NL Bronze - Mathematik des Pokerns - Implied Pot Odds

After the flop nobody raised before the flopStrategy: No-LimitWelcome to PokerStrategy.com, your professional poker school.

It is often the case that nobody raised before the flop and you are in a so-called unraised pot. The big difference to a game in which somebody raised before the flop is that nobody has the initiative. This also means that the players usually have a wide range of cards and are hoping to see the flop with a weak hand without having to pay.

The player in the big blind can hold all possible card combinations, because he can just check before the flop and doesn't have a reason to fold his hand. Unraised pots are often multiway pots because as soon as a player only limps pre-flop, others will feel encouraged to also try to get a cheap view at the flop

Since we are dealing with the completion of our introduction to the big stack strategy, you should have already memorized the previous articles and videos. We also assume that you are aware of the topics of odds&outs and implied pot odds

Furthermore, we recommend that you read through the strategy article corresponding to this video. The author (hasenbraten) shows you 50 very detailed hand examples where you will see why and how you should act in the described situations. Unfortunately, we can only show a fraction of these examples in this video.

In an unraised pot as already mentioned you are often playing against several players with a large range of cards and nobody has the advantage of taking the initiative. The most important part, however, is that the pot is somewhat smaller than it is if somebody raised before the flop and this is exactly why your play must change.

1

The pot on the flopWith a raiseTwo players limp ahead of you ($0.25), you have a strong hand and you raise to 6 BB ($1.5), both opponents call. The pot is now $4.85.

Without a raiseTwo players limp ahead of you ($0.25), you also call ($0.25) and the big blind checks. The pot is $1.10.

Never go broke in an unraised Pot!

2In order to clarify the pot sizes, we will start with two theoretical examples.

Before the flop, there are two limpers in the early position, you raised to the standard 6 BB with a strong hand and both players called your bet. The pot is at $4.85 or 18BB plus blinds.

Both players in the early position called the blinds. This time you have a small pocket pair and you also call. The big blind checks. Thus, the pot is at $1.10 or 4BB plus the bet from the small blind.

As you can see, in the first example, the pot is more than four times as large as in the second example. Thus, the ratio of your stack to the pot has changed. In example one, you still have 5 times the pot. In example two, in contrast, you nearly have 22 times the pot. It should be clear that your play should change considerably.

In a hand where there was no raise before the flop, you have only paid a very small part of your stack. You need one thing in particular in order to invest a lot in this pot after the flop: very good cards.

There is an old rule in poker: never go broke in an unraised pot. Never go broke in a pot where nobody raised. Of course, as always, there are always exceptions, however, you should take this rule very seriously!

In this video, we will explain why this is true and which hands you should play in an unraised pot and how.

Initially, there is the question of how such a pot comes to being, what cards you hold and what you want to hit.

What do you want to hit with an unraised pot?How you end up with an unraised potYou are in the big blind and you check.You limp with a speculative hand from the middle or late position.Small pocket pairsSuited aces with a small kickerSuited connectorsFace cards

You should generally limp first in only with small pairs!

What you want to hit on the flopStrong hands that you can play a big pot with.Three of a kindStrong drawTwo pair

3A lot of players limp from all possible positions with a very wide range of hands, it doesnt matter whether or not somebody called before them. In contrast, you only get into this situation only with select hands and from select positions:

Either you are in the big blind and you check, or you voluntarily invest your money from a middle or late position.

While you can hold anything in the big blind, you otherwise limp almost exclusively with speculative hands. Small pocket pairs, an ace with a small kicker of the same suit, suited connectors and face cards.

As you already saw in the starting hands chart, you will never limp from an early position. If you are ahead, then you raise or you fold your cards. You already know the reasons for this: playing without initiative and without position is a delicate and often unprofitable issue.

If nobody joined the pot before you, you should generally only limp with small pairs. Because then you can possibly still call a raise after you. If you hit your three of a kind on the flop, great. If you dont, then you just have to fold. You can only limp all other listed hands if somebody called before you.

But what do you want to hit?

In order to play for an unraised pot, you need a hand good enough to play for a large pot with three of a kind, a flush and, sometimes, two pair. Of course, a completed flush or a straight are possible, but your opponents will rarely pay you off with worse hands in this case.

