Poker Is Freedom

9 Μαρτίου 2013

General rules

Examples of poker hand categories in descending order

The following rules apply to the ranking of all poker hands. Under typical rules there are 10 distinct rankings.

A hand always consists of five cards. In games where more than five cards are available to each player, the best five-card combination of those cards must be played. Any cards not included in the hand do not affect its ranking. For example, if player A holds 3♠ Q♦ and player B holds 3♣ A♣, and five cards 4♣ 5♦ 6♦ 7♠ 10♥ are available to both players, the players hold equally ranking 3-4-5-6-7 straights despite the fact that the player B's ace ranks higher than the player A's queen.

Individual cards are ranked A (highest), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (lowest). Aces can appear low (as if having a value of "1") when part of an A-2-3-4-5 straight or straight flush. In the poker variants ace-to-five and ace-to-six lowball, the ace only plays low, and only plays high in deuce-to-seven lowball. Individual card ranks are used to rank hands that are in the same rank category.

The suits of the cards are used to determine whether a hand forms a flush or straight flush. In most variants, suits do not have an associated value, and play no part in determining the ranking of a hand. Sometimes a ranking called high card by suit is used for randomly selecting a player to deal. Low card by suit usually determines the bring-in bettor in stud games.

Hands are ranked first by category, then by individual card ranks; even the lowest hand that qualifies in a certain category defeats all hands in all lower categories. For example, 2♦ 2♠ 3♦ 3♣ 4♠, the lowest-valued two pair hand, defeats all hands with just one pair or high card (such as A♠ A♦ K♦ Q♥ J♣). Only between two hands in the same category are card ranks used to break ties.

A poker hand has the same hand ranking regardless of the order in which it is arranged by the deal, by a description, or by a picture. So a hand arranged as 10♠ 8♦ 10♦ 6♣ 10♣ is ranked the same as 10♣ 10♦ 10♠ 8♦ 6♣ even though in the first hand the three of a kind is not immediately obvious.

If there are multiple hands of the same rank at the showdown (therefore no kicker(s), or kickers have equal ranks), the pot is divided equally between the winning players. If the divided number creates fractions (odd chip), the first hand clockwise from the button/dealer gets the chip.

There are 311,875,200 ways (5-permutations)of being dealt five cards from a 52-card deck, but since the order of cards does not matter, there are 5! = 120 5-permutations given in any one hand, so there are only 2,598,960 possible combinations in five-card poker. Similarly, in seven-card poker there are 133,784,560 combinations.

If the game is played without the high card by suit rule, hands that have equivalent values are considered to be the same hand, there will be 7,462 distinct hands in five-card poker, and 4,824 distinct hands when choosing the best five in seven-card poker, like Texas hold 'em; the number of seven-card poker is fewer than of five-card poker because some hands are impossible with seven cards (e.g. 7-high).

The Rules of Poker

Poker is a game of chance. However, when you introduce the concept of betting, poker gains quite a bit of skill and psychology. (This isn't to say that there isn't skill at poker when nothing is at risk, there just isn't nearly as much). This is meant as a very basic primer into the rules of poker, for more information, get a book on the game (or start playing with a group of people who know how. It's more expensive than reading a book, but the group won't mind. *Snicker*).

This list is currently broken into several parts:

1. The Very Basics

2. How the Hands are Ranked

3. Descriptions of Hand Ranks

4. Betting

5. An Example 5-Card Draw Hand

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Motivation (level: intermediate)

