Theory of some popular card games by Media SafariBlackjack: Basic Strategy By Arnold Snyder Once you understand how to play blackjack, you can begin to learn how to play without losing money. If you make your decisions by playing your hunches, you will lose in the long run. There is only one correct decision for any given play, and that decision is based strictly on mathematics. Whether or not you should hit or stand depends on what the laws of probability predict to be your expectations for these possibilities. Mathematicians, using high speed computers, have analyzed each and every possible hand you might hold versus every possible dealer card up. Definition: Basic Strategy is the optimum way to play your hands if you are not counting cards. Depending on the rules and the number of decks in use, basic strategy will usually cut the house edge to no more than O.5 percent over the player. This makes blackjack the least disadvantageous game in the casino, even if you are not a card counter. To explain why the various basic strategy decisions are best would require extensive mathematical proof. Unless you understand the math, and have a high-speed computer to work it out, you'll have to accept basic strategy on faith. There is an underlying logic to basic strategy, however, which can be understood by anyone who understands the rules of blackjack. Why Basic Strategy Works In a 52-card deck, there are 16 1O-valued cards: four tens, four jacks, four queens, and four kings. (For purposes of simplification, when I refer to a card as a "ten" or "X," it is understood to mean any ten, jack, queen, or king.) Every other denomination has only four cards, one of each suit. You are four times more likely to pull a ten out of the deck than, say, a deuce. Likewise, the dealer's hole card is four times more likely to be a ten than a five. If you take a hit, your hit card is four times more likely to be a ten than an eight. Always assume the dealer's hole card is a ten. If his upcard is a 7, 8, 9, or X, you would assume the dealer has a "pat" hand, that is, he will not have to take a hit card. Thus, if you were holding a "stiff," any hand totaling 12 through 16, you would hit. If the dealer's upcard is 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, you would assume that he was stiff, and would therefore have to take a hit. If you were holding a stiff hand, you would usually stand in this circumstance, and let the dealer take the chance of busting. Similarly, if the dealer's upcard indicates he may be stiff, you would find it more advantageous to double down or to split pairs, thereby getting more money onto the table when the dealer has a high chance of busting. Basic strategy says never take insurance. Why? Because when you take insurance, you are simply making a bet that the dealer has a ten in the hole. Insurance pays 2-to-1. However, there are less than two tens for every one non-ten in a deck of cards. In the long run, you'll lose more money on insurance than you'll win. Using the Basic Strategy Chart Do not attempt to learn all aspects of basic strategy at once. Regardless of the number of decks or rule variations, basic strategy for any game is essentially the same. Since few casinos offer the late surrender option, you need not learn this unless you intend to play in those casinos. Since virtually no casinos offer the early surrender option, the basic strategy for this rule variation is at present of academic interest only. If you will most likely be playing in Reno, there is no use learning the soft doubling down strategies, nor any hard doubling down strategies, other than for player totals of 1O and 11. In most Northern Nevada casinos, you are only allowed to double down on 1O and 11. The basic strategy chart presented here is a "composite" basic strategy, good for any set of rules, and any number of decks. Actually, as these conditions change, some of the basic strategy decisions also change. Usually, these changes are for borderline decisions, and do not significantly change your expectation. I know a number of high-stakes pros who know only one basic strategy, and ignore the fine changes caused by rules variations and the number of decks in play. Two pair splitting tables are presented here. The first one assumes that you are not allowed to double down after splitting a pair. In most Nevada casinos, this is the rule. In a few Las Vegas casinos, and all Atlantic City casinos, players are allowed to double down after pair splits. If you plan to play primarily in Atlantic City, study the second table. Note that there are only a few differences between these tables. If you'll be playing in both Nevada and Atlantic City, just learn the first table, then brush up on the differences prior to your trips. In any case, you need to study and learn only one of the two pair splitting tables. Composite Basic Strategy (Good for any set of rules or number of decks) S = STAND D= DOUBLE DOWN $ = SPLIT › = SURRENDER Stand 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A 17+ S S S S S S S S S S 16 S S S S S 15 S S S S S 14 S S S S S 13 S S S S S 12 S S S A8 S S S S S S S S S S A7 S S S S S S S A6 Double Down 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A 11 D D D D D D D D D D 1O D D D D D D D D 9 D D D D Soft A7 D D D D A6 D D D D A5 D D D A4 D D D A3 D D A2 D D Pair Splits 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A AA $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 99 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 88 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 77 $ $ $ $ $ $ 66 $ $ $ $ 33 $ $ $ $ 22 $ $ $ $ With Double After Splits 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A AA $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 99 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 88 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 77 $ $ $ $ $ $ 66 $ $ $ $ $ 44 $ $ 33 $ $ $ $ $ $ 22 $ $ $ $ $ $ Surrender 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A 16 › › › 15 › Insurance NEVER! The charts are straightforward. The player's hands are listed vertically down the left side. The dealer's upcards are listed horizontally along the top. Thus, if you hold a hand totaling 14 versus a dealer 6, you can see the basic strategy decision is "S," or "stand." With a total of 14 versus a dealer 7, since "S" is not indicated, you would hit. Note: If your total of 14 is comprised of a pair of 7s, you must consult the pair splitting chart first. You can see that with a pair of 7s versus either a dealer 6 or 7, you would split ($) your 7s. Order of Decisions Use the basic strategy chart in this order: 1. If surrender (›) is allowed ("early" or "late"), this takes priority over any other decision. If basic strategy calls for surrender, throw in the hand. 2. If you have a pair, determine whether or not basic strategy calls for a split. 3. If you have a possible "double down" hand, this play takes priority over hitting or standing. For instance, in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, you may double down on any two cards .Thus, with a holding of A-7 (soft 18) versus a dealer 5, your basic strategy play, as per the chart, is to double down. In Northern Nevada, where you may double down on 1O or 11 only, your correct play would be to stand. 4. After determining that you do not want to surrender, split a pair, or double down, consult the "stand" chart. Always hit a hard total of 11 or below. Always stand on a hard total of 17 or higher. For all "stiff" hands, hard 12 through 16, consult the basic strategy chart. Always hit soft 17 (A-6) or below. Always stand on soft 19 (A-8) or higher. With a soft 18 (A-7), consult the chart. How to Practice Basic Strategy 1. Study the charts. Any professional card counter could easily and quickly reproduce from memory a set of basic strategy charts. Study the charts one section at a time. Start with the hard Stand decisions. Look at the chart. Observe the pattern of the decisions as they appear in the chart, close your eyes and visualize this pattern. Study the chart once more, then get out your pencil and paper. Reproduce the hard Stand chart. Do this for each section of the chart separately _ hard stand, soft stand, hard double down, soft double down, pair splits, an surrender. Do this until you have master the charts. 2. Practice with cards. Place an ace face up on a table to represent the dealer's upcard. Shuffle the rest of the cards, then deal two cards face up to yourself. Do not deal the dealer a down card. Look at your two cards and the dealer's ace and make your basic strategy decision. Check the chart to see if you are correct. Do not complete your hand. If the decision is "hit," don't bother to take the hit card. After you've made and double-checked your decision, deal another two cards to yourself. Don't bother to pick up your first hand. Just drop your next, and all subsequent, cards face up on top of the last cards dealt. Go through the entire deck (25 hands), then change the dealer's upcard to a deuce, then to a 3, 4, 5, and so on. You should be able to run through a full deck of player hands for all 1O dealer upcards in less than half an hour once your are able to make your decisions without consulting the charts. Every decision should be instantaneous when you are proficient. Strive for perfection. If you have the slightest doubt about any decision, consult the chart. To practice your pair split decisions, which occur less frequently than other decisions, reverse the above exercise. Deal yourself a pair of aces, then run through the deck changing only the dealer's upcards. Then give yourself a pair of deuces, and so on. Don't waste time with any exercise you don't need. Your basic strategy for splitting aces, for instance, is always to split them. You don't need to run through a whole deck of dealer upcards every day to practice this decision. Likewise, basic strategy tells you always to split 8s, and never to split 4s, 5s, or tens. You will learn these decisions quickly. Most of your study and practice for pair-splitting decisions should go toward leaning when to split 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s, and 9s. If you learn to play basic strategy, without counting cards, most casinos will have only a O.5 percent edge over you. In single-deck Las Vegas games, you will be playing even with the house. If you play blackjack for high stakes, it is wise to learn basic strategy, even if you are not inclined to count cards. Playing basic strategy accurately will greatly cut your losses. Simplified Basic Strategy If you do not intend to learn accurate basic strategy, you can cut the house edge to about 1 percent by playing an approximate basic strategy. Follow these rules. 1. Never take insurance. 2. If the dealer's upcard is 7, 8, 9, X, or A, hit until you get to hard 17 or more. 3. If the dealer's upcard is 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, stand on all your stiffs; hard 12 through 16. 4. Hit all soft hands of soft 17 (A-6) or below. 5. Stand on soft (A-7) or higher. 6. Double down on ten and 11 versus any dealer upcard from 2 through 9. 7. Always split aces and 8s. 8. Never split 4s, 5s, or tens. 9. Split all other pairs, 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s, and 9s versus any dealer upcard of 4, 5, or 6. 1O. Surrender 16 versus 9, X, or A. If you intend to learn to count cards, first learn to play accurate basic strategy. Once you know basic strategy, your decisions will become automatic. Assuming your brush up on your charts occasionally, you will not have to continue practicing basic strategy. Even when you are counting cards you will play basic strategy on four out of five hands. Basic strategy is your single most powerful weapon. Editor's Note: The strategy outlined by Arnold Synder appears in his book Black Belt in Blackjack. For ordering information, write: RGE Publishing 414 Santa Clara Avenue Oakland, CA 9461O. BASIC STRATEGY REVIEWED By Michael Cappelletti To win consistently at any game of skill, you must understand what the experts refer to as "basic strategy." Perhaps the best approach to the basic strategy of high Omaha is to think of it as a three-step process. Step One is evaluating your hand before the flop. You pick up your four cards and decide whether they are worth calling or perhaps raising before the flop. This is where most players go wrong _ by playing too loose. If you find yourself playing more than half the hands (counting the blinds), you are either holding unusually good cards or you are playing too loose. Step Two, upon seeing the flop, is to decide whether or not to get involved further. This is frequently the most difficult and complicated decision in Omaha. Your odds of hitting various combinations of "comes" often involves complex computations and making "human" judgments as to the likelihood of raises. Step Three is to decide whether you still belong in the pot for the double-sized bets after fourth street and fifth street (last card). Since your possibilities are fairly well clarified by the fourth card, this decision to compete with the big money should actually be easier than the complex delicacies of step two. How you play your cards after fourth and fifth streets depends mostly on your usual poker skills. And as in most other forms of poker, you have to be good at judging how what you have will fare against what your opponents are likely to have. Let's look further at the basic strategy involved in step one, which, although conceptually simple, is where most players go wrong. There is a basic principle common to all poker with blinds (versus antes), that you should not put your initial money into the pot unless you have a good starting hand. The basic strategy of step one in Omaha is to get involved only with hands that are likely to flop a playable hand more than 3O percent of the time. The importance of hitting the flop should be self-evident. It does you no good to have the best hand after fifth street, if you had to fold the hand after the flop. A flop is playable if it works with your hand so that you have at least one good come. We define a "good come" as a draw which is likely to hit (and frequently wins when it hits) about one third of the time or better. You should shy away from lesser comes (for instance, inside straights which are about 5-to-1 against with two cards coming) because of raise possibilities and the likelihood of bad percentage fourth-round situations. In Omaha, because you must use two cards from your hand, a good starting hand consists of at least several useful (of the six possible) TWO-card combinations. Although most good Omaha players simply eyeball their four cards and use their expert judgment to decide whether to play or fold, there are several mathematical approaches that allow you to evaluate the total potential of your hand before the flop with reasonable accuracy by adding up the six two-card potentials. One method, which is rather tedious but educational, is to calculate the likelihood of getting a playable flop and then estimate the likelihood of hitting and winning the hand. For example, suppose you hold the A_ Q_ and the 6_7_. Note that of your six two-card combinations (A-Q, A-7, A-6, Q-7, Q-6, 6-7 only the