YOU’VE GOT TO KNOW WHEN TO LEAVE THE TABLE
(Distributed April 25, 2006)
When things aren’t going well at the poker table, Walter J. says he isn’t sure when to give up and leave. He’s not alone.
YO LUCKYDOG: The other night in a $3-$6 hold’em game, I was catching great cards but getting whacked almost every time. In just four hours, I flopped trips seven times, winning just once when my pocket deuces became quads on the turn. After losing three racks ($300), I decided to try one more because there were lots of chips on the table. I lost that, too. Should I have left sooner?
Probably, Walter. It’s not an automatic decision, however.
When your good hands are getting snapped, but you know you’re in a game where there’s money to be made, you should take a walk and carefully consider several things.
First, are you truly playing well but just getting unlucky? Or are you only playing YOUR cards and not fully paying attention to your opponents’ possibilities? You’re likely in the lead anytime you flop three of a kind, but anyone with a straight or flush draw, or with a pocket pair higher in rank than your trips, poses a threat to your hand.
Next, take accurate stock of your mental state. Low-limit hold’em, especially with so many new players who think almost any two starting cards are playable, can drive you crazy. If you can’t shake off those bad beats, or if you’re plotting retaliation against the guy who zapped you with a miracle outdraw, you’re in no shape to play.
Finally, decide honestly if you’ve reached your loss limit for the game. Each lost rack diminishes the amount of fun you’re having. Go too far in this downward direction and you won’t sleep very well that night. You’ll kick yourself for not leaving after the second rack.
CRAIG D. SAYS: I can play my big pocket pairs OK, but I get frustrated trying to play my small pairs. Got any suggestions?
Small pocket pairs are extremely vulnerable in low-limit hold’em, Craig. Yes, your 4-4 in the hole may be the best starting hand, but you’ll only flop trips about 12 percent of the time. Against four or five opponents, almost any flop that doesn’t help you WILL help someone else.
Your best option probably is to see the flop cheaply if you can, then fold if you don’t hit trips and the betting indicates you probably are trailing.
An exception: If the flop comes ragged, 7-3-2 for example, and rainbow (three different suits), stay in for the turn (fourth community card) and see what happens. Indeed, if an early-position player bets after a ragged/rainbow flop, consider raising if you are next to act and you think it will knock out players behind you. That will increase your odds of winning unless someone happens to have a monster hand.
Small pocket pairs play very differently in a no-limit tournament, however. That same pair of fours has a fighting chance when you can bet enough before the flop to at least get it down to heads-up. Against a single opponent who doesn’t have a bigger pocket pair to start, you usually are a slight favorite with your 4-4.
Your big decision is whether you want to risk most or all of your tournament chips with just a baby pair. If you’re feeling lucky, have a good read on your opponent, or need to double-up to have a chance to win the event, go for it!
PEGGY V. ASKS: Why can’t I ever make a flush? I start with suited hole cards quite often, but never seem to get a friendly flop. What gives?
It’s all about the odds, Peg. If you hold two suited cards, the numbers say you’ll make a flush only 6.5 percent of the time. Worse, if you don’t hold the ace of your suit, you could make a flush and lose!
Flushes typically are winning hands, but always playing any two suited cards will drain your chips. Don’t buck the odds too often!
E-mail your poker questions and comments to russ@luckydogpoker.com for use in future columns. To find out more about Russ Scott and read previous LuckyDog Poker columns, visit www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2006 RUSS SCOTT
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