by Al Sousa (site owner)
Playing the correct preflop hands is one of the most important
things a new player can do to improve his game. But if he does not
follow up and play post flop correctly he will still lose money.
So what is the the typical poor post flop player?
From my experince the typical poor players will usually
do the following:
Call unraised/raised pot with any ace or any 2 face cards (T,J,Q,K,A).
Chases any draws to the river without pot odds.
Calls down middle pair as long as there is no serious action.
Shows respect to an ace on board, they might actually fold.
Calls down with top pair, bad kicker.
Check and calls if there is a 3 or 4 flush on the board to the river.
Bet/call/chase a 4 card flush with non-nut flush cards.
Raises made straight, even the sucker end of the straight.
Slowplays trips or a set for raising on the turn.
Raises/caps with any fullhouse, even bottom.
Raises/caps on the flop if they have two pair.
Call for just one more card heads up.
Call down heads up with ace high.
Calls down Big wired pairs no matter the flop heads up.
For this section assume a 10 player table:
EP = Early Position, seats 1-3 to the left of the big blind
MP = Middle Position, seats 4-6 to the left of the big blind
LP = Late Position, seats 7-8 to the left of the big blind
SB = Small Blind
BB = Big Blind
If you have a hand worth a call: I feel if you
have a hand worth calling then its worth betting, unless you are
sure someone will raise behind you and you don't want to be raised.
Betting in this situation adds deception to your hand and adds that
small chance everyone will fold to your bet. This situation applies
to flush draws, open ended, or double belly buster straight draws,
middle pair with an overcard like an ace or king, or two overcards
with a backdoor straight or flush. This play will also confuse your
opponents in later hands as to what you really have.
Think about how to proceed: Take time to think
about the flop and other players even if it seems obvious on what
you have to do. Don't get into the habit of "I have top pair
therefore I bet". Think about your position, how many players
are in the pot, what type of players, the kind of hands they might
have, what is on the board, and how to make them play improperly.
If you always take time to think about your actions it will also
reduce your online tells.
Examine the flop: Look carefully at what the board
is and how many players are in the pot. If there is a flush draw
and many callers then probably someone has a draw, but with the
same board and two callers it is less likely. Make sure your outs
are live and can't make anyone else a better hand. There are times
when folding the current best hand is the correct play because you
are not the favorite.
You BB: 4 9 |
EP: K Q |
EP: QT |
MP: A2 |
SB: 76 |
| Board:
928
(5 small bets in the pot) |
| You currently have the best hand with top pair
but you are actually behind in the hand. Any ,
A, K, Q, J, T, 5, or 2 destroys your hand. Also if
any of the players did share your 9 they would almost certainly
have a better kicker. There are 29 cards out of 47 unknown that
can come against your hand. You should check and fold. |
Calculate proper pot odds to continue: If you
are going to continue be sure that you have proper pots odds to
do so. Also figure implied pot odds for your hand. Poor players
almost always chase down draws without proper pot odds. Be aware
that at times pot odds are not there to improve your hand for two
cards to come because you are paying a double size bet on the turn.
| You LP: J9 |
EP: A9 |
5 more callers inclinding both blinds |
| Board:
A87
(7 small bets in the pot) |
|
All called before
the flop and the BB checked.
The A9
player bets the flop, a middle position player calls.
(9 small bets in the pot)
Most players will think that they have 4 outs or pot odds
of 5.1:1 to complete their inside straight with 2 cards to
come. With 7 small bets in the pot it seems like you have
pot odds.
you call (10 small bets in the pot)
Calling on the flop is correct because it is giving you enough
odds and implied odds for one card 9:1 and
you have a 10.5:1 gut shot. Assuming either
player bets on the turn you can at least get one big bet out
of them if you hit your draw. If they checks you check behind
giving you even more proper odds for your draw because you
got see both cards for one small bet.
Turn is a 2,
the A9
player bets, the middle position player folds.
(12 small bets or 6 big bets) What do you
do?
When the turn bet comes it is a double size bet. So now you
have a 10.5:1 shot at your straight with
one card to come and the pot is giving you (12:2)
or (6:1) odds. You should fold to his turn bet because
the pot is not giving you proper odds. Even with implied odds
it is correct to fold because you are not sure if you would
be paid off the amount needed.