A-Q and the 6-7 have both straight and flush potential). Let's look at these two-card combinations to see how they contribute to your expectations of hitting the flop and winning. First we must approximate the odds of the A_ Q_ of spades winning the pot by making a flush. The board will flop three spades less than 1 percent of the time _ but will flop two spades about 11 percent of the time. But even this "nut" flush (highest overall flush) will sometimes lose to a full house or higher. Overall, the nut flush draw will win the pot for you only about 4 percent of the time. The A-Q will flop a high straight much less than 1 percent of the time (about .37 percent). This holding cannot flop a four-card multiple straight come. If only two of the three other straight cards are in the flop, conditions will often prohibit staying in to draw for the inside straight. But, high straights do seem to win a lot of pots, so let us estimate (less than) 1 percent wins for the A-Q making the high straight. The 6-7 holding will flop a straight (do not count the 8-9-1O "ignorant" straight _ it is seldom worth playing) less than 1 percent of the time. But a playable two-way or better straight come will flop about 8 percent of the time, which will become a straight (on fourth street or last card) about a third of the time (or more for many way straight comes). However, straights in general have a high mortality rate and lose close to 4O percent of the time (mostly when the flop contains two suited cards or a pair). Let's estimate about a 2 percent win rate for the 6-7 straight holding. And since they are both hearts, let's estimate about a 1 percent win rate for a flush (mostly the "backdoor" flush made on the turn or river). Seven high is not likely to win the "direct" flush competition. Finally, since none of the other four (A-7, A-6, Q-7, Q-6) two-card combinations have any straight or flush potential, let's evaluate the"single card" potential, or the likelihood of matching pairs or trips on the flop. Any single card will match a pair in the flop about .77 percent of the time. Thus, any four non-paired cards will make trips with a pair on the flop about 3 percent of the time. Any four cards will make two pairs with the flop about 12 percent of the time, but the two low pair should not be played (without other equities). Thus, trips plus the two high pair (about 4 percent) and the high and low pairs (which if played should be played very aggressively and often must be folded) altogether give you the standard "single card" potential of about 11 percent likelihood of post-flop playability. Having an ace and another high card and no real low cards probably improves your overall winning chances by a few percentage points. But note that even high trips require something good happening to win the pot (namely hitting a full house or no flushes or straights). Grasp this important message. There is no magic about what hands are likely to hit a good flop in Omaha. The frequency of getting a good flop is directly related to the number of good two-card combinations. Thus the frequency of getting a good flop with the example hand (A-Q-6-7) can be approximated as follows: Combining the 12 percent for flushes, 9 percent for straights, and the standard 11 percent "single card" potential, the overall likelihood of hitting the flop is slightly less than 3O percent (the mathematical probability is 1 - .88 x .91 x .89). This is a borderline hand but, because of the A-Q high-card potential, and two straight/flush potentials, you probably should make a loose call. Many hold'em players might even think this is a good hand. By using the above approximations, not only can you estimate your likelihood of hitting the flop, you can also roughly calculate the odds of actually hitting a good hand (which will frequently win). In the preceding example, the likelihood of ending up with a flush, straight or higher hand totals somewhere between 1O and 15 percent, but your odds of actually winning the pot are somewhat better, since more than a third of all hands are won with lesser hands (depending on the skill level of the players in the particular game). Using the preceding approach, any Omaha hand can be evaluated for both flop and final winning potential. Unfortunately, it takes quite a while to perform these calculations and hence this approach, while quite educational in retrospect, is not practical for evaluating hands at the table. In order to quickly evaluate the total potential of a four-card Omaha hand, it would clearly be more practical to have some simple systemic method for adding up the potential of each of the two-card combinations. Another approach is to formulate some appropriate value for each possible two-card combination (based on both flop expectation and overall winning potential) and then add up these values. A point count system in my book, that point count system is probably the fastest known method today for assessing the overall potential of a four-card Omaha hand (by simply adding the points of the six two-card combinations). Using my point count system, which recommends calling on hands that add up to 12 points (6 points for the A-x flush, 2 points for the 6-7, 2 points for the A-Q high cards, and 2 indirect "intangible" points for the straight/flush bonus). Whether you evaluate your initial four cards using some kind of mathematical device or simply by years of gut experience, the bottom line is you must play only good hands with depth (at least several good two-card combinations) to be a winner. Anyone who has experienced the last-card blues in Omaha knows that it is highly recommended to go into the last card with one or more good comes in addition to whatever temporary stuff you may be betting. GOOD COMES COME FROM GOOD STARTING HANDS. And that indeed is your basic strategy before the flop. Let us now turn our attention to step two, considered by most experts to be the toughest aspect of Omaha. First, a listing of the obvious good flop hits in descending order: щ Locks _ a straight flush or quads (these happen mainly in the movies or to somebody else). щ Board set _ trips (you have a card that matches the pair in the flop). щ Hidden set _ trips (one flop card matches the pair in your hand). щ Flush _ you hold the first, second, or third highest two-suited cards that match two or three of that suit in the flop. щ Straight _ you hold two (or more) proximate cards that work with two or three cards in the flop to make either a straight or one or more good straight comes. щ High two pair _ play aggressively (if there is a reasonable chance they might hold up to win the pot). щ High pair and low pair _ either play very aggressively if conditions seem favorable or fold. Basis strategy dictates that in an early position (where you have less opportunity to employ skill and where there might be raises) you should only bet or call with one of these hands _ unless a lot of money is in the pot to protect, like when the pot is capped before the flop. Often you will drop one of these hands because a higher threat is present; for example, you will avoid playing flush or straight comes if a pair is in the flop. Note that each of the above involves two or more cards in the flop working with your hand. Note also that we did not even mention the possibility of pushing the high pair. Omaha is not like hold'em. Because everyone has four cards, in an early position you always assume the worst and tend to play conservatively. Murphy's Law applied to Omaha is that somebody hits any given flop; for example, if a pair is on board, somebody matches it. Again, Omaha is not like hold'em. In late positions, you should be more opportunistic. Please remember that there is a significant difference between opportunistic and foolish. This is where much of the skill in Omaha comes into play. In late positions, you should look for at least two situations. First, if a single bet comes around to you, and no one behind you is likely to raise, you might venture a call when the pot odds justify your particular long shot. The classic example is drawing to an inside straight. In Omaha, your odds going in to fourth street are almost always better than you think: with four presumably good cards in your hand, seeing the fourth-street turn frequently presents opportunities that you might not have foreseen (depending, of course, on how well you know Omaha). Second, look for the old checked-around-to-you situation that heats the blood of all natural-born poker players. Just the fact that no one has taken the opportunity to bet means something, but what it means depends a lot on the players in the game. Without going into all of the various bluff possibilities, let's look solely at value betting. If you have as much as the high pair or any decent come, you can justify betting on values simply by noting that everyone will fold some percentage of the time. Moreover, someone with a come hand may call and not draw. If you don't bet, everyone gets a free card and both your odds of winning and the expected value in the pot go way down. If you are the timid type, perhaps you should think of it as being much more scary not to bet than to bet. Generally, in Omaha, you should fold after seeing the flop about two-thirds of the time. If you are getting involved after the flop as much as half of the time, you are probably chasing too much and losing money. On the other hand, the one-third of the time that you should be getting involved (this assumes that you are seeing the flop with only good hands) includes some rather borderline "combination hands" whose value only experts can appreciate. Part of the expert's edge is having advance knowledge of some of the more complex holdings unique to Omaha. Many medium-tight players fold hands that are clearly good percentage investments. Of course, the real skill is to understand the various factors involved and to be able to stay on top of the percentages. The best simple rule-of-thumb advice I can offer is this: think of each "indirect" two-card prospect _ for example, where you need a good card on both fourth and fifth streets to complete a flush or straight _ as approximately a 4 percent equity (admittedly an estimate). If these "indirect" potentials added to your other ("direct" single-card) prospects yield an adequate percentage of wins compared to the dollars in the pot, you might venture a loose call _ preferably in a later seat _ if you judge that a raise is unlikely. If a bad fourth-street card turns, you simply fold your half-bet investment. But if a good card turns, then you have earned the honor of being officially sucked in for the infamous Omaha last-card roulette. Thus, the essence of after-the-flop basic strategy is to get further involved with only good percentage hands. Once you do make the key decision to get further involved, tactics come into play _ especially in games where the after-the-flop bet limit is half the final two rounds bet limit. Depending on position and other conditions, it might be advisable to raise, even with some not-so-great hands. Raises in early positions tend to reduce competition; raises in later seats tend to get the betting checked around to you the next time (which might save fourth-round, maximum-bet money if you miss). Sometimes everyone folds your raise. Just remember when someone else is betting the flop that the last card in Omaha changes the winner more often than the last card in any other form of poker. Many players who are good at other forms of poker have to get used to the fact that a relatively large percentage of their wins will come from chasing. Quite frequently the driver (the lead bettor) is a vast underdog to the various chasers; therefore, maybe it's not so bad to be a chaser. So get with it, start playing those combination hands, but keep the percentages on your side. Editor's Note: Michael Cappelletti's book, Cappelletti on Omaha, has a simplified point-count system. Contact The Card Player for further information. How to Win at Seven-Card Stud By David "Chip" Reese Long before Mississippi riverboats became the favorite haunt of card sharks and tin-horn gamblers, poker was already ingrained into the American fabric. Over the years, seven-card stud has become the most popular game with poker players. It is probably more widely played today than all other forms combined. Because of that, there are literally millions of players who think they know and understand the game. But I wonder how many of you still think so after you read my approach to the game. It's difficult to fully appreciate the Machiavellian aspects of this particular form of poker. When approaching a game of seven-card stud, you have to take into account the betting and ante structure. For this particular article, I'm assuming we're talking in terms of $1O-$2O with antes between $1 and $4. I've made a special effort to explain seven-card stud as concisely as possible, without eliminating any important playing strategy or technique. What you have here is the meat ... with all fat removed, and the meat is filet mignon. STARTING HANDS Let's begin with the types of starting hands you are playing. These are predicated on the ante structure and fall into three distinct categories: 1. Premium pairs and trips: A pair of tens or better are what I refer to as premium hands. I call them that because they can stand up as winners by themselves. It isn't hard to recall the number of times I've started with a four flush or a four straight and been unable to beat two queens after all the cards were out. Three-of-a-kind on the first three cards (rolled-up trips) is, of course, the very best of the premium hands. 2. Drawing hands: Drawing hands are three flushes and three straights. Obviously, it's preferable to have the three flush since a flush is a higher ranking hand. Also, the higher the cards you have, the better off you'll be. An A_K_1O_ is superior to the 8_6_3_ because another ace, king or ten will give you a premium pair. In the same way, a three straight of K-Q-J is preferable to that of a 9-8-7. Also, your chances of making a heart flush when your first four cards are hearts is about 47 percent, while your chances of making a straight with a four straight in four cards is about 43 percent (.4716 percent versus .4288 percent). 