "layers in the hand8 the more
im"ortant it is that you either are holdin' or are drawin' at the nuts7 This
"oint cannot 6e em"hasi%ed enou'hF In a si> or se!en>way action "ot8
ty"ical of loose Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter 'ames8 it will 'enerally take the nuts
to win7 This means that you must flo" the nut low draw8 the nut flush draw8 a
set8 a Juality strai'ht draw8 or a made hand to remain in the "ot7 Nearly all
other hands should 6e a6andoned at this "oint7 Most of the time8 the 6est they
will do is make a 6ankroll>6ustin' second>6est hand7
$7 Protect the Pot or Let Peo"le InE
Once you determine that your hand is "laya6le8 the net decision is whether
to "lay it in a manner that narrows the field or one that encoura'es action7 *o
you want to "rotect the "ot or let "eo"le inE Since "layers ha!e a "ro"ensity
for findin' some ho"e in their hand8 it9s hard to thin out the com"etition for a
sin'le 6et7 To narrow the field you usually need to make "lays that will
char'e your o""onents two 6ets to "roceed7 ;ou accom"lish this 6y raisin' a
6et comin' from your ri'ht8 or 6y check>raisin' when you are in early
10/
"osition and feel a late "osition "layer will 6et7 Hands such as sets and
strai'hts are likely to 6e outdrawn8 often 6y "layers with hands they would
fold if faced with callin' two 6ets7 For eam"le8 most o""onents will fold a
small flush draw or inside strai'ht draw after a raise8 6ut will call a sin'le 6et7
5aisin' with your made hi'h hand may considera6ly increase your chances
of winnin'7
On the other hand8 some Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter hands fare 6etter with lar'er
fields7 Nut flush and nut low draws 'ain !alue when se!eral "layers are in the
"ot8 as the holdin's of your o""onents can de!elo" into second>6est "ayin'>
off hands7 It is sometimes necessary to walk a fine line here8 as 6uildin' a 6i'
"ot with "remium draws is desira6le8 6ut it should 6e done in a manner that
kee"s your o""onents in the hand7
.7 How the Flo" -ffects ;our Hand9s Nalue
5emem6er that the o6Bect of this 'ame is to scoo" the "ot7 +ith that in mind8
6e aware that the !alue of hi'h hands "lummets when the flo" contains three
low cards8 and the !alue of low hands decreases when the flo" contains two
or three hi'h cards7 Su""ose fi!e "layers see a flo"8 which comes .>2>/ =two
hearts?7 ;ou are holdin' ->H>Q>< with the ->< of hearts7 -lthou'h you are
drawin' to the nut hi'h8 this hand should sometimes 6e folded when facin'
multi"le 6ets after the flo"8 as you are only "layin' for half the "ot7
27 Pot Odds
+hen drawin'8 it is necessary that you ha!e some idea of the likelihood of
makin' your hand !ersus the "rice the "ot is layin' you7 If8 as a6o!e8 you are
drawin' to the nut flush8 e!en thou'h you should end u" with the 6est hi'h
hand a6out one time in three and the "ot is 'i!in' you the correct "rice8 you
are "layin' for only half the money7 The "resence of a low hand on the 6oard
di!ides in half the "rice you recei!e on a hi'h draw from the "ot8 'enerally
makin' it un"rofita6le to stay with this ty"e of hand7
)on!ersely8 if you ha!e a hand like ->$>/>0 and the flo" comes <>Q>18 it is
an easy fold7 ;ou need to catch consecuti!e low cards for half8 or "ossi6ly a
Juarter8 of the "ot7 -lthou'h you may catch a runner>runner miracle strai'ht8
this isn9t a hand to chase7
Howe!er8 if the 0 in your hand were a kin' or 138 this chan'es thin's
101
considera6ly7 +hile your hand still isn9t 'reat8 you now ha!e the chance to
make the ace>hi'h strai'ht8 which may ena6le you to scoo"7 The "resence of
this draw8 alon' with your 6ackdoor nut>low draw8 is often enou'h to make
this a "laya6le situation8 es"ecially if the "ot is lar'e and it9s only one 6et to
you7
I7 Position
;our "osition relati!e to the 6ettin' is etremely im"ortant7 +hen a 6et
comes from your immediate ri'ht8 you must "lay ti'hter and "ass on more
draws8 6ecause you don9t know if the "layers 6ehind you are lookin' to 'o to
war with their hands7 If they are8 it will 6ecome e"ensi!e to stay in7
Howe!er8 if you are last to act after the action has 6een made8 and thus the
"ot cannot 6e raised 6ehind you8 you9re ri'ht to call with many more hands7
These "rinci"les a""ly to 6oth of the "re!ious eam"les7 ;ou don9t mind
"ayin' one small 6et on a mar'inal draw if the "ot cannot 6e raised7 Out of
"osition thou'h8 the same hand must 6e folded to a 6et8 'i!en the threat of
additional action7
Hand>S"ecific ,uidelines
Playin' Low *raws on the Flo"7 Since a hi'h "ercenta'e of your "laya6le
hands in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter will contain an ->$ or ->.8 the most common
draw you9ll de!elo" is to the nut low7 ;ou shouldn9t "lay this draw the same
way all the time8 thou'h7 There are times to "lay it fast8 times to call meekly8
and times to throw it away7 Numerous !aria6les influence this decision8
includin' how the rest of your hand coordinates with the 6oard8 the num6er
of "layers in the "ot8 and your "osition7
+hen "layin' a multiway "ot that no one is interested in concedin'8 two
im"ortant considerations factor into the decision of whether to "lay
a''ressi!ely or "assi!ely7 The first is whether your hand contains 6acku"D the
second is your hand9s "otential to win the hi'h7
Ha!in' 6acku" refers to holdin' a third low card close in rank to your two
nut cards7 If the 6oard is .>1><8 ha!in' a hand like ->$>2>H8 or to a lesser
etent ->$>I>H8 may encoura'e you to "lay your draw more a''ressi!ely
since you ha!e the 2 as 6acku"7 +ithout the four8 you ha!e siteen cards that
make you the nuts7 Of course8 sometimes you will turn the nuts and 'et
100
counterfeited on the ri!er8 which freJuently will cost you half the "ot7
Holdin' that etra low card not only 'i!es you twenty>one cards to catch8 it
also "re!ents you from losin' if the ri!er card counterfeits you7 This makes
your hand much stron'er and "ro!ides Juite a 6it of incenti!e to 6uild a
6i''er "ot7
If you ha!e a 'ood chance to win the hi'h as well8 "layin' a''ressi!ely can
si'nificantly im"ro!e your chances of winnin'7 For eam"le8 su""ose that
you are holdin' ->$>I>Q in a four>"layer "ot with a 6oard of .>0>137 It is
hi'hly unlikely that you will win the hi'h7 If none of your o""onents has an
->$8 the "ot is layin' you e!en money on future 6ets8 as you only 'et your
own money "lus one of your o""onents9 6ets 6ack should you make a low7
Now8 su""ose you hold the nut flush draw as well7 Since you ha!e a chance
to scoo"8 you can factor into the "ot odds the 6ets from all of your o""onents8
so "layin' a''ressi!ely will ha!e much more !alue7
+hen you flo" 6oth the nut>low draw and nut>flush draw8 es"ecially if you
ha!e 6acku" for low8 you should try and 'et as much money into the "ot as
"ossi6le7 -lthou'h you can sim"ly raise an o""onent9s 6et8 you may want to
Bust call on the flo" if the 6et is comin' from your immediate ri'ht7 +ith such
a 6i' draw8 you don9t want to knock any6ody out8 so "lay your hand in the
way that 'ets the most money to the center8 without eliminatin' too many
"layers7 Other 6i' draws may include hands like ->.>I>< with a flo" of $>2>
Q7
+hen you ha!e a chance to win only the low and your draw doesn9t contain
6acku"8 it9s often 6est to Bust check and call7 The main ece"tion to this rule
is if you think a 6et 'i!es you a reasona6le chance to take down the "ot
immediately7 +hile this mi'ht 6e the case in some shorthanded "ots or
hi'her limit 'ames8 you9re drawin' dead if you think this will work in most
loose Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter 'ames7
Occasionally8 a situation arises in which it is correct to fold a nut>low draw
on the flo"7 This usually occurs when the "ot is small8 and it9s a 6et and raise
to you7 Su""ose you are holdin' ->$>H>Q8 and the 6oard is 1>0>47 Here you
ha!e !irtually no shot at scoo"in':at 6est you can win half the "ot8 and you
may 6e "layin' for only a Juarter7 +ith the a6sence of a 6acku" card in your
104
hand8 this is clearly a fold7
+hen you "lay an ->.8 you will freJuently flo" a draw to the second nuts7
It9s nice when the deuce "o"s ri'ht u" on the flo"8 6ut it usually doesn9t:it
likes to wait until you are holdin' the ->$ to show its face7 *rawin' to the
second nut low is one of the 6i''est drains on the 6ankrolls of Omaha ei'ht>
or>6etter "layers7 Lnless you are stron'ly con!inced that no one is drawin' at
the nut low8 this draw should 6e routinely mucked7
;ou can make an ece"tion to this rule when you ha!e the nut flush draw8 a
set8 or to" two "air with your second>nut low draw7 This 'enerally adds
enou'h scoo" "otential to your hand to Bustify remainin' in the "ot7 -lso8 if
you ha!e a hand like ->.>H>13 and the 6oard is 2>I>Q8 you may 6e a6le to
see another card7 This is 6ecause a deuce8 in addition to makin' you the nut
low8 makes a strai'ht that may ena6le you to scoo"7 *rawin' at the second
nuts is much 6etter if your nut card lets you scoo" the "ot7 *on9t throw 'ood
money after 6ad if you ha!e ->.>0>H and the 6oard shows 2>1><8 howe!er7
+ith se!eral "layers in8 if you are fortunate enou'h not to 6e u" a'ainst an
->$8 it is a near certainty that another "layer will 6e holdin' ->.7 If you draw
to this hand8 you will 6e lucky to wind u" with a Juarter of the "ot7
Playin' +hen ;ou Flo" a Set7 Flo""in' a set in hold9em is a Boyful
occurrence7 ;ou are almost certain to ha!e the 6est hand8 and you can 6et and
raise with im"unity8 ho"in' for lots of action7 E!en when you don9t fill u"8
you 'enerally e"ect to take down a nice "ot7
Lnfortunately8 such is not the case with sets in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter7 E!en
when you im"ro!e to a full house =a6out .I "ercent of the time?8 you9ll often
s"lit the "ot with a low hand7 -lso8 since each "layer is dealt four cards8 it is
!ery likely that you will lose to a strai'ht or a flush if you don9t fill u"7 -s a
result8 sets are at 6est mar'inal holdin's8 and at worst8 a si'nificant drain on
your 6ankroll and enthusiasm7
The followin' 'uidelines should hel" you reco'ni%e when sets can 6e "layed
"rofita6ly and when they should 6e folded7 In the -d!anced Flo" Play
section to follow8 some of these to"ics are co!ered in 'reater detail7
=1? Playin' for half the "ot with a hand that is likely to 6e outdrawn is not a
'ood strate'y7 +hen the 6oard contains three low cards8 it is difficult if not
143
im"ossi6le for you to scoo" the "ot with a set7 -s a result8 it is 'enerally
correct to fold8 unless you can "lay for one 6et without the "ot 6ein' raised
6ehind you7
=$? Since you often ha!e to make a full house to win half the "ot8 the si%e of
your set matters as well7 It is not uncommon for more than one "layer to fill
u" when the 6oard "airs7 )ontinuin' with a hand like ->.>.>H and a 6oard of
.>I>/ a'ainst se!eral "layers is suicidal7 It is "ossi6le that either a hi'her set
or two "air is out there8 so e!en if you do im"ro!e there is no 'uarantee you
will win7 If you held to" set in this instance8 foldin' would still 6e correct
much of the time8 es"ecially when it costs you multi"le 6ets to stay in the
hand7
=.? +hen is the 6est time to "lay a set when the 6oard contains three low
cardsE For eam"leK The flo" comes 1>.>$ of three different suits and you are
holdin' 1>1>Q>H7 Ho"efully8 you9!e found yourself in this "ot 6ecause you
recei!ed a free look in the 6i' 6lind7 +hile you ha!e no shot at scoo"in'
a'ainst a few "layers8 you do ha!e the current nuts for hi'h7 Since three
different suits are re"resented on the 6oard8 it is unlikely that a flush will 6eat
you7 Howe!er8 the fact that you9re only "layin' for half the "ot means that
you want to see the hand throu'h as chea"ly as "ossi6le8 unless the 6oard
"airs7 If a strai'ht card comes on the turn8 es"ecially a 2 or I8 you will ha!e to
fold if you are faced with callin' more than one 6et8 as the "ot won9t 'i!e
you enou'h of a "rice to draw at Bust the hi'h end7 Since you will often 6e
forced to fold on the turn8 it is not in your 6est interest to "lay this hand
a''ressi!ely on the flo"7
=2? )ards like .>/>< with two clu6s can 6e a "ro6lem flo" in Omaha ei'ht>or>
6etter7 There are two low cards with a flush draw "resent8 "ro!idin' a
num6er of draws7 If you hold a hand such as <><>Q>H with this 6oard8 your
"ros"ects are uncertain7 -lthou'h you hold the current nuts8 you are
!ulnera6le from a num6er of different directions7 In fact8 if a low clu6 comes
on the turn8 you may ha!e to fold your hand7 Therefore8 with 6oards like the
one a6o!e8 you mi'ht want to wait until after the turn card comes 6efore
6ettin' the hand a''ressi!ely7 This way8 you can chea"ly fold if disaster
141
strikes7 -lso8 if you catch a 'ood card8 you may 'ain etra action 6y not
tele'ra"hin' your hand on the flo"7
5aisin' mi'ht 6e correct thou'h8 if the "layer to your immediate ri'ht is the
6ettor7 - raise mi'ht succeed in eliminatin' some of the draws "osin' a
threat to your hand8 thus enhancin' your chances of winnin'7 ;ou won9t
eliminate the nut flush draw or a low strai'ht draw such as ->2>I8 6ut you
mi'ht induce smaller flush draws to fold8 ena6lin' your hand to hold u" as
lon' as none of your o""onents was drawin' to the nut flush7
=I? The 6est time to flo" a set is when the 6oard comes with either two or
three hi'h cards8 6ecause hi'h 6oards mean that no low is "ossi6leD therefore8
you9re "layin' for the whole "ot7 This has a si'nificant im"act on your "ot
odds8 as the "ot is essentially layin' you dou6le the "rice as when the 6oard
contains a low hand7 -s a result8 it is 'enerally correct to 'o to the ri!er when
you flo" a set with a hi'h 6oard7
=/? The draw6ack with hands such as ->.>H>H when the flo" comes H>Q>< is
that you freJuently need to fill u" to win the "ot7 In Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8
with se!eral "layers in the hand8 someone will ha!e ->13 more often than
you mi'ht think7 E!en thou'h you may 6e trailin'8 it is okay to "lay
a''ressi!ely here7 For one thin'8 your hand may 6e 'ood7 -lso8 if you are
6ehind8 you will im"ro!e to a full house a6out .I "ercent of the time7 This
means a 6et is only un"rofita6le when you9re u" a'ainst "recisely one "layer
who has the strai'ht7
=1? Howe!er8 with the same flo" of H>Q><8 you will ha!e to consider foldin'
your set if you ha!e three Backs instead of three kin's8 "articularly if se!eral
"layers remain in the hand7 -'ainst only one o""onent who is likely to ha!e
a strai'ht8 it is correct to draw7 (ut if you9re facin' a 6et8 a raise8 and a call8 it
is likely that you9re u" a'ainst a lar'er set or to" two "air8 as well as the
strai'ht7 Either way8 this doesn9t lea!e you with !ery many wins7 Fold7
Playin' +ra"around Strai'ht *raws7 -lthou'h there may not 6e an official
definition of a wra"8 it9s really a strai'ht draw with more outs than a common
o"en>ender7 For eam"le8 a hand such as 0>4>13>H and a 6oard of ->/>1
14$
"ro!ides thirteen cards to make the strai'ht =four fi!es8 three ei'hts8 three
nines8 and three tens?7 In Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 the !ulnera6ility of strai'hts
and the freJuent "ro6lem of runnin' into an o""onent with the same strai'ht
means that wra" draws are ty"ically the only strai'ht draws worth "ursuin'
for their own sake7
Not all wra"s are created eJual7 Hey considerations are the likelihood of
makin' the nut strai'ht and whether your hand will allow you to scoo" the
"ot7 If you are in the 6i' 6lind with />1>0>4 and the flo" comes $>2>I8 your
hand should usually 6e folded7 -lthou'h many cards will com"lete the
strai'ht8 you can only win half the "ot7 -lso8 if the 6oard "airs or a flush card
comes8 it mi'ht kill your hand7
To further illustrate the difference 6etween 'ood and 6ad times to "ursue
strai'ht draws8 let9s look at a cou"le of eam"lesK
Eam"le One
;our handK 13><>Q>H =red?
(oardK ->13>/ =two clu6s?
-lthou'h any Back8 Jueen or kin' will make a strai'ht8 this hand is se!erely
flawed7 +ith the flush draw on the 6oard8 the dan'er eists that the card you
need to com"lete your strai'ht will also com"lete an o""onent9s flush7 This
effecti!ely eliminates three of the nine "ossi6le strai'ht cards8 lea!in' only
si safe cards to make your hand7 E!en if one of these si cards comes on the
turn8 your hand could still 6e in Beo"ardy7 The flush can always show u" on
the ri!er8 or the 6oard could "air7 Furthermore8 e!en if the strai'ht wins8 it
will 6e eceedin'ly difficult to scoo" this "ot7 -ny low card will likely cost
you half the "ot8 and e!en a safe face card that doesn9t "air the 6oard mi'ht
hurt you7 The "resence of four un"aired hi'h cards on the 6oard makes it
easier for an o""onent to tie your hand7 So8 that means the only truly safe
card is an offsuit 47
Eam"le Two
;our handK 13><>Q>H =red?
(oardK .>4>13 =offsuit?
14.
Here is a situation where you can a""ly the 'as "edal7 This time8 thirteen
cards will make the nut strai'ht8 essentially creatin' an e!en money
"ro"osition with two cards to come7 If you com"lete the strai'ht with a Back8
Jueen8 or kin' on the turn or ri!er8 then no low hand will 6e "ossi6le7 The
a6sence of a flush draw on the flo" also adds si'nificant !alue to your hand8
as all of your outs are clean7 (ear in mind also that any Back8 Jueen8 or kin'
not only makes the nut strai'ht8 it also creates the "ossi6ility of makin' a full
house on the ri!er7 This can come in handy a'ainst a "layer holdin' a hand
like ->.>.>28 as some of his su""osed outs will make him the second>6est
hand7 Should you make a full house on the end8 it is likely that you will win
etra 6ets from this "layer8 who is "ro6a6ly readin' you for a strai'ht7
Slow>Playin'
Slow>"layin' a hu'e hand is rarely an o"timal strate'y in Omaha ei'ht>or>
6etter for two reasonsK
=1? Players will tend to call you down anyway8 ho"in' to make whate!er
hand they are drawin' at7 It is a 'ood idea to let them "ay to draw dead8 or
close to it8 if they9re willin'7
=$? Few hands are immune to all the "otential draws in this 'ame7 If you flo"
the nut full house or Juads in hold9em8 it is a safe 6et that you will win the
"ot7 The main issue is "ickin' a strate'y that allows you to win the most
money7 The "ro6lem with this in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter is that two runnin'
low cards can come8 costin' you half the "ot:unless three hi'h cards flo"7
So ordinarily8 e!en four of a kind should 6e 6et a''ressi!ely8 as it is
im"ortant to make the low draws "ay for the "ri!ile'e of s"littin' the "ot
with you7
If you do decide to slow>"lay a 6i' hand8 don9t 'i!e your o""onents the
chance to outdraw you 6y 'i!in' them free cards7 +hen slow>"layin'8 you
are ho"in' that your o""onents will im"ro!e their hands enou'h to 'i!e you
action8 6ut not enou'h to 6eat you7 Here are some eam"les to illustrate this
"ointK
Eam"le One
;our handK ->$>2>H
142
(oardK H>2>2
Here8 it is 6est to "lay the hand a''ressi!ely on the flo"7 *on9t 'i!e "layers
with hands like 4>4>13>Q a free o""ortunity to s"ike a miracle card7
Eam"le Two
;our handK H>H>Q><
(oardK H>2>2
This time slow>"layin' is8 a'ain8 a 6ad idea8 6ut for a different reason7
-lthou'h your hi'h hand is not in Beo"ardy8 6y checkin' you mi'ht allow
o""onents to de!elo" low draws8 "otentially costin' you half the "ot7
Sometimes checkin' on the flo" is a 'ood idea if the "ot is !ery small8 since
you shouldn9t mind riskin' half of a small "ot to 'ain some 6ets on the turn
from o""onents who de!elo" low draws7 Howe!er8 it is almost always a
mistake to do this in "ots that were raised 6efore the flo"7
Eam"le Three
;our handK ->$>H>H
(oardK H>2>2
In this eam"le8 not only do you ha!e the hi'h hand more or less wra""ed u"8
you also ha!e the 6est "ossi6le 6ackdoor low draw7 So8 if you don9t feel
you9ll 'et much action 6y 6ettin' the flo"8 then slow>"layin' will "ro6a6ly
add !alue to your hand7 If the "layers in your 'ame are likely to
automatically call on the flo" anyway8 then 'o ahead and 6et7
+hen the (oard Is Paired
The com"leion of a hand chan'es drastically when the flo" contains a "air7
In "ots featurin' se!eral "layers8 a full house will likely 6e reJuired to win
the hi'h hand7 -s the num6er of "layers in the hand increases8 so does the
likelihood that someone has flo""ed tri"s or 6etter7 This means that unless
you also ha!e a Juality low draw8 you should fold strai'ht draws and
anythin' ece"t nut flush draws in multiway "ots7
Proceedin' with lesser hi'h draws is a trickier "ro"osition a'ainst a smaller
field7 -lthou'h it9s dan'erous to "lay flush and strai'ht draws8 you will 6e
"layin' far too ti'htly if you automatically fold e!ery time the flo" 6rin's a
"air7 -""lyin' some card sense to this situation should hel" you make more
14I
accurate decisions7 For eam"le the "resence of two ei'hts on the 6oard
should not elicit the same de'ree of fear as two aces7
If the card that "airs on the 6oard is a key card in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 it is
likely to ha!e hit one of your o""onents7 +hen it doesn9t a""ear "ro6a6le
that the "air hel"ed another "layer8 it 6ecomes more correct to continue with
other draws7 In fact8 you can sometimes 6et a flush draw into a "aired 6oard8
inducin' your o""onents to fold out of fear that you flo""ed tri"s or a full
house7
+hen you hold two aces in your hand a'ainst a small num6er of o""onents8 a
"aired 6oard often is a 'ood thin'7 It is 'enerally a 'ood idea to "lay the flo"
a''ressi!ely8 6oth to cut down on the com"etition and to try to find out if
your hand is the 6est7 The "resence of the "air makes a strai'ht or flush:
common ace>killers in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter:less likely7 -lso8 the "air on
the 6oard 'i!es you the nut two "air8 which will freJuently win the hi'h
a'ainst a small field7 Howe!er8 if the "ot is a family affair8 someone will
usually ha!e tri"s7 In this case8 two aces should 6e folded if there is any
su6stantial action7
-d!anced Flo" Play
Here are some additional ti"s for "layin' hands on the flo"7 These focus more
shar"ly on to"ics already discussed and deal with a few additional issues that
come into "lay more often at the hi'her limits7
)reatin' Etra Outs
In Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 sometimes you ha!e a hand that seems to 6e
headin' in one direction8 6ut winds u" winnin' "art or all of the "ot with a
different hand that you made almost 6y accident7 This is one reason why
"layin' Juality startin' hands is im"ortant7 Not only do they "roduce more
'ood hands and draws on the flo"8 they also tend to 6e more easily rerouted
into winnin' 6ackdoor hands7
The a6ility to reco'ni%e when you may 6e a6le to de!elo" some secondary
draws to fall 6ack on should your "rimary draw not materiali%e is a !alua6le
skill7 Its !alue is 6ased on the fact that if you see an o""ortunity8 you may 6e
a6le to create some etra wins for your hand 6y makin' a timely 6et or raise7
)onsider the followin' eam"le7
14/
Eam"le One
Flo"K Q><>$ =two clu6s?
Scenario OneK ;our handK ->.>2>13 =nut clu6s?
Scenario TwoK ;our handK ->I>/>13 =nut clu6s?
Note that in 6oth cases8 your only immediate draws are to the nut flush and
nut strai'ht7 Howe!er8 6oth hands also ha!e a 6ackdoor low draw7 -ssumin'
that fi!e "layers are in the hand8 if the "layer to your ri'ht 6ets and you are
net to act8 what is your 6est course of action in each scenarioE
In Scenario 18 a call is clearly the correct "lay7 ;ou don9t want to eliminate
"layers when all your draws are to the nuts7 +hether you make the nut flush8
ace>hi'h strai'ht8 or catch two runnin' low cards8 any hand you make will 6e
the nuts in one direction or another7 Therefore8 the more "layers in the hand8
the more money you should make7 ;ou mi'ht consider raisin' for !alue with
your draw8 6ut not until e!eryone has called the initial 6et7 5aisin' in this
situation will tend to eliminate "layers likely to make second>6est hands and
"ay you off7
-lthou'h your hi'h "ros"ects are essentially the same in Scenario $8 the fact
that you ha!e a weak 6ackdoor low draw is a 'ood reason to raise the 6ettor7
5aisin' may cause "layers to fold hands such as ->2>I>< or ->$>.>/8 with
which they would likely call one 6et7 -s a result8 e!en if you miss the flush
and strai'ht draws8 you mi'ht still win half the "ot if two low cards come8
6ecause your raise on the flo" dro!e out the stron'er 6ackdoor low draws7 (y
thinkin' ahead and reali%in' all the ways a hand can de!elo"8 you can
sometimes "lay a situation more a''ressi!ely than normal in order to create
some additional winnin' cards for your hand7
Of course8 choosin' whether to raise or Bust call in this ty"e of situation
de"ends on the si%e of the "ot8 the style of your o""onents8 and the "re!ious
6ettin' that led to the situation7
Foldin' the Nut Low
There are times when you will make the nut low on the flo" 6ut reali%e that it
doesn9t ha!e much !alue7 ;ou then ha!e a decision to make re'ardin'
whether to stick it out until the end or fold7 It may seem a6surd to fold the
nuts:and it usually is:6ut there are some instances when it would 6e the
141
ri'ht thin' to do:ty"ically8 when a "re!iously small "ot is now 6ein' 6et
a''ressi!ely7
;ou don9t want to throw away the nuts if the "ot is lar'e or if it9s ine"ensi!e
to stay in the hand7 Howe!er8 if your hand is somethin' like ->$>H>< and the
flo" is />1>0 =two flush cards8 not yours?8 and the other three "layers in the
"ot start 6ettin' and raisin' like maniacs8 it may 6e time to reassess your
in!ol!ement7 For one thin'8 you are likely "layin' for a Juarter of the "ot8
es"ecially if you know some of your o""onents are !ery solid "layers7 -lso8
any ace or deuce that falls on the turn or ri!er will likely turn your hand into
a loser7 If you are relati!ely certain that another "layer also has the nut low8
you really aren9t 'i!in' anythin' u" 6y foldin'7 The cost of the small 6et
already in!ested in the "ot is offset 6y the "otential for windin' u" with
nothin' if you 'et counterfeited7
Ne!ertheless8 it isn9t a 'ood idea to fold the made nut low !ery often7
Sometimes it may seem like you9re only "layin' for a Juarter8 6ut you9ll 'et
a "leasant sur"rise on the end when the other "layers turn o!er hi'h hands7
This "ossi6ility alone should 6e enou'h to kee" you from foldin' the low
nuts most of the time7 It mi'ht also 6e 6etter to stay in the hand if the "ot is
already lar'e8 or if it9s multiway7 -lso8 the "resence of a 6acku" low card in
your hand should 6e enou'h of a reason not to fold the nut low7
Sets +hen the (oard Is SmallK To Play or Not To PlayE
In multiway "ots8 with a flo" of three low cards8 sets should usually 6e
folded7 It is a mistake to "lay sets a''ressi!ely in an attem"t to "rotect them8
as they can only win half the "ot and will freJuently 6e outdrawn7 - 6etter
a""roach is to treat a set as you would a drawin' hand8 and "lay or fold 6ased
on the "rice the "ot is offerin' you7 If one "layer 6ets8 four "layers call8 and
you are last to act with a hand like ->2>2>H and a 6oard of $>2>/8 it is okay to
call and see another card7 Here9s whyK
=1? The "ot cannot 6e raised 6ehind you7
=$? ;ou are recei!in' a fa!ora6le "rice on the hand7
Howe!er8 if the first "layer 6ets8 the second raises8 and the others fold around
to you8 foldin' is clearly the ri'ht "lay7 +hyE (ecause in order to "roceed8
140
you9ll ha!e to call two 6ets cold and face the "ossi6ility of a reraise 6y the
initial 6ettor7 This eliminates all !alue from the situation8 6ecause instead of
callin' one small 6et to "erha"s win half of a decent si%ed "ot8 you are now
faced with "uttin' in multi"le 6ets while "layin' for half of a three>way "ot7
Furthermore8 with 6oth a 6et and a raise8 it is more likely that one of your
o""onents has flo""ed a strai'ht7 Thus8 you will need to im"ro!e your hand
to win the hi'h7
In ti'hter Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter 'ames8 sets ha!e more !alue7 Su""ose you
ha!e ->$>$>Q and the flo" is $>.>07 -'ainst a lar'e field8 this hand can 6e
flun' into the discards without hesitation7 Howe!er8 if you are "layin' the "ot
heads>u"8 this is a 6etter>than>a!era'e flo" for your hand7 E!en thou'h a low
hand is "ossi6le8 your o""onent doesn9t necessarily ha!e one7 He may ha!e
somethin' like ->.>13>138 in which case you ha!e him 6eat7 It is im"ortant to
"lay these situations a''ressi!ely7 ;ou fi'ure to ha!e the 6est hi'h hand8
which may 6e 'ood for a scoo"7 -nother "oint worth notin' is that your
a''ressi!e "lay may encoura'e a sin'le o""onent to relinJuish a hand with a
made8 al6eit rou'h8 low such as ->.>1>H7 This maBor !ictory could not ha!e
6een won 6y checkin'7 If your o""onent raises you8 then you can re!ert to
callin' mode for the rest of the hand8 as his raise "ro6a6ly si'nifies a made
low7
Mani"ulatin' the Si%e of the Pot
One of the most common and a''ra!atin' "erils of Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter
comes when you flo" a nice hi'h hand or hi'h draw and "lay it a''ressi!ely8
only to see two o""onents make their low hands on the turn and "rom"tly 'o
to war7 ;ou are then faced with the un"alata6le "ros"ect of callin' se!eral
dou6le>si%ed turn 6ets when the low "ortion of the "ot is already s"oken for7
It9s "ainful to 'i!e u" the hand 6ecause of all the money already in the "ot8
6ut it9s eJually "ainful to watch your stacks erode as you "ay for your draws7
Fortunately8 there is a method you can em"loy to make "layin' the turn card
less a'oni%in'7 It can 6e used "rimarily when you ha!e a hi'h hand and two
low cards a""ear on the flo"7 For eam"le8 su""ose your hand is ->.><><8 and
the flo" is .>I>< with a flush draw7 -lthou'h you ha!e the current nuts8 your
hand is not that stron'7 If any low card comes on the turn or ri!er8 it will cost
144
you half the "ot8 or all of it if someone makes a strai'ht7 -lso8 there is a flush
draw "resent7
This is not a time to mani"ulate the si%e of the "ot 6y "layin' your to" set
a''ressi!ely7 Should one of the many "otential horror cards a""ear on the
turn8 the fact that you hel"ed kee" the "ot small 6y not 6ettin' or raisin' on
the flo" ena6les you to make an easy release of your hand if faced with too
much action7
-nother 6enefit to "layin' this way is that you make it harder for your
o""onents to 'au'e what you9re holdin'7 If the 6oard "airs on the turn8 your
o""onents "ro6a6ly won9t 'i!e you credit for ha!in' the nut full house8 since
you didn9t "lay the flo" a''ressi!ely7 This mi'ht ena6le you to win some
etra 6ets if one of your o""onents feels his tri"s or smaller full house is the
6est hand7
)onsider the followin' scenario7 -ll four o""onents check to you in last
"osition8 and your hand is ->H><>13 with a nut flush draw =hearts?7 Then the
flo" comes .>I>48 two to the flush7 Since many turn cards will render the
hand un"laya6le8 you check rather than 6et the nut flush draw7 The turn is the
"erfect QE7 -n alert8 a''ressi!e o""onent 6ets out8 two other "layers call8 and
you raise with the a6solute nuts7 The a''ressi!e "layer reraises with his
smaller flush8 and you wind u" scoo"in' a 6i' "ot when the 6oard "airs on
the end7 It could "ro6a6ly 6e ar'ued that checkin' on the 6utton induced your
a''ressi!e o""onent to o!er"lay his hand on the turn8 as he refused to acce"t
the fact that a "layer holdin' the nut flush draw could check the hand in last
"osition7
;ou should mani"ulate the si%e of the "ot fairly often in such situations7
Howe!er8 it is im"ortant that you don9t hurt your chances of winnin' the "ot
with this "lay7 In hands with small fields8 you can sometimes win the "ot
ri'ht on the flo" with a 6et7 If you 6elie!e you ha!e a decent chance of
winnin' the "ot immediately8 it9s 6etter to 'o ahead and 6et than to wait for a
safe turn card7 -lso8 when the "layer to your immediate ri'ht 6ets and you9re
holdin' a hi'h hand such as a set8 you should "ro6a6ly raise in an effort to
narrow the field7 )heckin' or callin' with a set is 6est when a raise won9t 'et
any6ody to fold7
$33
(luffin' +hen Trash Flo"s
-lthou'h Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter has a re"utation for 6ein' a 'ame in which
6luffin' is nearly im"ossi6le8 there are some 'ood situations in which to 'i!e
it a shot7 One of the more common 6luffin' o""ortunities arises when hi'h
cards flo"8 "articularly if the 6oard is "aired7 Since most "layers "lay low
cards8 it stands to reason that a hi'h flo" will likely miss e!eryone9s hand7
(ettin' into 6oards such as 13>13>1 is often effecti!e a'ainst a small num6er
of o""onents8 "refera6ly three or less =with more "layers8 it9s likely that you
will run into a le'itimate hand?7 This "lay can 6e made from any "osition8
and if you are raised8 it is "ro6a6ly 6est to fold8 rather than to attem"t to
create some Bustification for clin'in' to the hand7 It is most effecti!e a'ainst
ti'ht8 unima'inati!e "layers who will automatically 'i!e you credit for a
hand when you 6et7
One thin' to 6e aware of if you are "layin' in a hi'her limit 'ame is that
"erce"ti!e o""onents will not only make this "lay themsel!es8 6ut will 6e
aware that you mi'ht attem"t it7 These "layers could 6e ca"a6le of raisin'
you with nothin'8 which "uts you in a rou'h s"ot7 It is far easier to raise with
nothin' than to call with it7 ;ou must either modify this "lay or a6andon it
a'ainst these ty"es of o""onents7
Here is another eam"le of a "lay you can use7 Say your hand is ->$>2>138
and the 6oard reads <><>Q7 Only you and the 6linds are in the "ot8 and the
small 6lind 6ets the flo"7 The 6i' 6lind folds8 and now you call with nothin'
6ut an inside strai'ht draw7 ;ou aren9t callin' on the stren'th of your hand8
6ut on the assum"tion that your o""onent has !ery little7 If he checks to you
on the turn8 you can 6et and e"ect to win the "ot7 Howe!er8 it9s "ro6a6ly
6est to fold if he 6ets a'ain and you don9t catch a kin'8 as another 6et
"ro6a6ly si'nifies a le'itimate hand7 It will 6e difficult for him to 6luff a
second time into this 6oard after 6ein' called on the flo"7
)onclusion
There is a lot to think a6out when the flo" is laid on the ta6le in Omaha ei'ht>
or>6etter7 +hen in the heat of the 'ame8 you "ro6a6ly won9t ha!e time to
correctly consider all of the factors discussed a6o!e8 6ut you should 6e aware
of them and stri!e to a""ly as many as "ossi6le7 +ith that in mind8 here are a
$31
few Juestions to ask yourself after lookin' at the flo"K
=1? How much of the "ot am I "layin' forE
=$? +hat "rice is the "ot layin' me8 6ased on my "otential to make the 6est
hand and the "ortion of the "ot I can winE
=.? +hat im"lied !alue does my hand "ossessE That is to say8 how much
additional money can I win if the ri'ht card comesE +ill the other "layers in
the "ot "ay me offE Is there an a''ressi!e "layer on my left8 meanin' there9s
a chance to check>raise the fieldE +ill the low hands 6et and raise
a''ressi!ely if I make the hi'hE -nd so on7
=2? If I call8 can the "ot 'et raised 6ehind meE
=I? *oes my hand "lay 6etter a'ainst more or fewer o""onentsE )an my hand
6e "layed in such a way as to create a fa!ora6le situation a'ainst one or the
otherE
PL-;IN, THE TL5N
(asic Turn Play
,i!e L" Some Mar'inal Hands
(ecause the si%e of the 6et dou6les on the turn8 many mar'inal hands that
were worth one 6et on the flo" must now 6e a6andoned7 -lso8 a low hand
will freJuently 6e "ossi6le 6y the time the turn comes8 and this cuts in half
the odds the "ot is layin' you to draw at a hi'h hand7 Hands such as to" two
"air and sets lose their chance to scoo" the "ot when the 6oard shows three
cards to a low7 This is "articularly true when se!eral "layers are in8 as
someone will almost certainly ha!e a low7 These hands must 6e "layed with
etreme caution8 as the turn can 6e an e"ensi!e round7 +ith a less than
"remium hand8 you can wind u" in!estin' a lot of chi"s with little chance for
a return on that in!estment7
Often8 one or two "layers are holdin' the nut low8 another "layer the nut
hi'h8 and a raisin' war 6e'ins7 If you are in the "ot with a draw of some kind8
it is time to really Juestion stayin' in!ol!ed7 It9s 'enerally not a 'ood idea to
"ay multi"le 6ets on the turn to draw at half the "ot8 unless you ha!e a chance
to scoo"7 Su""ose you ha!e ->$>I>I8 and the 6oard is $>2>I>H7 If there is a
$3$
6et and a raise to you8 'i!e u" this hand7 ;our set is no 'ood8 and the 6est
ri!er cards can only 'ain you half the "ot7
It is also correct to fold this hand when the "layer to your ri'ht 6ets and there
are "layers yet to act 6ehind you7 It is unlikely that your hand is 'ood8 as the
6ettor is re"resentin' a strai'ht7 Furthermore8 the "ot can still 6e raised7 This
hand is another eam"le of a situation in which you can draw for one 6et if
you are in last "osition:6ut you must fold when you don9t know what
drawin' may cost7 ,ettin' stuck in the middle of raisin' wars in Omaha
ei'ht>or>6etter is amon' the most costly errors "layers can make on the turn7
;ou need to 6e aware that any time a low hand is "ossi6le and se!eral
"layers are in the "ot8 it is likely that there will 6e at least one raise on the
turn7
Playin' Stron' Hands on the Turn
Lsually8 in order to win the most money with stron' hands on the turn8 you
should raise if someone else 6ets8 or 6et when it9s checked to you7 One of the
6est situations in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter is when you own half the "ot and are
drawin' at the other half8 commonly referred to as a freeroll7 ;ou cannot lose
the whole "ot8 and you ha!e the "otential to scoo"7
For eam"le8 say you are holdin' a hand such as ->$>.>138 and the 6oard is
2>I>0>Q =two of your suit?7 Note that althou'h you mi'ht 'et Juartered8 you
are 'uaranteed to win the low side8 and "airin' u" any of your low cards
makes you a wheel8 which mi'ht 6e 'ood for a scoo"7 Plus8 this hand features
the nut flush draw7 +ith a hand this stron'8 you should "um" the "ot8 as there
is "lenty of u"side with !irtually no risk7
E!en if your hand is only 'ood enou'h to win a Juarter of the "ot at this
"oint8 raisin' is the correct "lay due to the hand9s hi'h "otential7 If three or
more other "layers are in the "ot8 you won9t lose money if the "ot 'ets
Juartered8 unless it is one of those rare times that two of your o""onents
share the nut low with you7
-'ainst two other "layers8 you should still 6e a''ressi!e with your freeroll
hands8 e!en if you feel one of your o""onents has the nut low as well7 It9s a
'ood low risk in!estment that can "roduce ecellent returns if you make your
hi'h hand7 Here9s an eam"le from a C13#C$3 limit 'ame to illustrateK
$3.
;our handK ->$>.>13
(oardK 2>I>0>Q =two flush cards?
One o""onent8 Player -8 6ets and another8 Player (8 calls7 If you raise and
'et Juartered8 your raise costs you CI =as all three "layers "ay C$38 totalin'
C/38 of which you recou" C1I?7 If you raise8 make the flush8 and 'et three>
Juarters8 your raise makes you C$I =C$3 . Z C/38 of which you 'et C2I?7
5iskin' CI for a chance to win C$I is a 'ood in!estment in this s"ot8 since
the odds of your makin' a flush are 6etter than I to 1 a'ainst:.I to 48 or
a6out 2 to 17 Howe!er8 in real life the odds are e!en 6etter than that7
Sometimes you will catch an ace or deuce and scoo" the "ot 6ecause an
o""onent with ->$ 'ets counterfeited7 -lso8 a . or a / will make you a
strai'ht8 which may 6e 'ood for the hi'h7 So a . will 'et you half the "ot8 and
a / is worth three Juarters7 Plus8 there is always the "ossi6ility that you ha!e
the only low hand7 *ue to their limited lia6ility and 'reat u"side8 these ty"es
of hands should 6e "layed as a''ressi!ely as "ossi6le7
Hnockin' Out the )om"etition
+hen the turn comes and the si%e of the 6et dou6les8 "layers mi'ht 6e'in to
de!elo" a 'reater res"ect for their chi"s7 -t this "oint in the hand8 the "ots
often are "retty lar'e8 so it is in your 6est interest to "rotect your hand as
much as "ossi6le7 O""onents are more willin' to "ass without a stron' hand
when faced with callin' two 6ets cold7 Mar'inal hands with which o""onents
will likely call one 6et 6ut fold for two include most two>"air hands8 as well
as some small flushes8 small strai'hts8 and second> or third>nut lows7 It is
often in your 6est interest to raise o""onents with these ty"es of hands out of
the "ot7
Often8 an o""onent holdin' a hand like ->.>/>Q will 6et into a 6oard
showin' $>I>0>H7 If you are net8 holdin' ->.>0>48 and you raise the initial
6ettor8 it may "ersuade the rest of the field to fold hands like ->$>0>13 or ->
->/><7 (y raisin'8 you are attem"tin' to isolate one other "layer who you feel
is also likely to ha!e the nut low7 +ith a 6it of luck8 your hi'h hand may
trum" that of your o""onent8 'i!in' you three>Juarters of the "ot7 This "lay
should 6e made often8 and it is another eam"le of a situation with little risk
6ut si'nificant u"side7
$32
Makin' it e"ensi!e for others to stay in the "ot is also im"ortant if you hold
a !ulnera6le hi'h hand8 es"ecially if your hand is the nut flush7 If no low or
"air is on the 6oard8 it should 6e o6!ious that the nut flush is a hand to 6e 6et
and raised at e!ery o""ortunity7 Howe!er8 su""ose you ha!e ->H>Q><8 the
6oard is .>2>I>08 and you ha!e the nut flush7 If a "layer 6ets into you8 it is
"retty clear that the most you will 6e a6le to win is half the "ot7 +ith this in
mind8 you mi'ht 6e tem"ted to Bust call8 allowin' some additional "layers
into the "ot to create etra "rofit7
The dan'er of "layin' this situation "assi!ely is that it allows "layers with
two "air or sets to draw at you chea"ly7 If the 6oard "airs on the ri!er8 you
mi'ht lose multi"le 6ets7 It is likely that the "layer who 6et the turn will also
6et the ri!er8 and you will 6e faced with the 'risly task of callin' with the nut
flush when the "ot mi'ht 'et raised 6ehind you7 It9s 'enerally 6est to 'o
ahead and raise on the turn7 ;ou9ll still 'et action from any "layer holdin' an
->$8 which doesn9t "ose a threat to your hand7 If o""onents with two "air
want to call your raise and draw at half the "ot8 that9s their "rero'ati!e7 In
fact8 they should "ro6a6ly 6e "laced on your )hristmas card list7
;ou may want to "ut the 6rakes on with lesser nut hi'h hands8 thou'h7 For
eam"le8 say you ha!e 4>13><>Q8 and the 6oard has .>/>1>0 =two flush cards?D
or you9!e 'ot ->2>H>H8 and the 6oard shows .>2>0>H =two flush draws?7
In 6oth eam"les8 e!en thou'h you ha!e the current nut hi'h8 your hand is in
much 'reater Beo"ardy of 6ein' outdrawn than in the "re!ious eam"le when
you were holdin' the nut flush7 To com"are8 in the nut flush eam"le8 only
ten cards could 6eat you if your o""onent has a setD 6y com"arison8 with the
strai'ht shown a6o!e8 there are the ten "otential full house cards that could
6eat you8 "lus the additional flush cards7 For the eam"le in which you ha!e
three kin's8 siteen cards create a strai'ht "ossi6ility for your o""onents and
a6out half the deck com"letes a flush draw7
+hile it may seem e!en more crucial to raise in an effort to "rotect these
etremely !ulnera6le hands8 the "ro6lem is that o""onents holdin' low cards
are often holdin' the draws that can 6eat you as well7 Thus8 raisin' them out
will 6e im"ossi6le8 and they are likely to "ut in a reraise if they ha!e the nut
low with a flush draw7 )ontrast this with the nut flush eam"le8 in which any
$3I
"layer holdin' two "air or a set is unlikely to also ha!e a 'ood low hand8 as
this would reJuire a "recise use of all four cards7 +ith that in mind8 it is
normally 6est to Bust call with a lesser nut hand8 ho"in' you don9t 'et 6eaten8
rather than make a futile attem"t to narrow the field7
+hen ;ou Only Ha!e the Nut Low
It is common in loose8 "assi!e Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter 'ames ty"ical at the
lower limits for "layers to make the nut low and then check if their hand
lacks hi'h "otential7 (ut that9s the wron' "lay7 For one thin'8 if se!eral
"layers are in the "ot8 there is !alue in 6ettin' the hand7 +innin' half the "ot
will still 6e "rofita6le8 and so will recei!in' a Juarter if fi!e or more "layers
are in7
Perha"s more si'nificant is the "ossi6ility of winnin' the "ot with a 6et7 This
mi'ht 6e net to im"ossi6le in !ery loose 'ames with se!eral "layers in the
"ot8 6ut in hands contested 6y fewer "layers8 it is not that uncommon for
e!ery6ody to fold to a 6et when the low arri!es7 E!en if you don9t ha!e a
"air8 it9s a 'ood idea to 6et your nut low7 *oin' so in smallish "ots mi'ht
"rom"t your o""onents to fold their hi'h hands and draws8 since they9ll
reali%e their chances to scoo" ha!e !anished7 They mi'ht not want to risk
callin' turn and ri!er 6ets to find out if their mar'inal two "air is any 'ood7
Passi!e Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "layers cost themsel!es a lot of half>"ots 6y
failin' to 6et their low hands a''ressi!ely7
-d!anced Turn Play
-s we ha!e seen8 "layin' a''ressi!ely on the turn has its 6enefits7 Here are
some additional o""ortunities to use a''ression to your ad!anta'e7
Turnin' ,ood *raws into (etter *raws
On the turn8 the more cards there are that can make you the 6est hand on the
ri!er8 the 6etter off you are7 So8 there are times when raisin' with a draw on
the turn mi'ht increase the num6er of outs for your hand7
Take a hand such as ->$>13>< =->13 flush draw? with a 6oard of 2>I><>Q =2>I
of your suit?7 The "layer to your ri'ht 6ets8 and you are net to act with three
or four o""onents 6ehind you7 -t first 'lance it a""ears that a call is clearly
the 6est "lay here7 -dditional callers enhance the !alues of your nut low and
$3/
nut flush draws8 and it9s unlikely that your one "air of Backs is the 6est hand
at this "oint7
+hile callin' is a reasona6le "lay8 you should at least consider makin' a
raise in this s"ot7 5aisin' mi'ht cause hands such as ->.>0>H8 that would
certainly call one 6et8 to fold7 This could o"en u" the "ossi6ility of winnin'
the "ot if a ten comes on the end8 makin' you two "air7 Sure8 you9!e only
added three cards to your list of outs8 6ut your decision to in!est an etra 6et
with your 6i' draw mi'ht ha!e increased your chances of scoo"in'7
The lar'er the "ot8 the more !alua6le it 6ecomes to create etra outs for
yourself8 and you can do this 6y in!estin' an etra 6et or two and thinnin'
the field7 (y the way8 the draw mentioned a6o!e is 6i' enou'h 6y itself to
cause you to consider raisin' for !alue7 ;ou ha!e siteen low wins8 "lus the
flush cards8 the kin's8 and "ossi6ly the other two Backs7
Semi>(luffin' the Turn to Set L" a (luff on the End
Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter 'ames that don9t fit into the @no fold>emA cate'ory8
most nota6ly hi'her limit 'ames8 "ro!ide some 'ood 6luffin' o""ortunities
for the astute "layer7 Often8 it9s more con!incin' if you set u" a 6luff on the
ri!er 6y 6ettin' a drawin' hand on the turn8 with the intention of followin'
throu'h if you miss your hand7 This is commonly referred to as semi>
6luffin'8 since you ha!e two ways to win7 -lthou'h you must fire two 6i'
6ets into the "ot to set u" a 6luff8 your 6ets ha!e eJuity 6ecause e!en if your
o""onents don9t fold8 there9s a "ossi6ility that you will make the 6est hand on
the ri!er7
+ith more than two o""onents8 6luffin' is dan'erous 6ecause it is far too
likely that you will run into the nuts7 +hen a small num6er of o""onents are
in the "ot8 "refera6ly no more than two other "layers8 that9s the 6est time to
6luff7 -lso8 it is effecti!e to semi>6luff if you can re"resent a s"ecific hand
that materiali%es on the turn7 The "lay works 6est when you ha!e not 6een
a''ressi!e u" to that "oint in the hand7
Here9s a 'ood eam"le of Bust such a "layK In the small 6lind8 you call with $>
.>2>1 and see a flo" of ->0>137 +ith three "layers in the "ot8 you check and
call a 6et8 sus"ectin' that the 6ettor has aces>u"7 The turn card is a Jueen8
$31
makin' a strai'ht for any o""onent holdin' a <>4 or H><7 +hile it9s "ossi6le
that one of your o""onents has one of these hands8 it is 6y no means a sure
thin'7 This is a 'reat o""ortunity to semi>6luff7 ;ou can either 6et your hand8
or you can 'o for a check>raise if you 6elie!e your o""onent will 6et his
aces>u" a'ain7 On the ri!er8 you must 6et re'ardless of what card comes:
unless it9s an ace8 which will almost certainly make someone a full house7 If
no low comes8 your o""onents will 6e hard "ressed to call with any hand
other than a strai'ht7 If a low does come8 you9ll win "art of the "ot anyway7
In fact8 if your o""onents are con!inced that you ha!e a strai'ht and fold two
aces or two small "air8 you mi'ht make your low hand and scoo" the "ot with
se!en>hi'h7
There are two thin's to consider 6efore makin' this "layK
=1? *o not to try it a'ainst chronic callin' stations8 "layers who tend to call
with a hu'e !ariety of hands8 e!en weak ones7 O""onents like this will want
to see if you ha!e your strai'ht7
=$? ;ou a6solutely must ha!e the nut low draw when attem"tin' to semi>
6luff in this fashion7 +hen a low draw is on the 6oard8 it is a mistake to semi>
6luff with only hi'h draws to flushes and strai'hts8 since the low is too likely
to show u" on the ri!er7 (ecause of this8 you will "ro6a6ly 6e called 6y
anyone with a decent low hand7 ;our o""onent mi'ht call your 6luff with a
low hand and wind u" scoo"in' the "ot with one small "air or a similar hand7
PL-;IN, THE 5INE5
(asic 5i!er Play
It is a common 6ut incorrect 6elief amon' Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "layers that
the ri!er lar'ely "lays itself7 There are a num6er of factors that indicate
otherwise7
Payin' Off
On the ri!er8 you9ll freJuently ha!e to decide whether to call a 6et with a
mar'inal hi'h hand or a weak low hand7 Perha"s you flo""ed a set8 only to
see a flush arri!e on the ri!er7 +hile it is certainly "ossi6le that you are 6eat8
there is also a chance that the 6ettor is 'oin' for low and your set is still the
$30
6est hi'h hand7 If you cannot decide which way an o""onent is 'oin' in the
hand8 it is far 6etter to call and "ossi6ly lose one 6et8 than to fold and risk
'i!in' u" half the "ot7 It9s called "ayin' off8 and you do this when the "ot
odds are 'ood enou'h to make you call e!en thou'h you think you ha!e the
losin' hand7
Hand 5eadin'
-s your "oker skills de!elo"8 you will 6ecome more "roficient in readin'
your o""onents9 hands8 which will allow you to make more accurate
decisions on the ri!er7 5econstructin' the 6ettin' can make hand readin'
easier7 For eam"le8 if a "layer that had raised the "ot 6efore the flo" now
6ets the ri!er when 6oth a flush card and a third low card hit8 it makes sense
to read him for a low hand7 This makes it easier for you to call with your set
or two "air7 In this situation8 the 6ettor mi'ht show you the nut low and a
flush8 6ut that9s Bust the nature of "oker7
Position
-nother element to wei'h when de6atin' whether to call on the ri!er is the
action yet to take "lace7 If there are Juite a few "layers 6ehind you8 you will
need to ti'hten u" a 6it and "ass more of your Juestiona6le hands7 In the
"re!ious eam"le8 for instance8 e!en thou'h the 6ettor mi'ht not ha!e a
flush8 if there are still four "layers to act 6ehind you8 it9s a "retty safe 6et that
one of them has you 6eat and will also call7
Payin' attention to the "layers to your left 6efore you act will sometimes
allow you to use their tells to sa!e a 6et or make a 6i' call7 If you can see that
your o""onents are "re"arin' to fold8 it makes it easier for you to call7 -lso8
say an o""onent 'ra6s raisin' chi"s 6efore it is his turn to act7 Often this is an
act8 6ut it is sometimes a relia6le indicator of the stren'th of his hand7 It is
nice to "lay a'ainst o""onents who consistently 'i!e away their hands 6efore
it is their turn to act8 "articularly if they are sittin' to your left7
,ettin' )ounterfeited
-lthou'h you can "lay your made nut low hands more a''ressi!ely when
you ha!e a 6acku" card8 you sometimes will find yourself in the "ot with Bust
the 6are nut low7 In these cases8 there are si cards that will counterfeit you8
$34
which means your hand could 6e killed on the ri!er nearly one time out of
se!en =si out of forty>four unseen cards?7 Since this is such a common
occurrence8 it is 'ood to ha!e a 'ame "lan for dealin' with it effecti!ely7
,ettin' counterfeited won9t always cost you the "ot8 and it is im"ortant to
reco'ni%e when your hand is still 'ood7 If you are holdin' the nut low with a
wheel draw8 and you 'et counterfeited8 then a "layer who has not 6een
a''ressi!e now 6ets8 you are almost certainly 6eat7 For eam"le8 say you are
holdin' ->$>H>Q8 the 6oard is 2>I>0>Q8 and the ri!er is a deuce7 If a "layer
who has 6een callin' to that "oint8 6ets:you are in trou6le7 There isn9t much
else this "layer can 6e 6ettin' other than a strai'ht8 so it is almost always safe
to fold7 The ece"tion is when you are "layin' a'ainst a tricky8 so"histicated
o""onent8 who is ca"a6le of 6ettin' an ->/ here8 ho"in' your ->$ 'ot
counterfeited and that you will fold a 6etter hi'h hand than his7
In a lar'er field8 say more than three o""onents8 someone will often "roduce
a 6etter two card low hand when you 'et counterfeited7 (ut in "ots with only
two or three "layers you mi'ht still win the low8 so it is im"ortant not to fold
too Juickly7 5ather8 'au'e the chances that your o""onent9s 6et si'nifies a
hi'h hand7 If you think this is the case8 you mi'ht 6e a6le to "lay your li!e
ace or deuce to win the low7 -lso8 it9s "ossi6le that your new hi'h hand will
6e 'ood7 If you already had one "air8 you now ha!e two "air8 which mi'ht
win the hi'h a'ainst a small field7 Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "layers are
notorious for moanin' all the way to the 6ank in situations like this8
com"lainin' e!en as they catch the !ery card that wins them the "ot7
Playin' Three>+ay Pots on the End
It is !ery common for there to 6e eactly three "layers left in the hand at the
ri!er8 so it9s im"ortant that you learn how to make accurate decisions in this
situation7 Followin' are some 'eneral 'uidelines that should 6e hel"ful7
17 +hen ;ou -re First To -ct7 If you ha!e the 6est hand8 6etF This seems
o6!ious8 6ut you9d 6e sur"rised how often "layers check the nuts7 In Omaha
ei'ht>or>6etter8 "layin' for a check>raise on the ri!er is 'enerally a 6ad idea8
unless you know for certain that an o""onent will 6et a worse hand7 Lnless
they are 6luffin'8 Omaha "layers tend only to 6et hands that are the nuts or
close to it on the ri!er7 So8 if you attem"t a check>raise with the nut hi'h8 you
$13
are likely to only coa a 6et out of an o""onent if he9s holdin' the nut low7
Nothin' is 'ained from this maneu!er7 Howe!er8 if you 6et8 an o""onent
mi'ht call with a worse hi'h hand7
Sometimes a 6et on the ri!er will win you not only the side of the "ot you
ha!e locked u"8 6ut the entire "ot7 If you are holdin' ->.>2>Q8 the 6oard
shows $>I>0>13><8 and you are "ositi!e that your o""onents don9t ha!e you
three>Juartered8 you should 6et with Bust the nut low7 - 6et will often cause
an o""onent to fold a 6usted hand like ->$>H>Q =nut flush draw?8 e!en
thou'h he has you 6eat for hi'h7 -lso8 hands like ->2>/>1 will "ay you off
with the second>nut low8 and you will 6e a6le to scoo" them with the nut low
and ->Q hi'h7 -lthou'h you won9t 'et results like these e!ery time8 it should
6e clear that 6ein' a''ressi!e has a lot of !alue7
$7 +hen the First Player (ets and ;ou9re Net To -ct7 Here is a situation in
which you must 6e willin' to stick your neck out a 6it7 +hen the 6oard
contains three to a low hand 6ut not a wheel "ossi6ility8 and you ha!e a
mar'inal hand in 6oth directions8 you need to either raise or fold7 )allin' is a
mistake8 as it o"ens the door for the third "layer to call 6ehind you7 +ith a
weak two>way hand8 it is im"ortant to eliminate the other "layer and "lay
heads>u" a'ainst the 6ettor8 ho"in' to win in one direction or the other7
Su""ose the 6oard shows .>2>0><>Q8 and your hand is ->.>2>17 +ith 6ottom
two "air for hi'h and ->1 for low8 it9s unlikely that you will 'et a "iece of the
"ot a'ainst more than one o""onent7 Howe!er8 it will 6e difficult for a sin'le
o""onent to scoo" your hand heads>u"8 as he must use all four of his cards to
6eat you 6oth ways7 If you raise8 the third "layer mi'ht fold a 6etter two "air
or 6etter lows such as ->I8 $>I8 and ->/7
Lean toward foldin' if the 6oard contains a fi!e>card low strai'ht or a flush
"ossi6ility7 It will 6e easier for a lone o""onent to scoo" you in this case8 "lus
there is the increased "ossi6ility that you will 6e reraised8 meanin' you9ll
ha!e to risk three 6ets with the "lay rather than two7 For eam"le8 if the
6oard is .>2>I>0>13 =flush? and you hold ->.>I>1 without ha!in' a flush8 any
o""onent with ->$ has you scoo"ed8 as does one with a flush and a sli'htly
6etter low than yours7
- com"letely different situation arises when the first "layer 6ets8 and you are
$11
net to act holdin' the nut low and a !ery weak hi'h hand7 Here8 the de6ate is
whether to raise or call7 If you know that the 6ettor has your hi'h 6eat8
callin' is clearly the ri'ht "lay7 ;ou don9t want to eliminate the third "arty
and are fishin' for the o!er>call7 Howe!er8 thin's are seldom this 6lack and
white7 It is a 6i' mistake to Bust call with the nut low8 only to find that the
ori'inal 6ettor was 6ettin' the nut low with no "air himself7 Now8 the third
"layer mi'ht call with a mar'inal hi'h hand and win half the "ot8 chi"s that
would 6e headin' your direction had you raised7 Therefore8 it is 6est to raise
most of the time if you are holdin' the nut low with a hi'h hand of one "air
or 6etter8 unless you think the ori'inal 6ettor can 6eat your hi'h hand7
+hen you make this "lay consistently8 you should 6e "re"ared to recei!e a
flurry of hate mail in the form of dirty looks and sarcastic comments from
your o""onents7 Sometimes you will raise and the third "layer will 6e
holdin' the nut low himself8 so you wind u" 'ettin' Juartered while the
initial 6ettor wins the hi'h7 This third "layer8 dis'usted at your raise8 mi'ht
mutter somethin' to the effect of @How could that idiot raise with Bust the nut
lowE +hat did he think I hadEA
It is true that if you re'ularly raise in this situation8 you will sometimes cost
yourself money8 either 6ecause you 'et Juartered or 6ecause you raise out the
third "layer when the initial 6ettor was 'oin' hi'h7 Howe!er8 it is also true
that this "lay will occasionally win you the hi'h half of the "ot7 The Juestion
is whether the fractions of 6ets you lose when you9re wron' outwei'h the
half>"ots you win when you are ri'ht7 This "lay doesn9t ha!e to work out
!ery often for you to show a "rofit8 so you should use it any time you feel it
has e!en a small chance of succeedin'7
Here is one final scenario "ertainin' to three>way "ots when your hand is the
second to act7 If you ha!e a hand of ->.>I>H =kin'>hi'h flush? with a 6oard
of 2>/>0>13>< =makin' your flush?8 you hold the second>6est hand in each
direction8 which is a 'ood8 6ut not 'reat situation in Omaha ei'ht or 6etter7 It
is 6est when you are the one doin' the 6ettin'8 since anyone that can 6eat
your hi'h hand would surely 6et8 and it is likely that the nut low hand would
6et as well7 Ne!ertheless8 second>second is usually 'ood enou'h for at least
half the "ot7 In this case8 if the first "layer 6ets8 it likely si'nifies that he has
$1$
you 6eat one way or another8 so there isn9t much "oint in raisin'7 - worse
hand 6ehind you will fold8 6ut a 6etter hand will call or reraise8 since the only
6etter hi'h or low hand is the nuts7 -lso8 if you raise8 you risk the "ossi6ility
of a reraise from the ori'inal 6ettor7
.7 +hen ;ou9re Last To -ct on the 5i!er7 If you only ha!e the nut low and
it9s a 6et and a call to you on the end8 it is an easy8 comforta6le "lay to Bust
call7 This is not necessarily the correct "lay8 thou'h7 -lthou'h you will lose
money 6y raisin' if you only 'et a Juarter of the "ot8 you are costin' yourself
e!en more money in the lon' run when you Bust call and 'et half7 Here is
whyK -ssumin' a C13#C$3 'ame8 so the last 6et is C$3K
=1? If you raise and win only a Juarter of the "ot8 s"littin' the low side8 you
lose CI on the raise =C$3 .8 you 'et 6ack C1I?7
=$? If you raise and win half of the "ot8 you win C13 on the raise =C$3 .8
you 'et 6ack C.3?7
+hat this means is that you are 'ettin' a "rice of $ to 1 on this raise7 For
raisin' to 6e incorrect8 you must 6e Juartered more than two out of three
times7 This will not 6e the case8 es"ecially if you refrain from raisin' when
you are reasona6ly sure another "layer has the nut low7
Essentially8 any time you ha!e a reasona6le dou6t as to whether another nut
low is out there8 you should raise7 Most "layers do the o""osite in this s"ot7
They will Bust call8 feelin' that they mi'ht 6e Juartered7 In fact8 they should
raise8 6ecause they mi'ht win half the "ot7
+hen a so"histicated "layer is in the "ot with you8 you need to 6e aware that
he may use some of the "lays discussed here7 He may not always hold what
he is re"resentin'7 He mi'ht raise on the ri!er in an attem"t to knock you out
of the "ot8 rather than raisin' Bust on the stren'th of his hand7 This ha""ens
more at the hi'her limits8 thou'h8 and a ri!er raise in smaller Omaha ei'ht>or>
6etter 'ames nearly always si'nifies a nut hand7
If one of these tricky "layers is in your 'ame and attem"ts to knock you out8
you mi'ht call a raise from him on the ri!er with a weaker>than>normal hand8
such as two medium "air7 Howe!er8 don9t for'et that the ori'inal 6ettor may
$1.
ha!e you 6eat8 and mi'ht choose to reraise7 This is a difficult situation to "lay
correctly8 and it draws on all your skills as a "oker "layer7
-d!anced 5i!er Play
Nalue (ettin'
+hen you 6et for !alue8 you do so 6ecause you 6elie!e you ha!e a 6etter
hand than your o""onents and may 6e called 6y one with an inferior hand7
;ou do not8 howe!er8 ha!e the nuts8 and there is a "ossi6ility that you9ll 6e
6eaten7 ;ou 6et 6ecause you feel that it will 6e "rofita6le in the lon' run and
that you will 6e called and win more often than you will 6e called and lose7
One maBor consideration is whether or not your o""onents tend to 6et for
!alue7 Some "layers seem to 6et only the nuts on the ri!er8 so discretion must
6e eercised in 6ettin' medium stren'th hands a'ainst them7 <ust 6ecause one
such o""onent checks to you8 it doesn9t mean he isn9t holdin' a !ery stron'
hand8 so you must !alue 6et less freJuently7
Other "layers will "ay off anythin' and e!erythin'7 They mi'ht 'o home
6roke8 6ut they won9t 'o home curious7 -'ainst these ty"es8 6et any hand that
you feel has a 6etter than e!en>money chance to 6e the 6est hand7 Since a
"layer like this mi'ht call with as little as one "air8 it is often a mistake to
check hands like two "air if it is checked to you8 e!en if 6i''er hands such as
strai'hts or flushes are "ossi6le7 If an o""onent like this tends to 6et their
'ood hands and you ha!e anythin' decent at all8 you can safely assume that if
he checks8 you ha!e the 6est hand7 So 'o ahead and 6et it for !alue7
+hen you "lay a'ainst a mied 6a' of "layers8 you must eercise 'ood
Bud'ment in 6ettin' for !alue7 Some tricky "layers will try to check>raise on
the end if they make their hands7 +hen these "layers act 6efore you and a
scary card hits the 6oard8 you should think twice 6efore 6ettin'7
-lso8 sometimes an etremely ti'ht "layer will check the 6est hand on the
end7 If this "layer has 6een 6ettin' throu'hout the hand8 his check shouldn9t
6e misinter"reted as a si'n of weakness7 May6e his ri'ht arm 'ot tired7 Or
may6e a card came that sli'htly weakened his hand7 For eam"le8 he may
hold somethin' like ->.>13>< =ace>hi'h flush? with a 6oard of 2>I>1>Q>Q =nut
flush?7 -lthou'h he has the nut flush and second nut low8 the fact that the
6oard "aired means that he can still 6e 6eaten8 so he checks the ri!er7 There
$12
are Juite a few Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "layers who "lay in this fashion8
"articularly in the smaller 'ames7 If you can reco'ni%e them8 this will hel"
you a!oid 6ettin' hands like ->2>H>H =kin'>hi'h flush? for !alue when they
are in the "ot and ha!e shown some stren'th7
Position has a hu'e influence on how often you can 6et for !alue7 This is one
of the most im"ortant 6enefits of actin' last in the hand7 For eam"le8
su""ose you hold ->$>.>Q =nut flush? in a four>way "ot8 and the 6oard shows
2>I>4><>27 The "ot is fairly lar'e8 and you ha!e what is "ossi6ly the 6est
hand7 -'ainst more o""onents8 it would 6e more likely that someone has the
full house7 In a heads>u" or three>way "ot8 your hand is most likely 'ood7 (ut
in this case8 you9re not sure7 If you had to act first8 you would likely check8
fearin' a raise from a full house7 Howe!er8 if you ha!e last "osition and it is
checked around to you8 6ettin' for !alue is usually the 6est "lay7
-nother eam"le of how "osition can win you etra 6ets on the ri!er is if you
are holdin' ->.>Q>Q8 and the 6oard shows Q><>1>I>H7 Once a'ain8 if you are
first to act and se!eral "layers are 6ehind you8 you should "ro6a6ly check8 as
it is likely that one of them has made a strai'ht7 (ut if you are last and it is
checked to you8 'o ahead and 6et your three Jueens for !alue7 ;ou will
"ro6a6ly 6e called 6y anyone with kin's>u"8 a smaller set8 and "ossi6ly some
worse hands8 too7 It is also "ossi6le that someone made a strai'ht8 and is
"lannin' on check>raisin' you7 5emem6er that you don9t need to ha!e a lock
to 6et7
)atchin' (luffs
+hen decidin' u"on the most "rofita6le course of action on the ri!er8 you
will occasionally ha!e to choose 6etween 6ettin' your hand for !alue and
checkin' to induce an o""onent to 6luff7 This decision must 6e made when
there are "layers remainin' to act 6ehind you7 (asically8 if you do not 6elie!e
you are likely to 6e called 6y a worse hand8 or if you ha!e !ery a''ressi!e
"layers 6ehind you8 it is often 6est to ado"t a strate'y of checkin' and
callin'7 This can e!en 6e done with !ery stron' hands7
For eam"le8 say you ha!e ->.>I>H8 and the 6oard comes $>/>/><>H7 It is
likely that your kin's>u" are 'ood in a "ot with a small num6er of o""onents7
Howe!er8 it is unlikely you will 6e called8 ece"t 6y a hand eJual to yours or
$1I
"ossi6ly a Back7 This is another situation in which checkin' to an a''ressi!e
"layer has some !alue7 If you check8 he mi'ht try to steal the "ot8 ho"in' that
you ha!e missed your low draw and will now fold to a 6et7
-'ainst a callin' station8 thou'h8 6ettin' for !alue is "ro6a6ly 6est7 (ein'
aware of your o""onents9 "layin' styles is worth many 6ets in this and
similar situations7
Lsin' Scare )ards To ;our -d!anta'e
Sometimes the teture of the 6oard coo"erates to make it more likely that
your 6luff attem"t will 6e successful7 Players tend to "ay off in Omaha ei'ht>
or>6etter unless the 6oard shows a stron' hand that they 6elie!e one of their
o""onents holds7 For eam"le8 a 6oard of ->H>Q>< makes it !ery difficult for
an o""onent to call if he is not holdin' the strai'ht7 Howe!er8 it is !ery
"ossi6le that no one has the nuts8 and this !ery well could 6e one situation in
which you will 'et credit for a strai'ht if you 6et7
The !ery idea of 6luffin' into a four>card strai'ht 6oard is not one that occurs
to many "layers7 -ttem"tin' to 6luff here is a 'reat "lay 6ecause 6y the time
you 'et to the ri!er8 the "ot should 6e lar'e enou'h to 'i!e a 'ood "rice on
stealin' it7 Therefore8 this "lay needs to work only occasionally for it to show
a nice "rofit7
Four cards to a wheel8 such as ->$>2>Q>. =or I? is another scary 6oard that
mi'ht 6e worth a steal attem"t8 as lon' as no one has shown !ery much
interest to this "oint7 It will 6e difficult for anyone without a wheel to call
you7 -s with the "re!ious 6luff8 this "lay needs to work only a small
"ercenta'e of the time to 6e "rofita6le7 Howe!er8 this "lay is a 6ad idea when
the 6oard is $>.>2>I>8 as at least one "layer:includin' you:should ha!e a
wheel7
+hen you are 'oin' for low and the 6oard tri"s u" on the end8 it is
worthwhile sometimes to take a sta6 at the "ot a'ainst a relati!ely small
num6er of o""onents7 There is a 'ood chance that no one will 6e holdin' a
"air8 and most o""onents won9t call a 6et with Bust ace>hi'h when tri"s are on
the 6oard7 ;ou can check down hands like ->$>.>H or ->$>I>Q8 since your
hi'h kicker mi'ht win the "ot for you7 Howe!er8 if you are holdin'
somethin' like ->$>.>28 you ha!e no chance to win unless you 6et7
$1/
-lthou'h a 6luff attem"t is sometimes the only way you can win the "ot8 it is
still im"ortant that you eercise some discretion7 If you consistently try to
6luff the ri!er8 your o""onents will reco'ni%e this and start callin' you down7
The more astute ones will check their 6i' hands to you8 knowin' you may try
a 6luff7 -lso8 it doesn9t matter how scary the 6oard is8 some o""onents Bust
ha!e to see your hand7 Ha!e some res"ect for your chi"s8 and don9t fire in
6luffs when callin' stations are in the "ot7
+ith that in mind8 Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "ots are ty"ically lar'e enou'h on
the ri!er to Bustify a 6luff attem"t into a scary 6oard7 If you are selecti!e and
eecute these 6luffs on "ots with two or fewer o""onents who are tryin' to
"lay well8 you should show a "rofit7
)onclusion
The most im"ortant conce"t to take with you from this section is that
a''ressi!e "lay 'ets rewarded7 +ith that in mind8 remem6er to make raises
that can hel" you win half the "ot8 and to 6et a''ressi!ely when you are
holdin' the nuts7 -lso8 don9t for'et to 6et for !alue when you 6elie!e you
hold the 6est hand8 and kee" some 6luffin' "lays in your re"ertoire7 The lar'e
"ots in this 'ame allow you to err on the side of a''ression8 as your 6ets
don9t ha!e to 6e successful e!ery time to turn you a "rofit7
(ONLS TOPI)S
This section will co!er some related to"ics and "ro!ide more in>de"th
commentary on material already discussed7
Playin' $>.8 ->28 and Similar Hands
Many Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "layers re'ularly "lay hands in which $>. or ->
2 re"resent their 6est "ros"ects for low7 +hile these hands should not 6e
"layed automatically in a full>handed 'ame8 there are times when you should
see the flo" with them7 ;ou will cost yourself some "rofita6le o""ortunities
if you automatically fold these hands7
Position influences when these ty"es of hands 6ecome "laya6le7 It is
"ro6a6ly 6est to "lay $>. and ->2 hands when you are near the 6utton8 as you
can more accurately 'au'e when an o""onent has you 6eat for low7 -lso8 if a
$11
few 'ood "layers ha!e already entered the "ot8 you9ll know your low draw is
assuredly not the 6est7 -dditionally8 the cards you need to flo":aces in the
case of $>.8 and deuces and threes in the case of ->2:are "ro6a6ly not li!e7
Therefore8 foldin' is usually the ri'ht mo!e7
Sometimes the field will fold around to you in a late "osition when you ha!e
a hand like $>.>2>1 =suited?7 In the case of the $>.>2>18 it is likely that the ace
you need to make the nut low is Juite li!e in the deck8 which makes your
hand more "laya6le7 -lso8 you will ha!e "osition on the 6linds7 - raise is
"ro6a6ly your 6est "lay8 es"ecially if the 6linds are ti'ht "layers who will
fold without a stron' hand7 )allin' is fine if there are loose "layers in the
6linds7 Howe!er8 if it9s folded around to you on or near the 6utton and you
are holdin' ->2>/>0 =suited?8 you should "ro6a6ly raise rather than call7
There are three reasons for thisK
=1? ;ou ha!e one of the aces in your hand8 makin' it less likely for one of the
6linds to ha!e a 'ood hand7 This may increase your chances of winnin' the
6linds7
=$? ;ou9re unlikely to make the nut low8 and raisin' may cause an o""onent
with $>. or ->2 to fold7
=.? The 6linds are also likely to fold hands dominated 6y middle cards8 which
increases the hi'h "otential for your own middle cards7
If a late "osition "layer has o"ened the "ot for a raise8 and you are net with a
hand like ->2>I>H or ->2>H>Q8 you should consider reraisin'8 ho"in' to "lay
the "ot heads>u"7 Lnless your o""onent has two aces8 your hand has a 'ood
chance to win the hi'h7 -lthou'h your o""onent likely has a 6etter low draw8
you hold 6etter hi'h "otential7 ;ou also ha!e "osition8 which should allow
you to steal the "ot if your o""onent doesn9t connect with the flo"7
+hen se!eral "layers are in8 hands containin' $>. or ->2 mi'ht still 6e
"laya6le7 ,enerally8 you want to "lay these hands for only one 6et8 thou'h8
and it is im"ortant that your other two cards ha!e some !alue7 Hands such as
$>.>2>/8 $>.>Q>H =suited?8 ->2>/>Q8 and ->2>13>< are "ro6a6ly worth a call
when se!eral "layers ha!e lim"ed in front of you7 Howe!er8 hands like $>.>1>
138 $>.>4>H8 ->2>0>H8 or ->2>1>4 6elon' in the muck7
$10
Ha!in' (acku" )ards for Low Hel"
How hel"ful is ha!in' 6acku" cards for low hel"E The short answer to this
Juestion isK !ery hel"fulF Take a look at the followin' fi'uresK
=1? +hen you flo" the nut low draw without a 6acku" card8 you will
com"lete the hand a6out I1V of the time7
=$? Howe!er8 you will "air your low draw =6e counterfeited? nearly $IV of
the time on the turn and ri!er7
=.? ;ou will make your low draw on the turn a6out .2V of the time8 and then
6e counterfeited on the ri!er 1.V of the time7
=2? +hen you flo" the nut low draw with 6acku"8 you will com"lete the hand
13V of the time7
=I? Only .V of the time will 6oth the turn and ri!er counterfeit your hand
when you ha!e 6acku"7
These num6ers clearly demonstrate why ha!in' etra low cards in your hand
is so im"ortant7 Since you will 6e counterfeited nearly $I "ercent of the time
when you only ha!e a two>card low>draw8 it9s Juestiona6le how a''ressi!ely
you can "lay7 The added !alue of the additional low card "ermits a far more
a''ressi!e a""roach7 -nother 6onus of the 6acku" card is that you ha!e far
'reater strai'ht "otential7 For eam"le8 with a 6oard of 2>I>H8 there is a hu'e
difference 6etween holdin' Bust an ->$ =four cards to com"lete your strai'ht?
