Board texture

Brief example of board texture

When you are starting in poker, it is easy to get caught up when you have a strong hand without giving proper regard to what kinds of hands other people may have. Often, poker guides mention that a player must judge the board's texture. Here is a great example from the 4th hand of a PokerStars 2,500 chip/30 minute blind tournament:

PokerStars Game #5930896166: Tournament #29939345, $8.00+$0.80 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (25/50) - 2006/08/15 - 19:15:42 (ET)
Table '29939345 97' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: ATOR (2575 in chips)
Seat 4: Killabee747 (2475 in chips)
Seat 5: KYLERICE (2450 in chips)
Seat 6: ntg16 (2500 in chips)
Seat 7: HONESTDOUG (2500 in chips)
Seat 8: Dharma 13 (2500 in chips)
Seat 9: Click-N-Pray (2500 in chips) is sitting out
KYLERICE: posts small blind 25
ntg16: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
ATOR said, "way 2 start"
Pyroxene is connected
HONESTDOUG: folds
ravens35 is connected
Dharma 13: folds
Click-N-Pray: folds
ATOR: raises 100 to 150
Killabee747: calls 150
KYLERICE: folds
ntg16: folds
*** FLOP *** [Ks Js Qs]
ATOR: bets 300
Killabee747: calls 300
*** TURN *** [Ks Js Qs] [5s]
ATOR: bets 300
Killabee747: raises 300 to 600
ATOR: raises 650 to 1250
Killabee747: raises 650 to 1900
ATOR: raises 225 to 2125 and is all-in
Killabee747: calls 125 and is all-in
*** RIVER *** [Ks Js Qs 5s] [Kh]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ATOR: shows [Kc As] (a flush, Ace high)
Killabee747: shows [Ah Tc] (a straight, Ten to Ace)
ATOR collected 5025 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 5025 | Rake 0
Board [Ks Js Qs 5s Kh]
Seat 1: ATOR showed [Kc As] and won (5025) with a flush, Ace high
Seat 4: Killabee747 (button) showed [Ah Tc] and lost with a straight, Ten to Ace
Seat 5: KYLERICE (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: ntg16 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: HONESTDOUG folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Dharma 13 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Click-N-Pray folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Killabee747 got into a raising war on the turn against the player with the nut flush. He had an Ace high straight which is often a winning hand. But on the turn (when most of the chips went in) there were 4 spades on the board and he was not holding a spade.

The board texture in this case is terrible for his straight as he is drawing dead if his opponent has a spade higher than a 5 and drawing to lose or tie against any lower spades.

Yeah Killabee is without a doubt a major donk/donator. He should have raised a lot more on the flop and bailed out on the turn. I can definitely see why he plays in a donkament.

would have been better if someone was holding KJ and won with a FH. :-)