3. Small pairs: Small pairs are nines down to deuces, and, again, the higher the better. However, one important factor in determining the actual value of small pairs is your additional card (kicker or sidecard). On many occasions, a pair of deuces with an ace is much more valuable than a pair of sevens with a four. A significant factor in determining whether to play an opening hand is your position in relation to the player bringing it in. I call the early positions those of the players forced to act first, second, third or fourth, while the late positions are those of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth players to act. Naturally, the later your position, the more advantageous. HOW TO PLAY PREMIUM HANDS If I'd played premium pairs, either concealed or split from any jack showing (representing two jacks) and another opponent has reraised the jack with a queen up, the chances are pretty good that I do not have the best hand. In this, or a similar instance (when I have two queens versus a raise from a king and a reraise from an ace), I would fold. But otherwise I would play my premium hand until the end. Since you only get the premium hands about seven percent of the time, you shouldn't waste the opportunities they present. These hands create your best money-making possibilities. On third street with a pair of tens through aces, your primary objective is to eliminate as many players as possible from the pot. When you have a premium hand that might stand up by itself, you want to narrow the field so you give yourself a good chance to win without any improvement. The general rule for raising with a premium pair in the first three cards is to go ahead and raise with it when there's only one (or no) higher upcards behind you; call when there are two or more. One of the most important principles in seven-card stud is that when you think you have the best hand, you want to get the players out of the pot rather than trying to get extra money in the pot (unless you have a really strong hand). Here's a good example: Your Hand Player "A" Player "B" Au Hole Card Hole Card 8_ Hole Card Hole Card A_ 6_ J_ 9_ Q_ 1O_ For the purposes of discussion, we'll assume there is the pair of aces with an eight kicker, catching the 9_ on fourth street. The original raiser (player "B") started with the spade jack and caught the 1O_. The other player ("A"), who started with the 6_ has picked up the Q_. You must now attempt to eliminate him ("A") so he doesn't stay around to pick up a fourth heart and present the threat of a flush. If you bet the ace, the player with the heart six, club queen might call, assuming the player with the spade jack and club ten would be afraid to raise it. He would usually be right in this assumption. The proper play is to check the ace (since you're first to act because you have the high board). Player "A" with the drawing hand will check also. Player "B" most likely will bet, figuring your ace represents part of a drawing hand. Then you raise, to force player "A" to put in a double bet trying to make a four flush. He probably won't call, realizing he's a heavy underdog, so you've accomplished your purpose. You now have two jacks (plus you've knocked out a player, putting dead money in the pot). The importance of this sort of play can't be emphasized enough. It's a very strong maneuver. Many times you'll lose a pot by merely calling on fifth street, letting in a straggler who might end up making a small three-of-a-kind or be successful with an inside-straight draw. Also, by raising on fifth street with good possibilities in the draw, you have achieved what seven-card stud is all about: getting in an extra bet when you should. The ideal premium hand is rolled-up trips, a hand with an excellent chance of standing up by itself against other premium hands that your opponents will be playing very strongly. HOW TO PLAY DRAWING HANDS Generally speaking, how you play your drawing hands depends upon two considerations: your position and your door card. A good example would be a three flush in hearts with the six of hearts showing and you simply call the first bet. You aren't giving away your hand because you could have anything. You want to get as many people into the pot as possible. By raising it, you would decrease your money odds on the hand, and it's likely you would have to make the flush to win. But remember, a drawing hand is not a premium hand and should not be considered as such. If two big cards ahead of you raise, you would not call the raise unless you have two big cards in the hole (as in the following example). This hand is always playable, even if the pot's double-raised in front of you. If the pot is raised twice behind you, you automatically throw your hand away -- if you have a three flush but don't have two big cards in the hole. However, if part of your three flush is a premium card, a queen for example, you have to consider the question,"What are my chances of winning this pot if I do not make the hand I'm drawing to?" If the queen is the highest card showing, go ahead and raise because it's possible that no one behind you will have a hand and you'll likely steal the ante. Additionally, you've also succeeded in creating an element of deception, the illusion that you might have two queens. Also if your queen-up is part of a three straight instead of a three flush, you have two other premium cards to pair. The final factor: if your queen is the highest upcard, it's very unlikely that there will be more than one raise behind you. That eliminates the possibility of your having to face a double raise in back of you. The principal here is: if you are less than two-to-one underdog to win the hand and you're getting three-to-one on your money, you can raise and take that kind of gamble all day, because you'll be getting the best of it. STEALING THE ANTE Stealing the ante is a worthless maneuver in low-ante structure games. In high-ante games, it is a necessity. The first reason for that fact being true is you must keep winning small pots to prevent the antes from draining you. The second reason is, not surprisingly, tied to the idea of getting value on your hands. You have to get caught stealing occasionally, and when you do, you put it into the other players' mind that you'll occasionally bet without a hand. When you eventually have a hand, you're much more likely to get paid off. But even when you are stealing the ante, you have to think about things. First, you must be in a late position. If no one has entered the pot ahead of you and your upcard is higher than any of the upcards of the few remaining players behind you, go ahead and raise in hopes that you'll get the pot. If you have a nine up in sixth position with a king in the hole and a player behind you has a king showing, you can try to pick up the antes. You should also be aware when an opponent may be trying to steal the antes. For example, you have a split pair of fives, with a queen and you're in last position. Normally, if a player with a queen up raises the pot, you probably would not call because of the chance that you're up against two queens. But if the raiser was in the steal (next to last) position, you might reraise him (re-steal) because your sidecard indicates that there's a fairly good chance that he does not have the hand he's representing. In trying to represent a hand, you're risking the possibility he might have two queens (or some other playable hand). But if he catches you (re-stealing), he'll more than likely come in with a marginal hand against you later. When you do happen to get a good hand against his slightly inferior hand, your opponent may remember you're a player who tries to steal antes, and he may give you more action than his hand warrants. Your image as a player who'll bet without a hand will get you that loose action. Although you don't bluff a lot in a regular game, you do want to bluff just enough so that people will pay you off and help you to get value out of your marginal hands. That's what makes the difference between winning and losing seven-card stud players. Winning players get the most value out of their hands. Every single pot is a separate money transaction. You have to get the most or lose the least in every hand that comes up. You must remember the axiom of successful seven-card stud play: get the most value you can out of your hand. The three factors in getting value are: 1. Betting for value. Suppose you've taken the lead all the way with two aces until the seventh card, but that is all you end up with. You have to think about what you are going to do. You know that going into the last card, two aces was almost certainly the best hand, but without improving you want to know if now you will be checking and calling, checking and throwing your hand away, betting and getting called, or calling a raise if you decide to bet. Once more, the important thing to know -- after the cards are out and you have a hand of one pair -- is how your opponent typically plays on seventh street. If your opponent is the type of player who will call with one pair, you have to feel obligated to go ahead and bet the hand yourself. For example, you should bet if you started with an ace, raised the pot, and bet the whole way, and he has been calling you with a king up (and a likely pair of kings). Ask yourself if he would call with a pair of kings in the hope that you were bluffing. If you believe the answer is yes, you should definitely go ahead and bet. Of course, if the answer is no, there would be absolutely no reason to bet the one pair. The only way you would get called by such a person is if he had you beat. 2. Raising for value: Suppose you're in the pot with two queens and your opponent has been representing two kings while betting all the way, and then he bets at the end. You look at your seventh card and you have made two pair. You also know that your opponent is somebody who would bet one pair on the end for value. Well, you think that he had two kings on sixth street, and whether he made three kings or kings up or failed to improve, he would be betting regardless. You have to appreciate the fact that queens up could easily be the best hand, but you wonder if it is worth the risk to put in an extra bet (raise). The first thing you have to consider before raising with queens up at the end is whether this particular opponent would think you capable of bluffing without a hand. If you don't think he would, then you just go ahead and make a flat call. The second thing to consider before raising is what does my board (Q-6-1O-2 offsuit) represent? If the board is not too powerful, then it would be pointless to raise. But if that same board contained three clubs, you can go ahead and raise, because it isn't very likely that you will be reraised unless your opponent has a full house and isn't afraid of a flush. 3. Calling for value. Often you feel that you've had the best hand all the way through, and your opponent (who is high, but has been checking) suddenly bets into you at the end. If he has shown himself in the past to be a player who will bluff in that situation, it is to your advantage to call. There are many times when you bet all the way with the best hand but fail to improve with any of your last four cards. You feel unlucky not to have helped, and are worried that your opponent drew out on you. But you are making a common mistake if you throw your hand away when he bets. In limit seven-card stud, the pot is usually so large by seventh street that it isn't worthwhile to try and guess when to call and when to throw away -- even if the pot is only heads up. If you even rarely make the wrong decision you are costing yourself money. So, if you feel you have the best hand or just might have the best hand, go ahead and call, assuming you don't face the threat of a raise by a third player in the pot. Don't play any guessing games on seventh street for any reason. There is obviously considerably more to seven-card stud than we've covered in this short space. But I hope I've shared sufficient information on strategy to encourage you to explore the game further. You'll find that you'll be amply rewarded financially and aesthetically for your time and effort. The truth is there are no shortcuts to winning poker. MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR CARDS By Lee Frome Many years ago, long before video anything, we played seven-card stud every Saturday. One of the regulars was Bernie, who coined a term that is very useful in the teaching of video poker expertise. When a novice player folded a ragtag hand, Bernie would chide the player for not recognizing that the hand - called a "razgu" - possessed particular qualities. How can you throw away a 2c 3s 7h 8h 1Od? That is a razgu and look how many possibilities it has! Of course, we all knew what Bernie meant and when the novice caught on to the joke, he appreciated that this was a lesson to be learned. If Bernie could spend a few hours in a video poker area, he'd be worn out quickly, running from machine to machine, telling player to trash those razgus, because they are below the level of a value we can expect when we draw five replacement cards. The term razgu therefore covers all the nonplayable, ragtag predraw hands we can be dealt, which should correctly be totally discarded. Knowing which they are is important, but the easiest way to develop this knowledge is to simply remember the lowest ranking PLAYABLE HAND and discard all cards if the hand doesn't measure up to this minimum playable hand. In Jacks or Better - full pay or 8/5 progressive - the minimum playable hand is the double-inside three-card straight flush with no high cards, such as 3h 5h 7h 8c 9c, in which we would hold the three hearts. As poor as it is, its expected value (average return considering every possible draw) is considerable higher than any alternative play. How do we know? By computer analysis and memorization only. Consider these apparently reasonable options: 1. Hold the three-card double-inside straight flush with no high cards. 2. Hold the three-card straight. 3. Hold the four-card inside straight. 4. Hold the two-card straight flush. 