Big blind defense and check-raising
Abdul Jalib
versus a raise, going heads-up to the flop. Once the flop comes,
the question is, how often should you check-raise and how often should
you do the other possible plays?
Just before Andy Morton died, we were having a heated discussion
about this in email. I advocated check-raising, while Andy advocated
betting out.
It now seems obvious to me what the answer is: "it depends."
When facing a steal raise, you are playing for the prospect of
having the best hand or stealing the pot, and you will be
contesting the pot quite often on the flop with not much
of anything. Therefore, versus a steal raise, bet out
on the flop quite often. You are risking just 1 small
bet to win 4.5 small bets, and most opponents will fold too
often here. Check-raising usually also requires following
through with a bet on the turn, which means risking 4 small bets,
and so it is much less "cost effective". But you don't want your
checks to be a license for your opponent to steal. Protect your
check-folding hands by check-calling and check-raising with very
strong hands sometimes.
When facing a legitimate raise, you are defending the big blind
mostly for implied odds, and you will be folding often on the
flop. Therefore, versus a legitimate raise, check-raise when you
decide to contest the pot, check-fold otherwise. Your opponent
is very likely to bet the flop if he raised from early or middle
position regardless of how well he flopped. If you flop a pair
(or have other reason to contest the pot), extract that extra bet
from him.
When facing an extremely tight raise, you are defending the big
blind purely for implied odds, and you will be folding extremely
often on the flop, and you won't be ecstatic if you flop a pair.
Therefore, versus an extremely tight raise, check-call when you
decide to contest the pot, check-fold otherwise. If you flop
a very big hand like a set, then check-call the flop and
check-raise the turn. You should do this sometimes as a semibluff
too, of course, with a hand like a small pair on the flop that
picks up a flush draw on the turn. And you can do it with weak
hands that you think you can lay down properly to a 3-bet.
If you fear your opponent is very likely to have you outkicked
(or overpaired) check-call the flop, check-call the turn, and then
consider betting out on the river (to prevent your opponent from
checking behind you with hands that you beat, but value betting
his hands that beat you.)
IMO.
Of course, it also depends on your opponent. Loose-aggressive
opponents are the best kind to check-raise.
--
Abdul
Heldar
on whether your opponent made a steal raise versus a legitimate raise, how
do you decide which your opponent is doing?
Daniel Negreanu
check-raise in these situations. Leading out in
these situations is a very weak play because it
is too easy to counter. If the player calls you,
or raises you, you have no idea where you are at.
Plus, leading out shows less strength than check
raising. By leading out, you miss a ton of bets.
If you check your opponent will bet a very high
percentage of the time. If you bet out you may
let your opponent of the hook for 2 bets. If
the stealer has nothing he'll fold when you lead,
but if you check he'll bet and take one off to save
face. Daniel Negreanu
In article <yerogk2...@shell9.ba.best.com>,
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Victor Lee
This is definitely an interesting and important topic. I'd like to
concentrate on the situation when you trying for a steal at the pot
against a raiser who you believe missed the flop. I find that in most
live games, a bet out from the blind will almost always be called by
the preflop raiser, (even if for no other reason than to save face).
A check-raise will be more respected, but it'll probably be called by
the looser players. It'll be even more likely to be called, perhaps even
re-raised, if there is a flush draw on the flop. Not necessarily
because the raise has a flush draw, but because he's putting the
bettor on one.
The bottom line is, you probably need a bet on the turn to get rid of
most unimproved preflop raisers. Mathematically, the cheapest way
to achieve this is check-call on the flop, and bet out on the turn.
Now you may need a scare card, like pairing the top card
or 2nd card on the flop, or forming a possible flush, for this to be
most effective. But I suspect that if you have a passive and straight
forward image, any turn card would have a chance to work against a
tight or solid opponent.
The beauty of this play is that it is just the opposite of how an
action player would play a flush draw. So you are indeed on a flush
draw, this seemingly illogical approach will be even scarier to a
knowledgable player.
Personally, I haven't tried this often enough to tell if this is
actually a good play or not. But I'd like to hear what other
rpg'ers have to comment.
Vic Lee
Abdul Jalib wrote:
>
> In tighter games, very often you wind up defending the big blind
> versus a raise, going heads-up to the flop. Once the flop comes,
> the question is, how often should you check-raise and how often should
> you do the other possible plays?
>
> [remainder sniped]
> --
> Abdul
Abdul Jalib
What position the opponent is in, how tight a player he is, and whether
he always raises or sometimes limps (and what hands he raises with.)
Generally steal raises (e.g., 33/87s/JT or better) are from the button or
one or two off, legitimate raises (e.g., 77/QJs/KQ or better) are from 3
to 5 off the button, and tight raises (e.g., JJ/AJs/AQ or better) are
from 6 or 7 off the button. The qualitative difference is that a
random hand can easily beat a steal raise hand without making a pair,
but usually must make a pair to beat a legitimate raise hand, and may
need more than a pair to beat a tight raise.
--
Abdul
DeadNutria
raiser go ahead and bet which they always seem to do. I just call. I check
again on the turn and let them bet again which they also usually do, I then
raise. More often than not they just fold up. Most people would generally
call the single bet with very little but will not likely call a double sized
bet unless they have a hand and most of the time they don't and neither do I
but I have played it so I have control of the hand. By playing it this way you
get a single size bet and one double sized bet from your opponent. If you bet
out on the flop you get nothing extra due to a fold or worse you get raised and
have lost control of the hand which you might have won but are now forced to
fold unless you hold a hand.
Deadnutria