!ersus an ->$>. =thirteen cards to com"lete your strai'ht?7
+hy Hin's>L" Is the (est Two Pair To Flo"
(esides the o6!ious fact that kin's>u" 6eat Jueens>u" in a showdown8 there
are other 'ood reasons to consider kin's>u" to 6e the only two "air in Omaha
ei'ht>or>6etter that is of much !alue7 First8 since a kin' is a hi'h card8 its
"resence on the 6oard makes it more difficult for a low hand to 6e made7
-lthou'h aces>u" would 6e the 6est two "air8 when an ace is on the 6oard it
is far more likely that the "ot will 6e s"lit with a low hand7
Since kin's are the hi'hest cards in the deck other than aces8 it is unlikely
that they will lose to a 6etter two "air7 S"ecifically8 it will take a 6etter kin's>
u" hand to 6eat them7 -s a 'ood Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "layer8 you will
'enerally ha!e an ace in your hand when you flo" kin's>u"8 so if the ace then
hits8 you will now make the to" two "air7 -lthou'h to" two "air is a dicey
$14
hand a'ainst se!eral o""onents8 it should win a 'ood "ercenta'e of the time
a'ainst a small field7
- maBor "ro6lem with two "air is that there will nearly always 6e a strai'ht
"ossi6ility when the 6oard is un"aired7 In fact8 in order for no strai'ht to 6e
"ossi6le8 there must 6e a kin'8 a Jueen8 or 6oth on the final 6oard7 This 'rants
a little etra !alue to kin's>u" or Jueens>u"7
- hand like ->2>13>< with a flo" of <>13>/ is in trou6le e!en thou'h it is most
likely the 6est hand on the flo"7 There are lots of dan'erous turn cards8 and
e!en more "eril waitin' on the ri!er7 -ny o!ercard "roduces the "ossi6ility
of someone makin' either a strai'ht or a hi'her two "air7 =This won9t 6e the
case if you flo" kin's>u"8 6ecause the strai'ht could still 6eat you8 6ut a
hi'her two "air will not7? - low card "ro!ides a tem"orary re"rie!e8 as your
two "air is still likely to 6e the 6est hand7 Howe!er8 e!ery low card creates an
additional strai'ht draw of some sort8 and e!ery ri!er card in the deck that
doesn9t "air the 6oard creates the "ossi6ility of a strai'ht7 These ty"es of
hands ha!e a chance a'ainst a few "layers8 6ut are in trou6le if you are
una6le to narrow the field7
Playin' Shorthanded
Playin' shorthanded Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter:that is with four or fewer
"layers:is dramatically different from "layin' in a rin' 'ame7 Pro6a6ly the
most distinct chan'e is in the !alues of startin' hands7 In a full 'ame8 few
hands without an ace are "laya6le7 Of these8 most are hands with four hi'h>
cards7 If you9re "layin' shorthanded8 howe!er8 you cannot afford to sit and
wait for 'reat startin' cards7 Not only do they not come around !ery often8
they don9t win with the same "ercenta'e as "remium hands in other 'ames7
Premium startin' hands in full 'ames are so !alua6le 6ecause they can
im"ro!e to make nut hands8 which is freJuently what it takes to win the "ot7
In a shorthanded 'ame8 howe!er8 you 'enerally don9t need to show the nuts
to win7 Hi'h hands8 such as any two "air8 or lows as weak as the fourth nuts
will often 'et the money7 This allows you to "lay a 6roader ran'e of hands7
Hands such as .>2>I>/ =dou6le>suited? are trash in rin' 'ames a'ainst se!eral
"layers8 6ut are well a6o!e a!era'e in a three> or four>handed 'ame7 In a
shorthanded 'ame8 you are lookin' for !ersatile hands more than sim"ly nut
$$3
"otential8 and the a6o!e hand is a "oster child for !ersatility7 E!en a low hand
as weak as .>2 or .>I mi'ht 6e 'ood enou'h in a shorthanded 'ame8 as your
o""onents won9t necessarily ha!e ->$ or ->.7 -'ainst a full ta6le8 thou'h8
someone is more likely to show you a 6etter low7
The necessity of holdin' an ace in your hand is less "ronounced in a
shorthanded 'ame7 This is not to say that aces aren9t still the 6est cards in the
deck7 It9s Bust that8 ty"ically8 aces are reJuired to make nut hands:lows or
flushes8 in "articular:and the need to make the nuts is not as 'reat7
How does this fact affect your decision>makin'E Mainly8 it means that
!ersatile hands such as the aforementioned .>2>I>/ =dou6le>suited? 6ecome
much more "laya6le8 and hands such as ->$>$>0 6ecome more mar'inal7 The
fact is that while ->$>$>0 may make the nut low8 which is 'ood enou'h to
win half of a "ot8 it will 6e hard>"ressed to scoo" without some miracle 6oard
such as .>2>0>0>Q7 It is im"ortant to look at a hand9s scoo" "otential8 and
hands with little chance to scoo" should 6e a""roached more conser!ati!ely
in shorthanded 'ames7 If you take half of a "ot heads>u"8 you make no money
=ece"t for half of "ossi6ly forfeited 6linds?8 6ut if you take half of a
multiway "ot8 you do make money7 So8 you should 6e much more reluctant to
"lay low>only hands shorthanded7
One ty"e of hand that 6ecomes more "laya6le in shorthanded 'ames is a 6i'
"air with two low cards7 For eam"le8 hands like ->1>H>H =either suited or
unsuited? should 6e folded in a full 'ame7 (ut this is usually a raisin' hand in
a four>handed 'ame7 In a three>way "ot8 the kin's may !ery well win the hi'h
e!en if you don9t im"ro!e them7 -nd althou'h ->1 is not much of a low
draw8 it is 'ood to ha!e it for 6acku" should the kin's 'et 6eat7 *on9t
underestimate the !alue of any low draw in your hand when "layin'
shorthanded8 6ecause freJuently none of your o""onents will end u" with a
low7
)ON)LLSIONS
-lthou'h there is a lot to consider when "layin' Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 the
'ame doesn9t ha!e to 6e that com"licated7 If you can learn to "lay Juality
hands in 'ood "osition8 you will a!oid 6ein' confronted with too many
$$1
difficult decisions7 It is crucial to remem6er that in multiway "ots8 it
freJuently takes the nuts to win7 Therefore8 you ha!e to 6e a6le to Juickly
reco'ni%e whether your hand has nut "otential7 -nd if it doesn9t8 you should
usually fold7
In "ots with three or fewer "layers8 hands such as two "air or mediocre lows
ha!e some !alue7 This "ermits you a 6it more leeway in your startin'
reJuirements7 -'ain8 "osition is im"ortant7 The later you act8 the 6etter idea
you will ha!e a6out the num6er of o""onents you9ll face and how stron'
their hands are7
;ou9ll 6enefit from kee"in' in mind the conce"ts discussed in this section as
the hand "lays out7 It is 'ood to remem6er8 thou'h8 that e!ery situation is
sli'htly different7 The wide !ariety of !aria6les8 such as how your o""onents
are "layin'8 the si%e of the "ot8 the num6er of o""onents in the hand8 and
your "osition8 mean that e!ery Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "ro6lem is uniJue7 ;ou
must make the 6est decision you can8 6ased on the information a!aila6le to
you7
5eali%e that "oker is a dynamic 'ame8 in which your decision>makin' has to
ada"t to constantly chan'in' conditions7 -s you 'ain e"erience8 you will
learn to 6etter assess the 'ame8 which will allow you to make 'ood decisions7
The conce"ts discussed in this section should hel" s"eed u" your learnin'
cur!e7
Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter is a 'reat 'ame8 6ecause it "resents a 'reater num6er
of challen'in' decisions than any other form of "oker7 -nd now you know
how to make those decisions "rofita6ly7
$$$
SENEN )-5* STL* HI,H LO+ EI,HT>O5>(ETTE5
6y Todd (runson
The old sayin'8 @The a""le doesn9t fall far from the tree8A is certainly true
when it comes to my son8 Todd (runson7 In 1404 after three years of colle'e8
studyin' to 6e a lawyer8 Todd stunned me 6y announcin' that he wasn9t
'oin' 6ack to school for his senior year7 @I want to 6e a "rofessional "oker
"layer8A he e"lained7 +e had ne!er talked much a6out 'am6lin' in my
household8 and I didn9t e!en know that Todd knew how to "lay "oker7 It
turned out he had 6een "layin' in the area around his colle'e8 Teas Tech in
Lu66ock7 He had 'otten fairly "roficient and decided he liked it more than
his studies7 So at the a'e of $38 Todd started his career as a "ro7
It soon 6ecame a""arent that he had the skills to win7 +hen he was $18 Todd
won first>"lace at the C$338333 main>e!ent in the *iamond <im (rady
tournament at the (icycle )lu6 in Los -n'eles7 It was the first of nine career
wins in 6i' tournaments7
Todd had an uncanny a6ility to remem6er thin's8 e!en as a youn' child7 I9!e
always thou'ht that a "oker "layer9s 'reatest 'ift is the a6ility to recall "ast
hands and e!ents8 and I9m sure that his ama%in' knack for !i!idly
remem6erin' the "ast has hel"ed him a lot7
-llow me to eercise my 6ra''in' ri'hts 6y tellin' you a little story a6out
Todd7 I always knew that he was a 'reat hold9em "layer8 6ut he su""orted my
6elief in s"ades this "ast year in the two 6i''est 'ames I9!e e!er heard of7 -
6rilliant 6usinessman came to Ne'as to challen'e the world9s 6est "oker
"layers7 It was clear to me that his strate'ic ca"a6ilities etended 6eyond
6usiness and into "oker7 He wanted to "lay so hi'h that his "oker challen'ers
needed to "ool their money Bust to accommodate him7 For ten days this
wealthy eecuti!e 6attled different "layers to a standstill8 a !ery rare feat for
someone who doesn9t "ractice day>in and day>out7 +e were all im"ressed7
Then Todd sat down to "lay him heads>u" in a @friendly little 'ameA of
CI38333>C1338333 Teas hold9em7 On the first day of their two>day match8
Todd won C1 million7 He sli""ed a little 6it on the second day8 tallyin' only
C/7I million more7 I9m certain this 'ame will 6ecome a "art of "oker folklore7
Todd9s winnin's in that Teas hold9em 'ame were o!er C$3 million7 He also
$$.
"lays daily in the world9s lar'est on'oin' "oker 'ame8 in which he is one of
the most consistent winners7 (ut8 althou'h his stren'ths at hold9em are
unJuestiona6le8 his insi'hts into se!en>card stud ei'ht>or>6etter are "erha"s
e!en more remarka6le7 That9s why I9!e chosen him to write this cha"ter7
There9s no dou6t in my mind that you9ll 6e hearin' the (runson name in
"oker for years after I9m 'one7
INT5O*L)TION
Se!en>card stud hi'h>low s"lit ei'ht>or>6etter to Jualify for low8 commonly
known as ei'ht>or>6etter8 is found in home 'ames and casinos throu'hout the
world7 In se!en>card stud8 each "layer is dealt three cards to start8 two down
and one u"7 This first u"card is called the doorcard7 There is a round of
6ettin'8 then three more u"cards are dealt to each "layer with a round of
6ettin' followin' each card7 Each "layer then recei!es his final card8 known
as se!enth street or the ri!er8 which is dealt facedown7 - final round of
6ettin' follows7
Throu'hout this cha"ter8 I9ll use eam"les to identify each "layer9s cards7
The first two cards shown will 6e the "layers initial two hole cards and the
net one8 two8 three or four cards are the u"cards7 - final se!enth card will
either 6e shown 6y itself to the ri'ht of the four u"cards or 'rou"ed with the
first two downcards7
In many cases8 your o""onents9 holecards will 6e re"resented 6y 9s8
meanin' they are hidden or 6uried7 Here9s an eam"le where all cards are
shownK
;ouK H>4 />$>.>H 1
Player OneK $>. -><>I>. $
Player TwoK <>< I><>Q>1 4
This eam"le shows the three downcards to'ether "lus the 9s re"resentin'
unknown cards held 6y the o""onents7
;ouK ->$>- I>0>1>13
Player OneK >> Q>2>/>4
Player TwoK >> ->I>0><
$$2
*urin' tournaments8 there are many lower>limit =CI#C13 to C1I#C.3? and
middle> to hi'h>middle limit =C.3#C/3 to C$33#C233? 'ames where less
e"erienced "layers can 6e found7 Lnfortunately8 they seem to dry u" when
the tournament ends7
In the 6i''er limits8 strai'ht ei'ht>or>6etter 'ames are rare8 6ut usually they
are an im"ortant "art of the com"osite that makes u" the mied 'ames7 If you
ha!e any as"irations of risin' to the to" in "oker8 you must learn all the
'ames8 es"ecially ei'ht>or>6etter7 It9s almost always included in the mied
'ames7
If you9re una6le to find low>limit trainin' 'ames in your area8 you mi'ht
need to 'et e"erience in medium>limit 'ames7 ,ranted C.3#C/3 or CI3#C133
are etremely hi'h limits to start out on8 6ut 6esides this 6ook8 e"erience is
the most im"ortant wea"on in your "oker arsenal7 +hile smaller ei'ht>or>
6etter 'ames are not "o"ular in Las Ne'as8 they eist in your local card
rooms and on the internet7 Enterin' smaller 6uy>in tournaments is another
'ood way of 'ainin' e"erience without "uttin' too 6i' a strain on your
6ankroll7
One 6it of 'ood news on the 6ankroll frontK ;our swin's should 6e much
lower in ei'ht>or>6etter than in many other forms of "oker7 First8 you9ll "lay
fewer startin' hands7 -nd second8 of the low hands you start with8 you will
usually 'et out of the "ot early8 or find yourself with a "laya6le low draw
after four cards7 In this case8 you9ll make a low the maBority of the time8
which will win you at least half of the "ot7 -s you follow alon'8 remem6er
that the lowest e"osed card is forced to start the 6ettin' 6y makin' a token
6lind 6et7
Once you find a "lace to start your ei'ht>or>6etter career8 read and memori%e
the conce"ts in this cha"ter8 then Bust try and kee" it sim"le7 Lnlike many
other forms of "oker8 in ei'ht>or>6etter8 you usually ha!e to show down a
hand7 This means8 don9t try and 'et too fancy too Juickly7 -t first8 kee" it
sim"le and "lay !ery strai'htforward "oker7 The time to make "lays will
come8 6ut first you must know how to reco'ni%e the "ro"er situation7 My
ad!iceK (e "atientF
For this 6ook8 I ha!e "icked what I feel are the ei'hteen most im"ortant
$$I
conce"ts needed to master ei'ht>or>6etter7 The followin' is the most
im"ortant of all the conce"ts8 not Bust in ei'ht>or>6etter 6ut all s"lit 'ames7
So8 I9m 'oin' to start my cha"ter with this rule7
)ON)EPT 1K
S)OOPIN,:THE PL-TINLM 5LLE
The o6Bect of the 'ame is winnin' the whole "ot8 also known as scoo"in'7 Of
all the conce"ts I9ll co!er in this section8 this one is the most im"ortant7 I
can9t em"hasi%e this "oint stron'ly enou'h7 ;ou9!e heard of the ,olden
5uleE +ell since this is twice as im"ortant8 I call it my Platinum 5ule7 +hen
you are decidin' whether or not to enter a "ot or "roceed to the net street8
you should always ask yourself8 @)an I scoo" this whole "otE Or am I
"layin' for halfEA If you are only "layin' for half8 stron'ly consider foldin'7
There are ece"tions to this rule8 and we9ll co!er these later in the cha"ter8
6ut always kee" this rule in mind7 Tattoo it into your memory7
<ust as the continental di!ide se"arates the eastern and western Lnited States8
this conce"t se"arates mediocre "layers from 'reat ones7 Etremely smart
and successful "eo"le "lay this 'ame for decades8 learn the ins and outs of
the 'ame8 and then fore!er 6reak e!en:or lose7 This conce"t sim"ly eludes
"eo"le for some reason7 Learn and "ractice my Platinum 5ule and you will
ha!e a le' u" on some more seasoned !eterans7
)ON)EPT $K
TH5EE (I, O5 TH5EE LITTLE8 (LT NENE5 TH5EE IN THE MI**LE
Three (i'
If you9re "layin' a "air8 you9ll want the 6i''est "air7 Ne!er "lay catch>u" like
you mi'ht in stud hi'h7 Two Backs with a kin' kicker a'ainst a raiser with a
Jueen u" is a 'ood s"ot in stud hi'h8 6ut usually not in ei'ht>or>6etter7 There
are two reasons for this7 First of all8 in stud8 there9s a real 'ood chance that
the raiser doesn9t actually ha!e the two Jueens7 - three>flush8 three>strai'ht
or a smaller "ocket "air are actually more likely7 Therefore8 a call with Backs
in stud is usually a sound "lay7 This is not so in ei'ht>or>6etter thou'h7 +hen
$$/
a Jueen comes in with a raise in ei'ht>or>6etter8 he will usually ha!e what
he9s re"resentin'8 a 6i' "air7 This is a much more strai'htforward 'ame than
strai'ht hi'h7
- second reason you won9t want to "lay less than the 6i''est "air in ei'ht>or>
6etter is that you will most likely "ick u" at least one hitchhiker 'oin' low7
Now8 not only are you a do' to win the hi'h half of the "ot8 there9s a 'ood
chance the low half will 6e 'one8 e!en if you mana'e to draw out on the
Jueens7 -nd you also need to consider the fact that the low hitchhiker may
make a strai'ht or some other hand that 6eats you7
So8 like I said in the 6e'innin' of this conce"tK -lways try and start with the
6i''est "air7
Three in the Middle
-!oid s"lit nines8 tens8 and e!en Backs or Jueens on third street if you ha!e
o!ercards 6ehind you7 There are two ece"tions to this rule8 and they 6oth
come into "lay on rare occasionsK
=1? There9s nothin' hi'her than an 0 on the 6oardD or
=$? ;ou are low with s"lit ei'hts or another low "air7
In the latter scenario8 you would sim"ly re!ert to se!en>card hi'h strate'y
and "lay under"airs with a kicker hi'her than your o""onent9s u"card7
Three Little
The three little cards com"onent of this conce"t is 6asically self>e"lanatory7
-ll three of your startin' cards need to 6e 6elow an ei'ht7 Howe!er8 Bust
6ecause all three are 6elow an ei'ht doesn9t mean it9s a "laya6le hand7 ;ou
will usually need some ty"e of hi'h "otential to accom"any your low7 This
leads to our net conce"t7
)ON)EPT .K ST-5TIN, LO+ H-N*S
Three Suited (a6ies
The mother of all low startin' hands is the three suited @6a6ies7A (a6ies8 for
the "ur"ose of this section8 are aces throu'h ei'hts7 If your hand contains an
ace or a three>strai'ht8 so much the 6etter7 This hand is only sur"assed in
$$1
!alue 6y a rolled>u" handD that is8 three of a kind7 +hen you ha!e three suited
6a6ies8 the more o""onents still in8 the 6etter7 If you are the first to enter the
"ot8 raise as you normally would7 If it has already 6een raised and there are
"layers 6ehind you8 Bust call:don9t shut out any customers7 If you are last to
act with no "layers 6ehind you8 'o ahead and "ut in the etra raise8 a mo!e
that mi'ht dis'uise your hand to less e"erienced "layers7 More e"erienced
"layers may "ut you on this hand8 so the etra raise definitely has a
draw6ack7 Play it 6y ear8 6ut when you are undecided on the correct "lay8
lean hea!ily toward raisin'7
No>,a""ers
The net 6est startin' low hand is the three>strai'ht7 In this 'ame8 no>'a""ers
are o6!iously the 6est o"tion 6ecause there are ei'ht "ossi6le cards that
would 'i!e you an o"en>ended strai'ht draw to 'o with your low draw:in
other words8 a monster7 These hands includeK />1>08 I>/>18 2>I>/8 .>2>I8 $>.>
28 and es"ecially ->$>.7 ;ou also ha!e ei'ht cards to 'i!e you a 'utshot to 'o
with your low draw7 Not eactly a monster8 6ut not too sha66y8 either7
The I>/>1 and the />1>0 are es"ecially 'ood com6inations a'ainst strictly
hi'h hands7 +ith the />1>08 you can catch a 4 or a 13 to im"ro!e your hand
6ut still kee" that new stren'th com"letely hidden from your o""onent7 The
I>/>1 can also catch a 4 that will ne!er look like a 'ood card to your
o""onent7 For eam"leK
Eam"le One
;ouK />1 I>.>4
Player OneK H>Q H>Q>4
In this eam"le8 Player One would most likely 6et out on fifth street8 thinkin'
you cau'ht 6ad7 ;ou now ha!e an easy raise8 ha!in' ei'ht outs =four aces and
four twos? to s"lit8 and ei'ht more outs =four fours and four ei'hts? to scoo"
the whole "ot8 not once8 6ut twice:on sith street and the ri!er7
Eam"le Two
;ouK />1 0>2>13
Player OneK H>Q H>Q>4
-'ain8 Player One will assume that the 13 was a 6ad card for you7 In reality8
$$0
you now ha!e two chances to hit twel!e outs for low and ei'ht outs to scoo"
the whole "ot7 For you8 a raise is e!en easier in this situation since you ha!e
four more outs for low than in the first eam"le7 Notice that you could also
catch a 4 on fifth street with the same results7
One>,a""ers
The net su6set of hands are the one>'a""ersK I>/>08 I>1>08 2>I>18 2>/>18 .>2>
/8 .>I>/8 $>.>I8 $>2>I8 ->.>2 and ->$>27 Ece"t for the hands with an ace8
you can catch four cards that will 'i!e you an o"en>end strai'ht to 'o with
your low draw7 -s with the no>'a""ers8 ei'ht cards will 'i!e you a 'utshot7
For instanceK
Eam"le One
;ouK .>I /
Player OneK > 0
In this eam"le8 if Player One raised comin' in8 you would sim"ly want to
call7 ,ranted8 if you and your o""onent are 6oth 'oin' low8 you ha!e the 6est
low draw7 (ut if he has s"lit ei'hts or a 6uried o!er"air8 you would 6e well
6ehind in the hand7 -lso8 re'ardless of his holecards8 you can9t e!en 6eat the
0>hi'h7
If you catch an ace8 $8 28 or 1 on fourth street8 you9ll want to raise Player
One8 re'ardless of what he catches:the one "ossi6le ece"tion 6ein' if you
cau'ht an ace and Player One 6reaks into o"en ei'hts7 If 6oth you and your
o""onent catch 6ad8 you should call7 This is one of the rare situations in
ei'ht>or>6etter where you could consider callin'8 e!en if you catch 6ad and
your o""onent catches 'ood7 There are two reasons for thisK
=1? O6!iously8 your o""onent can catch 6ad on fifth street while you catch
'ood8 makin' you the fa!orite to win the hand7
=$? E!en if he catches 'ood a'ain8 you can still hit siteen cards =an ace8 $8 28
or 1? to "ut you in 'ood sha"e a'ainst his two most likely hands:a made 0>
low or a "air with an 0>low draw7 If he has an o!er"air in the hole that aren9t
aces8 you9re in really 'ood sha"e7
If you hit 6ad a'ain on fifth street8 don9t e!en consider callin'8 re'ardless of
what he catches7
$$4
Two>,a""ers and *ou6le>,a""ers
The final su6sets are the two>'a""er and the dou6le>'a""er7 Two>'a""ers
and dou6le>'a""ers are a6out the same in !alue7 The dou6le>'a""ers areK 0>1>
28 0>I>28 1>/>.8 1>2>.8 />I>$8 />.>$8 I>2>-8 and I>$>-7 The two>'a""ers are 0>
/>28 1>I>.8 />2>$8 and I>.>-7 These hands are fairly 'ood8 6ut the ones
without an ace are still mar'inal7 ;ou should usually call one 6et on third
street with the mar'inal ones8 6ut not two7
;our strate'y would chan'e only if 6oth o""onents 'o hi'h8 or if one is hi'h
the other has an 0>u"8 and you ha!e three cards smaller than the 07 The reason
6ein'K If you make your low8 it will "ro6a6ly 6eat his 0>low7 -lso8 althou'h
it is fairly difficult to make strai'hts with these hands8 it9s not im"ossi6le7
(oth the two>'a""ers and dou6le>'a""ers ha!e twel!e cards to catch to "ick
u" a low draw and ei'ht cards to "ick u" a 'utshot strai'ht draw to
accom"any the low draw7 They need to de!elo" early in the hand8 es"ecially
in multiway "ots7 Say you ha!e one of these hands in a multiway "ot and you
only catch the low draw without the strai'ht7 If it a""ears that you ha!e the
worst low8 don9t 'et stu66orn7 ,et out7 Here9s an eam"leK
Eam"le One
;ouK 0>2 1>$
Player OneK > />2
Player TwoK > Q>4
In this eam"le8 we should assume that Player Two has s"lit Jueens or some
other hi'h hand7 -s you ha!e no hi'h "ossi6ilities8 you ha!e to fi'ht with
Player One for the low7 -ssumin' Player One didn9t "air8 the only "ossi6le
situation where you could ha!e the 6est low draw would 6e if Player One had
eactly 1>0 in the hole8 which is hi'hly unlikely7 E!en if that were the case8
you would still only 'et the low a6out /3 "ercent of the time7
Most "layers will at least take one card here7 *on9t 6other:sa!e that etra
6et7 It may not seem like much now8 6ut a few of these e"ert sa!es8 tacked
on to the rest of your tally at the end of the ni'ht8 can turn a 6reak>e!en "lay
into a nice win8 or kee" what would ha!e 6een a 6ad loss into a small one7
5emem6er8 e!ery 6et countsF
-ce and Two (a6ies
$.3
Net in the hierarchy of startin' low hands is an ace with any other two low
cards that won9t make a strai'ht7 This hand often will ha!e the 6est low draw8
with the added "otential of hittin' the ace at anytime throu'hout the hand7 It
may not e!en 6e necessary to "air the ace a'ainst another low handD it may
win you the hi'h all 6y itself7 For eam"leK
Eam"le One
;ouK ->. />1>2>4 H
Player OneK .>/ 0>1>13>Q $
Notice that not only do you ha!e a 6oard lock on the low end8 6ut the ace>
hi'h 'i!es you the 6est hi'h as well7 This results in a scoo"ed "ot:the two
sweetest words in all of "oker8 alon' with @;ou win8A @I 'i!e8A @I missed8A
and @That9s 'ood7A
5emem6er8 the ace with two 6a6ies that aren9t 6oth wheel cards can 6e a
'reat hand7 It should 6e "layed !ery a''ressi!ely early on7 ;ou don9t want
any middle "airs han'in' around to steal your hi'h half of the "ot8 and if you
ha!e the ace>u"8 you can 'et rid of e!en 6i' "airs ri'ht away7 )onsider this
eam"leK
Eam"le Two
;ouK 2 >/ -
Player OneK I>/ 2
Player TwoK H>< H
In this eam"le8 you can "ro6a6ly 'et the kin's to fold on third or fourth
street if you catch 'ood7 The trick is to kee" the heat on7 5aise the 6et on
third street or reraise if it 'ets com"leted in front of you7 (ut this is a tricky
hand8 and 'ettin' rid of the kin's is only half the 6attle here7
;ou still ha!e Player One to deal with:that9s the other half of the 6attle7
Now that you9re heads>u" with the 6est hi'h and the 6est low8 a scoo" looks
easy7 (ut looks can 6e decei!in'7 If you make a low8 it will 6e 6est almost II
"ercent of the time8 and Player One9s 2>I>/ will wind u" with the 6est hi'h a
little o!er II "ercent of the time7 Net resultE The 2>I>/ is a6out a one "ercent
o!erall fa!orite a'ainst the ->2>/7 I know this is hard to 6elie!e8 6ut it 'oes to
show you the stren'th of the strai'ht "otential with a 2>I>/7 This shows that
$.1
you9re 6etter off 'ettin' 247I "ercent of a heads>u" "ot with some dead
money in it8 than .$ "ercent of a three way "ot7 So try and 'et those kin's to
foldF
Hands with an 0
On a final note in this conce"t8 I9d like to touch on ei'hts8 6ecause you9re in
Beo"ardy almost anytime you ha!e one in your hand7 This "oint is so com"le
that )once"t 1$ is totally de!oted to it8 6ut I still wanted to touch on it here7
+hen you start with an 0:6e it in a strai'ht draw8 with an ace and another
6a6y8 or e!en when you ha!e the "ro!er6ial monster of three suited 6a6ies:
your hand is almost always mar'inal7 This is true unless you are only u"
a'ainst a hi'h hand7 5emem6er8 an 0 loses to all other low hands ece"t other
ei'hts7
If your 0 is the u"card in your startin' hand8 6e !ery careful7 ;ou mi'ht e!en
want to fold on third street a'ainst a scary 6oard7 ;our o""onents mi'ht 6e
a6le to force you out with a worse concealed 0 of their own8 knowin' that
with an 0>u"8 you9!e 'ot your hands tied7 If your 0 is concealed8 your
o""onents can9t see your weakness8 which will "ro6a6ly sto" them from
Bammin' you out of the "ot7
I9m not su''estin' that you "ass all hands containin' an 07 <ust kee" these
factors in mind and don9t 'et married to the hand7 These are mar'inal
situations that take years of e"erience to handle correctly7 Now that we9!e
co!ered all the low "laya6le hands8 let9s mo!e on to the hi'h hands7
)ON)EPT 2K THE N-LLE OF (I, P-I5S
If you9!e e!er "layed se!en>card stud hi'h>low s"lit with no Jualifier8 you9re
used to throwin' away 6i' "airs in almost any situation8 6ecause it9s nearly
im"ossi6le to scoo" a "ot with these startin' hands7 )on!ersely8 in se!en>
card stud hi'h>low with an ei'ht>or>6etter to Jualify8 these hands ha!e 'reat
!alue7 +hyE Here9s the differenceK In ei'ht>or>6etter8 "layers must Jualify
for low7 If your o""onent fails to do so8 your hi'h hand will scoo" the entire
"ot7 +ith a Jualifier in "lay8 your o""onent can9t freeroll with his unmade
hand7 For instanceK
$.$
Eam"le One
;ouK .>2 />1><>Q
Player OneK H>H 4>$>1>4
If you were "layin' without a Jualifier8 you would ha!e the low half locked
u" with your Back>low:the 6est low hand Player One can make is a kin':
and you would 6e freerollin' with your 'utshot7 Howe!er8 "layin' with a
Jualifier for low8 you now ha!e to catch the I to hit your 'utshot for the
scoo"8 or an ace8 $8 or 0 for a low7 ;ou 'o from a hu'e fa!orite to a hu'e do'
as we shift 6etween the two different 'ames7
-ces
O6!iously8 aces are the 6est "air to start with in any 'ame7 In s"lit 'ames8
aces ha!e the dou6le 6onus of 6ein' 6oth hi'h and low7 Therefore8 aces
com6ined with a low card is a monster that ranks u" there with the three
suited 6a6ies7 +hich hand is 6etter8 thou'h8 is a close call7 In a multiway "ot8
I9d take the three suited 6a6ies8 6ut in a heads>u" "ot8 the aces with a 6a6y is
clearly the 6est hand you can ha!e other than a rolled>u" hand7
So8 how to "lay this monsterE Play it !ery strai'htforward7 5aise or reraise
ri'ht away7 Make the scoo" much more likely for yourself 6y narrowin' the
field7 In the "re!ious section8 I e"lained that it9s 6est to "lay your ace>u"
with two 6a6ies in the hole !ery a''ressi!ely8 and this is whyK ;our
o""onents will 6e confused 6y the way you "lay 6oth hands similarly7 -nd
due to the dece"tion you used earlier8 they9ll often die with their kin's or
Jueens7
-ces without a small kicker should 6e "layed in much the same way7
Ece"tions can 6e made or miin' u" your "lay can 6e done after you9!e
accumulated enou'h e"erience7 In the meantime8 you must know your
o""onent and how he will "lay his hand7 *on9t 'et too tricky with 'ood
"layers who will reco'ni%e what you are doin' and find a way to make your
"lay come 6ack and 6ite you7
Here9s a "lay that should usually 6e used a'ainst no!ice or o!erly a''ressi!e
"layersK If you ha!e s"lit aces and a 6i' card raises in front of you8 Bust call7
;ou can also lim" in from early "osition if there aren9t too many low cards
out7 -fter slow>"layin' on third street8 check>call if you catch hi'h8 6ut 6et
$..
out if you catch low7 This will 'i!e your o""onents the im"ression that you
ha!e a strictly low hand7 Ho"efully you will catch hi'h on fifth street and can
'et in a check>raise7 (ut once you ha!e three low cards showin'8 the Bi' is u"7
Play the hand out accordin'ly8 6y sim"ly 6ettin' out the whole way7 -lmost
no one will fall for a check>raise a'ainst an ace and two other low cards7
Other (i' Pairs
-fter aces8 it9s all downhill from here7 Hin's and Jueens still ha!e !alue8 6ut
much caution must 6e used when "layin' them7 If an ace raises in front of
you8 muck them immediately7 ;es8 your o""onent mi'ht only ha!e two cards
under an 0 to 'o with it8 6ut so whatE If he does ha!e the aces you9re
screwed8 and e!en if he Bust has a low8 he can still hit the ace any time
throu'hout the hand7
So kee" this in mindK +hen u" a'ainst an ace8 6i' "airs de'enerate into
nearly worthless hands7 -lso8 they don9t "lay !ery well in multiway "ots7
Heads>u" a'ainst a smaller "air8 a low not containin' an ace8 or a strai'ht
draw are the ideal situations8 which 6rin's us to our net conce"t7
)ON)EPT IK NENE5 H-NE THE SE)ON*>(EST HI,H H-N*
I9!e already touched on this "oint8 6ut it is so im"ortant that you a!oid
holdin' the second>6est hi'h hands8 that I wanted it to ha!e its own section7
-s I stated earlier8 don9t "lay under"airs without a real 'ood reasonD for
eam"le8 a drunk is "layin' e!ery hand and raises with a kin' and you ha!e
s"lit Backs with an ace7 This is still an iffy "ro"osition unless you can 'et it
heads>u" 6etween the two of you7
-nother time you may want to "lay the second>6est "air is if it9s 6uried and
you ha!e a 6i' card u"7 ;ou can "ro6a6ly scare the 6est hand out of the "ot
and either win it ri'ht there8 or 'et heads>u" with a low draw7 Eam"leK
Eam"le One
;ouK <>< H
Player OneK > $
Player TwoK Q>4 Q
In this eam"le8 Player One would 6rin' it in and Player Two would
$.2
"ro6a6ly raise7 - reraise would make Player Two think you had the 6est hand
with s"lit kin's8 instead of the 6uried Backs you actually ha!e7 Player Two
would now almost certainly fold7 ;ou used the "ower of your u"card alon'
with a little dece"tion to 6luff out the 6est hand7
Other hi'h hands that aren9t too 'ood are three>flushes without little cards
and three 6i' connected cards7 These are 'reat hands in stud8 6ut in ei'ht>or>
6etterE For'et a6out it7
)ON)EPT /K
MIS)ELL-NEOLS ST-5TIN, H-N*S
+e9!e co!ered the hi'h and the low startin' handsD now let9s discuss hands
that ha!e !alue in 6oth directions8 s"ecifically small "airs with ace kickers8
small "airs with 6a6y kickers8 and three>flushes with two 6a6ies7
Small Pairs with -ce Hickers
I know I9!e said o!er and o!er that you should ne!er ha!e the second>6est
hi'h hand8 6ut I also said that there are ece"tions to rules8 and this is one of
them7 - "air 6elow ei'hts with an ace kicker has a lot of !alue a'ainst a 6i'
"air other than aces8 and it also has the added !alue of its two low cards7 If
heads>u" a'ainst a 6i' "air8 this hand should 6e "layed out until the end8
unless your o""onent9s 6oard 'ets real scary8 that is8 he "airs his doorcard7 If
you catch small8 there9s a 'ood chance that you will 'et a free card or two
alon' the wayD take them8 and don9t 6other tryin' to 6luff until you make
somethin' here7
If there is a hitchhiker in the "ot who is 'oin' low8 6eware7 ;ou9re now
second 6est in 6oth directions7 Nery dan'erousF If you and the hitchhiker
6oth catch 'ood8 "roceed with caution7 If you catch 'ood and he catches 6ad8
'et rid of him if you can7 If he catches 'ood and you catch 6ad8 take an early
out 8 or @E7O78A in dealer lin'o7 Throw your hand away 6efore you 'et "ut in
the middle7 If you call on fourth street8 you9ll almost certainly 6e in that
!ulnera6le "osition7
Small Pairs with a (a6y Hicker
- small "air with a 6a6y kicker is a much more mar'inal hand7 Prefera6ly8
$.I
you9ll want a two>strai'ht with your "air8 and you9ll need to catch 'ood here
ri'ht away8 no matter what the circumstances7 - "ossi6le ece"tion would
come into "lay if you were heads>u" a'ainst another low card and you 6oth
cau'ht 6ad7 (y catchin' 6ad8 I mean a 4 or hi'her7 If you9re lucky enou'h to
hit an ace ri'ht off8 "lay it a''ressi!ely7 If you9re e!en luckier and make tri"s
ri'ht away8 6et out8 and if you then catch 6ad on fifth or sith street8 'o for
the check>raise7 *on9t 'et stu66orn with this mar'inal hand7 *on9t e!en "lay
it if you don9t think you can "ass or take your free cards when a""ro"riate7
Three>Flush with Two (a6ies
Finally8 there is the three>flush with two 6a6ies7 If your u"card is a 48 138 or
Back and a 6i''er card raises8 you9ll "ro6a6ly want to "ass immediately7 ;our
hand will 6e too o6!ious to your o""onents8 and you9re less likely 'et "aid
off if you make your hand7 +hen you ha!e the three>flush with the 6i''est
card u"8 "lay it a''ressi!ely8 re"resentin' that "air7 ;ou9ll 'i!e yourself an
etra chance to win if your o""onents catch 6ad or make small "airs7 -lso8
when you wind u" makin' a low8 no one will sus"ect it7 Eam"leK
Eam"le One
;ouK $E .E HE IE /E QE 0E
Player OneK 2E 1E 0E IE 13E /E <E
If you came into the "ot with a dou6le raise on third street8 Player One will
ne!er 'i!e you credit for a three>flush7 ;our hand is so well dis'uised that
Player One can9t hel" 6ut lose many etra 6ets with his 0>hi'h strai'ht7
Now8 if you start your three>flush with a low card and not>so>low card 6uried
and a low card u"8 your "lay should 6e much sim"ler7 *on9t try to 'et fancy
here8 Bust make it look like any other low7 ;ou mi'ht e!en im"ro!e into a
flush draw and 6e forced to fold with this kind of hand7 Here9s an eam"leK
Eam"le Two
;ouK .E <E IE QE 4E
Player OneK > /E $E IE
Player TwoK > HE -E 0E
In this hand8 Player Two will most likely 6et7 ;ou would call here and hold
your 6reath8 ho"in' Player One "aired alon' the way and won9t raise7 If he
$./
does raise8 Player Two will certainly reraise8 and you9ll ha!e no choice 6ut to
fold8 knowin' Player One either made his low or is re"resentin' that he did7
This is another time when my Platinum 5ule comes into "layK Ne!er "lay for
half7
If you still don9t understand the Platinum 5ule this "erfectly illustrates its
im"ortance7 The low half is already 'one and you are an underdo' to 'et the
hi'h half7 +ould you like to draw to a flush under these circumstancesE If
you answered yes8 "lease come find me in the to" section of the (ella'io and
sit in my 'ame7
Three>Strai'ht with a 4>Hi'h
I9m 'oin' to include one more scenario that rarely arises7 Say you ha!e the
lowest card and you ha!e a three>strai'ht with a 4 and two other cards 0 or
6elow8 such as 1>0>48 />1>48 />0>48 or e!en I>/>47 These hands are only
"laya6le a'ainst hi'h hands without low "ossi6ilities7 +hile these hands are
usually un"rofita6le in strai'ht>hi'h se!en>card stud8 the chances of 6ackin'
into a low and sal!a'in' half the "ot make them worthwhile in ei'ht>or>
6etter7 Ne!er 'et in!ol!ed with these a'ainst a 6a6y7
Now that we9!e co!ered startin' hands8 let9s mo!e on to how you9ll want to
"lay them on later rounds7
)ON)EPT 1K
PL-;IN, (I, P-I5S
-'ainst One O""onent
+hen "layin' a 6i' "air8 you will usually 6e the only "layer 'oin' hi'h and
will 6e u" a'ainst either one or more low hands7 Let9s start with the sin'le
o""onent 'oin' low7
+hen "layin' a 6i' "air a'ainst one "layer who starts with a 6a6y8 you
should check if he catches another low card that can 'i!e him a strai'ht or a
flush draw7 If he 6ets8 only call himD 6ut if he catches a 6i' card:a 4 throu'h
kin'8 or another low card with many 'a"s:you should 6et7
Eam"le One
;ouK H>13 H>/
$.1
Player OneK > 0>. offsuit
;ou should 'o ahead and 6et in this situation7 -lthou'h Player One has
"ro6a6ly "icked u" a low draw8 his 6oard is !ery weak for hi'h7 Make him
"ay to draw7 -lso8 the three mi'ht ha!e "aired Player One8 in which case he
has few low "ossi6ilities and a much worse hi'h hand than you7 On fifth
street8 check>call if Player One catches a third 6a6y and 6et if he catches 6i'7
Eam"le Two
;ouK H>13 H>/
Player OneK > 2>I offsuit
Lnlike the first scenario8 you should definitely check when faced with this
situation7 The reason for the check is that Player One easily could ha!e
"icked u" a strai'ht draw as well as a low draw8 makin' him the fa!orite7 -
call is still definitely warranted8 howe!er7 5emem6er8 he may ha!e "aired or
started with a "air or three>flush7 -s in the "re!ious eam"le8 check>call on
fifth street if Player One catches a third 6a6y and 6et if he catches 6i'7
Eam"le Three
;ouK H>13 H>/
Player OneK > $>1 suited
Eam"le Three is not as clear cut as the first two8 6ut a check is still the 6est
o"tion7 Player One will almost always 6et when checked to8 so the street 'ets
6et anyway and a small amount of dece"tion is 'ained 6y your check7 If
Player One did "air se!ens on fourth street8 then catches 6ad on fifth8 he may
call you down with his se!ens 6ecause of your check on fourth street7
-lso8 in Eam"le Three8 if Player One started with the mother of all low
hands8 three suited 6a6ies8 you are a monster do'7 E!en if your o""onent has
only three suited cards8 6ecause of his low draw8 he still has a 6i' ad!anta'e
o!er you7 Play conser!ati!ely here and check>call7
Once a'ain8 if Player One catches a third 6a6y on fifth street8 check>call8 and
if he catches 6i'8 6et7
Howe!er8 if Player One catches a 6i' card that is suited to his first two8 you
should definitely check here7 ;ou can call8 6ut if your o""onent catches
another suited card on sith street8 you9ll "ro6a6ly ha!e to fold:unless you
$.0
ha!e two "air7 If Player One catches another low on sith street that is offsuit8
you should use a cryin' call here and on the end7 If Player One catches
another suited 6a6y card8 you should fold and run screamin' from the ta6le7
*isre'ardin' the suits8 if Player One makes four o"en 6a6ies in any of these
eam"les8 it9s "ro6a6ly 6est to fold a "air of kin's7 5emem6er8 it9s 'oin' to
cost two 6i' 6ets to see the hand out8 not Bust the one "ut in on sith street7 If
you ha!e im"ro!ed to tri"s or kin's>u"8 you will Bust ha!e to hold your 6reath
and
check>call on sith and se!enth streets8 ho"in' for the 6est7 ;ou9re not
6reakin' the Platinum 5ule here 6ecause at this "oint8 the 6est is still a scoo"8
as Player One could ha!e made two "air and missed his low8 or he could ha!e
started with a 6uried "air or a three>flush7
-'ainst Multi"le O""onents
Let9s mo!e on to the second and trickier half of this conce"tK Playin' the 6i'
"air a'ainst multi"le o""onents 'oin' low7
+hen holdin' a hi'h "air a'ainst multi"le o""onents 'oin' low8 don9t "ut
etra 6ets in on third street unless you feel that you can narrow the field 6y
doin' so7 +ait until fourth street8 when some "eo"le catch 6ad8 to "ut the
"ressure on7
Eam"le One
;ouK H>4 H
Player OneK > 2
Player TwoK > /
Player ThreeK > $
Let9s say that in Eam"le One8 you com"lete the 6et and are raised 6y Player
One8 only to 6e called 6y Players Two and Three7 -s I stated earlier8 you
should Bust call here and see what de!elo"s7 Now let9s say the net round of
cards looks like thisK
;ouK H>4 H>13
Player OneK > 2>1
Player TwoK > /><
Player ThreeK > $><
$.4
Now is the time to weed out the field7 (et out8 knowin' that Player One will
raise you7 If Player Two or Three is stu66orn enou'h to call the dou6le 6et
here8 'o ahead and really "unish them with another raise and make them "ay
to draw7 It will rarely ha""en that "layers catch 6ad and call multi"le 6ets
once an o""onent catches 'ood8 6ut e!en a so>called e"ert recently wrote
that he would call a ca" with ->$>. on fourth street in this s"ot after he
cau'ht a 6i' card7 That9s a terri6le mo!e 6ecause that "layer would then ha!e
the worst hi'h and the worst low7 )allin' would 6e suicidal7
Now8 let9s say the hand de!elo"s as follows insteadK
;ouK H>4 H>13
Player OneK > 2>1
Player TwoK > />I
Player ThreeK > $>I
Proceed with etreme caution7 )heck8 and if it9s two 6ets 6ack to you8 'et out
early and sa!e those 6ets7 E!en for one 6et you may want to concede the
hand here and now8 rather than 'ettin' sucked down the tu6e7 5emem6er8 6i'
"airs "lay well a'ainst one low hand 6ut "oorly a'ainst multi"le low hands7
This 6asically sums u" conce"t se!en 6ut I want to touch on one other
situation 6riefly7 +hat do you do when you "ick u" a hitchhiker who is also
'oin' hi'h when you ha!e the 6i' "airE
Eam"le Two
;ouK Q>1 Q
Player OneK > 2
Player TwoK > <
The first thin' you need to ask yourself is8 what kind of "layer is your
o""onentE +ould he "lay two Backs hereE +ould he "lay a three>flush hereE
Ho"efully for your sake8 the answer to either of these Juestions would 6e yes7
(ut if I ha""en to 6e Player Two8 the answer is no8 and you are in for a world
of hurt7 I may ha!e an ace>6a6y suited8 6ut chances are I ha!e a concealed
hi'h hand7 -'ain8 in this situation8 you should fold and run screamin' from
the ta6le7 This leads us into our net conce"t7
$23
)ON)EPT 0K
PL-;IN, - )ON)E-LE* HI,H H-N*
+hen you "lay a concealed hi'h hand such as rolled>u" tri"s8 6uried aces8 or
a 6uried "air 6i''er than anyone else9s u"card8 "lay your hand accordin' to
what your u"card re"resents7 In other wordsK
=1? If you ha!e a hi'h card8 raise as you normally would with a 6i' "air7
=$? If you start with a middle card8 raise7 If a 6i''er card reraises you8 Bust
call until you 'et to 6i''er 6ettin' on future streets7
=.? If you catch low8 re"resent a low hand and "lay accordin'ly7 If heads>u"
a'ainst a hi'h hand8 you mi'ht 6e lucky enou'h to catch 6ad on fifth street7
This will allow you to raise and 'et a dou6le 6et in on a 6i' 6et street7
=2? If you catch what a""ears to 6e a 6ad card in a multiway "ot8 allow
yourself to 6e "ut in the middle8 ne!er showin' stren'th8 which would ti"
your hand7
If you are fortunate enou'h to start with a rolled>u" hand and make Juads on
fourth street8 remem6er thisK In se!en>card stud>hi'h8 you should almost
always check this hand on fourth street7 No matter how o6!ious it may seem8
you want to 'i!e your o""onent a chance to make somethin' or some kind of
draw to call you with7
)on!ersely8 in stud ei'ht>or>6etter8 you want to 6et out ri'ht away8 no matter
what7 If your o""onent is 'oin' low8 6et whether he catches 'ood or not7
Make him "ay to draw to his low8 es"ecially if he9s tryin' to 6ackdoor it7
-lso8 e!en if it a""ears he is 'oin' low8 he may also ha!e a concealed hi'h
hand and mi'ht 6e a6le to continue7
)ON)EPT 4K *ISPELLIN, -
LON,>HEL* MIS)ON)EPTION
This is an etremely im"ortant conce"t8 not Bust in ei'ht>or>6etter8 6ut in
almost all forms of stud7 )urious yetE Okay8 let me 6reak it down for you7
;ou9re "layin' in an ei'ht>handed stud 'ame and a !ery ti'ht "layer raises
with an ace>u"7 Since your such a 'ood "layer8 you throw away s"lit kin's7
$21
Now say the same scenario arises a'ain8 only this time two "layers ha!e aces
showin' after three cards7 The same "layer raises8 and then you reraise him8
knowin' it9s less likely anyone can ha!e aces since you9re lookin' at two of
them7 Smart8 ri'htE +ron'7 +hile an ace is 'one8 makin' it less likely a
sin'le "layer would hold aces8 the fact that you9re u" a'ainst two "layers
showin' an ace makes it more likely that you9ll 6e facin' aces in at least one
s"ot7 Still confusedE Let me 6reak it down further7
Situation One
One o""onent has an ace>u"7 +hat are the chances he has s"lit aces or rolled>
u" acesE +e multi"ly three unaccounted for aces 6y .4 other unknown cards
and 'et 111 com6inations of holecards that include a sin'le ace7
. .4 Z 111
There are also three com6inations "ossi6le in which one of your o""onents
has two aces in the hole for tri" aces7
=. $? # =$ 1? Z .
That makes 1$3 total com6inations that 'i!e your o""onent aces or 6etter
=111X.?7 There are 0/1 total com6inations of cards =2$ unknown cards 21
still unknown cards di!ided 6y $? that your o""onent could ha!e in the hole7
So the "layer with an ace u" has aces or 6etter 1$3 out of 0/1 times8 1.742
"ercent of the time8 meanin' he is a /710 to 1 underdo'7
Situation Two
Two o""onents ha!e an ace>u"7 How often will one ha!e aces or 6etterE Now
we ha!e four holecards 6etween the two "layers7 Let9s calculate 6y
multi"lyin' the num6er of unknown cards remainin' as each card 'ets
remo!ed in order to deri!e the total num6er of holecard com6inations7
2$ 21 23 .4 Z $8/0/8.$3
+e di!ide the total num6er of unknown cards 6y $2 holecard com6inations
=2 "ossi6le first cards . "ossi6le second cards $ "ossi6le third cards 1
"ossi6le fourth card? to eliminate the "ossi6ility of countin' the same hand
more than once when the cards are in a different order7 This lea!es 11184.3
com6inations of 6uried cards that your o""onents could ha!e7
$2$
$8/0/8.$3 # $2 Z 11184.3
Lsin' the same formula8 we can calculate the num6er of scenarios in which
eactly one of the four o""osin' holecards will 6e an ace7 Multi"ly the
num6er of non>aces amon' the unknown cards8 238 6y .4 and .08 then di!ide
that num6er 6y / =. $ 1? to eliminate the "ossi6ility of countin'
differently ordered 6ut eJual hands twice8 and you 'et 1481/3 com6inations
of one ace and three non>aces amon' the four o""osin' holecards7
To determine how many com6inations eist in which two of the holecards
will 6e aces8 multi"ly the com6ination of 6oth remainin' aces8 18 6y the
num6er of com6inations of two non>ace cards amon' 23 unknown non>aces8
which is 1I/3 =23 .4?7 Then di!ide that 6y $ =$ "ossi6le first cards 1
"ossi6le second card? to 'et 103 com6inations of two aces and two non>aces
amon' the four o""osin' holecards7
That makes a total of $38I23 com6inations =1481/3 X 103? out of 11184.3
total in which you9ll 6e facin' at least a "air of aces from your o""onents9
hands7 This means you9ll 6um" u" a'ainst aces or 6etter 107.I "ercent of the
time7 It9s only 27II to 1 a'ainst that ha""enin'8 makin' the threat 'reater than
when you face a sin'le ace7
Okay8 enou'h with this com"licated stuff8 Bust remem6erK If there are two
aces out8 it is a6out $2 "ercent more likely that someone has s"lit or rolled u"
aces than if there is only one
ace>u"7
)ON)EPT 13K
5E)O,NIWIN, THE NLT LO+
In all forms of "oker8 es"ecially in ei'ht>or>6etter8 it is !ery im"ortant to
know when you ha!e a 6oard lock8 meanin' that it is im"ossi6le for any
o""onent to ha!e your hand 6eat at that "oint7 ;ou don9t want to 6e raised
out of a "ot when you ha!e a 6oard lock7 Let9s look at an eam"le =all hands
offsuit?K
Eam"le One
;ouK ->2 $>I>1
$2.
Player OneK > 1>/>$
Player TwoK H>H 2>4>H
;ou ha!e a 6oard lock for low with your 1>I low and8 as no one has a strai'ht
or flush "ossi6le8 Player Two has a 6oard lock for hi'h7 -'ain8 it9s
im"erati!e to reco'ni%e when you ha!e the 6est "ossi6le hand8 whiche!er
direction you are 'oin'7 ;ou o6!iously don9t want to 6e raised out with the
6est hand8 and you don9t want to miss any 6ets either7
I9ll add that Bust 6ecause you ha!e a 6oard lock doesn9t mean you should
kee" raisin' as you may still 6e a do' if all the cards aren9t yet out8 e!en if
you ha!e the nuts at the time7
Eam"le Two
;ouK 0>1 />$>.
Player OneK ->$ .>2>13
Player TwoK H>Q H><><
Notice that Player One has a 13>u" and would need another low card to form
an 0>or>6etter low7 ;ou ha!e a low already made8 meanin' you ha!e a 6oard
lock7 Should you kee" raisin' hereE -6solutely not7 ;ou must hit runner>
runner in order to make a hi'h =a6out $3 to 1 a'ainst?8 and you are actually a
do' on the low side 6y a few "ercenta'e "oints7 Of course8 you don9t know
that he has "erfect low cards 6uried8 6ut he9s most likely drawin' 6etter than
you are8 so don9t "ush it8 6ecause you9re most likely "layin' for only half the
"ot7 ;ou would e!en fold if you could see his holecards7
Naluin' a Low6all Hand
The "ro"er way to !alue a low6all hand is from the weakest cards8 not the
stron'est7 For eam"le8 an ine"erienced "layer mi'ht not know that .>2>I>/>
0 6eats ->$>.>1>0 6ecause he mi'ht start countin' from the 6ottom of the
hand8 .>2 or ->$8 instead of the to"8 0>/ or 0>17 (ut as you and I know8 the 0>
/ hand is o6!iously a 6etter low than the 0>17 Similarly8 a 1>/>I>2>-8 a 1>/
hand8 o6!iously would 6e 6etter than an 0>2>.>$>-8 an 0>2 hand7 Notice that
the hands are referred to 6y their two weakest cards7 -n ->$>2>/>1 would 6e
called a 1>/ hand8 as would a $>.>2>/>17 (ut weaker "layers mi'ht not know
ri'ht away that8 in a showdown8 'i!en that the worst three cards8 the 18 /8 and
$22
28 are all identical8 the first hand would win since the $ is lower than the .7
-lthou'h it may seem unnecessary to most readers with a 6ack'round
"layin' ace>to>fi!e low6all8 I want to take time out to make sure e!eryone is
so comforta6le with the low hand !alues that they don9t ha!e to 'i!e it a
second thou'ht at the ta6le7 To do this8 I created the followin' chart to show
the rankin' of all the Jualifyin' low6all hands7 The chart reads from to" to
6ottom8 left to ri'ht8 from the weakest low hand =the 0>1>/>I>2? to the
stron'est =I>2>.>$>-8 the wheel?7
;ou can use this chart to hel" you reco'ni%e when you hold the 6est low
"ossi6le8 'i!en the cards that are in "lay7
Playin' the Second>(est Low Hand
-lthou'h ha!in' the second 6est low hand is not a s"ot you want to 6e in8 it
is sometimes una!oida6le7 This is nowhere near as 6ad as ha!in' the second>
6est hi'h hand7 +hyE
First of all8 you9ll often know for certain when a "layer is 'oin' hi'h7 For
instance8 if an o""onent with a kin'>u" raises into multi"le o""onents on
third street8 he9s definitely tellin' you that he9s 'oin' hi'h7 On the other
hand8 when that same "layer raises into multi"le o""onents on third street
with a .>u" instead of a kin'8 he may 6e rolled u" or may ha!e a 6i' "air in
the hole7 Then a'ain8 he may not7 In the former situation8 you know for sure
which way your o""onent is 'oin'D in the latter you don9t7 ;ou can9t sim"ly
muck all your low hands for fear of 6ein' u" a'ainst a 6etter low7 That9s
es"ecially true when you may 6e the only one that9s actually 'oin' low7 -lso8
Bust 6ecause you9re 'oin' low8 that doesn9t mean you mi'ht not wind u" with
the hi'h end of the "ot7 It9s much easier to im"ro!e your low hand into a hi'h
hand than !ice !ersa7
Take H>H>2 for eam"le7 +ith this startin' hand8 you must catch four
runners to make a low7 Meanwhile a hand like I>/>1 o6!iously has 'reat low
"otential7 The difference 6etween the two hands is that the I>/>1 can easily
de!elo" into a hi'h hand 6y makin' either a strai'ht8 two "air8 or "ossi6ly
e!en a flush:ena6lin' it to scoo" the entire "otF Here are some more
eam"les to dri!e the "oint home7
$2I
Eam"le One
;ouK I>/ 1
Player OneK H>H .
Player TwoK H>< H
Here8 Player Two comes in for a raise8 you call8 and Player One reraises7
+hile this looks scary from the outside8 this is actually one of the 6est s"ots
you can e!er occu"y in ei'ht>or>6etter7 +hile another "layer has a low card
u"8 you are actually u" a'ainst two "layers 6oth 'oin' hi'h7
Eam"le Two
;ouK I>/ 1
Player OneK 0>I . all suited
Player TwoK H>< H
In this eam"le8 the action comes down the same way and a'ain you fear you
ha!e the worst low7 (ut once a'ain8 you are in 'ood sha"e7 +hile Player One
is also 'oin' low8 he isn9t raisin' on the "ower of his low draw 6ut on his
two>way draw7 ;ou ha!e the 6est low draw alon' with some "retty 'ood
"otential for hi'h7
Eam"le Three
;ouK I>/ 1
Player OneK ->$ .
Player TwoK H>< H
+hile in the first two eam"les you were in 'ood sha"e8 in Eam"le Three
you are u" a'ainst it7 (ut e!en thou'h you ha!e the worst hi'h and low
draws8 you can still draw out in either8 or 6oth8 directions7 Part of the 6eauty
of "oker is that the 6est hand at the outset doesn9t always win7 If it did8 I
would 6e sittin' 6y myself u" in the (ella'io "oker room instead of 6ein'
swam"ed with customers7
Try not to make ha!in' the worst low hand or draw a ha6it7 On the contrary8
try to 6e drawin' 6etter than your o""onents the maBority of the time7 <ust
kee" in mind that this is not always "ossi6le8 and remem6er that you can9t
"lay "oker scared7 -''ressi!e usually8 cautious sometimes8 scared ne!erF
$2/
Let9s look at one more eam"leK
Eam"le Four
;ouK $>2 1>I
Player OneK > H>Q
Player TwoK > $>.
In this situation8 you may think you are drawin' to the second>6est low8 and
you "ro6a6ly are7 -lthou'h you mi'ht 6e tem"ted to fold8 you shouldn9t7
;ou should take a card here7 ;our hand still has strai'ht "otential and you
may out>draw him for low anyway7 -n ace will 'i!e you a !ery 'ood low and
a . or a / will 'i!e you a decent low with a 'utshot strai'ht draw for dessert7
Player Two may also ha!e an 0 or a worse 1 =1>/? in the hole8 so kee" the
faith7
)ON)EPT 11K PL-;IN, LO+ H-N*S
In ei'ht>or>6etter8 how low hands are "layed is much of what se"arates the
e"erts from the merely 'ood "layers7 Much of ei'ht>or>6etter is fairly
o6!ious to an e"erienced "layer8 and many of the situations that call for the
e"ert "lays I9!e co!ered8 and will co!er later8 rarely arise7 )on!ersely8 low
hands will 6e a constant "art of your 'ame8 forcin' you into decision after
decision7 Let9s start off 6y addressin' how to "lay these hands as they
de!elo"7
*on9t make a ha6it of Bammin' it or "uttin' etra money in the "ot with mere
low hands on third street7 )om"lete the 6et or Bust call if someone has already
done so in front of you7 Hands such as ->$>/ or $>.>2 are fine startin' hands
and can de!elo" into monsters8 6ut much of the time you will sim"ly catch
6ad and ha!e to fold7
If you do catch 6ad on fourth8 should you call and see fifth streetE This
de"ends on your o""onents9 6oards8 your "osition8 and how many 6ets went
in on third street7 The followin' eam"les illustrate the im"ortance of
"osition and your o""onents9 6oardsK
Eam"le One
;ouK .>2 I><
$21
Player OneK > />1
Player TwoK > H>4
In eam"le one8 you must definitely fold ri'ht away8 e!en if you "ut two 6ets
in on third street7 The reason for this is that if you call Player Two9s 6et8
Player One will definitely raise7 Then Player Two will raise a'ain "uttin' you
in the middle and forcin' you to call at least two8 and "ro6a6ly four more
6ets to stay in the hand7 ;ou will almost certainly 'et Bammed out of the "ot
if you call8 so sa!e that 6et7
Eam"le Two
;ouK .>2 I><
Player OneK > />Q
Player TwoK > H>4
)an you 'uess what the action will 6e in Eam"le TwoE E!en if Player Two
were Ste!ie +onder8 he would still 6et out into these two 6oards7 )all8 cross
your fin'ers8 and say a Juick "rayer7 -'ain8 you must catch 'ood
immediately to continue with the hand7 If not8 ditch it7
,ettin' Quartered
For Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter "layers startin' to "lay stud ei'ht>or>6etter8
remem6er thisK In Omaha8 'ettin' Juartered is a !ery real fear8 e!en when
you ha!e the nuts7 - "ot 'ets Juartered when one "layer has the hi'h and two
"layers ha!e the same low8 or !ice !ersa7 +hen this ha""ens8 the two "layers
with the same hands:usually the low hands:wind u" with only one Juarter
of the "ot and actually lose money if they are two of the only three still in7 In
Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 'ettin' Juartered ha""ens a lot8 e!en when you ha!e
the nuts8 6ecause "layers 'et to "lay two cards out of the four in their hands
and share three of the fi!e community cards7 This makes it considera6ly more
likely that two "layers will wind u" with the same hand7
(ut in stud ei'ht>or>6etter8 this almost ne!er ha""ens8 6ecause you ha!e to
"lay fi!e cards out of your hand and you share none7 Therefore8 when you
ha!e a 6oard lock in stud ei'ht>or>6etter8 'o ahead and ca" it on the end8
don9t sto" raisin' as you would in Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter7 For eam"leK
Eam"le One
$20
;ouK ->$ I>1>0>Q .