5. Play it as a razgu by drawing five new cards. Option 1, calling for a two-card draw, has 1O81 unique draws possible. This is figured as follows: The first card can be any on of 47, the second any one of 46 so there are 2,162 two-card combinations. Since the order of the cards is of no importance, half of these are identical with the other half. Thus only 1,O81 unique possibilities exist. These will be distributed as follows: ________________________________________ HAND PAYS WAYS TOTAL PAYOFF ST.FLUSH 5O 1 5O FLUSH 6 44 264 STRAIGHT 4 15 6O 3 OF KIND 3 9 27 TWO PAIR 2 27 54 HIGH PAIR 1 24 24 LOSERS O 961 O TOTALS 1,O81,479 EV = O.44 _________________________________________ The distribution of possible draws for option 5, a ragzu, drawing five new cards, shows 1,533,939 outcomes: _________________________________________ HAND PAYS WAYS TOTAL PAYOFF ROYAL 8OO 4 3,2OO ST. FLUSH 5O 23 1,15O 4 OF KIND 25 344 8,6OO FULL HOUSE 9 2,124 19,116 FLUSH 6 3,251 19,5O6 STRAIGHT 4 5,545 22,18O 3 OF KIND 3 31,5O2 94,5O6 TWO PAIR 2 71,8O2 143,6O4 HIGH PAIR 1 241,68O 241,68O LOSERS 177,664 O DRAWS 1,533,939 553,6O2 EV = O.36 __________________________________________ The EVs of options 2, 3, and 4 are all below O.36, so they should be termed razgus and totally discarded to realize a O.36 (36 percent) return. So if the 5h were a 5s in the hand above, the only play available would have been that of a razgu. The above analysis applies to Jacks or Better, exclusively. Each version of video poker has its own minimum playing hand and therefore its own definition of razgu. In Jacks or Better, about 3 percent of our predraw hands are razgu, but other versions have as much as 13 percent. Editor's Note: This article was adapted from Frome's new book AMERICA'S NATIONAL GAME OF CHANCE: VIDEO POKER. Poker Essays by Mason Malmuth Differences Between Stud and Hold'em Several years back, in one of the major cardrooms in Nevada, I overheard this conversation between a tourist and a floorman. "I just won $1O,OOO at keno, and I know poker," said the tourist. "But what game is this?" "This is Texas hold'em," replied the floorman. "It is a form of seven-card stud." "I know how to play stud," said the tourist, who promptly took a seat and, as expected, lost a good chunk of his keno win. Even though hold'em and stud do look similar, the two games are vastly different. In fact, it is hard to believe that two games which look so similar can be as different as they are. Yet very few people understand this. In my opinion, stud plays something like a poker game should play. In other words, if you think you have the best hand, you usually bet. But in hold'em, correct strategy often seems reversed from what at first appears logical. Let's discuss some of the distinct differences between these two games. Difference #1: Most of your luck occurs early in hold'em, while most of your luck occurs late in stud. In hold'em, your second bet is associated with seeing three new cards, but in stud, you get to see only one new card at a time. This means that there is a large element of luck between the first and second rounds in hold'em, while in stud, the opposite is true. On the other hand, because of the community cards, the amount of luck in hold'em is minimized on the later streets. For example, when the board pairs, both you and your opponent add that pair to your hands (assuming that this card does not make either of you a set, or perhaps a flush). Think about all the times in stud when your pair of aces does not improve and loses to two small pair. (In reality, there is more luck overall in stud than in hold'em. This is especially true at the higher limits where the ante structure is relatively large. However, this is not true on the early streets.) Difference #2: Kickers are more crucial in hold'em. In both hold'em and stud, kickers play an important role, but they are much more crucial in hold'em. For example, it is quite common in hold'em for two players to have the same general hand, such as two aces. The winner is usually the person with the better kicker. This means that the size of your kicker and how it relates to your other card becomes absolutely crucial in hold'em. In stud, if for example you have two aces on third street, your kicker has virtually no impact on how you play your hand. Of course, with other stud holdings - such as small pairs - your kicker can be critical in determining whether the hand should be played. But in general, this concept is much more important in hold'em. Difference #3: You get to see your opponent's last card in hold'em. Because of the community cards in hold'em, you are able to see your opponent's last card, which also happens to be your last card. This means that the expert player is often able to save or get an extra bet on the end, or even sometimes steal the pot. For example, if you are very sure that your opponent is on a flush draw, and if the appropriate suit hits, you can just throw your hand away. In stud, you cannot do this. The size of the pot will force you to call automatically most of the time. (This is another example of why there is more luck in stud later in the hand.) Difference #4: In stud you have to be concerned with how live your hand is. In Seven-Card Stud For Advanced Players, which I co-wrote with David Sklansky and Ray Zee, we show that it is sometimes correct to throw the best hand away. This would be when both of your pair cards are dead and one of your kickers is also out. This idea is of paramount importance to winning stud play. In hold'em, since all the private cards are dealt face down, whether your hand is live or not is a concept that plays virtually no role. Consequently, stud is much more tiring to play, since you must be aware of the cards that are out, especially on third street, and how these cards impact the strength of your own hand. In hold'em, it seems that there are times when you don't need to pay any attention to what is going on. This is virtually never true in stud. Difference #5: You need to check-raise more in hold'em. One of the problems with limit hold'em is that the bet on the flop can be very small when compared to the size of the pot. Consequently, a bet cannot always protect your hand, which means that it is often correct to try for a check-raise if you are in an early position and there are several players to act behind you. This is especially true if you think it is likely that the first bet will come from a late position. In stud, the situation is often very different. Large multiway pots are not as common. Part of the reason for this is that the typical stud game has only eight players, while the typical hold'em game has 1O players. This means that trying for a check-raise is much less likely to be correct, even though you don't steal the pot very often on fourth street. Difference #6: It is often correct to chase in stud. One of the problems with seven-card stud is that the pots quickly get very large, meaning that it is often correct to chase. Specifically, if it is correct to play your hand on third street, it is often correct to go all the way to the river, even if you are sure that you are up against a better hand. Hold'em is very different from this. Because the cards in the center of the table are shared by everyone, your chances of drawing out are much lower than they are in stud. Hold'em is not a game where a lot of chasing is correct. Difference #7: You can steal more pots in hold'em. Since it is incorrect to do a lot of chasing in hold'em, and since the majority of the time the flop is not helpful to any particular hand, there will be many opportunities to steal on either the flop or a later street. The situation is not the same in stud. Even though you can do some stealing on fifth street (where the betting limits double) ? and taking advantage of appropriate scare cards is absolutely crucial to winning play ? it is still not the same as in hold'em. For example, stealing on fourth street in seven-card stud is, in reality, only a rare event. Compare this to stealing on the flop in hold'em. Difference #8: Hold'em is much more of a positional game than stud. This should be fairly obvious to most people, since the blinds in hold'em always determine the order of the players to act on all betting rounds. In stud, the highest board determines who should act first, except on third street, when the person who has the lowest card showing is forced to enter the pot before anyone else. However, understanding the meaning of position and adjusting your play to account for it is still an important part of winning stud strategy. It is just that in hold'em, playing position correctly is even more important. Difference #9: There are more maniacs at the hold'em tables. This has a lot to do with the large element of luck that occurs early in a hold'em hand. Put another way, getting a little out of line before the flop at the hold'em table is not penalized as much as getting out of line on third street in seven-card stud. This accounts for the larger number of wild players that you see at the hold'em tables and in many ways, at least for some people, makes hold'em more fun to play. By the way, playing like a maniac, no matter what the game, will not win the money. It is just that playing in this fashion in hold'em, especially before the flop, is not penalized as it is in stud. Difference #1O: Ante stealing is more important in stud. This has to do with the small blind structure in hold'em when compared to the antes and bring-in in stud. I am primarily referring to the bigger stud games where the antes are proportionately larger than they are in the smaller (stud) games. This is not true in hold'em. Here, with the exception of some very high-limit games, the blind structure stays relatively the same. Difference #11: In stud, your most important decision is on third street; in hold'em, if you do not play well on the flop, you cannot win. In stud, someone who plays well on third street but just OK after that should still be a winner, especially if the opposition is not too tough. The same is not true in hold'em. If you don't play well on the flop and beyond, you will only break even at best. The reason is that in hold'em, your hand changes quickly between the first two cards and the flop. In stud, your hand changes much more slowly at first. In other words, the difference between two cards and five cards is much greater than the difference between three cards and four cards. Final Comment: I'm sure there is a great deal more that can be written about the differences between stud and hold'em. But remember, these two games are very different, and few people can really claim to be an expert in both. By the way, being an expert in both games is something you should strive for. This way, you will have many more opportunities to select good games. Gambling Theory and Other Topics by Mason Malmuth Special Note: A powerful force that occurs in tournament play where the money is distributed on a percentage basis is that the value of the chips that are present on the table is not constant from player to player. (This is not true in a regular ring game where each chip has the same value.) Specifically, the more chips you have, the less each individual chip is worth, and the less chips you have, the more each individual chip is worth. This extremely powerful idea, as we will see will have a major influence on proper tournament strategy. However, it needs to be noted that this force only becomes extremely significant late in a tournament, while early in a tournament it is not that crucial. The reason for this is that early in a tournament, a large stack is still only a small proportion of the total number of chips, while late in a tournament, a significant amount of the total chip pool can be present in one large stack. This means that early in a tournament the difference between the value of individual chips, when comparing a large and a small stack, may not be very much. But late in a tournament, this difference in chip value can be so significant that it can cause dynamic changes in strategy, when compared to a standard game, to become the proper approach. Concept: When you can't rebuy, try to survive - This can happen when you have won enough chips to put you over the rebuy threshold, the time allocated for rebuys has ended, or you are in a tournament that does not allow rebuys. Now your emphasis should be on surviving since the worst thing that can happen to you is to finish just out of the money. One misconception, which many players who know to survive have, is to play super tight. (In fact, super tight players don't do well in tournaments.) Surviving does not mean this at all. It means not to go for those extra bets and marginal hands which the very best players use to make extra profit. In some spots, one can actually play looser (see below). Also, the further along the tournament is, the more important it is to survive. For example, if the top eight players receive money, it is much more important to be in your survival mode if there are nine people left than if there are fifty people left. An exception to the above might be when you are above the rebuy threshold, but still have lots of time left to rebuy. Now you may want to continue to play fast, trying to get a big jump on your opponents. Concept: When trying to survive, stay away from the large stacks - When you are in your survival mode, usually after the early stages of a tournament, especially if you have a lot of chips, your only purpose should be to maximize your expectation, not maximize your probability of winning the tournament. This means that you should be very reluctant to get into big confrontations. Consequently, it is usually best to stay away from opponents who (also) have strong chip positions. This means, as has already been emphasized, that the best strategy is to often not play a hand for its maximum value. (There is no contradiction here. Survival means that you often give up those small edges which the expert players use in standard games to increase their expectation.) Remember, the price you pay to get maximum value is often a much higher standard deviation. When you are trying to survive, it is sometimes best to keep your standard deviation as low as possible. Concept: Avoid speculative hands when low on chips and you can't rebuy - Even though this concept should be obvious, it is probably violated by most players. When low on chips, don't be willing to play the very first hand that comes along. The problems with speculative hands, when low on chips are (1) if you complete the hand, you can't always get full value for it simply because you will often run out of money, and (2) when you can not rebuy, you should be in your survival mode and these are not the type of hands that one should try to survive with. Also remember that if your opponents are playing tight, which usually happens in tournaments, especially after rebuys have ended, the value of speculative hands, when completed, may not be as great as it normally would be. Concept: Don't go out with a bang in percentage payoff tournaments - We have seen that it is correct to rebuy when you are out or low on chips and that it is incorrect to rebuy when you have a lot of chips. As has already been mentioned, a logical extension of this, which can also be shown mathematically, is that, in percentage payoff tournaments, the less chips you have the more (relatively speaking) each individual chip is worth, and the more chips you have the less (relatively speaking) each individual chip is worth. This means that "going out with a bang" is totally wrong! You should try to "go out with a whimper." That is, try to make those last few chips last as long as possible. One of the most common mistakes that typical players make in a tournament is to raise on an early round putting themselves all in when they only have a marginal raising hand. The correct way to usually play in this spot is to just call and try to preserve enough chips to play another hand in case this one quickly becomes a loser. (The exception to this is if you believe that the raise will make it much more likely for you to win the pot or significantly narrow down the field.) This is clearly one of the most common mistakes that typical players make in poker tournaments. Another example is when a player has a calling hand and has a little bit more in chips than the call requires. Sure enough, it all goes in as the player raises. They would be so much better off trying to preserve this extra little bit, allowing them to play another hand in case they don't win this pot and their hand develops in such a way that they can quickly fold. Concept: Overplay hands against short stacks - Even though we know it is not correct, players on short stacks do tend to go out with a bang. In addition, their limited amount of chips will often stop them from getting full value from their hands. This means that against these players, who find ways to put their remaining chips in jeopardy, you can sometimes overplay your hands. Of course, this should be tempered somewhat if you are currently trying to survive. However, this is often the correct strategy even when you are trying to survive and is not inconsistent with the idea of survival. In addition, keep in mind that their chips are worth more than yours, meaning that you are receiving an overlay on your bets. Concept: Avoid major confrontations late in a tournament - Even though this idea has already been mentioned, let's look at a detailed example. Suppose late in a tournament there are three players left, call them A, B, and C, each of them has 1,OOO dollars, and first place gets 75 percent, second place gets 25 percent, and third place gets nothing. First note that each person has the same amount of chips, and assuming that they all are equally skilled players, each has the same probability of finishing first, second, or third, meaning that they each have an expectation of winning 1,OOO dollars. Now suppose Players A and B go all in against each other. Since we don't know their hands we assume that it is equally likely for either of them to win. That is they each have the same expectation. But what about Player C? Since he still has his original 1,OOO dollars, and he will now be against only one opponent who has 2,OOO dollars, player C's probability of finishing second will now be 2/3 while his probability of finishing first will still be 1/3. (Notice that he cannot finish third anymore since either player A or B has that honor.) This means that his expectation is now 1,25O dollars. 