Playingreraisedpotsasthecaller *PlayingflopswithsmallerPSR: ThemaindifferencebetweenaraisedpotvsareraisedpotisobviouslythePSR.Technicallysomewould sayinareraisedpotyourefacingastrongerrange(sorr>r>limped)butthisisntuniversallytrue. Further,youreplayingformoreabsolutemoneytheninasingleraisedpot.(Goingalongwiththe notionthatthebiggerthepotis,themorevaluableitis,thatmakesreraisedpotsthemostimportant potsyouplay!)Idividemyhandsintoafewdifferentcategories: DrawsReviewthechapterondrawsinraisedpotsformoredetail,buteverythingthatappliesthere applieshere. AirNeithermadehandnordrawelements,thereforewehavetheNormanChadSquadoosh. MadeHandsHereiswhereitgetsinteresting.Amongstmadehands,youhavemarginalhandsthatdo nothavetoseeashowdown;marginalhandsthatneedtoseeashowdown;andflatoutvalue.

(Flatout valueisessentiallythenuts,oranythingyourehappytofelt)NotethatIwillplayaflatoutvaluehand intheoppositemannerofadraw,orahandthatIperceivehasmorevalueplayedaggressivelyrather thanabluffcatcher(butisabluffcatcherinnature) Ifeelslowplayinghasabetternicheinareraisedpotasitseasiertogetallin(soyoucantakeastreet offeasily)whereasinaraisedpotwithanuttypehanditsarushtogetthemoneyin.Expandingonthis briefly,normallyIplaysets/2pair/overpairtheoppositeasIwouldadraw(allowmyopponentfolding equity)whichifwehave4PSR,normallyImcheckshovingadraw.(Werethecaller)Intheraisedpot setting,thiswouldentailleadingintotheraiserhowever,Idratherletthemmakeacbet(sincein absolutetermsacbetinarrpotismuchbettertousthaninasingleraisedpot)sodisallowingthemthe opportunitytodosoisadisfavor.So,inavacuum,witha4PSROOPitslikelybesttocheckcallthose goodhandstoletyouropponentputthelastbetontheturn.(Whetherwithabluff,semibluff,or2nd bestmadehand) IfyoucallareraiseandtheflopcomesK72r(type1,nodrawstospeakof)then: AhandlikeAA,AK,KK,77,22areflatoutvalueandwillneverbefolded. AhandlikeKx,88QQaremarginalhandsthatneedtoseeashowdown. Ahandlike7x,6633,AXaremarginalhandsthatdonotneedtoseeashowdown. Soundsstrange,butessentiallyImakeadecision1streetearlierinaraisedvsreraisedpot.IfIcalla reraisewith44,ifmyopponentisaggressiveenoughtodoublebarrel,Iwillfoldtheflop.Inaraisedpot

thoughitsveryrare(evenwithreverseequityonthebrain)tojustfoldtheflop.Thisiswhere opponentswhodonotcbetveryoftencomeinhandy,sinceitsmucheasiertotakethe44to showdown(ifyoucanexpectonly1betinmostcircumstances,itsacall) Ahandlike99onthatboardthough,Imlikelycallingtheflopw/theintentionofcallingdownalmost regardlessofwhatfalls.Itsastrongbluffcatcherhowever,Iprobablywontgetallmychipsinthere,as itwouldbethinonvalue.(AlthoughthereisSOMEvalue) Atype3board,likeQ94w/afd DependingonPSRImayshipthefloplighterforvalue,butImlookingtogetallmymoneyinatsome pointwithKQorbetter.Ilikelywillnotfold9x,TT,JJ.Imaypeelanddump4x,8855atsomepoint.So ontheflopahandlikeTTdoesntlovetheflop,butratherthencalldownduetothewetnessofthe flop,Imaysimplyshove,andyes,itsavalueshoveButitslightvalue,sinceagainstacallingrangeyou dontLOVEyourhand,butstillhasagreaterexpectancythenfolding. CallingtoEvaluate: Manypeopletossthisaround,andingeneralinareraisedpotIavoiddoingso.Thecostofthat1betis fairlyexpensive,especiallyifwhatyouevaluateisnottoyourliking.Inshort,dontbeafraidtomake slightlyweaktightfoldsontheflopinordertoavoidmakingthosesameweaktightfoldslaterinthe hand. Themoremarginalahandis,themoredifficultitistoplay. Inthelastchapter(whentocall3bets)welistedseveralexploitativetypesofpostflopplayers:(For review) 1. Playingtherebluff 2. Playingthebesthand 3. Playingthehandcracker Inallsituationsbelow,weareplaying5/10with1000$.WeraisedinLPto30andgot3betto100byone oftheblinds.Essentiallyitsa4.5PSRpotandwehaveposition.(~200ish,~900behind) Playingtherebluff: Thismeansyouropponentis3bettingawiderangeandalsocbettingthatsamerange.Indoingso,hes creatingprofitablepushspotssincehecannotprofitablycallyourshoves.Iupgradeallstatusesofmy drawsanddetermineahighelementoffoldingequity.Forexample:

WeraisewithJ9ccandcalltheinevitable3bet.OnaflopofTc6d5d,itseemsasthoughourhandisno good.Notso;ouropponentis3bettingtoomuch(orwedeemso)withtoomanyhandsthatdont connectwiththeflop.(Asin,mostbroadways)Our3straightflushandovercarddoesntlooklikea pristinedraw,butvssomeplayerswecanplaytherebluffandshoveprofitably. *Notethatitsimportanttodistinguishthosepeoplethat3betsmallpairs,thosethatcoldcall,and thosethatfoldthem.Itsdifficulttoascertainbutwillenableyoutovictimizeopponentsinthefuture basedonthisonesmalldetail. Playingthebesthand:

Thismeansyouropponentis3bettingawiderangeandNOTfiringmultiplebarrelsveryoften.Indoing so,hescreatingprofitablecallingspotsontheflopbecauseyouhaveahighlikelihoodofreaching showdown.Iupgradeallstatusesofmymadehandsanddeterminealowelementofreverseequity.For example: Weraise33andcalltheinevitable3bet.OnaflopofTc6d5d,normallywedontlikeourhand.Itsthe spotifwereahead,itsslightlyahead,ifbehind,werewaybehind.(SA/WB)However,playingthebest handwecancallacbet(vsawide3betrange)andgettoshowdownforthat1bet. Playingthehandcracker:

Thismeansyouropponentis3bettingatightrange,sotheyretellingyoutheydef.haveapremium handwhentheydoinfact3bet.Thisisactuallyaninterestingquestionthatdevelops,whichis,atwhat stackjuncturecanyoucalltohit?Peoplenormally/usedtoreferencethe5/10rule,whichislessthan5% youmust,greaterthan10%youcannot,inbetweenitsadecision,andthatsalright.So,playingthe handcrackermeansyoumustbeXbbs,whereXisthegapbetweenyourraiseandhis3bet.(from3>10, thegapis7,weneed140andnowwecancallthoserepops) ThismeansifweraiseJ9ccOR33andget3bet,withthestacksastheyare,itwouldbeamistaketo continue.Andifwedid,andwegotaTc6d5d,theplayistofoldiftheycbet. Floating: Ihaventwrittenmuchaboutfloating,buttheideaofafloatiscallingtobluff.(CTB)Thisismuchmore effectiveonatype1or2board,whereyouropponentjustdoesntconnectwithaflopasoften,but generallypassivegamblesonatype3or4isaformofafloat.(Whereyouthinkacheckindicates weakness,soratherthantakethefreecard,itsbettertobetwhencheckedtoandriskgetting checkraisedoffyouweakdraw)Thebestpeopletofloatarethosethatarenotparanoid.Itsounds strange,butsomeplayersaresoconstantlyworriedaboutbeingfloatedthatitinfactmakesfloating

unprofitable.Thatsaid,italsoenablesyoutogetallyourmarginalandstronghandspaidoff,sothe correctadjustmentistojustbackoffonCTBandjustbetawayforvaluewithease. Quiz,identifyingspotstoreblufforplaythebesthand: 1. WeraiseintheCOwithA5ss,66,KTo,87hh,QJddto40andget3betbythesmallblindto 130.Stacksare1500,sothepotis270with1370behind.Thesmallblindwillbet150to200 onallflops(5PSR,withanimpliedpot)Flopcomes(A)Qc6d4h,(B)KcTh2d,(C)Ad8d2h, (D)QsJs5h,(E)JhTh8d. 2. WeraiseintheCOwith66,KTo,87hh,QJddto40andget3betbytheBigBlindto140. Stacksare1200,sothepotis285with1060behind.Smallblindleadsoutfor175onallflops (4PSRattheonset)Flopcomes8s5c4c(A),9h9d3c(B),AcJc8d(C). 3. WeraiseintheCowithA7ss,AJo,andJ9cc.Thebutton3betsthe40opento125,stacksare 1185,sopotis265andeff.Stackis1060.(4PSR)IfwecheckweTHINKthebuttonwillbet 140170,buttheyMAYtakethefreecard.Flopcomes(A)Tc6s5dand(B)Jd2c2d. Answers: 1. WithA5ssIdmuckflopA,althoughIdconsiderfloating.FlopBIdfold.FlopCIdplaythebest hand,butthereisanargumentforturningahandyoucannotfoldintopurevalue(spokenabout earlier)ifyouthinkvillainisthetypetoputyouonafd.(Asin,stackoffwith99+)FlopDwehave a5:1withastrongsituationdependantgamble,soitshardtodoanythingwronghere.FlopEis atype5thatcouldnthavemissedusanymore,soitsadump. With66,IdslowplayflopAwhichresemblesafloat.Idconsiderplayingthebesthandwithflop B.(WehaveashowdownablehandIwouldntmindfolding)IdfoldflopC,D,andE. WithKToIwouldfloatflopA.IdslowplayflopB.IdfoldflopC,Ihaveamarginalpassivegamble onflopDsoIdlikelycallandevaluate,andIwould(try)toplaythebesthandonflopE. With87hh,IhaveaweakpassivegambleonflopAandwouldlikelycallwiththeintentionof alsofloating.IwouldconsiderrebluffingflopB,playthebesthandonflopC,foldflopD,andI haveastrongaggressivegambleonflopEsoIwouldlikelyrebluffthere. WithQJddIwouldplaythebesthandonflopA(wehaveashowdownablehandwewouldNOT fold).WehaveamarginalpassivegambleonflopB,butIdlikelyrebluffinthisinstance.Iwould foldflopC,raiseflopD,andwiththemarginalsituationdependantgambleonflopEwehave limitlessoptions. 2. With66Idlikelyraise/callflopA,playthebesthandonflopB,andfoldflopC.WithKTo,Idfold flopAandBandrebluffflopC.With87hhmyoptionsarelimitlessonflopA,rebluffflopB,and playthebesthand(for1bet!)onflopB.WithQJddIdfoldflopA,rebluffflopB,andplaythe besthandonflopC.

3. WithA7ssIdrebluffflopAandplaythebesthandonflopB.WithAJoIdreblufforfoldflopA (A7sshasmoreequityonflopA,andthusisastrongerhand)andIhavethenutsonflopB. J9ccisastandardrebluff/nuts.