Player OneK > />1>0>Q
Player TwoK > ->0>H>4
Okay8 here you ha!e a 1>I8 un6eata6le a'ainst these two 6oards7 The 6est
Player One could ha!e is a 1>/ low and the 6est Player Two could ho"e to
muster is an ei'ht "erfect =0>2>.>$>-? not 'ood enou'h8 unfortunately for
your o""onents7 Hee" the "ressure on here7 5aise and reraise until the cows
come home7 -lthou'h you can9t scoo"8 you ha!e half locked u" for sure7
There are times8 howe!er8 when should not raise e!en when you o6!iously
ha!e the 6est low draw7 There are two reasonsK
=1? ;ou don9t want to knock any6ody out7 ;ou want full !alue7
=$? If you miss8 you wind u" with nothin' anyway7 ;ou lose the minimum as
well as dis'uise the true stren'th of your hand7
Let9s look at an eam"le that illustrates these "ointsK
Eam"le Two
;ouK $>. I>/
Player OneK > H>Q
Player TwoK > ->1
In this eam"le8 you ha!e a multiway "ot with only a low draw and a 'utshot
strai'ht draw for hi'h7 ;ou want to make sure it stays a multiway "ot8 so
don9t raise the o6!ious hi'h hand out of the "ot7 +hen Player Two 6ets out8
Bust call him7 ;ou will accom"lish little 6y knockin' out Player One8 as
Player Two has you 6eat for the hi'h hand ri'ht now anyway7 If you are
lucky enou'h to com"lete your strai'ht8 you9ll want as many !ictims in there
as "ossi6le8 so let him li!e7
If you raise Player One out8 there are times when you will 'et scoo"ed
instead of winnin' the hi'h with a small "air7 +hen this ha""ens8 take a dee"
6reath and take solace in the fact that you "layed your hand correctly7 ;ou
don9t ha!e to win all the 6attles8 Bust the war7
)ON)EPT 1$K (E+-5E THE 0
+hen "layin' your low hands8 6e etremely careful any time you9re drawin'
to an 0 and other o""onents are 'oin' low7 In fact8 unless you ha!e a strai'ht
$24
or flush draw8 or an ace in your hand to 'o alon' with the 08 you shouldn9t
e!en 6e in the hand to 6e'in with7 Hands like $>.>0 mi'ht look 'ood8 6ut ask
yourself8 @+hat am I ho"in' to make with this handEA 5emem6er the
Platinum 5uleF E!en when you ha!e the strai'ht "otential8 whate!er low you
end u" with won9t 6e !ery 'ood7 Here9s an eam"leK
Eam"le One
;ouK 0>$>13 1>2>.>13
Player OneK 2>I>< $>/>Q>1
Player TwoK $>0>- ->.>/>4
This is what you can e"ect to ha""en when you "lay these hands7 Since
you9re drawin' to the worst low8 you9ll "ro6a6ly wind u" with the worst low7
;ou started with no hi'h "otential8 so you 'ot what you deser!ed7 Hands
such as $>.>08 $>2>08 $>I>08 $>/>08 $>1>08 .>2>08 .>I>08 .>/>08 and .>1>0 are all
un"laya6le unless you9re in a multiway "ot a'ainst strictly hi'h hands7
-lthou'h they ha!e no ei'hts8 $>.>18 $>2>18 $>I>18 and $>/>1 are usually
un"rofita6le8 e!en when you are the low card or 6rin'>in7 *on9t fall into the
tra" of "layin' mediocre one>way hands7
+ould you 6uy a 6usiness that was losin' money and had little "otential to
chan'e thatE Of course not7 E!en if you 'ot a chea" "rice on it8 it would still
6e a losin' "ro"osition7 It9s the same when you are the 6rin'>inK <ust 6ecause
you can 6uy this lemon of a hand at a discounted rate8 don9t fall for it7 *od'e
the tra" and sa!e your money7 Here9s an eam"leK
Eam"le Two
;ouK 0>2 $>/>4>< I
Player OneK H>/ H><>/>$ 4
Let9s say you are the low card and ha!e to 6rin' it in7 ;ou did mana'e to 'et
your money 6ack8 so it was worth it8 ri'htE I ho"e you said @+ron'7A If not8
reread this cha"ter8 then take a fi!e>minute time out in the corner and think
a6out your answer7
+hy were you wron' for chasin'E ;ou had to call the com"letion of the 6et
on third street8 a small 6et on fourth8 and 6i' 6ets on fifth and sith to make
your low7 +hat did you accom"lish 6y takin' all this heatE ;ou 'ot your
$I3
money 6ack8 almost all of which you could ha!e ke"t anyway:and half the
antes and half the 6rin'>in:at no risk8 6y muckin' your hand on third street7
That means that in a C$33#C233 'ame8 you risked C181I3 to win a "rofit of
C$$I7 -nd you were an underdo' to 'et that7 In many "oker 'ames8 you
sometimes ha!e to take a stand7 Ei'ht>or>6etter is not one of those 'ames7 If
you like to 'et stu66orn8 stick to limit hold9em or stud hi'h7 ei'ht>or>6etter is
a 'ame of disci"line and "atience7
)ON)EPT 1.K
HEEPIN, T5-)H OF THE LP)-5*S
Hee"in' track of the u"cards is im"ortant in all !ariations of se!en>card stud8
6ut it is im"erati!e in ei'ht>or>6etter:es"ecially when it comes to the 6a6ies7
If you are 'oin' hi'h and there are a lot of low cards out8 you know it will 6e
more difficult for an o""onent to com"lete his low draw7 Likewise8 if he were
showin' three clu6s8 you need not worry nearly as much if three or four clu6s
were seen in other "layers9 hands on third street7 It9s 6est to remem6er each
card 6y suit8 6ut if you can9t8 try to remem6er all the low cards as well as any
du"licates in other "eo"le9s hands and whether there are many cards of one
suit out7
L"cards and Hand 5eadin'
One of the 6eauties of any stud 'ame is that you can 'et an idea of your
o""onent9s hand 6y his u"cards7 In ei'ht>or>6etter8 you can usually tell who9s
'oin' hi'h and who9s 'oin' low and make your "lays accordin'ly7 Hee" in
mind that low hands can de!elo" into hi'h hands and8 to a lesser etent8 !ice
!ersa7 Take this situation8 for eam"leK
Eam"le One
;ouK 1E /E IE 0E QE <E $E
Player OneK $E -E HE <E IE 1E 2E
Notice that Player One started with a 6i' card u"8 cau'ht a card suited to his
first card8 and then followed that with two 6a6ies7 This is a !ery dece"ti!e
$I1
hand7 It looks like he is strictly hi'h 6ut he wound u" with a decent low8 and
actually scoo"s you7 These situations are rare8 6ut they do occur8 so kee"
them in mind7 5emem6er that the cards you9!e seen will hel" you deci"her
your o""onent9s hand7 The followin' scenarios8 thou'h8 are much more
commonK
Eam"le Two
;ouK .>2 1>I>H>. I
Player OneK Q>1 Q>$>13>2 4
Eam"le Three
;ouK .>2 />$><>4 I
Player OneK Q>1 Q>$>13>4 4
In Eam"le two8 you started out 'oin' low only to stum6le into two "air8
winnin' yourself the "ot8 as Player One failed to im"ro!e his "air of Jueens7
In Eam"le three8 Player One im"ro!es to two "air8 only to lose to your
strai'ht7 This is why it9s usually correct to check your hi'h hand on the end
a'ainst a "layer 'oin' low7 If he missed e!erythin'8 you won9t 'et "aid
anyway7 If he has a small "air8 he will most likely fold7 If he made a low8 you
won9t win anythin' anyway8 and if he made a hi'h that 6eats you8 you9ll lose
it all7 Lastly8 if you each made a hi'h hand:most likely two "air:and you
check8 your o""onent will almost always 6et8 ho"in' to 'et "aid off 6y one
"air =unless8 of course you ha!e an o"en "air on 6oard?7 So you see8 the end
'ets 6et anyway:you Bust risked much less7
5eco'ni%in' +hen an O""onent
Pairs His Holecard
-nother ad!anta'e to remem6erin' all the u"cards is that it will hel" you
reco'ni%e when someone has "aired his holecard7 Let9s say a 'ood "layer
calls a dou6le raise with a fi!e>u"8 and there are two sies and two deuces out
on third street7 Now8 that "layer then catches a / on fourth street and a $ on
fifth street to 'o with his I7 There is only one / and one $ left in the deck8 so
chances are he didn9t "air either7 From this you can deduce that this "layer
likely made a strai'ht or at least a !ery 'ood low with a strai'ht draw7 Thanks
to the additional information you 'ained 6y remem6erin' the u"cards on
$I$
third street8 you could muck a 6i' "air here7
Let9s look at an eam"le where you can tell someone actually did "air his
holecardK
Eam"le One
;ouK .>2 $>I><
Player OneK > H><>0
Player TwoK > I>1>0
Let9s say Player One 6ets and Player Two Bust calls7 +hat could Player Two
ha!eE - low without a strai'htE Im"ossi6le7 He would raise to 'et you out7 -
4>hi'h strai'htE -'ain8 he would ha!e to try to raise you out and 'et the
scoo"7 -n 0>hi'h strai'htE Possi6le8 6ut hi'hly unlikely7 +ith the worst
"ossi6le low8 any other low hand would 6eat his8 unless he im"ro!ed8 so he
would want to 'et the low draw out7 So what does Player Two most likely
ha!eE He either started with some kind of hi'h hand8 which is still unlikely
since he didn9t attem"t to raise the low draw out8 or he has made a "air7
Hnowin' this8 what is your 6est course of actionE Pro!ided no aces or sies
were out on third street8 this hand definitely warrants a raise7 ;ou9!e 'ot
ei'ht cards to scoo" and fi!e or si to take half the "ot7 If you make your low8
you know he will need to hit runner>runner to 6eat it8 as he is drawin' to an
0>1 low:if he e!en has a low draw at this "oint7 Here9s another eam"leK
Eam"le Two
;ouK 2>I 1>0
Player OneK > H>Q
Player TwoK > $>/
Player ThreeK > 2>/
In this scenario Player One 6ets8 Player Two raises8 and Player Three folds7
+hat should you doE Most likely8 Player Three "aired his / since he folded
ri'ht away7 Player Two also has a / showin'8 meanin' that there is "ro6a6ly
only one / left in the deck7 Not only is a raise the wron' "lay8 a call here is
tou'h as well8 since you almost certainly ha!e the worst low draw with little
ho"e of de!elo"in' it into a hi'h hand7
I would definitely still take a card on fourth street for one 6et:6ut not for
$I.
two:ho"in' 6oth that Player Two catches 6ad and that I catch 'ood8 or
may6e e!en sna' that miracle /7 NoteK -lthou'h Player Three folded on
fourth street8 the / did not necessarily affect his hand7 He may ha!e started
with s"lit fours8 a "ocket "air8 or a three>flush and failed to catch a fourth
card of that suit7 So8 there is still a fair chance that there are two sies left7
(ut "airin' the sies is sim"ly the most likely scenario that would make
Player Three fold7
(lockers
In the "re!ious eam"le8 the / is what9s known as a 6locker7 5eco'ni%in'
when 6lockers are out can ena6le you to 'et in etra raises you normally
mi'ht not 6e a6le to make7 These situations arise in all forms of stud7 They
are more im"ortant in ei'ht>or>6etter than stud>hi'h8 6ut not as im"ortant as
in ra%%8 which is another name for se!en>card stud ace>to>fi!e low6all7 In
ra%% you can 'o from an underdo' to a hu'e fa!orite8 de"endin' on the other
cards that are out7
Let9s look at another eam"le that illustrates the effect of 6lockersK
Eam"le One
;ouK I>I I>$>.>1
Player OneK > 1>/>2>-
To em"hasi%e the "oint8 let9s say the last I was out on third street7 In this
situation8 you should not only raise Player One8 you should "ut four or more
6ets in8 de"endin' on who your o""onent is7 If you make any low8 e!en an 0>
low8 you can raise with almost no fear of 6ein' scoo"ed7 In order to scoo"8
Player One would need to make a 6etter low hand:assumin' you hit yours
with a / or an 0:and ha!e three sies8 se!ens8 or aces to 'o with it7
)ON)EPT 12K
ELIMIN-TIN, THE )OMPETITION
No8 I don9t mean killin' off the other 'ood "layers8 althou'h8 if a few were
suddenly whacked8 the rest would "ro6a6ly fall into line7 <ust kiddin':"ut
your 'un away7
In the "re!ious section8 I talked a6out not raisin'8 or smooth>callin'8 to kee"
$I2
a third o""onent in the "ot7 In this conce"t8 I will talk a6out raisin' in order
to limit the field8 which will maimi%e your chances at scoo"in' the whole
"ot7 Often8 when hands de!elo" and 6oards start lookin' scary8 you can use
this to your ad!anta'e 6y re"resentin' somethin' that a "layer holdin' a hi'h
hand would 6e afraid of8 so you could 6luff him out7
So8 if you9re in a three>way "ot with the 6est low and a weak hi'h that has a
chance to 6eat your other o""onent who is also 'oin' low8 a raise to force out
the hi'h hand mi'ht ena6le you to scoo" the whole "ot7 For eam"leK
Eam"le One
;ouK ->$ 2>.><>/
Player OneK > H>Q>2>.
Player TwoK > 1>/>I>13
If Player Two 6ets here8 a raise mi'ht knock out Player One7 If that ha""ens8
your ->< mi'ht 6e 'ood for hi'h7 If the ->< isn9t 'ood enou'h8 "airin' the
ace8 Back8 /8 or may6e e!en one of the 6a6ies mi'ht earn you the scoo"7 This
"ro6a6ly would not ha!e 6een "ossi6le if Player One had stayed in for the
showdown7
(ut if Player One does 'et stu66orn and stays in8 it9s 'reat !alue anyway8 as
you ha!e the nut low and are assured of 'ettin' at least half7
-nother time to knock out an o""onent is if you ha!e the worst low or low
draw and only you know it7 Take this scenarioK
Eam"le Two
;ouK 1>0 2>I
Player OneK > 0>/
Player TwoK > H>Q
In this eam"le8 if Player Two 6ets out8 a raise mi'ht 'et Player One to fold7
+hy do you want him to muck hereE He "ro6a6ly has the 6est low draw 6ut
doesn9t know it8 as your 1 and 0 are 6uried7 This is the kind of situation you
want to 6e in:three cards to come with a low draw and a strai'ht draw8 e!en
if it is Bust a 'utshot8 a'ainst a strictly hi'h hand7 One last eam"leK
Eam"le Three
;ouK .>2 />1
$II
Player OneK > I><
Player TwoK > H>13
Player Two will certainly 6et out here8 and you must raise7 +hyE For !alue8
for one thin'7 -s we Bust discussed8 this is a 'reat s"ot to 6e in7 Howe!er8 the
main reason you9ll want to raise here is to force out Player One7 @+hyEA you
ask7 ;ou9re thinkin'8 @I ha!e the 6est low draw8 may6e I should let him han'
around7A No8 a6solutely notF It would 6e easy for him to catch 'ood while
you cau'ht 6ad8 and then you mi'ht wind u" with the worst low draw7
I see fairly 'ood "layers Bust call here on a re'ular 6asis7 This is a horri6le
"lay7 These are the s"ots you9re waitin' for7 This is the time to di!ide and
conJuerF
)ON)EPT 1IK STE-LIN, THE -NTES
-nte stealin' is not as intricate a "art in stud ei'ht>or>6etter 'ames as it is in
many other forms of "oker8 es"ecially in full 'ames8 mostly 6ecause the low
card is almost always 6elow an 08 so any "layer with such a card has one>
third of a "laya6le hand showin'7
-s in other 'ames8 if you9re 'oin' to try to steal the antes8 you o6!iously
need to 6e in late "osition7 If there is an ace or multi"le low cards 6ehind you8
don9t e!en think of tryin' it7 ;our 6est chance is when you ha!e an ace>u"8
and there9s nothin' 6ut middle cards 6ehind you7 The reason 6ein'8 e!en if
one of your o""onents has a s"lit middle "air8 he will "ro6a6ly muck it when
an ace raises in front of him7 Here are three eam"les7
Eam"le One
;ouK H>< -
Player OneK > 13
Player TwoK > 4
Player ThreeK > 2
Eam"le one is the situation you9re lookin' for to steal the antes7 5emem6er8
the lowest card on 6oard in the first round of 6ettin':the 2 held 6y Player
Three:is forced to start the action 6y makin' a token 6lind 6et8 so 6asically8
your only concern is whether or not the low card has a hand7[ If he does8 he
"ro6a6ly will not reraise you anyway8 6ut Bust callin' here 'i!es you another
$I/
shot at stealin' this "ot7 This arises when you catch 'ood on fourth street and
he doesn9t7 He9ll "ro6a6ly 'i!e u" ri'ht there and you will 'et the "ot7 If you
6oth catch 'ood and you are on a cold steal8 say with two "aints in the hole8
'i!e it
[ For 6ettin' "ur"oses on the first round8 the ace "lays as the hi'h card8 not
the low7
u" ri'ht there7 *on9t 'o down with the shi"D Bust check and muck with a coy
smile7
Eam"le Two
;ouK 4>2 <
Player OneK > H
Player TwoK > 4
Player ThreeK > 2
This is another 'ood s"ot to try to "ick u" the antes7 If you can 'et 6y the
kin'8 the 4 is "ro6a6ly out unless he holds an o!er"air7 Play the way I Bust
descri6ed a'ainst the 27 The most im"ortant thin' to remem6er is that you
should throw your hand away immediately should the kin'8 or anyone else
for that matter8 reraise7 *on9t throw 'ood money after 6ad7
Eam"le Three
;ouK 4>$ <
Player OneK > -
Player TwoK > 0
Player ThreeK > 2
I "ut in this last eam"le Bust to make you feel smart7 If you can9t reco'ni%e
that this is a 6ad s"ot to try to steal8 han' u" your 'uns and mask7 ;ou9ll
ne!er make it as a thief7
)ON)EPT 1/K
*EFEN*IN, -,-INST THE STE-L
Once a'ain8 this is not a !ery common situation in ei'ht>or>6etter7 (e sure
your timin' is ri'ht and don9t o!eruse this "lay7 +hen a loose and a''ressi!e
$I1
"layer8 es"ecially one on tilt8 raises in late steal "osition with a low card8
what do you doE If you feel he may 6e stealin'8 you should "ro6a6ly reraise
him with any hand that you would normally Bust call with7
;ou don9t want to 'i!e the thief a free chance to win the "ot8 which is eactly
what he9ll do if he catches 'ood and you catch 6ad with only one 6et each in
the "ot on fourth street7 On the other hand8 if you each ha!e two 6ets in on
fourth street8 the "ot is now 6i' enou'h to Bustify a call e!en thou'h you
mi'ht 6e 6ehind7 5emem6er8 if he started with a 6ad one in the hole8 you9re
not 6ehind:you9re e!en7
That reraise on third street is a kind of insurance a'ainst the luck of the draw7
;ou now dou6le your chances to stay in the "ot 6y forcin' yourself to see an
additional card on fifth street7 -lso8 you are com"oundin' his mistake for
himD if he had the 6ad one 6uried8 he9s now "uttin' in two 6ets with that 6ad
hand7 If you find yourself on the other end of this situation8 don9t call8 ho"in'
for some miracle7 ,et out immediately and sa!e that etra 6et7
Let9s look at some eam"les of this techniJue7
Eam"le One
;ouK $>. I
Player OneK > I
In the first eam"le8 Player One raises in late "osition7 Often8 you would Bust
call in this s"ot7 Howe!er8 if you sus"ect a 6ur'lary is in "ro'ress8 reraise and
6rin' this thief to Bustice7
Eam"le Two
;ouK ->0 I
Player OneK > 1
The same 'oes for this eam"le8 only this time the ace you hold makes the
reraise much easier7 5eason 6ein'8 e!en if Player One has a le'itimate hand8
you will "ro6a6ly still ha!e him 6eat for hi'h with your ace7 The "lay in the
second eam"le can 6e used much more than in the "lay in Eam"le One7 In
addition to defendin' a'ainst the steal8 it can 6e used to "ush around weaker
"layers8 to esta6lish a loose8 confident ima'e8 or Bust to mi u" your "lay7 It
would 6e a much 6etter hand if your other two cards 6esides the ace were
$I0
se!ens or lower7
Eam"le Three
;ouK />< I
Player OneK > /
Finally8 in this third eam"le8 when Player One raises in late "osition8 Bust
fold8 e!en if you are the low card and feel stron'ly that he is on the steal7 ,et
out nowF *on9t try and 'et fancy or out>"lay him7 If he9s 6ad enou'h to raise
here8 he will han' himself later on8 so sa!e those etra 6ets for that time7
)ON)EPT 11K -N -*N-N)E* PL-;
-s seldom as the last two conce"ts occur8 this scenario comes into "lay e!en
less freJuently7 (ut8 rare or not8 this "lay8 if eecuted "ro"erly8 can ha!e such
"owerful re"ercussions8 I felt it deser!ed it9s own section7 -s with the last
conce"t8 6e sure that your timin' is ri'ht and don9t o!eruse this "lay7 Here we
'oF
If you start with a monster on third street and ca" it in a multiway "ot8 "ut in
a raise on fourth street to 6ack down an o""onent 'oin' hi'h8 which will
kee" you from 'ettin' "ut in the middle if you catch 6ad7 This can 6e used in
any "oker 'ame8 6ut works 6y far the 6est in stud ei'ht>or>6etter7 Let9s look
at a cou"le of eam"lesK
Eam"le One
;ouK $E .E 2E 13E
Player OneK > 1E 2E
Player TwoK > HE <E
In this eam"le8 after third street is ca""ed8 Player Two will 6et out7 If you
call8 Player One will most likely raise7 Then8 Player Two will definitely
reraise8 Player One will 'o to four 6ets8 and Player Two has an easy decision
in ca""in' it7 +ith a hand as 6i' as yours8 you can9t 'o out7 ;ou also want to
"ut the minimum amount of money "ossi6le into the "ot at this "oint7
The solutionE Instead of Bust callin'8 raise7 If Player One "aired8 the raisin'
will sto" ri'ht here8 sa!in' you three 6ets7 If not8 Player One will 'o to three
6ets and unless Player Two is a 6e'inner8 he will Bust call8 sa!in' you two
$I4
6ets7
Eam"le Two
;ouK $E .E 2EE13E
Player OneK HE <E
Player TwoK 1E 2E
Similarly8 in this eam"le8 Player One will 6et out and Player Two will raise
unless he "aired:and there9s a 'ood chance he will raise e!en if he did "air7
Once a'ain8 if you Bust call8 Player One has an easy decision to raise8 and
you9re lookin' at a ca""ed "ot7 -nd once a'ain8 the solution is the same7 -
raise will free%e Player One and cause him to Bust call7 If Player Two did not
"air8 you9ll still ha!e to call another raise from him8 6ut four 6ets are 6etter
than fi!e7
Not only do you sa!e these etra 6ets8 the 6eauty of the "lay is the dece"tion
it "ro!ides you7 (oth "layers will "ut you on a hi'h hand8 and the o""onent
that9s 'oin' hi'h will 6e scared to "ut a 6et in the "ot throu'hout the hand7
Meanwhile8 since you9!e "ut in so many 6ets8 your o""onent 'oin' low will
ne!er 'i!e you credit when you make your low8 often "uttin' too many 6i'
6ets in on the end7 I9!e often used this "lay and had 6oth "layers so confused
that they checked all the way to the ri!er7 +ith these free cards you can
6ackdoor all kinds of hands8 such as strai'hts8 flushes8 lows8 and e!en two
"airs or tri"s7
(efore we mo!e on8 I want to once a'ain em"hasi%e that this "lay should not
6e used on a re'ular 6asis7 It should only 6e used after a lot of 6ets ha!e 'one
in on third street8 addin' the eJuity reJuired to make this successful7
)ON)EPT 10K P-5TIN, THOL,HTS
In conclusion8 I want to tell a short anecdote7 This final story has to do with
all forms of "oker8 not Bust ei'ht>or>6etter:e!en all of life for that matter7
-lthou'h it doesn9t "ertain only to the 'ame that I co!ered in this cha"ter8 I
wanted to include it in a 6ook as 'reat as Su"er#System $ for "osterity9s sake7
Let9s say you went to a "et store and saw a do' you fell in lo!e with 6ecause
of its 6ark7 +ould you then take the do' home and yell at it and tell it that it
$/3
was stu"id for 6arkin'E +ould you try to teach the do' how to meow or moo
insteadE No8 of course not7 *oin' so would 6e unreasona6le and ridiculous7
;ou would "ro6a6ly say a "erson who did this was irrational or e!en cra%y7
Howe!er8 if you look for 'ames with 6ad "layers8 then 'et in the 'ame and
yell at them and tell them that they9re stu"id when they "lay 6adly and 6eat
you8 isn9t that the same thin'E Isn9t that cra%yE *o's 6ark7 That9s what they
do7
This is tantamount to what 6ad "layers do:they lay 6ad 6eats on "eo"le7
;ou wanted to "lay with them 6ecause they "lay 6ad7 So8 you ha!e no ri'ht
to 'et mad or make s"eeches when they do "lay 6ad and wind u" 6eatin'
you7
*on9t try to teach a do' to meow and don9t try to teach 6ad "layers how to
"lay 'ood7 It9s their money and they can "lay it as they like7 -lso8 think a6out
how fussin' at 6ad "layers makes you look7 If this 6ad "layer has enou'h
money to "lay cra%y and loose in the same 'ame you9re tryin' to win in8 how
can you call him a suckerE I find nothin' more amusin' than when a "layer
of modest means tells a recreational "layer worth many millions that he9s a
sucker7 =- few years a'o8 I heard Phil Hellmuth8 who didn9t ha!e a lot of
money at the time8 tell Larry Flynt that if he ke"t "layin' that way he9d 'o
6roke7?
-s the old sayin' 'oes8 if you can9t handle the heat8 stay out of the kitchen7
Find a kinder8 'entler "oker 'ame with less maniacs and more sta6le "layers7
;ou will "ro6a6ly win less8 6ut you mi'ht mana'e to hold on to your sanity a
little lon'er7
Hee" in mind that I9m referrin' to comments that will 6e taken seriously7
,ood>natured Bokin' and ri66in':or 'i!in' the needle8 as we say in "oker:
is "art of the 'ame7 It "ro!ides a sense of camaraderie not found in most
other forms of 'am6lin'7 So don9t 6e afraid of "okin' a little fun here and
there7 In fact8 a little needlin' will kee" many "layers comin' 6ack who
normally wouldn9t do so7 <ust kee" it 'ood>natured7
5emem6er8 the "oint of "layin' 'ames is to ha!e fun8 and "oker is the
'reatest 'ame e!er createdF
$/1
POT LIMIT OM-H- HI,H
6y Lyle (erman
There was only one "ossi6le choice of a writer for the "ot>limit Omaha
cha"ter:world>renowned 6usinessman and the 'reatest "ot>limit Omaha
"layer in the world8 Lyle (erman7 +hile his 'ame is 'eared for ultra hi'h>
stakes "oker8 Lyle was the first "layer to really crunch the num6ers of the
'ame and has calculated statistical charts that were the first of their kind7
-n all>around "oker "layer8 Lyle has won three 'old 6racelets at the +orld
Series of PokerK one each in limit Omaha8 no>limit Teas hold9em8 and
deuce>to>se!en low6all7 +hen Su"er#System first came out in 14108 Lyle
6ou'ht a co"y and let it 'ather co6we6s until 140.8 when he finally read it7
That year he won C138333:not in "oker8 6ut in a cra"s 'ame:and decided
to kick 6ack 6y enterin' a C133 6uy>in "oker tournament at the Stardust7
@I didn9t win the tournament8 6ut I found that I enBoyed "layin' "oker more
than shootin' cra"s8A he told me7 @-nd from that "oint on8 I was hooked7A
-lways a Juick study8 he won the "ot>limit Omaha e!ent at the Su"er (owl
of Poker at Lake Tahoe the !ery net year7 In $33$ Lyle was awarded
"oker9s hi'hest honor when he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame7
Ironically8 as 'reat a "layer as he is8 Lyle9s le'acy to the "oker world will not
6e his e"loits at the ta6le8 6ut rather the "o"ularity e"losion "oker has
enBoyed thanks to the +orld Poker Tour on tele!ision7 Had it not 6een for his
6ackin' and "artici"ation in the mana'ement of the +PT throu'h his
com"any8 Lakes Entertainment8 a 'eneration of new "layers mi'ht ne!er
ha!e e!ol!ed7 Millions watch the inno!ati!e and ecitin' "oker "ro'ram that
offers "eeks at the "layers9 hole cards and follows the action throu'h e"ert
"lay>6y>"lay commentary7 -lon' with (enny and <ack (inion8 Lyle (erman
will 'o down as one of the foundin' fathers of the new world of "oker7
INT5O*L)TION
Peo"le used to think of no>limit hold9em as 6ein' the 6i''est 'ame in town8
6ut there aren9t many hi'h>stakes no>limit hold9em 'ames anymore8 outside
of tournaments7 Today8 the !ersion of Omaha "layed for hi'h only8 which is
the su6Bect of this cha"ter8 is the hi'hest>stake "ot>limit "oker 'ame "layed in
$/$
the world7 That alone should make this cha"ter the most colorful and ecitin'
in this 6ookF
(i' Omaha 'ames "layed at fied limits are rare8 6ut when "ot>limit "oker is
"layed8 Omaha hi'h:often referred to sim"ly as Omaha:is where the
action is7 It9s the "rofessional9s choice7 Professionals often choose to "lay at
ta6les where a !ariety of different "oker 'ames are dealt7 In this en!ironment8
you mi'ht see fied>limit Omaha "layed with C18I33#C.8333 6linds durin'
the 6i' tournaments7 These can 6e 6i''er than the C133#C$33 "ot>limit
Omaha 'ames8 6ecause more money will trade hands7
;ears a'o I read a chart of startin' hands and I assi'ned "oints to them
accordin' to the flo"7 +hat my "oint>count showed is that at the end of the
day8 there are no monster fa!orites in Omaha like there are in other 'ames7
For eam"le8 in hold9em8 if you ha!e two aces and someone is "layin' a "air
a'ainst you8 your aces are a 2 to 1 fa!orite7 In Omaha8 no hand is a 2 to 1
fa!orite7 That9s why there is so much action to the 'ame and why you can
take a lot more flo"s than you can in hold9em7 In sim"le terms8 you9re not
always 'ettin' the worst of it7 If two reasona6le hands are dealt8 it is rare for
one to 6e a /3>23 fa!orite o!er the other7
THE ,-MES I PL-;
The 6i' "ot>limit Omaha 'ames I "lay with my friends occu"y a uniJue niche
in "oker7 +e "lay hi'h>stakes 'ames with 6linds from CI3#C133 u" to
C18333#C$83338 with or without a ca"8 which is a "redetermined amount of
money that a "layer can lose in one hand7 FreJuently in Omaha8 'reat hands
come u" and "layers ha!e to "ut in all their chi"s7 So knowin' whether or not
your 'ame has a ca" will affect your strate'y7
For eam"le8 if you ha!e a su6stantial amount of money on the ta6le in a
'ame with no ca"8 you ha!e to "lay more cautiously7 ;ou can9t afford to take
the turn with a 6ottom or middle set8 so you don9t want to "lay the low or
sometimes e!en the middle "airs7 +e don9t often "lay this way8 6ecause
"layers tend to Juit the 'ame when they9re winnin' and ha!e a "ile of money
in front of them7 -nd 6elie!e me8 we don9t want "eo"le Juittin'8 6ecause at
the stakes that we "lay8 the "ool of "layers isn9t !ery lar'e7 On the other
hand8 if there is a ca"8 6ottom or middle sets may 6e worth the risk to "lay7
$/.
So ha!in' a ca" not only makes the 'ame less !olatile8 it also creates a lot of
action7 +e don9t want someone to lose all of his money on one hand8 so we
almost always "lay this way7
+ithout the Euro"eans8 who Boin us durin' the +orld Series of Poker and the
6i' tournaments at (ella'io8 "ot>limit Omaha 'ames with CI3#C133 6linds
and hi'her are rare7 (ut this doesn9t mean that you can9t find "rofita6le
'ames at lower limits8 es"ecially at multi>'ame ta6les7
,enerally8 when multi>'ame "oker is s"read8 we "lay ei'ht hands each of
Omaha8 limit se!en>card stud ei'ht>or>6etter8 no>limit hold9em8 and se!en>
card stud7 -t our 6i' 'ame durin' a recent (ella'io tournament8 we "layed
se!en 'amesK no>limit hold9em8 limit hold9em8 no>limit deuce>to>se!en
low6all8 limit tri"le draw deuce>to>se!en8 limit se!en>card stud8 "ot>limit
Omaha8 and limit Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter7
It9s a challen'e to "lay multi>'ame "oker8 and it does kee" some "eo"le out
of the 'ame7 -lmost no6ody ecels at e!ery 'ame8 6ut there are s"ecialists
who are 'reat at one 'ame and decent at another7 +e9re not lookin' for this
ty"e of "layer7 +e want "eo"le who will "lay all the 'ames and are 'reat at
some8 Bust okay at some8 and ho"efully terri6le at others7
Sometimes we structure our multi>'ame sessions to fit the tastes of "layers7
For eam"le8 Sammy Farha8 who came in second at the $33. +orld Series8
doesn9t "lay all the 'ames8 6ut he does like to "lay a few of them7 He9ll "lay
Omaha ei'ht>or>6etter8 tri"le draw8 and "ot>limit Omaha8 so when he Boins
us8 we "lay the 'ames he likes 6ecause we enBoy 'am6lin' with him7
+hether you seek to "lay "ot>limit Omaha at these stakes or at more modest
ones8 kee" in mind that you need to know a6out ca"s and that you mi'ht find
yourself in situations where you9ll need to "lay other 'ames as well7
OM-H- NS7 HOL*9EM
+hat sets "ot>limit Omaha a"art from hold9em is that in Omaha8 each hand is
com"rised of four cards8 two of which you must use in com6ination with
three cards from the 6oard7 If you9re "layin' in an ei'ht>handed hold9em
'ame8 there are only ei'ht hands in "lay7 (ut if you are "layin' an ei'ht>
handed Omaha 'ame8 e!eryone has si "ossi6le com6inations8 so there are
$/2
literally forty>ei'ht hands in "lay7 So here are se!en thin's you need to kee"
in mind when "layin' "ot>limitK
17 The Nuts
The 6est "ossi6le hand is often out7 That is8 some6ody has the nuts much
more often than no!ices e"ect8 es"ecially if they are used to "layin' no>limit
hold9em7 +hen a "layer raises in "ot>limit Omaha8 es"ecially on the end8 he
!ery often has the !ery 6est hand "ossi6le7 For eam"le8 if there9s a "ossi6le
flush on the 6oard and someone reraises at the end8 he usually has the nut
flush7 The same 'oes for strai'hts7
$7 (luffin'
There is far less 6luffin' in "ot>limit Omaha than there is in no>limit
hold9em7 Of course8 "layers do 6luff in "ot>limit Omaha8 6ut with so many
hands "ossi6le8 it9s more difficult7 ;ou must 6e more cautious when you
6luff 6ecause it is likely that someone will ha!e the 6est hand or the 6est
draw7
.7 Startin' Hands
+ith so many "ossi6le com6inations8 you can usually "lay more startin'
hands in "ot>limit Omaha8 if the structure is ri'ht7 -nd if you hit certain
hands8 the "ayoff can 6e !ery 'ood7 ;ou can "lay a little looser 6efore the
flo" if you truly understand the 'ame8 inter"ret the flo" correctly8 and know
which hands to "lay carefully8 which to 6luff with8 and which to fold7
27 *rawin' Hands
;ou can "lay a lot more drawin' hands in "ot>limit Omaha8 6ut you should
make sure you9re drawin' to the nuts most of the time7 Some classic
"ro6lems arise when you9re drawin' to less than the nut flush or the 6ottom
end of a strai'ht7 For eam"le8 su""ose there is a 13>I>2 on 6oard and you
ha!e the />. in your hand7 This is not a !ery 'ood drawin' hand 6ecause you
are drawin' to the 6ottom or i'norant end7 ;ou will ha!e the 6est hand if you
hit the deuce8 6ut if a 1 hits8 you face the risk that someone has the 0>1>/>I
and has made the hi'her strai'ht7 Of course8 you would always like to ha!e
the wra" strai'ht draw with the nut>flush draw7 Let9s say that the flo" comes
with the 13E IE 2E7 ;ou ha!e the -E 0E 1E /E in your hand7 ;ou ha!e si
$/I
hands to draw to8 all of which are "retty much in "lay7
-s a 'eneral rule8 if you are 'oin' to draw to a strai'ht or a flush8 make sure
it9s the 6est "ossi6le strai'ht or flush:otherwise8 it 'ets too e"ensi!e7 If
you ha!e two o""onents and each of them has si "ossi6le hands8 you mi'ht
think of it as ha!in' twel!e hands out a'ainst you8 not Bust two7
I7 Nolatility
Pot>limit Omaha is more !olatile than hold9em7 ;ou9re 'oin' to "lay 6i''er
"ots more often8 and you9ll seldom 6e a hu'e fa!orite in a hand7 Many times8
hands come u" that 6oth you and your o""onent would still "ut all your
money in the "ot with:e!en if the cards were "layed face u"7 Ty"ically8 this
ha""ens when one "layer has the to" set and his o""onent has a 6i' wra" or a
wra" with a flush draw7 In this scenario8 if one "layer 6ets and the other
raises8 6oth "layers are 'oin' to "lay the hand8 no matter which side of the
raise they9re on7 It9s 6asically a coin fli" when you9re in this ty"e of situation8
6ecause the odds on the two hands are Bust a6out e!en money7 ;ou 6ecome
the !ictim of the cards since neither hand is a 6i' fa!orite o!er the other7 It is
harder to lay down coin>fli" hands in "ot>limit Omaha than it is in hold9em7
;ou Bust aren9t 'oin' to fold to" set or lay down a flush and strai'ht draw7
/7 (ackdoor Hands
(ackdoor hands are made more often in "ot>limit Omaha than in hold9em7
-nd althou'h you9re "rimarily "layin' your main hand8 you mi'ht also ha!e
a 6ackdoor draw8 6ecause you ha!e si hands rather than two7 Su""ose you
flo" two "air or a set with one of your flush cards also on the 6oard7 ;ou and
your o""onent8 who flo""ed to" set8 'et all your money in on the flo"7 Then
it comes runner>runner in your suit to make your flush and win the "ot7
In other words8 you ha!e esca"e !al!es in "ot>limit Omaha that you don9t
ha!e in hold9em7 In hold9em you ha!e only two cards to start with8 and
sometimes there is no esca"e "ossi6ility:you9re tryin' to hit two s"ecific
cards and that9s it7 The odds of two of your suit comin' on the turn and ri!er
are a6out $. to 17 (ut in Omaha8 the odds are more in your fa!or7 Let9s say
that I ha!e -E 13E $E $E and the flo" comes <E 1E $E7 My o""onent makes
tri" Backs and I make tri" deuces7 +e 'et all our money into the "ot7 I still
ha!e a6out a 13 "ercent chance to make a flush if it comes clu6>clu6 or
$//
diamond>diamond on the turn and ri!er7 Therefore my 6ackdoor "ossi6ilities8
my esca"e !al!es8 are "retty im"ortant7
17 Im"lied Odds
Lnderstandin' im"lied odds is !ery im"ortant in 6oth "ot>limit Omaha and
hold9em7 In "art8 your im"lied odds in a hand take into account what you are
'oin' to 6e "aid off with7
(ut you often cannot count on that "ayoff in Omaha7 For eam"le8 if you9re
drawin' to the nut flush and you hit it on the ri!er8 there is a stron' chance
that no6ody is 'oin' to call you7 Therefore8 althou'h you must 6e aware of
your im"lied odds in Omaha8 you must also reali%e that there9s a 'ood chance
that you may not 'et called on the ri!er if you make the nuts7
,eneral ,uidelines for 5aisin'
(efore we 'et into the ad!anced conce"ts8 I want to 'i!e you some ad!ice on
raisin'7 In the early sta'es of a hand:6efore and on the flo":you ty"ically
raise the si%e of the "ot7 Later on in the hand8 you may choose not to 6et the
si%e of the "ot7 )learly8 when you ha!e the 6est hand8 you want to 'et your
o""onent to "ut in the maimum money to draw to his hand or 'et him to
fold so that you can take the "ot7 (ettin' the maimum amount of money
ser!es 6oth these "ur"oses Juite well7
For eam"le8 su""ose you ha!e a set7 The last thin' you want to do is to
make it "rofita6le for an o""onent with a flush or strai'ht draw to call with
one card to come8 6ecause he will 6e a6le to fire on the ri!er if the 6oard
chan'es7 -nd since you don9t know for sure whether he is on a strai'ht or
flush draw8 you will 6e at a disad!anta'e7 In other words8 you don9t want to
'i!e him the "ro"er odds to call your 6et7
-*N-N)E* )ON)EPTS
+hen we talk a6out ad!anced conce"ts for hi'h>stakes 'ames8 it should 6e
clear that some of these work in medium and low>stakes 'ames as well7 No
matter how hi'h or low the stakes8 you9ll "rofit from the "ointers in this
section7
The (est Hands To Play
$/1
+hen you ha!e 'ood hands8 you9re 'oin' to "lay most of them7 I "lay the
hands descri6ed in this section8 and so does e!ery6ody else7 Players like to
de6ate whether ->->H>H dou6le>suited is a 6etter hand than ->-><>13
dou6le>suited7 I much "refer ->-><>138 and I think that most other "layers do
too7 (ut it really doesn9t matter which hand is 6etter 6ecause you should "lay
6oth of them7 Of course8 there9s a 6i' difference 6etween hands that you can
6et on after the flo"8 and those that you can9t 6et on 6ecause you went all>in
6efore the flo"7
I also like a hand with three connected cards and a suited ace8 such as -E 0E
1E /E or -R <E 13E 4E7 Three connected cards with one 'a" and a suited ace
is also fine7 +ith a hand like this8 you9re either 'oin' to 6e in the hunt8 or
you9re 'oin' to throw the hand away7 ;ou can flo" a !ery 'ood hand8 like a
flush or a strai'ht8 or 'ood draws to them7 -nd many times you9ll "ick u" a
monster draw8 such as a flush draw com6ined with a strai'ht draw7
I like these hands 6ecause they9re not trou6le hands7 If they9re !ery 'ood on
the flo"8 "lay them7 If not8 throw them away7
- dou6le>"air hand8 such as <><>13>138 is also 'ood7 +hen you9re dealt a
dou6le "air8 you will flo" a set a6out one time in four7 If you flo" a set8 you9ll
"ro6a6ly 6e in a !ery "rofita6le situation7 If you don9t flo" a set8 you9ll
"ro6a6ly Bust fold7
;ou want hands in which all four of your cards are workin' to'ether7 If you
ha!e Q>Q><>13 your hand is o6!iously su"erior to Q>Q>0>/7 Suited cards look
much 6etter 6efore the flo" than after7 If you don9t ha!e the nut flush draw8
you really don9t want to "lay them7
(ut suited cards do ha!e 6ackdoor "ossi6ilities7 Sometimes8 if you turn a set8
you still ha!e a chance to make a 6ackdoor flush7 Suited cards also are !ery
'ood from a defensi!e stand"oint7 For eam"le8 say you ha!e two hearts in
your hand and you flo" a set with two hearts on 6oard7 ;our hand makes it
more difficult for an o""onent to hit his hearts if he is "layin' the ace>hi'h
flush draw7 If you ha!e a 'ood hand inde"endent of the flush draw8 your
flush draw can "lay defense8 as o""osed to offense7
For eam"le8 su""ose you ha!e the QE QE <E 13E8 and the flo" comes with
the QE 1E 2E7 ;ou ha!e to" set and a flush draw7 +ith nine hearts to draw to8
$/0
an o""onent who has the nut flush draw is 1701 to 1 to make the flush7
Howe!er8 since you ha!e two of them8 he has only se!en hearts to draw to8
makin' him a much 6i''er underdo' to make it7 ;ou really don9t want a
heart to hit8 so I call cards like these defensi!e hearts instead of offensi!e
hearts7 ;ou already ha!e the 6est hand8 and you ha!e cards he needs7
*an'erous Hands To Play on the Flo"
If you9re relyin' on makin' a flush that is lower than the ace>hi'h flush8
you9re drawin' to an inferior hand7 Low suited cards may look 'ood 6efore
the flo"8 6ut as soon as the flo" comes8 they diminish in !alue7
It is !ery dan'erous to "lay to" and 6ottom "air8 6ottom two "air8 and less
than the nut strai'ht or flush draw7 +ith small "airs8 you can flo" a set7 (ut
this can 6e dan'erous 6ecause when you 'et 6eat with a set8 you 'et 6eat
e"ensi!ely7 That9s why you don9t "lay hands such as H>/>/>$8 whether its
unsuited8 suited8 or dou6le>suited7 ;ou stay away from those ty"es of hands7
(ad Hands To Play (efore the Flo"
- hand like Q>Q>1>$ is not 'ood 6ecause you9re really only "layin' one
hand7 ;ou Bust don9t ha!e enou'h 'oin' for you7 ;ou mi'ht "lay this ty"e of
hand in "osition or in s"ecial situations8 6ut in 'eneral8 you ha!e to "lay the
odds7 -nd the odds are that you need more than one "ossi6le com6ination7
;ou need a ti'ht hand8 one that fits in a 6o without a dan'ler han'in' o!er
the ed'e7 For eam"le8 when you hold 13>4>0>18 you ha!e e!ery com6ination
workin'7 (ut when you ha!e 13>4>0>$8 you ha!e three com6inations:13>$8
4>$8 and 0>$:that don9t ha!e much 'oin' for them7 I9m not sayin' that you
would ne!er "lay a hand like Q><>13>$:the hand has some su6stance to it:
6ut you wouldn9t want to "lay 4>0>1>$8 6ecause it doesn9t ha!e enou'h 'oin'
for it7
Position
Position is incredi6ly im"ortant in "ot>limit Omaha8 may6e more so than in
any other "oker 'ame7 +hether you "lay certain ty"es of hands or muck them
always de"ends on your "osition7 ;ou9ll make more on your 'ood hands and
lose less on your other hands when you "lay them from the correct "osition7
(luffin'
$/4


Click for The Secret to Online Poker Success

There are some 'ood 6luffin' o""ortunities in this 'ame8 thou'h "erha"s
fewer than in other forms of "oker7 ;ou9ll "ick u" most of your 6luffin'
o""ortunities after "eo"le ha!e checked to you8 indicatin' that they may ha!e
nothin'7 E!ery check re"resents either a lie or the truth and your challen'e is
to fi'ure out which is which7
Most of the 6luffin' in Omaha ha""ens on uncoordinated flo"s8 and they
usually are made 6y a "layer sittin' in late "osition7 Lncoordinated 6luffs are
often hard to defend7 There isn9t as much 6luffin' on the turn and ri!er
6ecause so many different com6inations are "ossi6le7
+hat ;ou9re Lookin' for on the Flo"
In addition to com"leted hands8 you9re lookin' for nut flush draws8 nut
strai'ht draws8 sets8 and to" two "air8 althou'h the to" two "air is often
dan'erous7
+hen it comes to strai'ht draws8 you9ll "ro6a6ly want to "lay Q><>13>48
6ecause you9re 'oin' to turn the to" end8 when you turn it7 On the other hand8
if you "lay small cards such as />I>2>.8 you can !ery easily turn the 6ottom
end of somethin'7 This isn9t so 'ood8 6ecause it9s so much easier for
someone to make the to" strai'ht in Omaha than it is in hold9em7 For
eam"le8 if you9re holdin' />I>2>. and 4>0>1 or 0>1>/ on the flo" makes your
strai'ht8 an o""onent mi'ht 6e holdin' 0>4>13><8 'i!in' him the hi'her
strai'ht7 This is not to say that you ne!er "lay a low seJuential hand7 If
you9re in the correct "osition8 the "ot has not 6een raised8 and there isn9t
much action in front of you8 you9ll "ro6a6ly "lay that />I>2>.7
It isn9t as im"ortant for your low cards to 6e suited as it is for your hi'h
cards8 6ut suits are still 'ood7 5emem6er8 you want suited cards for two
reasonsK =1? they ha!e 6ackdoor flush "ossi6ilitiesD and =$? they ha!e
defensi!e "ossi6ilities as 6lockers that make it harder for your o""onent to
make a flush7
Playin' (i' Pairs with No )onnectin' )ards
E!en with the 6i' "airs8 like "ocket aces or kin's8 you should care a6out your
connectin' cards8 6ecause you want somethin' workin' with them7 - "layer
mi'ht easily throw away a hand such as H>H>1>$ 6efore the flo"8 since
there9s no "ossi6ility of makin' the connectin' cards work for him7 I often
$13
"lay that hand8 6ut ti'hter "layers will fold it without thinkin' twice7
Howe!er8 e!en I would not "lay H>H>1>$ for a 6i' raise7
There are times when you mi'ht like to "lay a smaller hand such as />I>2>. if
the "ot is raised in front of you7 +ith small connectin' cards8 you can turn a
strai'ht or two "air7 -nd two small "air 6ecomes a monster when your
o""onent indicates that he has two aces or two kin's and didn9t hit the flo"7
*on9t 5aise from L" Front
Ne!er raise 6efore the flo" from a front "osition7 This is a cardinal rule of
Omaha7 +hen you ha!e to act first on su6seJuent streets8 you9re at a
tremendous disad!anta'e7 The 6etter your hand8 the 6i''er the disad!anta'e8
6ecause you9ll want to "rotect it7 Su""ose you raise from u" front with a !ery
'ood hand that contains a "air of aces or kin's7 ;ou don9t hit the flo"8 6ut it
looks innocent7 (e careful here:there still are many "ossi6le draws to e!en
the most innocent of flo"s7 ;ou9re first to act and you want to win the "ot8 so
you make a 6et at it7 Then some6ody comes o!er the to" with a raise7 ;ou9!e
"ut enou'h money in the "ot that you almost ha!e to call7 See the "ro6lemE
Pot>limit Omaha is a 'ame that you don9t like to "lay from u" front7 ;ou9re
'oin' to take flo"s with 'ood hands8 6ut you don9t want to raise with them
from a front "osition7 One "ro6lem with raisin' is that you9re ad!ertisin' that
you ha!e a 'ood hand7 Ty"ically8 "layers don9t want to raise with a low hand8
so your o""onents will ha!e the tendency to "ut you on a hi'h hand7 Of
course8 you can 6e somewhat dece"ti!e and raise with a drawin' hand8 6ut
you must 6e "re"ared to call a reraise 6ehind you7 -lso8 when you raise from
u" front in "ot>limit 'ames8 you9re 'i!in' the other 'uy twice the
ammunition to fire 6ack at you7 This can 6e "articularly dan'erous if you
don9t ha!e a really to" hand7
So here is a 'eneral ruleK do not raise 6efore the flo" from under the 'un or
from the two 6lind "ositions8 6ecause you9ll 6e o!er>committin' yourself to
your hand7 It9s much 6etter to 6e committed from the 6ackside8 6ecause
"layers tend to check to the raiser on the flo"7 More often than not8 when you
ha!e a 6i' hand u" front8 you should lim"7 Most of the raisin' in "ot>limit
Omaha is done from the late seats7 If you raised from 6ehind and the flo" is
scary8 you can take off a free card if you feel like it8 whereas if you raised
$11
from the front8 you ha!e to declare what you9re 'oin' to do 6efore anyone
else acts7 The 6ottom line is that you9re sim"ly "uttin' too much money at
risk when you raise from u" front7
Here9s a situation where you mi'ht think a6out makin' an ece"tion and
raise from u" front7 Say you9re "layin' CI3#C133 6linds and each "layer has
C1338333 in front of him7 If you raise C$33 from u" front8 an o""onent can
call C$33 and raise CI337 That isn9t too terri6le7 ;ou ha!e C133 in the "ot and
you still ha!e C13383337 Or if you9re "layin' CI38333 ca"8 you still ha!e
C248.33 to 'o7
+e ha!e one "layer in our 'ame:I9ll call him <oe:who "lays a different
6rand of Omaha than anyone else7 <oe literally raises ei'ht of nine hands7 It9s
un6elie!a6le7 (ut we ha!e a small structure in the 'ame that <oe "lays7 It9s
CI3#C133 or C133#C$338 and he9s raisin' CI337 E!en if some6ody comes
6ack at him8 they9re only 'oin' to raise him C$83338 and since he still has a
lon' way to 'o to reach the CI38333 ca"8 he doesn9t mind the action7
The "oint is thisK 6efore you raise8 remem6er that you could 'et closed out of
a hand if some6ody with aces came 6ack at you8 althou'h aces 'enerally are
ne!er more than a6out a . to $ fa!orite o!er any other hand7
5eadin' the (oard on the Flo"
5eadin' the flo" is critical in Omaha7 ;ou ha!e to know what is the 6est
"ossi6le hand and what is the 6est "ossi6le draw7 This is an elementary
conce"t for e"erienced "layers8 6ut it9s Juite easy to miss a strai'ht
"ossi6ility on the 6oard or to think that you ha!e the 6est strai'ht draw when
a hi'her one is "ossi6le7 It9s also im"ortant that you 6e a6le to identify the
cards that your o""onent needs in order to call the flo"7 -sk yourself8 @+hat
are the "ossi6ilities out there8 and what mi'ht my o""onent ha!eEA
Su""ose the flo" comes QE 13E 1E8 and you ha!e two 6lack Jueens in your
hand7 If you 6et and someone only calls8 you can "retty much infer that your
o""onent has a strai'ht or flush draw7 If he had 6oth8 he would "ro6a6ly
raise7 -nd if he had an underset8 he would "ro6a6ly reraise7 So8 if you ha!e a
set or to" two "air and some6ody calls your 6et8 there is a hi'h "ro6a6ility
that he is on a draw7 ;our Bo6 is to 'uess what hand mi'ht ha!e made him
call your 6et7
$1$
Now let9s take a look at another situation in which readin' the flo" is critical7
Su""ose you ha!e "ocket threes8 and the flo" comes <>1>. rain6ow8 'i!in'
you tri" threes7 ;ou raise and someone reraises7 Most "eo"le would not
reraise you with an inside strai'ht draw such as 13>4>0> or />I>2>7 So8 if
there isn9t much out there and you 'et reraised8 you can "retty much infer
that your o""onent has the to" set8 unless he9s 6luffin'7 If there isn9t a 6i'
draw "ossi6ility on 6oard8 then it is more likely that the raiser has to" two
"air or a set7 So8 this mi'ht 6e a 'ood time to fold your 6ottom set7
Here9s an eam"le from a hand that actually ha""ened in a 6i' "ot>limit
Omaha 'ame with a C1I8333 ca"7 The "ot was raised and reraised 6efore the
flo"7 Fi!e "layers:*a!id ,rey8 )hi" 5eese8 <ohnny )han8 <ay Heimowit%8
and I:"ut in C1I8333 each to see the flo"8 a !ery rare occurrence7
The flo" came Q>1>I rain6ow7 I had the 0>/>2>8 so I had the 6ottom strai'ht
wra"7 I 6et C/38333 to try to "ick u" the "ot8 and *a!id called with
essentially the same hand that I had8 the low strai'ht wra"7 )hi" was net and
he called with the 4>0>/>8 the hi'h wra"8 much 6etter than mine7 <ohnny had
raised the "ot 6efore the flo" with two aces8 and with three of us already in
on the flo"8 he called8 thinkin' he could still win the hand if he cau'ht an ace7
I think he also had a 6ackdoor flush draw7
Then it was <ay9s turn7 He had "ocket Jueens and made to" set on the flo"7
Now he has all these 'uys in the "ot with him and he9s sittin' there with tri"
JueensF The net card off was a /8 which 'a!e *a!id and me the 6ottom end
of the strai'ht and )hi" the to" end7 +hen a 6lank came on the ri!er8 )hi"
won the hand and C.1I83337
To this day8 that is one of the 6i''est "ots we9!e "layed in our 'ame7 -nd it9s
a 'ood eam"le of why you don9t want to "ut your money in with the 6ottom
end of the strai'ht7 This reminds me of the old sayin' a6out a 'uy who
owned four farmsK He lost three of them drawin' to inside strai'hts and lost
the fourth one when he made it7
-nother interestin' hand came u" a few years a'o in a tournament7 I9!e 'ot
two aces in my hand8 and the flo" comes ->13>137 - fellow leads at the "ot8
and I call7 -t this "oint8 I don9t know what he has7 He could ha!e a hand or
he could 6e 6luffin'7
$1.
- 6lank comes on the turn8 he leads at it a'ain8 and a'ain I call7 Now I know
he9s not 6luffin':he has a hand7 -nd there are only two hands he could
ha!eK Juad tens or tens full of aces7
-nother nothin' card comes off on the ri!er and he leads at it a third time7
Now I know for a fact that he either has 13>13 or ->137 Since there is only
one way that he could ha!e 13>13 and two ways that he could ha!e ->138 it9s
$ to 1 he9s 'ot ->137 I Bust call with my case chi"s8 6ecause I9m thinkin' that
if he had 13>138 he would not ha!e led at the "ot7 Lsually it9s an automatic
check when you flo" four of a kind8 6ecause you want to let some6ody catch
u"7 (ut not this time7 He had 13>137 -nd I had a !ery nice !iew from the rail7
Pickin' L" the Pot on the Flo"
Most of the 6luffs in "ot>limit Omaha come on the flo" rather than on the
turn or ri!er7 It9s usually easier to "ick u" the "ot on the flo" from 6ehind:
that is8 from late "osition:althou'h you can also "ick it u" when you9re in
the lead or early "osition7 In fact8 it is e!en easier to 6luff on the flo" from
late "osition in Omaha than it is in other 'ames 6ecause with four cards in
your hand8 you9re more likely to flo" somethin'7 +hen there are few
"ossi6ilities on the 6oard:that is8 no flush draws and no wra" strai'ht draws
:it is easier to 6luff than if the 6oard were coordinated in some way7 Flo"s
like <>1>. and Q>I>$ make it easy to "ick u" the "ot7
(ut sometimes the o""osite is true7 +hen there9s a !ery scary 6oard8 you can
sometimes "ick u" the "ot 6ecause no6ody wants to commit7 Let9s say that
the 6oard comes with three diamonds8 and e!ery6ody checks to you7 ;ou
mi'ht take a sta6 at it8 re"resentin' a made flush7 If no6ody else has
anythin'8 they9ll often Bust 'i!e it u"7
It9s "ossi6le to "ick u" the "ot with a 6luff on the turn and ri!er8 6ut that9s
much harder to do than "ickin' it u" on the flo"7 If a "layer calls on the flo"
with a drawin' hand8 he will usually call on the turn as lon' as the 6oard
doesn9t chan'e dramatically:that is8 as lon' as it doesn9t "air or show a
third suited card7 Su""ose the flo" comes H>13>17 ;ou 6et8 someone calls8
and a deuce comes off on the turn7 If you 6et a'ain8 you can 6e "retty sure
that you will 6e called a'ain7
*raw Only To the Nuts
$12
This conce"t is incredi6ly im"ortant in OmahaK +hen you9re drawin' to a
strai'ht or a flush8 draw to the nuts or don9t draw7 -lthou'h this isn9t true
133 "ercent of the time8 it is at least a 40>"ercenter7 E!en if you9re drawin' to
the nut flush8 you9re only 'oin' to make it a""roimately one out of three
times anyway8 so why draw to the non>nutsE It9s sim"ly a 6ad "lay7
Of course8 there are times when you mi'ht draw to a non>nuts flush8 6ut only
when you ha!e other "ossi6ilities workin' for you8 for eam"le8 when you
ha!e other cards in your hand that mi'ht hel" you win the "ot e!en if you
don9t make the flush7 Su""ose you ha!e the HE <E 13E 0E8 and the flo" comes
13E 1E $E7 ;ou ha!e the second>nut flush draw8 a 'utshot strai'ht draw8 "lus
the "ossi6ility of makin' tri"s or two "air7 ;ou aren9t 133 "ercent sure where
you9re at in the hand8 6ut the hand has enou'h !alue to warrant takin' a card
off7
If you hit your draw8 you don9t want someone else to hit it 6i''er7 Su""ose
the flo" comes 13>/>I to your 1>2>>7 If an 0 comes8 you will make your
strai'ht8 6ut someone with 4>4>0>1 will make a hi'her one7 Nor should you
draw in the ho"es of makin' two "air if most of the cards that will make a
second "air for you could make a strai'ht for someone else7
If there is a flush draw "ossi6ility on the 6oard8 "uttin' too much money in
the "ot is dan'erous when you are drawin' to a strai'ht8 6ecause the "ossi6le
flush takes away $I "ercent of your cards7 Three 6ad thin's could ha""enK =1?
you miss your strai'htD =$? you make the strai'ht with a card that 'i!es your
o""onent the flushD or =.? you make a strai'ht on the turn with one card to
come and your o""onent makes the flush on the ri!er7
Of course8 there are always minor ece"tions8 times when you mi'ht think
a6out drawin' to the non>nuts7 For eam"le8 su""ose a 'uy raises 6efore the
flo"8 and you know that he only raises with 6i' "airs7 ;ou flo" the 6ottom
wra" strai'ht draw7 ;ou ha!e clear insi'ht into the ty"e of hand that your
o""onent has8 so you ha!e 'ood reason to think that a small strai'ht draw
mi'ht 6e 'ood7 Since you9re "retty sure that he doesn9t ha!e the to" wra"8
you mi'ht draw to the lower strai'ht7 (ut if you don9t ha!e a clear read in
heads>u" action like this8 you draw to the nut flush or the 6est strai'ht:or
you don9t "lay the hand7
$1I
Playin' the Nut Strai'ht from Late Position
Here9s a hand that I "layed some time a'o that illustrates an im"ortant
conce"t7 I was sittin' on the 6utton with 4>/>>8 and the flo" came 0>1>I7 -
"layer led into me and I Bust called8 for two reasonsK
=1? His 6et im"lied that he had a made strai'ht7
=$? If the 6oard "aired on the net card8 I could "ro6a6ly take the "ot away
from him 6y 6ettin'8 thus re"resentin' a full house7
EJually im"ortant8 if he had the second>nut strai'ht8 as I sus"ected8 raisin' on
the flo" would ha!e told him that I had the 6est hand8 and he mi'ht ha!e
folded7 (ut8 if I Bust called on the flo"8 he checked the turn8 then I 6et8 he9d
ha!e no idea what I was holdin'7 *o I ha!e the nut strai'htE The second>6est
strai'ht for a tie with himE *o I ha!e two "air or a set that I9m 6ettin'
6ecause I don9t think he has the strai'htE -s it turned out8 he checked on the
turn8 I 6et the "ot8 and he called with all the money he had on the ta6le7 -s I
sus"ected8 he had the />28 and I won the "ot7 <ud'in' from the way he
"layed8 I knew that this "articular "layer would ha!e folded if I had raised
him on the flo"7
+hen you "lay with stron' "layers8 they will often 6et at the "ot with less
than the nuts7 If you ha!e the 6est hand and raise 6ehind them8 it9s !ery easy
for them to throw their hands away7 In other words8 to" "layers are not
reluctant to fold a hand if they think they are 6eaten7 Here9s an eam"leK I
was "layin' in a 'ame with *a!id @*e!ilfishA Llliot7 I 6et8 he called8 and off
came a card that made the second>6est strai'ht for me7 I checked8 and he also
checked 6ehind me7 Had he 6et8 I think I would9!e thrown my hand away7
Nothin' came on the ri!er to chan'e thin's8 and a'ain I checked7 This time8
he 6et7 I had a !ery hard time "uttin' him on the nut strai'ht since he9d let a
free card come off with one to come7 -fter all8 I could ha!e had a set or two
"air8 in which case he was 'i!in' me an a6solutely free draw to a full house7
So8 I "aid him off7 Turns out8 he had the nut strai'ht7 I lost7
;ou can make a similar "lay with the nut flush7 Let9s say that the flo" comes
with three hearts8 'i!in' you the ace>hi'h flush7 -n o""onent checks8 you
6et8 and he calls7 On the turn8 nothin' si'nificant comes off7 Now9s your
chance to make a so"histicated "layK If he checks8 check ri'ht 6ehind him7
$1/
That way8 he9ll think that his kin' or Jueen flush is 'ood7 On the ri!er he
mi'ht 6et ri'ht into you8 or if he checks a'ain and you 6et8 it mi'ht a""ear to
him that you don9t ha!e the nuts and he mi'ht call7 This strate'y 'i!es you a
way to 'et "aid off on the hand7
+hen "layin' a'ainst !ery 'ood "layers8 it is occasionally wise to check on
the turn with the a6solutely 6est hand7 In essence8 you delay 6ettin' in order
to make more money at the end7
Playin' )autiously with the Nuts
+hen I first started "layin' 6ack in the O03s8 I lost my first 6i' "ot in a 'ame
where I flo""ed the 6est "ossi6le hand7 It was a'ainst (o66y (aldwin8 and
we 6oth had the nut strai'ht8 6ut he also had a heart draw7 +hen a heart came
on the ri!er8 he won a !ery lar'e "ot7 This tau'ht me the lesson that in Omaha
ha!in' the 6est hand at the moment doesn9t always make you the fa!orite7
Omaha is one of those rare 'ames in which you sometimes need to eercise
caution when you9re holdin' the a6solute 6est hand on the flo"7 One of the
most "erilous situations you can 'et into is when you flo" the nut strai'ht
with a flush draw on the 6oard8 and some6ody raises you7 Let9s say that the
6oard comes 0E 1E /E8 you ha!e a 13>4>> in your hand8 and your o""onent
raises you7 Two 6ad thin's can ha""enK
=1? -t the !ery least8 your o""onent has also flo""ed the nut strai'ht with
"erha"s an o!ercard that could make a hi'her strai'ht7 If he has the <>13>48
and a 4 or 13 falls8 you will lose the hand to a su"erior strai'ht7
=$? ;ou mi'ht 6e u" a'ainst the same strai'ht:in which case you mi'ht win
!ery little 6y s"littin' the "ot:not to mention a flush draw8 two "air8 or a set8
and you9ll lose a 'reat deal of money if your o""onent hits7
The "oint is that e"erienced "layers in 6i'>limit "oker would 6e !ery
cautious a6out reraisin' with only a naked nut strai'ht7 They need more than
that in order to raise7 So when you 6et and a 'ood "layer raises8 there9s a
'ood chance that he has you tied and also has outs to a 6etter hand7
Here9s an eam"le from a CI38333 ca" 'ame I "layed a while a'o with <oe
and another "layer that I will call (ill7 (ill had 6een killin' the 'ame8
winnin' a lot of "ots7 Two deals 6efore this "articular hand was "layed8 (ill
$11
had showed his cards on the ri!er7 He had a hand that was the second>6est
"ossi6le8 a hand that almost any6ody would ha!e 6et in this scenario7 (ut (ill
elected to Bust show it down8 thus tele'ra"hin' to e!eryone how cautiously he
was "layin'7
Now8 two hands later8 the flo" comes Q><>13 with two clu6s7 (ill checks8 <oe
6ets8 and (ill raises7 If I had 6een <oe8 I would ha!e thrown my hand away at
that "oint and lost a6out C283338 6ecause there was no Juestion that (ill had
the nut strai'ht with a flush draw7 (ut not <oe:he raised the CI38333 ca"7
Off came a clu6 on the turn8 and <oe lost his CI383337 This is another
eam"le of how a "re!ious hand can affect your "lay as the 'ame 'oes
forward8 and a'ain why you should 6e !ery o6ser!ant of your o""onent9s
"lay at all times7
One interestin' "oint to make a6out the "lay of this hand is that it shows how
a !ery 'ood "layer can make money a'ainst a mediocre "layer7 I would ha!e
lost C28333 "layin' this hand8 6ut <oe lost CI38333 and thou'ht he had 6een
!ery unlucky7 He wasn9t unlucky at all:he sim"ly "layed the hand horri6ly7
If the flo" comes Q><>13 with two flush cards8 'i!in' you the nut strai'ht and
you 'et raised after you9!e 6et8 it is almost an automatic fold7 +hyE (ecause
!ery few "layers in our hi'h>stakes 'ame would "ut in a lot of money with a
naked ->H on that flo"7 Perha"s at lower limits8 less ad!anced "layers would
"lay differently7
I once had the same ty"e of hand in a tournament8 ece"t that the flo" came
4>0>17 I 6et with the nut strai'ht8 and there was a raise and a reraise 6ehind
me7 @This strai'ht can9t 6e any 'ood8A I said to myself as I threw it away7 -s
it turned out8 howe!er8 one 'uy had a flush draw and the other one had a set7
Neither one of them 'ot there8 so I would ha!e won a humon'ous "ot7 (ut
the "oint is that in Omaha there are situations when throwin' away the nuts is
o6!iously the "ro"er thin' to do:usually when you ha!e the nut strai'ht and
it9s "retty clear that an o""onent has the same hand8 "lus a draw to a flush or
a 6i''er strai'ht7 This doesn9t ha""en when you ha!e the nut flush 6ecause
no6ody can make a 6etter flush7
The Juestion of risk !ersus reward is !ery rele!ant in this ty"e of situation7 In
the hand that (ill and <oe "layed8 <oe had !ery little money in!ested in the
$10
hand8 only a6out C283338 and he had to either make it CI38333 or fold7 Now
that9s a 6i' difference:"ut in C2/8333 more or foldF The risk>reward ratio
Bust wasn9t there7 The Juestion is8 @Is it worth the risk of 'oin' 6roke to the
handEA
Most of the time when you 6et8 you make a small commitment to the "ot8 6ut
you may ha!e to "ut in ten times that amount to see the hand throu'h7
O6!iously8 you don9t Bust routinely throw away the 6est hand8 6ut many
times you mi'ht want to check the nut strai'ht on the flo" when a flush draw
is "ossi6le and wait to 6et it on the turn if the 6oard doesn9t chan'e7 This
strate'y is more ty"ical of an un>raised "ot8 6ecause there isn9t a lot of money
in it yet7 If there9s 6een a su6stantial raise 6efore the flo"8 you ha!e a little
more incenti!e to "lay the hand 6ecause there9s more money in the "ot7
E!erythin' in "oker is risk !ersus reward7 Su""ose you9re "layin' in our
'ame with CI33#C18333 6linds and a C1I8333 ca"7 Three "eo"le ha!e lim"ed
in8 so there9s three or four thousand in the "ot7 The flo" comes Q><>13 with
two clu6s7 ;ou ha!e the ->H with nothin' else7 E!eryone checks to you8 and
you 6et C283337 Then some6ody comes o!er the to" and raises C1$83337 ;ou
know that on the !ery net card8 he9s 'oin' to 6et C./83337 -nd then the
6oard mi'ht chan'e on the ri!er8 and you won9t know where your o""onent
is at in the hand7 *o you want to risk C118333 more in order to s"lit:at 6est
:an C08333 "otE The answer is no7
)hess is the ultimate think>ahead 'ame7 To" chess "layers think se!en or
more mo!es ahead7 In "oker you must similarly think two or three mo!es
ahead7 Sometimes you9re e!en thinkin' two or three hands ahead8 layin' the
foundation for a "lay you9re 'oin' to make in a future hand7 Hnowin' this8
think 6ack a6out the hand I descri6ed 6etween (ill and <oe8 when <oe lost
CI38333 to (ill when he only needed to lose a few thousand on the flo" and
ask yourself if you would ha!e folded <oe9s hand7
Im"lied Odds
The conce"t of im"lied odds is im"ortant in all ty"es of "oker7 Im"lied odds
is a ratio that wei'hs the amount of money risked 6y 6ettin' a'ainst the
amount of money that can 6e won if you hit your hand and 'et your o""onent
to "ay you off7 For eam"le8 if you 6et C1383338 hit your o!erfull8 and fi'ure
$14
to win C4383338 your im"lied odds would 6e 4>1 =6ettin' C138333 to win
C438333?7
So when decidin' whether to call8 6et8 raise or fold8 you make a risk>reward
calculation 6ased on your odds of winnin'8 how much you will 'et "aid 6ack8
and how 6i' the "ot is relati!e to that sum7 That is8 you look at the im"lied
odds of the situation7 In limit "oker8 it9s a lot easier to calculate your im"lied
odds 6ecause of the structure of the 'ame7 For eam"le8 su""ose you9re
"layin' C18333#C$8333 limit and you ha!e a flush draw on the turn7 ;ou
know that it9s a6out 2 to 1 a'ainst makin' the flush7 The "ot is already
C1$83338 and your o""onent 6ets C$83337 ;ou9re 'ettin' 1 to 1 odds to make
a flush8 so it9s a slam>dunk to call the 6et7 ;our C$8333 6et could turn into
C128333 or e!en C1/8333 and u" if the "ot is raised on the ri!er7
Pot>limit is much different8 6ecause many times you9ll "ut your money in8
e!en thou'h the current "ot odds aren9t in your fa!orD 6ut you do so ho"in'
that the odds will im"ro!e later in the hand7 For eam"le8 let9s say that with
one card to come8 you ha!e the nut flush draw7 -'ain8 the odds are 2 to 1
a'ainst your makin' it7 If there9s CI8333 in the "ot and some6ody 6ets
CI83338 you9re only 'ettin' $ to 1 "ot odds if you call7 ;ou can9t "ossi6ly call
unless you 6elie!e that you9ll 'et called for a C1I8333 6et if you make the
flush on the ri!er7 If you think all this will ha""en8 you9ll 6e 'ettin' I to 1
im"lied odds =6ettin' CI8333 to win C$I8333? on your money in a 2 to 1 set
u"8 so that9s a 'ood reward7 For this "lay to work8 thou'h8 you ha!e to know
your o""onents and really 6elie!e they9ll call7
,enerally s"eakin'8 if someone 6ets and you call8 your o""onents will "ut
you on a draw7 Then if the 6oard chan'es and you make that draw8 it9s harder
to 'et "aid off 6ecause they9ll sus"ect that you9!e 'ot it7 It9s what we call the
re!erse>"lay odds8 meanin' you can9t necessarily e"ect to 'et "aid off7 ;ou
ha!e to know your o""onent and his frame of mind at the time7 Is he winnin'
or losin'E Is he frustratedE
-ll of these !aria6les 'o into the formula of how you "lay im"lied odds7 -nd
that9s why they can 6e dece"ti!e7 In fact8 im"lied odds can 6e dece"ti!e in
two ways7 =1? They can fool you into thinkin' that you are 'oin' to 'et "aid
off8 and that you therefore should callD and =$? they can fool you into thinkin'
$03
there9s no way you9ll 'et "aid off8 so you shouldn9t call7 ;ou9re sim"ly
makin' an educated 'uess7
How im"ortant are im"lied odds in tournament "layE They9re im"ortant8 of
course8 6ut they aren9t always as im"ortant as they are in cash 'ames7 In
tournament "lay8 e!en if the im"lied odds are 'ood enou'h to 6et8 you mi'ht
6om6 out of the tournament if you lose the hand7 Therefore8 e!en if the
im"lied odds are in your fa!or8 you mi'ht not want to risk takin' a draw
when someone makes a lar'e 6et that would reJuire riskin' the last of your
money7 On the other hand8 you ha!e to win some money to stay in the
tournament8 so it9s a dilemma7
Playin' with a Pair Showin' on the (oard
+hen the (oard Pairs on the Flo"
It9s Omaha 131K +hen a "air comes on the flo"8 e!ery6ody "lays !ery
cautiously7 I think it is almost a cardinal rule that when a "air a""ears on the
flo" in Omaha8 you9re not 'oin' to try to make a flush or a strai'ht7
In hold9em8 when there is a "air showin' on the 6oard8 chances are slim that
one of your o""onents has a full house8 so drawin' to a flush or strai'ht isn9t
always 6ad7 (ut when there9s a "air on the 6oard in Omaha8 it9s all too likely
that someone has flo""ed a full house or has a 'ood chance of makin' one
with the same card that you need to make your strai'ht7 If the flo" comes 0>1>
18 for eam"le8 and you ha!e <>13>4>8 the "erson who has a 1 in his hand
may !ery well also ha!e an 08 48 138 or Back8 which are connectin' cards7
The one ece"tion to this rule comes into "lay when you feel stron'ly that
your o""onent is "layin' aces or kin's8 and you ha!e either the nut flush
draw or the nut wra" to a strai'ht7 Su""ose your o""onent raised 6efore the
flo"8 and you9re almost "ositi!e that he raised with aces8 which often ha""ens
:this is another reason why you don9t want to tell "eo"le that you ha!e aces
6y raisin' 6efore the flo"7 Then the 6oard comes 0>1>18 and you ha!e <>13>4>
7 ;our o""onent 6ets into you7 +hat do you doE If you can9t 'uess what he
has8 you9ll "ro6a6ly ha!e to throw your hand away7 (ut if he reraised 6efore
the flo":and most reraises come from "layers who ha!e "ocket aces or 6i'
cards:you mi'ht !ery well "lay the hand7
$01
The O!erfull7 +hen there9s a "air on 6oard8 you can also make an o!erfull
house or an underfull house7 If the flo" comes ->1>1 and you ha!e "ocket
aces8 you ha!e the o!erfull7 Naturally8 this is the 6est "osition you can 6e in7
Furthermore8 you should 6et8 lookin' to catch someone who has a se!en in
his hand or e!en 6etter8 an ->18 the underfull7
Or su""ose the flo" comes 0>1>1 to your "ocket ei'hts or
H>1>1 to your "ocket kin's7 In either case8 you want to 6et or raise
immediately8 tryin' to 'et as much money in the "ot as you can7 ;ou9re
lookin' for someone who has a 1 in his hand to 'i!e you some action7 ;ou
could also check8 ho"in' that someone with a 1 will 6et8 allowin' you to
reraise him7
The Lnderfull7 It9s hard to make money with an underfull7 If you ha!e "ocket
deuces8 for eam"le8 and the flo" comes
1>1>$8 you9re in Beo"ardy7 If someone "lays with you8 chances are he has a 17
;ou ha!e a wonderful hand on the flo"8 6ut unless a deuce comes off on the
turn8 you9re in a lot of trou6le7 If you can raise and 'et a lot of money in
early8 you9re Bustified in "layin' the hand7 (ut if you raise and there9s still a
whole lot of money left to "lay8 you9ll ha!e trou6le e!en callin' one 6i' 6et
after another card comes off7 In Omaha8 many "eo"le8 includin' me8 "lay
small connectors such as 2>.>$>$7 +hile small "airs can make you a lot of
money in the ri'ht situation8 they aren9t "articularly 'ood hands to "lay in
Omaha8 and they can 'et you into a lot of trou6le7 Of course8 it always
de"ends on what hand you "ut your o""onent on7
+hen the (oard Pairs on the Turn or the 5i!er
+hen the 6oard "airs on the turn or the ri!er8 there9s a 'ood chance that
someone has made a full house7 ;ou must 6e cautious a6out "layin' an
underfull in these scenarios7 Su""ose the 6oard comes Q>0>1 and you ha!e a
"air of se!ens in your handD someone 6ets and you call7 Off comes an 0 on
the turn8 so the 6oard now reads Q>0>1>07 ;ou ha!e the underfull8 and you9re
in Beo"ardy7 +hen you make an underfull on the turn or ri!er8 you ha!e a
hand that is !ery hard to 'et "aid off with8 es"ecially on the ri!er7
If the 6oard "airs on the ri!er8 you should rarely if e!er raise with an
underfull7 It9s okay to 6et8 6ut if you 'et raised8 you9re 6eaten unless your
$0$
o""onent is on an a6solute 6luff7 Essentially8 if you9re 44 "ercent sure that
you ha!e the 6est hand 6ut the only hand that you know your o""onent will
call with will 6eat you8 then you should not 6et7
-n underfull is a hand you can 6et for !alue8 6ut if you 'et raised8 6e aware
that the only hand you can 6eat is a 6luff7 - 'ood Omaha "layer won9t raise
with strai'hts or flushes on the ri!er when there9s a "air on 6oard7 If he thinks
you9re 6luffin'8 he mi'ht call with a strai'ht or flush8 6ut he won9t raise7
I9m not sayin' that you shouldn9t 6et an underfull7 If a man 6ets on the turn
with a strai'ht or flush "ossi6ility on 6oard8 then he checks to you when the
6oard "airs on the ri!er8 you9re "ro6a6ly 'oin' to 6et your underfull7 <ust 6e
cautious a6out callin' a raise on the ri!er7 I ha!e laid down many an
underfull on the ri!er a'ainst a raise7
Playin' Two Pair
In 'eneral8 the only two "airs that are any 'ood in Omaha are the to" two7
To" and 6ottom "air8 and 6ottom two "air are etremely !ulnera6le7 It is !ery
difficult to win a lot of money with them8 6ut it9s easy to lose a lot7 -s a rule8
they aren9t worth "layin' for two reasonsK
=1? ;ou can easily 6e 6eat 6y to" two "air or a set8 in which case you ha!e
!ery few outs7
=$? E!en if you ha!e the 6est hand8 it may not look !ery 'ood as soon as
another card comes off7
In Omaha8 an im"ortant Juestion to ask yourself when you are holdin' two
"air or Bust a6out any hand8 for that matter8 is8 @+hat card do I need to hel"
my hand8 and how much will it hel" some6ody elseEA For eam"le8 in a
recent shorthanded 'ame8 the flo" came 13>/>$7 +ith sies and deuces8 I was
43 "ercent sure that my hand was 'ood at the time8 6ut as soon as one card
comes off8 what 'ood would it 6eE Lnless I cau'ht a / or a $8 any card that
came off the deck would ha!e "ut me in Beo"ardy7 So8 I threw it away7
In Omaha8 "layin' e!en the to" two "air can 6e less "rofita6le than you think7
Here9s an eam"le from a 'ame I "layed7 I had tens and nines on a flo" of
13>4>$7 - "layer I9ll refer to as @-lA led at it8 and another "layer called7 I
$0.