If you dont hit such a hand, you can easily fold your cards. You should continue to play borderline hands like a top pair, but we will come back to this later.

How strong is your hand?Important factorsWhat kind of cards do you have?How many opponents are you playing against?What is your position on the table?How are your opponents playing?

Hand categoriesWorthless handsWeak drawsStrong drawsMedium made handsStrong made hands

4 You can answer the question about the strength of your hand with a simple look at your cards. You cant say: I have a straight, Im all in. (OK, you can, but this wouldnt be very smart.)

The true strength of your hand depends on different factors. The most important of which include:

Your hand.

The number of opponents involved in the hand.The more opponents you face, the stronger your hand must be. Your position at the table.How many opponents do you have ahead of you, how many behind you? It is always better to have the least number of opponents behind you as possible. How are your opponents playing?If somebody only plays absolute top cards aggressively, you can immediately fold a pair if he starts to bet on the flop.

The first point deals with the absolute strength of your hand. The possible hands that you can have on the flop can be separated into one of the following categories:

Worthless hands

These are hands that neither have value now, nor have a chance of developing into a hand. This includes completely missed flops, runner-runner draws and similar hands. Before you go and invest your money here, you should instead give it to Greenpeace or the humane society.

Weak draws

The border between worthless hands and weak draws is very thin. A small or medium pair may look worthless, but it is a weak draw with a very low chance of improving. Gutshots, small to medium pairs or also overcards fit into this category. A bet here is also a waste of money.

Strong draws

This is where it starts to get interesting, because here it can be a mistake to simply fold away your cards if somebody bets ahead of you. Flush draws, open-ended-straight-draws and combo-draws are known as strong draws. They are definitely playable, but should not be played at all costs!

Medium made hands

Whether or not you have a medium made hand often depends on how many opponents you are playing against. With just a few opponents, a medium pair can be a medium made hand, where, in contrast, a top pair with a good kicker is designated as medium against a lot of players. These hands are usually strong enough to invest money, but they are rarely playable if you face resistance.

Strong made hands

The last category includes the really strong hands. They start with two pair and continue to three of a kind, a straight, flush and all the way to a royal flush, though this occurs rarely. If you have a strong made hand then its time to act! Your hand is rarely invulnerable and that is why you have to find a balance between protection and value maximization.

What influence do your opponents and position have?Your opponentsA top pair with a middle kicker is often strong against one opponent.Against, e.g. four opponents, however, this will usually be beaten.

Your positionHow many opponents will act before you and how many after you?It is considerably more profitable to play in position than it is to play out of position.

How your opponents playHow easily does your opponent fold?How often will he try to bluff you out of the hand?If he doesnt give up on the flop, when does he give up?

The more opponents you have, the stronger your hand must be.

5In addition to your cards, you must also pay attention to your opponents.

If you have a top pair with a medium kicker, this can still be a good hand against one opponent. If you are playing against four opponents, you are usually behind. The basic rule is as follows: the more opponents you have, the stronger your hand must be.

Moreover, it is important how your position on your opponent is. How many opponents act ahead of you? And how many after you that can raise a bet from you?You already learned that playing in position, meaning being able to act after your opponents, is much more profitable than playing out of position. This principle also applies if nobody made a raise before the flop.

And last but not least, it is important to take into account how your opponents play. This does not mean you try to get an extraordinary read on them, for example, they wait 1.3 seconds to raise if they have a monster hand. More importantly, you have to deal with trivial, but important questions like:

How easily can your opponent fold if you raise? How often will he try to bluff you out of your hand in the later betting rounds? If he doesnt fold on the flop, when does he fold?

You can also make action with weaker hands if you are playing against opponents who can easily be brought to fold. You will often win small pots against them. If you have opponents who like to call often, you have to increase the requirements for your hand. However, you can get more profit from your strong hands, because they dont like to fold and they will often call your bets.

So much for the basics..

How do you play on the flop?General rulesNever play passively on the flop with a made hand.Dont set any traps for your opponents.Do not call any bets with a medium made hand.

Unraised pots are rarely bluffed, thusif you are ahead, protect your hand and get money from weaker hands.if you are behind, you should fold.

6now we come to the question how do you play on the flop?

