No Limit Texas Holdem Poker Cash Game Guide - Drawing Hands

Part 3 - Extensive Cash Game Guide

Drawing Hands (nut flush or nut straight)

• If you have 11 or more outs when drawing to the nut flush or straight, you need at least one over-card (higher than any board card), so you can mix up you game by betting/check-raising/raising in order to win the pot immediately or draw out in later wagering rounds.

• If you are playing with "calling stations", this will not work well because you will not be able to win many pots with semi-bluffs. With this hand, you can check-raise/raise all-in if you are the short-stack and the pot is big. You'll have two ways to win: by forcing other players to fold or by outdrawing other players. You have about a 33-53% chance of doing this if the outs are 8 to 14.

• Call a bet sometimes on the flop because of the existing implicit odds. This is directed by the size of your stack and those of your opponents and by the bet size. If a weak player with a lot of money bets and you also have a tall stack, a call would be a good idea because you might double-up if you hit on the turn.

Specific Holdings at Flop Play

Non-vulnerable "monsters" (four of a kind, nut full house, nut flush, nut straight)

• With this type of flop, you must know how to play tp earn the maximum pay-off.

• Build the pot if no one is taking initiative (often with small bets/raises to give pot odds). When betting 30-50% of the pot in multi-way pots, many players call/raise with draws and other weaker cards.

• If you need to be active to build the pot, make sure to leave room for opponents to make a move/bluff.

Vulnerable "monsters" (low full house, non-nut flush, non-nut straight)

• This hand can be played profitably by slow-playing until the turn (if the turn card still leaves you with a great hand) or by "jamming it" on the flop.

• If you decide to jam on the flop, be ready to back that hand with your whole stack.

• Sometimes it is far better to wait until the turn and see if a blank hits. If so, you reveal the true strength of your hand on the turn. A disadvantage with this play is that you are allowing people to outdraw you on the turn by hitting a bigger flush, straight or full house. Plus, action dries up fast when a fourth suited card hits or it is only one card to a straight on the turn. Do not to get "married to the hand" in case a bad card hits on the turn.

Top/Middle/Low Set (trips using pocket-pair)

• If the board is highly coordinated (2/3 cards in same suit and/or 2/3 connected cards), you must make a stand and try to shut other out, because almost any card on the turn will be a scare card. Several players may be chasing, so over-bett the pot at 200-300% if you wish. If someone has flopped a straight or flush you still have about a 34% chance of improving to at least a full house.

• If the board is uncoordinated, set up a slow-play by calling or betting modestly and attempting to draw people in. Betting small works best if some cards are in the "playing zone" (for example, 9 and up) because someone will have a decent holding.

• Remember, with a "monster" hand you want to leave room for players to attempt the bluff as long as you are not in great jeopardy of being outdrawn. Consider which types of opponents remain in the pot.

Top two-pair or top and bottom-pair (pairing both hole cards)

• Play similar to flopped sets

• Slow-play t with a modest bet or call (you might get well paid off on later betting rounds).

• If the board is highly coordinated (2/3 cards in same suit and/or 2/3 connected cards), punish the drawing hands. Over-betting the pot is not wrong when are several opponents

• If you have hit with a "weak" Ace, let AK and AQ pay to chase you.

Bottom two-pair

• Protect this pot by betting and raising. This hand looks b but is vulnerable to an outdraw. Generally speaking, hit this hand with connected cards, making at least a straight-draw possible. For example, if you hold 9-8s and the flop is K-9-8, any K, Q, J, T, 7, 5 that hits on the turn will be a scare and, if you add a flush-draw, it becomes worse.

• Watch out when board pairs appear on the turn (and you do not make a full house) because someone probably held an over-pair that was improved to a better two-pair than yours or it could give someone trips.

Overpair (pocket-pair above highest card on the flop)

• To extract more money in an aggressive game, slow-play high over-pairs (AA-KK) by limping, calling or making modest bets in the hopes of re-raising someone pre-flop. With big pairs, y taking flops with more than one or two opponents.

• If the board is uncoordinated and you are up against only one or two opponents, slow-play your over-pair.

• If you have a medium overpair, you want to win the pot on the flop or your hand becomes vulnerable to overcards that hit on the turn.

• Watch out for flops like 9-8-7, T-9-8 and J-10-9, especially if they come with flush draws. Anyone who gives lots of action on this kind of flop probably has you beat or is about even-money to outdraw you.