Complaining about your bad luck will have no predictable influence on the quality of cards you’re dealt in the future… (a) true;
(b) false.
Bringing a serious demeanor to the table… (a) makes you a more profitable player;
(b) helps you get more calls;
(c) will make it easier for you to bluff;
(d) all of the above.
Money you don’t lose… (a) can be spent just the same as money you win;
(b) isn’t worth saving when you’re more than 100 minimum bets behind in a game;
(c) isn’t as important as money you win, but is still valuable in the long run;
(d) is money saved, but can’t buy anything
Against weak opponents, you should often… (a) refuse to communicate;
(b) play looser than usual;
(c) play tighter than usual;
(d) communicate only about poker strategy.
You will win more money if you appear to be a weak player… (a) true;
(b) false
Which attitude best conveys how you should handle opponents you feel sorry for in a game? (a) You should avoid getting involved in pots with them;
(b) You should try to destroy them at the poker table, knowing that you always have the option of giving the money back after the game;
(c) You should quit the game until they leave;
(d) You should talk to them at the table, trying to motivate them.
Your only mission in a poker game is to… (a) win pots;
(b) create the right image;
(c) play hands selectively;
(d) make good decisions.
When other players seem to be taking turns going on tilt (which means playing poorly), your best option is to… (a) bluff more often;
(b) pass your turn;
(c) tighten up on your hand selection;
(d) all of the above.
When you’re not comfortable with the game, you aren’t able to make the same quality decisions as when you are comfortable… (a) true;
(b) false.
Which statement is false… (a) luck at poker will tend to even out over the years;
(b) luck at poker is unlikely to be exactly equal for two players, even over a long period of time;
(c) after two or three months of playing poker, you should be able to determine whether you’re likely to be a lucky or unlucky player over the years;
(d) a bad losing streak has no bearing on the quality of cards you’ll be dealt next hand.

Answers and explanations (with questions repeated for convenience)
Motivation (level: intermediate)

Complaining about your bad luck will have no predictable influence on the quality of cards you’re dealt in the future… (a) true;
(b) false.
Answer: (a). It’s true that complaining about bad luck will have no predictable influence on what cards you’re dealt next. However, complaining about bad luck does have consequence. It makes your opponents believe they can beat you, so don’t do it.
Bringing a serious demeanor to the table… (a) makes you a more profitable player;
(b) helps you get more calls;
(c) will make it easier for you to bluff;
(d) all of the above.
Answer: (c). Bringing a serious demeanor to the table will make it easier for you to bluff, which is one of that image’s few benefits. Against loose, carefree opponents, though, a serious demeanor is likely to bring fewer calls and earn less money overall.
Money you don’t lose… (a) can be spent just the same as money you win;
(b) isn’t worth saving when you’re more than 100 minimum bets behind in a game;
(c) isn’t as important as money you win, but is still valuable in the long run;
(d) is money saved, but can’t buy anything.
Answer: (a). Money you don’t lose can be spent just the same as money you win. Although it might not feel the same, losing $3,700 instead of $3,900 means that $200 remains in your pocket the next day and can be spent exactly the same as $200 won.
Against weak opponents, you should often… (a) refuse to communicate;
(b) play looser than usual;
(c) play tighter than usual;
(d) communicate only about poker strategy.
Answer: (b). Against weak opponents, you should often play looser than usual. Some hands that wouldn’t have been profitable against strong or average opponents will be profitable against weak ones, and you can afford to add these hands to your selection.
You will win more money if you appear to be a weak player… (a) true;
(b) false.
Answer: (a). It’s true that you’ll win more money in the long run (assuming you’re a skillful player) if you appear to be weak. Opponents will make mistakes because they wrongly evaluate your play. When I’m in a game, I don’t want opponents to think I’m playing well. In my case, most of them realize that I can play well, but I can still make them think I’m choosing not to. It’s always an advantage when opponents underestimate your game, specifically because they’ll call more often with losing hands.
Which attitude best conveys how you should handle opponents you feel sorry for in a game? (a) You should avoid getting involved in pots with them;
(b) You should try to destroy them at the poker table, knowing that you always have the option of giving the money back after the game;
(c) You should quit the game until they leave;
(d) You should talk to them at the table, trying to motivate them.
Answer: (b). Poker isn’t a game where it’s right to show mercy. It’s your duty to act only in your own selfish interests, avoiding directly or indirectly assisting opponents. If you feel sorry for opponents, you can always refund the money you won later.
Your only mission in a poker game is to… (a) win pots;
(b) create the right image;
(c) play hands selectively;
(d) make good decisions.
Answer: (d). Your only mission in a poker game is to make good decisions. Everything else takes care of itself.
When other players seem to be taking turns going on tilt (which means playing poorly), your best option is to… (a) bluff more often;
(b) pass your turn;
(c) tighten up on your hand selection;
(d) all of the above.
Answer: (b). Just because your opponents seem to be taking turns going on tilt doesn’t mean you have to participate. You can pass your turn.
When you’re not comfortable with the game, you aren’t able to make the same quality decisions as when you are comfortable… (a) true;
(b) false.
Answer: (a). It’s true that you won’t be able to make the same usual quality decisions when you’re uncomfortable. If something bothers you about a game, it’s often best to quit.
Which statement is false… (a) luck at poker will tend to even out over the years;
(b) luck at poker is unlikely to be exactly equal for two players, even over a long period of time;
(c) after two or three months of playing poker, you should be able to determine whether you’re likely to be a lucky or unlucky player over the years;
(d) a bad losing streak has no bearing on the quality of cards you’ll be dealt next hand.
Answer: (c). The only false answer is: “After two or three months of playing poker, you should be able to determine whether you’re likely to be a lucky or unlucky player over the years.” First, cards you’ve been dealt in the past won’t help you know what ones will be dealt next, so your luck in the future is unpredictable. Second, even if luck were predictable, “two of three months” of poker wouldn’t be long enough to make a judgment.