What should you do with a given hand on a given flop against given opponents?

In general, the following applies: Never play a made hand passively on the flop. Dont set traps and dont call bets with an average made hand. The only exception to this is if the small blind bets. However, if he doesnt bet and you have a made hand, then you can either raise or fold to a bet from a different player.

You dont want to check and then call a bet, because you have no idea about where you stand and it will be hard for you to control the hand and the pot size.

Since bluffs in unraised pots are rare, you can be in two possible situations with your made hand: You are ahead. You should protect your hand and try to get money out of weaker opponents. You are behind. You should fold, because your chances of winning are not high.

How do you play on the flop?Worthless handsYou should fold these types of hands. This means, you check or fold to any bet from your opponent.

7Worthless handsYou can directly fold all hands in this category. This means you should just check and fold to any bet. The hand is simply not worth investing even a single big blind.

Here is an example

Example#1: On the flop worthless handHero (BB) $25 SB $25UTG1 $25UTG2 $25CO $25Preflop:Flop: ($1.25)SB checks, Hero checks, UTG1 bets $1, UTG2 calls $1, 2 folds, Hero folds.UTG1 calls $0.25, UTG2 calls $0.25, 4 folds, CO calls $0.25, 1 fold, SB calls $0.15, Hero checks.

8You are in the big blind and you get to see the flop without having to invest any more money.

Even if you have a middle pair, there are hardly any cards that could improve your hand. However, flush draws and straight draws are also possible on this flop and also top pairs with an ace, because bad players often play all possible starting cards as long as they have an ace.

In this constellation, you are most likely behind against four opponents on the flop. Your hand belongs to category 1, the worthless hands. A lot of draws are possible, there are a lot of opponents, there are a few hands that are better and you do not have much potential of developing a very strong hand.

The results from this analysis can only point to one thing: fold.

How do you play on the flop?Worthless handsYou should fold all hands in this category. This means, you check or fold to every bet from your opponents.

Weak drawsYou can try a semi-bluff every once in a while, if youre up against the right opponents, and if you are in position.A semi-bluff makes sense if your hand can still become strong and/or you can easily force your opponent to fold.

9Weak drawsIf you had at least a gutshot draw, you could have considered calling a small bet. However, a bet of $1 is definitely too expensive.

It would be a different situation if you were only playing against one or two opponents. If you are in position and both check, you can also bet. If your opponents are capable of folding their cards, a bet of 2/3 of the pot would be appropriate. You should not invest any money in this hand against calling stations.

A bet here would be a so-called semi-bluff. If you do not have a good made hand, but you have the chance of improving your hand into one and you bet, this is called a semi-bluff.

A semi-bluff can be useful when... ... your hand can still turn into a strong made hand.... you know that you can make your opponents fold by betting.

You will sometimes win by making your opponents fold and sometimes you will win by improving your hand. These two conditions must be fulfilled in order for semi-bluffs to be profitable. If you cant make a strong made hand or if your opponent rarely folds their hand, a semi-bluff does not make any sense.

If somebody calls your bet on the flop and you dont improve your hand on the turn, then you should check and give up your hand. It is rarely profitable to bet again, because after all, a semi-bluff is still a bluff.

Example #2: on the flop weak drawHero (SB) $25 BB $25UTG1 $25MP1 $25Preflop:Flop: ($1)Hero checks, BB checks, UTG1 checks, MP1 bets $0.25, Hero calls $0.25, BB calls $0.25, 1 fold.UTG1 calls $0.25, 2 folds, MP1 calls $0.25, 4 folds, Hero calls $0.15, BB checks.

10You called from the small blind with two connected face cards and you hit a weak draw on the flop a gutshot.

Since no flush draws are possible, every king will help you to a straight and thus, the best possible hand. This gives you four outs a gutshot.

If your opponent has a full stack, you can call a minimum bet. If he bets more than that, you can easily fold. If you are playing against three opponents, you should also not try a semi-bluff on the flop. You dont win often enough here if somebody calls. And if you are playing against three opponents, the probability that one of them will call is too high.

How do you play on the flop?Worthless handsYou should fold all hands in this category. This means, you check or fold to every bet from your opponents.

