The best thing ever in the game of Holdem is to just
flop the
nuts. This means that you
have the best possible hand right on the
flop. You don't need any other cards, you don't
have to worry about your opponents. Then, the entire game becomes the strategy of
maximizing your profits, not whether you will win or lose. This part of the game, to me,
is the most fun. A good player will maximize the pot on his winning hands and minimize
his losses.
I was lucky enough to
flop the nuts on this hand. In early
position, I have several
strategies that I like to use to show weakness and induce betting into my virtually unbeatable
hand. In this particular play, I use my "small bet, check, big bet" maneuver:
Hand #X-X at X (No Limit Hold'em)
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Started at 08/Nov/03 17:46:32
Flop Turn River posts the small blind of $.25.
Player3 posts the big blind of $.50.
Flop Turn River: 9c 8d
Player3: -- --
Player4: -- --
Player6: -- --
Player7: -- --
Player8: -- --
Player9: -- --
Pre-flop:
Player4 folds. Player6 calls. Player7 folds.
Player8 calls. Player9 folds. Flop Turn River calls.
Player3 checks.
*I have 98
offsuit, in the small blind position, so I make the
call. There are four of us
in this hand.
Flop (board: 7h 5c 6d):
*The flop comes giving me the nut
straight! And the flop is a
rainbow (all different suits)
so I am not worried about a flush coming out. Now in early
position, I decide to try
the "small bet, check, destroy" strategy, which goes like this - step 1, I just make the
minimum bet:
Flop Turn River bets $.50. Player3 folds. Player6
calls. Player8 folds.
*I have one caller. Now, for step 2, regardless of the
turn card, I'm going to check to
show that I unsuccessfully tried to
bluff at the pot or that my hand is just weak.
Turn (board: 7h 5c 6d Ad):
*The
turn card brings an Ace. I check to the Ace and Player6 makes the minimum bet.
Now, considering there are two cards of the same suit on the board, I decide to make my move
now and make a significant check-
raise - this is step 3 when you reveal your strength and
bet out your hand:
Flop Turn River checks. Player6 bets $.50. Flop Turn River
raises to $4.50. Player6 re-raises to $8.50.
Flop Turn River goes all-in for $11.15. Player6 calls.
*I check
raise $4.50, then Player6 re-raises the pot to $8.50! I still have the best possible
hand, so I go
ALL-IN and Player6 calls!!! As long as the board does not
pair up (giving the
possibility of a
full house), or show a possible flush, my
straight is the nut hand.
River (board: 7h 5c 6d Ad Qc):
(no action in this round)
*
River brings a Queen of clubs, a non-factor. Looking at the board, I still have the nut hand.
Showdown:
Flop Turn River shows 9c 8d.
Flop Turn River has 9c 8d 7h 5c 6d: straight, nine high.
Player6 mucks cards.
(Player6 has 5s As.)
*Player6 was holding two pairs. Now if I went
ALL-IN right after the
flop, he surely would
have immediately folded, he was only holding bottom
pair at that moment. By making the minimum
bet (slow-play), it was cheap enough for him to stay in the hand and
improve on it, which he did.
Then by checking on the Ace, which made his two
pair, he was sure that he had the best hand.
Mix it up a bit and try the small bet, check, big bet tactic, it will confuse your opponents
and could
lead to bigger pots.
Hand #608884-1264 Summary:
$1.20 is raked from a pot of $25.30.
Flop Turn River wins $24.10 with straight, nine high.