1,25O=(1/3)(.75)(3,OOO)+(2/3)(.25)(3,OOO) The point here is that by staying out of the major confrontation, Player C made money. Also, if Player C made money, Players A and B had to lose money. By going all in against each other, before the hand is decided each of their expectations have fallen to 875 dollars. 875 = 1OOO - (1/2)(1,25O- 1,OOO) This is just another example of how percentage payback tournaments really work. Clearly, the person trying to survive, especially late in the contest, is better off. Concept: Late in a tournament, if you are in a good chip position, be willing to make bets with seemingly negative expectation against a short stack - David Sklansky shows in his book Winning Poker that you should usually make bets on the end only when these bets win the majority of times that they are called. Even though this concept is certainly correct in a standard game, the mathematics of tournaments, where the money is awarded on a percentage payback basis, changes what is correct. Specifically, it often becomes correct to make bets which will lose the majority of times that they are called. The reason for this is the fact that chips change value in a tournament, depending on how many you have. Remember, the more chips that you have the less each individual chip is worth, and the less chips you have the more each individual chip is worth. This means that if you have a lot of chips and your opponent is on a short stack, he will actually be calling you with more money than you have bet, even though he will be calling you with the same number of chips that you have bet. In other words, in this situation, it becomes correct to make bets that lose the majority of times that they are called, even though in a regular game these type of bets would be incorrect. This idea is especially true if your opponent's call will put him all in and can eliminate him from the tournament if you do have the better hand. Also, the later in a tournament it is, the more powerful this concept becomes. Hold'em Poker For Advanced Players by David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth To simplify the presentation of some of the strategies to follow, the starting hands have been placed in appropriate groupings. The reason for this is that many of the hands in each grouping can be played roughly the same before the flop. The rankings are as follows with an s meaning suited and an x meaning small card. Note that a 1O is represented as T. Also, if no s appears then the hand is not suited. (This notation will be used throughout this book.) Group 1: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs. Group 2: TT, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK. Group 3: 99, JTs, QJs, KJs, ATs, AQ. Group 4: T9s, KQ, 88, QTs, 98s, J9s, AJ, KTs. Group 5: 77, 87s, Q9s, T8s, KJ, QJ, JT, 76s, 97s, Axs, 65s. Group 6: 66, AT, 55, 86s, KT, QT, 54s, K9s, J8s. Group 7: 44, J9, 43s, 75s, T9, 33, 98, 64s, 22, Kxs, T7s, Q8s. Group 8: 87, 53s, A9, Q9, 76, 42s, 32s, 96s, 85s, J8, J7s, 65, 54,74s, K9, T8. The First Two Cards: Early Position Hold'em is a positional game, perhaps even more so than any other form of poker. This is because the button determines the order that players act for all betting rounds. (The only exception to this are the blinds who act last on the first betting round but act first on all succeeding betting rounds.) Consequently, this means that the number of hands that can be safely played from an early position (which we will define as the first three positions to the left of the big blind in a ten handed game) is quite limited. Since you are out of position on all betting rounds you need a superior starting hand to make it worth playing. Specifically, in a typical hold'em game, if you are the first one in or if there is a call to your right, be prepared to play only those hands in the first four groups. In a loose game, you can add the group five hands, especially those which are the suited connectors. In a tough game, it is probably best to discard the Group 4 hands. If there is a raise to your right, and the game is typical or tough, then you should limit your play to only Groups 1 and 2 hands. Against an extremely tight player in a tough game, it may be correct to throw away some of the Group 2 hands such as AJs and KQs. If there is a raise to your right, and the game is loose, you should be able to safely play Group 3 hands as well. However, beware of AQ. Even in a loose game, this hand does not play well against an early position raiser if a lot of other players are still to act behind you. (Of course, if it was suited you would definitely play the hand.) If no one has yet called, almost always raise with AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQ. Part of the reason to raise with these hands is that they lose much of their value in large multi-way pots. Also, if no one has yet called, raise approximately two- thirds of the time with AKs, AQs, AJs, and KQs. The reason for sometimes calling with these hands is not only for deception purposes but also for the fact that they do play well in multi- way pots. However, because of the large blind structure in today's game which already encourages multi-way play, it is not necessary to call with them too much. In fact, against weak opposition, it is probably always best to raise with them since the deception that you are trying to gain by just calling won't do you much good anyway. The First Two Cards: Middle Position How you play your hands from a middle position, which we will define as the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions to the left of the big blind, is actually very similar to the play of hands from an early position. The main difference is that you can now play a few more hands since your positional disadvantage is not as great. This means that in an unraised pot, play all hands up to Group 5 or better when the game is typical or tough. In a loose, passive game, it is all right to play the Group 6 hands as well. Also, if you are not the first one in, try to consider how weak your opponents are. Specifically, the weaker your opponents, the more hands that you can play, or put another way, be more likely to play the marginal hands against the poorer players. If the pot is already raised, almost always reraise with AA, KK, QQ, AKs, and AK. In addition, occasionally reraise with other good hands such as T9s or 88. Also, if you are the first one in, raise with any hands which are in Groups 1, 2, or 3. This is also usually true if there have been callers to your right. However, when there are callers, don't always raise with the Group 3 hands. Specifically, if you hold a Group 3 hand, consider how well your opponents play, and whether you want a lot of players or a few players. If your opponents are strong, tend to call, otherwise raise. If you want a lot of opponents, such as with JTs as opposed to AQ, then this would be another time to just call (when you are not the first one in) with a Group 3 hand. The First Two Cards: Late Position On the button and in the position just to the button's right, (and sometimes in the position two to the button's right), much of what is correct play is quite different than what we have seen in the early or middle positions. One of the reasons for this is that you will have excellent position on all betting rounds which will allow you to make better decisions than what you can make in the earlier positions. This is simply because when your opponents check or bet, you have gained a great deal of information about their hands, while they do not have this type of information about your hand. Specifically, if you are the first one in in late position, any hand that you should play is always worth a raise. If there are already callers, raise with Groups 1 through 3 and sometimes 4. However, if there are a lot of players, do not raise with unsuited high cards, but, for reasons already mentioned, be somewhat inclined to raise with hands as weak as Group 5 if they are straight-flush combinations. Also, another reason to raise is if you think that it may "buy you the button." Being able to act last on every succeeding betting round is a major advantage. Sometimes, you can raise with some weaker hands in late position. This would occur if you are against one or (perhaps) two callers who did not enter the pot from the early positions and you have a playable hand that you would prefer to play against a small number of opponents. This would include hands like A7s, KJ, QJ, and even a hand as weak as QT. One of the reasons for this type of raise is that against weak opposition (and as usual you should always consider your opponents when making your playing decisions) it allows you to take control of the pot. That is if your opponent(s) does not flop a hand, a bet after they have checked, will often steal the pot for yourself if you also do not have a hand, especially if a high card has flopped. In addition, if you do not choose to bet, this raise may have gained you a free card. To call a raise cold, even when in late position, you still need a very good hand. However, if there are already several people in the pot, even though it has been raised, you can also play hands like T9s and 88. In addition, almost always reraise with any Group 1 hand. There is also a time when you would reraise with weaker hands, even as weak as Group 4. This is when your opponent is the first one in from a late position and he enters the pot with a raise. Notice that your opponent, like you would, may actually be trying to steal the blinds and a reraise on your part with reasonably strong hands becomes correct. (By the way, with the exception of AJ and KQ, only reraise with a Group 4 hand if your opponent is a weak player and you feel that you have excellent control over him. Otherwise, you are probably better off to limit yourself to Groups 1 through 3 for this play.) As above, if neither you nor your opponent flops a hand, your raise may now not only stop your opponent from trying to steal the pot, but may now allow you to do the stealing. Also, keep in mind in this situation, that the correct play on your part is to either raise or fold before the flop. It is almost never correct to just call. If dead last, that is you are on the button, and there are already callers, you can play Groups 1 through 7. However, if you have a small pair and you are against four or five callers, the correct play is to sometimes raise. This is another example of making the pot larger so that if you hit your hand, your opponents may be more inclined to call you with something like just overcards on the flop. In addition, they may all check to you, thus giving you a free card and another (small) chance to make your set. Also, this play is sometimes correct with small suited connectors. If no one has called, you can raise the blinds from the last position (button) with any hand in Groups 1 through 8. With a hand like Ace - weak kicker, you should still raise the blinds if they are either very tight or very weak players. When we say weak, we are thinking of a player who will let your ace win in a showdown. The First Two Cards: Live Blinds Playing your first two cards out of the blinds is very different form the other positions. This is because you have terrible position for the next three rounds, but this is somewhat compensated by the fact that you only have to call a partial bet. What this does is to make you play extremely tight in some situations but allows you to play extremely loose in others. Specifically, suppose you are in the (live) big blind, and no one else has raised. Now you should usually only raise with extremely good hands. Remember, in late positions, one of the reasons to raise was to help you to take control of the pot. However, this is much harder to do when you are first to act on the flop. Suppose you are the big blind, the pot has been called on your left and someone now raises on your right. Now you should call only with your better hands. This is because you can be reraised on your left. If a lot of players are in, you should play more hands, especially hands that have potential to make big hands such as straight and flush draws. This would include hands like A6s and 87 (offsuit). However, if the raise is on your left, you can call with more hands. This is because you do not fear a reraise. If the pot has been raised, and there are a lot of players, you can begin to play hands like 33 or 86s out of either blind position. And of course, you would usually reraise with hands like AA or KK when you are in either blind. But as already discussed, don't automatically reraise with a hand like AK (or QQ for that matter). One situation where big blind play changes drastically is when you are against a possible steal raise, that is a raise from a late position by a player who you feel would attempt to pick up the blinds with a weak hand. Remember, against a legitimate raise, you still need a fairly good hand to call. In fact, a good guideline is to call with essentially the same hands that you would normally cold call with if you were in a late position. But a steal raise is a different matter. Against weak opposition, who won't make good use of their positional advantage on the flop, you can call with hands as weak as Group 8 in the big blind. However, if someone else calls inbetween the two of you or if your opponent plays well, then you must tighten up some. But you can still play a lot of hands. Perhaps Groups 1 through 6. Many of the above comments apply also to the little blind. However, when the little blind calls a raise not only does he have to put a larger fraction of a bet into the pot, there is also still a player to act behind him. One situation where correct little blind play differs from big blind play is against a possible steal raise. Now if the little blind is going to play, (usually with a hand in Groups 1 through 6), he should just about always reraise. The purpose of this reraise is to drive