Weak drawsYou can try a semi-bluff every once in a while, if youre up against the right opponents, and if you are in position.A semi-bluff makes sense if your hand can still become strong and/or you can easily force your opponent to fold.

Strong drawsWith strong draws, you usually have an equity of ~30%.You should always act with strong draws, if you are in position, and your opponents check.If somebody bets before you, you can call, if you have enough Implied Pot Odds or the pot odds are good.It is not advisable to raise bets made before you, when holding a draw.

11Strong drawsYou should not give up a strong draw on the flop without a fight, unless your opponent makes a very large raise. Normally, you have a chance of winning (equity) of about 30%. The question now is whats the best way to play.

If your opponents check ahead of you, you should always act with very strong draws. A bet of 2/3 to the entire pot size is the best. Very strong draws include a nut flush or 2nd nut flush draw or also combo-draws like a flush draw and a straight draw together. A flush draw with a pair, an OESD with a pair and an OESD with two overcards are all very strong.

If somebody bets ahead of you, you should only call if the pot odds are good and you have enough implied pot odds.

(If you find yourself wondering what the terms pot odds and implied pot odds mean, then please stop this video and work through the NL Bronze strategy article odds and outs and implied pot odds or take a look at the corresponding videos. Understanding these articles is a requirement for understanding the contents of this video.)

In a hand where there was no raise before the flop, it is an exaggeration to raise a bet if you have a draw. With this, the only thing that can happen is that you get other people to fold their draws that could have given you money and you are also in danger of being reraised by your opponent.

If you are out of position, then wait. Just check and look to see if somebody bets and what the price would be. Then you can look at the pot odds principles to see whether or not you can pay this price.

Example #3: on the flop strong drawHero (SB) $25 BB $25MP3 $25CO $25Preflop:Flop: ($1)Hero bets $0.8, BB raises $2, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.2.5 folds, MP3 calls $0.25, CO calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.15, BB checks.

12In this example, you called preflop from the small blind with queen jack suited. Three other players are on the flop with you and you hit the second best flush draw. You bet your draw and the big blind raises your bet.

After the raise, the pot is $3.80. A call costs you $1.20. Thus, you have pot odds of about 3:1. Based on this, you would have to fold, because you need pot odds of at least 4:1 if you want to make a call profitable on the flop.

However, you still have implied pot odds. This means that you have somewhat (!) better pot odds, because your opponent wont necessarily immediately fold if you hit your flush on the turn. Moreover, your opponent may not bet on the turn if you call. Then you can see the river card without paying a cent and you can therefore get two cards for the price of one.

Lets assume that you make your flush on the turn. How much money do you have to get from your opponent to make it correct to call a raise on the flop? The solution is simple. Normally, you need pot odds of 4:1 in order to make your call profitable. You would have to make a bet of $1.20. The pot would thus have to be 4 * $1.20 = $4.80.

Now the pot is $3.80 and the difference is at $1. You have to get this amount out of your opponents. You can assume that your opponent will still pay this dollar even if you make your flush. He did raise your bet on the flop and that was with three opponents. Thus, he often has a strong hand that he doesnt want to fold. Particularly against a $1 bet in a $5 pot.

Thus, you dont have to call, but it makes sense to call a raise here.

How do you play on the flop?Medium made handsIf your opponents check to you, you should bet. If somebody raises after you, fold.If somebody bets before you, call. If an opponent raises, fold. On the turn you will decide how you should continue to play your hand.If no draws are possible, and you have three or fewer opponents, you can also just call every once and awhile.

13Medium made handsCaution is suggested here, but you shouldnt just give up on the flop, because you frequently have the best hand against a few opponents.

If everybody checks before you, you should always bet. However, if somebody raises after you, you should fold it doesnt matter how big or small the raise is. As we already explained, you need a clearly stronger hand in an unraised pot or concrete potential for such a hand in order to call a raise. A simple top pair is not enough.

If somebody bets before you, you should call. If somebody raises after you, fold. On the turn you will make your decisions depending on your cards and opponents.

If no draws are possible on the flop and somebody bets, you can also just call the bet against three or fewer opponents and then take a look after the turn. However, this should not become habit for you.