Psychology (level: intermediate)

At MCU, we teach that most weak opponents often seem to call… (a) oddly, primarily with black cards;
(b) anything that moves;
(c) often, but almost seldom twice in a row;
(d) less often than they should.
It’s psychologically satisfying to maintain a long winning streak. Which statement about such a streak is most true? (a) It’s important to try to keep the streak alive as long as you can afford to do so;
(b) You might be losing money overall by extending a winning streak;
(c) The more days in a row you win, the more days in a row you’ll probably lose in the future;
(d) Players who have the longest winning streaks are, on average, poker’s biggest lifetime winners.
Caro’s Threshold of Misery states that… (a) You stop feeling any more pain once you’ve lost more than you expected was likely – and this can put you in a dangerous situation;
(b) Everyone has a different tolerance for losing, and you should develop as great a tolerance as possible;
(c) Players typically get irritated if they win too many hands in a row – thus, misery applies equally to winners and to losers;
(d) There’s no way to keep an even disposition at poker, and trying to do so will always cause you to lose in the long run.
If you feel that you’re being cheated… (a) you’re apt to be wrong, but the feeling itself can cause you to lose;
(b) you probably won’t be able to concentrate fully on making the best decisions;
(c) you should often leave the game, even without proof;
(d) all of the above.
It’s often profitable to seem like a maniac in poker, especially if… (a) you’re a “friendly” maniac;
(b) you can avoid being caught up in the act and playing poorly;
(c) your opponents are paying attention;
(d) all of the above.
Most players seem to take turns going on tilt. (a) True;
(b) False.
If you say, “I think I have a straight flush, but maybe I’m bluffing,” you’ve given your opponent an “either-or decision.” This can be effective psychology if… (a) you’re bluffing;
(b) you have a weak hand with vague hopes of winning, but don’t want a call;
(c) you’ve been losing consistently for at least an hour;
(d) you have a medium-strong betting hand.
It’s better to advertise if your weak hand is similar to those your opponents might also play. (a) True;
(b) False.
Solid players are not affected much by the table image of their opponents. (a) True;
(b) False.
Against typical weak opponents, the best tactic is to… (a) bluff a little more often;
(b) avoid the urge to bet aggressively with medium-strong hands;
(c) play more conservatively than your image implies;
(d) play a little more liberally than they do.

Answers and explanations (with questions repeated for convenience)
Psychology (level: intermediate)