Top-pair, Ace Kicker

• Most of the time, bet on the flop (and continue on turn) since there are often have weaker players staying in with weaker kickers or worse hands. Be sure to bet about the same amount as the pot if the board is coordinated to protect your hand.

• Again, there is a vast difference between a flop like K-7-3 rainbow and K-J-9 with a flush draw when you hold AK. In the first case, consider slow-playing the hand. In the second case, give action on the flop as almost any card on the turn will be a scare card.

Top-pair, Weak Kicker

• When the pot has not been raised, make a normal bet to take the pot if your hand is the best. If there are four players or more involved, give up without a fight.

• Generally, fold when facing a pot-sized bet from a tight player if there is a decent chance that you are out-kicked or facing an over-pair. Be cautious to call if there are many players left to act, because you can't cannot afford any heat.

• Avoid getting heavily invested with this type of hand unless you have a lot of added value, such as a straight draw and a flush draw. If you hold 89s and the flop is 6-7-8 with two cards of your suit, you only have top-pair with a weak kicker, so be prepared to back your hand with your entire stack. This hand gives you 20 outs (!) to outdraw someone holding AA, thus making you the favorite to win.

Second-pair (pocket-pair between the flop's high and middle card)

• Typical fold or bet hand.

• If you have late/last position with no more than two opponents that checked the flop, you should bet an un-raised pot. Weak/loose players who chase could chase on middle-pairs or draws. Tight players might fold weak top-pairs or other non-made hands.

• Fold if a b player bets in front of you, especially if players behind you are left to act.

• When betting, release your hand if raised except when you bly suspect that a weak/aggressive player is drawing. Then re-raise or call and wait to see what unfolds on the turn.

Middle-pair, Ace Kicker

• Bet out or check-fold, depending on the board, players and number of opponents.

• If you are last to act and it is checked to you, bet.

• This situation arises frequently when you are playing the A-x hands. Do not get heavily involved on this type of flop.

• With the A-x hands, you want to hit two-pair, trips, a pair and the nut flush draw, and so on, then trap weaker flushes, AK (when you hold two-pair) and trips with a weaker kicker than the Ace.

Middle-pair, Weak Kicker

• When only two or three players in the pot, either check-fold or make a position bet when checked to you.

• Once in a while, take a free card when it is checked to you in the hopes that you hit at least two-pair.

• Fold if an opponent bets.

Third-pair (pocket-pair below the flop's second card)

• Either check-fold or make a position bet when checked to you and there are only two or three players in the pot.

• Sometimes take a free card when checked to you in the hopes that you hit at least two-pair.

• Fold if an opponent bets.

Low-pair, Ace Kicker

• Fold to any action. You only have 5 outs at best.

• If you decide to bet, do so solely on "bluff merits" (few players, position, no face cards on the flop, etc.).

Low-pair with Low Kicker

• Fold to any action.

• Do not position bet.

• Bet or check when checked to you in last position depending on the circumstances.

Nut draws with 9 outs or more (ace flush draw, two over-cards and a straight draw, straight flush draw)

• Instead of calling, put pressure on your opponent by betting, raising or check-raising. An aggressive move is preferred against one or two opponents who may fold decent hands. With 12 outs (such as a flush draw with an Ace kicker, giving you 9 nut outs and 3 top-pair outs), you will have an almost 50% chance to hit on turn and river combined. By putting an opponent all-in on the flop, you will frequently earn money since you are almost even-money if called and you have a good chance of winning the pot on the flop. Just remember to set your opponent all-in and do not call all-in.

• Late position has extra advantage with this type of hand, because you can decide whether to re-raise, bet, check, call or fold depending on the action before of you.

• If you are short-stacked and the pot is medium to large, you might go all-in, even if you are the first to act.

• Note: to call a 75% pot bet heads-up, pot odds of over 30% (14-15 outs) are required. Even counting "implicit pot odds" with potential extra winnings on the river, you still do not like a heads-up bet of more than 80%.

• Remember to draw for the nuts and never draw dead against the nuts.

Non-nut draw with 9 outs or more

• Be prepared to fold non-nut draws, especially in raised multi-way pots. Don't chase them and lose your stack if you hit.

• For the most part, avoid betting or chasing on a second or third-best draw, especially on flush draws where you may find you are up against a suited Ace.

• With a second-best draw, you can make a decent bet in an un-raised pot and try to win it off the bat.

Non-nut draws with 8 outs or less

• Do not chase these low pot odds or end up "drawing dead". See the turn as cheaply as you can to find out if you make your hand.

• Raise, bet or fold depending on the board, players, actions and number of opponents. Do not call off your money.