Now lets say you decide to stay in and you call the turn
(7 big bets) and hit your straight on the
river when the T
hits. We will assume the best scenario and that the A9
bets in to you (8 big bets), you raise (10
big bets), he calls (11 big bets).
You win the hand.
But how much did you really win for your money? Well you
called the flop, the turn, and raised the river: We take out
your last 2 big bets on the river (+9 big bets).
We do this assuming that if you missed the river you fold
your hand so this is not money you are winning or losing.
We take out the flop and turn calls from your winnings 1+2=3
small bets (+7.5 big bets). You got 7.5 big
bets for investing 1.5 big bets. This is not counting your
initial investment.
7.5:1.5 = 5:1 big bets made.
Odds to hit your inside straight 5.1:1.
Even though the odds are close in the long run this play
is a losing proposition. The proper odds need to be exceeded
to make this play profitable. Repeating this play 1000 times
with the same flop but randomizing the turn and river will
make this play a loser. In the end you will actually have
lost money overall for your play becase when you win you do
not win as much money as you should for your chance to hit
your draw.
You would win 165 times of 1000 (+1155 big bets)
costing 4 big bets for pre-flop, flop, turn, and river: +7
big bets per pot won.
You would lose 804 times of 1000 (-1670 big bets)
costing 2 bets for pre-flop, flop, and turn: -2
big bets per pot lost.
The net is a -515 big bets lost per 1000
scenarios.
Also consider the following:
What if the A9
player checks the flop? (-1 big bet)
What if he folds to your raise? (-1 big bet)
We did not take out the rake for the hand (-0.5 big bets for
online)
Either of these cases lowers your winnings even more because
there is always a chance of the 1st two situations happening.
Even if it happens 5% of the time it still effects your overall
winnings. |
Now let take a look at an example of proper odds play. This shows
how playing a drawing hand correctly can earn you a lot of money.
| You EP: JT |
MP: KT |
5 more callers inclinding both blinds |
| Board:
K46
(7 small bets in the pot) |
|
All called before
the flop and the BB checked.
You check because you know if the middle player is very aggressive.
The KT
player bets the flop, a late position player calls.
(9 small bets in the pot)
here you have a flush draw but its not to the nuts. You have
a 1.9:1 shot to hit your flush from the flop. You are getting
9:1 on your money. Normally you raise here to build the pot
but you are sure that the KT
will reraise you knocking out the late position player thus
NOT giving you proper flop odds.
you call (10 small bets in the pot)
Turn is a 4,
you check, the KT
player bets, the late position player folds.
(12 small bets or 6 big bets) What do you
do?
So now you have a 4.1:1 shot at your flush
with one card to come and the pot is giving you (12:2)
or (6:1) odds. You should definitely call.
You call the turn (7 big bets)
Your flush on the river when the Q
hits. We will assume the worst scenario and that the KT
will only call your river bet (9 big bets).
You win the hand.
Lets see how well you did. Well you called the flop, the
turn, and bet on the river: We take out your last 1 big bet
on the river (+8 big bets). We do this assuming
that if you missed the river you fold your hand so this is
not money you are winning or losing. We take out the flop,
and turn calls from your winnings 1+2=3 small bets (+6.5
big bets). You got 6.5 big bets for investing 1.5
big bets. This is not counting your initial investment.
6.5:1.5 = 4.33:1 big bets made.
Odds to hit your flush 1.9:1.
The pot odds well exceeded the 1.9:1 for the flush so it
looks like you made money.
You would win 350 times of 1000 (+2100 big bets)
costing 3 big bets for pre-flop, flop, turn, and river: +6
big bets per pot won.
You would lose 650 times of 1000 (-1300 big bets)
costing 2 bets for pre-flop, flop, and turn: -2
big bets per pot lost.
The net is a +800 big bets won per 1000
hands.
Also consider the following:
We did not take out the rake for the hand (-0.5 big bets for
online)
This does not count the times you hit your flush on the turn
and the difference in potential money. At most it will be
a difference of 1 big bet about half the time. In the end
it could be a difference of another 175 assuming the other
player folds to your turn raise. But even this will still
put you ahead
With the rake considered you are still +625 big bets ahead.
Also lets assume you hit your flush half the time on the turn.
Thats a loss of 1 big bet assumung you raise the turn to protect
your flush and the KT
player folds. It still leaves you +450 big
bets ahead per 1000 hands played in the same scenario. |
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