wasn9t willin' to raise with my to" two "air 6ecause it would ha!e "ut me in
too much Beo"ardy a'ainst this ty"e of 6oard7 I called8 6ut I was still !ery
leery 6ecause if any card from a / to a kin' came off8 my hand would 6e
!ulnera6le7 The turn card was a I8 which "ro6a6ly hel"ed no one7 I checked8
and -l 6et C1183337 The third man called the 6et with all the money he had
left on the ta6le7 I still thou'ht that I had the 6est hand8 so I raised C.383338
thinkin' that -l was on some ty"e of draw and I had the 6est of it7 -l folded7
+hen we turned our hands u"8 the third man had the same hand I did and we
s"lit the "ot7
To" and (ottom Pair
+hen hold9em "layers come into an Omaha 'ame8 they often think that to"
and 6ottom "air is a !ery 'ood hand8 as it is in Teas hold9em7 (ut it9s a !ery
"oor hand in Omaha8 ece"t when you 6elie!e your o""onent has aces7 In
Omaha 'ames8 a reraise:not the ori'inal raise:'enerally means "ocket
aces7 ,enerally8 a "layer with anythin' less than aces won9t reraise8 6ecause
he reali%es that he will 6e !ulnera6le if he runs into aces and mi'ht wind u"
lookin' at a 6et that he can9t e!en call7 Therefore8 when you know that a
"layer has reraised with aces =as in the eam"le 6elow?8 to" and 6ottom "air
look fantastic7
I rarely raise with aces8 6ut I ha!e 6een known to make ece"tions to my
rule7 In a side 'ame that my friends and I "layed durin' a recent +orld Poker
Tour e!ent8 some6ody raised C083338 and )hi" 5eese called7 I thou'ht he had
raised C1383338 so I tried to reraise C.I8333 with my ->- dou6le>suited7 -s it
turned out8 I could only raise a6out C$083338 and )hi" called my reraise7 The
flo" came H><>07 )hi" flo""ed Backs and ei'hts and mo!ed in7 Had I not
reraised 6efore the flo"8 )hi" would not ha!e called after the flo" with Bust
Backs and ei'hts7 (ut he knew for a fact that I had aces:I mi'ht as well ha!e
shown it7 There was a slim chance that I could ha!e had ->H>H>Q dou6le>
suited or a similar hand8 and with a kin' on the 6oard8 he was takin' a little
risk7 (ut the "oint is that his Backs and ei'hts 6ecame a !ery 6i' hand eactly
6ecause he could "ut me on aces7 -nd that9s why it9s usually 6est not to raise
with aces in Omaha7
To" Two Pair
$02
To" two "air is "laya6le in many situations8 6ut it9s still a dan'erous hand7
Flo""in' to" two "air a'ainst a 6oard like Q>1>$ is 6est8 6ecause there aren9t
many hands that could 6e drawin' to that 6oard7 +ith a hand like ->H>Q>18
that flo" doesn9t look so 6ad8 since your Jueens and se!ens ha!e a chance to
im"ro!e7 This is much 6etter than flo""in' to" two "air on a 6oard of 13E 4E
$E8 6ecause you are !ulnera6le to strai'ht and flush draws7
Or su""ose the flo" comes H><>08 as it did in an earlier eam"le7 If you ha!e
kin's and Backs8 you ha!e a !ulnera6le hand 6ecause the net card off could
com"lete a strai'ht for an o""onent7 - lot of "eo"le will call a 6et on the flo"
with a strai'ht or flush draw8 so two "air must 6e "layed !ery carefully7
- two>"air hand "lays 6etter from a late "osition 6ecause after the cards
come off8 you see what your o""onent does in front of you without ha!in' to
commit yourself7 So you can duck a scare card if you want7 On the flo"8 your
o""onent won9t know where you9re at in the hand8 so if he checks8 you can
check 6ehind him7 Or you could 'et most of your money in 6efore the turn
card comes so that you don9t ha!e to make any 'uesses7
Playin' *ou6le PairsK My $I Percent 5ule
I mentioned earlier that I like to "lay hands such as -E 4E 0E 1E8 with the ace
suited8 6ecause they don9t 'et me into a lot of trou6le7 I also like to "lay two>
"air hands8 and sometimes I9ll raise with them8 e!en if they9re smaller "airs
like nines and sies or ei'hts and fi!es7 The rationale 6ehind raisin' 6efore
the flo" with two small "air is that you ha!e a lot of dece"tion 'oin' for you7
+hen you raise8 "eo"le "ut you on 6i' "airs or 6i' cards7 If the flo" comes
somethin' like <>0>I and you ha!e "ocket fi!es8 they don9t "ut you on tri"
fi!es 6ecause you raised 6efore the flo"8 so they9re 'oin' to "lay their two>
"air hands7
Not only is this ty"e of hand dece"ti!e8 it has the "otential for makin' a little
more money if you make your set7 O6!iously8 it9s easier to make money with
'ood hands in raised "ots than in unraised "ots7 Howe!er you can9t carry
thin's to the etreme:deuces and threes aren9t "articularly 'ood hands7 ;ou
could flo" a set and still not 6e ha""y a6out it7
My $I "ercent rule is sim"ly a reminder that you will flo" a set one out of
four times when you start with two "ocket "air7 It9s "retty much8 @No set8 no
$0I
6et8A unless an accidental strai'ht com6ination lea!es you in contention7
;our raise re"resented a 6i' "air8 so if the flo" comes <>/>$ unsuited8 you
mi'ht take a sta6 at the "ot if you miss7
Playin' -ces
I think that more money has 6een lost with a "air of aces in Omaha than has
6een won7 Lnlike in hold9em8 where they hold u" more than I3 "ercent of the
time8 aces 'enerally ha!e to im"ro!e to win in Omaha7 If a strai'ht is
"ossi6le on the 6oard8 anythin' less than a set of aces is a tou'h hand to "lay7
If you raised 6efore the flo" and then a "air flo"s:it comes 1>$>$8 for
eam"le:you9re !ulnera6le 6ecause you9re almost forced to 6et7 -nyone
who has a deuce knows that you "ro6a6ly ha!e "ocket aces8 and he is 'oin'
to come o!er the to" of you8 so you9re already "layin' a 6i' "ot7 Howe!er8 if
you didn9t raise 6efore the flo" and it comes 1>$>$8 you can make a sta6 at it7
Then if you 'et reraised8 you can throw your hand away7 It9s harder to do that
when you9!e committed to the "ot 6efore the flo"7
There is a downside to raisin' 6efore the flo"7 E!en if your o""onents know
that you9re a''ressi!e and mi'ht ha!e raised with any four cards8 you9re still
"uttin' yourself in Beo"ardy 6ecause you9re forcin' yourself to 6et mar'inal
hands on the flo" that you normally wouldn9t 6et7 If you raised 6efore the
flo" with "ocket aces8 you would ha!e to 6et on the 1>$>$ flo" 6ecause
there9s Bust too much money in the "ot to lea!e it layin' out there7
Now su""ose the flo" comes 1>$>$ in an unraised "ot and e!eryone checks
around to you7 ;ou mi'ht make a small sta6 at it8 and if you 'et raised8 you
would "ro6a6ly throw it away7 Or you mi'ht want to let one more card come
off for free and see what ha""ens7 (ut remem6er that since e!ery "layer has
si hands8 it9s !ery easy to hit 'utshots or make a set with a small "air8 so it9s
etraordinarily dan'erous to 'i!e free cards7
To reca"8 unless you9re an etraordinarily a''ressi!e "layer who raises all
the time8 you should not usually raise with aces 6efore the flo"7 One could
e!en make an ar'ument that you should ne!er raise 6efore the flo" with aces8
6ecause e!en if you9re a 'ood "layer and your o""onents can9t "ut you on
aces8 the fact that you "ut so much money in the "ot forces you to defend
your aces o!er !ery risky flo"s7
$0/
Put sim"ly8 a reraise with aces almost screams at your o""onents8 @I ha!e
acesFA -nd once you9!e told "eo"le that you ha!e aces8 6ottom two "air and
to" and 6ottom "air look 'ood to them8 and any set looks like a monster on
the flo"7 -lmost as im"ortant8 a hand that flo"s one "air with nine cards to
make two "air looks "retty 'ood to your o""onents7 For eam"le8 let9s say
that I Bust call an o""onent9s "re>flo" reraise with
13>4>0>1 and the flo" comes 1>I>$7 I know that he has aces8 6ut I fi'ure that I
ha!e a "retty 'ood hand7 In order to 6eat him8 I need to catch a 138 48 or 0 to
"ick u" a second "air8 a / to make a 'utshot strai'ht8 or a 1 to make tri"s7
There are four sies and two se!ens8 "lus nine other cards:fifteen outs total
:that I could catch to 6eat him8 so I9m a6out e!en money to win7 My
o""onent9s aces are !ulnera6le in this situation7 Of course8 if I didn9t know
that he had aces and he 6et on the 1>I>$ flo"8 I would 6e more careful7
-ny time you ad!ertise that you ha!e aces8 unless you can 'et three Juarters
or more of your money in the "ot8 Bust call and wait to see what ha""ens on
the flo":e!en if you9re normally an etremely a''ressi!e "layer7
Playin' a *rawin' Hand
*rawin' hands are a 6i' "art of Omaha7 ;ou can turn monsters that are
fa!orites o!er sets7 It9s easy to turn nut flush draws8 nut flush draws with a
strai'ht draw8 or a wra" with a flush draw8 all of which are dan'erous hands
for your o""onents to draw a'ainst7 If some6ody 6ets into them8 many
"layers8 includin' me8 will raise with 6i' draws such as a flush draw with a
strai'ht draw or may6e two "air with a flush draw7
If you ha!e a drawin' hand and you9!e 6een 'i!en a free card8 it9s dan'erous
to 6et on the turn8 es"ecially from late "osition7 If you 6et it8 you9re 'i!in'
someone the o""ortunity to come o!er the to" for all his money7 If you 'et
most of your money in on the flo"8 it9s fineD 6ut if you make a small 6et on
the flo" and 'et called8 and nothin' ha""ens on the turn8 then it9s a 'ood idea
to check and wait to see what ha""ens on the ri!er7
-nother reason not to 6et a 'ood draw from a late "osition is that you can 6e
a little more dece"ti!e7 Let9s say that you ha!e the nut flush draw with one
card to come7 ;ou 6et from the late "osition with a clu6 draw and 'et called7
Then a clu6 comes on the ri!er8 'i!in' you the nut flush7 ;our o""onent is
$01
'oin' to "ut you on a flush 6ecause the 6oard looks dan'erous7 In other
words8 it will 6e harder for you to 'et "aid off7 Now8 su""ose you check the
turn and a clu6 comes on the ri!er7 ;our o""onent mi'ht check and call when
you 6et7 The "oint is that you can 6e a little dece"ti!e 6y checkin' a 6i'
drawin' hand rather than 6ettin' it7
*on9t ,i!e Free )ards
In hold9em8 when you ha!e a 6i' hand8 you want your o""onent to catch u" a
little8 so you9ll 'et "aid off7 Therefore8 if you are far ahead in the hand8 you
don9t mind 'i!in' away a free card7 In Omaha you rarely want to 'i!e your
o""onent a chance to im"ro!e and catch u" with you7 For eam"le8 if the flo"
is ->1>1 and I ha!e "ocket aces8 I would 6et 6ecause I9m trollin' for a 17 This
means I make a 6et and ho"e someone with tri" se!ens calls7 I9m settin' a
tra"7 If none of my o""onents has a 18 I9m not 'oin' to make any money7 (ut
if some6ody has one and takes the 6ait8 I stand to make some "retty 'ood
money7
+hen you 'i!e free cards8 there9s a chance that an o""onent with a "air will
catch a two>outer to 6eat you or that he9ll make a 'utshot strai'ht8 which
ha""ens often7 -lso8 remem6er that a lot of 6ackdoor hands are "ossi6le in
Omaha7 (ackdoor flushes8 in "articular8 don9t always ha!e to 6e the nuts to
win the "ot7 So8 if you ha!e a hand on the flo"8 you should usually 6et it7
-lso8 sometimes you ha!e to 6e "re"ared to throw the hand away7 Let9s say
that the flo" comes <>0>$ and you ha!e to" and 6ottom "air7 E!ery6ody
checks around to you8 and you 6et it8 mainly 6ecause you don9t want to 'i!e
a free card7 ;ou want to "ick u" the "ot ri'ht there7 If you 'et raised8 it9s
"retty easy to throw it away7 If you 'et called8 you ha!e to 6e cautious from
that "oint onward7
This doesn9t mean that you shouldn9t 6et this ty"e of handD you9re still tryin'
to "ick u" a "ot with a little 6it of somethin'7 If you Bust sit there and say8 @I
can9t 6et these mar'inal hands8A you aren9t 'oin' to win in Omaha7 ;ou take
sta6s at "ots8 6ut you9re also "re"ared to fold if you 'et raised7 -nother factor
to consider if you9re 6ettin' these hands as well as your 'ood hands8 such as
to" set8 is that your o""onents may not 6e a6le to "ut you on Bust two "air7
(ettin' +hen ;ou )an9t )all
$00
Many times you make 6ets in Omaha that you cannot call if you 'et raised7
This often ha""ens when you make a 6et in order to a!oid 'i!in' a free card7
(ut you should still 'o ahead and 6et 6ecause if you don9t8 you9re Bust too
!ulnera6le and you9re not 'oin' to "ick u" many "ots7 To win at Omaha8 you
must "ick u" some small "ots7
5aisin' To Protect a Hand
Su""ose you ha!e to" two "air or a set8 and you want to 'et some money into
the "ot7 The flo" comes 13E 4E $E7 ;ou ha!e the -E 13E 13E 2E7 E!en thou'h
you ha!e to" set and the nut flush draw8 your hand is still !ulnera6le to a
strai'ht draw7 Su""ose an o""onent has a H>Q in his hand8 you let a free card
come off8 and he catches a Back7 Many times8 he9ll ha!e a wra" and call your
6et8 and you9ll lose7 It9s one thin' to lose when you9!e "ut money into the
"ot8 6ut it9s somethin' else to 'i!e him a free card and lose7
Playin' the Turn
If you9re 'oin' to call on the ri!er8 you mi'ht as well raise on the turn:this
is a fundamental conce"t in "ot>limit and no>limit "oker8 es"ecially when
your 'ame has a ca"7 Let9s su""ose a "erson 6ets into you on the turn7
-lthou'h you ha!e a callin' hand8 you don9t know if it9s the 6est one out
there8 6ut you9re "lannin' to call on the ri!er with your last money anyway7
In this case8 you mi'ht as well raise8 6ecause if you Bust call8 you9re 'i!in'
him a free shot7 For eam"le8 let9s say that there9s a "ossi6le flush on 6oard8
you ha!e the kin'>hi'h flush8 and someone 6ets into you7 If you9!e made u"
your mind that you9re 'oin' to call him on the ri!er8 don9t wait for him to 6et
it a'ain8 6ecause he mi'ht not:'o ahead and raise7 He mi'ht ha!e two "air
or three of a kind8 and he9s "ro6a6ly 'oin' to call the raise7 +ith this "lay8
you9re 'oin' to make more money if you win at the ri!er8 and if you lose8
you9ll still only lose the same amount7 There are two ece"tions to this rule7
If you are "lannin' to call on the ri!er8 you should not automatically raise the
turn ifK
=1? you think he9s 6luffin' and you ha!e such a 'ood hand that you want him
to 6luff into you a'ainD or
=$? you ha!e a "owerful hand that is far 6etter than his 'ood hand8 so you
$04
don9t want to scare him off7
(y Bust callin' in these situations8 you9re inducin' your o""onent to 6et at the
ri!er7
Sometimes 6y raisin' on the turn you mi'ht e!en 'et "eo"le to lay down
6etter hands than yours7 Let9s say that with a Back>hi'h flush8 you know that
you9re 'oin' to call on the ri!er8 and your o""onent 6ets into you on the turn7
If you mo!e in on him in this situation8 he mi'ht lay down a kin'>hi'h flush7
Here9s another story that illustrates this "ointK In a hand that I "layed with
*a!id Sklansky8 the flo" came H>Q><>7 *a!id 6et on the flo"8 and I called
him with three kin's7 On the turn8 after no hel" came8 he 6et a'ain7 I had
made u" my mind that I was 'oin' to call him on the ri!er8 so I raised him7
+ell8 'uess whatE He didn9t ha!e the ->13 for the nut strai'htD he had the 13>
4:and he threw it away7 (y raisin' I told him that I had the 6est hand7
Playin' the 5i!er
Playin' the ri!er is a !ery interestin' as"ect of Omaha7 Here are a cou"le of
"ointers that may hel" you win more or lose less on the ri!er7 If you ha!e the
nuts8 it isn9t always the 6est idea to 6et the si%e of the "ot8 6ecause you9re
forcin' "eo"le to "lay 'ood "oker7 ;ou9re sayin' to them8 @I ha!e the 6est
hand and I9m 'onna 6et all this money8 so I su''est you dro"7A +ell8 'uess
whatE They do Bust what you e"ect7 If the "ot is C238333 and you ha!e the
6est hand8 there9s nothin' wron' with 6ettin' only C1I8333 or C$383337 This
is called sellin' the nuts7 ;ou make a moderate 6et so you9ll 'et "aid off7
This "lay also sets u" 6luffs for you7 If your o""onents know that you9ll sell
the ri!er with the 6est hand 6ecause they9!e seen you do it8 a C1I8333 6et on
the ri!er with a 6luff has the same im"act7 In this sense8 it9s win>win7 +hen
you 6luff and 'et called8 you lose less7 -nd you 'et "aid off on your 'ood
hands a lot more often7 Many "eo"le Bust can9t stand the idea of throwin' a
hand away for a small amount of money:and that notion allows you to sell
the nuts7 In 'eneral8 there is no reason to always 6et the si%e of the "ot on the
ri!er when you ha!e the nuts8 unless you9re "retty sure that your o""onent
will call7 - while a'o I "layed a hand a'ainst a man I9ll call Nate7 There was
a Q>< on the 6oard8 and I had an ->H>> in my hand7 Nate made a 6i' 6et on
the flo" and then he checked on the turn7 On the ri!er came a 138 'i!in' me
$43
the nut strai'ht7 My hand didn9t look like the nuts to him 6ecause he knew
that I would ha!e raised him on the flo" with a wra"7 I 6et the "ot8 a6out
C2383337 Nate thou'ht for a lon' time and then threw his hand away7 In
retros"ect8 I re'retted 6ettin' that much:I wish I had 6et a6out C$38333 to
make it look more like a 6luff8 in which case he may ha!e called7
Here9s a "lay that works 6etter a'ainst a!era'e "layers than to" "layersK Let9s
say that you ha!e the second or third 6est hand8 like a strai'ht that9s not the
6est a!aila6le8 and you don9t know where your o""onent is at in the hand7 Or
may6e you make a Jueen>hi'h flush on the ri!er8 6ut a'ain8 you9re not sure
where he9s at7 *on9t make a full 6et:toss in somethin' small7 ;ou can
throw the hand away if he raises8 6ecause he9s "ro6a6ly 'ot the nuts8 and of
course8 you still mi'ht 'et "aid off if he calls7 (ut if you check and he 6ets8
you won9t know where he9s at7 If you try this "lay a'ainst 'ood "layers8 6e
aware that it can work the other way:they9ll know what you9re doin' and
will reraise you8 knowin' that you9re 'oin' to throw your hand away7
Makin' an Educated ,uess -6out
;our O""onents9 )ards
;ou can sometimes fi'ure out eactly what your o""onents9 holecards are
throu'h inducti!e lo'ic7 Se!eral years a'o8 *oyle8 5o'er Moore8 and I "layed
an interestin' hand that illustrates this "oint7 *oyle had ->->> in his hand8
5o'er had a 13 with connectin' cards8 and I had an ->13>>7 The flo" came
->13>137 *oyle 6et8 I called8 and 5o'er called7
-t this "oint8 I had no idea what *oyle had7 He may ha!e had a 'ood hand or
he could ha!e 6een 6luffin'8 6ut I knew 5o'er wouldn9t call without a
reasona6le hand7 5o'er must ha!e had either two aces or a 13 to ha!e made
the call7
*oyle led at it a'ain on the turn8 so I knew that *oyle wasn9t 6luffin':the
flo" was Bust too dan'erous to 6luff into a'ain with two "eo"le callin'7 -t
that "oint8 I should ha!e thrown my hand away7 +hyE (ecause e!en if *oyle
didn9t ha!e two aces8 I thou'ht 5o'er did7 Lnfortunately8 I called7 +hen
5o'er threw his hand away8 I knew for sure that 5o'er had a 138 I a6solutely
knew it8 6ecause he called and then folded7 -t that "oint8 I also knew that
*oyle could not ha!e a 138 since 5o'er had one and I held another8 so he
$41
o6!iously had two aces7
On the ri!er *oyle 6et for the third time7 There was Bust no hand in the deck
that he could ha!e other than two aces7 E!en thou'h *oyle9s last 6et was
relati!ely small8 I showed him my hand of tens full of aces and threw it away7
He made some unflatterin' remarks as he showed me his two aces7 This hand
clearly shows how 'ood "layers are a6le to deci"her an o""onent9s hand7
-lthou'h not as cut>and>dried as this eam"le8 a similar hand came u" in a
recent +orld Poker Tour no>limit hold9em tournament7 I "layed my ->13
6adly8 6ut this time I won a 6i' "ot with it7 Sittin' in middle "osition8 I raised
6efore the flo" with an ->138 (illy ,rey called on the 6utton8 and an elderly
"layer who was short>chi""ed called from the 6i' 6lind7 The flo" came ->->
.7 I 6et C18I338 and (illy raised C.8I33 more7 I thou'ht that may6e (illy had
an ->0 or ->4 and was testin' me to find out where he was at in the hand7
(ut then the senior mo!ed in with his last C183337 -t that "oint8 I should ha!e
'i!en credit to either "layer and thrown my hand away7 +hat could I 6eatE
May6e I was Bust 6ein' nai!e in thinkin' that (illy had an ->0 and was
"ro6in' the stren'th of my hand8 and that the elderly 'entleman had two
kin's7 Of course8 it Bust wasn9t "ossi6le that the senior had mo!ed in with his
case money if he didn9t ha!e at least ->H or ->Q7 I called anyway7
(ut as 6adly as I "layed it on the flo"8 (illy "layed it e!en worse on the turn
when a 13 slid off the deck7 I 6et C138333 with my full house8 and he mo!ed
in C1I8333 more7 +hat did he think I was 6ettin'E *id he think that I would
6et an ->H or ->Q at that "ointE ,i!e me a 6reak:this was a dry "otF The
third man was all>in8 and it was o6!ious that he had sent all his chi"s in with
a 'ood hand8 so there was no "oint in my 6luffin' at the "ot7 +hat was I
'oin' to do8 try to 'et (illy out so that I can lose to the third 'uyE (illy
should ha!e fi'ured out "retty Juickly that he had the worst hand7
-s it turned out8 (illy had .>. and the senior 'entleman had ->.7 True8 I
"layed it 6adly when I called on the flo"8 6ut they should ha!e known that I
wouldn9t "ut C138333 in on the turn if I didn9t ha!e somethin'7 If I hadn9t hit
my kicker8 I would ha!e checked and (illy would ha!e 6et7 Then8 reali%in'
that (illy was 6ettin' into a dry "ot8 I would ha!e 'i!en credit to the third
man for an ->H or ->Q8 and I would ha!e folded7
$4$
In retros"ect8 I think that (illy may ha!e 6een !ery tired after "layin'
tournament "oker for so many days in a row7 In order to "lay "oker well8 you
need to think well7 I9!e found that when I 'et tired8 I don9t "lay cards well8 I
let the cards "lay me7 If I9m Bust lookin' for a 'ood hand8 not out there
thinkin' a6out e!erythin'8 it9s time to 'o to 6ed7 O!er the course of a week9s
"lay at "oker8 each sim"le mistake can cost you tons of money7 Three of
those mistakes durin' a tri" can mean the difference 6etween winnin' and
losin'7
FIN-L NOTES
Playin' Shorthanded
Shorthanded "ot>limit Omaha is Juite a different 'ame than a rin' 'ame and
reJuires different skills7 - lot of "eo"le who "lay !ery 'ood rin' 'ame
Omaha can9t "lay shorthanded8 and !ice !ersa7 - friend of mine from
Houston who "lays su"er>a''ressi!e is a much 6etter shorthanded "layer
6ecause he raises !irtually e!ery "ot7 In a shorthanded 'ame8 that works
6ecause you aren9t always u" a'ainst Juality hands7 (ut if you continually
raise in a rin' 'ame8 you will often find yourself u" a'ainst su"erior hands
and will 6e takin' the worst of it7
Peo"le 6luff a lot in shorthanded "lay 6ecause8 'enerally s"eakin'8 no one
flo"s a 'ood enou'h hand to call with7 -dditionally8 the nut hand isn9t out
there nearly as often7 I find that "layin' shorthanded is more fun than "layin'
in a full 'ameK ;ou "lay more hands8 and it isn9t 6orin' 6ecause as soon as
you dro"8 another hand starts7 <ust remem6er that shorthanded Omaha
reJuires a different set of skills7
+hat Se"arates -!era'e Players
From To" Players
I think that what se"arates a!era'e "layers from 'ood "layers is the amount
of money a!era'e "layers lose with "ocket aces 6efore the flo" and with full
houses7 If you o!er"lay your aces 6efore the flo"8 and if you9re not ca"a6le of
layin' down a full house:es"ecially an underfull:when it9s "retty o6!ious
that you9re 6eat8 you9re 'oin' to lose 6i' "ots "layin' Omaha7 If you "lay
enou'h Omaha8 these 6i' hands will mean the difference 6etween winnin'
$4.
and losin'8 so you ha!e to "lay them in such a way that you won9t lose a lot
of money7 -nd when you "lay an underfull8 you must 6e careful not to o!er>
commit to the "ot8 e!en in shorthanded 'ames7
Let me tell you a little story Bust to show you how dan'erous these hands can
6e7 In a shorthanded 'ame8 a "layer I9ll call @*onA and I each had a little 6it
of money in 6efore the flo"7 The 6oard came H>H>138 and althou'h I had a
kin' in my hand8 I Bust checked7 *on 6et around C.83337 I thou'ht he was
6luffin'8 6ut as it turned out8 he had two tens7 I called8 off came a four on the
turn8 and I made kin's full of fours7 He 6et C1383338 and I raised him his last
C138333 to "ut him all>in7 Since we were "layin' shorthanded8 it was more
difficult for *on to 'et away from his hand7 He called8 showed down his tens
full of kin's8 and lost all his money7
This eam"le Bust shows you how easy it is to lose a 6i' "ot with an
underfull7 *on couldn9t ha!e won as much money with tens full as he could
ha!e lost if I made kin's full7
In this eam"le8 if I9d held somethin' like H>Q>I>28 I still would ha!e seen
that flo"7 That9s not an a6solutely "remium startin' hand of course8 6ut when
you9re "layin' three> or four>handed8 you can "lay almost any four cards7
That is8 you9ll ha!e a little more latitude in your startin' hands as lon' as you
"lay well on the flo"8 turn8 and ri!er7 -'ain8 it9s risk>reward:for eam"le8 if
you9re "layin' C$33#C233 6linds and there is CI38333 or C/38333 on the
ta6le8 you can take a lot of flo"s for C233 if the "ayoff mi'ht 6e C$38333 to
C.383337
Lyle (erman9s Hiller )ards )hart
In the late 1403s8 I was twiddlin' my thum6s in my condo in Nail8 forced 6y
the crummy weather to stay inside all day7 Sittin' in front of the fire"lace8 I
started to wonder what a killer card is worth in Omaha7 For eam"le8 su""ose
you ha!e a set or two "air and your o""onent is drawin' to a strai'ht or a
flush7 If he makes his strai'ht or flush on the turn8 you could still kill him on
the turn or the ri!er 6y makin' a full house for the 6est hand7 Or8 you could
make your full house on the turn8 and he would 6e drawin' dead7
I knew that killer cards were !ery !alua6le8 6ut I didn9t know eactly what
they were worth7 -ll I had with me was a calculator8 6ut I was a6le to come
$42
u" with a formula that 'enerated the chart 6elow8 which has ne!er 6efore
a""eared in "rint7 If I were 'i!en Bust a 6asic calculator today and forced to
stay "ut in a room for a week8 I wouldn9t 6et that I could recreate this chart7 I
6elie!e it is "erfect7
The chart shows how many wins you ha!e8 assumin' that you9re the do'8 the
"erson who does not ha!e the 6est hand7 +hen you ha!e a set8 you actually
ha!e two calculations to consider:one on the turn and one on the ri!er7 ;ou
ha!e se!en cards to kill with on the turn7 In other words8 you ha!e se!en
cards that will make a full house or four>of>a>kind8 and if you don9t make it8
you ha!e three more 6ecause the ri!er can "air that card as well7 So you ha!e
se!en and then ten8 for se!enteen outs or killers7
The chart shows the 21>card "ercenta'es for Omaha7 +e are concentratin' on
the 21>card "ercenta'es8 and the ei'ht killer columns to the ri'ht a""ly to
Omaha7 The fourth column shows what each killer card is worth in Omaha
=it9s !ery similar in hold9em? and etra"olates from there7 (asically8 the chart
shows that in order to 6e I3>I3 a'ainst a set8 you really need se!enteen outs
twice7 This is si'nificant for Omaha8 6ecause most "eo"le think it9s thirteen
or fourteen8 as it is in hold9em7
$4I
T5IPLE *5-+
6y *aniel Ne'reanu
INT5O*L)TION
In recent years8 tri"le draw has steadily increased in "o"ularity7 In fact8 these
days you will rarely find a hi'h>limit 'ame at the (ella'io in Las Ne'as that
does not include some form of tri"le draw7 Ty"ically8 ta6les that are
C$33#C233 and hi'her are mied 'ames8 so in order to "artici"ate you9ll ha!e
to learn the fundamentals of se!eral forms of "oker8 includin' tri"le draw7
In this cha"ter8 we9ll co!er the deuce>to>se!en form of tri"le draw7 It is the
more wides"read and intricate of the two most common tri"le draw 'ames8
the other 6ein' ace>to>fi!e low6all7 Most of what you9ll learn here a""lies to
ace>to>fi!e as well8 6ut near the end of the cha"ter8 I will 'o o!er the key
differences 6etween the two 'ames and the necessary adBustments you9ll need
to make when mo!in' from one to the other7
There is a common misconce"tion amon' some hi'h>limit "layers that tri"le
draw is nothin' more than a 'ame of "ure luck7 That9s sim"ly not the case7
+hile luck "lays a role in any 'i!en hand8 "layin' correctly will minimi%e
any dan'erous swin's that luck may 6rin'8 and skill will "re!ail7
Tri"le draw has cau'ht on so Juickly 6ecause of the allure of action and 6i'
"ots7 Ty"ical tri"le draw "ots are lar'er than those 'enerated 6y a hand of
Omaha hi'h>low8 for eam"le7 ;ou9ll also notice that when you add tri"le
draw to a mi of other 'ames8 it tends to li!en u" e!eryone9s "lay7
Tri"le draw is an action 'ame8 no Juestion a6out it7 ;ou9ll need to ha!e your
seat 6elt on at all times7 To 6etter "re"are you for the 6um"y ride8 this
cha"ter will 'i!e you all the tools you9ll need to 6ecome a winnin' "layer7
I9ll "ro!ide you with a 6asic set of "rinci"les that8 if followed closely8 should
6e enou'h to ena6le you to 6eat almost any tri"le draw 'ame in the world7
HO+ TO PL-; THE ,-ME
(efore we 'et into any strate'y discussion8 it9s im"ortant that you understand
the rules of the 'ame8 as well as how the 6ettin' works7 The rules are rather
$4/
sim"leK ;ou are dealt fi!e cards facedown and can choose to draw as many
cards as you wish8 u" to three times7 ;ou can sto" drawin' at any "oint8
which is more commonly known as standin' "at7
In deuce>to>se!en tri"le draw8 the winner of the "ot at the showdown is the
"layer with the worst "oker hand7 For eam"le8 $>.>2>I>1 with no flush is the
worst hand in traditional "oker 6ut the 6est hand in deuce>to>se!en7 Strai'hts
and flushes count a'ainst you in deuce>to>se!en8 so 2>I>0>4>Q would actually
6eat $>.>2>I>/8 a strai'ht7 -lso8 in deuce>to>se!en8 an ace can only 6e used
for hi'h8 and not for low7 This leads to the rare case of the worst traditional
"oker hand winnin'7 Since an ace is always hi'h8 I>2>.>$>- is not a strai'ht8
and it 6eats any "air or other ace>hi'h7
The rules for ace>to>fi!e are sli'htly different7 The 6est hand in ace>to>fi!e is
sim"ly ->$>.>2>I7 Flushes and strai'hts don9t count a'ainst you8 and an ace
is considered a one7 In this 'ame8 the winner of the "ot is the "layer with the
fi!e lowest un"aired cards7 So ->$>.>I>Q would 6eat ->$>$>.>27 If8 6y the
ri!er8 the two remainin' "layers 6oth ha!e a "air8 the lower "air wins7 For
eam"leK ->->I>/>4 would 6eat $>$>.>2>I7
T5IPLE *5-+ LO+(-LL
The *eal
The deal is similar to hold9em8 with a 6utton8 small 6lind8 and8 of course8 a
6i' 6lind7 Since there are so many drawin' rounds8 this 'ame can only 6e
"layed si>handedD otherwise you would run out of cards too often7 It is
"ossi6le to "lay the 'ame se!en> or ei'ht>handed8 6ut only if "layers sit out
on e!ery deal7 +hen "layin' se!en>handed8 the "layer to the left of the 6i'
6lind is forced to sit out one hand7 Ei'ht>handed8 the "layers in first and
second "ositions sit out7
(ettin'
In some areas of the South8 they "lay s"read>limit8 meanin' that in a
C133#C233 'ame8 you can 6et from C133 to C233 at any time8 6ut the more
"o"ular 6ettin' structure is fied limits7 If you are seated in a C$33#C233
tri"le draw 'ame8 the small 6lind "osts C133 and the 6i' 6lind C$337 If you
are first to act8 you can fold8 call the C$338 or raise it to C2337 E!ery "layer
$41
after you has the same o"tionsK fold8 call8 or raise7 Once that action is
com"lete8 there is another 6ettin' round8 also in C$33 increments8 after the
first draw7 -fter the second draw8 the 6et dou6les7 ;ou can now 6et or raise
C2337 Finally8 after the third draw8 the 6et is once a'ain C2337
So there are four 6ettin' rounds in total7 In a C$33#C233 'ame8 they would 6eK
=1? C$33 6efore the first drawD
=$? C$33 after the first drawD
=.? C233 after the second drawD and
=2? C233 after the third draw7
Now that we9!e 'ot that out of the way8 let9s look at what ty"es of hands we
should 6e startin' with7
Startin' Hands
First and foremostK *on9t lea!e the 'ate without a deuce7 In deuce>to>se!en
tri"le draw8 the lowly deuce is more "owerful than any other card7 ;our 'oal
in deuce>to>se!en tri"le draw would 6e to make a se!en8 and in order to do
so8 you must ha!e a deuce in your hand7 There are four "ossi6le se!ens8 all of
which contain a deuceK
=1? $>.>2>I>1 =known as a wheel or num6er one8 for o6!ious reasons8 and
eJui!alent in rankin' to the ->$>.>2>I wheel in ace>to>fi!e7?
=$? $>.>2>/>1 =known as num6er two?
=.? $>.>I>/>1 =known as num6er three?
=2? $>2>I>/>1 =known as num6er four?
+hile .>2>I>/>1 'i!es you fi!e cards to a se!en8 it also makes a strai'ht that
can9t 6e used in deuce>to>se!en low6all7 So o6!iously8 most startin' hands
ha!e a deuce in them7
Pat Hands
If you are dealt a "at hand:a 'ood hand that reJuires no discardin' or
drawin' on your "art:you want to "rotect it 6y "uttin' in e!ery 6et you can7
-ny "at se!en is a monster8 and while a "at ei'ht is 'reat8 it is also
!ulnera6le7 For the most "art8 if you are dealt a "at se!en or ei'ht you won9t
6e drawin' at all8 and de"endin' on the action8 you9ll "ro6a6ly see the hand
$40
throu'h to the end7
Once you9!e decided to stay "at with your se!en or ei'ht8 there is no need to
slow>"lay your hand7 (et and raise at e!ery o""ortunity 6efore the draw and
after the first draw7 +ith a "at hand8 smooth callin' 6efore the draw is
"ointless8 since your secret will 6e out as soon as the dealer asks you how
many cards you want7 Once you say8 @I9m 'ood8A your o""onents will know
that you ha!e a se!en8 ei'ht8 or may6e a nine7
- nine8 howe!er8 is more difficult to "lay7 In some situations8 it may 6e okay
to stay "at with a nine8 6ut in 'eneral you want to a!oid e!en "layin' a rou'h
nine7 ;ou9d 6e 6etter off "lacin' a hand like 4>0>1>/>2 in the muck than
ho"in' it holds u" in a multiway "ot7
Howe!er8 if you held somethin' like 4>1>2>.>$8 you would ha!e a dynamite
draw7 ;ou would discard the nine and ha!e three chances at a se!en7 ;ou are
certainly a fa!orite to make at least a nine or 6etter with a draw like this8
since you9d ha!e fifteen outs three timesF That makes you a 6i' fa!orite o!er
a foolish o""onent who stays "at with the same nine7
One>)ard *raws
-ll se!en draws and most one>card ei'ht draws are "laya6le8 "ro!ided you
don9t ha!e a strai'ht draw7 +hile 2>I>/>1 is only one card from makin' a
se!en8 only the !alua6le $ will hel" you7 If you are in a multiway "ot8 there
may not e!en 6e a $ left in the deck to sa!e youF E!en if you are lucky
enou'h to catch a deuce8 your hand is far from un6eata6le7 If any other "layer
makes his se!en8 the 6est you can do is tie7
Lnless you actually ha!e a wheel you always want to 6e heads>u"7 Of course8
if you ha!e a draw like $>.>2>18 you should welcome as many "layers as
"ossi6le7 Howe!er8 to a!oid 'i!in' away information a6out the stren'th of
your hand8 you should always raise and reraise with any one>card draw you
decide to "lay7
-s I said "re!iously8 any 'ood se!en draw should 6e "layed a''ressi!ely8
re'ardless of your "osition8 "ro!ided you don9t ha!e a strai'ht draw7 To a
lesser etent8 if you decide to "lay a strai'ht draw8 such as $>.>2>I8 $>.>2>/8
$>.>I>/8 or $>2>I>/8 "lay it a''ressi!ely8 too7 +hile a 1 would 6e the "erfect
catch for any of these four hands8 and an 0 would 6e welcome8 the strai'ht
$44
"otential makes them sli'htly less !alua6le than the other se!en draws7
+hile a one>card ei'ht draw with no strai'ht "ossi6le isn9t 6ad8 any ei'ht
draw with a strai'ht "ossi6le is almost always un"laya6le7
Here are the one>card ei'ht draws you can often "layK
These hands are too 'ood to fold7 +hen "layin' them8 thou'h8 6e sure to
tar'et one o""onent or "ick u" the 6linds7 -ny time you "lay a one>card
draw8 re'ardless of its rankin' on the stren'th chart8 you should 6e raisin'
and reraisin' 6efore the first draw7
In fact8 any hand you choose to "lay 6efore the first draw should 6e raised7
There are few situations where lim"in' is correct7 If your hand is stron'
enou'h to "lay8 "lay it a''ressi!ely7 If it9s not8 send it to the muck7 In tri"le
draw8 your strate'y 6efore the draw should 6e similar to that used in limit
hold9em 6efore the flo":ti'ht 6ut a''ressi!e7
Two>)ard *raws
The maBority of the hands you "lay 6efore the first draw will 6e two>card
draws7 The followin' two>card draws can 6e "layed for any amount of 6ets
6efore the drawK
-ll these hands 'i!e you an o""ortunity later to draw at one card at the wheel
without the "resence of a strai'ht draw7 If you are dealt any of these hands8
raise it7 In fact8 if you are in "osition8 I would ad!ise reraisin'7 That way you
can isolate one "layer while ha!in' "osition8 which makes it easier to control
the action7
$>.>2 !s7 $>.>1
!s7
There has always 6een a 'reat deal of de6ate o!er what the 6est startin' hand
is when drawin' two7 Is it the $>.>2 or the
$>.>1E
Let me start 6y sayin' that it sim"ly doesn9t matter !ery much7 ;ou should
"lay 6oth hands the same way7 The hands are so close in stren'th that
wastin' too much time talkin' a6out which is 6etter is silly8 6ut I9m 'oin' to
.33
do it anyway to illustrate the conce"t7
-fter runnin' se!eral simulations8 I found the followin'K if the $>.>2 ran
a'ainst "recisely $>.>18 the $>.>1 would 6e less than a 1 "ercent fa!orite7
That makes the $>.>1 the 6est hand then8 ri'htE +ron'7 -'ainst any other
hand your o""onent mi'ht ha!e8 the $>.>2 would do 6etter than the $>.>17
Since you are rarely 'oin' to 6e in a situation where you hold $>.>2 a'ainst
"recisely $>.>18 I would say that the $>.>2 is the 6est startin' hand in terms of
two>card draws7
;ou always want to 6e drawin' from the 6ottom u"7 The smoother your
draw8 the more often you will win the "ot when 6oth you and your o""onent
make your hand7 For eam"le8 if 6oth the $>.>2 and the $>.>1 make an 0>18
the $>.>2 can9t loseF The $>.>2 could make only $>.>2>1>08 while the $>.>1
would make 0>1s that look like thisK
$>.>2>1>0
$>.>I>1>0
$>.>/>1>0
Notice how much stron'er the first 0 isE +ith the $>.>1 you9ll often ha!e to
make a tou'h decision later as to whether or not you should draw to a $>.>1>0
or throw the 0 away and 'o for the wheel7 +ith the $>.>2 you would sim"ly
kee" the 0 e!ery time7
(e +ary of the /7 There are four other two>card draw startin' hands that
should also 6e "layed in most situations7 They are draws that contain a / that
could still make you a 1>low7 Here they areK
$>.>/
$>2>/
$>I>/
$>/>1
None of these draws can make a wheel8 and the first three may actually cause
you "ro6lems due to the "resence of a "ossi6le strai'ht7 I would still ad!ise
you to "lay these hands in most situations8 6ut you should fold them in the
face of too much action8 es"ecially if the raises came from ti'ht "layers7
,ood Ei'ht *raws7 - 'ood ei'ht draw is one that could make num6er fi!e
.31
=$>.>2>I>0?8 such as $>.>08 $>2>08 and
$>I>0:6ut a'ain8 6e wary of the /7 If you make your hand with a / in it8 you
mi'ht lose to ei'hts at the showdown7 From early "osition8 each of these
hands can 6e folded safely7 Howe!er8 if you are in late "osition and no one
has entered when it9s your turn to act8 you should raise with these hands7
These hands are stron' enou'h to defend your 6lind with as well7 +e9ll learn
more a6out 6lind "lay later in the section7
Trou6le Hands +orth Playin'
The followin' startin' hands should only 6e "layed when stealin' 6linds or
defendin' themK
.>2>0 .>I>1
.>I>0 .>/>1
.>2>1 2>I>1
These are trou6le hands or trash hands8 and they do much 6etter in "osition
and in heads>u" situations7 +hen dealt one of these hands8 you often find
yourself with either a 6ad ei'ht draw or a strai'ht se!en draw7 If you don9t
im"ro!e Juickly with one of these hands8 you should a6ort mission and throw
them in the muck7 O6!iously8 the one key card you are lookin' to catch
would 6e the "owerful deuce7 -s a 'eneral rule8 you don9t want to draw to a
hand that needs a deuce to fill it:you should already ha!e one7
Three>)ard *raws
There are only two situations where you can Bustify drawin' threeK
=1? Stealin' on the 6utton7
=$? *efendin' your 6lind7
If you are 'oin' to draw three8 one of the two cards you kee" sim"ly has to
6e a $7 Here are the hands worth drawin' three onK
$>.
$>2
$>I
$>1
Notice we left out the $>/7 ;ou are already on a steal drawin' threeD let9s not
.3$
com"ound the "ro6lem 6y drawin' rou'h as wellF It is usually correct to
draw three out of the 6i' 6lind with a hand like $>.8 as lon' as it only costs
you one more 6et7
-lso8 if no one has entered the "ot8 you can attem"t to steal the 6linds from
the 6utton with one of these three>card draws7 The fact that you ha!e "osition
makes it likely that "layin' one of these hands will 6e "rofita6le7 -fter all8
there is still a chance you9ll win the 6linds without a fi'ht7
Since you are drawin' three8 chances are one of those three cards will hel"
you7 -ny of the followin'K 28 I8 /8 18 or 0 would im"ro!e a $>. startin' hand
enou'h to draw once more7
Four> and Fi!e>)ard *raws
Sim"leK *on9t do it7 The only time you should draw four is when you are the
6i' 6lind in an unraised "ot7 In that case8 kee" a $8 .8 28 I8 or 18 and discard
the rest7
Playin' from the (linds
Playin' out of the 6i' 6lind can 6e !ery tricky7 Thou'h you will usually 'et
ecellent "ot odds8 if you start with rou'h draws8 you will make rou'h hands
and recei!e rou'h 6ruises to your 6ankrollF
;ou certainly want to stretch your startin' reJuirements some8 6ut if you 'o
too far8 you are 'oin' to 6e left with too many difficult decisions on later
streets7 For eam"le8 drawin' two out of the 6i' 6lind with a hand like 2>I>/
is Bust askin' for trou6le7 +hat are you lookin' to catchE - deuce and a 1 or
a deuce and an 0E E!en if you catch this miracle draw8 your hand is still not
in the clear7 Muck this draw and sa!e yourself some maBor headaches7
The hands you should add to your "laya6le list are the ecellent three>card
draws =$>.8 $>28 $>I8 $>1? and some of the two>card ei'ht draws =.>2>08 .>I>
0?7 Since you are 6ein' laid such 'reat "ot odds8 you should also add the
se!en draws that don9t contain a deuce =.>2>18 .>I>18 .>/>18 2>I>1?7 +ith
rou'h draws like these8 you want to 'et to the draw as chea"ly as "ossi6le7
)allin' one raise is fineD callin' two raises is suicide7
E!ery once in a while you9ll "ick u" a really stron' draw in the 6lind8 such as
a one>card draw to a non>strai'ht ei'ht>or>6etter or a two>card draw to a
wheel containin' a deuce7 If you are holdin' one of these and find yourself
.3.
u" a'ainst a late "osition raiser8 you should "unish him 6y reraisin'7
Small (lind !s7 (i' (lind7 If e!eryone folds to you in the small 6lind8 don9t
'et carried away tryin' to steal the 6i' 6lind9s money7 In fact8 since you don9t
ha!e "osition8 you should "lay ti'hter than you would if you were the 6utton7
- 'ood three>card draw:one containin' a deuce and either a .8 28 I8 or 1:is
still "laya6le7 -'ainst a loose8 a''ressi!e "layer you should "ro6a6ly lim"
with these weak hands8 6ut if the 6i' 6lind "lays conser!ati!ely8 you should
raise it7 5emem6er8 the small 6lind acts first on all su6seJuent rounds of
6ettin'8 so it9s the worst "osition at the ta6le7 If anyone else has Boined the
"ot8 you9d need a solid startin' hand to "lay from the small 6lind7
If you are in the 6i' 6lind heads>u" a'ainst the small 6lind8 you should call
one more 6et with anythin' remotely "laya6le7 That e!en includes a three>
card draw to a .>2F There are many reasons why ha!in' "osition is so
!alua6le when "layin' heads>u"7 That8 in addition to the . to 1 odds you9re
'ettin' to defend your 6i' 6lind a'ainst the small 6lind8 makes callin' the
ri'ht "lay with almost any three>card draw to a wheel7
Playin' -'ainst a 5aise
If you are the 6utton and are facin' a raise8 you should usually reraise and
take the hand heads>u" with the "ower of "osition7 Hands like $>.>28 $>.>18
one>card draws8 and "at hands are all stron' hands that you don9t want to
fold7 Take control 6y three>6ettin' it7
If your hand isn9t 'ood enou'h to three>6et8 seriously consider foldin'7 If
you9re outside the 6lind8 hands like $>.>0 are 'ood enou'h to raise with if no
one has entered the "ot8 6ut not Juite 'ood enou'h to call a raise with7
Summary
Let me re"eat this8 6ecause is so im"ortantK The deuce is the key card in this
'ame7 Most of the hands you choose to "lay should contain a deuce:there
are few ece"tions7 ;ou mi'ht see others drawin' to hands that don9t contain
a deuce8 6ut don9t fall into that tra"7
For the most "art8 you want to "lay stron' hands that can make the nuts7
+hen you are drawin' smooth8 you are 'oin' to make smooth hands when
you hit7 If you are drawin' rou'h8 you9ll often 6e drawin' to a loser or often
.32
e!en drawin' deadF
Playin' -fter the First *raw
*e"endin' on the draw you start with8 you9ll 'enerally want to 6et and raise
when you im"ro!e your hand and either check and call or check and fold
when you don9t7 -'ain8 it all de"ends on the draw you start with7 If you were
dealt $>.>2>1 and were u" a'ainst any "layer who drew two8 you would 6et
whether you im"ro!ed or not7 In fact8 it would 6e fine to 6et without e!en
lookin' to see if you im"ro!edF
+hen ;ou Miss
+hat to do when you don9t im"ro!e de"ends on your "osition8 the num6er of
cards you draw8 and the num6er of cards your o""onents draw7 If you draw
one and your o""onents draw two or more8 you should always 6et7 In fact8
anytime you are a card ahead of your o""onents8 it9s safe to 6et:with one
ece"tion7 Here it isK if you draw two and don9t im"ro!e8 then are called 6y
two "layers drawin' three8 you should check7 )hances are that one if not 6oth
of them im"ro!ed8 so it would 6e wise to take the free card rather than risk
6ein' raised or check>raised7
+hen out of "osition and drawin' an eJual num6er of cards as your
o""onents8 what you do de"ends hea!ily on whether or not you im"ro!e7
,enerally s"eakin'8 you should "lay the hand strai'htforward8 6ettin' when
you im"ro!e8 checkin' when you miss7
For eam"le8 in the small 6lind with $>I>/>18 a late "osition "layer raises you8
and you reraise7 ;ou draw one8 as does your o""onent7 If you don9t im"ro!e8
6ettin' would 6e silly7 ;our o""onent will almost ne!er fold here8 6ut he will
likely raise you if he im"ro!es7 Sure8 you may ha!e a mar'inally 6etter draw
than he does8 6ut that doesn9t Bustify losin' an etra 6et if he does im"ro!e7
E!en if your o""onent draws to a .>2>I>08 it wouldn9t 6e a disaster if the
6ettin' round went check8 check7 In the 6est case scenario8 you9ll 'et a 6et in
as a mar'inal fa!orite7 In the worst case scenario8 you9ll 'et two 6ets in as
either a si'nificant underdo' or drawin' dead8 while your o""onent is
drawin' smoother than you to 6e'in with7
Now8 if you are drawin' two cards to a "remium hand in a raised multiway
"ot8 you should still call a 6et whether you im"ro!e or not8 since the "ot is
.3I
already si%ea6le7 Howe!er8 you should rarely call a 6et and a raise if you
don9t im"ro!e your two>card draw8 as you will likely find yourself u" a'ainst
either two one>card draws8 a one>card draw and a "at hand8 or two "at hands7
If you do decide to call a dou6le 6et8 you won9t e!en know for sure whether
it will cost you more to see your net draw7 If the first 6ettor does ha!e a "at
hand8 he will likely reraise8 "uttin' you in a horri6le "osition:drawin' two
a'ainst a "at hand with two draws left7
+hen ;ou Im"ro!e
+hen you do im"ro!e after the first draw8 it9s time to 'et a''ressi!e7
+hether you im"ro!e to a one>card draw or a !ulnera6le "at hand8 you9ll
want to narrow the field as much as "ossi6le in multiway "ots7 (ein'
a''ressi!e in heads>u" situations isn9t Juite as im"ortant7 Let9s look at an
eam"le7
;ou raise in first "osition with $>2>17 ;ou are called 6y the 6utton and
reraised 6y the 6i' 6lind7 The 6i' 6lind draws one8 while 6oth you and the
6utton draw two7 Now you catch a I and a kin'7 The 6i' 6lind 6ets and it9s
u" to you7 Should you call or raiseE
The correct answer would 6e raise7 +hile it9s true that you may 6e u" a'ainst
a "at hand8 you9d still ha!e two draws to make a se!en or "ossi6ly an ei'ht8
de"endin' on your o""onent9s hand7 Forcin' the 6utton out is the most
im"ortant thin'7 If you Bust call8 he would 6e 'ettin' 'ood enou'h "ot odds to
draw two cards7 That9s not what you want7 ;ou want to secure last "osition
6y chasin' the 6utton out8 then take the hand heads u"7 If the 6i' 6lind didn9t
im"ro!e8 you9ll ha!e an e!en 6etter chance a'ainst Bust one o""onent7
+hat if you are heads u" the whole timeE Same scenario8 ece"t this time
there is no third "layer7 In this case8 a raise wouldn9t 6e horri6le8 6ut callin'
would 6e 6etter7 Since you don9t ha!e to worry a6out knockin' out a "layer8
you can sim"ly call here and draw to your hand chea"ly7 The one key
draw6ack to raisin' is the risk of your o""onent makin' his hand7 It would
then cost you three 6ets rather than one to outdraw him7 -s I mentioned
earlier8 you may 6e 'i!in' u" a little !alue since you ha!e the 6etter draw8
6ut that won9t make u" for the times you "ay etra a'ainst a made hand7
Hee" the 0 or *raw To the +heelE
.3/
This is "ro6a6ly one of the most difficult decisions you9ll ha!e to make in a
tri"le draw hand7 +hen drawin' to a hand like $>.>18 should you kee" the 0
after the first draw and draw rou'h8 or discard it and draw to the wheelE
The reason it is such a difficult decision is 6ecause it de"ends on se!eral
!aria6les8 includin' the num6er of o""onents8 the num6er of cards your
o""onents need8 your "osition8 and the discards you made7
Num6er of O""onents7 The more "layers in the "ot8 the more you should lean
toward discardin' the 0 and 'oin' for the wheel7 The "ro6lem with kee"in'
the 0 with more o""onents drawin' is that it will 'et 6eat too often 6y an 0>/8
an 0>I8 or a se!en7
If you are u" a'ainst Bust one o""onent8 you mi'ht decide to kee" the 08 6ut
you should consider other factors8 like the num6er of cards your o""onent is
drawin' and your "osition7
Num6er of )ards ;our O""onent Is *rawin'7 If your o""onents are drawin'
three or more8 you should kee" the 07 They need a lot of hel"8 and if you
make an 0>1 here8 it will usually 6e 'ood enou'h to win7 If you 'o to the deck
and a'ain draw two8 you will 6e 'i!in' them a 6etter shot of 'ettin' 6ack into
the hand7 *raw to the 0>1 and "unish them for their loose "layF
Position7 Position is etremely im"ortant7 +hen you are out of "osition8 you
won9t ha!e the luury of knowin' how many cards your o""onents are
drawin'7 -lso8 if you are out of "osition with a rou'h draw8 you may e!en
'et out"layed on a later street7 -s a 'eneral rule8 when out of "osition you
want to 6e drawin' to the nuts or as close to the nuts as "ossi6le7 -lthou'h 0>
1>.>$ may 6e a 'ood draw8 it9s far from the nut draw7 The 6est you can do is
make num6er ten8 $>.>2>1>07
)on!ersely8 when you are in "osition8 you ha!e more control o!er your
o""onents7 So8 in effect8 you can "lay their hands rather than yours7 If you
draw one to the 0>1 and your o""onents are still drawin' two after the first
draw8 you9ll often win the "ot whether you im"ro!e or not7 Therein lies the
!alue of "osition7
*iscards7 +e are 'oin' to co!er this su6Bect in 'reater detail near the end of
the cha"ter7 (ut for now8 we9ll say that 'enerally8 the more "aired wheel
.31
cards you ha!e in your hand8 the stron'er the hand7 +hile $>.>2>H>Q and $>
.>2>.>2 a""ear to 6e the same draw =$>.>2?8 the latter is a much stron'er
hand7 +hyE (ecause that etra . and 2 mi'ht 6e cards your o""onent is
lookin' for 6ut can now no lon'er catchF -dditionally8 it makes it less likely
that you will "air7 Furthermore8 if your o""onent holds $>I>18 your discard
makes it less likely that he will make his draw now that two of his cards are
dead7
So how does that a""ly to kee"in' an 0E Sim"le7 The more "aired cards you
ha!e8 the more you should lean toward kee"in' the 07
Makin' an Ei'ht on the First *raw
+hen you start out "layin' tri"le draw low6all8 you are usually 'oin' to stay
"at if you make an ei'ht at any "oint7 Once your readin' a6ility im"ro!es8
howe!er8 you will 6e a6le to 6reak an ei'ht and draw to the se!en under the
ri'ht circumstances7 -n 0>1 can 6e 6roken8 6ut if you make an 0>/ or 6etter8
you9re 6etter off stayin' "at7 (ein' in "osition will also "lay into your
decision of whether or not to 6reak an ei'ht7 How soE
If you are holdin' $>.>/>1>0 and an o""onent in front of you stands "at after
the first draw8 you ha!e to ask yourself8 @+hat can I 6eatEA +ould your
o""onent stay "at with a nine hereE Or could he "ossi6ly ha!e a worse 0>1E
In this case8 with an o""onent standin' "at in front of you8 you will usually
6reak the ei'ht8 since you ha!e such a smooth draw to a se!en =$>.>/>1?7 If
no one yet has stood "at8 you should stay "at until further notice7
Playin' -fter the Second *raw
+hen To )heck
-fter the second draw8 you should always check to an o""onent that is one
card ahead of you7 For eam"le8 if you are drawin' two and your o""onent is
drawin' one8 you can e!en check in the dark7 Or if you are drawin' one and
your o""onent is "at8 a'ain you can check in the dark7 In these situations8 you
won9t 6e riskin' a free card 6ecause your o""onent will surely 6et7 If your
o""onent doesn9t make this normally automatic 6et8 then he will often 'i!e
you a free card7
If after the first draw8 6oth you and your o""onent draw one and you fail to
im"ro!e to a "at hand8 you should "ro6a6ly check8 es"ecially when out of
.30
"osition and most of the time when in "osition7 E!en if you feel like you ha!e
the 6est draw 'oin' into the last card8 it is usually only a sli'ht ad!anta'e8 so
it9s "ro6a6ly 6est to a!oid the "ossi6le check>raise7
+hen To (et
;ou should always 6et if you are a card ahead8 re'ardless of your "osition7 If
you ha!e a one>card draw !ersus an o""onent with a two>card draw8 you
should 6et whether you im"ro!e or not7 If you are "at and they are drawin'8
a'ain you should 6et automatically7 ;ou sim"ly can9t 'i!e away free cards
with Bust one draw left7 If there is any chance you can win the "ot here8 you
ha!e to take it7 If your o""onent with the two>card draw doesn9t 'et hel"8 he
mi'ht fold e!en thou'h you are still drawin' as well7
If 6oth you and your o""onents draw one 'oin' into the last draw8 you should
6et with any hand that you are 'oin' to stay "at with7 If you make 4>1>/>2>$8
you should 6et and stay "at if no one raises you7 +ith Bust one draw left8 the
nine is a fa!orite o!er any draw7
To a!oid 6ecomin' too "redicta6le8 you mi'ht want to 6et your "remium
draws in "osition with or without im"ro!ement7 For eam"le8 you ha!e $>.>
2>1>1 and ha!e already discarded a . and a 27 ;our lone o""onent checks to
you7 In this situation8 your hand is a 6i' enou'h fa!orite o!er your
o""onent9s draw that it9s worth a !alue 6et7
If you had this hand out of "osition howe!er8 you should still check des"ite
the "owerful draw you ha!e7 ;our o""onent isn9t 'oin' to fold hereD he9ll
either raise or call7 If he does raise8 you9!e now lost an etra 6et and are
"ro6a6ly an underdo' to win the "ot7 This is an im"ortant conce"t to
understand7 +hen out of "osition8 you need to think a6out minimi%in' your
losses 6y a!oidin' mar'inal !alue 6ets7 They ha!e !alue when your o""onent
ha""ens to miss8 6ut when your o""onent com"letes his draw8 you 'i!e u"
way too much eJuity when he raises you7
In "osition8 you should also 6et some of your "remium one>card draws for
another reason7 If your o""onent is "erce"ti!e8 he will know that you don9t
ha!e a "at hand when you check 6ehind him 'oin' into the last draw7 If he
has a hand like
$>.>2>0>138 he mi'ht decide to stay "at knowin' that your hand is not
.34
com"lete7 Howe!er8 had you 6et your draw8 he would ha!e a really tou'h
time stayin' "at with a ten7
If you don9t ha!e a "at hand8 you want your o""onent to 6reak the ten7 The
ten is a fa!orite o!er e!en $>.>2>1>17 If you can 'et him to 6reak the ten with
a 6et8 your $>.>2>1 will 6ecome the fa!orite o!er his draw to the $>.>2>07
+hen To )all
+hen drawin' one to a wheel or any se!en8 you should always call one 6et
'oin' into the last draw7 In fact8 sometimes you may e!en raise with a draw
like this8 6ut we9ll 'et to that later7 Let9s co!er situations where you would
sim"ly call7
If 6oth you and your o""onent draw one 'oin' into the last draw and you
don9t im"ro!e 6ut he 6ets8 you should usually Bust call7 ;our o""onent9s 6et
should tell you that he has a "at hand8 so unless you ha!e reason to 6elie!e
he9d fold or 6reak his hand to a raise8 you should Bust call and try to outdraw
him7
-lso8 if you draw two and im"ro!e to a one>card draw8 and your o""onent
draws one 'oin' into the second draw8 you should Bust call7 If you 'et really
lucky and make a "at hand8 then you mi'ht consider raisin'7
There is one more interestin' situation where callin' mi'ht 6e 6etter than
raisin'7 Su""ose your o""onent draws one and you8 thou'h still drawin' two8
ha!e "osition on him7 ;ou find yourself with a hand like $>2>/>1>07 Should
you raise or Bust callE
Let9s think a6out what may ha""en if you Bust call7 If you call8 your o""onent
will assume that you are still drawin' at least one8 if not two7 If he makes a
hand like 13>1>2>.>$ he will "ro6a6ly stay "at ahead of you7 -fter all8 a "at
ten is a fa!orite o!er any draw7 Now8 if you smooth call8 you9!e Bust ensured
yourself the "ot7 Since there are no draws left8 you are "rotectin' what9s in
the middle7 In a sense8 you9re trickin' your o""onent into thinkin' he has the
6est hand 6ecause you didn9t raise7
So what would ha!e ha""ened if you raisedE +ell8 you9d certainly 6e takin'
the 6est of it8 as your "at ei'ht is a fa!orite o!er his wheel draw7 The "ro6lem
is8 you don9t want your o""onent to 6e drawin' li!e at allF If you raise and
force your o""onent to 6reak the ten8 he9ll now 6e drawin' li!e to a fi!e8 si8
.13
or e!en an ei'ht7 +hy risk the whole "ot to 'et in one etra 6et in on the
turnE ;ou mi'ht e!en 6e a6le to win that 6et on the ri!er when the "ot is
secured7 This "lay is a !alua6le wea"on that has to 6e added to your arsenal if
you want to 6e a winnin' tri"le draw "layer7
Finally:and this should 'o without sayin':you should Bust call when you
are a card 6ehind7 If you im"ro!e from a two>card draw to a one>card draw8
6ut your o""onent was already on a one>card draw8 you should sim"ly 6e a
caller7 If you are u" a'ainst a "layer who was already "at and you are on a
one>card draw8 you should usually Bust call unless you ha!e reason to 6elie!e
he has a weak hand8 in which case you may choose to raise7 There is more on
that in the net section7
+hen To 5aise
The most o6!ious reason to raise is that you ha!e the 6est hand7 For the most
"art8 with a se!en8 0>I8 or e!en 0>/8 you should raise since you "ro6a6ly do
ha!e the 6est hand7
In a multiway "ot8 it9s e!en more im"ortant to raise with one of these "at
hands in order to "ut "ressure on those o""onents tryin' to outdraw you7
They surely will call one 6et drawin' to a wheel or a 'ood ei'ht8 6ut for two
6ets you may 6e a6le to 'et them to lay it down8 de"endin'8 of course8 on the
"layers7
E!en when heads>u"8 you should raise with a se!en or an 0>I8 then follow
throu'h with a 6et on the ri!er7 Hands ranked one throu'h fi!e are difficult to
outdraw7 ;our o""onent can9t "ossi6ly ha!e too many outs if he is still
drawin'7 E!en if your o""onent is drawin' to a $>.>2>1 a'ainst your $>.>2>I>
08 he can only win the "ot with a / or one of three remainin' fi!es:a total of
se!en outs7 If your o""onent has a "at ei'ht8 chances are he won9t 6reak it8
thinkin' you mi'ht 6e makin' a "lay at the "ot7
Makin' a Play at the Pot
+hat do I mean 6y makin' a "lay at the "otE Sometimes if you ha!e an
ecellent draw8 you mi'ht 6e 6etter off s"endin' an etra 6et8 ho"in' to force
your o""onent to 6reak a "at hand8 rather than Bust callin' in the ho"es of
outdrawin' him7 For eam"le8 say you are on the 6utton with $>$>.>1>17 ;our
o""onent raises 6efore the first draw8 and you reraise him7
.11
Now your o""onent draws one and you8 of course8 draw two7 ;our two new
cards are a 2 and another $8 'i!in' you a wheel draw8 $>.>2>17 Net8 your
o""onent 6ets7 (ecause of your "osition8 your stron' draw8 and the !alua6le
discards you9!e mucked8 you decide to raise it7 ;our o""onent calls and
decides to stay "at7
5i'ht there you can assume that your o""onent doesn9t ha!e a !ery stron'
hand7 If he did8 he "ro6a6ly would ha!e reraised once more7 -lso8 since you
ha!e seen three deuces and two se!ens8 it9s a lot more likely that your
o""onent has a hand like .>2>I>/>0 or e!en .>2>I>0>47
On the second draw8 your o""onent is "at and you draw one to the wheel7
This time8 you catch another 1F Lnless your o""onent has 6oth the case $ and
the case 18 he doesn9t ha!e a "at se!en7 ;our o""onent 6ets7 +hat should you
doE
It all de"ends on your read of your o""onent7 ;ou ha!e a "retty 'ood idea as
to the stren'th of his hand8 most likely an ei'ht or a nine7 +ill your o""onent
foldE +ill your o""onent come off of a nine and drawE If you think there is a
reasona6le chance that the answer to either Juestion is yes8 then 'o ahead and
raise7
(y in!estin' one more 6et8 you may either win the "ot ri'ht there or 'o from
an underdo' to a si%ea6le fa!orite7 If it doesn9t work out8 it adds more
dece"tion to your 'ame at little cost8 dece"tion that you can e"loit later7
-fter all8 you ha!e one more draw and could still make your hand7
In order for a "lay like this to work8 you ha!e to know your o""onent7 If you
know him to 6e stu66orn enou'h not to 6reak or fold8 sa!e your money7
Howe!er8 if he is a thinkin' "layer8 he9ll ask himself8 @+hat can I 6eatEA
Since you "layed the hand so a''ressi!ely 6efore and after the first draw8 a
thinkin' "layer would know that you ha!e a stron' draw7 If he is lookin'
down at .>2>/>0>48 what could he "ossi6ly 6reak and draw toE He has to
sim"ly ho"e and "ray that you are makin' a "lay and that you will miss on
the last draw7 (ased on all of this8 a thinkin' "layer may decide it9s not worth
seein' the hand throu'h and fold7 5emem6er8 thou'h8 do not try this "lay
a'ainst a callin' station7 Tryin' to 6luff a 6ad "layer will make you the fool7
)heck>5aisin'
.1$
There are times when you9ll 6e a6le to 'et in a check>raise after the second
draw7 Often8 this ha""ens when you are one card 6ehind 'oin' into the draw8
either drawin' two to your o""onent9s one or drawin' one while your
o""onent stays "at7 -nytime you make your hand in this situation8 you
should 6e a6le to check>raise7 -fter all8 if your o""onent is "layin' "ro"erly8
he9ll 6et to kee" from 'i!in' away a free draw7
;our check and your o""onent9s 6et here should 6e automatic7 ;ou could
e!en check in the dark8 and your o""onent would "ro6a6ly 6et in the dark8
6ut I wouldn9t recommend doin' this if there are no!ices in the 'ame7 +hile
it9s o6!ious to you and the other e"erienced "layers that these 6ets are
automatic8 a no!ice may not 'ras" it7 So if there are rookies at the ta6le8 at
least "retend to look 6efore you check7
If you ha""en to make a 'ood ei'ht or a se!en8 check>raisin' is "ro6a6ly a
'ood idea7 These hands mi'ht already 6e dead8 6ut there is an ecellent
chance that your o""onent is still drawin'7 Playin' a rou'h ei'ht or a rou'h
nine is a lot more difficult8 and check>raisin' with either one is risky7 If
you9re out of "osition8 you mi'ht lose a lot of 6ets with a rou'h hand7 -nd as
you already know 6y now8 you should try to a!oid losin' the maimum with
rou'h hands8 es"ecially out of "osition7 So with these hands8 you 'enerally
will ha!e to make a decision 6etween checkin' and callin'8 then stayin' "atD
or checkin' and callin'8 then drawin'7
In order to make 'ood decisions here8 you ha!e to "ay attention to tells8 as
they are etremely !alua6le in this situation7 +atch your o""onent closely7 Is
he shufflin' his cards8 lookin' for the one he9s "lannin' to discardE Or does
the way he is holdin' his hand look like he is stayin' "atE This isn9t easy8 6ut
the 6est "layers read these situations !ery well7
If you aren9t a6le to "ick u" any tells at all8 I would ad!ise stayin' "at with a
nine or 6etter and ho"e your o""onent draws7 If your o""onent ra"s "at
6ehind you8 you are in dee" trou6le7 If he 6ets the ri!er8 you should "ro6a6ly
fold:unless you ha!e reason to 6elie!e he would 6luff here7
Now8 don9t 'et me wron':in this situation8 you can check>raise with any
ei'ht or nine7 It9s not a terri6le "lay at all7 In fact8 6y doin' so8 you9ll
definitely 'et a 6etter idea as to whether or not you should call a ri!er 6et7
.1.
