The MAIN key to being a winning limit holdem player is playing good hands in good position or great hands in any position. The MAIN key to becoming a GREAT limit player is being able to maximize your win when you are involved in a pot or to be able to get away from hands when you are likely beat. Two examples today of maximizing a pot.
I am dealt 1010 UTG and raise, UTG+1 calls, all fold to ELP player who 3 bets. Now three bets to me in these low limit games usually spell out KK or AA and maybe QQ. Well I call looking to hit my 10 or I am probably done with the hand. The other player calls as well. Flop 10 7 5, A thing of beauty. Now how do you play this hand to make the most out of it knowing what the likely holding of the late position player is? You don't check and call his bet on the flop because the other player will likely dump all of his holdings after a bet and a call and that is the least of the bad things that can happen. YOU LEAD INTO THIS FLOP, now the UTG+1 player may very well call with alot of hands that contain overcards and the late position player will almost always raise even if holding a paltry AK here. That way you get to THREE BET the flop and force out the UTG+1 player with his dead money (+1 Small bet) and the late position player may even reraise you, which in this case he did cap if off so I know he has an overpair. So instead of playing the old check call on the flop and getting 3 SB in the pot I got 9 small bets in the pot. The turn is a 5 making me a full house now. Now what do you do? The guy just capped it off, check and let him bet again and them raise him for an additional 1 BB, If you bet into him he may very well just call now suspecting you have a set. There is always a chance he would check behind you but in this situation not likely. An Ace comes on the river. That is definately not the card I was looking for to drop off but if he has AAA then I am just going to have to lose 2 BB. I bet he just calls, NH sir, and the pot slides to me as his QQ hits the muck. BOTTOM LINE, PLAY YOUR SETS AGGRESIVELY FROM THE FLOP WHEN YOU FIGURE YOU ARE UP AGAINST AN OVERPAIR as you will make more money off of them instead of waiting until the turn to show strength.
Second example
1/2 TexasHTGameTable (Limit) - Thu Nov 04 12:27:15 EST 2004
Table Gimson Fride (Real Money) -- Seat 10 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: ronin_8 ( $86.5)
Seat 2: ME ( $91.5)
Seat 3: spazzyjanet ( $21.5)
Seat 4: Bambopoker ( $44)
Seat 5: hookah_head ( $23.25)
Seat 6: petema ( $71)
Seat 7: HANKINSTEIN ( $61.62)
Seat 8: rickbear ( $46)
Seat 9: calexpo ( $34.5)
Seat 10: LarryCope1 ( $33)
ronin_8 posts small blind (0.5)
ME posts big blind (1)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to ME [ 6c, 5s ]
spazzyjanet folds.
Bambopoker folds.
hookah_head folds.
petema calls (1)
HANKINSTEIN folds.
rickbear folds.
calexpo folds.
LarryCope1 folds.
ronin_8 calls (0.5)
ME checks.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ Js, 4h, 7c ]
ronin_8 checks.
ME bets (1)
Flopped open end straight draw. I bet here in an attempt to just pick up the small pot.
petema calls (1)
ronin_8 calls (1)
Well I got company in both places so I need some help. When both players call on this rag flop I suspect that at least one, probably the LP player has a Jack. If I hit my straight I plan to check and give him a chance to bet, hoping the SB will also call and then I get to raise them both for BB. If I miss I will call for the river.
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 3s ] BEAUTIFUL, turned the nuts now play weak.
ronin_8 checks.
ME checks.
petema bets (2) BINGO, thanks for coming out sir.
ronin_8 calls (2) Thanks for your 2.00 contribution and see you next hand.
ME raises (4) to 4
petema calls (2)
ronin_8 folds.
** Dealing River ** : [ 5h ]
ME bets (2)
petema calls (2)
** Summary **
Main Pot: $19 | Rake: $1
Board: [ Js 4h 7c 3s 5h ]
ronin_8 balance $82.5, lost $4 (folded)
ME balance $102.5, bet $8, collected $19, net +$11 [ 6c 5s ] [ a straight, three to seven -- 7c,6c,5s,4h,3s ]
spazzyjanet balance $21.5, didn't bet (folded)
Bambopoker balance $44, didn't bet (folded)
hookah_head balance $23.25, didn't bet (folded)
petema balance $63, lost $8 [ Ts Jd ] [ a pair of jacks -- Jd,Js,Ts,7c,5h ]
HANKINSTEIN balance $61.62, didn't bet (folded)
rickbear balance $46, didn't bet (folded)
calexpo balance $34.5, didn't bet (folded)
LarryCope1 balance $33, didn't bet (folded)
By CR the turn I picked up 1 extra BB and perhaps saved myself from a split pot by driving out the SB with his dead Big Bet in the pot. ALWAYS be thinking HOW can I MAXIMIZE the pot that I am playing because that is where the difference between winning and breaking even or losing lies.Statistics: Posted by piersmajestyk — Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:40 am
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