At MCU, we teach that most weak opponents often seem to call… (a) oddly, primarily with black cards;
(b) anything that moves;
(c) often, but almost seldom twice in a row;
(d) less often than they should.
Answer: (b). At MCU we teach that most weak opponents will call anything that moves. This means that the more animated you are, the more likely you are to be called, and the less movement you make, the more you are likely to be successful bluffing.
It’s psychologically satisfying to maintain a long winning streak. Which statement about such a streak is most true? (a) It’s important to try to keep the streak alive as long as you can afford to do so;
(b) You might be losing money overall by extending a winning streak;
(c) The more days in a row you win, the more days in a row you’ll probably lose in the future;
(d) Players who have the longest winning streaks are, on average, poker’s biggest lifetime winners.
Answer: (b). You might cause yourself to lose overall by trying to extend a win streak. That’s because you’re likely to force yourself to play longer under poor conditions — when you’re losing — and quit prematurely to chalk up the win under the better conditions — when you’re ahead.
Caro’s Threshold of Misery states that… (a) You stop feeling any more pain once you’ve lost more than you expected was likely – and this can put you in a dangerous situation;
(b) Everyone has a different tolerance for losing, and you should develop as great a tolerance as possible;
(c) Players typically get irritated if they win too many hands in a row – thus, misery applies equally to winners and to losers;
(d) There’s no way to keep an even disposition at poker, and trying to do so will always cause you to lose in the long run.
Answer: (a). Caro’s Threshold of Misery suggests that once you move beyond the maximum you expected you could lose, you stop feeling any more pain, and you’re in danger of damaging yourself further by making weak decisions.
If you feel that you’re being cheated… (a) you’re apt to be wrong, but the feeling itself can cause you to lose;
(b) you probably won’t be able to concentrate fully on making the best decisions;
(c) you should often leave the game, even without proof;
(d) all of the above.
Answer: (d). If you feel that you’re being cheated, even if you’re wrong, the feeling itself can cause you to use up valuable time worrying about it, making you less able to concentrate on important game decisions. You should often leave that game, even without proof. So, the answer was “all the above” — A, B, and C.
It’s often profitable to seem like a maniac in poker, especially if… (a) you’re a “friendly” maniac;
(b) you can avoid being caught up in the act and playing poorly;
(c) your opponents are paying attention;
(d) all of the above.
Answer: (d). All of the above A, B, and C were true. If you’re going to pretend to be a “maniac” in a game to confuse your opponents and gain extra calls, then you should be friendly, you should avoid being caught up in the act and playing poorly, and your opponents must be paying attention.
Most players seem to take turns going on tilt. (a) True;
(b) False.
Answer: (a). Oddly, it’s true that most opponents take turns going on tilt. It’s kind of fair, if everyone does it sometimes, and it equals out. But, you can make a lot more money by simply passing your turn to go on tilt. Play your best game all the time.
If you say, “I think I have a straight flush, but maybe I’m bluffing,” you’ve given your opponent an “either-or decision.” This can be effective psychology if… (a) you’re bluffing;
(b) you have a weak hand with vague hopes of winning, but don’t want a call;
(c) you’ve been losing consistently for at least an hour;
(d) you have a medium-strong betting hand.
Answer: (d). Forcing an opponent into an either-or mode of thinking is a good tactic when you bet a medium-strong hand. If you say, excitedly, that you might have made a straight flush, you’re opponent may call with a weak hand, thinking you either did make it or you’re bluffing. That’s exactly what you want when you’re hands fall in the middle-strength range. You’d like as many weak calls as possible, but you want to discourage raises from better hands than yours.
It’s better to advertise if your weak hand is similar to those your opponents might also play. (a) True;
(b) False.
Answer (b). It’s false that you should tend to advertise with weak hands similar to those your opponents play. Doing so will seem commonplace to them. If you’re going to bluff or play a weak hand to send a message that gains extra calls in the future, make it a hand strange enough or weak enough to get their attention.
Solid players are not affected much by the table image of their opponents. (a) True;
(b) False.
Answer: (b). It’s false — though commonly believed to be true — that solid poker players aren’t affected much by your table image. Almost everyone is affected by image and can be swayed by advertising. People make hasty evaluations based on often faulty perceptions. Learn to profit from this.
Against typical weak opponents, the best tactic is to… (a) bluff a little more often;
(b) avoid the urge to bet aggressively with medium-strong hands;
(c) play more conservatively than your image implies;
(d) play a little more liberally than they do.
Answer: (c). Against typical weak opponents, the best tactic is to appear loose, but play more conservatively than your image implies.