For eam"le8 if you check>raise with a rou'h nine and the "layer 6ehind you
calls and ra"s "at as well8 your hand is no 'ood7 Plain and sim"le7 ;ou can
safely fold to a ri!er 6et7 If he draws8 then 'reatF Now you9ll Bust ha!e to
ho"e he misses7
+hen you9re holdin' rou'h ei'hts and nines8 check>raisin' and check>callin'
are 6oth !ia6le o"tions8 and 6oth should 6e used from time to time7 There is
!alue in either "lay7 )heck>callin' allows you to minimi%e your losses8 while
check>raisin' may e!en force your o""onent off a 6etter handF For eam"le8
if you check>raised and stood "at with a $>.>2>0>48 your o""onent may
decide to 6reak a hand like $>.>/>1>48 which has you 6eat7 That would 6e
fantastic8 re'ardless of the final outcome7
-s you9!e "ro6a6ly noticed8 there is more "lay on the second draw than any
other street7 Similar to the turn in hold9em8 "lay on the second draw se"arates
the 'reat "layers from the rest of the "ack7 How stron' a tri"le draw low6all
"layer you 6ecome de"ends a lot on how well you9re a6le to master the art of
"layin' the second draw7
+hen To Fold
There are se!eral situations where you should fold8 e!en with one draw
remainin'7 If you are still drawin' two with only one draw remainin'8 you
should usually fold to a 6et8 es"ecially out of "osition7 The only time you
should consider drawin' two 'oin' into the last draw is when you ha!e
"osition8 you think your o""onent is still drawin'8 there is a lot of money in
the "ot8 and you ha!e made !alua6le discards7 Otherwise8 it9s Bust too
difficult to make a hand drawin' two with Bust one draw left7 E!en $>.>2 is an
underdo' to 6eat H>Q><>13>0F -ma%in'8 6ut true7
Here9s another situation where you should consider foldin'K say you are u"
a'ainst a "at hand drawin' to a rou'h ei'ht7 If your o""onent stays "at after
the first draw and you are holdin' $>/>1>08 for eam"le8 two thin's need to
ha""en for you to win the "otK
=1? ;ou would need to make your hand7
=$? ;ou would need to 6e drawin' li!e7
Since your o""onent stayed "at after Bust the first draw8 chances are he has at
.12
least an ei'ht made8 so you will 6e drawin' dead here too often to make
callin' correct7
;ou should also consider foldin' when you make either a rou'h ei'ht or nine
and 'et raised after the second draw7 The only way your hand could 6e
"laya6le is if your o""onent is makin' a 6luff>raise and is still drawin'7 For
eam"le8 you make a $>.>1>0>4 and 6et a'ainst one lone o""onent who raises
you7 ;ou could stay "at and ho"e he is 6luffin'D you could draw one and
ho"e that an 0>1 will 6e 'ood enou'h to winD or you could take the safe route
and sim"ly muck your hand7 +hich course of action is the 6est de"ends on
your read of your o""onent7
Finally8 you should fold when facin' two 6ets 'oin' into the last draw8 e!en
when drawin' to the nuts7 This 6it of ad!ice may come as a shock to some8 so
let9s look at the reasonin' 6ehind it7 +ith one draw left8 you ha!e $>2>I>1 on
the 6utton7 In front of you8 it9s 6et and raised7 Fold7 ;ou know that a / will
'i!e you num6er four:a stron' hand8 6ut one that still mi'ht not 6e 'ood
enou'h considerin' the action in front of you7 This lea!es you needin' a . to
'i!e you the nuts7 )onsiderin' that you are facin' two "layers who o6!iously
ha!e fi!e low cards a"iece8 what are the chances that all four threes are still
li!eE Not !ery 'ood7 In addition8 there9s always the chance that the first
6ettor will reraise once more7 -ll of a sudden8 your monster wheel draw
doesn9t look so hot now8 does itE
+hen To Stay Pat
+e know for sure that a "at Back is a small fa!orite o!er any draw7 E!en a
hand like <>13>4>0>/ a'ainst $>.>2>1 with one draw left is a II "ercent
fa!orite7 From this8 can you assume that you should always stay "at with a
Back or 6etter with one draw leftE Not Juite7
Heads>u"7 If you are heads>u" with "osition and know that your o""onent is
drawin'8 then8 yes8 you could consider stayin' "at8 e!en with $>.>2>1><7
Howe!er8 if you are out of "osition and don9t ha!e the luury of knowin'
whether or not your o""onent is drawin' or stayin' "at8 that chan'es thin's
dramatically7 In this case8 you should always draw7
E!en after your o""onent draws one card8 you should "ro6a6ly draw one as
well when you fi'ure you9re drawin' 6etter7 That9s 6ecause you ha!e almost
.1I
as 6i' an ad!anta'e in the one>card !ersus one>card match>u" as you do
standin' "at:assumin' you Bust showed down the results without 6ettin'7 In
addition8 you9ll ha!e the o""ortunity to 'ain 'round throu'h the final 6ettin'8
considerin' your su"erior draw and the fact that you9ll act last7
The o""ortunity to make more money outwei'hs your sli'htly diminished
chances of endin' u" with the 6etter hand7 So it9s usually correct to draw a
card7 In doin' so8 you9ll also rule out the "ossi6ility of 6ein' 6luffed out 6y
an ins"ired o""onent7 -'ain8 it9s interestin' to note that in a showdown
situation8 where there can 6e no future 6ettin'8 the Back is the fa!orite o!er
any draw8 and it9s correct to stand "at with such a hand7
-s you see8 this is what makes "osition so im"ortant in tri"le draw7 +ith
"osition in a showdown situation8 you would know for certain that the correct
"lay is to stand "at 6ehind an o""onent who drew one8 ho"in' he missed7
Multiway Pots7 +hat ha""ens when you add a third "layer to the miE How
does that chan'e thin'sE Let9s look at an etreme eam"leK
;OL =$3V?
PL-;E5 - =23V?
PL-;E5 ( =23V?
In this case8 6oth "layer - and Player ( would win the "ot a""roimately 23
"ercent of the time8 meanin' that your "at Back will win Bust $3 "ercent of the
time7 Not 'ood7 Let9s look at a more ty"ical eam"leK
;OL =..V?
PL-;E5 - =.1V?
.1/
PL-;E5 ( =.3V?
+hile that9s not too 6ad:the Back will win its fair share of "ots:let9s look
at what ha""ens when we drawK
;OL =.0V?
PL-;E5 - =.IV?
PL-;E5 ( =$1V?
-s you can see8 you9d do much 6etter 6y drawin'7 So what hand 6ecomes a
fa!orite o!er two other "eo"le drawin'E The answer is a nineK
;OL =2$V?
PL-;E5 - =$4V?
PL-;E5 ( =$4V?
-'ain8 as in the "re!ious eam"les8 "osition is "aramount7 If you know 6oth
of your o""onents are drawin'8 it makes stayin' "at an easy decision7
Howe!er8 if you are out of "osition and unsure whether your o""onents will
draw8 it makes thin's much more difficult7 That9s why it9s im"ortant to 6et if
you make your hand out of "osition7 That way8 if no one raises you8 chances
are your nine is the 6est hand and you can safely stay "at7 +hile you mi'ht
'et the same information 6y checkin'8 you9d also 6e 'i!in' your o""onents a
.11
free ride a'ainst you7
+hen To (reak
This is where the 'ame 6ecomes a little trickier 6ecause the correct decision
is hea!ily de"endent on your read7 -s you 'ain more e"erience with the
'ame8 it should 6ecome easier7
If you are a 6e'innin' "layer8 I would ad!ise you not to out>think yourself7
(asically8 you should stay "at anytime you make an ei'ht or 6etter7 -s your
readin' skills im"ro!e8 there will 6e times when you9ll want to 6reak an ei'ht
and 'o for the wheel7
(ut kee" in mind that 0>/ or an 0>I should ne!er 6e 6roken7 If you hold one
of these hands and are reasona6ly sure that the hand is no 'ood8 you9re 6etter
off foldin' rather than 6reakin'7 Only a 1 could hel" you8 and if you think the
ei'ht is no 'ood8 that lea!es only three remainin' se!ens for you to catch7 If
you do lose with an 0>/ or an 0>I8 there "ro6a6ly wasn9t much you could
ha!e done a6out it7 Tou'h 6eats ha""en often in this 'ameD you9!e 'ot to
kee" your cool7
Now an 0>1 is a different story7 +ith the 0>/ or the 0>I8 most hands that ha!e
you 6eat already are etremely difficult to outdraw7 (reakin' an 0>18
howe!er8 'i!es you a decent chance to outdraw se!eral hands that ha!e you
6eat8 such as any rou'h 18 0>I8 0>/8 or 6etter 0>17 For eam"le8 let9s say you
ha!e an
0>1>/>.>$ with one draw left8 and 6ased on the 6ettin'8 you think your
o""onent has a 6etter hand7 Lnless your o""onent is 6luffin'8 if he raises you
'oin' into the last draw8 he "ro6a6ly has a 6etter hand7
(y drawin' to the $>.>/>18 you ha!e as many as ei'ht "ossi6le outs to 6eat
any ei'ht =any 2 or I?7 -s I said earlier8 this is a difficult decision to make8
and you ha!e to 6e "retty certain 6efore you make it7 (reakin' an ei'ht when
it is already the 6est hand is a statistical ni'htmareF If your o""onent 6et at
you with a nine or 6luffed you and is still drawin'8 how nice it would 6e to
ha!e that ei'ht 6ackF That9s why I su''est that 6e'innin' "layers "lay it
strai'htforward and Bust take their lum"s when they 'et 6eat with an ei'ht7
Summary
-fter the second draw you learned that you should always check when you
.10
are a card 6ehind8 or when you are out of "osition drawin' an eJual num6er
of cards as your o""onent and you don9t im"ro!e7 ;ou also learned that you
should always 6et when you are a card ahead:as when you are drawin' one
and your o""onent is drawin' two7 ;ou should also 6et when you im"ro!e
your hand and your draw was eJual8 re'ardless of your "osition7
;ou should call when you think you are drawin' li!e7 ;ou should also
consider sometimes callin' when you ha!e "osition and "lan on stayin' "at8
ho"in' to tra" your o""onent into stayin' "at ahead of you with a weaker
hand7
;ou should raise when you ha!e a stron' hand and want to 'et more money
in the "ot7 ;ou should also raise to knock others out of the "ot when you "lan
on stayin' "at with a !ulnera6le hand7 In "erfect situations8 you should
occasionally raise with some of your stron' one>card draws8 ho"in' to either
make your o""onent fold or 6reak a made hand7
;ou should fold when you are still drawin' two8 and also when you think
you may 6e drawin' dead7 ;ou should also consider foldin' some of your
rou'her "at hands if you are raised7
Heads>u" with "osition8 you should stand "at with a ten or 6etter if your
o""onent is still drawin'8 and e!en with a Back if it9s a showdown situation
with no more 6ettin' "ossi6le7 In a three>handed "ot8 you should always stay
"at with a nine or 6etter if your o""onents are still drawin'7
;ou learned that 6reakin' an 0>/ or 0>I is a no>no7 Howe!er8 if you ha!e an
0>1 and are reasona6ly certain that your o""onent has you 6eat8 you may
consider 6reakin'7 If you are a no!ice "layer thou'h8 I recommend stayin'
"at with any ei'ht to a!oid 6ein' out"layed 6y more so"histicated "layers7
Play on the 5i!er
,enerally s"eakin'8 the ri!er is no time to 'et fancy7 The "ots are usually so
6i' 6y the ri!er that 6luffin' 6ecomes difficult7 Most successful 6luffs in
deuce>to>se!en tri"le draw start well 6efore the ri!er7
+hen (oth ;ou and ;our O""onent -re *rawin' One
In this situation8 you rarely should 6luff7 Since the "ots 6ecome so lar'e8 your
o""onent will likely call you with as little as a kin'7 Howe!er8 there are
certain situations where a 6luff could 6e "rofita6le7 ;ou would ha!e to ha!eK
.14
=1? The ri'ht ta6le ima'eD and
=$? The ri'ht o""onent8 one who makes laydowns7
(luffin' with an ace8 kin'8 or Jueen is Bust silly7 ;ou9ll 'et called !irtually
e!ery time your o""onent has you 6eat8 and you will @6luffA your o""onent
when he makes a "air that you can 6eat anyway7
I su''est that you only 6luff when you make a 6i' "air and ha!e !irtually no
chance to win in a showdown7 E!en a "air of deuces can win in the
showdown when your o""onent also "airs7 I su''est 6luffin' with "airs four
and hi'her8 and e!en then I would only ad!ise you to do so e!ery now and
then7 It will only work if your o""onent makes a "air smaller than yours7
E!en then8 I ha!e seen "eo"le call 6ets on the ri!er with "airs as hi'h as />/F
The ri!er is the time for !alue 6ettin' and not for 6luffin'7 +ith so many 6ets
in the "ot8 all you ha!e to do is catch an occasional 6luff to make callin'
correct7 ;ou should always call a 6et with a Back or 6etter and call most of
the time with a Jueen throu'h a "air of deuces7
;ou should also !alue 6et hands as 6ad as a Back7 -s you learned "re!iously8
a Back is a fa!orite o!er any one>card draw8 so you should 6et it when you
make one8 re'ardless of your "osition7 Since your o""onent will likely call
you if he makes a Jueen8 kin'8 or ace8 or e!en a small "air8 there is !alue in
6ettin' the Back7
The only draw6ack comes when you 'et raised7 In that case8 you would ha!e
to 'o with your read7 More often than not8 your o""onent won9t raise you
with a 48 138 or a Back8 6ut he mi'ht do it with an 0 and certainly will with a
17
+hen ;our O""onent Is Pat and ;ou
-re *rawin' Out of Position
If your o""onent is "at and you are drawin' one out of "osition to $>.>I>18
what should you do if you catch 28 /8 0 or e!en a 4E -s is true with most
"oker situations8 it all de"ends7 -ll four of those hands can likely 6eat your
o""onent if he stayed "at 'oin' into the last draw8 6ut you mi'ht not always
want to 6et them7
-'ainst the ri'ht o""onent8 you mi'ht want to 'o for a check>raise with the
se!en or the ei'ht7 It de"ends on how a''ressi!e your o""onent is and
.$3
whether or not he would 6et a nine or a ten on the ri!er once you9!e checked7
The safer "lay is to sim"ly 6et ri'ht out8 ho"in' to 6e called 6y a worse hand
and not raised 6y a 6etter hand7 -fter all8 your o""onent could ha!e anythin'
from a se!en all the way u" to a Back7
This is another situation where a 6luff mi'ht work7 +hat if you "aired
se!ensE -n o""onent mi'ht fold Back8 ten8 or e!en a nine in this s"ot7 -fter
all8 he knows that you know he has a "at hand8 yet you are still 6ettin' into
him7 Normally that means you must ha!e made your hand and are lookin' to
'et "aid off7 - 'ood "layer mi'ht decide to sa!e the last 6et8 'i!in' you the
o""ortunity to steal a nice>si%ed "ot7
It9s im"ortant to understand that this "lay won9t work as well if your
o""onent stayed "at on or 6efore the first draw7 If your o""onent does that8 it
usually si'nifies a 'ood nine8 an ei'ht8 or a se!en7 ;our 6luff "ro6a6ly won9t
work if he has any of these hands7
+hen ;our O""onent Is Pat and ;ou -re *rawin' in Position
(ein' in "osition 'i!es you more information a6out your o""onent9s hand7 If
he checks the ri!er8 it9s less likely that he made a se!en8 ei'ht8 or nine8 and
more likely that he made a ten8 a Back8 or worse7 -'ain8 that is assumin' that
your o""onent only ra""ed "at on the last draw7 If he ra""ed "at earlier in the
hand8 he "ro6a6ly has an ei'ht or 6etter8 or "ossi6ly a nine7
If your o""onent 6ets the ri!er8 you should not raise unless you ha!e a
"remium hand7 -n 0>/ is ri'ht on the 6orderline7 -'ainst more a''ressi!e
o""onents8 you can raise with an 0>/8 6ut a'ainst a more conser!ati!e
o""onent you should 'i!e him more credit and Bust call7
If your o""onent checks the ri!er8 you should !alue 6et any ei'ht or 6etter8
and sometimes 6et your 6etter nines7 ;our o""onent9s check doesn9t
necessarily mean he has a 6ad hand8 es"ecially if he stood "at earlier7 He
mi'ht 6e lookin' to check>raise or collect 6ullets8 ho"in' you 6luff off your
money7 It9s customary for a "layer to check an ei'ht in this s"ot and sim"ly
look to call if you 6et7 It9s also customary for a "layer to check a se!en to
you8 lookin' for the dou6le 6et8 assumin' you can9t call if you miss anyway7
;ou want to 6et an ei'ht or 6etter for !alue e!ery time a'ainst a "layer who
.$1
stayed "at after the second draw8 6ut check your rou'her ei'hts a'ainst a
"layer who stayed "at early in the hand7 - hand like $>I>/>1>0 isn9t worth
6ettin' a'ainst a "layer who stayed "at early8 6ut is a must>6et a'ainst a
"layer who stayed "at on the last draw7
+hen ;our O""onent is *rawin' and ;ou -re Pat Out of Position
In this situation you should check any nine8 ten8 or Back7 If you had a rou'h
ei'ht 6efore or after the first draw8 you may consider checkin' as well7 ;ou
o""onent is "ro6a6ly drawin' to 6eat you8 and it may cost you two 6ets if he
does7 Howe!er8 when your o""onent misses8 you will rarely 'et a cryin' call
in that s"ot7
It is not a 6ad idea to check a wheel on occasion as well8 lookin' for the
dou6le 6et on the ri!er7 ;our check mi'ht induce your o""onent to 6et an
ei'ht8 at which time you can 'o for the check>raise with a se!en7 (ut most of
the time8 it is much safer to Bust 6et ri'ht out and lock u" one !alue 6et if you
can 'et it7 +ho knows8 you may e!en 6e a6le to 'et in three 6ets on the ri!er
if your o""onent raises youF
;ou should also 6et with an ei'ht if you stayed "at after the second draw7
;our o""onent mi'ht call you with a weak hand ho"in' to "ick off a 6luff8 or
he may make a nine and think it has a decent chance to 6e the 6est hand7
If you decide to check your "at hand on the ri!er8 6e "re"ared to call a 6et7
-'ain8 there is too much money in the "ot8 so it9s no time to 'et cute7 Lnless
you ha!e an ecellent read on your o""onent9s tendencies8 you should 6e
"re"ared to "ay off one 6et here7
+hen ;our O""onent Is *rawin' and ;ou -re Pat in Position
(y this "oint8 the "ot is so 6i' that you should 6e ho"in' your o""onent
misses8 'i!in' you what9s already in the middle7 If you stayed "at after the
first draw with an 0>1>/>2>$8 you should check if your o""onent checks ahead
of you7 )hances are8 your o""onent was drawin' to 6eat such a rou'h ei'ht8
so if he makes an ei'ht or 6etter8 he will either check and call8 or e!en check>
raiseF The "ro6lem with 6ettin' such a rou'h ei'ht in this s"ot is that a worse
hand will rarely call you7 *on9t tra" yourself 6y automatically 6ettin' here7
If you had made an ei'ht on the second draw8 you could make a case for
6ettin' it7 ;our o""onent mi'ht call you with a nine or e!en a ten8 tryin' to
.$$
"ick off a 6luff7 -'ain8 you ha!e to 6e u" a'ainst a "redicta6le o""onent8 one
who doesn9t check>raise the ri!er and is a callin' station7 - callin' station
may e!en call you with a Back8 Bust in case7
If your o""onent 6ets into you on the ri!er after you stayed "at8 chances are
he made his hand and you9!e 6een 6eat7 (y this time there are often so many
6ets in the "ot that you 6etter 6e "retty certain your o""onents aren9t 'oin' to
6luff 6efore foldin'7
5aisin' on the 5i!er
-s a rule8 you should ne!er lose fi!e 6ets on the ri!er7 If you are "uttin' in
fi!e 6ets on the ri!er8 you 6etter ha!e "recisely $>.>2>I>17 +hile $>.>2>/>18
num6er two8 is a stron' hand8 if you "ut in fi!e 6ets on the ri!er with this
hand8 you9ll lose7
Let9s look at an eam"leK ;ou make a $>.>2>/>1 after the first draw8 6ut on
the last draw your o""onent 6ets into you7 Of course you would raise here8
6ut what should you do if your o""onent reraises youE +hat could he
"ossi6ly ha!e to reraise you withE Most "layers would ne!er reraise with an
ei'ht8 so your o""onent most likely has a se!en7 Hnowled'ea6le "layers
won9t e!en raise with num6er four =$>2>I>/>1?8 so that lea!es $>.>2>I>18 $>.>
2>/>18 or $>.>I>/>17
;ou can 6eat one of these hands8 tie another8 and lose to another7 The fact
that you were reraised to three 6ets makes it e!en more likely that you are u"
a'ainst a wheel or num6er two7 If you decide to make it four 6ets with your
num6er two8 you will "ro6a6ly win an etra 6et a'ainst the num6er three8 6ut
you will lose two 6ets to the wheel7 The 6est "lay here is Bust to call7
In 'eneral8 you should only raise the ri!er with a stron' ei'ht or a se!en7 -ny
other hand mi'ht 6e worth a 6et or a call8 6ut if you are raisin'8 you 6etter
ha!e the 'oodsF
The Nalue of Pairs
+hile "airin' your cards seemin'ly doesn9t hel" you at all8 the fact that you
may ha!e 6lockers a'ainst your o""onent9s draw increases the chances that
you9ll win the "ot7 Let9s look at an eam"le7 Su""ose with one draw leftK
;OL =2/V?
.$.
;OL5 OPPONENT =I2V?
Notice that the $>.>2>1 is a si'nificant fa!orite here7 Now let9s su""ose that
alon' the way you "air fi!es8 sies8 and ei'hts7 +hat would that do to your
chancesE
;OL =I$V?
;OL5 OPPONENT =20V?
*E-* )-5*S
-ma%in'7 E!en thou'h your o""onent a""ears to ha!e the 6etter draw8 the
fact that you9!e already 6urned three of the cards he would need makes your
chances of winnin' the "ot 'o from 2/ "ercent all the way u" to a I$ "ercent
fa!oriteF
Hnowin' that8 you should understand why a hand like $>$>.>.>1 is so much
6etter than a hand like $>.>1>H>H7 It would essentially 6e the same draw =$>
.>1?8 6ut your chances of winnin' the "ot with the first draw will 6e much
6etter than with the second draw7
So how do we use this information to our ad!anta'eE There are se!eral waysK
=1? ;ou are in "osition drawin' two 'oin' into the last draw a'ainst a lone
o""onent who drew one7 ;our draw is $>.>28 and you9!e already discarded a
$8 two threes8 and a 27 -t this "oint you don9t know for certain if your
o""onent is already "at8 6ut 6ecause of your "owerful discards8 you can
assume that it will 6e tou'her for your o""onent to make a hand7 E!en if your
o""onent has $>I>/>1 and is drawin' one8 you should still draw two 6ased on
the "ot odds you are 6ein' laid7 +ith the dead cards you 6urned8 the $>I>/>1
would only 6e a I1 "ercent fa!orite a'ainst your two>card draw7
=$? ;ou can stay "at with a weaker hand7 If you "aired se!eral cards8 you can
.$2
assume that some of the cards your o""onent needs are now dead7 That will
make it more difficult for him to make his hand7 In situations where you
would normally 6reak a "at nine or e!en discard an ei'ht to draw to a wheel8
makin' !alua6le discards should influence your decision7 ;ou mi'ht want to
kee" a hand you would otherwise fold8 such as a "at nine or a one>card draw
to a rou'h ei'ht>se!en7
=.? Snowin' is a 6luffin' term that refers to stayin' "at 6efore the last draw
des"ite ha!in' a 'ar6a'e hand7 Let9s look at an etreme eam"leK Let9s say
you were dealt $>$>$>$>.7 Here you would ha!e two o"tions other than
foldin'7 ;ou could draw three to the $>. or $8 or 6luff the hand throu'h7
Since you ha!e all of the "owerful deuces8 you know that your o""onents
could not "ossi6ly make a se!en and would 6e hard "ressed to make an ei'ht7
See 6elow for a more in>de"th look at this techniJue7
How To Snow
Snowin' is somethin' that you should do s"oradically7 If you do it too often
it will lose its effecti!eness8 6ut not doin' it at all will make you too
"redicta6le7 If you 'et cau'ht snowin' a'ain and a'ain8 you will 'et a few
loose calls here and there8 6ut that will also make this 6luffin' wea"on
useless to you7 On the other hand8 if you ne!er snow8 you won9t 'et "aid off
like you should8 and you will 6e 'i!in' u" o""ortunities to steal some 6i'
"ots7 In order to "ull it off8 you need to ha!e earned res"ect from your
o""onents without 6ecomin' "redicta6le7 -s a 'eneral rule8 snowin' only
when you ha!e three deuces8 three se!ens8 and so on would esta6lish a decent
snowin' freJuency7
There are se!eral ways to snow8 and I could 'o on and on a6out all of them7
(ut if you ha!e a 'ood understandin' of the ones I descri6e 6elow8 you9ll do
fine7 -s we learned in the last section8 the information you recei!e from
"aired cards should hea!ily influence your decision of whether or not to
snow7 ,enerally s"eakin'8 snowin' is more effecti!e if you9!e stayed "at on
the first or second draw7 Stayin' "at so early in a hand re"resents stren'th7
Finally8 and as is the case with most "oker strate'ies8 this one works 6est
when "layed in "osition7
So with the $>$>$>$>.8 you could raise it u" and stay "at ri'ht off the 6at7 If
.$I
you 'et any callers8 you would 6e forced to 6et the hand the whole way
throu'h and ho"e that your o""onent doesn9t make a hand he is willin' to
call you with7
Many times8 when you stay "at ri'ht off the 6at8 alarm 6ells 'o off in your
o""onents9 heads7 They may sus"ect a snow and call you on the ri!er to find
out7 To a!oid this8 you can draw one to your $>$>$>$>.8 and stay "at after the
first draw7 This a""roach is 'enerally more 6elie!a6le and looks less
sus"icious7
If somewhere alon' the way8 someone stays "at as well8 it9s time to a6ort the
mission7 ;ou should fold to a 6et or8 naturally8 draw if it9s not 6et to you7
I "layed in a 'ame that illustrates a 'reat way to send your o""onents on tilt7
In a C18I33#C.8333 'ame with ,us Hansen8 I tried snowin' a hand with $>$>
$>1>Q7 Lnfortunately8 'oin' into the last draw ,us stayed "at in front of me7
It looked like the Bi' was u"7 Sli'htly em6arrassed8 I drew three cards7 ,us
6et ri'ht out8 and I looked down at a .>2>I7 So o6!iously8 I raised itF I cau'ht
not one8 not two8 6ut three "erfect cards7 Needless to say ,us didn9t find the
hand all that funny7
The "oint of the story is sim"leK +hen you 'et cau'ht8 a6ort the mission7
*on9t continue throu'h with the 6luff if someone else has stood "at as well7
There is another8 more so"histicated snow "lay that often worksK Say 6oth
you and your o""onent are drawin' one 'oin' into the last draw7 ;our
o""onent checks8 and you make .>.>2>I>17 Since your o""onent checked8 it9s
likely that he is still drawin'7 If you 6et and stay "at8 your o""onent will ha!e
to assume you hit your hand7 If your o""onent misses on the ri!er8 you would
continue with the 6luff and ho"e that your o""onent mucks7 If he makes a
Back8 Jueen8 kin'8 ace8 or a "air8 he9ll almost always fold7
There is one last snow "lay I9d like to share with you7 ,oin' into the last
draw your o""onent is drawin' one and you draw two in "osition to a $>.>17
;our o""onent8 6ein' ahead one card8 6ets:as he should7 Then you catch $>
$F If you call and draw8 you would 6e an underdo' to any hand8 so what
a6out raisin' and stayin' "atE If your o""onent calls and draws one a'ain8
you can stay "at with your tri" deuces and 6et if your o""onent misses7 Now
if your o""onent stays "at anyway8 then you9ll ha!e to a6ort the mission and
.$/
try to 'et really lucky drawin' two7
-)E>TO>FINE T5IPLE *5-+
In essence8 deuce>to>se!en and ace>to>fi!e tri"le draw are the same 'ame
with different hand rankin' systems7 The same rules a""ly8 and the 6ettin'
structure is the same7
The maBor difference is thisK In deuce>to>se!en8 the 6est "ossi6le hand is $>.>
2>I>1D while in ace>to>fi!e8 the 6est hand is ->$>.>2>I7 -ces count as low
=ones? in ace>to>fi!e8 and neither strai'hts nor flushes count a'ainst you7
+hile these 'ames are etremely similar8 the correct strate'ies to use differ
sli'htly for each7 For eam"le8 snowin' isn9t as effecti!e in ace>to>fi!e as it
is in deuce>to>se!en7 -nd althou'h the ace is the most im"ortant card in ace>
to>fi!e8 it isn9t nearly as !alua6le as the deuce is in deuce>to>se!en7 Since
strai'hts and flushes don9t count a'ainst you8 it9s much easier to make a
stron' hand8 so 6luffin' is less "rofita6le7
I9m not 'oin' to s"end too much time on ace>to>fi!e8 as you should already
ha!e a 'ood understandin' of the conce"ts of tri"le draw from the deuce>to>
se!en section7 Howe!er8 I will 'i!e you some startin' hand 'uidelines and 'o
o!er some of the finer "oints of the 'ame7
Pat Hands
Here9s one 6i' difference 6etween the two 'amesK in ace>to>fi!e8 a "at ei'ht
is a weak hand7 If you are dealt 0>/>.>$>-8 you would do 6etter discardin'
the 0 and tryin' to make a 'ood si7 ;ou would ha!e three chances to
im"ro!e and twel!e cards to im"ro!e with8 s"ecifically fours8 fi!es8 and
se!ens7 That makes you a fa!orite to im"ro!e on the ei'ht7 +hile ei'hts will
often win in deuce>to>se!en8 you9d ha!e to consider yourself "retty lucky to
win with an ei'ht in ace>to>fi!e7
- "at se!en or 6etter should 6e ke"t7 ;ou should "lay these hands
a''ressi!ely8 forcin' your o""onents to "ay full "rice to outdraw you7
One>)ard *raws
(elow are all the stron' one>card draws you should 6e "layin'8 from
stron'est to weakest7
.$1
->$>.>2
->$>.>I
->$>2>I
->.>2>I
$>.>2>I
->$>.>/
->$>2>/
->.>2>/
->$>I>/
->.>I>/
->2>I>/
$>.>2>/
$>.>I>/
Notice there is no one>card draw to a se!en7 *rawin' to a se!en on the first
draw is askin' for trou6le7 - se!en will win its fair share of "ots8 6ut often
you will make a second 6est hand and lose a lot of 6ets7 +ith a hand like ->
$>.>1>H8 you are 6etter off drawin' two to the ->$>. than one to the ->$>.>
se!en7
Two>)ard *raws
Here are the 6est two>card draws8 from stron'est to weakest8 that can 6e
"layed for any num6er of 6ets 6efore the first draw7
->$>.
->$>2
->.>2
$>.>2
In ace>to>fi!e8 it9s etremely im"ortant to draw from the 6ottom u"7 +hile
6oth ->$>. and .>2>I offer you a two card wheel draw8 if you miss the wheel
and make a si or worse8 it will often come down to the third8 fourth8 or e!en
fifth card7 If the ->$>. and .>2>I 6oth catch a / on the first draw8 the ->$>.
draw would 6e way in front7 In fact8 a 2 or a I would shut out the other draw
com"letely7
The hands a6o!e are the stron'est two>card draws containin' no I or /8 6ut
.$0
they9re not the only two>card draws you can "lay7 The followin' hands8 listed
from stron'est to weakest8 are often 'ood enou'h to raise with8 6ut not
necessarily 'ood enou'h to come in cold for a dou6le raise8 if you9re outside
the 6linds7
->$>I
$>.>I
->2>I
$>2>I
.>2>I
->$>/
->.>/
$>.>/
->2>/
$>2>/
.>2>/
->I>/
$>I>/
*e"endin' on your skill le!el8 you should consider foldin' the 6ottom half of
this list to a raise7 -s your skills im"ro!e8 you could think a6out e"andin'
your list of startin' hands to include .>I>/8 and may6e e!en 2>I>/ in steal
"osition:althou'h I still don9t ad!ise that "lay7
Three>)ard *raws
The only time you should draw three is from the 6i' 6lind8 from the small
6lind for no raise8 or on the 6utton in an attem"t to steal the 6linds7 The only
three>card draws you should 6e willin' to "lay areK ->$D ->.D and $>.7
Flo" and Turn Play
The flo" and turn "lay ad!ice I offered you in the deuce>to>se!en section
a""lies to the ace>to>fi!e 'ame as well8 with the only adBustment 6ein' that
you should make less "lays in ace>to>fi!e 6ecause there are less "ure 6luffin'
o""ortunities7 Stick to a solid 'ame "lan and solid startin' hands and you9ll
do Bust fine7
.$4
FIN-L THOL,HTS
I9m a 6i' fan of ace>to>fi!e tri"le draw8 es"ecially when it is "layed in a
mied 'ame that includes deuce>to>se!en tri"le draw7 Peo"le will often 'et
confused and "lay the wron' 'ame7 *on9t 6e that 'uyF If you are "layin' in a
mied 'ame with 6oth !ersions of tri"le draw8 make sure you are alert and
always know which 'ame you are "layin'7
Often times8 those "layers who are more accustomed to the deuce>to>se!en
!ersion of tri"le draw really don9t understand the hand stren'ths in ace>to>
fi!e7 I9!e "layed in hi'h>limit ace>to>fi!e 'ames with some fantastic "layers
who stayed "at after the first draw with an ->.>2>/>4F In those same hi'h>
limit 'ames8 I often hear someone call out @si>four8A only to find out later
that they were "layin' deuce>to>se!enF
If you "lan on "layin' hi'h limit "oker8 learnin' to "lay this 'ame is an
a6solute must7 The "ots are 6i''er8 and the fluctuations can 6e monstrous7
-ddin' tri"le draw to the mi of 'ames makes all of the 'ames li!elier8 and
since it causes such hu'e swin's8 it "reys on the emotionally weak7 +atch
someone miss a cou"le of draws to the ->$>.>28 and you may soon see steam
comin' out of their earsF (efore you know it8 they are chasin' that money in
other 'ames as well7
If you9re 'oin' to "lay tri"le draw8 6e ready for an emotional roller coaster7
So 6e stron'8 6e smart8 and 6e sure to 6uckle u"F
..3
TOL5N-MENT ONE5NIE+
6y *oyle (runson
INT5O*L)TION
Thanks to the recent media e"losion takin' "lace around no>limit
tournament "oker8 learnin' how to "lay in tournaments is 6ecomin' more and
more ad!anta'eous for e!ery "oker "layer7 Tournaments are !astly different
from cash 'ames8 6ecause if you lose what you ha!e in front of you8 you are
out of the tournament7 ;ou will come across many o""osin' strate'ies as you
and your o""onents wrestle with this fact7
There are !ery few "layers who9!e had su6stantial success in 6oth
tournaments and re'ular money 'ames8 and I9m fortunate to 6e one of them7
I9!e had really 'ood luck in tournament "lay o!er the years8 e!en thou'h I
still "refer the cash 'ames7 So here are my thou'hts on the tournaments7
THE FI5ST *-;
Early 5ounds
There are two 6asic styles of "lay in tournament "okerK ti'ht and loose7 Of
course8 there is a lot of room in 6etween8 so there are really many different
s"eeds you can use7
-t the early le!els of a no>limit tournament8 I "refer "layin' etremely ti'ht7
I don9t try to force the action7 I Bust win what the cards allow me to win as
safely as "ossi6le7
If you9!e read the ori'inal Su"er#System or the no>limit cha"ter in this 6ook8
you know that that 'oes com"letely a'ainst my way of "layin' no>limit
hold9em in cash 'ames7 My main thou'ht at these early le!els is on the !alue
of the chi"s8 since their !alue now is much hi'her than it will 6e later on7 If
you ad!ance far enou'h8 the antes and 6linds will eceed all the chi"s you
ha!e in front of you early in the tournament7 Play the early le!els8 es"ecially
the first two le!els8 carefully and try to a!oid the all>in8 coin>fli" hands7
Try to "lay small "ots8 raise a lot of "ots with mar'inal hands8 6ut 6e
"re"ared to "lay !ery cautiously if you 'et called7 ;ou must ha!e a 6etter
..1
hand to call than to raise7 For eam"le8 raise8 6ut don9t call8 with -E <E8 1E
1E8 HE <E7
(e disci"lined and 6e ready to lay down mar'inal hands7 I once saw Phil
Hellmuth8 who has had 'reat success in no>limit hold9em tournaments8 lay
down a HE <E to a QE 13E $E flo"7 He had raised the "ot8 6et at it on the flo"8
and 'ot raised all his chi"s7 It was early in the tournament and Phil "assed8
e!en thou'h he had a draw at an o"en>ended strai'ht flush7
This is somethin' that would ne!er ha""en in a cash 'ame7 I9m not sure I
would ha!e "assed8 6ut it was "ro6a6ly correct to do so8 'i!en that Phil
e"ected to ha!e e!en 6i''er ad!anta'es later7 Needless to say8 my o"inion
of Phil9s no>limit tournament "lay went u" se!eral "oints after that hand7
Same Strate'y
5emem6er8 most of the "layers at your ta6le8 es"ecially the "rofessional
"layers8 ha!e 6asically the same strate'y7 They know they ha!e to ad!ance to
the net le!el8 so they are etremely cautious7 The amateurs want to "lay
awhile8 so they are usually "layin' ti'ht to 6e'in with7 Sometimes you ha!e a
"layer at your ta6le that throws caution to the wind and "lays like a wild man8
raisin' and 6ettin' e!ery "ot7 ;ou ha!e to e!entually take a stand8 6ut the
small 6lind structure allows you to 'et a Juality hand 6efore you challen'e
that wild man7
-fter the First Two Le!els
If you can increase your chi"s 6y 1I to $I "ercent in the first two le!els8 you
ha!e done well7 -fter that8 you must ado"t more li6eral standards7 ;ou can
make more sta6s at the lim"ers and at the antes and 6linds7 ;ou should
usually make a 6et on the flo" whene!er you are the last raiser "re>flo"8 6ut
6e ready to "ut the 6rakes on if you 'et called7 I don9t usually ad!ocate
check>callin' after the flo"8 6ut e!en with a !ery 'ood hand8 this is a safer
way of "layin' at this sta'e of the tournament7 It kee"s you from 'ettin'
6roke7
;ou ha!e to carefully e!aluate your ta6le8 "articularly if it isn9t 'oin' to
6reak for a while7 ;ou ha!e to 6e aware of the si%e of the chi" stack each
"layer has7 5emem6er8 the short stacks are more likely to 'o all>in 6efore the
flo" with mar'inal hands than the lar'er stacks7 Howe!er8 the short stacks
..$
can 6e "ushed around more easily after the flo" than the 6i' stacks7
If it9s a""arent that your ta6le isn9t 'oin' to 6reak8 you want to seem as if
you9re unafraid to race 6y mo!in' all>in occasionally7 That is the 6est ima'e7
;ou try to wait for a fa!ora6le o""ortunity to 'o all>in8 and you are almost
always ho"in' not to 'et called7 If I can dou6le my chi"s the first day8 I9m
ha""y7
THE SE)ON* *-;
-fter the first day8 you9ll want to accelerate your "lay a little more7 Not 6y a
lot8 6ecause you ha!e to remem6er that you can9t win the tournament until
the last dayF (ut you ha!e to accumulate some chi"s in order to ha!e a 6etter
chance to sur!i!e the ante and 6lind increase7 ;ou need to 6e aware of your
own chi" count and your "osition in the tournament7
- few years a'o8 I had an early rush the second day and 'ra66ed C1383338
which "ut me amon' the leaders7 I had a fast ta6le with se!eral lar'e stacks7
On one hand8 the "layer in first "osition o"ened8 and the "layer in third
"osition8 who had a6out CI38333 in chi"s and two +SOP cham"ionshi"
6racelets8 made a lar'e raise7 I looked down at my hand and found two kin's7
I considered my "osition in the tournament and then threw them away7
I9!e always felt I made the ri'ht "lay8 6ecause I was "ro6a6ly either 'oin' to
win a small "ot or lose most of my chi"s7 The "layer I laid that hand down to
was 5on Stanley7 He told me later that he had two aces8 6ut he also told a
friend of mine that my kin's were 'ood7 Either way8 I 6elie!e I was correct in
throwin' them away8 6ecause C138333 was sufficient to 'et me comforta6ly
throu'h the net le!els8 and losin' CI38333 would ha!e 6een disastrous7
Ironically8 when we were down to twenty>three "layers8 the same 5on
Stanley 6roke me with "ocket aces7
Here9s one last thou'ht a6out day two "layK <ust 6ecause you 'et short
stacked8 don9t 6e suicidal late in the day7 5emem6er that the 6linds and antes
increase a'ain startin' the third day8 and in maBor tournaments the "ri%e "ools
are so 6i' that it9s worth your time and effort to try to catch an early rush7 To
6e in real contention you need four to ei'ht times your ori'inal 6uy>in7
...
THE THI5* *-;
Enterin' the third day8 e!en if it is a four> or fi!e>day tournament8 I am a6out
ready to start "layin' as I "lay in the cash 'ames7 I ha!e to remind myself8
@*on9t 6e afraid to 'o 6rokeFA Perha"s I won9t "lay Juite as loose as I "lay
the cash 'ames8 6ut now I9m "re"ared to take races on other close 'am6les in
what I think are fa!ora6le situations7
Make no mistake a6out it8 you ha!e to 6e !ery8 !ery lucky to win one of these
maBor tournaments7 It9s im"ossi6le to "lay the entire tournament and always
6e a "rohi6iti!e fa!orite when the money 'oes in7 So you can see the "arlay
that is reJuired to win a lar'e tournament7 The "layers that continue to "lay
!ery ti'ht sometimes 'o dee" into the tournaments8 6ut seldom win7 +hen
they arri!e at the later ta6les8 they are short>stacked and facin' a hu'e ante
and 6linds7 They are forced to race for their chi"s 6efore they are ready8 so
they are decided underdo's to the 6i' stacks8 who can 6etter control their
destinies7 ;ou need to take control of your ta6le if "ossi6le7 ;ou can9t hel"
what is ha""enin' at the other ta6les7
THE FIN-L T-(LE
If you are lucky enou'h to make the final ta6le8 you need to e!aluate your
"osition7 For eam"le8 if you ha!e second>"lace chi"s and there are se!eral
short stacks8 you mi'ht try to a!oid any maBor confrontations until se!eral
"layers are eliminated7 This de"ends on your financial situation and your
desire to win the tournament7 If you really need the money and you ha!e a
comforta6le chi" "osition8 you can often assure yourself of a second or third
"lace finish 6y "layin' carefully7 That will result in a !ery nice "ayday in
these e!er>increasin' lar'e tournaments7
Howe!er8 if your main interest is to win the tournament8 this is a "rime
situation to really "lay a''ressi!ely and try to 'et closer to the leader or e!en
o!ertake him7 The difference in fifth "lace and first "lace is so hu'e that most
"layers are Bust tryin' to han' on and can 6e "ushed around in most "ots7
My main o6Becti!e has always 6een to win the tournament7 E!en 6efore I was
..2
financially secure8 I always did what I thou'ht was 6est to achie!e my 'oal of
winnin' first "lace7 ;ou need to think a6out these thin's 6efore you start a
tournament and decide what is 6est for you7 So if you are lucky enou'h to 'et
to the last ta6le8 you9ll 6e ready7
+IL* )-5*
There is one more thin' you may need to consider7 The e!er>increasin'
num6er of weaker "layers enterin' the tournaments has added a new element
in "oker7 I call it @two>card hold9em7A These weaker "layers know that they
can9t com"ete with the 6etter "layers and that they will 'et out>"layed in the
latter sta'es of the hands8 so they sim"ly wait for two hi'h cards or a wired
"air and 6et all their chi"s 6efore the flo"7 I9!e seen this ty"e of "layer 'o
dee" into the second and third day of the tournaments 6y doin' this7 I think
Neal Furlon'8 a winner of the +SOP cham"ionshi"8 mostly used this
strate'y7
I remem6er when )hris @<esusA Fer'uson was "layin' T7 <7 )loutier in the
$333 +SOP finals7 T7 <78 who I think is "ro6a6ly the "remier tournament
"layer in the world today8 was whittlin' )hris away8 cho""in' out the "ots
without ha!in' to 'am6le !ery much7 )hris reco'ni%ed this after a while and
decided he had to force the action7 So )hris made a come6ack8 and 'ot e!en
with T7<7 in chi"s7 Then )hris 'ot ->4 and mo!ed in7 T7<7 had ->Q and
called7 Then a 4 came on the flo" and )hris won the cham"ionshi"7
-'ain8 as in Hellmuth9s case8 )hris mo!ed u" in my o"inion 6y a hu'e
amount7 He has "ro!en it was no fluke 6y winnin' fi!e 6racelets at the
+SOP7 T7 <7 is the leadin' money winner in that tournament without e!er
winnin' the main e!ent7
In closin'8 let me Juote my fa!orite line from my limit hold9em colla6orator8
<ennifer Harman7 @The winner of a heads>u" "ot will 'enerally 6e the "layer
who "lays 6etter in mar'inal situations7A
If you are interested in how I recommend you "lay in the cash 'ames and the
later sta'es of the tournaments8 turn the "a'e7
..I
NO>LIMIT HOL*9EM POHE5
6y *oyle (runson
INT5O*L)TION
+hen I decided to create this all>new edition of Su"er#System8 I "ondered
how much no>limit hold9em has chan'ed in the "ast twenty>se!en years7
Players are more knowled'ea6le and a''ressi!e today7 -nd no lon'er do you
ha!e the luury of facin' half a ta6le full of o""onents who don9t ha!e a clue7
So8 I sat down to re!ise this cha"ter8 to 6rin' it u" to modern day standards7
(ut you know whatE I hadn9t read my own ad!ice for fifteen years8 and when
I sat down to eamine it8 I Bust ke"t noddin' my head in a'reement and
mutterin'8 @*amn8 that9s 'oodFA
For you8 this ad!ice will 6e as "rofita6le today as when I first wrote it7 For
meE +ell8 I9!e had to adBust my 'ame7 Most of my o""onents ha!e read this
cha"ter in the ori'inal Su"er#System8 and if I "layed that way8 I9d 6e too
"redicta6le7
;ou don9t ha!e to "lay eactly the way I descri6e in this cha"ter7 ;ou9ll
"ro6a6ly want to "ick your own style and modify these conce"ts to fit the
'ames you "lay7 Still8 if you incor"orate this ad!ice8 makin' it the soul of
your strate'y8 the rest will fall in "lace7
I9!e added new thou'hts and e"anded some of the ideas8 6ut the core
conce"ts remain as !alid and as "rofita6le today as e!er7 So8 here is my u">
to>date ad!ice8 6lendin' the "re!ious ti"s and the tactics that will always win
at no>limit hold9em with some new insi'hts I ho"e will earn you etra
money7 Here9s how to conJuer any no>limit hold9em 'ame in the world7
-nte L"
Now let9s Boin the introduction from my ori'inal no>limit hold9em cha"ter7
There9s a story I9!e 6een hearin' around "oker 'ames all my life7 It9s a6out a
colorful "layer down in south Teas named (roomcorn7 =E!er since I related
this story a6out (roomcorn in the ori'inal Su"er#System8 "eo"le ha!e asked
me time and a'ain who was the real (roomcorn7 He is the late Lawrence
../
Herron from Houston7? +hene!er someone in the 'ame is "layin' real ti'ht8
the o""osin' "layers needle him 6y sayin'8 @+ell8 you9re 'onna 'o like
(roomcorn9s uncle7A The ti'ht "layer "erks u" and res"onds shar"ly8 @+hat
do you mean8 I9m 'onna 'o like himEA -nd they say8 @+ell8 he anted himself
to death7A
+hene!er you find yourself "layin' a !ery ti'ht and defensi!e style of "oker8
you9ll 6e in dan'er of antein' yourself to death7 -s I9!e always said8 the ante
determines how fast you "lay in any "oker 'ame7 Since you9ll 'enerally "lay
in a normal or medium ante 'ames8 if you "lay an a''ressi!e style of "oker8
you9ll ha!e the 6est of it7
That9s the way I recommend you "lay8 and it works7 This is es"ecially true in
no>limit hold9em8 which in my o"inion is the )adillac of "oker 'ames:and
not Bust 6ecause it9s my 6est 'ame7 Many of the world9s 6est "oker "layers8
some of whom are only 6e'innin' to a""reciate the 'reat !ariety of skills you
need to 6e a to">le!el hold9em "layer8 a'ree with me7 -lthou'h hold9em is
similar in some res"ects to se!en>card stud8 there are enou'h differences to
"ut it in a class 6y itself7 It9s truly a 'ame that reJuires !ery s"ecial talents in
order to "lay it at a world>class le!el7
-6o!e all else8 no>limit hold9em is a 'ame where you ha!e to 6e a''ressi!e
:and you ha!e to 'am6le7 One of the 'reat thin's a6out hold9em is the
infinite !ariety in the 'ame7 There are so many different com6inations of
hands and !arious "lays in certain situations that the 'ame ne!er 'ets 6orin'7
Lnlike other forms of "oker8 you can re"resent a lot of different hands in
hold9em and "ut your o""onent on one of se!eral hands as well7 It9s a !ery
com"le 'ame7 ;ou9re forced to do a lot of 'uessin'8 as is your o""onent7
,et in There and ,am6le
If you want to 6e a winner:a 6i' winner:at no>limit hold9em8 you can9t
"lay a solid8 safe 'ame7 My "hiloso"hy of "lay at no>limit hold9em is a
sim"le oneK Try to win 6i' "ots and "ick u" the small ones =win without a
contest?7 It9s a "hiloso"hy that necessitates a 'am6lin' style of "lay7 My
style7
O!er the years8 this style has fostered numerous comments from countless
"layers a6out how @luckyA I am7 I9!e 6een hearin' that for years7 The sim"le
..1
fact is that it9s not true7 E!eryone 'ets lucky once in a while8 6ut no one is
consistently lucky7 It takes more than luck to 6e a consistently 6i' winner
throu'h the years8 as I ha!e done7 It is somethin' else7 ;ou9ll soon disco!er
what that @somethin' elseA is7
I a""ear to 6e a lucky "layer 6ecause e!ery time a 6i' "ot comes u"8 I usually
ha!e the worst hand7 There are 'ood reasons for that7 I9m a !ery a''ressi!e
"layer7 I reach out and "ick u" small "ots all the time7 I9m always 6ettin' at
those "ots8 hammerin' at them7 -nd I don9t want any6ody to sto" me from
doin' that7 I don9t want anyone to defeat my style of "lay7
-nd if I9!e 'ot any kind of a hand8 any kind of a draw8 I 6et7 If I 'et raised8 I
don9t Juit7 I 'o ahead and 'et all my money in the "ot8 if it9s a reasona6le
amount8 knowin' I "ro6a6ly ha!e the worst hand and am the underdo' to win
the "ot7
)allin' a Post>Oak (luff
Sometimes I9ll e!en call a !ery small 6et in a 6i' "ot8 knowin' my o""onent
mi'ht 6e tryin' to "ull off a "ost>oak 6luff Bust to 'et a chance at a draw7 (ut
if I9m 'oin' to 'am6le like that8 my o""onent must ha!e a lot of chi"s on the
ta6le7 For eam"le8 say I ha!e a 13>4 and8 with C138333 in the "ot8 the flo"
comes 0>.>$7 +ith a ra''edy flo" like that8 my o""onent:a ti'ht "layer8
let9s say:mi'ht try to "ick u" the "ot with a "ost>oak 6luff of C18$337 +ell
that9s a 'utless 6et8 and I9ll call it tryin' to catch a Back or a 18 Bust so I can
'et an o"en>end strai'ht draw on fourth street7 Of course8 I9m ho"in' to catch
a 13 or a 48 and I9m in a 'ood "osition to "ick u" the "ot on fourth street8
whether I im"ro!e or not7
The ti'ht "layer who made that weak 6et on the flo" is askin' me to take his
money7 -nd in most cases8 that9s eactly what I9m 'oin' to do when the net
card falls:re'ardless of what it is7 I9m 'oin' to make a lar'e 6et into that
ti'ht "layer 6ecause I feel confident he9s 'oin' to throw his hand away and
not "ut his whole stack in Beo"ardy7 -s you can "ro6a6ly 'uess8 I ne!er make
"ost>oak 6luffs7
-''ression
I9!e 6uilt a re"utation as an etremely a''ressi!e "layer7 -nd I don9t e!er
want to lose that re"utation7 It9s what ena6les me to "ick u" more than my
..0
share of "ots7
In most cases8 my o""onents are afraid to "lay 6ack at me 6ecause they know
I9m lia6le to set them all>in7 So when they don9t ha!e a real 6i' hand8 they let
'o of the "ot8 and I "ick it u"7 The accumulation of all those small "ots is a
6i' "art of my winnin' formula7 It9s the 6onus I 'et for "layin' the way I do8
and it9s the secret of my success7
If I win ten "ots where no6ody has a 6i' hand8 ten "ots with let9s say C.8333
in them8 I can afford to take $ to 1 the worst of it and "lay a C.38333 "ot7 I9!e
already 'ot that "ot co!ered thanks to all the small "ots I9!e "icked u"7 -nd
when I "lay that 6i' "ot8 it9s a freeroll7
-s I said a little while a'o8 when a 6i' "ot9s "layed8 I9!e usually 'ot the
worst hand7 I9d say that when all the money 'oes in8 I9!e 'ot the worst hand
o!er I3 "ercent of the time7 O6!iously8 I wouldn9t 6e a6le to o!ercome that
statistic if I didn9t always "ad my stack 6y "ickin' u" all those small "ots
throu'hout the 'ame7
Of course8 I9m almost ne!er com"letely out on a lim6 in a 6i' "ot7 +hene!er
I make a su6stantial 6et or raise8 I9!e usually 'ot an out7 (ettin' with an out8
that9s what I call it7 -nd it9s the out I ha!e that makes me a""ear lucky when
I9m a do' in a 6i' "ot and wind u" winnin' it7
There are other 6enefits to "layin' the a''ressi!e way I recommend7 ;ou9ll
6e a6le to 6reak a lot of "layers 6ecause you9re in there 'am6lin' all the time8
and 6ecause of that8 you9ll 'et a lot of your real 'ood hands "aid off7 Ti'ht
"layers don9t 'et their real 'ood hands "aid off 6ecause they rarely make a
mo!e8 so that whene!er they do8 their hand is an o"en 6ook7 -nd they almost
ne!er chan'e 'ears and start "layin' loose7
(ut you9ll 6e out there 6ettin'8 6ettin'8 6ettin'8 all the time7 ;our o""onents
will see you9re an a''ressi!e "layer7 They9ll know you9re out there tryin' to
"ick u" all those "ots8 so they9ll sometimes 'i!e you a little loose action7 -nd
since you won9t always 6e out there with the worst hand8 you9ll 6reak one or
two of them7 -fter that8 they may 6e scared to 'et in!ol!ed with you7
So your style of "lay will decei!e and 6efuddle your o""onents7 They won9t
know whether or not you9!e really 'ot a hand7 They won9t know whether
you9re 'oin' to set them all>in or not7 -nd anytime you 'et your o""onents in
..4
that confused state of mind you9ll ha!e an ad!anta'e o!er them7
Of course8 you won9t "lay e!ery hand a''ressi!ely7 Occasionally you9ll slow
down8 and sometimes you9ll com"letely sto" and throw your hand away7 ;ou
should ne!er start out 6luffin' at a "ot and kee" 6luffin' at it without an out7
For eam"le8 whene!er I raise the "ot 6efore the flo" I9m 'oin' to 6et after
the flo" a6out 43 "ercent of the time7
If the flo" comes com"letely ra''ed8 and it doesn9t look like anyone can ha!e
much of it8 I9m 'oin' to 6et at the "ot and try to "ick it u" e!en if I don9t
ha!e a "iece of the flo"7 If I 'et called I9m usually 'oin' to 'i!e it u":unless
I ha!e some kind of an out:e!en as little as third "air or an inside strai'ht
draw7 Sometimes8 you can kee" hammerin' on certain "layers and dri!e them
off e!en when you don9t ha!e an out7 (ut you9re usually 6etter off when you
ha!e some kind of esca"e hatch7
The reason I occasionally 'o ahead and "ut in all my money when I know
I9!e "ro6a6ly 'ot the worst hand deser!es re"eatin'8 since it9s so im"ortant
for you to understand7 I do it 6ecause I don9t want some6ody "layin' 6ack at
me and tryin' to sto" me from 6ein' the a''ressor7 If I allow that to ha""en8
it9ll cram" my style7 I9ll no lon'er 6e a6le to "ick u" all those "ots when
no6ody has a hand7 -nd most of the time8 no6ody has anythin' decent7
Some6ody9s 'ot to 'et the money that9s left out there7 I want it to 6e me7
Small )onnectin' )ards
-n eam"le will 6est show you what I9m talkin' a6out7 Let9s say I raised
6efore the flo" with a ty"e of hand that9s one of my fa!oritesK small
connectin' cards that are suited7 I9m in the "ot with one "layer who called
6ehind me7 -t this "oint8 I "ut him on a cou"le of 6i' cards or a medium "air7
That9s all ri'ht7 It9s what I want him to ha!e7 Now8 here9s what9ll ha""en if
the followin' flo" comes u"K
+ith that flo"8 I9m 'oin' to lead ri'ht off and 6et7 If he "lays 6ack at me8 I
can now 6e Juite sure he9s 'ot two aces or 6etter7 So8 I9m a6out a 4 to I do'7
The "ot odds will com"ensate a little 6it for that "rice8 6ut it won9t 6e layin'
me enou'h to "ut the rest of my money in7 (ut I don9t want that same 'uy8
who mi'ht 6e a "retty 'ood "layer8 takin' a <>13 and makin' that same "lay
when I don9t ha!e anythin'7 To let his "lay succeed8 I ha!e to throw my hand
.23
away and 'i!e him the "ot7 (ecause I want the "ot8 I can9t let him succeed7 I
want him to fear me7 I want him to ha!e the o"inion I9m 'oin' to defend the
money I "ut out there7 I don9t want him to ha!e any dou6ts a6out that8 so I 'o
ahead and "ut the rest of my money in7
In makin' that "lay on the flo"8 there9s a 'ood chance I can win the "ot ri'ht
there7 (ecause I9m known to "lay any reasona6le hand:and some
unreasona6le hands in a shorthanded hi'h>ante 'ame:I9!e really made it
tou'h on him7 I could9!e flo""ed a set of tri"s8 two "air8 or e!en the strai'ht7
I9!e "ut him on the defensi!e and he9s 'ot a lot of 'uessin' to do7
It9s not all that 6ad if he decides to call me 6ecause I9!e 'ot an out7 If I make
my strai'ht8 I9m 'oin' to 6reak him7 -nd if I draw out on him8 it will look
like I 'ot lucky a'ain7 +ell8 I did and I didn9t7 +hen I mo!ed in on him8 I
was 'am6lin' to "ick u" the "ot7 +hen I didn9t succeed 6ecause of his call8
you mi'ht say I 'ot unlucky7 +hat9s more8 I am su""osed to make my draws
once in a while7 In fact8 in that s"ecific situation I9ll draw out more than one
third of the time8 6y makin' my strai'ht or 6ackdoorin' two "air or tri"s7
- !ery interestin' thin' a6out that "articular 1>/ hand is that I9d rather ha!e
it than a 4>07 The reason is that when you flo" a strai'ht with a 4>08 you9ll
freJuently find that some6ody is on to" of you7 For eam"le8 when the flo"
comes Q><>138 an ->H will ha!e you nutted8 and e!en a sucker who "lays a
H>4 will ha!e you 6eat7 I9!e flo""ed many a strai'ht with a 4>08 6ut when a
Q><>13 falls8 I9m always real cautious with the hand7 (ecause "eo"le "lay the
hi'her cards more freJuently than the lower ones8 you9re less likely to 6e in
trou6le if you flo" a strai'ht with a 1>/ than you would 6e with a 4>07 I9ll
discuss the 'eneral cate'ory of small connectin' cards in 'reat detail a little
later7 -s I "re!iously noted8 they9re one of my fa!orite hands7
*ou6le (elly>(uster Strai'ht
-nother of my fa!orites is a hand where you can flo" a two>way inside or
dou6le 6elly>6uster strai'ht7 It9s one of the most dece"ti!e hands there is8 and
I es"ecially like it in no>limit7 It has all the ad!anta'es of an o"en>end
strai'ht8 6ut it9s not as easy to read7 (ecause it9s so dece"ti!e8 I almost
always raise with it when I can win a 6i' "ot7
For eam"le8 say you ha!e a Q>13 and the flo" comes
.21
-><>07 -s you can see8 it9s !ery dece"ti!e 6ecause you can make a strai'ht
with a 4 or a kin'7 +hat9s more8 if you catch a kin' and there9s someone with
->H in the "ot with you8 you can see all the trou6le he9s in7
Since dou6le 6elly>6usters are such 'ood 'am6lin' hands8 you mi'ht find the
followin' Juick rule of thum6 usefulK It9s "ossi6le to flo" a dou6le 6elly>
6uster with any two cards that are "art of a strai'ht8 such as 1>/8 0>/8 4>/8 and
13>/7 -lso8 two cards with fi!e 'a"s 6etween them such as a Q>/ can also
flo" a dou6le 6elly>6uster draw7 In the su""lement at the end of this section
you9ll find a com"lete rundown on all the hands that ha!e dou6le 6elly>6uster
"otential7
+hen you flo" a dou6le 6elly>6uster draw8 you should make careful note of
which of your "ossi6le strai'hts will 6e the nuts7 For eam"le8 if you ha!e a
<>4 and the fall is H>13>18 6oth an 0 and a Jueen will make you a strai'ht7
Howe!er8 only the 0 will 'i!e you the nuts7 If a Jueen falls on fourth8
someone with an ->< can 6eat your strai'ht7 So you must 6e careful:
es"ecially in no>limit "lay:and you must know how to read the 6oard
"erfectly in order to reco'ni%e what hand is the a6solute nuts7 Practice at
home until you don9t make a sin'le mistake7 ;ou9ll learn Juick enou'h if you
'et 6roke a few times with what you thou'ht was the nuts 6ut turned out to 6e
only the second 6est hand7
Look a'ain at the eam"le a6o!e7 - "layer with a <>4 could easily think he
had the 6est strai'ht when the Jueen fell until someone showed him an -><
for all his money7
-n easy way to determine whether your strai'ht is the nuts is 6y followin'
some sim"le 'uidelines7 ;ou9ll ha!e the nut strai'ht ifK
=1? The hi'h>end of the strai'ht is made u" with the hi'hest card in your
handD or
=$? The hi'h>end of the hi'hest "ossi6le strai'ht is already on the 6oard7
*rawin' to a dou6le 6elly>6uster is one of few situations in no>limit where
you mi'ht 6e drawin' to an inside strai'ht that won9t make the 6est hand7 -s
I noted earlier8 inside strai'ht draws can 6e real 'ood "lays in no>limit
hold9em 6ecause for a few chi"s you ha!e the o""ortunity to win a !ery 6i'
"ot7 (ut you almost ne!er draw to a sin'le 6elly>6uster strai'ht that will not
.2$
6e the 6est hand if you make it7 They9re lon'>shot "lays8 so when you do
make them8 you want to 6e sure they9re the nuts7
For eam"le8 let9s say you held Q>< and the fall was 4>0>27 Now you mi'ht
want to draw at that 6elly>6uster8 tryin' to catch a 13 or make a 6i' "air
=e!en in limit8 6ut mostly in no>limit?7 ;ou know if you catch that 138 you9ll
ha!e a cinch hand7 (ut if you held a />I8 you9d ne!er draw to it with that flo"
6ecause there9d 6e two different strai'hts that could 6eat you if you catch a 18
the />1>0>4>13 and the 1>0>4>13><7 If a man makes a strai'ht with you8 he9s
either 'ot you tied or he9s 'ot you 6eat7 So8 you ne!er draw to the dead>end
of a sin'le 6elly>6uster7
(efore you decide to draw to a 6elly>6uster8 you also want to 6e reasona6ly
certain that your o""onent is 'oin' to 'am6le with you if you do make it7 I
mean8 drawin' to a 6elly>6uster is a 'ood "lay8 6ut only if you can win a 6i'
"ot 6y makin' your lon' shot7 So you want your o""onent to ha!e the 6est
hand "ossi6le on the 6oard7 If the flo" came 4>0>28 as a6o!e8 ideally8 you
want your o""onent to ha!e three nines7 ;ou don9t want him to ha!e a "air of
kin's or ->47 ;ou want him to ha!e at least ei'hts and nines8 or 6etter7 ;ou
want him to ha!e a !ery 6i' hand7 ;our Q>< would 6e a !ery 'ood hand
a'ainst three nines7 It wouldn9t 6e as 'ood a'ainst a "air of nines 6ecause it
won9t make enou'h money7 ;our o""onent will release a "air far more
readily than he9ll release a set7
So if you can 'et in real chea" and ha!e the "otential to win a 6i' "ot8 6elly>
6uster strai'hts are 'ood 'am6les7 (ut you also ha!e to 6e !ery selecti!e
a6out the 6elly>6usters you do draw to7 ;ou don9t want it to 6e a""arent to
your o""onent that you could9!e made a strai'ht7 In the illustration Bust used8
you mi'ht not 'et the action you want if a 13 falls off on fourth street7 The Q>
< is actually a weak hand when the flo" is 4>0>27 ;our o""onent mi'ht "ut
you on a 1>/ and8 when the 13 came8 he mi'ht 6e !ery leery a6out callin' a
6i' 6et you made7 The strai'ht "ossi6ility mi'ht e!en scare him off
com"letely7
(ut if a "ossi6le strai'ht wasn9t so a""arent when the 13 came off8 you could
"ro6a6ly win a lot of money7 Let9s say you had the QE 4E8 and the flo" was <>
0>$7 ;ou mi'ht want to "ick the 13 off there 6ecause that would 6e a !ery
.2.