the big blind out of the pot. However, if there is also a caller or a cold caller, then this play is probably not correct because you now know that at least one of your opponents is likely to have a legitimate hand. In addition, you should as usual, consider how well your opponent plays. Remember, the better he plays, the higher quality hand you need to make this type of play. Omaha Holdem Poker: The Action Game by Bob Ciaffone Proper Evaluation of Starting Hands Texas Holdem players taking up Omaha Holdem usually have these feelings about their ability to adjust to the game; "I know how to play all right once the flop is dealt, but I'm not sure what to look for in a starting hand." They may or may not be right about their competency from flop to finish, but the uncertainty about what constitutes a desirable starting hand is nearly universal. Good judgment before the flop is more important and harder to acquire in Omaha Holdem. "What you sow is what you reap" is an excellent adage when applied to Omaha. Before we discuss the correct method of evaluating starting hands, let us look at some incorrect views widespread among newcomers used to regular Holdem. "A four-card hand that contains a good starting hand for regular Holdem within it is a good Omaha hand." This view is not proclaimed out loud, but seems to be the criterion initially adopted by regular holdem players. They evaluate Jh Jc 6d 2s as being almost equal to a pair of jacks in regular holdem. I don't claim the hand is unplayable in all situations, but it is nowhere near as good as the beginning Omaha player imagines. Any hand with two useless-looking cards in it cannot be a premium hand at Omaha. "Two decent Holdem hands in one four-card holding are going to make a good Omaha hand." This is next level of sophistication past the beginner view, but it is also wrong. Look at this hand: As Qh 7d 7c. There are two decent holdem hands that compose it; Ace-Queen offsuit and two sevens. Yet this hand is a definite piglet at Omaha. The reason is the holdem player is only looking at two of the six possible card combinations present in this hand. He is forgetting about the other four combinations of As- 7d, As-7c, Qh-7d, and Qh-7c. This hand is actually worse than the two Jacks in our previous example, in my opinion. "A good Omaha hand is one where all four cards coordinate with each other." This statement is the only one that appeals to common sense, once you think about it. A hand with six working card-combinations is a super hand. For example, look at this hand: Qs Jh 1Os 9h. Every card has working value with all the other cards. It is easy to imagine some real powerhouse flops to a mountain like this one. If you flop two pair, you will also have an open end straight draw or a straight made. There are many flops that will yield a thirteen-way or seventeen-way straight draw. If we can turn a flush draw in addition on these flops, so much the better. Starting hands like this one are the most likely to produce a multiway hand on the flop, and the multiway hand is what we are really hoping for at Omaha. I think the following hands are close in value: Qs Jh 1Os 9h, Qs Qh Jh 1Os, and Qs Qh Js Jh. I will leave it up to the computer experts to give us their exact order of ranking. The important thing is the way the cards coordinate with each other. Naturally, the hand of Qs Jh 1Os 9h is worth more than 8s 7h 6s 5h, but the second hand is also a good hand even though the cards are lower in rank than the first hand. I want to take the flop with any hand composed of four-in-a row double suited, even 5s 4h 3s 2h, if the price isn't exorbitant. Another premium hand is two Aces combined with cards that coordinate with them. The best type of coordination here is to be of the same suit. Two aces "double-suited" is a great hand. Compare these two hands: As Ah 7c 2d, and As Ah 1Os 9h. The former hand needs to buy another ace to stay in contention; the latter hand has two nut flush-draws and some straight-draws to lend additional value to the Aces themselves. Of course, if you can get heads-up against someone when you have two junky-looking Aces, I like your chances. However, to raise the pot on a hand that probably needs to turn a set in order to win is not good poker. It is next to impossible to ram two Aces through in a limit Omaha game, and often difficult at pot limit also. Only at no-limit are two unsupported Aces a big hand, and no-limit Omaha games are a rarity. Sometimes a hand is very likely marked with two Aces because of heave pre-flop betting. This is especially true at pot-limit play when a solid player puts in a raise of the maximum amount. In these cases an opponent will usually back with his whole stack any hand that has out-flopped two Aces, or has a good chance to beat them. When the aces have managed to flop a big hand with the other two cards, the opponent is going to get a rude surprise. It's really sweet when you flop a set or a straight. Obviously it is much easier to flop a big hand if your sidecards are paired or a useful-looking combination like J-1O than if they are unrelated. Being suited can also have surprise value. When the Aces flop a flush draw, this can be instrumental in misleading an opponent into playing for all his money in an adverse situation. You should look closely at the two supporting cards in evaluating an Omaha hand with two Aces (or any big pair). Omaha is definitely a four card poker game! It would be nice if we could pick up lots of hands with two double-suited Aces or four-in-a-row in every Omaha session. However, these hands are hard to come by, so we must bend a little in our requirements. Otherwise we will be in the same category as the Texas Holdem player who only enters the pot with A-A, K-K, Q-Q, or A-K. In other words, we are liable to ante off all our money and not get played with when we bet. Four in a row is nice, but suppose there is a gap in the hand somewhere. Which one of these hands is the most playable: J-1O-9-7, J-1O-8-7, or J-9-8-7? The answer is that they are listed in descending order of value, because if a card on the board hits in the gap, we would like to have more of our cards higher-ranking than lower- ranking. I think that J-1O-9-6 may be a better hand pattern than J-9-8-7 for this reason, despite having a wider gap in the rank of the cards. Masque Publishing offers other superb gaming products to our customers. We accept VISA and Mastercard orders over the phone. All prices are subject to change and do not include shipping and handling. For more information on placing an order print the file ORDER.TXT. Thanks for choosing Masque Publishing. COMPUTER SOFTWARE Gaming Software Masque Blackjack (CD, 3.5") --------------------------- Available for: Windows, DOS $39.99 Awards: Windows Top 100, Windows Magazine Features: * On-line strategy tables * Programmable house rules and game parameters * Strategy and Card Counting practice drills * Strategy error warnings and recordings * Statistical evaluation of your play * Strategies by the world's foremost blackjack strategist, Julian H. Braun * Four strategies encompassing basic and advanced play both for single and multiple deck "Simply the best tool to help anyone learn the game", Casino Player Magazine. 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"Shadows of Cairn offers plenty of action, a little adventure and a lot of character." Computer Gaming World. 5 Game Super Pak (CD, 3.5") --------------------------- Available for: Windows $39.99 The 5 Game Super Pak is a collection of five universally popular games throughout the world. * Solitaire Antics 21 of the best solitaire games ever invented, each with 3 levels of play. features over 55 animations. * ChessNet 3 Play against the computer at various levels or challenge friends via modem, network or Internet. You can also send and receive messages while playing. * Blackjack Realistic casino blackjack play with programmable house rules! * Video Poker Video poker, the most popular form of gaming in Las Vegas today! * Caribbean Stud Poker universally regarded as one of the hottest new casino game to come along in ages! 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View and save an entire conversation * Improved communication capabilities to afford you the most reliable communication and data loss prevention * Built in terminal emulator Multimedia Kaleidosonics (CD, 3.5") ----------------------------------- Available for: DOS $24.99 Awards: Finalist Best Audio / Soundtrack of the Year, New Media Magazine * Endless combinations of screen creations * User programmable default settings * 2D and 3D objects and polyhedrons * 3D object image recursion, texture mapping and rotational controls * Multiple object images and reflection modes * Image mirroring in multiple axes; translucency options; screen roll modes * Object movement controls, zooming and anchors * Background shatters * Speed and brightness controls * Original musical score is a rich combination of new age and jazz fusion. Play any music CD of your choice with the program * Better than any screen saver, it is truly relaxation software Solitaire Antics (CD, 3.5") --------------------------- Available for: Windows, DOS, Macintosh $24.99 * 21 of the best solitaire games ever invented, each with 3 levels of difficulty * Over 55 animations with multimedia sound. Animated ants randomly appear on your screen. They may be brought to life upon demand or turned off at any time * Choose from 4 decks; Normal, Tarot, Mayan or Miniature * Select from 256 color or bitmap backgrounds * Easy to use "double click" interface greatly facilitates game play * Includes the new Royal Family card game especially created for the enjoyment of children BOOKS BY GAMING'S MOST RESPECTED EXPERTS The Best Poker, Blackjack and Craps Books Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players ---------------------------------- by: David Sklansky & Mason Malmuth; The definitive work on Texas Hold'em. Their #1 best selling book! 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(181 pg) $29.95 Getting the Best of It ---------------------- by: David Sklansky; Basic math, probabilities, poker, blackjack other casino games, sports betting and general gambling concepts. (248 pg) $29.95 Gambling Theory and Other Topics -------------------------------- by: Mason Malmuth; Discusses risk, bankroll, win-rate accuracy, best blackjack count, setting up in tournaments, building pyramids and much more. (273 pg) $29.95 Poker Essays ------------ by: Mason Malmuth; Covers general concepts, technical ideas, tournament notes, poker quizzes, limit versus no-limit, tight play and much more. (262 pg) $24.95 Blackjack Essays ---------------- by: Mason Malmuth; Assumes the reader knows how to count cards. Covers theoretical concepts, biases, mistaken ideas, supplemental strategies, advice and more. (224 pg); $19.95 Winning Concepts in Draw and Lowball ------------------------------------ by: Mason Malmuth; The ultimate for anyone trying to master these games. 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(2 pg) $3.95 Double Bonus Poker ------------------ by: Lenny Frome; A popular addition for your casino library collection. (2 pg) $3.95 Fundamentals of Video Poker --------------------------- by: Mason Malmuth & Lynne Loomis; Covers the most important strategy considerations for Jacks or Better, Tens or Better, Deuces Wild and Joker Wild. (70 pg) $3.95 GREAT GAMING VIDEOS How to Beat Winning Hold'em Players ----------------------------------- by: Ben Tracy; For players who dramatically want to improve their game. Interviews with winning hold'em players. "If you want to improve your game, this video is well worth watching." Poker Authority Mason Malmuth. (56 mins) $39.95 Sklansky, The Video ------------------- by: David Sklansky and Ben Tracy; David is considered by many to be the world's premier poker author, strategist and analyst. "Watching this video is like taking private lessons from David Sklansky." 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The time to throw away a big pair is when you are positive that you are against a bigger pair or when your cards are dead. However, you should throw away a pair of tens or jacks if there are several overcards still to act behind you and if your kicker is weak. Here is an example of the last concept. Suppose you have 4s Ts Th and there is a queen, a king, and an ace behind you. The correct play normally is to fold (unless the ante is very high). Another time that you should throw away a big pair is when the pot has been raised and reraised, and both players have higher exposed cards than your pair. In fact, you often should throw your hand away with just a raise and a call from the same upcards just described. Here's an example. You have Jh 6s Js An ace raises and a queen calls. Unless you know these players very well (and know there is a good chance that they do not have what they are representing), you probably should throw your hand away. Even if you know your opponents well, calling is extremely marginal. If you have a big pair but two or more unduplicated upcards higher than your pair are behind you, you probably should fold if your kicker is poor and if you don't have a two flush. However, if your kicker is good and is one of your downcards, or if you do have a two flush (even if your kicker is poor), go ahead and call. If your kicker is up and it is the highest card on board, then you usually should raise. Notice that this is consistent with our ante stealing requirements. Also notice that having the additional out of the two flush makes your hand playable. Having an additional out, no matter what the form of poker, is often enough to make your hand significantly more valuable. One undesirable situation that sometimes develops is that you will raise and a higher card behind you will reraise. If you have a higher kicker than his upcard, you should call and be prepared to go to the river. Without a higher kicker, fold if it is unlikely that this person would raise you with anything but a higher pair. Otherwise call. Playing Small and Medium Pairs The first thing to keep in mind when you have a small pair is that these hands are much worse than big pairs. For instance, a pair of eights is significantly weaker than a pair of queens. This is especially true if your kicker is also small. Here's an example. Suppose a deuce brings it in, and you are next with: 7c Jd 7s Automatically playing this holding is a big mistake. To determine whether a small or medium pair is playable when you are not in a steal position, you must consider the following six factors: 1. How high your kicker is. 2. Whether your cards are all live. (If one of your pair cards is out, you rarely should play. If one of your kicker is out, it still might be worth it, but not if two of them are gone.) 3. What the other upcards are. 4. What the game is like. 5. Whether your pair is in the hole. (It is usually better if the pair is in the hole, but the reverse may be true if you have an ace or a king kicker.) 