Some Late-Position Play

Hold'em Essentials

By Jim Brier

Some Late-Position Play

By "late-position play" I am referring to situations when you are either in the cutoff seat or on the button, and either you or the cutoff has initiated the action preflop with everyone else folding. These can be tricky situations, and it is critical to be more aggressive than usual.

Hand No. 1 ($20-$40 game): You are in the cutoff seat with the K Q and open with a raise. The button reraises and you are the only caller. There is $150 in the pot and two players.

The flop is A 8 3. What should you do?

Answer: You should bet the flop. In these heads-up, reraised pots, you need to make a play for the pot, and a bet is better than a check-raise. His button reraise preflop could have been done with lots of hands, since he was responding to what he viewed to be a steal-raise. He might well fold a pocket pair that does not include a club rather than play what to him might look like a two-outer, at best. If he calls or raises, you have the nut-flush draw to fall back on.

Hand No. 2 ($30-$60 game): You open with a raise in the cutoff seat with the A Q. The button and small blind fold. The big blind reraises and you call. There is $200 in the pot and two players.

The flop is J 8 3. The big blind bets. What should you do?

Answer: There is $230 in the pot and it costs you $30 to call. You have six outs, which is a 7-to-1 shot, and this is about what the pot is offering. But the big blind three-betting frequently means a decent pair or A-K. Against A-K, you are dead to a queen, and an ace showing up will cost you some money. Against a decent pair, you may be up against a set or pocket kings or queens, making you dead to either two perfect cards or just an ace. You should fold.

Hand No. 3 ($30-$60 game): You are on the button with the A K. Everyone folds to the cutoff, who opens with a raise. You reraise and only the cutoff calls. There is $230 in the pot and two players.

The flop is 7 6 4. Your opponent checks. You bet and he calls. There is $290 in the pot. The turn is the 5. Your opponent checks. You check with an open-end straight draw on the table. The river is the 7. Your opponent bets. What should you do?

Answer: Call. Any 3 through 8 has you beat, as well as any pocket pair. But, you beat A-J, A-10, A-9, K-Q, K-J, K-10, Q-J, Q-10, and J-10, which are all late-position stealing-type hands with which the cutoff might raise preflop. You even beat A-Q and tie another A-K.

Hand No. 4 ($15-$30 game): You are on the button with the K 3 and open with a raise. The small blind folds and the big blind reraises. You call. There is $100 in the pot and two players.

The flop is J10 9. Your opponent checks. What should you do?

Answer: A reraiser who does not come out betting the flop should be viewed with suspicion. You will not win the pot outright by betting, and your one-card gutshot is not enough of a hand to fall back on when you get called or check-raised. The latter is a very real possibility. You should check.

Hand No. 5 ($20-$40 game): You are in the cutoff seat with the A 8. You open with a raise and the big blind reraises, with the other players having folded. You call. There is $130 in the pot and two players.

The flop is 10 7 6. The big blind bets and you call. There is $170 in the pot. The turn is the 4. The big blind bets. What should you do?

Answer: Raise. He could be betting with A-K, A-Q, or A-J. By raising, you will most likely win the pot outright when he has one of these hands. With the nut-flush draw, a double belly-buster straight draw, and an ace overcard, you could have as many as 18 outs when he has a better hand than you. You need to be aggressive in these heads-up steal situations with a reraised pot at stake.

Hand No. 6 ($20-$40 game): You are on the button with the A J and open with a raise. Both blinds call. There is $120 in the pot and three players.

The flop is 8 5 3. The small blind checks and the big blind bets. You call, as does the small blind. There is $180 in the pot and three players. The turn is the A. Both opponents check and you bet. The small blind raises and the big blind folds. What should you do?

Answer: There is $300 in the pot and it costs you $40, pot odds of about 7-to-1. If your opponent has a bigger ace or aces over eights, you are playing three outs, which is a 15-to-1 shot. If he has aces over fives, you have six outs with any jack or 8, which is a 7-to-1 shot. If he has aces over treys, you have nine outs with any jack, 8, or 5, which is about a 4-to-1 shot. If he was slow-playing a set or happens to have a wheel, you are drawing dead. Overall, when he has a better hand, you are not getting the right odds to chase. It is possible that your opponent has a worse hand than you, but it seems very unlikely. He called your preflop raise, led at you on the flop, and is now check-raising you on the expensive street. Against most opponents, you should fold.