An entire book could be written on just flop play. There is such a wide variety of situations that it is impossible to cover all of them in a single column. Some of the more common situations involve flopping draws or something other than top pair or an overpair.
The following hands were taken from middle-limit games. Because they are from live games, not all of the plays leading up to the problem in question are necessarily correct, but they are usually reasonable.
Hand No. 1 ($15-$30 game): This has been a loose-passive game, so you limp in from middle position with the A
6 behind an early-position player. The cutoff, the button, and the small blind limp in. There is $90 in the pot and six players. The flop is K J 10
. Both blinds check and the early-position player bets. What should you do?
Answer: This is close between calling and raising. A raise might well win the pot for you by driving out players and getting it heads up or shorthanded, allowing you to perhaps take the pot by following it up with a bet on the turn. You have a big draw with nine outs to the nut flush and three more outs to the nut straight. But when you have so many outs to the nuts, you don't mind company. If you hit your flush, you might get action from smaller flushes, or at least calls from those with a singleton club who are drawing dead but do not realize it. If you catch a queen, you have the nuts and are freerolling anyone else with an ace. I like calling, but raising may be right.
Hand No. 2 ($20-$40 game): You are in the big blind and get a free play with the 9
6
after two early-position players, a middle-position player, and the small blind limp in. There is $100 in the pot and five players. The flop is 10 7 3. It is checked to the first early-position player, who bets. The next player folds, the middle-position player calls, and the small blind folds. What should you do?
Answer: Fold. There is $140 in the pot and it costs you $20 to take off a card, so your pot odds are 7-to-1. You have four outs with any 8, which is an 11-to-1 shot. While some like to argue that you rate to collect additional money when you hit, there are problems. The two-flush kills one of your outs and sets up redraws against you at the river. An 8 could arrive and give someone else a bigger straight. You will not win all the time even when you hit, so your implied odds are not that good.
Hand No. 3 ($20-$40 game): You are in the small blind with the A 5. Everyone folds to the button, who opens with a raise. You call and the big blind folds. There is $100 in the pot and two players. The flop is 8 6 4. What should you do?
Answer: Bet. You need to make a play for the pot in this shorthanded, steal-raise situation. You might as well do it on the cheap street before things get expensive. You have an inside-straight draw and an ace overcard, so you have an interest in the pot. Don't put yourself in a check-call mode. You can lead out, try for a check-raise, or check-call now while planning to lead on the turn. I prefer leading out because once in a blue moon, your opponent will fold a hand like J-10 or Q-J rather than hang around.
Hand No. 4 ($20-$40 game): You limp in from middle position with the A 4 behind an early-position player in what has been a loose-passive game. The button calls. There is $90 in the pot and four players. The flop is 7 5 3. The big blind bets and the early-position player raises. What should you do?
Answer: Fold. There is $150 in the pot and it costs you $40 right now to pursue your double belly-buster straight draw with any 6 or deuce. One might believe that you have a play here, since you have eight outs from 47 unseen cards, making you about a 5-to-1 dog, and figure you might collect some additional money if you hit. An ace may be an out. But, you may be splitting the pot even when you hit one of your outs, or losing it altogether since you are not using both of your cards to make the best straight. If a 6 turns up, anyone with a 4 has the same straight that you have. Furthermore, there is a two-flush on board, which could kill some of your outs or set up redraws against you. Finally, it may get raised again.
Hand No. 5 ($10-$20 game): You are in the big blind with the 9 5 and get a free play after an early-position player, a middle-position player, and the small blind limp in. There is $40 in the pot and four players. The flop is J 9 3. The small blind checks. What should you do?
Answer: Check. Having three opponents makes it a marginal situation. Having three opponents plus two cards in a playing zone (that is, J-9) means that checking is preferable to betting. The other problem is that your middle pair has no kicker to go with it. There is a wider range of hands you can lose to besides just top pair. Hands like A-9, K-9, Q-9, 10-9, and 9-8 are all common limping hands.
Hand No. 6 ($10-$20 game): You open with a raise from middle position with the J J. Both blinds call. There is $60 in the pot and three players. The flop arrives with the A 5 3. Both blinds check. What should you do?
Answer: Bet. You have only two opponents, who have checked to you. While the ace is threatening, you will remain clueless if you just dog it here and the turn gets bet. Too many overcards could kill your hand if both blinds are given free cards. A king and a queen are both bad.
Hand No. 7 ($30-$60 game): You are in the big blind with the 9 7. Five players limp in, as does the small blind. You take a free play. The flop arrives with the Q 9 7. The small blind checks, you bet, the next player raises, and two players call, with the rest folding. What should you do?
Answer: Three-bet. Your bottom two pair is probably the best hand, and you must make all of those players on flush draws pay as much as possible to chase you. You have some outs to beat a flush, as well. Agreed, you are not much of a favorite against a guy who has a pair with a flush draw, but you should still punish the guy with the lone A.
Editor's note: Jim Brier has co-authored a new book with Bob Ciaffone entitled Middle Limit Holdem Poker. It is available through Card Player.