Opponents (level: advanced)

Even if you’ve been seen making silly plays in an attempt to build a loose image and gain extra calls, you can often bluff a strong player in the same game if… (a) the player is on tilt;
(b) the player has just been caught bluffing;
(c) the player takes pride in being too smart to be taken in by your antics;
(d) the player doesn’t seem to care about money.
If you say the words, “call me, I might be bluffing, but I’m probably not” you are more likely… (a) to be called;
(b) to be raised;
(c) to see your opponent fold;
(d) none of the above
Beginning players often play even worse than you’d expect, because… (a) winning makes them uncomfortable;
(b) they probably studied advanced sophisticated strategy and understood it at home, but lose their concentration in a game;
(c) they want to impress you with their skills;
(d) they’re too busy trying to understand the rules, customs, and environment to fully focus on making good poker decisions.
If an opponent positions a chip very exactly in a pot, it’s a good idea to push it out of its location, because… (a) the chip has mystical strength in that position;
(b) it’s a bad policy to let opponents position their own chips;
(c) you want to show that you’re even more experienced at positioning chips;
(d) the exact positioning is probably a sign of superstition, and you can make a player feel unlucky by “accidentally” moving the chip – and he won’t play as well
If opponents see you losing, they’re apt to be inspired and play better against you. Often you can make them less confident by… (a) folding your arms and staring into space;
(b) simply keeping quiet;
(c) changing seats;
(d) trying to bluff them frequently.
If someone sympathetically points out how unlucky you’ve been, you should… (a) deny it;
(b) explain that they don’t even know half of it;
(c) tell them you’re unlucky today, but tomorrow might be different;
(d) thank them for noticing.
Sometimes it’s almost as easy to bluff two opponents as one, because… (a) if the first player folds, the second one doesn’t want to embarrass himself with a weak, losing call;
(b) when there are two players or more in the pot, it indicates a tight game;
(c)the pot is usually not big enough to defend with two opponents;
(d) all of the above.
Against your most deceptive opponents, you should… (a) be extra aggressive;
(b) almost never call;
(c) let them have the lead by checking often;
(d) all of the above.
Female players make more money by calling than male players, on average… (a) true;
(b) false.
If an opponent bets and is carrying on a conversation that seems forced and somewhat nonsensical… (a) he’s probably hoping for a call;
(b) most likely he hasn’t looked at his cards yet;
(c) it’s probably a bluff;
(d) none of the above.

Answers and explanations (with questions repeated for convenience)
Opponents (level: advanced)