dece"ti!e 6elly>6uster draw7 -nd inside strai'hts like these are the ones you
want to draw for to win a 6i' "ot 6ecause they aren9t so o6!ious7
(luffs
If you 'raduate from limit hold9em to no>limit8 you mi'ht find yourself doin'
many thin's8 in addition to drawin' to inside strai'hts8 that sim"ly won9t
work when all it can cost your o""onent is another 6et7
- 'ood eam"le of a 6luff that has a lot of "ower to it in no>limit8 6ut will
rarely work at limit8 comes when the 6oard is one card off a strai'ht on fourth
street7 Let9s say there9s an ->H>Q>< out there and your o""onent 6ets7 ;ou9!e
'ot a 13 in the hole8 and since there9s no flush "ossi6le8 you9!e 'ot the nuts7
;our o""onent 6ets8 you raise8 and he "lays 6ack7 Now8 there9s no Juestion
he9s also 'ot a strai'ht7
-n unso"histicated "layer would mo!e in on him ri'ht there 6ecause he
knows he can9t lose7 (ut what 'ood is thatE He9s only 'oin' to 'et a s"lit7
Howe!er8 addin' some drama and a little actin' to your "lay 'i!es you a
chance to win it all7 ;ou know you9re 'oin' to call his reraise 6ut you don9t
ha!e to do it instantaneously7 Take your time7 <ust stall around7 Study the
6oard real hard and shake your head se!eral times makin' it a""ear as thou'h
you o!erlooked the "ossi6le strai'ht7 ;ou could e!en "ick u" your cards
sli'htly and make him think you9re 'oin' to throw them away7 Then "ut them
6ack down and say @Okay8 I9ll call it7A
+ith all your a'oni%in'8 he9s 'ot to 'i!e you credit for a set7 ;ou9!e made
him think you9re 'am6lin' the 6oard will "air so you9ll make a full7 If the
6oard does "air on the end8 you 6et him all your money7 There9s almost no
risk to that "lay7 ;ou re"resent a full and many a time your o""onent will
throw his hand away7 Of course8 it9s almost im"ossi6le to do in limit 6ecause
all the 'uy has to do is call one 6et7
)allin' a (luff
-s you can see from the "lay Bust descri6ed8 6luffin' often in!ol!es a lot of
art7 (ut there9s science to it also7 There9s e!en science to callin' a 6luff7 The
followin' "ot I was in!ol!ed in will clearly illustrate what I mean7
In a small ante no>limit 'ame early in my career8 I was on the 6utton8 so I
lim"ed in with a <>13 in the hole7 There were two "layers in the "ot in front
.22
of me7 Here9s what the flo" looked likeK
FLOP
-s you see8 I had a 6elly strai'ht draw7 Since there was no raise 6efore the
flo"8 I was reasona6ly sure neither of my two o""onents had !ery stron'
hands7 On the flo"8 the 'uy in the first seat made a reasona6ly si%ed 6et
=throu'hout these discussions8 a reasona6ly si%ed 6et means a6out the si%e of
the "ot?8 and the "layer in front of me called it7 (oth "layers had a lot of
money in front of them8 so I called as well7
The fourth card was the $E7 They 6oth checked on fourth street8 and so did I7
The last card was the .E7 The 6oard now looked like thisK
+hen all the cards were out8 the 'uy in the first seat checked a'ain7 -fter he
6et on the flo" and then checked twice on fourth and fifth8 I fi'ured he had
the to" "air with a 6ad kicker7 I felt the 'uy in front of me was drawin' at
some kind of strai'ht and o6!iously had missed his hand7 Much to my
sur"rise8 he made a real out>of>line 6et on the end8 far 6i''er than the si%e of
the "ot7
+hen he did that8 it looked to me like he was clearly tryin' to steal the "ot7 I
was also sure I had him hi'h>carded7 -s I said8 I felt sure he was drawin' at a
smaller strai'ht than I was7
If I was correct in thinkin' I had 6een drawin' at the hi'hest "ossi6le
strai'ht8 I knew I9d win the "ot if I Bust called7 I also knew the other "layer
couldn9t o!ercall 6ecause his hand wasn9t stron' enou'h7
So I called that out>of>line 6et8 and my analysis "ro!ed correct7 The "layer
with the "air threw his hand away and <ohnny Moss8 the 'uy who o!er>6et
the "ot8 was drawin' to a little strai'ht7 So I won the "ot with a Back>hi'h7
I didn9t tell you that "oker story 6ecause I won the "ot with a Back>hi'h7 -nd
you shouldn9t remem6er it for that reason7 It has a more si'nificant messa'e7
I told you I felt neither 'uy had much of anythin' and e"lained why7
O6!iously8 it was more than Bust a ne6ulous feel7 I had "layed with 6oth those
.2I
'uys often8 so I used a certain amount of reasonin' and a "rocess of
elimination7 -nd a lot of it was 6ased on recall of "re!ious hands7
5ecall
+hene!er I use the word @feel8A you should understand it9s not some etra>
sensory "ower that I ha!e7 It9s Bust that I recall somethin' that ha""ened
"re!iously7 E!en thou'h I mi'ht not consciously do it8 I can often recall if
this same "lay or somethin' close to it came u" in the "ast8 and what the
"layer did or what some6ody else did7 So8 many times I 'et a feelin' that he9s
6luffin' or that I can make a "lay and 'et the "ot7 (ut actually my
su6conscious mind is reasonin' it all out7
;ou 6uild u" a history of e!ery "layer you e!er "layed with8 I mean e!eryone
that you9!e e!er done any serious 'am6lin' with7 ;ou9!e 'ot some kind of
information on them7 It9s there8 6uried in your mind7 -nd you don9t ha!e to
concentrate to 'et it out7 +hen the time comes to use it8 you won9t ha!e to
force it7 It9ll come naturally7
-ll 'ood "oker "layers ha!e tremendous recall7 They reach 6ack into the
de"ths of their minds and remem6er what a certain 'uy did in a similar
situation7 - 'ood "layer mi'ht not reali%e what he9s doin' and he mi'ht not
know eactly what it is8 6ut he feels when a 'uy is 6luffin' and knows he can
make a real 6i' "lay or make a su"er call7 The !i6rations are definitely there7
-nd what it actually is8 is a sense of recall7 If the same situation or a similar
one eisted some time a'o8 a 'ood "layer knows eactly what to do in this
one7 It9s usually a stress situation8 when a relati!ely lar'e amount of money is
in!ol!ed8 that "ro!es a "layer9s recall a6ility7
There9s another kind of feel you can ha!e in a 'ame that doesn9t de"end on
recall7 This ty"e of feel de"ends on close o6ser!ation of what9s 'oin' on
durin' a "articular session7 ;ou acJuire this feel when you notice that a
certain "layer is really off his 'ame and "layin' far worse than normal7
This ha""ens all the time7 - lot of "layers lose control and 'o on tilt after
they 'et one or more 6i' hands cracked7 They 6ecome un'lued8 lose their
com"osure7 To recou" their losses8 they start "layin' weak hands8 and they
"lay those hands 6adly:!ery 6adly7
.2/
It9s easy to ca"itali%e on those situations7 Let9s say you9re in a 'ame with a
hi'h>ante structure8 =a su6Bect I9ll co!er in 'reater detail 6elow? and naturally
e!ery6ody9s "layin' real fast7 ;ou "layed a <>4 and the flo" came ->4>07
Normally8 if you 'ot "layed with8 you9d 6e !ery concerned a6out that ace and
also your kicker7 (ut in this case8 you9re in the "ot with a "layer who9s losin'
and8 from what you9!e seen8 he9s "layin' !ery 6adly7 ;ou check on the flo"8
and so does he7
-ll of a sudden8 you 'et a @feelA that all he9s 'ot is the third "air8 a "air of
ei'hts7 Since he checked8 you feel he 'ot somethin'8 a small "iece of the flo"7
He didn9t 6et 6ecause he wants to 'et the hand shown>down7 If he had
nothin' he would9!e 6et to try to steal the "ot7 -nd you know he doesn9t
ha!e an ace7 ;ou know the worst that can ha""en is that he could also ha!e a
4 and run you down8 chase you7 +ell8 what you want is for him to run you
down with an 08 which is what you really think he has7
(ut you feel confident you9re not wron'7 If a ra' falls off on fourth8 you 6et7
;ou know he9s 'oin' to call you8 almost out of des"eration 6ecause he9s
losin'7 So you make some money on fourth and also on the end7 ;ou know
he9s not 'oin' to show you a hand unless he 'ets lucky and "airs his kicker7
The !ery sur"risin' thin' a6out the "re!ious discussion is that the "layer I
was referrin' to as on tilt is actually a !ery 'ood "layer7 He could e!en 6e
world>class7 Of course8 the
su"er>stars of the "oker world:those who I "lay a'ainst on a re'ular 6asis:
are a6le to eercise far more control than the a!era'e "layer7 ;et e!en a real
'ood "layer has moments when he9s "layin' considera6ly off his usual 'ame7
So you ha!e to 6e o6ser!ant and take ad!anta'e of such o""ortunities when
they "resent themsel!es7 ;ou9ll ha!e many more o""ortunities to do that
a'ainst the a!era'e "layer sim"ly 6ecause they lose control far more often7
)ate'ori%in' ;our O""onents
It is also etremely im"ortant that you 6e a6le to assess the Juality of your
o""onents9 "lay7 ;ou ha!e to "lay !ery differently a'ainst stron' "layers
than you do a'ainst weaker ones7 This is of crucial im"ortance in no>limit7
Shortly8 I9m 'oin' to 'o into considera6le detail on this im"ortant su6Bect
6ecause I9!e seen !ery 'ood "layers fail to adBust their strate'y when they9re
.21
in a "ot with a certain ty"e of "layer7 In fact8 recently one of the 6est "layers I
know made such amateurish mistakes that I wouldn9t ha!e 6elie!ed it
"ossi6le if I hadn9t seen it with my own two eyes7 (ut 6efore I 'et into the
s"ecific details8 I want to 'i!e you two 'eneral rules to 'uide you in this
matter7
=1? -'ainst a low>'rade "layerK ;ou sim"ly make the o6!ious "lay7 That is8
you don9t try to 'et fancy when you9re in a "ot with a weak "layer7 ;ou don9t
try to make su6tle mo!es that9ll 6e far 6eyond his ca"acity to understand or
a""reciate7 In a word8 you out"lay him7
=$? -'ainst a hi'her>'rade "layer =someone who could 6e thinkin' alon' the
same lines as you?K ;ou must mi>u" your "lay7 Sometimes you make an
o6!ious "lay a'ainst a stron' "layer:as you always would a'ainst a weak
"layer:and other times you 'o at it another way and make a "lay that9s not
so o6!ious7 Most of the time8 you ha!e to "ut a "lay on or out>maneu!er a
stron' "layer7
In a nutshell8 that9s all there is to it7 -nd it seems sim"le and lo'ical enou'h7
There are e!en !ery 'ood "layers who know that that9s what they9re
su""osed to do8 6ut knowin' somethin' and 6ein' a6le to eecute it are two
different thin's7
Playin' -'ainst a +eak Player
There was a "articular "layer who entered a tournament for the first time and8
almost immediately8 it 6ecame o6!ious that he was a weak "layer7 He was
the su"reme eam"le of a callin' station8 a "layer who9s net to im"ossi6le to
6luff7
E!en thou'h I had ne!er "layed a'ainst him 6efore8 it didn9t take me !ery
lon' to reco'ni%e the ty"e of "layer he was7 I9!e "layed with thousands Bust
like him throu'hout my career7 So I knew what to do when I was in!ol!ed in
a "ot with him7 More "recisely8 I knew what not to do7 I was not 'oin' to try
to 6luff him7 Not e!en once7
I Juickly decided that if I was in the "ot with him8 I was 'oin' to show him a
hand7 -nd8 if he 'ot lucky enou'h to 6eat me8 well8 he was 'oin' to 6eat a
hand7 My mind was made u"7
(ut there were other !ery 'ood "layers in this tournament who tried to run
.20
o!er him8 tried to force him out of a "ot7 They 6luffed at him constantly and
were rarely successful7 If he had anythin' at all he looked Oem u"7 -s I said8
he was the ultimate callin' station7 He looked enou'h of them u" to finish far
hi'her than he should ha!e7 He was "ro6a6ly a6out a 1333 to 1 do' to finish
as hi'h as he did7 The reason he did was sim"ly 6ecause so many "layers:
and some of them !ery e"erienced:Bust handed him their money7 They
literally 'a!e it away to him7
+hat they should not ha!e done is try to 6luff him7 It takes an idiot8 in my
6ook8 to 6luff at a man who you know is 'oin' to call you7 ;ou sim"ly can9t
6luff a 6ad "layer 6ecause a 6ad "layer will call when he9s 'ot any kind of a
hand and "ass when he doesn9t7 It9s clear>cut7 ;ou don9t ha!e to 6e an e"ert
"sycholo'ist to fi'ure out what he9s doin'7 -ll you ha!e to know is that if
he9s in the "ot he9s 'ot somethin'7 -nd you9re not 'oin' to 'et him out of the
"ot 6y tryin' to 6luff him7
-6o!e all8 you don9t want to 'am6le with that kind of a "layer7 For'et a6out
that7 Show him a hand7 ;ou do !ery fundamental8 e!en o6!ious thin's
a'ainst a 6ad "layer:no tricks8 no strate'ic "lay8 nothin' fancy7 Play
strai'htforward "oker a'ainst a weak "layer7
For eam"le8 if a weak "layer raised the "ot comin' in8 then checked it on the
flo"8 and checked a'ain on fourth street8 I would automatically 6et8 re'ardless
of what I9!e 'ot8 6ecause I9d know he doesn9t ha!e anythin' at all7 It9s
sim"le to out"lay him 6ecause his actions tell me whether he9s 'ot somethin'
or not7 There9s no mystery a6out it7
I could also out"lay him 6y adBustin' my style to his7 For eam"le8 I noted
that I9m always sta66in' around tryin' to "ick u" "ots7 I could still do that
with a weak "layer in the "ot8 6ut I9d adBust my "lay 6ecause he9s in there7
For instance8 I mi'ht raise him without lookin' at my hand7 Now8 here comes
the flo" and he checks7 +ell8 I9m 'oin' to 6et at that "ot in the dark 6ecause I
know he "ro6a6ly doesn9t ha!e anythin'8 and I also know he9s "ro6a6ly
'oin' to "ass7 He checked8 didn9t heE If he had somethin'8 he would9!e 6et7
Of course8 I mi'ht ha!e to make a further adBustment7 If he checked on the
flo" and then called me8 I9d 'i!e him credit for somethin'7 If there9s no
strai'ht or flush draw out there8 he9s "ro6a6ly 'ot a small "iece of the 6oard7
.24
If he had a 6i' "iece he would9!e 6et7 If he checks a'ain on fourth and calls
me a'ain8 then I9d know I9m 'oin' to ha!e to show him a hand on the end7
If I9m in the "ot with a weak "layer and I flo" a real 6i' hand8 say a set of
tri"s8 I would check it 6ecause I know that if he9d had anythin'8 he would
ha!e 6et8 and I9d 6e a6le to 6reak him anyway7 Normally8 I don9t slow>"lay
that hand7 I always lead with it7 (ut a'ainst a weak "layer8 I wouldn9t mind
'i!in' him a free card if he doesn9t ha!e anythin'8 I want him to im"ro!e his
hand7 I want him to make somethin' so I can "ossi6ly 6reak him7
It9s more difficult to out"lay a stron' "layer7 ;ou can9t consistently do
sim"le thin's a'ainst 6etter "layersD you9!e 'ot to "ut a "lay on some6ody
who knows what9s o6!ious7 -nd if I see him do somethin' that9s o6!ious8
like I think he9s tryin' to "ick u" the "ot8 I9ll "ut a "lay on him and raise him
with nothin' 6ecause he mi'ht throw his hand away7
Since a 'ood "layer will understand the o6!ious8 I must try to decei!e him7
I9ll e!en "ut a "lay on more than one 'ood "layer7 For eam"le8 if someone
6rou'ht it in or raised it in an early "osition and three "layers Bust called it8 I
mi'ht make a 6i' raise with nothin'8 tryin' to "ick u" that "ot7
-'ainst a 'ood "layer8 you9ll ha!e a lot more tools to work with and many
different strate'ies to use7 ;ou9re effecti!ely restricted to a "icka and sho!el
a'ainst a weak "layer7 Ne!er for'et that7 *on9t try to de!ise ela6orate
strate'ies to use a'ainst a 6ad "layer7 They won9t work a'ainst him7 Lse
so"histicated "lays a'ainst a 'ood "layer7 They9ll work a'ainst him7
-nother "oint you should note a6out weak "layers is that they come in
se!eral !arieties7 They9re not all like the one I descri6ed a6o!e7 Some are the
com"lete o""osite7 There are some who check 'ood hands and 6et 6ad hands7
They like to 6luff8 and they do it almost all the time7 So8 when you reco'ni%e
a "layer like that8 you kee" on checkin' it to him and let him 6luff his money
off to you7
Note that I didn9t say to check>raise him7 ;ou don9t want to take the "lay
away from that ty"e of "layer7 In fact8 years a'o8 I rarely used check>raisin'7
In the old days it was a weak "lay8 and I used it only occasionally7 I9d usually
do it when someone seemed to 6e tryin' to take the "lay away from me7
Perha"s8 I mi'ht ha!e checked it and mo!ed in on him or somethin' like that7
.I3
(ut I didn9t do it often7
Now that "layers are much more a''ressi!e8 it is easier to check>raise7 (ut
e!en today8 check>raisin' isn9t as inte'ral a "art of my "hiloso"hy as it is for
many other "rofessionals7 I do it:you ha!e to kee" "eo"le in line:6ut I
usually don9t look for o""ortunities to check>raise7
Howe!er8 I su""ose I encounter more check>raisin' than the a!era'e "layer
6ecause I "lay so a''ressi!ely7 If a "layer makes a hand8 he9ll check it to me
thinkin' that I9m 'oin' to 6et:and he9s usually ri'ht7 Most of the time8 I
will7 So he checks it to me7 -nd after I 6et8 he raises7
Sur"risin'ly8 if you em"loy my style of "lay at no>limit hold9em8 you won9t
6e in constant fear of 'ettin' check>raised7 (y "layin' a''ressi!ely8 you
mi'ht think @+ell8 they9re "ro6a6ly 'oin' to 'et me this timeA e!ery time
you 6et7 E!en thou'h you9ll "ro6a6ly encounter more check>raisin' than
most "layers8 you9ll 6e ama%ed at how many times your o""onents kee"
throwin' their hands away whene!er you 6et7
It all 'oes 6ack to my 6asic style of "lay7 My o""onents know that if I9!e 'ot
any kind of a hand8 any kind of a draw8 and they do check>raise me8 all of my
chi"s:and theirs:are 'oin' to the middle7 -nd 6ecause of that8 they kee"
off of me7 It sto"s them from "layin' 6ack at me7
Not only does it 'i!e me8 in most cases8 an um6rella of "rotection a'ainst
o""onents "layin' 6ack at me8 and not only does it make my o""onents fear
me which in turn makes it easy for me to "ick u" numerous "ots without a
contest8 6ut it has other ad!anta'es as well7 I9!e already told you I also 'et a
lot of loose action7 This may seem contradictory:how can I "ick u" "ots
easily on the one hand and 'et a lot of loose action on the otherE It9s easy to
understand when you reali%e that I "ick u" "ots when no6ody9s 'ot a hand7
-nd8 as I said8 that9s a 6i' "ercenta'e of the time7 I 'et this so>called loose
action when some6ody does ha!e a hand7 -t those times8 all the money is
lia6le to 'o to the center7 -nd when it does:as you now know:I9!e usually
'ot the worst hand7
(ut I mi'ht also find a hand when I look down7 -nd once in a while8 it9s the
6est hand7 +hen I9m u" a'ainst another hand at those times8 the "ot 'ets to
6e a mountain7 It wouldn9t 6e nearly as 6i' if I weren9t an a''ressi!e "layer7
.I1
I9d ne!er 'et the action I do when I9!e 'ot a hand if I were known to slow>
"lay hands or do a lot of check>raisin'7 That9s why I rarely do those thin's7
The reason why 6ein' known as an a''ressi!e "layer and constantly "layin'
that way is the most "rofita6le way to "lay "oker is clearly illustrated 6y the
followin' situation7
Let9s say I flo""ed a 6i' hand:a set of tri"s or e!en two "air7 I9m first to act8
and I9m in the "ot with someone who raised 6efore the flo"7 He9s su""osed to
ha!e a stron' hand7 He9s "ro6a6ly 'ot a 6i' "air in the hole8 6i''er than
anythin' that showed on the flo"7
In this situation8 there9s a "rinci"le I always a""ly in hold9emK always make it
a ha6it to lead into the raiser whene!er I flo" a 6i' hand7
Most "layers will slow>"lay their hand in that s"ot or ho"e to 'et in a check>
raise7 +hen they do that8 they9re "layin' it wron'7 (y 6ettin' ri'ht into the
raiser8 you make him think you9re either tryin' to take the "ot away from him
or you9!e 'ot some kind of draw or a mediocre hand7 )onseJuently8 he9ll
almost in!aria6ly raise you7 -t that "oint you can 'et all your chi"s in7 -nd
it9s tou'h for him to 'et away from his hand 6ecause he has so much money
already in the "ot7 The raiser e"ects you to check to him on the flo"7 I mean8
he knows you know he9s su""osedly 'ot a stron' hand7 He raised comin' in8
didn9t heE
+hen most "layers flo" a set with a small "air or two "air with small
connectin' cards8 they do the o6!ious7 They check8 waitin' for the raiser to
6et8 and then they "ut in a raise7 That9s the wron' way to "lay it8 6ecause it
'i!es the raiser an o""ortunity to 'et away from his hand at a minimum loss7
(ut if you lead into him8 he "ro6a6ly will raise8 and then there9s "ro6a6ly no
'ettin' away from it7 He9s all 6ut committed to 'ettin' the rest of his money
in the "ot7
E!en if it9s a ra''edy flo" without a strai'ht or flush draw8 you should still
make the same "lay7 Perha"s e!en more so8 6ecause with three ra's out there8
a 6et would indicate weakness rather than stren'th to most "layers7 Since it
does look like you9re weak and tryin' to take the "ot away from him8 the
a!era'e "layer will res"ond to your 6et 6y raisin'7
The only risk you take when you "lay the hand this way is that the raiser
.I$
mi'ht not raise you on the flo" 6ecause he mi'ht not ha!e a hand7 Howe!er8
he mi'ht ha!e 6luffed at it if you had checked8 and you would ha!e won the
amount he 6luffed7
It9s far more "ro6a6le that he does ha!e a hand7 He was the raiser7 He9s
re"resented a hand7 He9s su""osed to ha!e a handF (ased u"on that !ery
reasona6le assum"tion8 I 'o ahead and lead into his hand7 +hen com"ared to
check>raisin' in that situation8 it9s the 6i''er money>makin' "lay8 6y far7 I
think it9s one of the stron'est "lays in hold9em7
If you flo""ed a set in an unraised "ot and it was a ra''edy flo"8 you9d ha!e
to "lay the hand Juite differently7 *e"endin' on what set you flo""ed8 you
mi'ht not e!en "lay it at all7 ;ou9ll see what I mean in a minute7 (ut the
conce"t you should understand is thisK In no>limit "lay8 you must 6e !ery
careful you don9t lose all your chi"s in an unraised "ot8 unless you ha!e the
nuts at the "oint you 'o all>in7
Here9s what I meanK let9s say you and si other "layers 'ot in for the a6solute
minimum8 that is8 you all lim"ed>in for a CI3 force8 the 6lind 6et7 E!ery6ody
Bust called7 No6ody raised:so the field wasn9t weeded out at all7 Now8 a <>2>
$ flo"s7 ;ou flo" three deuces7 In the "re!ious situation:with this same flo"
:you should lead ri'ht into the raiser with your set7 He9s "ro6a6ly 'ot an
o!er"air and will raise as e"ected7 (ut in the "resent situation8 you must
"lay it carefully7 Nery carefully7 ;ou flo""ed a hand that9s easy to 'et 6roke
with7 There9s nothin' in the "ot8 and you don9t want to 'et 6roke in a nothin'
"ot7
The si "eo"le in the "ot with you tried to flo" the nuts for free7 -nd one of
them mi'ht ha!e the nuts8 or close to it7 So if one of the "layers commits all
his money when there9s only a few hundred dollars in the "ot8 you 6etter
watch out7 ;our three deuces "ro6a6ly aren9t any 'ood7
;ou could 6e u" a'ainst three Backs8 6ut that9s not as likely as three fours8
since there was no raise 6efore the flo"7 That9s the hand you should 6e afraid
of7
I9m not sayin' you shouldn9t "lay the hand7 I9m Bust sayin' that you ha!e to
"lay it carefully7 Since no6ody showed any early stren'th8 you9re not likely
to 6e u" a'ainst a 6i' "air8 6ut you could 6e facin' another set7 Ne!ertheless8
.I.
if it9s checked to you8 you9!e 'ot to 6et it7
(ut you don9t want to 'et 6roke with the hand 6ecause it was a nothin' "ot to
6e'in with7 If you 'et raised8 your own Bud'ment in the "articular situation
will ha!e to "re!ail7 +ith the third set8 deuces8 you mi'ht want to 'o on with
the hand8 6ut then you mi'ht not7 +ith the second set8 fours8 you can9t 'et
away from it7 Someone9s 'oin' to ha!e to show you three Backs7 That9s all
there is to it7
)oura'e
-n im"ortant "oint for you to remem6er is that in a Bud'ment situation you9re
always 6etter off stickin' to your first im"ression7 +ith constant o6ser!ation
of your o""onents9 "lay8 you9ll learn how to "ut them on a "ro6a6le hand7
Once you decide what a man9s most likely to ha!e:es"ecially in no>limit:
you should ne!er chan'e your mind7 ;ou9ll "ro6a6ly 6e ri'ht the first time8
so don9t try to second>'uess yourself7 Ha!e the coura'e and con!iction to
trust your instinctsF
Ha!in' coura'e is one of the most im"ortant Jualities of a 'ood no>limit
"layer7 If you don9t ha!e it8 you9ll ha!e to restrict your "lay to limit "oker7
;ou need coura'e in limit too8 6ut not nearly as much as in no>limit7
Limit !s7 No>Limit
- lot of limit "layers:and I9m talkin' a6out the !ery 6est limit "layers now
:Bust can9t "lay no>limit7 They don9t ha!e the heart for it7 +hat9s more8 they
can9t adBust to the com"leity of no>limit "lay8 and they find it !ery hard to
'o from limit which is essentially a mechanical 'ame8 to no>limit8 one that
takes into account e!erythin'7 Only !ery s"ecial "layers can make that
transition successfully7
;ou also ha!e to ha!e a different feel for no>limit "lay7 I mean8 you ha!e to
6e ri'ht Bust a6out all the time8 es"ecially when your entire stack9s at stake7
In limit "lay8 you9re not 'oin' to 'et knocked out of a 'ame 6y one or two
mistakes7 ;ou can make se!eral mistakes in a limit 'ame and still win the
money if your o""onents are makin' more mistakes than you are7 +ith no>
limit8 make Bust one crucial mistake at any time and you can lose all your
chi"s7
.I2
Muscle
It not only takes a lot of heart to "lay no>limit8 it also takes a lot of muscle7
;ou need muscle in limit too8 6ut you need much more of it at no>limit7 -
stron' no>limit "layer can kee" sla""in' you around8 Bust lean on you and
kee" leanin' on you until you to""le7 Of course8 that could ha""en in limit
too8 6ut a'ain8 not to the same de'ree7
The !ery 6est "layers I know are etremely a''ressi!e "layers and that9s
what makes them 'reat "layers7 The more a''ressi!e they are8 the 6etter they
are7 It9s that sim"le7 -nd I firmly 6elie!e that9s what accounts for the
difference 6etween a !ery 'ood "layer and a truly to" "layer7 It9s the di!idin'
line7
There9s not a man ali!e that can kee" leanin' on me7 I refuse to let some6ody
kee" takin' my money8 and all the other truly to" "layers are the same way7
-n a''ressi!e "layer mi'ht do it for a while7 (ut at the first o""ortunity I 'et8
I9m 'oin' to take a stand and "ut all my money in the "ot7
It9s like that little 6oy who kee"s stickin' his head u" and kee"s 'ettin'
sla""ed all the time7 +ell8 sooner or later he9s not 'oin' to stick his head u"
any more7 So if a 'uy kee"s 'oin' on and on and kee"s "oundin' on me8 then
me and him are fiin' to "lay a "ot7
Like me8 all the to" "layers know you ha!e to 6e etremely a''ressi!e to 6e a
consistent winner7 ;ou ha!e to 6et8 6et8 6et8 all the time7 If I find some6ody I
can kee" 6ettin' at and he kee"s sayin' @Take it *oyle8A @Take it *oyle8A
well8 I9m 'oin' to kee" "oundin' on him7 I9m not 'oin' to let u"7 -nd that
"oor 'uy ne!er will win a "ot from me7 He9ll ha!e to ha!e the nuts or the
ner!e to call me7
That9s what most "layers do7 They kee" throwin' their hand away7 They9re
weak7 They sit down and try to make the nuts on you7 That9s hard to do7 So
you kee" whammin' on Oem and whammin' on Oem and you Bust wear Oem
down7 -nd sooner or later8 you9ll win all their money7
Perha"s now8 you can see more clearly what I e"lained earlier7 +hen a 6i'
"ot comes u"8 I9!e usually 'ot the worst hand7 That weak "layer finally "icks
u" the nuts and that9s what I usually look at in a 6i' "ot7 (ut I9!e already
"aid for that 6i' "ot with all the smaller "ots I9!e won8 so I9m freerollin'
.II
with all that weak "layer9s money and the money of all the others like him7
;ou can9t do that a'ainst a truly to">"layer in no>limit 6ecause he9s fiin' to
make a stand and "lay 6ack at you7 -nd that9s the 6i' difference 6etween a
merely 'ood "layer and a 'reat one7
-nother im"ortant difference is that a real to" "layer can win money with a
mar'inal hand7 - weaker "layer can9t do that7 Either they don9t know how8 or
they9re afraid to "ut any money in the "ot in a 6orderline situation7 They
want the nuts or close to it 6efore they9ll Beo"ardi%e any of their chi"s7 They
don9t want to do too much 'am6lin'8 so they check a lot of hands that I9d 6et
for !alue7
(ettin' for Nalue
(ettin' for !alue is what it9s all a6out7 For eam"le8 if it came down to a
tou'h situation on the end and a ti'ht "layer had two "air 6ut there9s a
"ossi6le strai'ht out there8 well8 that ti'ht "layer would "ro6a6ly check it
tryin' to show the hands down7 In that same situation8 as lon' as I felt
reasona6ly sure my o""onent didn9t ha!e that strai'ht8 I9d 6e more
a''ressi!e7 I want to make some money on the end7 I want to 'et !alue for
my two "air7 So I9d 6et and try to sell my hand for the most money I thou'ht
I could 'et7 I ne!er was a ti'ht "layer8 e!en when I first started to "lay7
E"erience has tau'ht me a lot7 Early in my career8 I didn9t know how to start
at a "ot and Juit8 like I do now7
I don9t ha!e to ha!e the nuts to 6et my hand on the end7 If I feel like I9!e 'ot
the 6est hand8 I9m 'oin' to 6et it and 'et !alue for it7 - more conser!ati!e
"layer would check it on the end8 and he9ll 'et his check called7 So he9ll lose
that last 6et7
- !ery 6i' "art of winnin' consistently and winnin' 6i' at no>limit is 'ettin'
the other 'uy in a "osition where if he makes a 6et he9s actually Beo"ardi%in'
all his chi"s as o""osed to you Beo"ardi%in' all of yours7 That has always
6een the key to no>limit "lay as far as I9m concerned7 I want to force my
o""onent into a decision with all his chi"s on the line7
For eam"le8 if a 'uy9s 'ot C$38333 in chi"s and you lead off for C/8333 or
C183338 you9re really 6ettin' him C$383337 He knows that if he calls that si
or se!en8 well then8 he9s 'ot to 'o for the rest of it7 ;ou9re 6ettin' C18333D
.I/
he9s 6ettin' C$383337
On the other hand8 if he 6ets me C183338 the re!erse is true7 So8 I always try
to make the 6et that "uts him in Beo"ardy8 not me7 If he9s ri'ht and I9m
6luffin'8 he9s 'oin' to mo!e in with his C$383338 and I9m not 'oin' to call
him7 So he9ll win C183337 (ut if he9s wron' and I9!e 'ot a hand8 he9s still
'oin' to mo!e in8 6ut now he9s 'oin' to 'et called7 -nd he9s 'oin' to lose
C$383337 So he9s layin' me a6out . to l8 his C$38333 to my C183337 I "ut the
commitment on him7 I make him commit himself7 I9m not committed no
matter what he thinks7 That9s the 6eauty of it7 He9s thinkin' a6out my 6et and
wonderin' how much more he9s 'oin' to ha!e to "ut in there7
It9s an either#or situation7 Either I9m 6luffin'8 or I9!e 'ot the nuts7 -nd
a'ainst me8 he knows it could cost him C$38333:his whole stack:unless he
throws his hand away7
-nd you9d 6e sur"rised how many times they say @Take it *oyle8A @Take it
*oyle7A They Bust throw their hands away o!er and o!er and o!er a'ain7 I
mean8 e!en I9m sur"rised7 I think to myself8 @+ell8 he can9t throw this one
away7A (ut I 6et anyway7 -nd there 'oes his hand:chunkF It finally 'ets to
6e mechanical with them7 -nd I9!e won another "ot7
I9!e stolen so many "ots I can9t 6e'in to count them7 -nd most of the time8
I9!e actually had to force myself to 6et7 I9d 6e "layin' all ni'ht without one
decent hand7 ;et I9d win e!ery "ot 6ecause I didn9t 6et into the nuts7 It 'oes
on and on like that7 I "ick u" a hand8 and I9!e 'ot nothin'7 The flo" comes
out there8 and I9!e still 'ot nothin'7 So I kind of ha!e to hit myself to 6et at it8
6ecause there9s a 'uy I9!e 6een "oundin' on and "oundin' on7 -nd all the
time8 I9m thinkin'8 @How can he throw his hand away this timeEA (ut I 6et
and away it 'oes7 )hunkF One more time7
If he takes a stand and raises me8 I 'o 6ack to my 6asic "hiloso"hy7 If I9!e
'ot a hand8 I9ll 'o with it8 e!en thou'h I know it mi'ht 6e the worst hand7
(y now8 you should ha!e a !ery 'ood idea of how I "lay no>limit hold9em7 I
ho"e this somewhat len'thy introduction 'a!e you a sufficient feel for my
style of "lay8 and I ho"e it will hel" you to understand how I "lay s"ecific
hands in !arious situations7 I9ll discuss those shortly7
Howe!er8 when you read those discussions you should reali%e it9s Juite
.I1
difficult to state eactly what I9d do with a s"ecific hand in a "articular
situation7 So many thin's are in!ol!ed7 No>limit hold9em is a !ery com"le
'ame7
Most of the thin's I say are an accurate reflection of what I9d 'enerally do7
(ut I mi'ht do somethin' else or e!en the com"letely o""osite de"endin' on
who9s in the "ot with me and whether or not I ha!e "osition on him7
-lways remem6er8 no>limit hold9em is a 'ame of "osition and "eo"le7
There9ll 6e a lot of times when only your 'ood Bud'ment will dictate the
"ro"er "lay7 Often situations come u" where a hard>and>fast rule will "ro!e
inadeJuate7 Poker8 es"ecially no>limit hold9em8 is not a 'ame you can learn
to "lay well in ten easy lessons7 - thousand hard lessons mi'ht not 6e
enou'h7 There are sim"ly too many !aria6les in!ol!ed7
Ne!ertheless8 the lessons you9ll learn 6elow will 'o a lon' way in hel"in'
you to master no>limit hold9em7 The 'eneral "rinci"les and conce"ts that I
discuss will 'i!e you a far 'reater command of the 'ame than almost all the
"layers you could e"ect to 6e com"etin' with7 I wish I9d known all the
'eneral 'uidelines 6elow when I first started to "lay7 It would9!e made thin's
a lot easier for me7 That9s for sure7
(ut 6efore I 'et into how you should 'enerally "lay s"ecific hands8 there
should 6e a discussion of the ante8 6ettin' structure8 6ankroll reJuirements8
and other considerations you9ll ha!e to take into account 6efore you sit in on
a no>limit hold9em 'ame7 So that9s what I9ll do now7
The -nte and Other )onsiderations
If I had to choose a "articular si%e 'ame that would 6e close to "erfect for no>
limit hold9em8 it would 6e ei'ht>handed8 also known as a rin' or full 'ame7
Of course8 I "refer to "lay in a shorthanded 'ame with a6out four or fi!e
"layers8 6ecause in a shorthanded 'ame with a hi'h ante8 you9re forced to 'et
in there and "lay7 ;ou can9t Bust sit there and wait for the 6i' "air8 ->H8 or
e!en small connectin' cards7 If you do8 you9ll 'o like (roomcorn9s uncle7 So
a 'ame like that suits my style Bust fine7 It 'i!es me "lenty of room to muscle
the 'ame7
- full 'ame with ei'ht "layers is all ri'ht too7 That9s Bust a6out the ri'ht
amount of "layers for a rin' 'ame where there9ll 6e 'ood action7 I mean8
.I0
there9ll 6e "eo"le comin' in the "ots 6ecause they9ll know they won9t ha!e to
6e lookin' at the nuts e!ery hand7
Howe!er8 when that ei'ht>handed 'ame all of a sudden turns into a ten> or
ele!en>handed 'ame8 well8 the com"leion of the 'ame chan'es com"letely7
+hat was once a relati!ely fast and loose 'ame 6ecomes a thin' of the "ast7
The "layers no lon'er 'et in there and "lay as often7 The 'ame 6e'ins to
screw down real ti'ht7
+ith ele!en "layers8 there are a lot more com6inations out there on e!ery
hand than with nine "layers7 So e!eryone sto"s "layin' 6orderline hands and
starts waitin' for the really 'ood ones7 In short8 they don9t do as much
'am6lin'8 and the action really dries u"7
Loosenin' L" a ,ame
Many "oker 'ames are like that8 and they stay that way unless somethin'
ha""ens to chan'e the character of the 'ame7 More than anythin' else8 the
somethin' that chan'es a ti'ht 'ame 6ack into a loose 'ame ha""ens when
one of the "layers starts 'i!in' a lot of action7 -s I9!e said8 that9s what I do7
I9m known as an action "layer7 It9s an ima'e I9!e always had7 (ecause I 'i!e
action8 I 'et it7
I9ll 'et into a "oker 'ame and almost from the !ery first hand I9ll start
'am6lin'7 I9ll 6e takin' chances:6ettin'8 raisin'8 reraisin'8 mo!in' in7
That9ll stir u" a 'ame real fast7 One "layer can do it7 That9s all it takes7 -nd
that "layer9s usually me7
I don9t merely talk loose8 I "ro!e I9m loose 6y my actions7 ;ou know the old
clich\K @- first im"ression is a lastin' im"ression7A +ell that first im"ression
I create lasts throu'hout the session8 e!en thou'h I mi'ht chan'e 'ears8 say
'o from loose to ti'ht to loose8 se!eral times durin' the course of a 'ame7
-dBustin' ;our S"eed
(ein' a6le to adBust your "layin' s"eed is a !ery im"ortant "art of 6ein' a
to" "layer7 There are a lot of reasons for this7
=1? ;ou ne!er want to 'et yourself stuck in an identifia6le "attern7 ;ou must
mi u" your "lay7 If you do8 you9ll always kee" your o""onents 'uessin'7
=$? ;ou want to create an ima'e8 the ima'e of a loose8 'am6lin'>ty"e of
"layer who 'i!es a lot of action7 (ut it has to 6e the ima'e of a 'ood loose
.I4
"layer8 not the ima'e of a fool who9s throwin' a "arty8 'i!in' his money
away7
=.? Since you9ll most likely 'et off loser if you "lay as I recommend and start
"lun'in' around ="layin' !ery loose? almost as soon as you 6e'in to "lay8
you9ll ha!e to 'ear down and start "layin' ti'ht after you9!e laid the
'roundwork for your ima'e7 Then you9ll start "layin' loose a'ain8 and you9ll
continue to !ary your s"eed throu'hout the session7
=2? ;ou9ll also want to adBust your s"eed to the !aryin' s"eeds of "articular
"layers7 If there9s a 'uy in the 'ame who9s s"eedin' around8 do eactly the
o""osite 6y 'earin' down and remem6er to "lay only solid hands a'ainst
him7 On the other hand8 if you notice that a certain "layer is "layin' real
ti'ht8 you can start 6luffin' at him7
=I? The 'ame itself mi'ht dictate the s"eed at which you9ll ha!e to "lay7 If
e!eryone is "layin' real loose and all the "ots are 6ein' Bammed8 start "layin'
real ti'ht7 )on!ersely8 when the 'ame is so ti'ht you can hear it sJueakin'8
you should "lay loose and "ick u" all the "ots you can7
=/? +hen "layers start dro""in' out of the 'ame and their seats remain
!acant8 you ha!e to mo!e into hi'h 'ear7 -s I said8 you can9t sit 6ack and
wait in a shorthanded 'ame7 If you do8 the ante will 'et you 6ecause the 'ood
hands don9t come often enou'h7 So you must "lay8 or you mi'ht as well Juit
the 'ame7
=1? -nd of course8 there9s the ante7 That9s the main thin' that determines how
fast you "lay7 -ctually8 the a6solute si%e of the ante is not what9s im"ortant7
It9s the relationshi" of the ante to the amount of money you ha!e7 - C13 ante
in a no>limit 'ame would 6e Juite hi'h if all you had was CI337 (ut if you
had CI83338 that C13 ante would 6e !ery low7 In the hi'h>ante 'ame8 you9d
ha!e to "lay "retty fast7 ;ou could slow down considera6ly in the low>ante
'ame7
The ante and 6linds is such an im"ortant factor in determinin' how fast you
"lay8 that the trou6le and trash hands I later discuss would 6ecome 6i' hands
if you were antein' hi'h enou'h7 In fact8 in the old days8 that was the case in
the +orld )ham"ionshi" Hold9em Tournament 6ecause of the way it was
structured7 It started with each "layer antein' C138 and there was a CI3 6lind7
./3
-s the tournament "ro'ressed and "layers were eliminated8 the ante and 6lind
'ot hi'her and hi'her accordin' to a "redetermined time schedule until it was
down to the final two "layers7 -t that "oint8 each "layer anted C18333 and
6linded it for C$83337 If you sat around and waited "uttin' that kind of money
in e!ery "ot8 you9d 'o faster than (roomcorn9s uncle7
Today9s tournaments are structured to 6e a lot faster than that7 ;ou9!e 'ot to
"lay almost e!ery hand when you9re antein' that hi'h7 -t the !ery least8
you9!e 'ot to see the flo"7 So8 it9s really not all that sur"risin' I won the 141/
and 1411 +orld )ham"ionshi"s with trash hands7 The only thin' sur"risin'
a6out this is that the hands were almost identical 6oth years7
In 141/8 when I won C$$383338 the last "ot had C11/8333 in it7 I won that "ot
with the 13E $E7 -ll it had on the flo" was a "air of deuces8 6ut I cau'ht two
runnin' tens on fourth and fifth7 <esse -lto8 a !ery e"erienced non>
"rofessional who owned an automo6ile dealershi" in Houston8 Teas8 was the
man who came in second7
In 14118 the late (ones (erland was the youn' man who came in second to
me7 In the last "ot with (ones8 I had a
13E $R and flo""ed a "air of tens7 This time8 I cau'ht a $ on fourth street:
6ut I filled u" with a 13 on the end7 That last "ot was worth C1.38333 and I
won C.238333 in the 1411 tournament7
Of course8 in a normal ante rin' 'ame8 I9d rarely "lay those hands7 There9s
little reason to when the ante doesn9t force you to "lay7 - maBor ece"tion is
when I "lay a "ot for the sole reason of tryin' to steal it7 Then8 it doesn9t
make any difference what I ha!e7 I mean8 I could 6e "layin' the hand without
e!en lookin' at my holecards7 -t such a time8 I9d 6e "layin' my money8 my
"osition8 and a "articular "layer7 My hand wouldn9t matter7 If I was forced to
look at it 6ecause I 'ot "layed with8 I mi'ht find two aces8 ->H8 or trash7
Peo"le ha!e critici%ed me for losin' CI038333 with the Q>0 offsuit in the
C$I8333 6uy>in final e!ent at the (ella'io in $33.7 +ell8 I9!e Bust e"lained
to you how that ha""ened7 I was "layin' my money8 my "osition8 and a
"articular "layer:and my hand could ha!e 6een anythin'7 I hadn9t made a
"air the whole day8 and I9d had to stay ali!e 6y stealin' some "ots8 6ut on this
"articular "lay8 my read was wron'7
./1
;ou9ll almost surely ha!e to 'et some no>limit e"erience under your 6elt
6efore you9ll 6e a6le to "lay a "ot com"letely 6lind7 So8 in the 6e'innin'8 I
su''est that you restrict the way you "lay s"ecific hands to the
recommendations I make 6elow7 Howe!er8 it9s im"ortant for you to
understand that those recommendations are what I would do in a normal or
medium ante rin' 'ame7 In different 'ames you9ll ha!e to adBust your "lay as
"re!iously discussed7
In order to hel" you determine what constitutes a normal medium>ante 'ame8
you should use the followin' ta6le as a 'uide7
Nine>Handed ,ame > (linds )hart
-nte
Si%e C
-nte Sin'le (lind Multi"le (linds (uy>In[
1st seat $nd seat
Nery Low C1>CI CI>C13 CI>C13 C13>C$3 C18333
Low CI>C13 C$I C$I CI3 C$8333
Medium C13>C$3 CI3 CI3 C133 CI8333
Hi'h C$I>CI3 C133 C133 C$33 C138333
Nery Hi'h CI3>C133 CI33 C.33 CI33 C$I8333
[Twice the minimum 6uy>ins listed here would 6e much 6etter7 More than
twice would 6e 6etter still7
;ou wouldn9t want to sit down with less than the minimum 6uys shown7 -s
the footnote states8 you should definitely consider 6uyin'>in for more7
Today8 when I "lay in a 'ame with two 6linds of C.33 and CI338 I ne!er sit
down with less than C13383337 +hat9s more8 I like to ha!e as much or more
money than any other "layer at the ta6le7 If my stacks are not a""roimately
eJual to the 'uy with the most money8 then I couldn9t 6reak him8 could IE
-nd I "ractice what I "reach7 I start "layin' fast ri'ht away7 I9!e always
"layed like that8 e!en when I was Bust startin' out7 (ack then I9d 6uy in for a
thousand in a small no>limit 'ame8 and I9d usually 'et stuck that first
thousand7 Then8 I9d "ull u" and start "layin' ti'hter8 and I almost always 'ot
./$
e!en or won7
-6out three out of four "lays8 I9d lose that first thousand8 6ut on that fourth
"lay8 I9d 'et on a winnin' streak or a rush8 and I9d more than make u" for
those first three losses7 I mean8 I9d 6e "layin' so fast and winnin' so many
hands when I was rushin' that I9d literally 6reak e!ery "layer in the 'ame7
(ecause as you know8 whene!er I hold a 6unch of hands8 I usually 'et action
on them7
I9!e ne!er won a 6unch of "ots watchin' the other 'uys "lay7 If I9m makin' a
6unch of hands or strikin'8 I9m in there:I9m not on the sidelines7 If you9re
'oin' to ha!e a rush8 you9!e 'ot to let yourself ha!e one7 ;ou9!e 'ot to
sustain that rush7 -nd to do that8 you9!e 'ot to 'et in there and "lay7
It used to 6e that after I had won a "ot in no>limit I would 6e in the net "ot8
re'ardless of what two cards I "icked u"7 -nd if I won that one8 I9d always 6e
in the net one7 I9d kee" "layin' e!ery "ot until I lost one7 -nd in all those
"ots8 I9d 'am6le more than I normally would7 Nowadays8 I still to try to
o6ser!e this8 6ut I9!e modified it 6ecause "layers are so much more
a''ressi!e7
If you don9t "lay that way8 you9ll ne!er ha!e much of a rush7 I know that
scientists don9t 6elie!e in rushes8 6ut sometimes rushes can make you a
fortune7 There9s only one world>class "oker "layer that I know of who
doesn9t 6elie!e in rushes7 +ell8 he9s wron'8 and so are the scientists7 (esides8
how many of them can "lay "oker anywayE I9!e "layed "oker for more than
fifty years now8 and I9!e made millions at it7 - 6i' "art of my winnin's came
from "layin' my rushes7
If you want to take the money off8 I mean8 make a 6i' score8 then you9!e 'ot
to "lay your rushes7 It9s that sim"le7 Not that there9s anythin' su"ernatural
a6out rushes8 it9s how your o""onents "ercei!e you when you9re on one
that9s im"ortant7 They are flat>out less dan'erous7 They "ay you off more and
challen'e you less8 and that translates into "ure "rofit7
-t this "oint8 you should ha!e a !ery 'ood feel for my style of "lay7 It should
hel" you to understand and a""reciate the thin's I9m 'oin' to say a6out the
way I "lay s"ecific hands8 from 6efore the flo" on throu'h each sta'e of "lay
until all the cards are out7
./.
In all the situations that I9ll discuss 6elow8 an im"ortant assum"tion has 6een
madeK Lnless otherwise noted8 the way I9d "lay a s"ecific hand at no>limit
hold9em is how I9d "lay it in a "ot a'ainst other to" "oker "layers and not the
way I9d "lay it a'ainst a weak "layer7
The reason that assum"tion has 6een made is 6ecause8 as you already know8
a'ainst a weak "layer or a drunk you ha!e to "lay Juite differently7 -ll you
try to do a'ainst a weak "layer is make the 6est hand and then etract from
him the lar'est amount of money you can7 <ust out"lay him7
HO+ TO PL-; SPE)IFI) H-N*S
5emem6er8 the recommendations I make 6elow are how you 'enerally
should "lay the hands discussed7 That9s the way I usually "lay them7 (ut you
should ne!er fall into a "attern "layin' "oker7 I don9t7 I always !ary my "lay7
I try to mi it u" as much as I can7 I ne!er consistently re"eat my action on
any hand7 I don9t "lay like a com"uter that9s "ro'rammed to do the same
routine o!er and o!er a'ain7 The hi'h Juality "layers I "lay a'ainst on a
re'ular 6asis would easily detect a "attern to my "lay if there were any7 So I
ne!er do the same thin' with the same hand from the same "osition a'ainst
the same "layer7 I9m always chan'in' s"eeds durin' the course of a 'ame7
Howe!er8 for your "ur"oses8 my "layin' recommendations for a "articular
hand are a 'ood way for you to "lay them until your o""onents learn your
style7 +hen they do8 you start shiftin' 'ears8 u" and down continuously8 until
there is no noticea6le "attern7
I9m 'oin' to 6reak the 'ame down into four maBor and !ery 6road cate'ories
as followsK
I7 Pairs
II7 Small )onnectin' )ards
III7 (orderline Hands
IN7 Trash Hands
How to "lay your hand when you ha!e a "air in the "ocket is 'oin' to 6e
discussed first7 That cate'ory will 6e su6>di!ided and discussed as followsK
a7 (i' Pairs and (i' SlickK ->-8 H>H8 and ->H
./2
67 Q>Q
c7 <>< down to $>$
I9!e 'rou"ed an ->H with a "air of aces and a "air of kin's 6ecause it9s a
!ery stron' hand7 -s you9ll learn8 I would rather ha!e ->H than ->- or H>H7
I9ll discuss each of the hands as I would "lay them in a nine>handed 'ame
from an early "osition =first three seats?8 middle "osition =net three seats?8
and late "osition =last three seats?7 - medium>ante 'ame is assumed8 unless
otherwise noted7
->- and H>H
Pre>Flo" Play
Early Position7 +ith a "air of aces or kin's in an early "osition 6efore the
flo"8 I would "ro6a6ly Bust call the 6lind or lim" in8 ho"in' that some6ody
raises it 6ehind me so I can reraise7
Middle Position7 In a middle "osition8 if no6ody in the early seats came in8 I
would "lay them the same way7 (ut if some6ody in the early seats did come
in8 I9d "ut in a raise of a6out the si%e of the "ot7
Late Position7 In a late "osition8 I9d o6!iously raise with them and ho"e that
some6ody trailed his hand around to me8 that is8 slow>"layed his hand in
order to reraise me7 If he did8 I9d "lay 6ack of course8 and I mi'ht mo!e in
de"endin' on the circumstances7 If I did "lay 6ack with two aces or two
kin's and 'ot a6out half my money in the "ot 6efore the flo"8 there9s no
Juestion that I9d 'et the rest of it in on the flo"8 re'ardless of what came7
Nothin' could sto" me7 If my o""onent didn9t set me in on the flo" I9d mo!e
it all>in myself8 6ecause there are too many ways I could out'uess myself8
and I9m not 'oin' to try7 If I 'et either of those 6i' "airs cracked8 well8 I9m
Bust 'oin' to ha!e to lose my money7
)on!ersely8 a rare situation could eist where you9d consider throwin' away
two kin's 6efore the flo" if you 'ot raised7 It9s a hard hand to 'et away from8
6ut if a real ti'ht "layer8 one so ti'ht that he "ro6a6ly wouldn9t make that
kind of "lay unless he had two aces8 mo!ed in on you8 then you mi'ht want
to throw them away7 Of course8 you9d ha!e to 6e almost certain a6out your
man 6efore you do that7 One way I make this rare decision is to "ut myself in
./I
my o""onent9s "osition7 I ask myself8 @If I were him8 would I reraise with
two Jueens or lessEA If the answer is no8 I throw the two kin's away7
I9m 'oin' to discuss how to "lay a 6i' "air on the flo" in a moment7 (ut this
is a 'ood "lace to note that when you ha!e two kin's and there9s a sin'le ace
on the flo"8 it9s a com"lete Bud'ment call as to whether or not you should 'o
on with your hand7 If you "ut your o""onent on an ace8 that9s the end of the
"ot ri'ht there7 If not8 you "lay your two kin's as if you had the 6est hand7
Here are two "articularly rele!ant hold9em "ro6a6ilitiesK
=1? In a nine>handed 'ame8 when you ha!e two kin's8 the "ro6a6ility that no
other "layer has an ace is a6out $3 "ercent7 Put another way8 a "layer will
ha!e an ace a6out 03 "ercent of the time7
=$? If a "layer is holdin' two un"aired cards lower than kin's8 an ace will
flo" a6out 10 "ercent of the time7
The Flo"
5e'ardless of your hand8 the flo" is where you9ll make your most crucial
decisions7 It9s the key "oint in the hand7 It9s where you "ut "eo"le on hands8
decide what they9!e "ro6a6ly 'ot7 Lsually8 e!erythin' after the flo" is more
or less cut>and>dried7
Playin' with No Hel" on the Flo"7 Of course8 you "ut "eo"le on hands 6efore
the flo" too8 6ut on the flo"8 you9re in a much 6etter "osition to determine
what a man "ro6a6ly has 6y the way he calls8 whether he9s drawin' to a
strai'ht or flush and so forth7 I "lay a "air of aces or kin's !ery cautiously
from an early "osition when there are three cards that9ll make a strai'ht or a
flush on the flo"7 This is es"ecially true if there are two or more "eo"le in the
"ot with me7 The 'uys that called 6ehind me are lia6le to ha!e anythin'7 In
that "osition8 they9!e either 'ot a hand that could 6reak me or I9ll win a !ery
small "ot if I 6et7 So in an early "osition8 a 6ell rin's remindin' me not to 6et
when I see three to a strai'ht or flush on the flo" and I9!e 'ot aces or kin' in
the "ocket7 )onseJuently8 I immediately start "layin' that hand slow8 and
usually I Bust check in a front "osition7
If I9m in a late seat and some6ody in the early seats had trailed in8 I mi'ht 'o
ahead and 6et once7 If I 'ot called8 I would immediately 6ecome defensi!e
a'ain with that hand7 -nytime there are three cards to a strai'ht or flush8 I
.//
"lay the hand with etreme caution7
The Juality of the "ossi6le strai'ht that9s out there also has a 6i' influence on
the way I9d "lay that 6i' "air7 If it came
4>0>18 13>4>08 or <>13>4 and I9!e 'ot two "eo"le in the "ot with me8 I
immediately 'i!e it u"7 -lmost any two cards that those two "layers ha!e
will fit into those flo"s somehow7 They9re either 'oin' to ha!e a hand that9s
already 'ot me 6eat or they9ll 6e drawin' to a hand that would make my hand
no 6etter than an e!en money shot7
If the flo" comes 13>4>0 and one of your o""onents has a Q><8 he9s 'ot the
strai'ht made7 If he9s 'ot a <>138 he9s 'ot a "air with an o"en>end strai'ht
draw7 He could catch a 18 138 Back8 or Jueen7 There are thirteen cards in the
deck that will 6eat me8 namely four se!ens8 four Jueens8 three Backs8 and two
tens8 and he9s 'ot two shots at them7 That makes his hand as 'ood as mine at
this "oint7 In fact8 he9s almost eactly e!en>money to 6eat me8 so I don9t
want to "ut myself in a "osition where I could 'et 6roke7 I don9t always 'i!e
u" the "ot in that situation7 I Bust "lay etremely cautiously7 I don9t Bust
char'e in and try to win the "ot ri'ht there7
If Bust a <>13 falls8 say the flo" is a <>13>$8 well8 there I9d really "lay my two
aces fast8 6ecause any com6ination of 6i' cards would 'i!e my o""onent
some kind of hand7 For eam"le8 a
H>Q will 'i!e him an o"en>end strai'ht drawD an ->H will 'i!e him two
o!ercards and a 6elly>strai'ht drawD and an -><8 H><8 Q><8 ->138 Q>138 or H>
13 will 'i!e him a "air7 So I9d 'o ahead and "lay my two aces in that
situation7 If he9s 'ot Backs and tens or 6etter8 well8 more "ower to him7 If you
know your "layer8 you9ll 6e a6le to fi'ure out what hand he9s likely to ha!e7
;ou ha!e to 6e lo'ical in "uttin' your o""onent on a hand7
I9m not as leery of a three>card flush on the flo" as I am of a three>card
strai'ht7 +ith a three>card flush8 there aren9t as many "ossi6le hands that
could 6eat me:althou'h it9s "ossi6le that your o""onent has a "air and a
flush draw if he9s in there with you7
The first thin' I9d do would 6e to see if either one of my two aces or kin's
matched the cards out there7 If three hearts fell and I had two red aces8 I
would immediately "lay that hand7 It9s a 6i' hand7 (ut if I had the two 6lack
./1
aces8 or another hand without the -E8 I mi'ht 6e a little more hesitant to "lay
it7
(ut if I did ha!e the -E8 I9d "lay the hand fast on the flo"7 If I 'et called8 I9m
in a "osition to win it anyway7 I know where the nuts are7 That9s one of the
most im"ortant thin's a6out no>limit hold9em7 If you can a!oid it8 you ne!er
want to 'et your money in dead7
For eam"le8 you don9t want to 6e drawin' for a flush when there9s a "air on
the 6oard7 ;our o""onent could ha!e a full house7 -nd you don9t want to 6e
drawin' to a strai'ht when another man could ha!e a flush7 If the 6oard
comes three hearts and you9!e 'ot an o"en>end strai'ht draw8 you don9t draw
at that strai'ht7 ;ou throw your hand away7 -ll the to" "layers try to kee"
from e!er 'ettin' their money in com"letely dead7
If a "air and a ra' flo" and I had a "air of aces or kin's in the "ocket8 I9d 6et
at that "ot from an early "osition7 If I 'ot called8 I9d "roceed cautiously7 I
mean8 when the net card was turned8 I9d check it to him7 If he 6et8 may6e I9d
call it or may6e I wouldn9t7 It would de"end on what I felt that he had7 I9d
know he9s 'ot somethin' that he likes7
For eam"le8 if the flo" is />/>$ and I 6et and he calls8 he9s tellin' me he9s
'ot some kind of hand7 He9s "ro6a6ly 'ot a "air in the "ocket8 anywhere from
se!ens to tens8 or else he9s 'ot three sies or three deuces7 So I9d use my
Bud'ment at that "oint8 and I9d 6e cautious a'ain7
If there were a cou"le of "layers in the "ot in front of me and one of them
flo""ed a set of sies8 he9d "ro6a6ly check it to me7 That9s what most "layers
do in this situation8 check a set into the raiser7 (ut as you know8 that9s the
wron' way to "lay it7 - stron' "layer would know that the ri'ht thin' to do is
lead into you7
If it was checked to me and there wasn9t a strai'ht draw on the 6oard:say
the flo" was 1>1>$:I mi'ht check it as well and 'i!e a free card7 I9d do that
for two reasonsK
=1? If he didn9t ha!e a hand8 I9d want him to hel" his hand enou'h to continue
"layin'7 For eam"le8 if a Back or Jueen fell off on fourth street8 it mi'ht "air
him7
=$? I9d want to eliminate the "ossi6ility that I9d 'et 6roke if he does ha!e a 17
./0
(ut if the flo" was />/>$8 I would 6et 6ecause I wouldn9t want a .8 28 or I
fallin' off and makin' some6ody a strai'ht7 In 6rief8 you don9t 'i!e free
cards if that free card could 6reak you7 If there9s a "ossi6le strai'ht or flush
draw on 6oard8 you don9t 'i!e a free card7
If I had two aces with a />/>H flo" and it was checked to me8 I9d "ro6a6ly
check it 6ack7 If he9s 'ot a kin'8 he9s 'oin' to "lay it on fourth street8 6ecause
6y checkin'8 you9!e made him think he9s 'ot the 6est hand7 Plus8 if he does
ha!e a /8 as 6efore8 you mi'ht 6e a6le to hold your losses to a minimum7 -
flo" that9s
/>/>I is a lot different8 6ecause there9s the "ossi6ility of a strai'ht draw7
+hat it all 6oils down to is that with a "air of aces or kin's8 you9re waitin'
until you 'et into what you think is a fa!ora6le situation 6efore you really
"lay a 6i' "ot7 ;ou9re not lookin' to "lay a 6i' "ot if there9s only a small
chance you9ll ha!e the 6est of it or one where you9re a 6i' underdo'7
In 'eneral8 with those 6i' "airs on the flo"8 you "lay them a little more
a''ressi!ely from a late "osition than from an early "osition8 6ut you should
6e aware that someone mi'ht 6e checkin' the nuts to you8 such as three sies
in the eam"les used7 ;ou ne!er worry a6out that7 I9!e heard "eo"le say8
@+ell8 I was afraid to 6et 6ecause I was afraid he9d raise me7A Ne!er worry
a6out 'ettin' raised7 ;ou ha!e to 'o ahead and "lay7 If it ha""ens8 it ha""ens8
and then you worry a6out it7 *on9t cross that 6rid'e until you come to it7
;ou can9t "lay winnin' "oker 6y "layin' safe all the time7 ;ou must take
chances7 ;ou must 'am6le7 -nd you ha!e to feel a''ressi!e to "lay
a''ressi!ely7 That9s my style of "oker7 -nd it9s a winnin' style7
I9!e re>stated my 'eneral "hiloso"hy of "lay at this "oint 6ecause I9m
discussin' the "lay of a "air of aces or kin's in the hole7 In many cases8 I
"lay them slowly8 6ut I don9t slow>"lay them7 That is8 I "lay them cautiously7
This is contrary to my usual style of "lay and to the way most "eo"le "lay
them7 Most "layers feel that aces or kin's are so hard to come 6y that when
they do 'et them they want to win a 6i' "ot7 So they "lay them real fast7
That9s usually wron'8 6ut there are ece"tions that I9ll discuss 6elow7 The
fact is8 with a "air of aces or kin's8 one of two thin's will usually ha""enK
=1? ;ou win a small "otD or
./4
=$? ;ou lose a 6i' "ot7
The reason is that your o""onent is not 'oin' to 'et a lot of money in the "ot
unless he can 6eat your 6i' "air or has a strai'ht or flush draw7 In the latter
case8 as you9ll see 6elow8 I9m 'oin' to make him "ay to draw to his hand7
I also "lay two aces or kin's slowly in the rare instance that a set of tri"s
flo"s8 say three se!ens or three Backs7 (ut this time I do it for somewhat
different reasons7 In this case8 I want my o""onent in the "ot to im"ro!e his
hand or catch u" with me7 So I check it8 6ut Bust one time7 I want to 'i!e him
a free card so he can catch a "air or 'et a chance to 6luff at it7 It9s tou'h to
win anythin' in that s"ot 6y leadin' off unless you catch some6ody with a
"air in the "ocket7
Of course8 there9s a small chance you could run into Juads8 6ut anyone who
made that hand will let you know it 6y the way he "uts all his money in the
"ot7 It takes e"erience to reco'ni%e somethin' like that8 6ut it9s Bust like any
other situation where some6ody9s 6ettin' the "ure nuts at you7 ;ou ha!e to
use Bud'ment to e!aluate it7 -fter a while8 you reco'ni%e it7 -s always8 it
6oils down to readin' "eo"le7
The one situation where I stand to lose a !ery 6i' "ot with a "air of aces or
kin's is when there are two to a strai'ht or flush on the flo"7 For eam"le8
say there9s a <>13>$ out there7 If some6ody 6et at me8 I9d mo!e in a lot of
chi"s7 I could win the "ot ri'ht there7 If not8 my o""onent is really 'oin' to
"ay to draw to his hand7 If I were first to act8 I9d check8 ho"in' I9d 'et the
chance to raise it7 This is one of the few times I check>raise7
If I 'et called8 I9ll "ro6a6ly "ut my o""onent on a strai'ht or flush draw7 Of
course8 on fourth street I9ll 'o ahead and 6et a'ain if a meanin'less card or
6lank falls7 -'ain8 this in!ol!es a lot of 'ood Bud'ment8 6ecause my
o""onent mi'ht ha!e 6een fortunate enou'h to make some kind of hand that
would 6eat my two aces8 such as Backs and tens7 In that case8 I9d 'o ahead
and "ay him off 6ecause8 as I said earlier8 I9m not 'oin' to try to out>'uess
myself7
If the 6oard fell com"letely ra''ed8 say a 13>/>I8 I would 6et from any
"osition7 -s in all the hands I9!e discussed8 there9s always the chance that
someone flo""ed a set7 (ut a'ain8 I9m 'oin' to cross that 6rid'e if and when
.13
I come to it7 In this situation8 I9d know if my 6i' "air was 6eat8 es"ecially if I
had raised with my hand from an early "osition 6efore the flo"7 -ll 'ood
hold9em "layers would inter"ret that as a si'n of stren'th7 I mean8 the first
thin' you usually 'i!e a man8 es"ecially a weaker "layer8 credit for when he
raises is a 6i' "air7 So if it comes a
13>/>I and I had raised from an early "osition8 the other "layers will think
that I ha!e a stron' hand8 "ossi6ly a 6i' "air8 which I9!e 'ot7 Then when I 6et
on the flo" and 'et raised 6y some6ody in a late "osition8 it 'ets 6ack to
e!aluatin' "eo"le a'ain7 ;ou9!e Bust 'ot to know your "layers7 He9s
re"resentin' to you that he can 6eat a 6i' "air7 If he9s a 'ood8 solid>ty"e
"layer8 what else can he ha!e 6esides a set of tri"s or "ossi6ly two "airE So
you make u" your mind ri'ht there whether or not to 'o ahead with your two
aces or two kin's7
Of course8 it9s "ossi6le that he has a "air of Jueens or Backs in a 6ack "osition
and didn9t raise you 6efore the flo"8 6ut that now on the flo" he9s decided to
test you8 6ecause he9s 'ot an o!er"air7 ;ou mi'ht want to call his raise one
time if it9s not too 6i' a 6et7 The net time8 check it to him and see what he
does7 If he 6ets a'ain8 he9s usually there7
Playin' with Hel" on the Flo"7 L" to now8 I9!e discussed how I9d "lay a "air
of aces or kin's on the flo" assumin' I didn9t flo" anythin' that hel"ed my
hand7 Now I9ll discuss the situations where I 'et some hel"7
If I flo" a set8 I ne!er slow>"lay it7 There is one ece"tion to this rule8 which
I9ll discuss 6elow7 (ut for the most "art8 I almost always come ri'ht out and
6et8 and I don9t make Bust a nominal 6et7 I make an etra>lar'e 6et 6ecause
you9ll only win a 6i' "ot if an o""onent flo"s somethin' with you8 "uts you
on a 6luff8 or tries to run you down7 So8 I really come out smokin9 ri'ht there7
Earlier8 I said that when you ha!e a "air of aces and a sin'le ace flo"s8
there9ll always 6e the "ossi6ility that the net card off will make someone a
strai'ht7 For instance8 look at the followin' situationK
FLOP -
+ith a sin'le ace on the flo" and anythin' I or under8 there9s always a draw
to a I>hi'h strai'ht7 -s in Flo" -8 if a deuce8 trey or I falls on fourth street8 it
.11
could make someone a small strai'ht7
The same thin' a""lies whene!er there9s a sin'le ace on the flo" with any
card 13 or a6o!e7
FLOP (
+ith Flo" )8 a kin'8 Jueen8 or 13 on fourth mi'ht 'i!e someone an ace>hi'h
strai'ht7 If there9s no draw to a strai'ht that includes an ace8 then there9ll 6e a
draw to a medium strai'ht 6ecause there9d ha!e to 6e a two>card com6ination
of the other four cards8 namely a /8 18 08 or 48 as in the followin' eam"leK
FLOP )
The strai'ht "ossi6ility is more o6!ious with somethin' like Flo" ) 6ecause
there are se!en different strai'hts that can 6e made7 If anyone has a <>138 <>08
13>08 13>/8 0>/8 0>I8 or />I8 they could make a strai'ht with the net card off7
;ou should always kee" this interestin' disco!ery in mind whene!er you see
what a""ears to 6e a ra''edy flo" with an ace in it7 The threat that someone
could make a strai'ht will always 6e "resent7
So when you flo" a set of aces8 you immediately 'o to 6ettin'8 and you 6et a
lar'e amount to "re!ent some6ody from drawin' at an inside strai'ht
chea"ly7 - 'ood "layer will know it9s worth it to take a chea" draw at a 6elly
strai'ht8 and if he makes it8 he can 6reak you7
Howe!er8 if you flo" a set with two kin's you could "ossi6ly 'i!e a free card
if it comes ra''ed and there9s no strai'ht or flush draw7 For eam"le8 say a
H>0>$ falls7 Now8 you can 'i!e a card with that flo" 6ecause you9d ha!e the
nuts as lon' as any card other than an ace8 08 or deuce fell7 -n ace mi'ht 'i!e
someone three aces8 and an 0 or deuce could "ossi6ly make someone four>of>
a>kind7 5ealistically you shouldn9t worry a6out Juads8 so you really want an
0 or deuce to hit the 6oard on fourth street7
In the rare instance when you flo" Juads8 say four aces8 you9re ha""y to ha!e
them8 6ut you really don9t ha!e a !ery "rofita6le hand7 ;ou9!e 'ot the deck
cri""led7 There9s nothin' left that your o""onents can ha!e7 +hen you flo" a
hand that 6i'8 you Bust ha!e to check alon' and may6e try to win a small 6et
on the end7 Or8 if you9re etremely fortunate8 you mi'ht 'et some6ody to try
.1$
to 6luff at it7 They Bust mi'ht try to "ick u" the "ot 6y re"resentin' a hand7
;ou could 'et lucky that wayD 6ut most of the time8 you Bust "lay it !ery slow
and take what you can 'et8 meanin' that you always 6et on the end from any
"osition7
Here9s another situation where I almost always checkK Say I flo""ed the
hi'hest "ossi6le full house8 known as the 6i' full7 That9s what you would
ha!e with two aces if the flo" was ->.>.8 or with two kin's if it came H>1>17
If you do ha!e the 6i' full8 you9ll ha!e some le!era'e8 so you could 'i!e
them a free card in most situations =see 6elow for the ece"tion?7 -fter you
check it once8 you 6et on fourth8 ho"in' that some6ody hit somethin' there7
+hene!er you9!e 'ot a hand that9s so 6i' you9!e 'ot the deck cri""led or one
that9s !ery unlikely to 'et 6eaten8 you should "lay it !ery slow on the flo" for
two reasonsK
=1? ;ou want to 'i!e your o""onents a chance to 6luff7
=$? ;ou want to 'i!e them a chance to catch somethin' if they don9t 6luff7
+ith a "air of aces or kin's there9s a chance you could flo" a strai'ht or flush
draw7 It would almost always 6e a 'utshot strai'ht draw8 with the ece"tion
of a Q><>13 when you had kin's7 In any case8 if I flo""ed a strai'ht draw8 I9d
6e cautious with my hand7 I could easily 6e 6eat at that "oint 6ecause any
flo" that would 'i!e me a strai'ht draw could easily make my o""onent two
"air7 I wouldn9t fool with that hand7 (ut if I9!e 'ot the two red aces and three
diamonds flo"8 well8 as I noted earlier8 that9s a !ery 6i' hand7 I9d "lay that
hand from the hi"8 and I9d 6e willin' to "ut all my money in with it7
;ou should always remem6er that the flo" is "ractically the whole 'ame in
hold9em7 That9s where your maBor decisions will 6e made7 The "lay on fourth
street and fifth street is "retty 6asic 6y com"arison7
For eam"le8 on the flo"8 you "ut your o""onent on a "articular hand8 and all
your thinkin' follows from that7 If you think he9s drawin' at a clu6 flush8 you
6et7 ;ou must make your o""onents "ay to make their draws7 If the clu6
doesn9t come on fourth street8 you 6et a'ain7 O6!iously8 if the clu6 comes
and you think your o""onent made his hand8 you check it7 If you think you9re
6eat8 naturally8 you check it7 -nd if you think your o""onent is drawin'8 you
6et7 That9s the whole thin'7
.1.