Example #4: on flop medium made handHero (BB) $25 SB $25BU $25Preflop:Flop: ($0.75)SB checks, Hero bets $0.6, BU calls $0.6, SB folds.7 folds, BU calls $0.25, SB calls $0.15, Hero checks.

14It doesnt make much sense to just limp before the flop with a hand like king-eight offsuit. But since you are in the big blind and nobody raised before you, you can just check and see the flop without paying anything

You hit a medium pair. As we already explained, this is a borderline hand. You could have the best hand, but the danger of running into a better hand is relevant. Since you only have two opponents with the small blind and the button, you can also bet. After the call from the button, you have to make a new decision on the turn about how you should continue to play.

How do you play on the flop?Medium made handsIf your opponents check to you, you should bet. If somebody raises after you, fold.If somebody bets before you, call. If an opponent raises, fold. On the turn you will decide how you should continue to play your hand.If no draws are possible, and you have three or fewer opponents, you can also just call every once and awhile.Strong made handsBefore you decide to fold a strong made hand on the flop, be very certain that you are, indeed, beaten. Essentially speaking, you should get highly active with such hands, and try to build a large pot.If you are raising an opponents bet, then the size of your raise is calculated with the formula:Raise = Pot (including all bets) + 2 * opponents bet

15Strong made handsIt is very easy to play a strong made hand on the flop. You should only consider folding in exceptional cases namely when you are certain that your opponent has you beat.

However, usually you should bet with these hands. The pot is small, your hand is strong. This is good reason to try to build up a large pot. And you can achieve this in one way: you bet or raise.

In general, you should always play aggressively with strong made hands on the flop and try to get as much money as possible in the pot. If you bet, then you should bet an amount between 2/3 of the pot and the pot size.

If you reraise an opponent, then the amount of your raise is based on the following formula:Raise = Pot (including all previous bets on the flop) + 2 * opponents bet

We also have an example for this.

Example #5: on the flop strong made handHero (MP1) $25 SB $25BB $25BU $25Preflop:Flop: ($1)SB checks, BB bets $0.7, Hero raises $3.1, 3 folds.3 folds, Hero calls $0.25, 3 folds, BU calls $0.25, SB calls $0.15, BB checks.

Formula for a raise:Size of the pot + 2 * opponents bet

Raise= 1.7 + 2 * 0.7 = 3.116You limped with your pair of threes before the flop and you hit your set. Additionally, the big blind ahead of you bets and it is obvious that he is prepared to invest money in his hand. HOWEVER that are a lot of possible draws in this example and you have to protect your hand from these draws. Thus, you have to reraise. But by how much?

$1 was in the pot before the flop. Your opponent bets $0.7 and the pot grows to $1.7. According to the formula you just learned, your raise must be: 1.7 + 2 * 0.7 = 3.1 (or three dollars and ten cents)

It may not look good that everybody folds to your raise. But this is much better than running into an opponent who later hits his draw. If the board were not so dangerous and no strong flush and straight draws were possible, you could also raise by less.

How do you play on the turn?Nobody bet on the flopIf you didnt have anything before, but hit a made hand on the turn (like a top pair), then you should bet.If your hand hasnt improved, fold in response to any bet.If you hit a draw, you need the right pot odds to continue playing.11:1 for a gutshot4:1 for a flush draw5:1 for an OESD

Somebody bet on the flopYou should fold with a medium made hand if you have multiple opponents on the turn, and one of them bets.If none of your opponents bets, you have two options: Check after turn, call river Bet turn, check after riverYou can call with a draw if your pot odds are good, and you are sure that nobody will raise after you.17 How do you play on the turn?Its a new game on the turn where you are usually confronted with two different situations.

Nobody bet on the flop. Or somebody bet on the flop.

If there was no bet on the flop, then you should play your hand nearly like you did on the flop. If you didnt have a playable hand and your hand has now improved, you should bet. If your hand did not improve, you will fold in response to any bet.

If you hit a draw, you can call a bet if you have the right pot odds. That means:

11:1 for a gutshot, 4:1 for a flush draw and5:1 for an OESD.

Moreover, you should be sure that nobody behind you will raise.

If somebody bet on the flop and you called the bet, then you either have a medium made hand and only a few opponents or a draw.