6. Whether you also have a two-card flush, especially if the flush cards are live. (Also, it is slightly better for the two-card flush to be in the hole.) The two most important factors are the size of your kicker and whether your cards are all live. How high does your kicker have to be? The answer is that it needs to be higher than any card on board (but if it isn't an ace or a king, it is not that strong). Now suppose you have a medium pair, such as two nines. If there are no cards or only one card behind you higher than your nines, go ahead and raise, no matter what your upcard. Another time that you should raise is when you have a concealed small or medium pair and the highest upcard, and you are the first one in. Notice that this is consistent with our ante stealing strategy, and be happy if you just get the antes. If it is raised ahead of you and you have a concealed pair lower than the upcard of the raiser, you usually should fold if there are any players behind you with unduplicated upcards higher than the raiser's upcard. One of the reasons why you should fold in this spot is that you can be raised again. Another reason is that since the raiser was looking at higher upcards and still raised it means that he probably has a real hand. Playing Three Flushes Another set of quality starting hands are the three flushes. However, not all three flushes are the same. Some three flushes are virtually always playable while others should usually be immediately discarded. A few three flushes can be played very aggressively while others can only be played if the cost is kept to a minimum. And some three flushes play well head up while (most) others usually prefer a crowd. As you can see, correct strategy for three flushes is quite varied. To begin with, there are three things that you should consider that help determine how and whether you play your starting three flush. They are your position, your door card, and how many of your cards are out. As we shall see, what seems to be small differences in these three parameters can greatly impact the proper approach to these hands. For instance, if you have a three flush where none of your suit is out, it is almost always playable unless you have three small cards and it is three bets to you or two high cards raise and reraise. If three of you suit is out your three flush is just about always unplayable. An exception is if it can be played as an ante steal or if the hand has value besides the three flush aspect of it. In addition, a possible straight draw or high cards can give a three flush value. In fact, even if your cards are completely live if you are head up against a raiser and your three flush contains all small cards you might want to fold especially if you are against a good player. But if the raiser may not have anything now it is clearly a call. If you have a three flush and it has one card above the raiser's door card then you should always at least call unless your hand is not very live. This is true even if you are fairly sure that you will be head up against a probable big pair. If you have a three flush and two big cards ahead of you raise and reraise you can play only if you have at least one card over theirs. Here's an example. Suppose a ten raises, a queen reraises, and you have: Ks 2s Js Go ahead and play as long as your cards are live. If it was just a raise and a call then you could play any three flush if your cards are live. However, if your three flush is small and two of your suit are out you should usually throw your hand away. To play a three flush with two of your suit elsewhere on the board you usually need big cards. Playing Three Straights The next class of starting hands that we will look at are the three straights. Obviously, they are not usually as good as the three flushes. However, three straights in the right spots can be profitable hands. When deciding whether to play a three straight, you must consider the following eight factors. 1. How high your cards are. 2. How live your straight cards are. 3. How live your pair cards are. 4. Whether you have a two flush. 5. The other cards on board. 6. Who is already playing. 7. How much it is to you, that is whether you can play for the bring-in, one bet, or two bets. And, 8. The ability of your opponents. Needless to say, the more favorable these factors are, the more you should be inclined to play. In fact, if the factors are extremely favorable, you may even want to raise. If you have a three straight (without a gap) and three of your straight cards are dead you definitely should not play unless you have a good chance to steal the antes. If two of your straight cards are dead, you probably should not play, especially if other considerations (such as how high are your cards) are not favorable. Super System by Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson No Limit Hold'em A-A and K-K how to play before the flop With a pair of Aces or Kings in an early position before the flop...I would probably limp-in with them (just call the Blind) hoping that somebody would raise it behind me so I could re- raise. In a middle position - if nobody in the early seats came in - I would play them the same way. But, if somebody in the early seats did come in...I'd put in a raise with them (of about the size of the pot). In a late position, I'd obviously raise with them and hope that somebody trailed their hand around to me - that is, slow- played their hand so they could re-raise me. If they did, I'd play-back, of course, and might move-in depending on the circumstances. If I did play-back and got about half my money in the pot before the Flop with two Aces or two Kings...there'd be no question that I would get the rest of it in on the Flop - regardless of what came on the Turn. Nothing could stop me. If my opponent didn't set me in on the Flop...I'd move it all in myself. The reason I'd do that is because there are too many ways I could outguess myself...and I'm not going to try. If I get either of those big Pairs cracked...well, I'm just going to have to lose my money. A-K - how to play before the flop I've already mentioned that I'd rather have Ace-King then either a Pair of Aces or a Pair of Kings. A lot of players will probably find that surprising. But it's not. You'll soon see why. Of course, I know that an A-K would never outrun A-A or K-K if you played them against one another hot and cold. An A-K couldn't even beat a Pair of Deuces. But, I'm not talking about playing hot and cold here. Now...I'm talking about playing Poker. An A-K is a "better" hand than two Aces or two Kings for two very important reasons: (1) You'll win more money when you make a hand with it; and (2) You'll lose less money when you miss a hand with it. And I can't think of two better reasons than those to prefer an A-K over the very big Pairs. The reason why you can make more money with an A-K than with two Aces (or Kings) is because it's a drawing-type of hand as opposed to a made hand. I mean, you don't have anything with an A-K unless you flop something. So you can get away from it real easy. You're not tied-on to it like you might be with a Pair of Aces (or Kings). And that's why you'll lose less money with it. Ace-King is also a more flexible hand (in the way you can play it) as you'll soon see. There's also a big difference between A-K suited and A-K offsuit. (Any time the cards are suited it's a somewhat stronger hand than when they're offsuit. This is especially true with A-K because you can make the nut Flush.) The big difference between the two hands is that it only takes three cards to make a Flush with A-K suited. True, you can make one or two Flushes with A-K offsuit...but it takes four cards to make either one. That's a lot harder to do. And, with one of them (the Flush you might make with the King), you may not have the nuts. In the discussion to follow, the difference between the two hands is sometimes ignored. That is, I'm going to suggest playing them the same way. But, you should always remember that A-K suited has more value than A-K offsuit...and it can always be played a little stronger. The reason why A-K is more flexible than A-A or K-K is because you can play an A-K in the lead or you can play it slow to raise with it. Also, I'd play A-K from any position for a reasonable size bet. And, on occasion, I'd get all my money in before the Flop (as I'll very shortly discuss). Specifically, in an early position, I'd bring-it-in (raise the Blind) for whatever the normal bring-in was for that particular game. If I was raised, I'd probably call...although I don't like to call a raise with A-K (as most players do). I like to raise with it. If I was in a middle position and someone else had brought - it-in...I'd just call with it. I wouldn't raise because I'd probably be raising just one man. I'd want at least another player to come in. In a late position, I'd probably raise with it - especially if I was on the Button. There are times I might even move all-in with A-K. Let's say I brought-it-in in an early position and a couple of people behind me just called. When it gets to the guy on the Button...he raises. Well...if he did that, I'd think he was trying to pick-up the pot since he'd probably think the only person he had to come through (worry about) was me since the two people behind me showed weakness. So I might move-in in that situation. Or, if I was on the Button, and three or four people were already in the pot...I might move all-in. At that point, I'd be trying to pick the pot up...even though I'd know if I got called I'd probably be an underdog. How to Play a Pair of Queens I've put a Pair of Queens in a separate category for the simple reason that it's a particular hand that deserves special treatment. You'll soon see why. When I get two Queens in the pocket...I play them very carefully. I try not to play them too strongly from any position. Unless a good situation arises...I don't want to move-in before the Turn with two Queens. By a good situation, I mean that I'm in a very late position (possibly on the Button) and four people have called a raise in front of me. Here, I might try to shut them out by moving-in. I'd be using the combined strength of my pair of Queens and my position. If you're up against two Aces or two Kings with a Pair of Queens...you're about a 4 1/2 to 1 underdog. And, if you're up against A-K...you're only a little better than a 6 to 5 favorite. When people go all-in before the flop...they usually have one of those three or four hands. So, your money's in a lot of jeopardy when you get it all-in before the Turn with two Queens. If you get called, you'll usually be up against A-A, K-K or A-K...in which case you'll be a big dog or just a small favorite. You can pick a better spot than that to get all your money in. That's not to say two Queens don't have a certain amount of value. They do. They're a considerably better than average hand. But, for the reason I just mentioned, I seldom raise-back with a Pair of Queens from any position...unless it's an unusual situation. But, I will raise (the Blind) a reasonable amount with two Queens from any position if nobody else raised in front of me. In a middle position, if somebody raised in front of me...I'd just call ? as I would with any Pair. I'd just call with them in a late position, too. I wouldn't re-raise (except as I mentioned). How to Play Any Pair other than Aces, Kings or Queens I'm going to call all the Pairs from Jacks down to Deuces a small Pair (except when I name a particular pair). However, it's obvious that the bigger the pair is...the more valuable it is. And that principal extends all the way down to the very small Pairs. That is, a Pair of Fours is better than a Pair of Treys for the simple reason that when the flop is 4-3-2, if someone turned 3-Fours he'd be a huge favorite (about 22 to 1) over someone who turned 3-Treys. I also have a breaking point that I use in my play with a Pair of Jacks, Tens and Nines. I mentally segregate them from the other small Pairs and I play them a little stronger than the others. I do it simply because they are bigger Pairs and it's pretty easy for three Rags to fall. When that happens...you'll have an overpair. But, if you've got two Fives or two Sixes, it's hard for a Turn to come without there being at least one overcard. And, with an overcard out there, your hand is kind of dead so you don't want to get too much money involved. Progressively, then, each Pair is a little bit better than the others...but I play them all as if they were a small Pair. Before the flop, with any of the small Pairs (except Jacks, Tens, and Nines)...I'd limp-in (call the Blind). If somebody raised it from an early or middle position...I'd call it. I wouldn't re-raise. I'd almost always take a Turn with any small Pair. I'd be trying to turn a Set so I could break somebody. With a Pair of Jacks, Tens or Nines...if somebody raised from an early position, I'd probably just call. But, if it was raised from a middle or late position...I might re-raise with two Jacks, Tens or Nines if I felt the raiser was weak. One of the reasons I like to play the small Pairs from any position is because they give me the opportunity to slow-down and not appear to be overbearingly aggressive when it might work against me. They also give me a chance to show a little respect for a particular opponent. How to Play Small Connecting Cards Before the Flop This is the hand I'm looking for when I play No-Limit Hold'em. Small connecting cards (suited) - the 7s-6s, 8h-7h, 5c- 4c. That's the kind of hand I want. It's my favorite. And when I get it...I want my opponent to have two Aces or two Kings and to believe (as I don't) that he should play them slow. If he holds that opinion he'll give me the opportunity to get a Turn. And if I do...I can break him. That's the whole thing about the small connecting cards. I'll come in with them in an early or middle position. I might come in for the first bet (or, as you now know, even the second if I think I can win a real big pot). I probably won't raise with this kind of hand because I don't want to get shut out of the pot. If I raise...and somebody else re-raises - I probably won't be able to play it. Or, if I have to call a double raise cold...I probably won't be able to play it there either. There are exceptions, as always...but, in general, I play the hand so I can get a Turn with it. Small connecting cards are a hand that's not designed to put a whole lot of money in with before the Flop. It is a hand that's designed to take a lot of flops with. You want to get a Turn with them to try to make a little Straight, a little Set of Threes, a little Two-Pair...or something. With any two cards to a Straight-Flush (connected or not - except for the top and bottom cards of a Straight-Flush such as the 8s-4s, Jh-7h, etc.)...I'd come in in any position. In a late position...I'd raise with them. I'm really looking to get raised when I come in with this hand in an early or middle position. In fact, I hope someone has a big Pair in the hole and raises behind me. Then, I can put a relatively small amount of additional money in the pot...and, if I get a Turn - I can break him. The beautiful part about having the small connecting cards is that if you don't get any help...you throw them away. If the Turn comes 9-9-2, for example, you don't get involved with a 7-6. You're through. MIKE CARO POKER SEMINAR . 