On fifth street8 also called the ri!er8 if it looks like your o""onent has missed
his hand8 there9s usually no reason to 6et any further7 So you Bust show your
hand o!er8 or you check it and 'i!e him a chance to 6luff7
That9s no>limit hold9em in a nutshell8 6ut as you know8 it9s a far more
com"le 'ame than that7 -s you continue readin'8 you should 6e aware that
my ad!ice is intended to "ro!ide you with some 'eneral 'uidelines7 I kee"
em"hasi%in' this 6ecause it9s so im"ortant that you understand it7 There9s not
a sin'le "lay that I9ll always make with a "articular hand7 I9m lia6le to "lay
e!ery hand differently de"endin' on the circumstances7 The standards I ha!e
'uide me in a 'eneral direction8 as they should you7 (ut sometimes8 e!en I
don9t know eactly what I9m 'oin' to do until the situation comes u"7
+hate!er my first feelin' or im"ression is at the time8 I9d 'o with that7
For eam"le8 I said I9d check my "air of aces one time if there were an o"en
set of tri"s on the flo"7 On fourth street8 if a man made a 6i' 6et8 or if I 6et
and he mo!ed>in on me8 I9d "ro6a6ly 'o ahead and "ay him off7 If a man9s
lucky enou'h to flo" Juads when I9!e 'ot two aces8 he9d ha!e to show me:
unless I9!e 'ot a lot of money in front of me and there9s not too much money
in the "ot7
Let9s look at a s"ecific eam"le8 Bust8 remem6er that no matter what I say
now8 I mi'ht do Bust the o""osite if the situation calls for it7 That de"ends on
a lot of thin's8 es"ecially the 'uy in the "ot with me7 +hat do I know a6out
himE So it9s 6ack to "eo"le a'ain7 Ne!ertheless8 here9s what I mi'ht do7
Let9s say there9s C$38333 in the "ot7 I9!e 'ot C138333 on the ta6le7 My
o""onent has C$383338 and he mo!es in on me7 In that case8 I9d "ro6a6ly "ay
him off if I knew him to 6e a "layer8 as o""osed to a rock7
Howe!er8 if my o""onent also had C138333 and o!er>6et the "ot 6y mo!in'
in his entire stack8 well8 then I9m not sure what I9d do7 -s I said8 I9d 'o with
my feelin's7 I9d look at him and then I9d decide7 To start with8 if he made a
mo!e like that I9d turn my hand face>u" on the 6oard7 -nd I9d watch him real
close7 I9d want to see what his reaction was when I turned the two aces u"7 It
would take a stron' man not to show some kind of emotion7 -nd from the
emotion I saw8 I9d Bud'e whether he had Juads or not7 Then I9d react
accordin' to whiche!er way I felt7
.12
Fourth and Fifth Streets
-s I noted8 you continue to 6et your 6i' "air on fourth street when it ra's off
and it doesn9t look like it com"leted the strai'ht or flush draw that showed on
the flo"7 If your o""onent wants to draw a'ain8 you make him "ay for it7
If you flo""ed a set8 you should also continue to 6et on fourth e!en if it does
look like someone mi'ht ha!e com"leted a strai'ht7 ;ou can9t worry a6out it
6ecause you don9t know which strai'ht it is8 if it was made at all7 <ust
disre'ard any strai'ht card and 'o ahead and 6et7
(ut if a third flush card fell on the turn8 then I9d "ro6a6ly check it7 If
someone 6et8 I9d call it8 thinkin' that I9m "ro6a6ly 6eat 6ut tryin' to make a
full7 I mean8 I wouldn9t know for sure that I was 6eat8 6ut I9d call knowin'
there was a stron' "ossi6ility I was7 -nd I9d call a "retty 6i' 6et7
If the man mo!ed all>in on me in that s"ot8 I9d "ro6a6ly 'i!e him credit for
the flush7 Then whether or not to call is a matter of sim"le mathematics7 Ten
cards out of the forty>fi!e left would hel" my hand8 assumin' the last ace is
still in the deck8 as are three each of the other three cards on the 6oard that
could "air and make my full7 That means it9s .I to 138 or . to 18 that I won9t
im"ro!e my hand7 If the "ot9s layin' me more than . to 18 I9d call7 If not8 I9d
throw my hand away7
Of course8 that formula only a""lies when you feel !ery stron'ly that your
o""onent has the flush made7 If you think you could ha!e the hand wron'
and your o""onent mi'ht ha!e the second set of tri"s or some other hand8
then you mi'ht call if the "ot was layin' you less odds7 ;ou could acce"t a
smaller "rice 6ecause you ha!e some dou6ts7
So much de"ends on your Bud'ment in situations like that7 This is es"ecially
true on the end7 If I didn9t make my full there and I was forced to call another
6et8 it would 6e com"letely u" to my Bud'ment7
+hen I discussed how I9d "lay my 6i' "air when I flo""ed a full8 I said that
I9d almost always check it7 I9d make an ece"tion8 thou'h8 if two of the cards
on the flo" were suited8 or may6e e!en two to a strai'ht7 In that case8 I would
not check on the flo":I would 6et7 I9d 6e tryin' to 'et a man in there
drawin' to a flush and ho"in' that he makes it so I can 6reak him7 -nd if a
flush card did come on fourth street8 I9d 6et8 e"ectin' and ho"in' to 6e
.1I
raised7
I9d "lay the hand similarly if I had flo""ed a set and the 6oard "aired on the
end8 makin' my full and at the same time makin' a "ossi6le flush for
some6ody7 +hene!er you9!e 'ot a full and a three>flush comes8 it9s eactly
the situation you9re lookin' for7 ;ou 'o ahead and 6et:e!en an
etraordinarily 6i' 6et:and you can 6reak your o""onent7 ;ou should not8
6y the way8 6et as much with a three>card strai'ht out there 6ecause your
o""onent may not ha!e the nut strai'ht7 He may e!en 6e drawin'7 So in
either case8 if you9!e 'ot him dead8 you want him to "lay his strai'ht if he
made it or draw at it7 -nd a !ery 6i' 6et mi'ht scare him off7
In the case where you flo""ed a set and the 6oard "airs on fourth or fifth 6ut
there9s no "ossi6le strai'ht or flush out there:say the 6oard is -E /E <E <E:
you should lead with your full7 *on9t slow>"lay it7 In fact8 you should make a
6i' 6et8 6i''er than the si%e of the "ot7
There9s a 'ood "ossi6ility that your o""onent was callin' you on the flo"
with the second "air or "ossi6ly the third "air7 So when the 6oard "aired8 it
mi'ht9!e made him a stron' hand8 and you9d 6e in a "osition to 6reak him7
He9d "ro6a6ly "lay 6ack if he made tri"s when the 6oard "aired7 -lso8
knowin' your a''ressi!e style of "lay8 he mi'ht think you9re tryin' to
re"resent his hand8 and you mi'ht 'et a 'ood "lay 6ecause of that7
(ut if a flush draw was out there on the flo" and the "air on fourth didn9t
com"lete the flush8 well8 then I9d make a small 6et8 smaller than the si%e of
the "ot7 I want him to call so he9ll ha!e an o""ortunity to make the flush on
the last card7
(ut what if you don9t make a 6i' hand with two aces or kin'sE ;ou9ll ha!e to
"lay them !ery carefully in certain instances on fourth and fifth streets7 For
eam"le8 if there were three ra's on the flo" and then the 6oard "aired on
fourth or fifth8 I9d definitely slow down7 This is not the same situation as
when a "air came on the flo"7 +hen the "air shows after the flo"8 the
"ossi6ility is much stron'er that it hel"ed your o""onent7 He9s already called
you on the flo"8 indicatin' that his cards fit into the community cards7 His
call clearly meant that he had somethin'8 so I9d 6e cautious a'ain in that
situation7
.1/
;ou are facin' a somewhat different situation when there are four ra's out
there and the 6oard "airs on fifth street7 Eactly what I9d do de"ends on
which card was "aired and whether I had 6et on the flo" and on fourth7 If the
to" card or "ossi6ly the second card "aired8 I9d sus"ect I mi'ht 6e 6eat7
They9d 6e the two most dan'erous "airs7 If I had 6et on the flo" and on
fourth street and the third or fourth hi'hest card "aired8 I wouldn9t 6e
concerned7
-nother time you should not 6e at all concerned is when the flo" is say8 0>0>I
and then the third 0 falls on fourth or on the end7 ;ou Bust don9t worry a6out
Juads7 So actually your hand 'ot stron'er on fourth street7 (efore the third 0
showed8 there was the na''in' "ossi6ility your o""onent had tri"s7 That9s far
less likely now8 and he9s "ro6a6ly in there with an o!er"air7
- !ery tou'h situation could eist on fifth when there are four to a flush or
strai'ht8 and you don9t ha!e any of it7 +ith a 6i' "air in that s"ot8 it9s 6ack to
Bud'ment a'ain7 ;ou ha!e to e!aluate what you think your o""onent was
drawin' at and whether or not he9s 'ot one of the cards that would com"lete
the strai'ht or flush7
;ou should ne!er 6et in that situation7 If he9s first and he checks8 you should
Bust show it down7 If you are first8 you9d check it7 If he 6ets8 well8 you9re
6ack to "eo"le7 ;ou9d Bust ha!e to e!aluate your "layer7
That situation 6rin's to mind a "lay I often make7 I9!e "layed a lot of "ots
a'ainst ti'ht "layers when I9!e made a !ery weak call on fourth street8 ho"in'
the last card will make a four>card strai'ht or flush on the 6oard so I could
re"resent the strai'ht or flush 6y makin' a 6i' 6et7 For eam"le8 my ti'ht
o""onent has raised 6efore the flo" and I feel he has a 6i' "air in the "ocket7
The situation mi'ht look like thisK
My o""onent 6ets on the flo"8 and I call7 The net card is the $E8 and if my
o""onent 6ets a'ain8 I9ll call:not 6ecause I think I ha!e the 6est hand8 6ut
6ecause of the tremendous 6luffin' o""ortunity I9ll ha!e if the last card is a
.8 28 08 or 47 -ny one of those four cards will mean the 6oard is one card off
of a strai'ht7 I9ll almost certainly win the "ot if8 as in the eam"le8 a 2 fell on
fifth and I re"resent the strai'ht 6y makin' a su6stantial 6et on the end7
.11
There9s also a chance that I9ll catch a 13 or 1 on the end7 I9d win a nice "ot in
that case as well8 so I9m Bustified in callin' on fourth street7 I do a lot of
'am6lin' like that on fourth and on the end7 -nd they9re 'ood 'am6les
6ecause I know a ti'ht "layer wouldn9t Beo"ardi%e all his money when one
card would 6eat him7
It9s not only tou'h for a ti'ht "layer to make a call for all his money in a
situation like that8 it9s tou'h for anyone to do it7 (ut if you know your
o""onent8 it does make it easier7 If the strai'ht or flush is made on fourth and
fifth streets8 a 6ackdoor Bo68 then you may want to reconstruct the "lay of the
entire hand and try to determine whether that "articular "layer would ha!e
'one as far as he did to make the hand7 Of course8 a lot of times a "layer will
literally 6ack into a hand like that7 For eam"le8 he may ha!e started with a
small "air on the flo"8 "icked u" a strai'ht or flush draw on fourth8 and 'ot
there on the end without really tryin'7
+ith two aces or kin's8 you9re 'oin' to ha!e to use a lot of Bud'ment when
all the cards are out and your hand ne!er 'ot 6etter7 ;ou9d ha!e to 'o 6ack to
what you ori'inally felt your o""onent was drawin' at on the flo" and on
fourth street7 If you thou'ht he made what he was drawin' at on the last card8
well8 o6!iously8 you9d check it8 whether you were first or last to act7 If you
were first and you thou'ht he was drawin' at a hand and com"letely missed
it8 you9d still check7 (ut this time you9d 6e doin' it to 'i!e him an
o""ortunity to 6luff at it7 If you were last and it looked like he missed his
hand then he checked it to you8 you9d Bust turn your hand o!er to a!oid 6ein'
wron' in your Bud'ment7 He9s not 'oin' to call you if he missed his draw7
(ut if you "ut him on the wron' hand to 6e'in with8 you could 'et raised7
->H
(efore the Flo"
->H !s7 ->- or H>H7 I9!e already mentioned that I9d rather ha!e ->H than
either a "air of aces or a "air of kin's7 - lot of "layers will "ro6a6ly find that
sur"risin'7 (ut it9s not7 ;ou9ll soon see why7
Of course8 I know that an ->H would ne!er outrun ->- or H>H if you "layed
them a'ainst one another hot and cold7 -n ->H couldn9t e!en 6eat a "air of
deuces7 I know from e"erience7
.10
Once8 on a "ro"osition 6et8 I took the deuces and two other 'uys took the ->
H7 The "ro"osition was to "lay the two hands a'ainst one another hot and
cold7 +e sim"ly dealt out fi!e cards to see which hand would win more
times7 It was an e!en>money 6et8 and we 6et CI33 a hand7 I won se!eral
thousand dollars 6efore they Juit7 They weren9t con!inced the first time8 so
we did it two or three more times7 They9d lose some money and Juit7 They9d
'o away8 do some homework8 come 6ack8 and then we9d do it a'ain7 -nd I9d
6eat them a'ain7
(ut I9m not talkin' a6out "layin' hot and cold here7 Now I9m talkin' a6out
"layin' "oker7 -n ->H is a 6etter hand than two aces or two kin's for two
!ery im"ortant reasonsK
=1? ;ou9ll win more money when you make a hand with it7
=$? ;ou9ll lose less money when you miss a hand with it7
-nd I can9t think of two 6etter reasons to choose an ->H o!er the !ery 6i'
"airs7
;ou can make more money with an ->H 6ecause it9s a drawin' ty"e of hand
as o""osed to a made hand8 like two aces or kin's7 I mean8 you don9t ha!e
anythin' with an ->H unless you hit somethin'8 so you can 'et away from it
real easy7 ;ou9re not tied on to it like you mi'ht 6e with a "air of aces or
kin's7 -nd that9s why you9ll lose less money with it7
Furthermore8 when you ha!e ->H and you "air the ace or kin' on the flo"8 if
your o""onent is "layin' somethin' like two connectin' cards8 it9s much
harder for him to make his hand than it would 6e if you had a 6i' "air7 For
eam"le8 say you had two aces in the "ocket8 your o""onent is "layin' a 1>/8
and the 6oard came 4>0>I8 or any three cards that could hel" his hand8 such as
a "air and a draw7 That one etra card considera6ly im"ro!es his chances of
crackin' your aces7 On the other hand8 say you ha!e ->H8 your o""onent has
1>/8 and the 6oard comes ->4>07 In this case8 he hasn9t made anythin' yet
6ecause you9!e "aired one of your holecards and now there are only two
cards that will hel" him7 Here9s the ece"tion to this ruleK say the flo" is three
to a 6i' strai'ht with may6e two to a flush8 likeK
-E <E 13E or HE <E 13E7 In this case8 the ace or kin' hel"s 6oth you and your
.14
o""onent7 Later on8 we9ll discuss why ->H is also a more flei6le hand as far
as how you can "lay it7
Suited !s7 Offsuit7 In the discussion to follow8 the difference 6etween the two
hands is sometimes i'nored7 That is8 I9m 'oin' to su''est "layin' them the
same way7 (ut you should always remem6er that ->H suited has more !alue
than ->H offsuit and it can always 6e "layed a little stron'er7
-nytime the cards are suited it9s a somewhat stron'er hand than when they9re
offsuit7 This is es"ecially true with ->H 6ecause you can make the nut flush7
There9s another 6i' difference 6etween ->H suited and ->H offsuitK with ->
H suited it only takes three cards to make a flush7 True8 you can make one of
two flushes with ->H offsuit8 6ut it takes four cards to make either one7
That9s a lot harder to do7 -nd e!en if you make the flush with the kin'8 you
mi'ht not ha!e the nuts7
Flei6ility7 The reason why ->H is more flei6le than ->- or H>H is that you
can "lay an ->H in the lead or you can "lay it slow to raise with it7 -lso8 I9d
"lay ->H from any "osition for a reasona6le si%e 6et7 -nd8 on occasion8 I9d
'et all my money in 6efore the flo"8 as you9ll see 6elow7
Playin' from Early Position7 S"ecifically8 in an early "osition8 I9d raise the
6lind8 6rin' it in8 for whate!er the normal 6rin'>in is for that "articular 'ame7
If I was raised8 I9d "ro6a6ly call8 althou'h I don9t like to call a raise with ->
H8 as most "layers do7 I like to raise with it7
Playin' from Middle Position7 If I were in a middle "osition and someone
else had 6rou'ht it in8 I9d Bust call with ->H7 I wouldn9t raise 6ecause I9d
"ro6a6ly 6e raisin' Bust one man7 I9d want at least one more "layer to come
in7
Playin' from Late Position7 In a late "osition8 I9d "ro6a6ly raise with it8
es"ecially if I were on the 6utton7
Mo!in' -ll>In7 There are times I mi'ht e!en mo!e all>in with an ->H7 Let9s
say I 6rou'ht it in from an early "osition8 and a cou"le of "eo"le 6ehind me
Bust called7 +hen it 'ets to the 'uy on the 6utton8 he raises7 I9d think he was
tryin' to "ick u" the "ot since the two "eo"le 6ehind me showed weakness7
He9s "ro6a6ly thinkin' the only "erson he had to come throu'h is me8 so I
.03
mi'ht mo!e all here7
Or if I were on the 6utton and three or four "eo"le were already in the "ot8 I
mi'ht mo!e all>in8 tryin' to "ick the "ot u"7 -t that "oint8 I9d know that if I
'ot called I9d "ro6a6ly 6e a sli'ht underdo' to a "air7
The Flo"
-s lon' as I don9t hel" my ->H on the flo"8 I9m 'oin' to "lay the hand the
same way re'ardless of whether or not the flo" mi'ht9!e hel"ed someone
else7 For eam"le8 if three ra's8 a "air8 three to a strai'ht or flush8 or anythin'
that does not hel" my hand flo"s8 I "lay ->H Juite sim"ly7 (arrin' one
ece"tion that I9ll 'o into later8 here9s what I9d doK
=1? If I had 6een the 6ettor to start with or if I had 6een the raiser8 I9d 6et
from any "osition7
=$? If I had called with ->H8 I9d check7
=.? If there was a 6et in front of me8 I9d "ass7
-s I9!e already said8 I "lay almost all my hands that way 6ecause if I was the
6ettor or raiser 6efore the flo" then I9!e re"resented a hand7 So I9ll 6et on the
flo" re'ardless of what comes7 I9ll do it nine times out of ten7
;ou mi'ht ha!e noticed that this is Juite different from the way I9d "lay two
aces or two kin's7 +ith either of those "airs in an early "osition8 I9d check it
if there were three to a strai'ht or flush on the flo"7 5emem6er8 I hear a 6ell
rin'in' in that situation that reminds me not to 6et7 So if I9!e 'ot a hand8 like
a "air in the "ocket8 I "lay it slow7 (ut if I9m 6luffin'8 I 'o ahead and "lay it
fast8 meanin' I9ll take one shot at it7
I do that 6ecause I know for sure I9m not 'oin' to 'o any further with an ->H
if some6ody "lays 6ack at me7 If some6ody "lays 6ack when I9m holdin' two
aces or two kin's8 I9!e 'ot a decision to make7 (ut when I ha!e nothin'8 I
can 6et ->H with confidence 6ecause I9m 'one if I 'et raised7 I Bust throw my
hand away 6ecause there9s nothin' for me to think a6out7 Now you can see
why you9re less likely to lose a 6i' "ot with ->H than with two aces or two
kin's7
+hen there9s nothin' on the flo" that9ll hel" me and I do 'o ahead and "lay
the hand8 I9ll make a reasona6le 6et8 somewhere in the nei'h6orhood of the
.01
si%e of the "ot7 (ut as always8 there are ece"tions7 On rare occasions8 I9d
re!ert 6ack to the same "hiloso"hy I use with aces and kin's7 For eam"le8 if
the fall was a <E 13E 4E8 I9d ne!er 6luff7 I wouldn9t e!en fool with the "ot if
only two of those cards were suited7 ;ou know some6ody9s 'oin' to ha!e
somethin'7 Here a'ain8 you ha!e to use your Bud'ment7 It9s an etreme
situation7
This also e"lains why I9ll 6et on the flo" 43 "ercent of the time 6ut not
e!ery sin'le the time if I "layed my hand stron' 6efore the flo"7 There are
times when you know some6ody must ha!e flo""ed somethin'7 -nd 6luffin'
at a "ot in that situation will rarely succeed7 So you Bust 'i!e it u"7
If I 'et some hel" on the flo" 6y catchin' an ace or a kin'8 I9d make a
reasona6le 6et at the "ot from any "osition7 The only time I mi'ht check>raise
in this situation is when I had called in a middle "osition 6efore the flo" and
the ori'inal raiser 6efore the flo" was 6ehind me7 +hen someone "lays 6ack
at me in this situation I9ll either mo!e in or release my hand8 de"endin' on
what flo""ed7 In order for me to mo!e in I9d ha!e to think my o""onent was
drawin' to his hand7 For eam"le8 if the flo" came -E 13E 4E8 I9d "ut him on
a flush draw or may6e a strai'ht draw8 and I9d mo!e in7 Of course8 if my
o""onent flo""ed three nines8 he9d 6e in an ideal "osition to win a lot of
money7 It would look to me like he was drawin' at a strai'ht8 flush8 or 6oth8
and if he was lucky enou'h to ha!e flo""ed a set8 well8 there9s nothin'
ma'ical I could do7 I9d Bust ha!e to 'o ahead and "ay him off7
On the other hand8 if it came off ra''ed8 like a HE 0E $E8 I mi'ht release my
->H8 thinkin' that he "ossi6ly flo""ed a set7
If a "air of aces or kin's flo""ed8 'i!in' me tri"s8 and the other card is not
one that9ll 'i!e someone a strai'ht or flush draw8 I mi'ht check>raise7 (ut I
"ro6a6ly wouldn9t 6ecause I like to lead with it7 It9s a !ery stron' hand and
as lon' as a "at hand8 like a strai'ht or a flush8 can9t 6e dealt off on the net
card8 I mi'ht 'i!e a free card in this situation so my o""onent would ha!e a
chance to make somethin' on fourth street7 (ut I9d only 'i!e a free card if I
were last to act7 If I were first to act8 I wouldn9t7 I would lead with that hand7
If I flo""ed two "air8 aces and kin's8 I9d "lay them almost identically to tri"s7
It9s almost the same hand7
.0$
The im"ortant thin' to remem6er is that anytime there9s a "ossi6le draw on
the flo"8 you should almost ne!er check:you should almost always 6et7
In the etremely rare case when I flo" Juads8 I don9t ha!e any alternati!e8
there9s nothin' else left8 so I ha!e to check it7 If I 6et8 I could catch a man
with a "air of Jueens or Backs8 and he mi'ht accidentally "ay me off7 (ut
realistically8 I9d check it and ho"e that a 138 Back8 or Jueen falls on fourth
street and "airs someone7 Then I9d 6et ho"in' someone calls me with a full7
If a Q><>13 flo""ed:'i!in' me the nut strai'ht:and I were the raiser8 I9d
lead a'ain7 Only this time it would not 6e a reasona6le 6etD it would 6e an
a6normal si%e 6et7 I9d o!er>6et the "ot when that flo" came 6ecause
some6ody fi'ures to ha!e made somethin'8 like a smaller strai'ht8 "ossi6ly
tri"s or two "air8 or a "air and a strai'ht draw7 That9s the ty"e of hand most
"layers mo!e in with7 So I9d "ro6a6ly 'et him to 6et all his money8 and he9d
6e almost dead7
If I were holdin' ->H and had called 6efore the flo"8 I wouldn9t slow>"lay it7
I9d raise 6ecause the ori'inal raiser fi'ures to ha!e a hand that would fit the
Q><>13 flo"7 He could ha!e two aces or two kin's8 three Jueens or three
Backs8 or a "air of Jueens with an ace or kin' kicker7 He9s lia6le to 'o all the
way to fifth street if he has any one of those hands8 and he9d 'et all his chi"s
in the middle7
If the flo" came <>13>$ and I ha!e a 6elly>strai'ht draw and two o!ercards
with an ->H8 I9d call a reasona6le 6et7 I9d really 6e tryin' to catch a Jueen8
6ecause if I cau'ht an ace or kin'8 I9d ha!e to 6e careful with it7 -n ace could
make someone else a stron'er hand than my own8 say a strai'ht or two "air7
(ut if I flo" two of my flush cards when I ha!e ->H suited8 I ha!e a !ery
"owerful hand7 -t that "oint8 I9m a fa!orite o!er any o!er"air8 with the
ece"tion of a "air of aces or kin's7 I9d lead with that hand8 of course8 and I9d
also lead off and 6et if I actually had a flush with ->H suited7 I would not
check>raise with my flush 6ecause my o""onent doesn9t fi'ure to ha!e made
much on the flo"7 (ut he mi'ht call me with one "air8 or he mi'ht
accidentally ha!e made a small flush7 He mi'ht think I9m drawin' to a flush8
es"ecially since I9m an a''ressi!e "layer8 and he mi'ht call me all the way
throu'h with Bust one "air7
.0.
If I9m holdin' ->H and I make a "air on the flo"8 I9d "lay my hand on fourth
and fifth streets almost the same way I9d "lay with a "air of aces or kin's in
the "ocket7 If I think my o""onent made the hand he was drawin' at8 I9d
check7 If I don9t think he made it8 I9d 6et7
Howe!er8 I would make an ece"tion if I thou'ht I had my o""onent out>
kicked7 That is8 I mi'ht kee" 6ettin' with ->H if I "ut my o""onent on a hand
that9s a little 6it worse than mine7 For eam"le8 if I think he mi'ht9!e "aired
aces or kin's with me 6ut that he9s 'ot a smaller kicker8 I9d 6et the hi'hest
amount I think he9ll call8 ho"in' to sell my hand7 I wouldn9t try as hard to sell
a "air of aces or kin's in the "ocket 6ecause he mi'ht9!e 6een drawin' to
6eat them7 If I9!e 'ot ->H howe!er8 there9s a 'ood chance he9s 'ot the to"
card8 an ace or kin'8 "aired with me 6ut that my kicker or side card is hi'her7
The im"ortant "oint to remem6er is that unlike ->- or H>H8 ->H is a
drawin'>ty"e hand7 It9s therefore a much easier hand to 'et away from than
the !ery 6i' "airs7
Q>Q
I9!e "ut a "air of Jueens in a se"arate cate'ory for the sim"le reason that it9s
a hand that deser!es s"ecial treatment7 ;ou9ll soon see why7
+hen I 'et two Jueens in the "ocket8 I "lay them !ery carefully7 I try not to
"lay them too stron'ly from any "osition7 Lnless a 'ood situation arises8 I
don9t want to mo!e in 6efore the flo" with two Jueens7 - 'ood situation
would 6e one where I9m in a !ery late "osition8 "ossi6ly on the 6utton8 and
four "eo"le ha!e called a raise in front of me7 Here8 I mi'ht try to shut them
out 6y mo!in' in7 I9d use the com6ined stren'th of my "air of Jueens and my
"osition7
If you9re u" a'ainst two aces or two kin's with a "air of Jueens8 you9re a6out
a 2 to 1 underdo'7 -nd if you9re u" a'ainst ->H8 you9re only a little 6etter
than a / to I fa!orite7 +hen "eo"le 'o all>in 6efore the flo" they usually ha!e
one of those hands7 So if you 'o all>in 6efore the flo" with two Jueens8 your
money is in a lot of Beo"ardy7 If you 'et called8 you9re "ro6a6ly u" a'ainst
->-8 H>H8 or ->H8 in which case you9ll 6e a 6i' do' or Bust a small fa!orite7
There are 6etter s"ots to 'et all your money in7
.02
That9s not to say two Jueens don9t ha!e a certain amount of !alue7 They do7
They9re considera6ly 6etter than an a!era'e hand7 (ut for the reason I Bust
mentioned8 I seldom raise 6ack with a "air of Jueens from any "osition7 (ut I
will raise the 6lind a reasona6le amount with two Jueens from any "osition if
no6ody else raised in front of me7
In a middle "osition8 if some6ody raised in front of me I9d Bust call8 as I
would with any "air7 I9d Bust call with them in a late "osition8 too7 I wouldn9t
reraise8 ece"t in the situation mentioned a6o!e7
I also "lay two Jueens !ery slow on the flo"8 ho"in' to catch a third Jueen7 If
either an ace or a kin' comes on the flo"8 I9d "lay the hand as slowly as
"ossi6le7 If someone 6ets with any authority8 I9d "ro6a6ly 'i!e him the "ot7
-s lon' as an ace or kin' doesn9t fall8 I9d "lay two Jueens almost eactly the
way I9d "lay two aces or two kin's8 and that includes the "lay on fourth and
fifth streets7
In addition to the times when an ace or kin' flo"s8 I9d "lay Jueens differently
from two aces or kin's when there9s a flush draw on the flo"7 In that case8 I
wouldn9t 6e ea'er to 'et all my money in7 - man with a flush draw could
also ha!e an o!ercard8 such as an ace or kin'7 If he did8 it would make his
hand almost as stron' as my Q>Q8 as o""osed to two aces or two kin's
a'ainst only a flush draw8 either of which would 6e a6out a 4 to I fa!orite7
If you kee" these differences in mind and make the ri'ht adBustments to your
"lay8 your a""roach with two Jueens on the flo"8 fourth8 and fifth should 6e
similar to your a""roach with aces or kin's7 In fact8 you can "lay all "airs in
the "ocket in !ery much the same way8 as you9ll see7
Pairs Other Than -ces8 Hin's8 and Queens
I9m 'oin' to refer to all the "airs from Backs down to deuces as small "airs8
ece"t when I name a "articular "air7 Howe!er8 it should 6e o6!ious that the
6i''er the "air8 the more !alua6le it is7 -nd that "rinci"le etends all the way
down to the !ery small "airs7 That is8 a "air of fours is 6etter than a "air of
treys for the sim"le reason that when the flo" is 2>.>$8 if someone flo""ed
three fours he9d 6e a hu'e fa!orite8 a6out $$ to 18 o!er someone who flo""ed
three treys7
Furthermore8 I mentally se"arate a "air of Backs8 tens8 or nines from the other
.0I
small "airs and "lay them a little stron'er7 I do it sim"ly 6ecause they are
6i''er "airs8 and it9s not unusual for three ra's to fall7 If that ha""ens8 you9ll
ha!e an o!er"air7 (ut if you9!e 'ot two fi!es or two sies8 it9s likely that the
flo" will ha!e at least one o!ercard7 -nd with an o!ercard out there8 your
hand is kind of dead8 so you don9t want to 'et too much money in!ol!ed7
-'ain8 the hi'her the "air8 the 6etter8 6ut I "lay them all as if they are small
"airs7
(efore the flo"8 with any of the small "airs ece"t Backs8 tens8 and nines8 I9d
lim" in7 If some6ody raised it from an early or middle "osition8 I9d call it7 I
wouldn9t reraise7 I9d almost always take a flo" with any small "air8 ho"in' to
flo" a set so I could 6reak some6ody7
+ith a "air of Backs8 tens8 or nines8 if some6ody raised from an early "osition8
I9d "ro6a6ly Bust call7 (ut if it was raised from a middle or late "osition8 I
mi'ht reraise if I felt the raiser was weak7 The reason I mi'ht do that is
6ecause the "ro6a6ility is 'ood I9ll ha!e an o!er"air on the flo"7 In that case8
I9d "lay nines8 tens8 and Backs Bust like I9d "lay two Jueens7 The same
strate'y would a""ly7
Howe!er8 I want to note a s"ecial ece"tion I9d make in a !ery unusual
situation7 One of the reasons I like to "lay the small "airs from any "osition is
6ecause they 'i!e me an o""ortunity to slow down and not a""ear to 6e
o!er6earin'ly a''ressi!e when it mi'ht work a'ainst me7 They also 'i!e me
a chance to show a little res"ect for a "articular o""onent7
-s you know8 if I raise a "ot 6efore the flo"8 I9m 'oin' to 6et on the flo"
a6out 43 "ercent of the time8 no matter what it is7 So if I raised the "ot with
two nines8 I9d 6et on the flo" nine times out of ten7 (ut let9s say I9m in the
"ot with a 'uy I9!e 6een "oundin' on and "oundin' on all ni'ht lon'7 -nd
that 'uy9s a real 'ood "layer who I know is 'ettin' !ery tired of me "oundin'
on him7 I also know I9!e "ro6a6ly 'ot him 6eat7 (ut rather than 6et him out
of the "ot8 I9m 'oin' to "ur"osely slow down a'ainst him7 -n eam"le will
6est show you what I mean and e"lain why I do it7
Let9s say I9!e 'ot two nines and I raise my o""onent 6efore the flo"7 He
calls7 The flo" comes 13>$>.8 and he checks it7 I check alon'7 -nother ra'
falls off on fourth street7 He checks a'ain7 Now8 I9m reasona6ly sure my two
.0/
nines are the 6est hand7 (ut I9m not 'oin' to 6et it7 I9ll check alon' with him
to show him some res"ect7 The 6oard9s awful lookin' and I9m "retty sure he
doesn9t ha!e any of it7 I9m also Juite sure that if I 6et I9m not 'oin' to 'et
called7 So I don9t 6et7
It has nothin' to do with feelin' sorry for the man 6ecause if I thou'ht there
was a 'ood chance he9d call me8 I9d surely 6et7 (ut instead of "ushin' him
out of the "ot once more and 'ettin' him hotter than he is8 I check alon' with
him to cool him off a little7 5emem6er8 he9s a real 'ood "layer7 -nd althou'h
I9m Juite sure he won9t call me8 I9m not so sure he won9t "lay 6ack and "ut
"ressure on me when I9!e 'ot a hand that can9t stand much "ressure7
+hat9s more8 if he doesn9t "ut some kind of "lay on me in this "ot8 he could
do it at any time7 If I kee" "ushin' him out of e!ery "ot8 sooner or later he9s
'oin' to sto" stickin' his head u"8 and I won9t 6e a6le to sla" him anymore7
Then he9s 'oin' to make me 'uess7 I don9t want that7 I don9t want him to
start 'ettin' a''ressi!e7 That9s the hardest "layer in the world to 6eat8 a 'uy
who you 6et at and who9s always "layin' 6ack at you7 That9s eactly the kind
of o""onent I don9t want to "lay a'ainst7 I want all my o""onents to 6e
docile7
So it kind of cools him out when I Bust show down a hand7 He knows that I
know my two nines are the 6est hand7 (ut 6y not 6ettin' them8 I show him
some res"ect7 -nd 6ecause I showed the hand down8 I9!e 'ot him 6ack to
thinkin' that when I 6et I9m either 6luffin' or I9!e 'ot a hand I9m 'oin' to 'o
with7 He9s 6ack to 'uessin' a'ain7 -nd that9s eactly where I want him7 I
don9t want to anta'oni%e him to the "oint that he starts makin' me do the
'uesswork7 It ser!es a lot of "ur"oses to slow down in a situation like that7
- short time later8 I mi'ht "ick u" another "air of nines8 tens8 or Backs in a
!ery late "osition or on the 6utton8 and I mi'ht raise with it a'ain7 This time8
he mi'ht "lay 6ack at me7 If he does8 he9d 'et the "ot7 I9d 'i!e the "ot to
anyone who reraised me 6efore the flo"7
I9d ne!er stand a reraise when I ha!e a small "air 6efore the flo"7 I won9t take
any "ressure with them7 If someone "uts a "lay on me8 I throw them away7
(ut if I don9t 'et reraised8 I9m 6ack to my 6asic style of "lay7 If I were the
raiser8 I9d 'o ahead and 6et on the flo"7 <ust a6out any flo"7 If I raised with
.01
two tens and a 1>.>$ flo""ed8 I9d 6et for sure since I9!e 'ot an o!er"air7
Howe!er8 the only time my "air is of any real !alue is when I flo" a set7
Ne!ertheless8 I9d still 6et if I was the raiser8 e!en if three o!ercards flo""ed7
E!en if I was sure a 'uy had a 6i''er "air on that flo"8 and e!en if I was
almost sure I9d 'et called8 I9d still 6et7 I9d 6e 'i!in' him the courtesy of a 6et
6ecause there9s an outside chance I could "ick that "ot u"7 -nd it wouldn9t 6e
a small 6et7 It would 6e a reasona6le 6et7 He9d 6e lookin' for me to 6et8 and I
don9t want to disa""oint him7 It would hurt my ta6le ima'e7
I9ll do that 43 "ercent of the time7 In this case8 I9ll take one sta6 at the "ot and
if I don9t 'et it there8 I9ll try to check it out from there on7 I9d make an
ece"tion if I "ut a 'uy on a draw7 In that case8 he9s 'oin' to ha!e to "ay to
make his hand7 If I 'ot raised8 I surely wouldn9t 'o any further with the hand7
I "lay small "airs cautiously and try to win small "ots with them7 I won9t "ut
a lot of chi"s in the "ot unless I flo" tri"s7 -nd when I don9t make tri"s with
a small "air8 whene!er I 6et8 I9m 6luffin' from then on7
Playin' Small Pairs with No Hel" on the Flo"
If I had called a raise 6efore the flo" and the raiser 6et on the flo"8 unless I
flo""ed a set8 I9d "ro6a6ly surrender the "ot7 That9s es"ecially true if an
o!ercard flo""ed7 So ri'ht there8 you can see the stren'th of 6ein' the raiser7
He made me lay down my hand7 That9s why I like to 6e the raiser7
+hen you don9t hel" your small "air on the flo"8 it9s im"ortant "oints to
remem6er these "ointsK
=1? If you Bust called 6efore the flo"8 you9re throu'h with them8 and you don9t
"ut any more money in the "ot from then on7
=$? If you raised with them8 you should 'enerally try to win a small "ot 6y
6ettin' on the flo"7 (ut if you 'et called8 you don9t want to 6et a'ain on
fourth and fifth8 and you should try to "lay showdown without any more
6ettin' from that "oint on:unless you think your o""onent is on a draw8 in
which case you continue 6ettin'7
=.? If you 'et raised8 you throw away your hand7
Playin' Small Pairs +hen ;ou Flo" a Set
.00
It9s a different situation entirely when you flo" a set7 That9s what you "layed
for7 -nd you should "lay them fast7 That9s what I do8 in almost all cases7 I
don9t always raise with them8 6ut I ne!er check them7 Needless to say8 if I
was the raiser and I flo""ed a set8 I immediately 6et ri'ht out7 -s you know8 I
wouldn9t need a set to do that7 Howe!er8 I would make an ece"tion if I was
in the "ot with a !ery weak "layer8 and he was the only o""onent I had7 I9d
check in this case7
Say I had called 6efore the flo"8 then I flo" tri"s7 If someone checks it to me
and there are "eo"le 6ehind me8 I9ll always 6et7
-s you know8 one of my fa!orite "lays in hold9em is to lead ri'ht into the
raiser with tri"s or e!en two "air8 es"ecially when I think he9s 'ot a 6i' "air
in the hole7 I o!er>6et the "ot ri'ht there8 and if the raiser has what he
re"resented8 a 6i' "air8 he9ll almost in!aria6ly 'o ahead and mo!e in on me7
I9d make that "lay when I9!e 'ot a small "air8 say threes8 and the flo" is 13>1>
.7 I lead into the raiser8 thinkin' he9s 'ot an o!er"air in the "ocket7 (ut a
6etter flo" would 6e one with a face card8 say Q>13>.7 Now the raiser9s 'ot to
ha!e some kind of com6ination with a flo" like that7 If he9s 'ot two aces or
two kin's and he9s any kind of a "layer8 he9s 'ot to raise7 If he9s 'ot ->Q8
he9ll "ro6a6ly raise with that too7 If he9s 'ot H>Q he9ll "ro6a6ly call7 If he9s
'ot a strai'ht draw he9ll call8 and it9s "ossi6le that he9ll raise7 So I lead ri'ht
off into him7 If he9s fortunate enou'h to ha!e my hand 6eat8 well8 a'ain8
there9s nothin' ma'ical I can do a6out it7 I9ll ha!e to "ay him off7
If someone had called in front of me and 6ets on the flo" when it comes like
->0>. and I "ut him on a "air of aces8 I9d "ro6a6ly "lay my three threes
slowly7 I wouldn9t want to take him out of the lead7
-nother time I start o!er>6ettin' the "ot on the flo" is when I make the
underfull8 such as when the flo" comes 4>4>2 and I9!e 'ot two fours in the
"ocket7 +ell8 I start makin' 6i' 6ets ri'ht there 6ecause the only way I9m
'oin' to win any money with my hand is 6y catchin' some6ody with a 4 or
catchin' some6ody with a 6i' "air who calls or e!en raises me7 I want to 6e
sure there9s enou'h money in!ol!ed so I can win a 6i' "ot7 -nd8 to 6e sure of
that8 I9!e 'ot to lead with my hand7
Note that you "lay the underfull different from the way you9d "lay the 6i'
.04
full7 If you remem6er8 you "lay the 6i' full 6y checkin' on the flo" 6ecause
you9d ha!e the deck cri""led7 In this case8 you want to 'i!e a free card to
your o""onent so he can catch u"7
-re there times when you mi'ht release a set on the flo"E ;es8 6ut they9re
rare7 It9s !ery hard to turn this hand loose7 Howe!er8 there is a situation in
which you mi'ht sa!e some money7 Say you ha!e a small set8 and you 6et on
the flo"7 There9s a man in a late "osition who didn9t raise it 6efore the flo"8
so it9s unlikely that he has a 6i' "air in the "ocket7 Now8 he makes a !ery
stron' "lay after the flo"7 I mean8 he mo!es all>in and "uts your entire stack
in Beo"ardy7 -t that "oint8 you mi'ht 6e a6le to determine that he9s 'ot a set8
and you mi'ht 6e a6le to 'et away from your hand7 (ut it9s !ery difficult7 In
a hi'h>stakes 'ame8 I almost ne!er do it7
If you flo" a set in a raised "ot8 it9s "ractically im"ossi6le to 'et away from it7
If the "ot wasn9t raised8 concei!a6ly8 you could "ut a man on a 6i''er set
than you9!e 'ot7 (ut if the "ot was raised ori'inally8 it9s Bust im"ossi6le to
release a set7
If I raised it 6efore the flo"8 then flo" a set and 'et 6eat8 well8 my o""onent is
'oin' to win a real 6i' "ot from me7 If we don9t 'et it all>in on the flo"8 we9ll
surely 6e all>in after fourth street7
Small )onnectin' )ards
(efore the Flo"
This is the hand I9m lookin' for when I "lay no>limit hold9emK small8 suited
connectin' cards8 such as 1E /E8 0E 1E8 and
IE 2E7 That9s the kind of hand I want7 It9s my fa!orite7 -nd when I 'et it8 I
want my o""onent to ha!e two aces or two kin's and to 6elie!e that he
should "lay them slow7 If he does8 he9ll 'i!e me the o""ortunity to 'et a flo"7
-nd if I do8 I can 6reak him7
Eactly such a situation occurred in the 1411 +orld Series of Poker7 It was
definitely the most im"ortant and memora6le "ot of the tournament8 6i''er
and more im"ortant than the "ot I "layed with (ones8 which I mentioned
earlier7 Not only did I win it8 6ut I eliminated two !ery tou'h o""onents7
Here9s what ha""enedK
-t this sta'e of the tournament8 the ante was C$33 and there were 6linds of
.43
C.33 and C/337 <unior +hited had the 6i' 6lind for C/337 (uck (uchanan
lim"ed in for the si hundred7 @SailorA 5o6erts "assed7 (ones was net8 and
he made it C.8I33 to 'o7 I called8 and so did Milo <aco6son7 +hen it 'ot 6ack
to <unior8 he went all>in for C118.337 (uck was now lookin' at two raisesK
(ones9s C$8433 and <unior9s C082337 He called8 as did (ones7 -nd so did I7
Milo "assed7 It was a 6i' "ot already and destined to 'et 6i''er7
The flo" was IE 1E 1E7
FLOP
Fourth street was -E and fifth street was 2E7
2TH St7 Ith St7
<unior was already all>in so (uck was first to act on the flo"7 He mo!ed all>in
with a hu'e 6et7 (ones "assed8 so it was u" to me7 (uck could9!e made his
mo!e and shut me out 6efore the flo"7 He would9!e "icked>u" C$/8I33 had
he done so7 Now it was too late7 I had him7 There was no dou6t in my mind
a6out that7 So I asked the dealer to count down his 6et7 It was C2I82337 I
sho!ed in four>and>a>half $3>chi" stacks of CI33 'rays and four C133 6lack
chi"s7 I was the only one who had any chi"s left so we all turned our hands
o!er7
(uck had HE HE8 <unior had HE QE8 and I had 1E /E7 -s you can see8 when
all the cards were out8 the "ot was mine7 It was the only time in the
tournament that two "layers were eliminated in the same "ot:and two !ery
tou'h ones at that7
In order to win that C12$8I33 "ot8 I had to 'am6le almost C1$8333 with those
small connectin' cards 6efore the flo"7 I9d do it a'ain7 I always do it when
there9s an o""ortunity for me to win a real 6i' "ot7
(uck and <unior had almost eactly the hands I thou'ht they had7 -nd when
(uck made his mo!e on the flo"8 I was certain he had a "air of kin's or aces7
He couldn9t ha!e had anythin' else7
.41
If (uck had "layed his hand the way I recommend8 he would9!e won a
relati!ely small "ot7 -s it was8 he lost a 6i' one8 which is too often the case
with two aces or two kin's7 If you recall8 I stated earlier that with a "air of
aces or kin's in an early "osition 6efore the flo"8 I would "ro6a6ly lim" in8
ho"in' some6ody would raise it 6ehind me so I could reraise7 (uck 'ot the
first "art ri'ht7 If he9d followed the second "art and raised <unior8 I ne!er
would9!e "layed my hand7
That9s the whole thin' a6out the small connectin' cards7 I9ll come in with
them in an early or middle "osition7 I mi'ht come in for the first 6et or8 as
you9!e seen8 e!en the second if I think I can win a real 6i' "ot7 I "ro6a6ly
won9t raise with this kind of hand 6ecause I don9t want to 'et shut out of the
"ot7 If I raise and some6ody else reraises8 I "ro6a6ly won9t 6e a6le to "lay it7
Or if I ha!e to call a dou6le>raise cold8 I "ro6a6ly won9t 6e a6le to "lay it
there either7 There are always ece"tions8 6ut in 'eneral8 I "lay the hand in
order to 'et a flo" with it7
For the most "art8 you don9t want to "ut a whole lot of money in the "ot with
small connectin' cards 6efore the flo"7 It9s 6est to take a lot of flo"s with
these hands7 ;ou want to 'et a flo"8 ho"in' to make a little strai'ht8 a little
set of tri"s8 a little two "air8 and so on7
+ith any two cards to a strai'ht flush8 connected or not:ece"t for the to"
and 6ottom cards of a strai'ht>flush8 such as the 0E 2E or <E 1E:I9d come in
from any "osition7 In a late "osition8 I9d raise with them7 +hen I come in
with this hand in an early or middle "osition I9m really lookin' to 'et raised7
In fact8 I9m ho"in' someone has a 6i' "air in the hole and raises 6ehind me7
Then I can "ut a relati!ely small amount of additional money in the "ot8 and
if I 'et a flo"8 I can 6reak him7
The 6eautiful "art a6out ha!in' the small connectin' cards is that if I don9t
'et any hel"8 I throw them away7 If the flo" comes 4>4>$8 for eam"le8 I don9t
'et in!ol!ed with a 1>/7 I9m throu'h7
Normally8 I wouldn9t want to 'et more than I "ercent8 may6e 13 "ercent8 of
my money in!ol!ed 6efore the flo" with this ty"e of hand7 I9d only 'et as
much as $3 "ercent of my money in with that hand if I was rushin'7 I
wouldn9t do it unless I was on a streak7
.4$
There are also times when I mi'ht raise from early or middle "osition with
somethin' like a 1>/7 I noted that I 'enerally Bust call7 (ut if the tem"o of the
'ame were Bust ri'ht8 I9d raise in an early or middle "osition7
For eam"le8 if I were winnin' a lot of "ots8 I9d do it7 I said that I usually
"lay the net "ot after I win a "ot8 re'ardless of what "osition I9m in7 -nd
when I "lay that "ot8 I usually raise it7 -lso8 if the 'ame had ti'htened down
to the "oint where e!ery6ody was "layin' the nuts8 I9d shoot it u" with a
cou"le of small connectin' cards7
Of course8 you always try to kee" from 'ettin' reraised with that hand7 So8
the ideal situation is when you think your muscle will kee" anyone from
"layin' 6ack and will make your o""onents think you9!e "ro6a6ly 'ot 6i'
cards or a 6i' "air7
I raise with this hand in a late "osition 6ecause I don9t think I9ll 'et reraised7
-lso8 since no6ody9s raised in front of me8 I9ll 6e a6le to use some dece"tion7
I usually don9t raise in an early "osition 6ecause I9d ha!e to 'o throu'h si or
se!en "layers without 'ettin' reraised7 +ith a lot of to" "layers in the 'ame8
that9s not likely7 -lso8 I like to 6e in the lead8 and if I make somethin' with
it8 I can take char'e7 So with "layers 6ehind me8 I usually call with it7
In this situation8 I don9t ha!e to maintain my ta6le ima'e 6y 6ettin' on the
flo" when I9m the raiser7 If I Bust called 6efore the flo" and some6ody else
raised8 I !ery seldom try to "ick u" the "ot or 6luff into the raiser7 The raiser
commands res"ect7 So when I miss that hand com"letely and some6ody else
raised it8 well8 it9s his "ot7 That9s why I 'enerally like to 6e the raiser7
I don9t like to raise with small connectin' cards 6ecause when some6ody has
the hand I want him to ha!e8 such as a 6i' "air8 he9s 'oin' to raise me 6ack7
That9s one more reason I usually lim">in with them7 +hen I lim" in with this
hand in an early "osition8 I9m actually "layin' it like I would two aces or two
kin's8 so there9s also a 6it of dece"tion there7 -nd if some6ody raises in a
middle or late "osition8 I can "retty well "ut them on a hand:6i' cards like
->H8 H>Q8 or a 6i' "air7 That9s what I9m lookin' to do7 I want to 6e a6le to
"ut some6ody on a hand so I know what I9m tryin' to 6eat7
If you "lay in the style I recommend8 !ery a''ressi!ely8 you9ll ha!e to adBust
your "lay in a small 'ame7 ;ou9ll "ro6a6ly disco!er that you 'et reraised
.4.
more often when you raise in a small 'ame than you will in a 6i' 'ame7
That9s 6een my e"erience7
Here9s whyK if I9m in a 'ame where there9s not much money on the ta6le:
say8 e!ery6ody has CI8333 or C/8333:and I raise it C183338 well8 a 'uy with
6i' cards is 'oin' to mo!e in on me7 It ha""ens all the time in a small 'ame7
-nd when I9!e 'ot a 1>/ or a 4>0 and someone 6ets the rest of his money at
me8 I can9t call it7 +hen I can9t win anythin' if I 'et a flo"8 I9m not 'oin' to
take two small connectin' cards and try to 6eat two kin's8 ->H8 and so forth7
In a case like that8 I throw my hand away7 -nd 6ecause of that8 I ha!e trou6le
winnin' in a 'ame where there9s not much money on the ta6le7
(ut it9s a totally different story in a 6i' 'ame7 If I raise it C.8333 or C28333
and the other 'uy and I ha!e a lot of chi"s on the ta6le8 he9ll 6e a little more
hesitant a6out raisin' me now 6ecause he knows there9s a !ery 'ood chance
I9ll "lay 6ack7 The 'uys I "lay with know that when I "ut my children out
there8 I don9t like to let them drown7
(ut e!en if I do 'et reraised in this situation8 it9s all ri'ht7 In fact8 it9s what I
want7 If he raises me C18333 or C08333 and I9!e 'ot small connectin' cards8
I9ll call now7 If we9!e 6oth 'ot C$I38333 in front of us8 then I9m only "uttin'
in a6out fi!e "ercent of my money7 -nd it9s worth it8 6ecause now I9!e 'ot a
chance to win somethin' if I 'et a flo"7 I mi'ht 6e a6le to 6reak him7
The Flo"
Playin' +hen ;ou Miss ;our Hand )om"letely7 If I called in an early
"osition with small connectin' cards and I miss my hand com"letely8 I 'i!e
the "ot u"7 I don9t 'o ahead in that situation with that ty"e of hand7 I Bust
surrender7 The first loss is the 6est loss in a situation like that7 (ut of course8
if I was the raiser8 I would 'o ahead and 6et at the "ot7 -s lon' as there
wasn9t somethin' fri'htenin' out there like the QE <E 13E8 I9m 'oin' to 6et7
-nd most of the time nothin' fri'htenin' will 6e out there7
If I was rushin' and had a 1E /E in an early "osition8 I9d "ro6a6ly raise it
6efore the flo"7 Then8 if the -E -E HE flo""ed8 I9d 6et ri'ht out7 - flo" like
that wouldn9t fri'hten me7 +hyE It9s sim"le7 My o""onents don9t know that I
don9t ha!e ->H8 ->Q8 H>H8 or any hand that would 6enefit from that flo"7
They don9t know what I9!e 'ot7 In fact8 if I raised in an early "osition on the
.42
"re>flo"8 they mi'ht think I ha!e a hand with 6i' cards7
If I had raised it from a middle "osition 6efore the flo"8 I9d 6et8 unless
someone 6et in front of me7 In that case8 the "ot is his7 I9d know my o""onent
has somethin'8 and when I9!e 'ot nothin' with this kind of hand8 I9m usually
not 'oin' to try to make any 'reat "lay8 althou'h occasionally I will 6luff at
it7
If I was a caller 6efore the flo" in a middle or late "osition and it was
checked to me on the flo"8 I9d check alon'7 -s lon' as I didn9t make
anythin'8 it would "ro6a6ly ha!e to 6e checked to me twice8 on the flo" and
fourth street8 6efore I9d make a 6et8 which would 6e a 6luff7
Of course8 if I had raised it 6efore the flo" from a late "osition8 I9d almost
always 6et8 "articularly if it was checked around to me7 I9d 6et e!en if the
flo" was -E -E HE8 as noted 6efore8 and it was "ro6a6le that one of my
o""onents had an ace7 I9d do it 6ecause I don9t want my o""onents to 'et out
of the ha6it of checkin' to me7 Since I was the raiser they e"ect me to 6et7
So I 'o ahead and make a courtesy 6et for them7 +hen I make that 6et8 I9m
tryin' to do two thin'sK
=1? +in the "ot ri'ht there7 -nd I will many a time 6ecause my o""onents 'et
into the ha6it of throwin' their hands away7
=$? Maintain my a''ressi!e ima'e7 -s lon' as I do8 they9ll continue to check
it to me7
That9s the way I "ick u" all the "ots I do7 Of course8 if I 'et check>raised8 I9m
out immediately7 That9s the risk I take7 (ut a 'uy really has to ha!e a hand
6efore he9ll "ut a "lay like that on me7 So when he does8 I let him ha!e the
"ot7 (ut they miss their hands more often than they make them7 (ecause of
that8 I "ick u" more "ots than I 'i!e u"7
Playin' +hen ;ou Miss ;our Hand )om"letely7 If I didn9t im"ro!e on the
flo"8 I wouldn9t 6e in there on fourth street with small connected cards unless
I was the 6ettor or the "ot was checked to me and I checked it as well7
If someone had called my 6et after ha!in' checked it to me on the flo"8 I
would immediately "ut him on some kind of hand7 If I thou'ht he was on a
.4I
drawin' hand and it looked like he missed it on fourth8 I9d 6et a'ain7 If I
thou'ht he had a made hand:re'ardless of how weak I thou'ht it was8 e!en
as weak as the third "air:I wouldn9t try to make him throw away his hand
on fourth if he called me on the flo" and had8 therefore8 already committed
himself to the "ot7 For eam"le8 say the flo" was a H>0>$ and I tried to "ick it
u" 6ut 'ot called7 +ell8 then I9d try to check it out all the way throu'h7 -t
that "oint8 I9d 6e 'i!in' u" the "ot at a minimum loss7
-nd8 once a'ain8 if I thou'ht my o""onent was on a drawin' hand8 like two
cards to a strai'ht>flush8 and I 'et check>raised after makin' another sta6 at
the "ot on fourth8 I9m almost always 'oin' to 'i!e it u"7
I9m ne!er 'oin' to call a 6et when I miss my hand com"letely8 6ut in an
etreme situation8 I mi'ht "lay 6ack at a 'uy who I think is "uttin' a "lay on
me7 For eam"le8 if I was com"letely con!inced a 'uy was tryin' to take the
"ot away from me8 I9d re>"lay at him7 (ut I9d ha!e to feel stron'ly8 a6out it
6efore I9d Beo"ardi%e a 6unch of chi"s in that s"ot7
My "lay on fifth street would 6e Bust like my "lay on fourth7 If I9m still
6ettin' at the "ot8 I9d ha!e to continue 6ecause it9s almost im"ossi6le for me
to win in a showdown7 -ssumin' I didn9t "air on the end8 I9d ha!e only a 1>
hi'h7 Since I9d "ut my o""onent on a draw on fourth and that9s why I 6et
there8 I9d ha!e to feel that he didn9t make it when all the cards were out7 I9d
also ha!e to feel !ery stron'ly he wouldn9t call my last 6et7 Naturally8 if I felt
like he com"leted his hand8 I9d check7
This is a tou'h s"ot on the end8 6ut you Bust can9t lea!e all your money out
there without one last sta6 at the "ot7 The key to what you9d do on fifth is
!ery much 6ased on your o"inion of why your o""onent called you on fourth7
;ou9d ha!e to feel "retty sure he was drawin'8 or you could 'et yourself in a
lot of trou6le7
;ou mi'ht find it difficult to continue 6ettin' your hand when you know you
don9t ha!e anythin'7 ;ou may think it takes a lot of coura'e to do that8 and it
does7 (ut it9s really Bust 'ood "oker7 ;ou9ll disco!er8 if you use my system of
"lay8 that your o""onents will 6e scared to 'i!e you free cards whene!er
they9!e 'ot a hand8 6ecause they know you mi'ht 6e drawin' at an inside
strai'ht and 6ettin' with it7 They know an a''ressi!e "layer is lia6le to show
.4/
them anythin'7 )onseJuently8 when they 'et a hand8 they want to shut you
out ri'ht then7 They 6et 6ecause they don9t want you in the "ot drawin' at
them7
So there are really two 'ood reasons to "lay a''ressi!ely in this situationK
=1? If your o""onents do ha!e a hand8 they9ll show you ri'ht away7 They
don9t want to kee" 'i!in' you free cards7
=$? ;our continuous 6ettin' makes them throw away 6orderline hands so you
can "ick u" the "ot when they don9t ha!e anythin'7
Quite sim"ly8 an a''ressi!e "layer has 6y far the 6est of it7
Playin' +hen ;ou Make Somethin'7 I9m now 'oin' to discuss how I9d "lay
small connectin' cards when I flo" somethin' with them7 The hand I9m
'oin' to use as an eam"le throu'hout this discussion is a 1E /E7 ;ou9ll learn
how I9d "lay when I 'etK
=1? a "oor flo" =sli'htly hel"ful?D
=$? a fair flo" =moderately hel"ful?D and
=.? a 'ood flo" =!ery hel"ful?7
Poor Flo"
+hen I9!e 'ot a 1E /E and a QE /E $E falls8 I9d consider that a "oor flo" to
my hand8 and I9d "lay it similarly to the way I9d "lay if I 'ot no hel"7
Howe!er8 there9s one 6i' difference7 *e"endin' on my o""onent and8 more
im"ortantly8 how much money he had on the ta6le8 I9ll 'am6le with the
second "air:a "air of sies8 in this case:or e!en the third "air as lon' as the
'uy I was u" a'ainst was sittin' on a lot of checks7 I9d do it e!en if I knew he
had a "air of Jueens7 If I thou'ht I could 6reak him if I cau'ht another / or a
18 I9d call a reasona6le 6et and mi'ht e!en "ut as much as 13 "ercent of my
money in the "ot7 I9d surely do it if I thou'ht I could win a 'i'antic "ot7
I mi'ht e!en raise7 I9ll always consider raisin'8 whether I ha!e cau'ht a small
"iece of the flo"8 a "air of sies in this case8 or com"letely missed my hand7
(ut that has nothin' to do with the !alue of my hand7 I9d do it 6ecause I
detected a weakness in some6ody or to take ad!anta'e of my "osition7
-nother difference in the way I9d "lay this hand when I 'ot a little hel" on
the flo" and none on fourth or fifth is that I9d continue to 6et on fourth if I
.41
was the ori'inal raiser7 ;ou9ll recall that e!en if I missed this hand
com"letely8 I9d 6et it on the flo" as lon' as I was the raiser7 (ut if my 6et on
the flo" was called8 I9d try to check it out from then on8 unless I thou'ht my
o""onent was drawin'7
Now that I9!e 'otten a little hel" on the flo"8 howe!er8 I9d 6et a'ain on fourth
des"ite the fact that my 6et on the flo" was called7 I don9t like to kee" 6ettin'
when I9m on a com"lete 6luff8 6ut I do like to kee" 6ettin' when I9!e 'ot an
out7 In this case8 I know that if I catch that other / or a 18 I9d likely ha!e a
stron'er hand than my o""onent7 So I wouldn9t show any weakness with my
hand on fourth street7 I9d 'o ahead and make a reasona6le 6et7
If I still didn9t 'et any hel" on fifth street8 I9d "ro6a6ly sto" 6ettin'7 If my
o""onent was drawin' and he didn9t make his hand8 I9d know that my "air of
sies is more than likely 'ood8 so I9d check7 -nd if they aren9t 'ood8 there9s
no sense in losin' any more money with them7
If I ha""en to 'et some additional hel" on fourth8 such as a 18 well8 then I9d
make an o!ersi%ed 6et8 one that9s lar'er than what9s in the "ot7 I9m always
out to win a 6i' "ot8 and now I9d ha!e a hand to do it with7 I wouldn9t try to
sell my hand for a small amount of money7 I9d make a !ery 6i' 6et on fourth8
and a !ery 6i' 6et on fifth7
If I didn9t catch that 1 until the end8 then I mi'ht try to sell it on fifth street
for whate!er I thou'ht I could 'et7
+hether I cau'ht the 1 on fourth or fifth8 I9d "lay a hand this way only if I
was the ori'inal raiser comin' in and I stayed in the lead 6y 6ettin' on e!ery
turn of the cards7
-ssumin' I was a caller comin' in and had checked and called on the flo"8
I9d "lay the hand differently if I cau'ht a 1 on fourth street7 If there was a lot
of money in the "ot8 this is another one of the few times I9d check>raise7 I
wouldn9t want to take my o""onent8 the ori'inal raiser8 out of the lead8
es"ecially if I know the si%e of the "ot will make him 6et a'ain on fourth and
since he9d ha!e no idea the 1 hel"ed me7 He9d surely try to shut me out8 and
when he 6ets8 I9d raise him7 I9d want to win the "ot ri'ht there8 6ecause if a
Jueen or deuce comes on the end8 the 6oard will "air8 killin' my two "air7
If I cau'ht a / on fourth street8 my strate'y would 6e different still7 The two
.40
sies on the 6oard would look !ery threatenin'8 so my hand would 6e harder
to conceal than if I cau'ht a 17 So8 e!en if I had 6een a caller u" to this "oint8
there9s a 'ood chance I9d take the lead and 6et when the / hit7 -nd e!en
thou'h the raiser should see that I mi'ht ha!e three sies8 he mi'ht also think
I am Bust re"resentin' them7 If you didn9t ha!e a / in the hole8 this would 6e a
!ery 'ood o""ortunity to 6luff at the "ot7
Fair Flo"
Now I9ll discuss how I9d "lay that 1E /E if I 'ot what I9d call a fair or
moderately hel"ful flo":any three cards that 'a!e me the to" "air8 an o"en>
end strai'ht draw8 or a flush draw7
I "lay flush draws etremely slow 6ecause they9re so o6!ious7 +hen two of
the same suit flo"8 I see so many "layers who are drawin' to a flush mo!e in
on a 'uy after he 6ets7 Occasionally8 I do it too8 6ecause my "hiloso"hy is to
"rotect my money and 6et whene!er I can7 (ut it9s usually a !ery o6!ious
"lay7 Most "layers will "ut you on a flush draw in that situation7
For that reason I like a strai'ht draw 6etter8 and I "lay it fast7 If I 'et that
strai'ht draw8 well8 I9m ready now7 I mean8 really ready7 The 6attle is on7 If I
was the ori'inal raiser8 of course8 I9d 6et on the flo"7 If I 'ot raised8 I9d "lay
6ack and mo!e all my chi"s in7 If some6ody 6et in front of me8 I9d raise Oem7
If I wasn9t the ori'inal raiser8 I9d check>raise7 If the 'uy who raised it 6efore
the flo" 6et after I checked8 I9d raise with most or all of my chi"s7 I9d 6e the
a''ressor at that "oint and no6ody would 6e a6le to take me out of the lead
from then on7
-s I said earlier8 most decisions are made on the flo"7 I mean8 that9s where
you steal "ots7 So I9d "lay my hand this way 6ecause this is a situation where
I ty"ically steal a lot of "ots7 I9d 6e 6luffin' with an out7 I could win the "ot
ri'ht there7 If I 'ot called8 I9d ha!e a 'ood draw:an o"en>end strai'ht8 which
I9d make a6out .. "ercent of the time:and a small chance to 6ackdoor two
"air or tri"s7
Now8 say the flo" comes />2>$ or 1>2>$8 'i!in' me the to" "air7 In this case8
I9d "lay it cautiously7 I9m not 'oin' to fall in lo!e with that hand8 6ut I9ll
'am6le a little with it7 In other words8 I9d check to the raiser8 and then I9d
"ro6a6ly call7 If I were in a late "osition and hadn9t raised ori'inally8 I9d call
.44
if some6ody 6et7 (ut it would 6e a weak call8 meanin' that I "ro6a6ly
wouldn9t 'o any further with the hand if I don9t 'et any hel" on fourth and
some6ody 6ets at me a'ain7
One of the reasons I9d call on the flo" is that my "air mi'ht 6e the 6est hand7
<ust 6ecause the other 'uy raised it ori'inally doesn9t mean he has a 6i' "air
in the "ocket7 So there9s a "ossi6ility that I9!e 'ot the 6est hand ri'ht now7
I9d learn more from his "lay on fourth street7 If I didn9t hel" my hand and he
6et a'ain8 I9d 'et rid of it "retty fast7 I wouldn9t in!est a lot of money with
that hand without any hel"7
(ut the main reason I9d call on the flo" is the "ossi6ility that I could win a
6i' "ot if I im"ro!e my hand and 6eat a stron' hand8 such as two aces or two
kin's7 -nd I check rather than 6et 6ecause I mi'ht ha!e the 6est hand and I
don9t want to 'et shut out 6y 6ettin' and 6ein' raised7 Then8 I9d ha!e to
throw my hand away7 (y checkin'8 I could call a reasona6le 6et and try to
catch a card7 If I did im"ro!e on fourth8 I9d "lay it from then on Bust like if I
took a "oor flo" 6ut 'ot some hel" on fourth7
- 'ood or e!en a 'reat flo" to a 1E /E would 6e a "air with a strai'ht or flush
draw8 two "air8 tri"s8 a strai'ht8 or a flush:e!en thou'h it9s a small one7
+ith any 'ood flo" to small connectin' cards8 I "lay the hand as if it is
com"lete8 e!en if it9s not7 I9d lead with the hand in an early "osition8 and I9d
raise in a late "osition7 I9d "lay the hand to 'et all my money in the center to
start with7
E!en if I flo""ed a "air with a draw8 I9d use the same strate'y since I9d ha!e
two chances to win itK
=1? I 6et or raise and my o""onent throws his hand awayD or
=$? I im"ro!e and my 6et or raise is called7
If you follow my ad!ice here8 you9ll 6e in some Beo"ardy8 e!en when you 'et
a !ery 'ood flo"7 (ut you9re almost always in some Beo"ardy8 so you can9t
worry a6out some6ody ha!in' the nuts all the time7 If you did8 you would
ne!er 'et to "lay a "ot7
For eam"le8 if you and your o""onent 6oth flo""ed a flush8 yours will likely
6e the smaller of the two8 and you9d 6e dead7 In hold9em8 there9s no way you
can draw out when it9s flush>a'ainst>flush8 unless you9re drawin' to a
233
strai'ht flush7 (ut assumin' you can9t 'et a strai'ht flush8 you9ll Bust ha!e to
lose your money8 6ecause you9ll almost always ha!e to "ay your o""onent
off7 It9s one of the ha%ards of the 'ame7
;ou could also flo" the i'norant or low end of the strai'ht7 (ut this is also
ha%ardous8 since your o""onent could turn a 6i''er strai'ht7 -nd a'ain8 if
your o""onent 6et anythin' within reason8 you9ll ha!e to 'o ahead and "ay
him7 For eam"le8 if the flo" was a 13>4>0 and some6ody mo!ed all>in on
you8 you9d 6e down to Bud'ment7 ;ou9d ha!e to know your o""onent8 and a
lot would de"end on how much is in the "ot and the amount he sets you in
for7 If you9!e 'ot C18333 in the "ot and he 6ets you CI38333 more8 well8
"erha"s8 you wouldn9t 'o for it and you9d throw your hand away7 (ut if
you9!e 'ot C18333 in the "ot and he 6ets you C$8333 more:all your money8
or all his money:then you9d surely "ay it off7 If you9re 6eat8 you9re 6eat7
That ha""ens a lot8 6y the way7 -nd it9s why hands like H>4 and <>1 are
considered trash and shouldn9t 6e "layed in a normal ante rin' 'ame7
,ood Flo"
If I9!e cau'ht 'ood on the flo"8 I9ll already 6e committed to the "ot8 so I9ll
6et on fourth street8 as lon' as I am first or it is checked to me7 (ut as always8
there are ece"tions7
For eam"le8 if you flo""ed a diamond flush and another diamond came on
fourth street8 your hand would 6e almost ruined7 -ll you9d ha!e is a 1>hi'h
flush7 -t that "oint8 you must check your hand and ho"e to show it down7 If
you can9t show it down8 you9!e 'ot to throw it away if there9s any kind of
6ettin'7
Or8 if you flo""ed a strai'ht and the 6oard "airs on fourth street8 you could 6e
in trou6le7 Lsually8 that shouldn9t sto" you 6ecause if a man had flo""ed a set
or two "air8 he would9!e raised you7 So if he made a full when the 6oard
"aired8 you9d ha!e to "ay him off7 -nother ha%ard7
-s you continue to use my system of "lay8 you9ll disco!er the many
ad!anta'es it has7 The situation a6o!e is a 'ood eam"le7 If the flo" came I>
2>.8 'i!in' me a strai'ht8 my o""onent would9!e let me know on the flo"
whether or not he had a hand8 such as two "air or tri"s7 If he9s a 'ood "layer
he would8 6ecause he wouldn9t want another card to fall that mi'ht 6e one
231
card off of a strai'ht7 He knows if an ace8 deuce8 /8 or 1 comes on fourth8 he9s
'oin' to ha!e to 'i!e the "ot u"7 He knows I9ll 6et in that case8 e!en if I don9t
ha!e the one card that9ll make the strai'ht7
For that reason8 all 'ood hold9em "layers do most of their 'am6lin' on the
flo"8 not on fourth and fifth streets7 Occasionally8 you9ll see a 6i' "ot "layed
after the turn8 6ut in the maBority of cases8 all the money 'oes in on the flo"7
That9s why the flo" is the most crucial "oint in the 'ame7
Earlier I stated that it9s Juite inconcei!a6le to me that any6ody could 'et
away from their hand if they flo""ed a set of tri"s in a raised "ot7 -t that
"oint8 I was talkin' a6out a hidden set8 a "air in the "ocket and one on the
6oard7 It9s a different matter entirely when the "air is on the 6oard and I ha!e
one of the matchin' cards in the hole7 I9!e released a lot of sets in a situation
like that7 For eam"le8 say I ha!e a 1>/ and the flo" is 1>1>$7 I 6et and 'et
called7 There aren9t really !ery many hands someone can call me with7 So it9s
easy to release a set in this case8 6ecause when you 'et a lot of money
in!ol!ed you know the 'uy who9s in there with you "ro6a6ly has a 1 also7
This is es"ecially true if he9s the a''ressor7
So you ha!e to e!aluate your kicker7 I mean8 what9s it worthE The conclusion
I usually reach is that it9s not worth !ery much7 If I really think he9s 'ot a 1
then I know the 6est I could ho"e for is a tie7 Of course8 I9m talkin' a6out a
'ood "layer8 and it9s much more likely he9s 'ot me 6eat7 He9s "ro6a6ly in
there with a 1 and a hi'her card that he could9!e flo""ed a strai'ht with8 such
as an 0>18 4>18 or 13>17 -nother "ossi6ility is that he9s 'ot a hi'h card8 such
as an ace or kin'8 that9s suited7 He mi'ht ha!e a 1>/8 like I do8 or a 1>I8 the
only likely hand I could 6eat7 (ut it9s almost inconcei!a6le that he9s in there
with a 1>28 1>.8 or 1>$8 althou'h this last one would 'i!e him a full7
So when I 'ot down into the hand and I 'a!e him credit for the other 1
6ecause he was showin' a whole lot of s"eed8 I couldn9t continue "layin' my
1 with a small connectin' card7 -nd I9d release that set Juite readily7 I9d do it
real Juick7
+hen I ha!e a set like that with a different kicker8 I make another e!aluation7
If my kicker was sli'htly 6i''er8 say a 4 or 138 I9d "ro6a6ly "lay it7 If I had a
suited ace or kin'8 then I9d definitely 'o ahead and "lay it7
23$
Of course8 there are times when I mi'ht not release my hand after flo""in' a
set with that 1>/7 For eam"le8 say I raised with the hand 6efore the flo"8 and
e!ery6ody checks it to me on the flo"7 Then I 6et8 and one of my o""onents
"lays 6ack =check>raises?7 In this situation8 I mi'ht 'o ahead with my hand8
fi'urin' that the 'uy is tryin' to shut me out7 It9s "ossi6le that he is "layin'
6ack with an o!er"air or some other hand that he mi'ht not ha!e raised me
with 6efore the flo"7
On the other hand8 say I held a 1>/ in late "osition and had called a small
raise 6efore the flo"7 Now8 if the flo" comes 1>1>$8 I would not 'i!e the raiser
credit for a 17 -nd I9d "ro6a6ly "lay my hand real fast tryin' to win a 6i' "ot7
+hene!er there9s a raise 6efore the flo"8 there9s a chance you can win a 6i'
"ot7 (ut in an unraised "ot8 it9s hard to win a 6i' one7 Pre!iously8 I noted that
you don9t want to 'et 6roke in a nothin' "ot7 I9m remindin' you of that now
6ecause you mi'ht 6e tem"ted to try and win a 6i' "ot when you flo" a set
with small connectin' cards in an unraised "ot7 ;ou shouldn9t7 If I don9t ha!e
anythin' in the "ot to "rotect8 I ne!er Beo"ardi%e !ery much money without a
real 'ood hand7 I don9t 'o out of my way to win nothin' "ots7
-nother im"ortant "art of my "layin' "hiloso"hy I want to remind you a6out
is thisK ;ou should constantly 6e tryin' to 'et as much !alue for your hand as
you can7 -nd the way you do that is 6y 6ettin'7 That should 6e clear 6y now7
;ou 6ecome a 6i' winner at "oker 6y 6ettin'8 raisin'8 and reraisin':6y
"layin' a''ressi!ely7 Of course8 there are times you ha!e to "lay defensi!ely8
when an a''ressi!e strate'y would 6e wron' 6ecause it could 'et you shut
out of a "ot7 (ut in 'eneral8 you want to 6e a''ressi!e7
That means you can9t let e!ery card that hits the 6oard threaten you7 -s I
said8 if you9re always worryin' a6out some6ody ha!in' the nuts8 you ne!er
will 'et to "lay a hand7 This a""lies to all the hands I9!e discussed8 6ut it9s
es"ecially meanin'ful when it comes to "layin' small connectin' cards when
you 'et a 'ood flo"7 That9s what you9re "layin' them for in the first "lace7 So
when you make somethin' with them8 you want to 'et !alue for them7 So you
should always a""ly this "rinci"leK If you9re 'oin' to call8 you mi'ht as well
6et7
;ou should do that at all the sta'es of "lay8 6ut it9s "articularly im"ortant on
23.
the end 6ecause you9ll 'et "aid off with hands that aren9t what you thou'ht
they were7 I mean8 there9ll 6e many times you9ll "ut your o""onent on a hand
com"letely different than what he9s 'ot7 I9m not Hreskin8 and neither are you7
;ou mi'ht think a man is drawin' to a flush8 6ut may6e he9s 'ot a "air8 Bust
one "air7 He mi'ht ha!e 6een runnin' you down with a lot less than you
thou'ht he had7 So8 when a flush card hits the 6oard on fifth street8 it may not
ha!e hel"ed him at all7 I mean8 you9ll know he9s 'ot somethin' when that
flush card comes8 either the flush you thou'ht he was drawin' at or some
other "iece of the flo"7 Or may6e he9s 'ot two "air and you9!e 'ot a strai'ht7
;ou really don9t know what he9s 'ot7 (ut you9!e 'ot a 'ood hand with your
small connectin' cards8 so you9re 'oin' to "ay it off anyway7 Therefore8 you
mi'ht as well 6et7
The only time I make an ece"tion is when the 6oard "airs on the end7 Then
I9ll check it8 and may or may not call8 de"endin' on how I feel a6out the
situation7 (ut assumin' that doesn9t ha""en8 if I9!e made a real 'ood hand
with my small connectin' cards8 I9d 'o ahead and 6et7
-lthou'h there are times when I mi'ht 6e a little concerned 6ecause I don9t
ha!e the nuts8 there will also 6e times when I do ha!e the nuts7 Naturally8 in
that case8 I9ll do whate!er I think will 'et the most money in the "ot7 If I
thou'ht my o""onent had a stron' hand8 I9d make a 6i' 6et7 If I thou'ht he
had a weak hand8 I9d try to sell my hand 6y makin' a smaller 6et7 I9ll ha!e to
use careful Bud'ment here8 Bud'ment a6out what I think he9s 'ot7
My decision on how much to 6et de"ends on whether I made my hand early
=on the flo"? or late =on the end?7
If I made my hand early8 I9m not 'oin' to try to sell him anythin'7 I9m 'oin'
to try to 6reak him7
If I made my hand late and I ha!en9t 6een char'ed a lot of money to make it
:say it was checked on the flo"8 there was a small 6et on fourth8 and I made
the nuts on the end:well8 then I9m not 'oin' to try to 6reak him 6ecause he
"ro6a6ly won9t call a 6i' 6et7 I9d try to sell my hand for whate!er I thou'ht I
could 'et for it7
Those of you who are new to no>limit hold9em may not 6e a6le to a""reciate
how stron'ly I feel a6out the small connectin' cards7 -nd those of you who
232
are e"erienced "layers are "ro6a6ly Juite sur"rised7 (ut that9s where it9s at8
in my o"inion7 ;ou ha!e to use your 'ood Bud'ment when you "lay the small
connectin' cards7 +hen you "lay them ri'ht8 they9re 6i' money makers7 -nd
that9s what no>limit hold9em is all a6out7
(orderline or Trou6le Hands
;ou should commit to memory the list of trou6le hands I list 6elow7 I call
them trou6le hands 6ecause that9s eactly what they are8 and I only "lay them
in 6orderline situations7
(efore I 'et to the list8 it9s im"ortant that you reali%e that trou6le hands aren9t
necessarily un"laya6le ifK
=1? They are suitedD and
=$? They are dealt to me in a shorthanded 'ame8 one with four "layers or less7
In a later section8 I9ll 'o o!er why in a shorthanded 'ame8 these trou6le hands
are actually 6i' hands7
(ut in a rin' 'ame8 these are hands you can lose a lot of money with8 so you
should "lay them cautiously7 ;ou don9t want to Beo"ardi%e much money with
them7
Trou6le Hands =only when offsuit?