If you have a medium hand on the turn and you are playing against more than one opponent, then you should fold in response to any bet. If none of your opponents bet, you have two options.

First check behind turn, call river the advantages of this technique are as follows:

You keep the pot small. And you encourage your opponent to make a bluff on the river.

The disadvantages are: You dont protect your hand. And you waste your chance of getting money from your opponents draws.

This technique makes particular sense against aggressive opponents on a dry board. You dont have to protect your cards as much and your opponent is aggressive enough to bluff on the river.

Second, bet turn, check behind river here your advantages include: You protect your hand. You get money from your opponents draws. Sometimes you can even bluff opponents out of better hands. And often, you get to decide the price that needs to be paid to see the showdown.

The last point is particularly interesting. A middle bet on the turn can stop your opponent from making a potential bluff bet and thus, you can see the showdown for a low price.

The disadvantages are: That you are subject to the danger of a check-raise ..and you stop your opponent from bluffing with a worse hand on the river.

This technique makes sense against a lot of players on the lower limits if draws or worse hands are possible. If your opponent can have a draw or a worse hand than yours, you should bet on the turn and see the showdown on the river without a further bet, depending on the card.

If you have a draw on the turn, you can call if your pot odds are right and you are sure that no players will raise behind you.

If you were able to improve your hand and you have, for example, two pairs, you have to judge whether or not you have the best hand depending on the board and the play of your opponent. If you are sure that you have the best hand, then it makes sense to bet or raise.

Example #6: on the turn - drawsHero (BU) $25 SB $25BB $25MP1 $25Preflop:Flop: ($1)SB checks, BB checks, MP1 checks, Hero bets $0.8, SB calls $0.8, 2 folds.3 folds, MP1 calls $0.25, 3 folds, Hero calls $0.25, SB calls $0.15, BB checks.You check:- You take a free card.- You keep the pot small.- You see two cards for the price of one.Turn: ($2.6)SB checks, Hero bets $2.

You bet: You assume that your opponent will fold or you will hit your flush on the river. If your opponent calls and you dont hit, you give up on the river. If your opponent raises, you should fold on the turn.18In this example, you decided to limp from the button with ace-two suited. The flop gave you a flush draw, which you played aggressively and the small blind called your bet.

Unfortunately, your flush didnt come on the turn, but at least you have position on your opponent. Thus, you can first see what your opponent does before you decide to do anything. Now you have two options:

You checkOr, in other words: you take a free card. You keep the pot small and you can see two community cards for the bet you made on the flop.

You betIf your opponent is somebody who folds frequently, then a bet makes sense. You semi-bluff again and thus have the chances of winning either by your opponent folding or by making your flush on the river. If your opponent calls and you dont hit your flush, you should just fold on the river. If your opponent raises, you should immediately fold on the turn. The probability of a flush on the river is too low for this.

If you are playing against two opponents on the turn, it is usually recommended not to make a bet with a draw and to see the river card free of charge instead.

Example #7: on the turn medium made handHero (BB) $25 SB $25CO $25Preflop:Flop: ($0.75)SB bets $0.5, Hero calls $0.5, SB calls $0.5.6 folds, CO calls $0.25, 1 fold, SB calls $0.15, Hero checks.Turn: ($2.25)SB bets $1.5, Hero folds...

19This example shows a typical mistake that a lot of players make on the lower limits

You are stuck between two players on the flop. You hit a top pair with nines on an 8, 8, 9 board, plus you have a medium kicker, namely, a queen. The player ahead of you bets. You call, after all, not a lot of draws are possible. Your opponent can have an eight, a nine, he can bluff or maybe also have a pair maybe a pair of tens, but maybe also just a pair of fives.

The player behind you also call and now it should be clear to you that you cannot invest any more money if your hand doesnt improve on the turn.

The turn card probably didnt help anybody and yet, the player in the small blind bets again even though two players called his bet on the flop. Even if he cant beat your medium top pair, then maybe the player behind you can. If you call, he can still raise.

It is very uncomfortable to continue to play here. Particularly the player behind you will make this uncomfortable. You will never know where you stand. Then it is just a guessing game and if there is something you dont want in poker, then that is having to guess.

Altogether, the situation is too dangerous and marginal in order to allow you to call on the turn.