1O COSTLY POKER MISTAKES YOU CAN AVOID FROM NOW ON 1. Betting a marginal hand into a habitual bluffer. It's much more profitable in the long run to check and call. 2. Calling weak-appearing hands when opponents unexpectedly raise. An unexpected raise from a hand that looks weak is seldom a bluff. Unless you have specifically seen this opponent make this type of daring raise without a stong hand, save your money. Pass with medium strong hands. 3. Treating a short-handed ante game the same as a short-handed blind game. The bunching factor means you should expect the blinds to hold stronger-than-usual hands when other players have already passed. But in short-handed games, your're in a late position automatically, not because others have passed. This means the bunching factor is less important in a short-handed game, so you should attack the blinds more liberally. However, with antes and no blinds, a short-handed game may call for more conservative play than in a full-handed game. That's because, while the absence of the bunching factor still means opponents have weaker hands on the average than they would if many other players had already passed, this factor is overwhelmed by the reduced amount of incentive (money in the pot) when the hand begins. 4. Playing tight and not bluffing often enough. One of the primary benefits of a conservative (i.e. tight) strategy is that you can be more successful bluffing. 5. Playing loose and not value betting enough. One of the primary benefits of a liberal (i.e. loose) strategy is that you can value bet with great success. Value betting means to push a hand for everything it's worth and get calls from weak hands that would normally fold against a tight player. 6. Spending your bankroll. If you ever decide to treat poker as a profession, you're ready to think of your bankroll as a necessary piece of equipment for running your business. Don't spend parts of it needlessly. Doing so will jepordize your chances of staying in business. 7. Bluffing after frequent bluffers have checked into you. One reason a bluff succeeds is that players with worse hands pass. This means that if timid players check into you on the final betting round, you can sometimes bet and they'll throw away almost-hopeless hands that would have bearly beat you. But when frequent bluffers check, thay probably don't have the kind of hand they must throw away (because they would have bet out of desperation). So, they're more likely than usual to have hands they'll call with. Don't bluff! 8. Value betting when you're losing. One of the secrets to successful value betting is an intimidating image. When you're losing, you don't have that image. 9. Fancy Play Syndrome. Many skilled players yield to their urge to impress weaker opponents. FPS sufferers are always trying to use tricky plays against weak opponents, even though the more obvious plays are usually more profitable. 1O. NOT raising in seven-card stud when you have a medium buried pair and the high card on board. It's clear that raising is the most profitable strategy for such a starting hand. Since the opportunity to make this play comes up frequently, failure to raise can be expensive in the long run. . 1O AMAZING PLAYS YOUR OPPONENTS DON'T KNOW ABOUT 1. Bet a quality pair MORE willingly in hold'em when there are two suited cards on board after the flop. This agressive approach denies opponents a free card if they're flushing. If you want to be fancy by slow playing that big pair, do it when all suits on board are different. 2. In seven-card stud, down the river, when a sophisticated player bets into you with a small pair showing, you CAN raise with a flush. This assumes that your opponent knows there's a good chance you were trying for a flush (usually because your first two upcards were suited and you've just been calling). Sophisticated players often bet daringly when they have two pair or trips, hoping you'll call with a pair big enough to beat the one they have showing. The majority of these players have the obnoxious habit of usually betting for value without a full house or better, but usually check-raising when they can beat your flush. This means you should often go right ahead and raise with your flush. 3. For much the same reasons (see #2), you can successfully bluff by raising if you miss your flush. You probably won't win most of the time, but opposing laydowns will be frequent enough that you'll make a profit in the long run. 4. In hold'em, when you've flopped top pair and sucessfully been called by several opponents, you should check on the turn if the board pairs a medium rank. Then you should usually fold if bet into! Typical (i.e. weak and average) players won't bluff with that pair on board, so you can safely make the laydown. Trips is very likely here, if someone bets. 5. Wait for your opponents to catch up if they're probably weak and you flop the nuts. It's clearly better to check when you're first to act in this situation with two or more players behind you. Not only do you give players a chance to close the gap and make legitimate calling hands, you also give them a chance to throw away their money bluffing! 6. When you're in the middle on the final round of betting and the first player bets, wait! If the bettor freezes and refuses to act after several seconds, there's a higher-than-usual chance that it's a bluff. Call with simi-strong hands; and with weak hands, you might consider raising (to ensure that the player behind you doesn't overcall). 7. After spotting a tell, wait and pretend to ponder. Then almost pass. Then call at the last second, as if by inspiraton. This makes it unlikely the opponent will recognize that you've spotted a tell, and he won't correct for it. Even better, your opponent might think you spotted a tell at the last second and try to correct that! 8. Encourage a bet you intend to call with a medium-strong hand, even if you don't want your opponent to bet! If the opponent has a better hand than yours, you won't prevent the bet. The only bet you will prevent is a bluff. And if your planning to call anyway, you don't want to discourage a bluff. 9. In lowball, a great play (if not used too frequently) is to reraise with a two card draw from the dealer position if the raise came from another late seat. You hope to drive out the blinds and end up head-to-head with the raiser. Then if the raiser draws two cards, stand pat! If he draws one or stands pad, draw two (this will help your image). Don't use this play too often and use it only against raisers who often attack the blinds with two card draws. 1O. When it's time to loosen up and play that extra hand, do it from a late position, not an early one. A powerful related concept is that most of your strong opponents have an apparent flaw they're unaware of. They may play exactly the same percentage of hands overall, but they play too many hands from early position and too few hands from late positions when no one else has entered the pot. You will be able to successfully establish your loose image without adding any hands from early positions! The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky Head Up On the End Bluffing On The End There are two basic conditions that determine how you act when you are head up on the end - whether or not you have made a legitimate hand and whether you are in first position or in last position. Without a legitimate hand against an opponent with a legitimate hand, you cannot win except on a bluff - a bet or a raise that causes your opponent to fold. You cannot hope to win by checking or by calling. Determining whether or not to try a bluff on the end is based on the same logic as any other bet. You have to decide whether the attempt has positive expectation. If the pot is $1OO and you bet $2O with nothing, you have to believe your opponent will fold more than once in six times in order to expect a profit. Thus, if your opponent folds once in five times, you will lose $2O four times, but you will win $1OO once on average for a net profit of $2O or an average profit of $4 per hand. However, if your opponent folds once in seven times, you will lose $2O six times and win $1OO once for a net loss of $2O or an average loss of $2.86 per hand. Whether a bluff works often enough to be profitable depends, like most plays on the end, upon an accurate assessment of what your opponent is likely to do. LAST POSITION PLAY LAST POSITION PLAY AFTER YOUR OPPONENT HAS CHECKED When you are in last position, your opponent will have either checked or bet. First, what should you do when your opponent checks? Some might reply that you should bet if you think that you have the best hand. But this is not at all the case. Your chances of having the best hand might be as high as 9O percent or better, but still you should not necessarily bet. Take the following hand from seven-card stud. OPPONENT YOU (X,X)7h,8h,Qd,2c(X) (As)Jd,Jh,Js,Js(7d,7c) With four jacks your chances of having the best hand are enormous, but in either first or second position you cannot possibly bet the hand on the end for the simple reason that your bet has absolutely no positive expectation. Since your four jacks are exposed for the world to see, your opponent will fold every hand he can have except four queens or a straight flush in hearts. With either of those hands, he will raise. So your bet has nothing to gain and everything to lose. When you bet for value on the end after your opponent has checked, you must figure your hand has better than a 5O-5O chance of winning when you are called. In fact, you have to figure it has at least about a 55 percent chance of winning to compensate for those times when your opponent is planning to check raise. With three-of-a-kind against a flush draw, you are certainly the favorite, but you are not the favorite if your opponent calls. Yet to show a profit on your last round bets, clearly you must be the favorite even when your opponent calls. LAST POSITION PLAY AFTER YOUR OPPONENT HAS BET Let us now consider your options in last position when your opponent does not give you a free call but comes out betting. When he bets you can either fold, call, or raise. Deciding whether to fold or call is relatively straight forward. The question is: are your chances of winning the pot better than the odds that you are getting from the pot, either because your hand is better than your opponent's or because your opponent is bluffing? If you think your chances are better, you call. If not, you fold. If you are thinking of raising after your opponent bets, you must ask the same question you would have asked before betting had your opponent checked: What are the chances of winning that extra bet when you are called? You should not raise unless you figure you are at least a 55 percent favorite, since you also face the possibility of a reraise. In fact, one way of looking at raising an opponent on the end without the nuts is that you are laying almost 2-to-1 odds on that last bet, especially if your opponent is capable of bluffing on a reraise. When you raise and your opponent raises back, you usually lose two bets, but if he calls, you only gain one bet. Of course, this consideration does not apply against a player who will never bluff on a reraise. If such a player raises you back, you can just throw your hand away, knowing you are beat. FIRST POSITION PLAY CHECK RAISING IN FIRST POSITION With very strong hands your options are to try a check raise or to come out betting. The key factors in deciding whether to check raise are 1) the chances your opponent will bet if you check, and 2) the chances your opponent will call your raise. The second factor is just as important as the first, because if there were no chance your opponent would call your raise, it would usually be wrong to check since you would risk not winning even a single bet when your opponent checks behind you. However, all but very tough players will generally call your raise after you have checked and they have put in an initial bet. They might grumble as they do it, but they'll do it. PLAYING FAIR-TO-GOOD HANDS IN FIRST POSITION AS A FAVORITE If your hand is worth a call or almost worth a call had you checked and your opponent bet, you should bet when your opponent is one who will call with more hands than he will bet, a habit which is typical of the majority of players. If your hand is worth a call, you should check and call when your opponent is one who will bet with more hands than he will call. As we shall see, this player is usually the type who may try to bluff after you have checked in first position. You should check and fold when you are not the favorite if called and when your opponent is one who will almost always bet only with a hand that beats yours. However, since this type will only bet with a hand that clearly beats you, the bets you save by folding after he bets are greater than the few bets you might pick up by betting and getting called by his worse hands. PLAYING FAIR-TO-GOOD HANDS IN FIRST POSITION AS AN UNDERDOG A curious situation develops, though, when you are an underdog when called and your opponent will bet if you check with only a few hands you can beat. It would seem that the correct play is to check and fold if your opponent bets. However, it often works out that the play with the greatest expectation is to bet your own underdog hands even though, if you checked, you could not call when your opponent bet. Depending upon the size of the pot, this situation occurs when your opponent will call with many hands you can beat but will bet with only a few hands you can beat. It becomes correct to check and call, though you know your opponent would call with more hands than he would bet, if when you are an underdog you think your opponent will check some better hands behind you and if you fear a raise. Remember, though, that the last two situations we have described are unusual. The general rules still apply the majority of the time. If your hand is worth a call, you should bet when your opponent will call with more hands than he will bet, and you should check and call when your opponent will bet with more hands than he will check. In other words, you should make the play that gives you the greatest number of wins and the smallest number of losses. FIRST POSITION PLAY IN PRACTICE Suppose in hold'em you have 1O,9 and the board at the end is 1O,1O,Q,5,2 without a flush possibility. You are first to act. How should you play? You should probably come out betting. If you are up against something like A,1O or K,1O or J,1O, you lose either way. If you check, your opponent will surely bet, and you will call. If your opponent has Q,1O, you may lose a double bet by betting out since your opponent will raise. On the other hand, if your opponent has hands like 1O,8 or 1O,7 or 1O,6, you win either way; if you check your opponent will most likely bet. However, two very possible hands your opponent might have are A,Q and K,Q, which he may very well not bet if you check but with which he will probably call if you bet. Since you are likely to gain a bet more frequently than you lose one (when your opponent raises), betting has greater expectation than checking and calling. Put in terms of the rules given earlier, in this situation your opponent will call with more hands than he will bet. |