->Q -><
->13 H>Q
H>< H>13
Q>< Q>13
<>13 4>0
I call these 6orderline hands 6ecause I9d Juestion callin' a raise with them7 If
they9re suited8 I9ll call a raise with them and take a flo"7 If they9re not suited
and I9m out of "osition8 I won9t call a raise7 (y out of "osition I mean that
I9m in a middle "osition and a man in an early "osition came in raisin'7 I9ll
"ass these hands in that s"ot7
If I9m in a late "osition8 the "ot9s 6een raised8 and another man calls8 well8
then I9ll usually call with them:6ut8 I9ll hear another 6ell rin'in' when I do7
This time8 that 6ell will 6e remindin' me to "lay my hand with etreme
23I
caution8 unless I 'et an ecellent flo" to it7
The reason why you ha!e to 6e so careful with e!ery one of those hands is
that you mi'ht 6e u" a'ainst a hand where you9d 6e almost dead7 Most
"layers consider ->-8 H>H8 or ->H to 6e the 6est raisin' hands8 so there9s a
'ood "ossi6ility the raiser has one of those three hands7 True8 you can9t
always assume that8 6ut it9s always in the 6ack of your mind7 So8 if you9!e
'ot ->Q8 -><8 or ->138 and you9re u" a'ainst ->-8 H>H8 or ->H8 you9!e 'ot
a terri6le hand7
It9s etremely hard to win a 6i' "ot with these hands when you9!e called a
raise7 They9re definitely trou6le hands7 ;ou9re much more likely to lose a 6i'
"ot with them than you are to win a 6i' "ot7 E!en when I make a "air with
them on the flo"8 I "lay them etremely cautiously8 or a6out the same way I9d
"lay a "air of aces or kin's in the "ocket7
For eam"le8 if I "layed a H>Q offsuit and the 6oard came
H>2>$8 I9d 6e in a lot of trou6le if the raiser9s 'ot one of the three 6i' hands I
think he mi'ht ha!e7 He9d ha!e two aces8 three kin's8 or a "air of kin's8 like
me8 6ut he9d also ha!e an ace kicker7
Or8 if I "layed a 4>0 and the flo" was Q><>138 I still wouldn9t 6e too ecited
a6out my hand7 -lthou'h I flo""ed a strai'ht8 it9s the i'norant end of the
strai'ht7 In addition8 it is !ulnera6le to the hi'h end of the strai'ht8 which
would 6e made u" 6y a !ery stron' hand that e!ery6ody "lays8 ->H7
Somethin' else you ha!e to think a6out with the trou6le hands is that when
you flo" a strai'ht draw8 it9s not as easy to "ick u" "ots with them as it is
with other8 stron'er hands7 ;ou9ll remem6er that when I flo" a strai'ht draw
with small connectin' cards8 I "lay my hand real fast 6ecause I ha!e two
shots to win the "ot7 I can win the "ot ri'ht on the flo" 6ecause with small
cards out there8 it9s less likely anyone else flo""ed a hand7 -nd8 if I do 'et
called8 I9!e still 'ot a second shot to win it if I make my strai'ht7
(ut let9s say I9m holdin' H>Q and the flo" comes <>13>I8 'i!in' me a strai'ht
draw7 It9s hi'hly likely some6ody else cau'ht a "iece of that flo" as well8 and
I9ll 6e less likely to "ick the "ot u" if I 6et7 So I don9t ha!e two shots to win it
anymore7
The same line of reasonin' a""lies if you are holdin' H>Q and the flo" comes
23/
Q><>138 'i!in' you the to" "air and a strai'ht draw7 It9s still not a 'ood hand
6ecause if some6ody has an ->H8 the 6est you could 6e drawin' for is a s"lit7
E!en when you flo" a !ery 'ood hand like two "air or tri"s8 you could 6e in
Beo"ardy7 If the flo" was H>H>$ to your H>Q8 you could once a'ain 6e in 6i'
trou6le if someone9s 'ot ->H7 The difference here is that you "ro6a6ly won9t
6e a6le to 'et away from your hand and you9ll ha!e to 'o ahead and lose a lot
of money7
The im"ortant "oint to remem6er a6out the trou6le hands is when you do 'et
a flo" to them you don9t want to 'et hea!ily in!ol!ed7 <ust try to "lay the "ot
as chea"ly as "ossi6le7
- minor ece"tion to the a6o!e rule is when you flo" a strai'ht8 as would
ha""en if you are holdin' Q>13 and the flo" is H><>4 or <>4>08 for eam"le7
Howe!er8 e!en when you ha!e the nuts8 as in this case8 there9s a chance you
could lose the "ot7 If a Jueen fell on fourth8 with the H><>4 flo"8 you could
lose to an
->137 -nd with the <>4>0 flo"8 you could lose to a H>137 So8 you9re not
com"letely safe with some of these hands e!en when you flo" the nuts7
For the most "art8 trou6le hands8 suited or offsuit8 should 6e "layed the same
wayK slowly7 Howe!er8 trou6le hands suited are much stron'er hands than
trou6le hands offsuit8 and if you flo" a flush or a flush draw with a suited
trou6le hand8 you can show some s"eed7 For eam"le8 if you had the HE QE
and the flo" was 13E 1E $E8 you9d ha!e a real 6i' hand7 Not only would you
ha!e a flush draw8 6ut you9d also ha!e two o!ercards7 Or8 if you had the 4E
0E with the same flo"8 you9d ha!e a strai'ht and a flush draw7 Either situation
would "resent a 'ood o""ortunity to check>raise some6ody if you were in an
early "osition7 If you were in a late "osition and some6ody led into you8 you
could raise them7 -t that "oint8 you9re 6e 6ack ha!in' two shots to "ick u"
the "ot7 ;ou mi'ht win it ri'ht there8 or if you 'et called8 you9d ha!e a 'ood
hand to fall 6ack on7
Trash Hands
+ith the ece"tion of an ace or a kin' with any suited card8 I consider any
hand I ha!en9t already discussed to 6e a trash hand7 I "ut -E 0E and HE 2E in
the same cate'ory as the small connectin' cards and I "lay them
231
a""roimately the same way7 For eam"le8 if the flo" was 4E /E $E and I had
the -E 0E8 I9d ha!e a flush draw and an o!ercard7 If I was in the "ot a'ainst
two Jueens8 I9d 6e a6out e!en money to win it7 So I9d "lay my hand like I
would if I had two small connectin' cards that were suited8 say the 4E 0E7
That is8 I9d "lay it fast and try to win the "ot on the flo"8 6ecause once a'ain8
I9d ha!e two shots to win7
(ut that9s where I draw the line8 with an ace or a kin' and another suited
card7 (ut when it comes to Jueens on down8 if the two cards don9t connect8 I
consider them trash hands:e!en if they9re suited8 such as QE 2E or <E /E7
Hands with non>connectin' and offsuit cards such as <E IE8 13E .E8 4E 2E are
o6!iously 'ar6a'e7 (ut so are offsuit hands that a lot of "eo"le "lay 6ecause
you can flo" a strai'ht with them8 such as H>48 Q>08 <>18 13>/8 4>I8 0>28 1>.8
and />$7 I don9t "lay these hands 6ecause e!en if I 'ot the 6est flo" I could to
them:other than a full house:I could 'et 6roke 6y runnin' into a 6i''er
strai'ht7 )onseJuently8 I ne!er "lay a hand when I ha!e the to" and 6ottom
cards of a strai'ht8 ece"t when I9m in "osition7
I always make ece"tions when I9m in "osition8 e!en with the trash hands7
For eam"le8 if I were on the 6utton with a hand like ->0 offsuit8 I mi'ht call
a raise 6efore the flo" if enou'h "eo"le8 say four8 were in the "ot in front of
me and I didn9t think there9d 6e any more raises7 I mi'ht call a small raise
and take a flo" with a trash hand 6ecause it9s a 'ood "ercenta'e "lay7 I9d 6e
tryin' to make a full8 tri"s8 or two "air7 (ut if I don9t 'et a real 'ood flo" to
the hand8 I9ll throw it away7 I won9t 'et in!ol!ed and 6urn u" a 6unch of
money with one of those trash hands7 I9m not 'oin' to call any 6ets on the
flo"7 I9ll 6e raisin' or I9ll 6e 'one7
If I were in "osition8 I mi'ht e!en raise with a trash hand7 More than that8 I
mi'ht "lay it fast after the flo"8 too7 Say the 'uys in the early "ositions threw
their hands away8 and someone in a middle "osition lim"ed in7 +ell8 if I were
on the 6utton8 I9d 6e in "osition8 and I9d raise it re'ardless of what two cards
I ha!e7 -nd if it was checked to me on the flo"8 I9d 6et re'ardless of what
flo""ed7
O6!iously8 I wouldn9t 6e "layin' my hand 6ecause of its !alue7 Trash hands
ha!e no !alue7 I mi'ht as well 6e "layin' with two 6lank cards in this
230
situation 6ecause all I9m doin' is "layin' my "osition and my o""onent7
Since he lim"ed in8 I9d assume that he9s 'ot a weak hand to 6e'in with8 and if
he misses the flo"8 I9ll 6e a6le to "ick the "ot u"7
Other than the ece"tional situations discussed a6o!e8 trash hands are Bust not
"laya6le7
SHO5TH-N*E* PL-;
- lot of times8 you9ll 6e "layin' in a full or rin' 'ame8 and 6efore the ni'ht is
o!er8 you9ll find yourself "layin' shorthanded7 -s I already mentioned8 you
ha!e to 6e a6le to chan'e 'ears in this situation7 ;ou should "lay in the same
6asic style:a''ressi!e:6ut you should reali%e that all the hands increase in
!alue7 This is "articularly true of the 6i' cards7 -nd8 in a shorthanded 'ame8
all the trou6le hands 6ecome "laya6le from almost any "osition7
In a shorthanded 'ame8 "osition is "ro6a6ly the most im"ortant thin'7 The
reason is that you 'et to look at more cards and ha!e to "lay more hands than
you would in a rin' 'ame7 ;ou "lay your "osition more than your cards in a
shorthanded 'ame7
For eam"le8 when your 'ame 'ets down to four>handed "lay8 you need a
6etter hand in the first two "ositions than you need in the last two7 +hen you
raise on the 6utton8 the other man has to act first8 and that "uts him at a 6i'
disad!anta'e7 +hen the other man has to act on his hand first8 it9s a 'reat
eJuali%er7
So in a shorthanded 'ame you9d "lay your "osition usin' the same theories
you would in a full 'ame8 6ut kee" in mind that the !alues of the hands 'o u"
a few notches7 The trou6le hands 6ecome 6etter hands 6ecause you don9t
fi'ure to 6e u" a'ainst ->-8 H>H8 or ->H nearly as often as you mi'ht in a
rin' 'ame7
;ou "lay more like you would with 6i' cards7 In a shorthanded 'ame8 the
6i''er your cards are8 the 6etter hand you9ll ha!e7 For instance8 in a rin'
'ame8 you mi'ht "lay two aces or two kin's a lot slower after the flo"
6ecause there could 6e a lot of "eo"le takin' a flo" to 6eat those 6i' "airs7
+hereas in a shorthanded 'ame8 two aces or two kin's is a mountain of a
hand and you can "lay them real fast after the flo"7 )onseJuently8 these 6i'
234
"airs are much more !alua6le hands than they are in a rin' 'ame7 +hat
you9re tryin' to catch in a shorthanded 'ame is 6i' cards in "osition7
INSL5-N)E
The "ractice of takin' insurance is not as common today as when I wrote the
ori'inal Su"er#System8 howe!er you still see it sometimes8 and you should
ha!e a 'eneral idea of what deals are "rofita6le7
Many times when you9re "layin' no>limit hold9em a "layer will ha!e all his
money in the "ot 6efore the flo"8 on the flo"8 or e!en on fourth street7 Since
there are still cards to come and since no more 6ettin' can take "lace =if it9s a
head>u" situation?8 6oth "layers will 'enerally turn their hands o!er so that
insurance can 6e considered7 I say 'enerally8 6ecause there is no rule that
says you must turn your hand o!er8 6ut such a reJuest is rarely8 if e!er8
refused7
Insurance is a side 6et that9s usually made 6etween the two "layers in!ol!ed
in the "ot or 6etween one of the "layers in!ol!ed and an insurance man who
may or may not 6e an acti!e "layer7 The "layer with the hand that has the
6est "otential to win the "ot is offered or asks for some insurance as a way to
"rotect his in!estment in the "ot7 (ut unless a mistake is made8 it9s always a
6ad 6et7 -s it is in life away from the "oker ta6le8 the insurance man won9t 6e
'i!in' away anythin'7 +hen he lays you a "rice on your hand8 he9ll 6e
'ettin' the 6est of it7 The "rice you9ll 6e 'ettin' will always 6e considera6ly
less than the true "rice your hand is worth7 The difference 6etween the true
!alue of your hand and the actual "rice the insurance man is willin' to lay is
his !i'orish8 also known as his ed'e or commission7 I use the "hrase @6est
"otential to win the "otA 6ecause the 6est hand on the flo" doesn9t always
ha!e the 6est winnin' "otential7 For eam"le8 if the flo" was 1E IE 2E and
you had the 1E /E8 you9d 6e a6out a $ to 1 fa!orite o!er an o""onent with a
"air of kin's8 say8 the HE HE7
There are twenty cards in the deck that could win for you with two shots to
catch any one of them7 ;our strai'ht>flush draw 'i!es you fifteen wins8 and
the three sies and two se!ens that are still in the deck 'i!e you fi!e more
wins7 Of course8 the assum"tion here is that your o""onent9s hand doesn9t
213
im"ro!e7
Throu'h the years8 I9!e heard a lot of discussion a6out whether you should or
shouldn9t take insurance7 My ad!ice is to lay the insurance8 6ut don9t take it
6ecause the 6est "otential hand always has to take the worst of it7 For
eam"le8 if you9re a . to $ fa!orite8 the 6est you can usually 'et is 1. to 13 or
may6e 1 to I7 So why take itE That9s the ad!anta'e you9re lookin' for to start
with7 If you take insurance8 you9re 'i!in' u" your ad!anta'e7 ;ou can9t
ar'ue with mathematical facts when you ha!e the 6est of somethin'7 If you
can lay 1 to I on a . to $ shot8 you should do it7 (ut you shouldn9t take 1 to I
when you9re a . to $ fa!orite7 Howe!er8 I can understand if a man on a short
6ankroll considers takin' insurance7 I 'uess it would 6e okay to take the
worst of it so you could stay in action7 (ut if your 6ankroll allows8 don9t take
insurance:lay it7
I used to talk a6out a related su6Bect with a !ery 6i' and successful 'am6ler
I9!e known for many years7 He said8 @If a man came in and offered to lay me
13 to 1 on the fli" of a coin for all the money I had in the world8 I wouldn9t
take it7A He said he Bust couldn9t liJuidate e!erythin' he9s 'ot8 all of his
"ro"erty and his cash7 He wouldn9t risk losin' it all8 which would 6e worth
se!eral million dollars7 He wouldn9t do it e!en if he thou'ht he could 'et
hold of a few more million7
(ut I9d do it7 I surely would7 I9d Bust ha!e to7 I couldn9t "ass u" the
o""ortunity to take 13 to 1 on an e!en money shot7 I9d do it 6ecause I ha!e
enou'h confidence in myself that I9d 6e a6le to come u" with more millions
if I lost7
- FIN-L +O5*
Of course8 I9m sure you understand that all the numerous "ossi6ilities ha!e
6y no means 6een ehausted7 No>limit Teas hold9em is a hi'hly com"le
'ame7 It9s hardly "ossi6le and certainly not "ractical to attem"t to discuss the
enormous !ariety of situations that could occur7 -nd as you now know8 there
are certain Juestions I wouldn9t 6e a6le to answer definiti!ely 6ecause many
times8 e!en I don9t know eactly what I9d do until I9m faced with the
"ro6lem7 5e'ardless of what other 6ooks or other "layers teach8 there is no
211
ma'ical formula for how to "lay "oker7 -s I9!e said8 at such times8 I 'o with
my feelin'8 which is really a ra"id analysis of conscious and su6conscious
thou'hts7
Ne!ertheless8 I9!e 'i!en you a lot of white meat8 so"histicated techniJues
and strate'ies that are known only to a few world>class "oker "layers7 The
a!era'e "layer has ne!er had access to the kind of information you9!e Bust
read7 First of all8 nothin' as com"rehensi!e as this has e!er 6een written
a6out no>limit hold9em7 E!en if it were8 unless it was written 6y someone
who has "layed and consistently won at a world>class le!el for many years8 it
would not 6e worth much7 In fact8 it could e!en 6e harmful7 Ha!in' no
information at all is 6etter than ha!in' 6ad information7
;ou should do Juite well at no>limit hold9em now that you know almost as
much a6out the 'ame as I do7 The rest is u" to you7
HOL*9EM SLPPLEMENT
The followin' ta6les are contri6uted 6y 5ichard En'lesteen7
*OL(LE (ELL;>(LSTE5 ST5-I,HTS
There is a fourteen>card strai'ht continuum since aces may 6e used in a 6i'
or little strai'ht7
- $ . 2 I / 1 0 4 13 < Q H -
)H-5TS /$. > /$1
)OLO5FLL N-MES OF
N-5IOLS HOL*9EM H-N*S
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.>-77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777(askin>5o66ins
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Q>4777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777Quinine
Q>177777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777)om"uter Hand
<>/77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777775ailroad Hand
<>I777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777Motown
I>13777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777+oolworth
13>27777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777(roderick )rawford
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0>07777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777Little Oldsmo6ile
0>I777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777Finky *ink
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21.
[The reason there are two hands named after me is 6ecause of what ha""ened
in the 141/ and 1411 +orld Series of Poker7 In 6oth years8 I won with a 13>
$7 The ->Q has lon' 6een called @*oyle (runsonA in Teas 6ecause I try
ne!er to "lay this hand7
212
+O5L* POHE5 TOL5
Ste!en Li"scom6
Ste!en Li"scom6 learned to "lay "oker from his de!outly (a"tist
'randmother for "eanuts =literally? at a family reunion when he was ei'ht7 If
he had known that one day he would 6e the catalyst for transformin' the
'ame into a tele!ised s"orts "henomenon8 he likely would ha!e "aid more
attention7
+hen a childhood friend asked Ste!e8 an award>winnin' film and tele!ision
"roducer8 to direct and "roduce a one>hour "oker documentary for the
*isco!ery )hannel8 it o"ened his eyes to the "oker world and introduced him
to the remarka6le 'ame of no>limit Teas holdOem7 His affinity for the 'ame
and the knowled'e he 'ained deconstructin' the 'ame for "resentation to a
wider audience hel"ed Ste!e win the first "oker tournament he e!er entered7
Ste!e9s foresi'ht and lo!e for the 'ame led him to write a 6usiness "lan for
the +orld Poker Tour7 Since that time8 he has directed and "roduced
hundreds of hours of "oker tournaments and 'ame>"lay for tele!ision7 No one
in the "oker world has s"ent more time inter!iewin' the 'reat "layers and
del!in' into the su6tleties that make the 'ame 6oth sim"le and infinitely
com"le7 His outside "ers"ecti!e8 to'ether with his knowled'e of "oker in
'eneral and tournament strate'y in "articular8 ha!e made him one of the 'reat
students of the 'ame7 -nd the "oker world will ne!er 6e Juite 6e the same7
+orld Poker Tour
6y Ste!en Li"scom6
INT5O*L)TION
(y nature8 "oker has no defined 6e'innin' or end7 -s MoBo Nion once "ut
it8 @The 6est thin' a6out the 'ame is that you can9t lose7 -s lon' as you still
"lay8 the worse you can 6e is 6ehind7A Little thin's like slee"8 family8 and
medical necessities may slow the 'ame down from time to time8 6ut e!ery
"oker "layer knows if a 'ame 6reaks8 there9s always another one on the
hori%on7
Poker "layers are the most com"etiti!e 6ein's on the "lanet8 so it is no
21I
wonder that a form of "oker that lea!es only one "layer standin' e!ol!ed out
of the older8 cash>'ame format7 The new kin'>of>the>hill8 sur!i!al>of>the>
fittest8 e!ery>man>for>himself 6rand of "oker has 6ecome known as
tournament "oker7
THE O5I,INS OF
TOL5N-MENT POHE5
-s far as anyone can tell8 the first "oker tournament was held in the s"rin' of
14/4 at the Holiday Inn in 5eno8 Ne!ada7 One of the "it 6osses threw what
he called a Teas ,am6lers )on!ention8 in!itin' wealthy Teans to 5eno to
"lay "oker7 Le'ends like <ack Straus8 )randall -ddin'ton8 *oyle (runson8
(enny (inion and his son <ack (inion attended7
Hnown for his a6ility to reco'ni%e and e"loit marketin' o""ortunities8
(enny (inion sta'ed a similar e!ent at his casino in downtown Las Ne'as the
net year7 He called it the +orld Series of Poker and in!ited what he
"ercei!ed to 6e the 6est "oker "layers7 -fter se!eral days of "oker8 (enny
asked those attendin' to !ote on who they 6elie!ed to 6e the 6est "layer8
which was <ohnny Moss7 The net year8 each "layer "aid a fied amount and
"layed down to one winner8 and Moss won a'ain7
O!er the course of the net thirty years8 with the hel" of such "oker
luminaries as <ack Mc)lelland and <im -l6recht8 (enny and his son
de!elo"ed a formula for tournament "oker that is still used 6y most card
rooms and casinos today7 Tournaments tend to 6e a series of fied 6uy>in
"oker e!ents8 from se!en>card stud to no>limit hold9em8 that take "lace o!er
the course of two to si weeks8 culminatin' in a cham"ionshi" e!ent7 Each
e!ent "lays down to one winner7
TOL5N-MENT POHE5 STO5MS
INTO THE M-INST5E-M
The format s"read8 and many card rooms and casinos across the country
6e'an holdin' "oker tournaments with re'ularity7 (ut 6y $3318 des"ite
continued "o"ular interest in the 'ame8 the "oker 6usiness itself was in
21/
decline7 )asinos were closin' "oker rooms across the country to add more
lucrati!e slot machines7 -nd more ominously8 the "oker "o"ulation was
'rowin' older7 The way esteemed tournament director <ack Mc)lellan "uts it
@The "ro6lem with "oker was that ten 'uys would die each year8 and only
one would walk throu'h the door:and he was no s"rin' chicken7A (ut all
that was a6out to chan'e7
THE (I5TH OF THE +O5L*9S
FI5ST POHE5 LE-,LE
In Se"tem6er of $3318 I concei!ed of and wrote a 6usiness "lan to launch the
NFL#N(-#P,- of "oker8 the +orld Poker Tour7 - solid 6usiness team was
assem6led8 com"osed of 6randin' ma!en -udrey Hania8 "roduction stalwart
5o6yn Moder8 and "oker am6assadors Mike Seton and Linda <ohnson7 In
Octo6er we a""roached Lyle (erman8 ho"in' that he would share our !ision
and hel" fund the Tour7 Our mission statement was sim"leK @To launch the
+orld Poker Tour and esta6lish "oker as the net si'nificant tele!ised
mainstream s"ort7A
Today8 that statement sounds much less am6itious than it did at the time7 (ut
'i!en the uncertain state of "oker near the end of $3318 it was truly
remarka6le that Lyle and his com"any8 Lakes Entertainment8 "led'ed
millions of dollars to hel" launch the world9s first "oker lea'ue7
POHE5 ON TELENISION
From $333 to $3318 I "itched tele!ised "oker to any 6roadcaster I ima'ined
mi'ht air the 'ame8 includin' most of the entities now racin' to 'et into the
act7 (ut 6efore the +orld Poker Tour hit the airwa!es8 they Juite sim"ly did
not 6elie!e that "oker could 'arner an -merican audience7 Their ske"ticism
was well founded7
Poker had 6een 6roadcast on tele!ision for some time7 (e'innin' in 14018
<ack (inion had hired "roduction crews to film the +orld Series of Poker
final e!ent7 He would then 'i!e the "ro'rams to ESPN for 6roadcast in
echan'e for some commercial s"ots7 The result was somethin' that only
211
diehard "oker "layers could stand to watch for lon'7 The "ro'rams ran as
filler in undesira6le time slots and ser!ed as a constant reminder to all
6roadcasters that nine 'uys sittin' around a ta6le "layin' "oker is not
inherently interestin' to watch7
It was not until 1444 that a "oker tournament was filmed without a casino
ha!in' to foot the 6ill7 That year Mark Hickman8 a childhood friend8 drafted
me to direct and "roduce a *isco!ery )hannel documentary entitled @On the
Inside of the +orld Series of Poker7A The documentary introduced the "oker
world to a wider audience and rated well enou'h for the *isco!ery Networks
to film the e!ent the followin' two years7
(ut nothin' could ha!e "re"ared the "oker community or tele!ision
6roadcasters for what ha""ened when the +orld Poker Tour aired its first
season7
TELENISE* POHE5 -N* THE
(I5TH OF THE +O5L* POHE5 TOL5
The +orld Poker Tour8 L7L7)78 o"ened its doors on Fe6ruary $I8 $33$8 and
Juickly si'ned a who9s who of hi'h>class destination casinos associated with
"oker to eclusi!e8 lon'>term deals7 +ith no 6roadcast or ca6le network deal
in "lace8 the +PT "romised that8 if necessary8 it would 6uy tele!ision airtime
in order to "ro!e that there was a market for tele!ised "oker7
The +orld Series of Poker declined to Boin the Tour des"ite the fact that no
6roadcaster had "lans to film its tournament in $33$7 Few "eo"le reali%e that8
at the time8 ESPN had not 6roadcast the +SOP for three years7 -nd8 as far as
I can tell8 no network had "lans to shoot the +SOP that year7
In fact8 two weeks 6efore the +orld Series main e!ent we recei!ed a call
from Te +hitson8 who was runnin' the +SOP for (ecky (inion>(ehnen7
He asked if we could hel" him film the final ta6le of the +SOP:without
Boinin' the +orld Poker Tour7 The first +PT e!ent was a6out to take "lace at
(ella'io8 so time sim"ly did not allow us to hel"7 Instead8 we directed him
6ack to the "eo"le who had filmed their e!ents in "ast years7 Once a'ain8 the
casino "aid for the "roduction in ho"es that it could 6e "laced somewhere7
210
POHE5 ,OES P5IMETIME
In early $33.8 *ou' *ePriest and Ste!e )heskin at the Tra!el )hannel made
the +orld Poker Tour an offer we could not refuse:a weekly8 two>hour
"rime>time slot on the network and their commitment to esta6lish +ednesday
ni'ht as "oker ni'ht on the Tra!el )hannel year>round7 -s a result8 we
reBected an offer from ESPN to try the show on their air without a dedicated
time slot7 +e stron'ly 6elie!ed that the key to transformin' "oker into a
tele!ised s"ort was creatin' a""ointment tele!ision7 -nd we were willin' to
6uy airtime to "ro!e it7
Thou'h the show had yet to air8 the +PT had already 'enerated a remarka6le
amount of "ositi!e "ress8 so ESPN wasn9t ready to 'i!e u" without a fi'ht7
The eecs circled 6ack a'ain8 offerin' si one>hour time slots7 (ut with half
of our thirteen e"isodes already in the can and contractual o6li'ations to
6roadcast e!ery e"isode at least twice8 the +PT reBected the offer7
Ha!in' lost the +PT to the Tra!el )hannel8 ESPN "icked u" the $33$ +orld
Series of Poker and 6roadcast it in the si one>hour time slots offered to the
+PT7 Once ESPN saw the ratin's num6ers achie!ed 6y the +PT in its first
season8 it rushed out to secure lon'>term ri'hts to the +SOP8 an arran'ement
that has ser!ed the network well7
The first e"isode of the +PT aired on the Tra!el )hannel on March .38 $33.7
Few in the "oker community had any idea that their world was a6out to
chan'e fore!er7 -nd none of it could ha!e ha""ened without the shared
!ision of e!eryone at the +PT8 includin' Lyle (erman8 as well as *ou'
*ePriest8 Ste!e )heskin8 and (illy )am"6ell at the Tra!el )hannel7 -lso
critical to the launch and success were im"ortant fi'ures in the casino "oker
world8 includin' *ou' *alton and (o66y (aldwin at (ella'io8 Hathy
5aymond at Fowoods8 Tim ,ustin at )ommerce8 and Helly O9Hara at the
(icycle )asino7
T5-NSFO5MIN, POHE5
INTO - SPO5T
214
- lot of ink has 6een s"illed discussin' the +PT )am that re!eals "layers9
holecards to the tele!ision audience7 Poker "layers and Bournalists alike ha!e
"ointed to this inno!ation 6y the +orld Poker Tour as the "rimary thin' that
re!olutioni%ed the 'ame and made the 6roadcasts one of the most widely
!iewed series of e!ents e!er to hit ca6le TN7 (ut if it were really that sim"le8
it stands to reason that the (()9s Late Ni'ht Poker would ha!e 6een "icked
u" in the L7S7 tele!ision market many years 6efore7 Late Ni'ht Poker8 which
"redates the +PT8 re!ealed "layers9 holecards 6y shootin' under the ta6le8
6ut they were una6le to make a sale until after the +PT "henomenon:and
6y then8 they were utili%in' many other +PT inno!ations7
The truth is that the +PT )am was "art of a much lar'er "acka'e that
transformed "oker into a tele!ised s"orts sensation7 Production !alue was the
center"iece7 The +PT trans"orted an arena across the country and filmed si
"layers with siteen cameras instead of nine "layers with four cameras8 as
had 6een done 6efore7 (ut the "roduction was Bust the 6e'innin'7 It took us
ei'ht months to edit the first e"isode of the +orld Poker Tour7 +orkin' ten
to fifteen hours a day8 se!en days a week8 we in!ented a new lan'ua'e:
'ra"hic and otherwise:to translate "oker into a tele!ised s"ort7
THE ,5E-TEST FO5M OF FL-TTE5;
-ll newcomers to the tele!ised "oker market ha!e co"ied our formula
eactly8 ri'ht down to the elements of our 'ra"hics "allet7 +hen a "layer
looks at his cards8 his name a""ears on the 6ottom left>hand side of the
screen with a shorthand 'ra"hic of his cards7 The community cards a""ear
6eneath and near the holecard 'ra"hics8 makin' it "ossi6le for the !iewer to
follow the 'ame7 - 'ra"hic on the to" left>hand side of the screen shows the
mountin' "ot si%e7
-nother inno!ation8 as im"ortant as the +PT )am8 was the introduction of
@li!e fictionA to tele!ised "oker7 (efore the +PT8 "oker shows discussed
how much time "assed and#or how many hands were "layed when the
audience was not watchin'7 This "ut tele!ised "oker into the documentary
cate'ory8 makin' the e!ent feel dated7 The +orld Poker Tour chan'ed all
that and made each two>hour e"isode a""ear li!e7 For the first time8 the +PT
created an e"erience that trans"orted the audience into the 'ame:makin'
2$3
"eo"le feel like they were sittin' in that seat8 makin' million>dollar decisions
on e!ery hand7 The result has ca"tured the ima'ination of the -merican
tele!ision audience7
;et another maBor element of the +PT tele!ision "acka'e was the inclusion
of 6ios to encoura'e !iewers to "ull for certain "layers7 Plus8 with the hard
work and coo"eration of Mike Seton and Nince Nan Patten8 we com"letely
o!erhauled the "oker commentary to minimi%e @"oker>s"eakA and make it
accessi6le to a wide audience7 -nother key com"onent was my "artner Lyle9s
insistence on a two>hour format8 which is almost unheard of in tele!ision
land 6ut necessary for us to e"lore the rich nuances of the 'ame7 -ll this is
to say that8 while the +orld Poker Tour did in fact introduce the +PT )am
to the L7S7 tele!ision audience8 the com"rehensi!e "acka'e of inno!ati!e
elements in the new +PT tele!ision format created the +PT "oker
"henomenon7
-N;ONE )-N PL-; IN
+O5L* POHE5 TOL5 ENENTS
The 6est "art a6out this new lea'ue is that8 unlike any other s"ort in the
history of tele!ised s"ortin' e!ents8 anyone can "lay7 ;ou don9t ha!e to
Jualify7 ;ou don9t ha!e to "ractice si hours a day7 ;ou don9t e!en ha!e to
6e 'ood at the 'ame7 If you want to ha!e the e"erience of "layin' with the
6est "oker "layers in the world for millions of dollars in "ri%e money8 all you
need to do is 6uy or win your way into a +orld Poker Tour e!ent7 -nd with
23 to /3 "ercent of all +PT "layers comin' from low>cost satellite
tournaments8 where they win their way into an e!ent for as little as C.38 truly
anyone can "lay and win7 Sometime durin' the season8 we will 6e in your
nei'h6orhood7 -lthou'h we e"ect to e!ol!e further o!er the years8 e!en as I
write this I can say that from <une to -"ril8 we make a millionaire a month:
sometimes two8 three8 or more "er month7 -fter studyin' Su"er#System $8 my
'uess is you9ll 6e moti!ated to enter a tour e!ent or to try to Jualify for one7
If so8 you can find out where and how to "lay at www7+orldPokerTour7com7
The ,reat -merican )ard ,ame has finally found a home on the +orld
Poker Tour8 and we look forward to dealin' you in7
2$1
TIPS FO5 )OMPETIN, ON THE +O5L* POHE5 TOL5K
HO+ TO (E)OME - +PT )H-MPION
Once you make u" your mind to take a shot at the 6i'>time8 the followin'
sections will hel" you 'et ready for that rende%!ous with destiny7 ;our first
task is to i'nore the intimidation factor7 +PT tournaments are 6rimmin' with
"oker le'ends8 6ut on any 'i!en day8 if you know how to "lay tournament
"oker and the cards fall your way8 you ha!e a le'itimate shot at walkin'
away with the title7 -nd when that ha""ens8 you will ha!e fore!er earned the
ri'ht to 6e called a +orld Poker Tour )ham"ion7
Ste" G1K (e Mentally Pre"ared
Like any athletes8 "oker "layers must mentally "re"are for e!ery tournament
they enter7 New "layers often mistake the nature of a "oker tournament
entirely7 They tend to see the contest as a series of hands leadin' to an
ine!ita6le conclusion:you win or you lose7 That doesn9t e!en 6e'in to
ca"ture it7 - "oker tournament is a li!in'8 6reathin'8 or'anic e!ent7 No
indi!idual hand matters:nor do "layers7 ;ou may 'et ecited when you
knock out )hi" 5eese8 6ut I assure you8 none of us will e!en want to hear the
story net week7 +hat matters is the tournament itself:and your "lace in it7
;our only 'oal is to ne!er find yourself without chi"s in front of you7 That9s
it7
In order to ha!e a shot at e"eriencin' that sim"le "leasure8 you will need to
start thinkin' of a "oker tournament in its entirety:whether it is a two>hour
satellite or a multi>day +PT cham"ionshi" e!ent7 ;ou need to understand the
tournament structure8 feel the e66 and flow of the e!ent and reco'ni%e the
critical moments that determine your "lace in that tournament7 ;ou will ha!e
to "re"are yourself 6efore the tournament 6e'ins7 ;ou will need to kee" your
head in the 'ame for the entire duration of the tournament7 -nd8 you will
ha!e to find a way to co"e with the 'ood 6eats and the 6ad 6eats that will
ine!ita6ly come your way7 To do this8 you will ha!e to "re"are yourself as a
warrior "re"ares for 6attle:remo!e all mental o6stacles 6etween you and the
final ta6le that lies ahead of you7
Ste" G$K Hnow the (asics of Tournament Poker
2$$
This 6ook is filled with the wisdom of some of the 'reatest "layers to e!er
"lay the ,reat -merican )ard ,ame7 I will lea!e the "oker lessons to them7
Suffice to say8 you need to know how to "lay the underlyin' "oker 'ame at
e!ery le!el7 There is no su6stitute for the knowled'e that comes with
e"erience and "ractice7 The "ur"ose of this section is to ada"t your 'ame to
tournament "oker7 I will focus "rimarily on no>limit Teas hold9em:the
'ame of choice on the +orld Poker Tour7 (ut the techniJues are a""lica6le
to any tournament7
It has 6ecome somethin' of a clich\ to "oint out that in tournament "oker you
cannot reach 6ack into your "ocket and 'et more cash7 (ut that sim"le fact
makes tournament "oker unlike any cash 'ame you ha!e e!er "layed7 -nd it
'i!es rise to the two most im"ortant thin's to remem6er when you "lay in a
"oker tournament7 I call them "oker mantras 6ecause I su''est you say them
to yourself 6efore you 'o to slee" e!ery "oker tournament ni'ht8 that you
chant them in the shower e!ery mornin'8 and remind yourself of them on
e!ery 6reak7
Poker Tournament Mantra G1K
It Is a ,ame of Tra"sD (e the Tra""er7
More "oker tournaments are lost with 6i' cards than with little ones:6y a
lon' shot7 ;ou mi'ht feel 6etter on the rail talkin' a6out how you 'ot your
aces cracked8 6ut the story is always the same from that side of the rail:
you9re out7 That9s all there is to it7
;our "rimary o6Becti!e is to "ut yourself in a "osition to tra"7 ;ou want a
hu'e hand:three of a kind or 6etter:with someone else at the ta6le 6ettin'
into you with what they think is a 6i' hand7 That is the 6est way to 'et chi"s
and 6uild a 6i' stack in a "oker tournament7 +hat you don9t want to 6e is the
'uy two hours into the tournament who is 6ettin' into someone else9s strai'ht
with a 6i' "air7 That is how you mana'e to 'i!e u" all those chi"s and lea!e
with nothin'7 So8 6e the tra""erF
Poker Tournament Mantra G$K
It9s -6out the )hi"s7
Play your chi"s8 not your cards7 5emem6er8 your 'oal is sim"ly to kee" and
2$.
6uild those chi"s in front of you7 ;ou should always 6e aware of how many
chi"s you ha!e and how much you ha!e at risk in a 'i!en "ot7 -ny time you
are a6out to in!est a si'nificant "ercenta'e of your stack in a hand8 make sure
you take the time to ask yourselfK
=1? How much ha!e I already in!ested in the hand and how 6i' is the "otE
=$? +hat hands8 includin' draws8 are out there that can#mi'ht 6eat meE
=.? -m I willin' to "ut the tournament on the line this handE
;ou should not feel any time "ressure7 ,reat "layers like Men @the MasterA
N'uyen ha!e lon' known that it is im"ortant to reflect on the 6i' decisions:
and they take their time to do so7 Make sure to think throu'h your tournament
chi" "osition7 If you ha!e not already committed too much of your stack to
the hand8 and you think you may 6e 6eat:or e!en that you may 6e in a I3>
I3 race situation:you ha!e a decision to make7 If you ha!e the o""ortunity
to make a 6et at the "ot8 you may 6e a6le to take it down without a
showdown7 On the other hand8 unless you9re tra""in'8 if someone has 6et
into you8 it is "ro6a6ly time to "ass and wait for a 6etter o""ortunity7 +hy
Beo"ardi%e the chi"s when you are not leadin' the char'eE
The key is not to fall in lo!e with a hand that you sense is a loser and throw
away your shot at millions of dollars in "ri%e money and a +PT title7
+atchin' Phil Hellmuth "lay tournament "oker is a remarka6le e"erience7
+hen he senses he is 6eat8 he makes some hu'e laydowns8 "reser!in' his
chances of sta'in' a come6ack7 The e"onential nature of 6ettin' in no>limit
Teas hold9em makes such come6acks common"lace on the Tour7
Ste" G.K Make a Plan and Play to ;our Stren'ths
Tournament "oker has e!ol!ed si'nificantly o!er the "ast few years7 +ith all
maBor e!ents e"andin' to fields of hundreds or more "layers8 "artici"ants
are forced to adBust style and strate'y8 to ada"t to the 6ra!e new world of
tele!ised "oker7 ;oun' 'uns like Phil I!ey8 ,us Hansen8 and *aniel
Ne'raneau ha!e de!elo"ed a su"er>a''ressi!e style that either takes them out
Juickly or allows them to 'ather chi"s early7 Once they ha!e chi"s8 they tend
to use them mercilessly as wea"ons a'ainst the smaller stacks at the ta6le8
forcin' them to make near all>in decisions e!ery time they "lay7
2$2
Players like Howard Lederer8 *ewey Tomko8 and <ennifer Harman Traniello
ha!e used a solid a""roach to 'reat effect7 They tend to choose their s"ots8
waitin' for stron' hands and milkin' them for all they are worth7 Once they
'et chi"s8 they tend to mi it u" a little more8 6ut they also seem to hold on to
the chi"s they win8 6uildin' 'radually to the final ta6le7 It is im"ortant for
you to fi'ure out what kind of "layer you think you are and to create a "lan of
attack for the tournament8 from 6e'innin' to end7
Ste" G2K See the +hole Tournament
There are three 6asic "hases of a tournament:all defined 6y how much
"ressure the antes and 6linds are "uttin' on your chi" stackK
Phase 1 Z Sli'ht Pressure
Phase $ Z Moderate Pressure
Phase . Z Si'nificant Pressure
,ood tournament structures are desi'ned to slowly increase antes and 6linds8
'i!in' stron' "layers "lenty of time to maneu!er in Phase 17 (ut 6e aware
that one unfortunate hand at the 6e'innin' of a tournament may "ut you in
Phase . while most "layers are still enBoyin' Phase 17 -nd you may run well
enou'h to stay in Phase 1 all the way to the final ta6le7 ;ou should always 6e
aware not only of what "hase you are in8 6ut also of what "hase e!ery "layer
at your ta6le is in8 relati!e to their own chi"s7 That will hel" you 6e aware of
when you need to adBust your "lay8 as well as when the other "layers may 6e
o"enin' u" their 'ame =i7e7 "layin' weaker hands? out of necessity7
;ou will want to adBust the "arameters for your own style of "lay8 6ut here
are some sim"le rules of thum6 to 'o 6yK
=1? Phase 1 =Sli'ht Pressure?K ;ou ha!e enou'h chi"s to "lay ele!en to fifteen
rounds8 meanin' you can "ay antes and 6linds for the dealer 6utton to mo!e
ele!en to fifteen times around the ta6le7
=$? Phase $ =Moderate Pressure?K ;ou ha!e enou'h chi"s to "lay ei'ht to ten
rounds7
=.? Phase . =Si'nificant Pressure?K ;ou only ha!e enou'h chi"s to "lay se!en
rounds or fewer7
-ll maBor tournaments "u6lish structure sheets7 Pick u" a co"y when you
2$I
re'ister so that you can study how many chi"s you start with and how Juickly
the 6linds and antes increase7
Phase 1
T7 <7 )loutier calls Phase 1 @sur!i!al day7A The idea is not to 'et yourself
stuck in a hand that you don9t control or can9t 'et out of7 On the other hand8
you want to 'et as many other "layers stuck in your we6 as you "ossi6ly can7
The critical thin' to reco'ni%e a6out Phase 1 is that it often lasts a lon' time8
e!en days7 If you ne!er "layed a hand on the first day of a +orld Poker Tour
e!ent8 you would almost certainly still ha!e chi"s at the end of the day:
des"ite the fact that the field would ha!e narrowed si'nificantly7
Think of Phase 1 as your o""ortunity to tra" "layers and 6uild chi"s7 For a
more detailed analysis of Phase 1 "lay8 see *oyle9s @Tournament O!er!iew7A
Phase $
-t !arious "oints in the tournament8 either 6ecause you ha!e lost chi"s or
6ecause the structure has escalated8 you will 6e'in to feel the "ressure of the
antes and 6linds on your chi" stack7 If you are a solid "layer8 you will
"ro6a6ly want to wait for stron' o""ortunities to take a stand8 "lay a hand
a''ressi!ely8 and ho"efully dou6le>u" or win a si'nificant "ot7
In Phase $ it 6ecomes more e"ensi!e to s"lash around with small "airs and
tra""in' hands7 ;our 'oal should 6e to conser!e chi"s while "layin'
a''ressi!ely with a stron' hand when you 'et it7 This conser!ati!e a""roach
may also 'i!e you the o""ortunity to 6luff and ro6 6linds from time to time7
If you are an a''ressi!e "layer8 you mi'ht want to do eactly the o""osite:
o"en u" your 'ame8 take more chances8 and dare someone to chase you
down7 If your ta6le ima'e allows you to "ick u" lots of small "ots8 you mi'ht
clim6 your way 6ack u" the chi" stack ladder7
Phase .
-t some "oint in the tournament8 you are likely to reach a s"ot in which your
chi"s are low enou'h to make you fear etinction7 This is Phase .7 +hat you
want to try to a!oid at all costs is lettin' your stack 'et so low that dou6lin'
u" will not hel" or make a difference7
+hen you reach Phase .8 your inner "oker s"irit comes to life7 -s you 'et
2$/
down to ten times the 6i' 6lind8 you will need to find a hand fairly soon that
you are willin' to take all the way7 ;ou need to "ut on your 6est ,us
Hansen#Layne Flack#*e!ilfish Llliot im"ression and try to scra" your way
6ack into contention7
(ut8 a'ain8 you should ne!er 'i!e u"7 If you ha!e chosen a hand:and the
flo" mana'es to decimate that choice:and you don9t think you ha!e a "rayer
of 6uyin' the "ot with your remainin' chi"s8 you may want to fold to 'i!e
yourself one more shot7 The old "oker ada'e of @-ll you need is a chi" and a
chairA has 6een 6orn out time and time a'ain in tournament "oker7
Pay -ttention To the E66 and Flow
of the Tournament
It sounds stran'e8 6ut there really is a flow to e!ery tournament7 )ritical
moments hel" determine that flow7 The two most "otent and reco'ni%a6le of
these moments are when "layers are on the 6u66le8 which means e!eryone is
in the money ece"t for the net "erson out8 and when "layers are on the
tele!ision 6u66le8 meanin' the net "erson out won9t 6e on tele!ision7 I ha!e
seen "lay come to a screechin' halt for si hours when se!en 'uys are left
and they all want to 6e on "rime>time tele!ision7 It is wise to kee" track of
when 6oth of these moments are near and to decide how and if you want to
take ad!anta'e of them7
In 6oth cases8 "lay slows 6ecause no one wants to risk 'oin' out net7
(ecause the 6linds and antes are often si'nificant at this sta'e in the e!ent8
tournament 'reats like T7 <7 )loutier counsel "layers to 'o on the offensi!e
durin' these "eriods and 'ather as many chi"s as "ossi6le7
In addition to s"ecific moments8 you should "ay attention to the o!erall flow
of the tournament7 There are times when your ta6le:and e!en the whole
tournament:will sim"ly 6ecome more or less a''ressi!e7 -dBustin' your
style to counter the e66s and flows will hel" you 'row your chi" stack7
- +ord on (luffin'
There are two truths to 6luffin' in tournament "oker7 First8 it is hi'hly
o!errated7 -nd second8 it is a6solutely essential7
My "artner Lyle (erman and I ha!e often discussed the frustration of "layin'
2$1
solid "oker for three days and then throwin' off half of our chi"s with a
stu"id 6luff7
The 6i''est dan'er is tryin' to 6luff the wron' "erson:usually when you are
tired7 -nd it hurts e!ery time7 ;ou should not feel like you ha!e to 6luff Bust
to 6e cool or 6ecause you are 6ored7 If you ha!e lots of chi"s8 'uard them
well and if you do choose to 6luff8 choose the 6etter "layers that know
enou'h to 6e 6luffed out of a "ot7
On the other hand8 the reason 6luffin' is essential to tournament "oker is
6ecause it is the lan'ua'e of "ower in "oker7 The 'eniuses of the 'ame are
the *oyle (runsons and ,us Hansens of the world who aren9t "layin' their
cards at all8 6ut are "layin' you when they 6luff at you7 That is the ma'ic that
you can only e"erience and learn 6y comin' out and "layin' the 'ame with
the 6est in the world:in order to see how you stack u" on the 'reen felt7 (ut
6e aware that to win a maBor "oker tournament today8 you will a6solutely
ha!e to steal 6linds and antes from time to time and 6luff at some "ots with a
mediocre hand or no hand at all7 -nd that is what makes the 'ame so damn
'reat7
The Final Ta6le
Once you make it to the final ta6le8 nothin' really chan'es:6ut e!erythin'
chan'es7 ;ou want to continue tra""in' "layers and "layin' your chi"s8 as
well as theirs7 (ut now an im"ortant element is added7 E!ery "layer that 'oes
out means a si'nificant Bum" in the "iece of the "ri%e money for those that
remain7 The 6i' "layers say that they are always shootin' for first "lace8 6ut
as "ri%e "ools rocket into the stratos"here8 it clearly affects how "eo"le "lay7
The thin' to remem6er is that in order to win8 you only ha!e to knock one
"layer out of a tournament:the 'uy who 'ets second7 On the other hand8 if
"layers are 6ein' ti'ht8 it "ro!ides an ama%in' o""ortunity for you to mi u"
your 'ame8 "ick u" chi"s8 and 6ecome a "oker su"erstar7
-N INNIT-TION
Tournament "oker is Bust a6out as fun as anythin' I ha!e e!er witnessed7
+orld Poker Tour e!ents ha!e all the tra""in's and all the thrills of maBor
2$0
lea'ue s"ortin' e!ents with the uniJue twist that you can come and "lay7 -nd
while your risk is limited to the 6uy>in8 the multi>million dollar u"side has
chan'ed the li!es of "artici"ants7 The +PT millionaires clu6 is addin' new
mem6ers e!ery month of our season7 +ith a little "re"aration and the ri'ht
focus8 you ha!e a le'itimate shot at 6ecomin' the net mem6er of that
eclusi!e clu67 +e encoura'e you to 'et your feet wet and 6e'in e"lorin'
the tournament side of your 'ame7 The cameras are rollin'7 +e look forward
to seein' you at the +PT final ta6le7
2$4
,LOSS-5;
-)TINE PL-;E5
- "layer still in!ol!ed in the "ot7
-*NE5TISE
To 6luff with the intention of 6ein' cau'ht 6y the other "layers in order to 'et
them to call a future 6et that9s not a 6luff7
-LL>IN =O5 @,O -LL INA?
To 6et all the money you ha!e on the ta6le7
-LTOM-TI) (LLFF
- 6luff8 usually attem"ted in low6all8 that a "layer makes 6ecause of a
"articular situation7 *e"endin' on the circumstances this kind of 6luff will
almost always 6e made re'ardless of a "layer9s hand !alue7
(-(;
- small card8 es"ecially in ra%% and hi'h>low s"lit8 that has a !alue of ei'ht
or less8 or sometimes8 fi!e or less7
(-)H*OO5
+hen a "layer makes a hand he wasn9t ori'inally drawin' at7
(-* (E-T
+hen a 6i' hand is 6eaten 6y a lon'shot draw7
(eat the 6oard
Ha!in' a hand that can 6eat any other hand in si'ht7
(eLly>6uster strai'ht
Lsed interchan'ea6ly with inside strai'ht7
(ET INTO
To take the initiati!e in the 6ettin' action with the knowled'e that your
o""onent has a "otentially stron' hand7
(ETTIN, THE POT
To 6et the total amount of money currently in the "ot in a "ot>limit or no>
limit 'ame7
(I);)LE
The lowest and 6est "ossi6le hand in low6all7 In ace>to>fi!e8 ->$>.>2>ID in
deuce>to>se!en8 a $>.>2>I>17 -lso known as a wheel7
(I, (LIN*
2.3
The lar'est 6lind 6et in a 'ame that has multi"le 6linds7 See also (lind7
(I, *O,
- 6i' underdo' to win the "ot7 See also *o'7
(I, FLLL
The hi'hest "ossi6le full house in holdOem and Omaha7
(I, H-N*
17 - hand with a relati!ely hi'h !alue such as a full house7 $7 - hand with a
6i' draw8 meanin' that it has ecellent "ossi6ilities of winnin' the "ot7 For
eam"le8 flo""in' a strai'ht>flush draw in holdOem7
(L-NH
- card that is not of any !alue to a "layer9s hand7
(LIN*
- forced 6et that a "layer "uts in 6efore he recei!es his cards7
(O-5*
The cards that are face>u" in a "oker 'ame7
(5E-H
To draw a card instead of stayin' "at7 Often used in low6all when8 for
eam"le8 a "layer with a nine "at8 throws away the 4 and draws one card to
im"ro!e his hand7 He is 6reakin' the nine7
(5IN,>IT>IN>FO5
To make the first o"tional 6et in any "oker 'ame7
(LST OLT
17 Miss your hand com"letely7 $7 Lose all your money7
(LTTON
+hen there is a house dealer8 a 6utton is "ut in front of a "layer to show that
he is "layin' the dealer9s "osition7 The 6utton is "assed to each "layer in
clockwise order7
(L;>IN
The minimum amount of money necessary to secure a seat in a "articular
'ame7
)-LL
To "ut money in the "ot that9s eactly eJual to the "re!ious 6et or raise7
2.1
)-LLIN, ST-TION
- "layer who9s net>to>im"ossi6le to 6luff and who9ll call almost any 6et
made7
)-SE )-5*
The last card of a "articular rank7 For eam"le8 if you catch an ace after the
other three aces are in the discards8 then you ha!e cau'ht the case ace7
)-T)H PE5FE)T
- situation in which only one or two cards will win the "ot7
)-T)H>LP
To im"ro!e a hand so that it will 6e a""roimately eJual to an o""onent9s7
)H-N,E ,E-5S
-dBustin' "lay from loose to ti'ht or !ice !ersa7
)H-SE
Tryin' to 6eat a hand that is su"erior in !alue7
)HE)H>(LIN* =O5 )HE)H>*-5H?
To check a hand without lookin' at it7
)HE)H>5-ISE
To check and then raise in the same round when the action returns7
)HIP =O5 )HE)H?
- "lastic token used in "lace of cash money7
)OL* )-LL =O5 )-LL )OL*?
+hen a "layer who has no money in!ested in the "ot 6esides the ante calls a
raise and a reraise7
)OL* *E)H
- term often used to descri6e the deck 6y "layers who feel they9re not 'ettin'
enou'h "laya6le or winnin' hands7
)OMPLETE (LLFF
- 6luff made with a com"letely worthless hand7
)ON)E-LE* P-I5
- "air where 6oth cards are face down7
)OL5TES; (ET
- 6et8 usually a 6luff8 made when it is fairly certain that an o""onent will call
or raise7
2.$
)O+(O; =H>(O;?
- kin'7
)5IPPLE* *E)H
- deck with almost nothin' left that can hel" a hand7 For eam"le8 if a "layer
held a "air of aces and two others were in "lay8 the deck would 6e cri""led7
)5;IN, )-LL
To call with an inferior hand7
)LT
17 To se"arate the deck into "ortions =usually in half? after it has 6een
shuffled7 $7 See also 5ake7
*E-* )-5*
- card no lon'er in "lay or with no other like cards that are li!e7
*E-* H-N*
- misdealt hand that is not !alid7
*E-* IN THE POT
+hen there is no way for you to win8 you9re said to 6e dead in the "ot7
*EL)E
- two7
*EL)E>TO>SENEN LO+(-LL
- form of low6all in which the 6est hand is a $>.>2>I>18 the ace is a hi'h
card8 and strai'hts and flushes count a'ainst the "layer7 -lso called Hansas
)ity Low6all7
*O,
-66re!iation for underdo':the o""osite of fa!orite7
*OO5)-5*
The first u"card in a stud 'ame7
*OL(LE (ELL;>(LSTE5
- two>way inside strai'ht7
*OL(LE>POP
+hen you immediately raise a raiser you9!e dou6le>"o""ed it7 That is8 re>
raisin' so the net "layer to act must call two 6ets7
*OL(LE>TH5OL,H
2..
To dou6le the amount of one9s chi"s 6y 6ein' all>in and winnin' an amount
eJual to what was 6et7
*O+N)-5*
- card dealt facedown7
*O;LES5OOM7)OM
Internet "oker>"layin' site8 www7doylesroom7com8 endorsed 6y *oyle
(runson7
*5-+IN, *E-*
*rawin' to a hand that it would 6e im"ossi6le to win with8 re'ardless of the
card or cards drawn7 -lso known as dead in the "ot7
*5-+ OLT
To im"ro!e and 6eat an o""onent who had a 6etter hand "rior to the draw>
out7
*5INE59S SE-T
The ad!anta'e a "articular "layer has 6ecause it a""ears as thou'h he has the
6est hand at the time7 That "layer is said to 6e in the dri!er9s seat7
*LPLI)-TE
In low6all 'ames8 two cards of the same rank7 For eam"le8 the two fours are
du"licates with 0>1>2>2>$7 -lso called counterfeit7
E-5L;8 MI**LE8 -N* L-TE POSITION
The early "ositions in an ei'ht>handed 'ame are the first three "layers to act
on their hand8 the middle "ositions are the net three and the late "ositions
are the last two7
EPPOSE* P-I5
- "air on the 6oard7
F-NO5ITE
The "layer with the hi'hest "ro6a6ility of winnin' the hand or the contest8 as
o""osed to do'7
FIFTH ST5EET
17 In stud "oker8 the fifth card dealt to each "layer7 $7 In holdOem and Omaha8
the last community card that is dealt7
FILL
To draw a card that com"letes a hand8 for eam"le8 to fill a strai'ht or a flush
2.2
or to im"ro!e two "air to a full house7
FL-T )-LL
To call a 6et without raisin'7
FLOP
- holdOem and Omaha term descri6in' the first three community cards that
are turned simultaneously7
FLOPPIN, - SET
In holdOem and Omaha8 when a "layer forms a three>of>a>kind hand with one
or two of the flo" cards7
FLLSH
- hand with fi!e cards of the same suit7
FOL*
To discontinue "lay and forfeit the "ot7
FOL5>FLLSH
To ha!e four cards of the same suit7
FOL5 OF - HIN*
Four cards of the same rank with a side card8 such as four Backs and a se!en7
FOL5TH ST5EET
17 In stud "oker8 the fourth card dealt to each "layer7 $7 In holdOem or Omaha8
the fourth community card dealt:the card after the flo"7
F5EE )-5*
- card that9s recei!ed without any money ha!in' 6een "ut into the "ot
6ecause all acti!e "layers check on that round of "lay7
F5EE 5I*E
See Free )ard7
F5EE5OLL
17 In hi'h>low s"lit where one "layer has one half of the "ot won and is
com"etin' for the other half7 $7 In holdOem and Omaha8 where two "layers
ha!e identical hands ece"t for one who has a "ossi6le flush7 The suited hand
would ha!e a freeroll7
F5EEWE>OLT
- 'ame that9s "layed down to one winner and where no "layer can add more
money to his ori'inal 6uy>in7
2.I
FLLL HOLSE
Three cards of the same rank and one "air8 such as I>I>I>1>17
,ETTIN, - H-N* )5-)HE*
+hen a 6i' hand is 6eaten 6y an o""onent who started with an inferior hand7
,ETTIN, -N EPT5- (ET
In limit "oker only8 the art of etractin' more money from an o""onent 6y
check>raisin' him7
,INE - )-5*
To let an o""onent 'et another card 6y checkin' to him7
,LT>SHOT
-n inside strai'ht draw7
HE-*S>LP
- "oker hand or 'ame in!ol!in' only two "layers7
HELP
To im"ro!e a hand7
HI,H 5OLLE5
- 'am6ler who "lays for lar'e sums of money7
HOL*9EM
- hi'h "oker 'ame featurin' two startin' downcards8 a flo" of three
community cards8 a fourth community card8 and then a fifth for a total of fi!e
cards and four 6ettin' rounds7 -ny com6ination of the 6est fi!e>card hand
wins the "ot7 -lso called Teas hold9em7
I,NO5-NT EN* OF - ST5-I,HT
The lowest "ossi6le strai'ht7 For eam"le8 with a flo" of
0>4>138 a "layer holdin' a 1>/ would ha!e flo""ed the i'norant =low end? of
the strai'ht7
IN THE LE-*
The "layer who9s a''ressi!e and does the first 6ettin' on each round is said
to 6e in the lead7
IN THE MI**LE
- "layer cau'ht 6etween the ori'inal 6ettor on his ri'ht and a "otential raiser
on his left7
2./
INSL5-N)E
- side 6et made on the "ossi6le occurrence of cards 6ein' drawn or hands
6ein' made7
INTE5NET POHE5
See Online Poker7
<-M
- "ot in which se!eral "layers are raisin' and reraisin'7
HI)HE5
Side card to a "air or 6etter8 such as -><>< =a "air of Backs and an ace kicker?7
HI)HE5 T5OL(LE
+hen two o""onents ha!e the same "air8 the "layer with the smaller side
card is said to ha!e kicker trou6le7
LE-H
+hen somethin' is wron' with someone9s "layin' techniJue or strate'y7
LIMP IN
To call a 6et7
LITTLE (LIN*
The first and smallest 6lind 6et in a 'ame that has multi"le 6linds7
LINE )-5*
- card that has not 6een dealt =or seen?8 that is8 a card that9s still in "lay7
LINE ONE
- rich sucker7
LO)H
See Nuts7
LOOSE PL-;E5
- "layer who tends to "lay most hands8 weak or stron'8 and 'ets in!ol!ed in
many "ots7
LO+(-LL O5 LO+ POHE5
- form of "oker where the lowest hand wins the "ot:as o""osed to hi'h
"oker7
M-HE - PL-;
See Put a Play On7
MISS THE FLOP
2.1
+hen a "layer9s startin' cards are not im"ro!ed 6y the three community
cards of the flo"7
MIPE* ,-MES
Poker "layed with multi"le 'ames that are alternated on an a'reed>u"on
schedule7
MONE; M-N-,EMENT
The intelli'ent use of a "layer9s 6ankroll7
MO5T-L NLTS
,i!en the cards on the 6oard8 the 6est "ossi6le hand at the moment7
MONE>IN
In a no>limit 'ame8 to 6et all one9s chi"s on a sin'le "lay7
NO P-I5
- hand with fi!e totally unrelated cards7
NLM(E5 T+O M-N =SE)ON* *E-LE5?
- card cheat ca"a6le of dealin' seconds7 See also Seconds7
NLTS
17 The 6est "ossi6le hand at that "oint in the "ot7 $7 -n a6solute winnin'
hand7
OFFSLIT
)ards that are not of the same suit:as o""osed to suited8 cards of the same
suit7
OM-H-
- "oker 'ame featurin' four startin' down cards8 a flo" of three community
cards8 a fourth community card and then a fifth for a total of four 6ettin'
rounds7 -ny com6ination of the 6est fi!e>card hand:formed 6y usin'
eactly two cards from the "layer9s hand and three from the 6oard:wins the
"ot7 )an 6e "layed as hi'h or hi'h>low7 See also Omaha Hi'h>Low7
OM-H- HI,H>LO+ EI,HT>O5>(ETTE5
- !ersion of Omaha where the 6est hi'h hand s"lits the "ot with the 6est low
hand7 Howe!er8 to Jualify for low8 a "layer has to ha!e fi!e un"aired cards of
0 or less or the 6est hi'h hand will win the entire "ot7
ON THE )OME
To 6et on a hand with "otential as o""osed to 6ettin' on a hand that is
2.0
com"lete7
ON TILT
+hen a "layer "lays "oorly after losin' one or more 6i' "ots7
ONE P-I5
Two cards of the same rank with three side cards such as 13>13>->I>.7
ONLINE POHE5
Poker "layed on the Internet on sites such as www7doylesroom7com7
OPEN>EN* ST5-I,HT
- four>card hand where a strai'ht is "ossi6le on either end8 such as a 2>I>/>17
OLTS
The num6er of cards that will im"ro!e an inferior hand to a "ossi6le winner7
ONE5>(ET
To make a 6et that is out of "ro"ortion with =much 6i''er than? the si%e of a
"ot in a no>limit 'ame7
ONE5>)-LL
To call a 6et =usually a 6i' one? after another "layer or "layers ha!e already
called7
ONE5)-5*
- downcard in a "layer9s hand that9s hi'her than any card showin'7 For
eam"le8 a "layer holdin' an ace in holdOem has an o!ercard to a flo" of H>
Q>.7
ONE5P-I5
- "air in the "ocket in holdOem that9s hi'her than any card on the 6oard7
P-INT
- facecard:a Back8 Jueen or kin'7
P-T H-N*
- hand that9s com"lete or one that a "layer does not draw to7
PE**LE THE NLTS
To 6et a winnin' hand ho"in' that an o""onent will call7 -lso called sellin'
the nuts7
PI)HE* OFF
To 'et called when 6luffin'7
2.4
PI)H LP
+in a relati!ely small "ot without a contest7
PL-;
17 To sit in on a "oker 'ame7 $7 To 'et in!ol!ed in a "articular "ot7 .7 To do
somethin' dramatic or creati!e durin' a "articular hand8 as in to make a "lay7
PL-;>(-)H
To reraise7
PO)HET )-5*S
*owncards held 6y a "layer in hold9em and Omaha7
POSITION
+here a "layer sits relati!e to other acti!e "layers in a "articular "ot7
POST O-H (LLFF
- small 6et in a lar'e "ot in the ho"es that o""onents will 'i!e u" the "ot7
POT
17 The total amount of money 6et on a hand7 $7 -n area near the center of the
ta6le where the 6ets of the "layers are "laced7
POT O**S
The odds of a 6et com"ared to the amount of money already in the "ot7
P5EMILM H-N*S
The to" startin' hands in a 'ame7
P5OTE)TION
Ha!in' a hand in hi'h>low s"lit that "re!ents a "layer from 6ein' scoo"ed7
PLT - PL-; ON
To attem"t to outmaneu!er an o""onent 6y uncon!entional 6ettin'7
5-,
- low>!alued card that a""ears to hel" no one7 -lso called a 6lank7
5-IL
- 6arrier that se"arates s"ectators from "layers7
5-IL(I5*
- s"ectator7
5-ISE
To 6et more chi"s than a "re!ious 6ettor within a round of "lay7
5-HE
223
The "ercenta'e etracted from the "ot 6y a house dealer7
5-PPIN, P-T
This term is used in draw "oker when a "layer draws no additional cards7
5-T>HOLE
To "ut chi"s =or money? in your "ocket durin' a 'ame7
5-WW
Se!en>card stud "layed for low only7
5E-*
To make an educated 'uess on what an o""onent holds in his hand7
5ELE-SIN, - SET
To throw away tri"s when it is thou'ht they are 6eat7
5EP5ESENT
To make it a""ear that you ha!e a hand that you don9t7
5I,HT P5I)E
To 'et 'ood "ot odds on a 6et or raise7
5IN, ,-ME
- 'ame with a "layer in e!ery seat8 that is8 a full 'ame:as o""osed to a
shorthanded 'ame7
5INE5 )-5*
The last card dealt in a stud or flo" =Omaha or hold9em? 'ame7
5O)H
- "layer who "lays only 'ood hands and thus 6ets infreJuently7
5OLLE*>LP
In se!en>card stud when the first three cards are of the same rank7 For
eam"le8 1>1>17
5OL,H
- term used to descri6e a low6all hand with relati!ely weak su""ortin'
cards8 for eam"le8 an 0>1>/>I>. or 0>1>.>$>- would 6e a rou'h ei'ht:as
o""osed to smooth7
5O;-L FLLSH
13><>Q>H>- of the same suit8 the hi'hest hand in "oker without wild cards7
5LSH
- ra"id succession of winnin' hands7 -lso known as a winnin' streak7
221
S-N*(-,
)heckin' the "ro6a6le 6est hand with the intention of raisin'7
S-N*+I)H
Two "layers ha!in' another o""onent stuck in the middle of their 6ettin'7
S)OOP
To win 6oth the hi'h and low ends of a "ot in hi'h>low 'ames7
SE-T POSITION
The actual seat a "layer has:not to 6e confused with his "osition in the "ot7
SE)ON* =O5 THI5*? NLTS
The second:or third:6est "ossi6le hand7
SE)ON* P-I5 =O5 SE)ON* (LTTON?
- "air made with the second>hi'hest card on the 6oard in hold9em or Omaha7
SELLIN, - H-N*
17 ,ettin' o""onents to call a 6et7 $7 The art of makin' a 6et of the "erfect
amount to etract the maimum !alue out of a hand7
SEMI>(LLFFIN,
(luffin' with a hand that has "ossi6ilities of im"ro!in'7
SET
- three of a kind hand7
SET HIM -LL>IN =O5 MONE HIM -LL>IN?
In a no>limit 'ame8 makin' a 6et so 6i' that it would force another "layer to
commit all his chi"s to the "ot7
SENEN>)-5* STL* EI,HT>O5>(ETTE5
- hi'h>low !ersion of se!en>card stud featurin' three startin' cards:two
down and one u":then three successi!e rounds of u"cards with a final
se!enth card dealt face down for a total of se!en cards and fi!e 6ettin'
rounds7 To Jualify for low8 a "layer has to ha!e fi!e un"aired cards of 0 or
less to win half the "ot =the hi'h hand wins the other half? or the 6est hi'h
hand will win the entire "ot7
SHO5T )-LL
To call a 6et with an insufficient amount of money in a 'ame when the
amount of the call is all the money that the "layer has left on the ta6le7
SHO5TH-N*E* ,-ME
22$
- "oker 'ame that is not full:one that has many seats o"en7 The o""osite of
rin' 'ame7
SHLT OLT
In a no>limit 'ame8 to force an o""onent out with a 6et 6i''er than he is
willin' to call7
SI*E)-5*
See Hicker7
SIPTH ST5EET
The sith card dealt to each acti!e "layer in se!en>card stud "oker7
SLO+>PL-;
To "lay a stron' hand weakly8 that is8 to check or only call and let o""onents
take the lead in the 6ettin'7
SMOOTH
- term used to descri6e a low6all hand with relati!ely stron' su""ortin'
cards8 for eam"le8 an 0>2>.>$>- would 6e a smooth ei'ht:as o""osed to
rou'h7
SMOOTH )-LL
17 +hen someone slow>"lays a hand or makes a difficult call7 $7 +hen a
"layer calls8 antici"atin' a raise 6y a "layer 6ehind him7
SN-PPE* OFF
To 'et called when 6luffin'7
SNO+ H-N*
In draw 'ames when a "layer stands "at on worthless hands and 6ets at the
"ot ho"in' his 6et8 rather than his hand8 will win the "ot7
SPEE*IN, -5OLN*
- "layer who "lays real loose with no defina6le "attern is said to 6e s"eedin'
around7
SPLIT P-I5
- "air in se!en>card stud "oker in which one of the cards is face>u" and one
is face>down7
STE-L =O5 STE-L - POT?
To win a "ot on a 6luff7
STE-M
22.
See On Tilt7
ST5-,,LE5S
Players who lim" in from early "ositions7
ST5-I,HT
Fi!e cards of mied suits in seJuence8 such as a 1>0>4>13><7
ST5-I,HT>FLLSH
Fi!e cards in seJuence and in the same suit such as IE /E 1E 0E 4E7
STL)H
+hen a "layer9s losin'8 he9s said to 6e stuck7
SL)HE5
- "layer who thinks he knows how to "lay8 6ut really has little chance of
winnin' consistently 6ecause of his ine"titude7
SLITE*
)ards of the same suit7
S+IN, H-N*
- hand in hi'h>low s"lit that has a chance to win 6oth the hi'h and low ends
of the "ot7
TELL
- mannerism of a "layer that 'i!es o""onents an indication of the stren'th of
his hand or whether or not he9s 6luffin'7
TEP-S HOL*9EM
See Hold9em7
THI5* ST5EET
In stud "oker8 the third card dealt to each "layer7
TH5EE>OF>->HIN*
Three cards of the same rank and two side cards8 such as H>H>H>/>47
TI,HT PL-;E5
- "layer who tends to "lay only stron' hands and 'ets in!ol!ed in few "ots7
TIP ;OL5 *LHE
To re!eal the Juality of your hand7
TOHE
- 'ratuity7 )ommonly used in 'am6lin' circles instead of the word @ti"7A
TOP HI)HE5
222
The hi'hest =or hi'her? side card when two or more "layers ha!e identical
hands and that card is used to determine the winner of the "ot7
TOP P-I5
Pairin' a hole card with the hi'hest card on the 6oard in Omaha and holdOem7
T5-P
See )heck>5aise and Sand6a''in'7
T5E;
- three7
T5IPLE *5-+
Form of draw "oker "layed as low with the distin'uishin' feature 6ein' three
se"arate draws where "layers may echan'e unwanted cards for fresh cards
for a total of four 6ettin' rounds7 Ty"ically "layed as deuce>to>se!en with the
deuce 6ein' the lowest card8 aces countin' hi'h8 and strai'hts and flushes
countin' a'ainst the low hands7
T5IPS
Three of a kind7
TL5N
17 The fourth card "laced on the 6oard in Omaha and holdOem7 $7 - word
"re!iously used 6y "layers from the South and southwestern "art of the
Lnited States instead of the word flo"7
T+O P-I5
Two two>card sets of identically>ranked cards8 "lus a side card8 such as H>H>
I>I>17
LN*E5*O,
See *o'7
LN*E5FLLL
- full house less than the hi'hest "ossi6le full house:'i!en the 6oard cards
:in Omaha and holdOem7
LN*E5 THE ,LN
The first "layer to act in a round7
LN,LLE*
See On Tilt7
LP)-5*S
22I
The e"osed cards in a "oker 'ame7
NI,O5ISH
- "ercenta'e etracted 6y the house to ena6le it to make a "rofit on the
'ame7
+-LH
Lettin' the 6lind win unchallen'ed7
+HEEL
See (icycle7
+HEN -LL THE )-5*S -5E OLT
The "oint when there are no more cards to 6e dealt7
+HIPS-+
The caller 6etween two "layers who are 6oth raisin'7
+I5E* P-I5
- "air on the first two cards in any "oker 'ame7
+O5L* POHE5 TOL5 =+PT?
Inno!ati!e mass>audience reality tele!ision "oker tour that has "o"ulari%ed
"oker7
22/


The Secret to Online Poker Success

Doyle Brunson's Super System 2 - A Course in Power Poker PDF

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