Example #8: on the turn strong made handHero (SB) $25 BB $25MP1 $25MP3 $25CO $25Preflop:Flop: ($1.25)Hero checks, BB checks, MP1 bets $1, MP3 calls $1, 1 fold, Hero calls $1, 1 fold.3 folds, MP1 calls $0.25, 1 fold, MP3 calls $0.25, CO calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.15, BB checks.Turn: ($4.25)Hero bets $3, MP1 raises $6.

20It is an easy decision to call preflop from the small blind with your suited connectors.

On the flop, you decided to play passively with your flush draw, because you are playing against four opponents. Based on the money that MP1 and you still have, you can easily call his bet and you hit your flush on the turn.

Now you should become more active. If you check, your opponents will only rarely bet something because they are afraid of the flush. However, particularly on the smaller limits they will still call a bet, because they might think that you are bluffing.

If somebody raises your bet, you can reraise or you can go directly all-in depending on the size of the stacks involved. In this example, it is best to go all-in in response to a raise. A normal reraise from you would commit you to the pot anyway. The pot would be so big that you can no longer get away from your hand. Additionally, your hand is strong enough for this AND you must protect it. Because a fourth heart on the river would definitely not help you.

How do you play on the river?Nobody has bet until nowDoes a bet make sense, because there are enough worse hands that would pay you off?Does it make sense to call a bet, because your opponent would bet with worse hands?If you have at least a middle or a top pair, you can bet about 1/3 of the pot.

There was already action in the previous betting roundsYou fold with an incomplete draw.With a made hand, it depends on the board texture and the previous play of your opponent.Can you bet with your cards?Are your cards strong enough for a raise?Can you call at least one bet?

If you want to call a bet on the river, the more players that called before you, the stronger your hand has to be.

21How do you play on the river?Now you are in the final betting round. If nobody has shown interest in the pot yet and somebody bets, you should take a look to see if your hand improved and whether or not it makes sense

... to call with it, because there are enough worse hands that could pay you off.... to call a bet, because the opponent could bet with worse hands.

In this case, you can invest a small bet with a top pair or middle pair about 1/3 of the existing pot. If your hand is weaker, you should just give up.

If there was already action the previous betting rounds, your approach is different. If you had a draw and you didnt complete it, then you give up. Here it doesnt matter if you played your draw aggressively or passively. Unraised pots particularly in the lower limits are not ideal for big bluffs on the river. Its not worth it! With a made hand, you should take another look at how good your hand is against your opponents possible hands. Once again, you have to consider the community cards (the so-called board texture) and the previous play of your opponent.

Can you bet?Are your cards strong enough for a raise? (Or are the community cards and your opponents cards much better and not enough worse hands are possible?) If you at least call a bet, because your opponent will often bet on the river with hands that are worse than yours?

If you decide to call a bet, then you must also pay attention to something else.

If a player bets on the river, the more players that called before you, the stronger your hand must be. A middle pair or a weak top pair may be enough against one opponent on the river. However, it is rarely strong enough to win a showdown if multiple players have shown strength ahead of you.

Example #9: on the river - drawsHero (BU) $25 SB $25BB $25MP1 $25Preflop:Flop: ($1)SB checks, BB checks, MP1 checks, Hero bets $0.8, SB calls $0.8, 2 folds.3 folds, MP1 calls $0.25, 3 folds, Hero calls $0.25, SB calls $0.15, BB checks.Turn: ($2.6)SB checks, Hero bets $2, SB calls $2.

River: ($6.6)SB checks, Hero checks.

With a draw on the river, it doesnt make sense to continue to play aggressively, because only hands that you would have beat anyway will fold.22Lets take another look at the previous flush draw example. Before, you played your draw aggressively on the flop and turn and the player in the small blind called your bet each time.

Another bet on the river doesnt make any sense. Your opponent didnt run away in the prior two betting rounds and that will only rarely change with these river cards. Only worse flush draws could fold, but you would have beat them anyway. Thus, you take the free showdown in position and you hope to win the pot with ace-high.

