The Stop-n-Go
As somebody who plays primarily limit cash games, I'm going to share a play that screws people's minds up. This play will be contradictory to a lot of what is taught to limit players. You see, in limit, it is more difficult to make up missed bets on later streets, so this play can be risky in the sense that you may not make as much in terms of bets in the pot, or that you may allow an opponent to draw to a better hand. Caveat emptor:
Here's the situation. You're dealt 77 in MP, and limp in. 5 people see the flop, and it comes down A-7-2 rainbow. You've flopped middle set. An EP player checks to you--what do you do?
Many limit players will wisely bet out here. Sometimes, I will too. What does that do? It immediately represents either a strong ace, or a set. There are no real straight draws or flush draws, so you've limited yourself down to a few possibilities. If a player doesn't have second pair with a strong kicker or an ace (or two pair), they will likely fold. This is not good for building a pot. You almost definitely have the best hand here, behind only AA. I say you check. One of the 3 limpers ahead of you bets, and it is called around by 4 of the limpers, losing one, and including yourself.
The pot on the turn is 5 BB, and the turn is a T. Yahtzee. Realize that another hand has been added that can beat you (TT), including if the T matches any suits on the board. I wouldn't worry too much about it. The EP limper checks again, then you should check. An LP player bets, you raise and/or re-raise. At this point, you've played this hand very weakly. You've raised on the turn after a second-best card just hit. Other players are thinking:
"What the hell does he have? Does he have TT? AA? Did he just hit his second pair?"
At the point when you raise, with the other calling stations doing what they do best, there are 10 BB in the pot. You very likely have the best hand, and have almost definitely bought yourself a free river card, and the other players, at least one of whom has at least top pair, and another of whom may have two pair, can't lay down their hands, and they are drawing to very few outs (at max only the A's and T's remaining). They almost have to call. The EP player, if he's still around and doesn't make a monster, will check to you, you can fire another BB into the pot, and watch your opponents either fold or make the crying call.
This strategy works far better when the pot is limited to 2 or 3 players, but the fun when you check/call then check/raise somebody is awesome. It also works incredibly well when the turn card is lower than your set.
FYI, I'm working over at Bet-the-Pot.com on some limit auto-rate rules. I'm tweaking the rules set by the PokerTracker Guide guys and others (especially a guy over at BTP called excession--he has a fantastic set of NL auto-rate rules over here). There's some great analysis over there, mine included :-)
Join the forum, comment at will, and of course, comment here! Or, download the rules as they are right now so you can try them out. Get the text file here!
Enjoy the holiday weekend, folks!
Here's the situation. You're dealt 77 in MP, and limp in. 5 people see the flop, and it comes down A-7-2 rainbow. You've flopped middle set. An EP player checks to you--what do you do?
Many limit players will wisely bet out here. Sometimes, I will too. What does that do? It immediately represents either a strong ace, or a set. There are no real straight draws or flush draws, so you've limited yourself down to a few possibilities. If a player doesn't have second pair with a strong kicker or an ace (or two pair), they will likely fold. This is not good for building a pot. You almost definitely have the best hand here, behind only AA. I say you check. One of the 3 limpers ahead of you bets, and it is called around by 4 of the limpers, losing one, and including yourself.
The pot on the turn is 5 BB, and the turn is a T. Yahtzee. Realize that another hand has been added that can beat you (TT), including if the T matches any suits on the board. I wouldn't worry too much about it. The EP limper checks again, then you should check. An LP player bets, you raise and/or re-raise. At this point, you've played this hand very weakly. You've raised on the turn after a second-best card just hit. Other players are thinking:
"What the hell does he have? Does he have TT? AA? Did he just hit his second pair?"
At the point when you raise, with the other calling stations doing what they do best, there are 10 BB in the pot. You very likely have the best hand, and have almost definitely bought yourself a free river card, and the other players, at least one of whom has at least top pair, and another of whom may have two pair, can't lay down their hands, and they are drawing to very few outs (at max only the A's and T's remaining). They almost have to call. The EP player, if he's still around and doesn't make a monster, will check to you, you can fire another BB into the pot, and watch your opponents either fold or make the crying call.
This strategy works far better when the pot is limited to 2 or 3 players, but the fun when you check/call then check/raise somebody is awesome. It also works incredibly well when the turn card is lower than your set.
FYI, I'm working over at Bet-the-Pot.com on some limit auto-rate rules. I'm tweaking the rules set by the PokerTracker Guide guys and others (especially a guy over at BTP called excession--he has a fantastic set of NL auto-rate rules over here). There's some great analysis over there, mine included :-)
Join the forum, comment at will, and of course, comment here! Or, download the rules as they are right now so you can try them out. Get the text file here!
Enjoy the holiday weekend, folks!
1 Comments:
That is SO not a stop and go. That's just a garden variety check raise.
To have a stop and go, you actually have to stop something. You have to be able to stop the action and then be the next one to act so you can continue it.
A real stop and go is when you call a raise from a blind in no limit and then go all in on the flop.
Now THAT'S a confusing play.
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