Example #10: on the river medium made handHero (CO) $25 BB $25UTG1 $25MP1 $25BU $25Preflop:Flop: ($1.35)BB checks, UTG1 checks, MP1 checks, Hero bets $1, BU calls $1, 3 folds.UTG1 calls $0.25, 2 folds, MP1 calls $0.25, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.25, BU calls $0.25, 1 fold, BB checks.Turn: ($3.35)Hero bets $2.25, BU calls $2.25.River: ($7.85)Hero checks, BU bets $3, Hero calls $3.

If no draws were possible on the flop, you should bet again on the river as an aggressor. If your bet gets raised, fold.If there is was draw on the flop, and it comes in on the river, take the free showdown as long as you are in position.

If you are out of position, bet, and should someone raise it, fold.If there was a draw on the flop and it didnt come on the river, you can play check/call for bluff induce if you are in position.23It starts to get interesting if you have a medium made hand on the river. If you were previously the aggressor and you bet in the previous rounds, your play on the river depends greatly on the community cards.

If no draws were possible with the flop cards, you should usually bet on the river with a bet size of anywhere between 1/3 of the pot size to a little more than of the pot size. If somebody raises your bet, you can fold.

If there was a draw on the flop that comes on the river and you are in position, then you should try to get to the showdown without paying anymore money. If you are out of position, you should bet again. Here a 1/3 to pot size bet is OK. Here you should also fold in response to a raise.

You can use a different technique if, for example, a flush draw was possible on the flop, but it didnt come on the river either. If the chances are good that your opponent had this flush draw and you are next to act after him, you can play check/call for bluff induce here as well. This means that you check and call a bet from your opponent. If your opponent has the draw that didnt come, he will most likely not call a bet. After all he has nothing. However, he might want to use the chance to bluff.

In this example, the flop allows for a strong draw a flush draw. Your opponent plays passively and just calls your bets on the flop and turn. It is possible that he has a flush draw. If he does, his hand is no longer worth anything on the river. Here you could check and call a bet from him. Thus, you give him the opportunity to bluff. Even if he has a weak pair, like two eights, he can bet again, because he might think that you have a weak hand.

Example #11: on the river strong made handHero (SB) $25 BB $25MP1 $25MP3 $25CO $25Preflop:Flop: ($1.25)Hero checks, BB checks, MP1 bets $1, MP3 calls $1, 1 fold, Hero calls $1, 1 fold.3 folds, MP1 calls $0.25, 1 fold, MP3 calls $0.25, CO calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.15, BB checks.Turn: ($4.25)Hero bets $3.5, MP1 calls $3.5, 1 fold.

River: ($11.25)Hero bets $7, 1 fold.

With a strong made hand, you should continue to play aggressively on the river, because you cannot assume that your opponent will bet if you check.24With strong made hands, you should also bet on the river. According to what your opponent is ready to pay, you can usually make a bet between half of the pot size and the entire pot size. This also applies for draws that you hit on the river.

You cannot assume that your opponent will bet if you check.

In this example, the procedure is very simple: you continue to play aggressively. After all, you want to give your opponent the opportunity to lose more money to you with an ace, for example.

SummaryNever play made hands passively on the flopInformation about your opponents hand strength is more important in unraised pots, than in pots where someone raised before the flop.

You need a strong hand for a large potThe pot is small and your opponents hand range is large. If you build up a large pot, then only do this with a strong hand.

Never play for large amounts with a medium hand in an unraised pot!

25SummaryNow you have an overview of how you should play in any given situation if nobody raised before the flop. We went through a few examples of the different possible situations and you learned why you should invest money in certain situations and why you should keep out of other situations.

It is important that you never play made hands passively on the flop. With made hands, you need to either bet or fold. Since the pot is still very small on the flop, information about your opponents hand strength is much more important than it is in larger pots where there was already a bet before the flop.

You can get this information best if you bet yourself, because a simple bet from an opponent could mean anything. He could have a monster, but he could also only have a medium made hand or a draw.

If you bet yourself, he will usually raise with a monster. This is the information that you want. That is why you should bet on the flop.

In general, you play straightforwardly in an unraised pot. You only invested a little money, the pot is small and your opponents could have a large range of cards. If you build up a large pot, then only do this if you have a really strong hand.

It is a big mistake to play for large amounts in an unraised pot with medium hands. Always remember this!

The Pokerstrategy.com team wishes you success on the tables.