Even if you’ve been seen making silly plays in an attempt to build a loose image and gain extra calls, you can often bluff a strong player in the same game if… (a) the player is on tilt;
(b) the player has just been caught bluffing;
(c) the player takes pride in being too smart to be taken in by your antics;
(d) the player doesn’t seem to care about money.
Answer: (c) Even if you have developed a loose image by making strange plays, and most opponents are eager to call your future hands, you can still sometimes bluff opponents who take pride in being too smart to be taken in by your antics.
If you say the words, “call me, I might be bluffing, but I’m probably not” you are more likely… (a) to be called;
(b) to be raised;
(c) to see your opponent fold;
(d) none of the above.
Answer: (a) If you say, “call me, I might be bluffing, but I’m probably not,” opponents often will become confused, curious, and suspicion — and you’re more likely to be called.
Beginning players often play even worse than you’d expect, because… (a) winning makes them uncomfortable;
(b) they probably studied advanced sophisticated strategy and understood it at home, but lose their concentration in a game;
(c) they want to impress you with their skills;
(d) they’re too busy trying to understand the rules, customs, and environment to fully focus on making good poker decisions.
Answer: (d) Beginners often play even worse than you’d expect, because they’re using up a great deal of their evaluation time by simply trying to understand the procedures and the environment.
If an opponent positions a chip very exactly in a pot, it’s a good idea to push it out of its location, because… (a) the chip has mystical strength in that position;
(b) it’s a bad policy to let opponents position their own chips;
(c) you want to show that you’re even more experienced at positioning chips;
(d) the exact positioning is probably a sign of superstition, and you can make a player feel unlucky by “accidentally” moving the chip – and he won’t play as well.
Answer: (d) When you see an opponent place a chip in a precise position, that’s probably a sign of superstition, and you can make the player fell unlucky and play worse by “accidentally” repositioning that chip.
If opponents see you losing, they’re apt to be inspired and play better against you. Often you can make them less confident by… (a) folding your arms and staring into space;
(b) simply keeping quiet;
(c) changing seats;
(d) trying to bluff them frequently.
Answer: (c) When opponents notice that you’re losing, they’re inspired, think they can beat you, and consequently play better. But you can often make them less confident by changing seats. Many players think different seats are hot or cold and erroneously believe your seat change might make you lucky in itself. You can even emphasize this psychological advantage by announcing that you know the new seat will be lucky.
If someone sympathetically points out how unlucky you’ve been, you should… (a) deny it;
(b) explain that they don’t even know half of it;
(c) tell them you’re unlucky today, but tomorrow might be different;
(d) thank them for noticing.
Answer: (a) If someone points out how unlucky you’ve been, your first inclination may be to accept the sympathy gratefully, but actually — because opponents play better against you when they think you’re unlucky — you should deny that you’re running badly.
Sometimes it’s almost as easy to bluff two opponents as one, because… (a) if the first player folds, the second one doesn’t want to embarrass himself with a weak, losing call;
(b) when there are two players or more in the pot, it indicates a tight game;
(c)the pot is usually not big enough to defend with two opponents;
(d) all of the above.
Answer: (a) Sometimes it’s almost as easy to bluff two players as one, because if the first player folds, the second one won’t want to make a weak, losing call that might cause the opponent who folded to question his judgment.
Against your most deceptive opponents, you should… (a) be extra aggressive;
(b) almost never call;
(c) let them have the lead by checking often;
(d) all of the above.
Answer: (c) You should let deceptive opponents take the lead often. That means you should check to them more frequently than you would check to most other opponents.
Female players make more money by calling than male players, on average… (a) true;
(b) false.
Answer: (a — true).Yes, female players actually do make more money by calling against male opponent ts, on average. That’s because they are bluffed more often than males who play the same style of game. That’s just an average, though, and some males won’t bluff women at all.
If an opponent bets and is carrying on a conversation that seems forced and somewhat nonsensical… (a) he’s probably hoping for a call;
(b) most likely he hasn’t looked at his cards yet;
(c) it’s probably a bluff;
(d) none of the above.
Answer: (c) Whenever you hear an opponent chatter in a way that seems forced, contrived, or unnatural, that’s a sign of stress and it’s a strong indication of a weak hand or a bluff.

Strategy – Hold ’em (level: advanced)

Disregarding suits, which flop is most profitable, on average, if you’re holding A-10 in hold ’em? (a) 2-3-4;
(b) 10-K-J;
(c) 10-4-4;
(d) A-2-2.
Disregarding suits, if you begin a hold ’em hand with J-10 and the flop is J-10-A, you should usually… (a) bet and reraise if raised;
(b) check and call if bet into;
(c) check and raise if bet into;
(d) bet and fold if raised
Disregarding suits, if you begin with A-9 and the flop is A-9-9, you should usually… (a) check and call if bet into;
(b) check and raise if bet into;
(c) keep betting and raising until the river;
(d) check and fold if bet into.
In which way is 5-5 better than 2-2 as a starting hold ’em hand? (a) 5-5 can beat starting pairs 3-3 and 4-4, but 2-2 can’t;
(b) if the final board is J-9-J-3-4, 5-5 might win with a larger two pair than an opponents’;
(c) if two pair and no deuces show on the board, 2-2 will always be a worthless hand, unless a deuce completes the only flush. However, 5-5 can sometimes survive as a pair, even if two pair land on the board;
(d) all of the above
It’s harder to protect a pair of aces in no-limit hold ’em than in limit hold ’em. (a) true;
(b) false.
In pot-limit hold ’em, a good strategy with a superior hand against a single opponent who acts first and checks is to also check all the way to the river and then bet the maximum. (a) true;
(b) false
If you begin a hold ’em hand with A-A and the flop is K-Q-J, no flush possible, what percent of the time will you finish with just the aces you started with after seeing the turn and river cards? (a) 58 percent;
(b) 76 percent;
(c) 90 percent;
(d) 41 percent
If you begin a hold ’em hand with 6d 5c, what are the odds against flopping a straight? (a) 7 to 1;
(b) 14 to 1;
(c) 76 to 1;
(d) 48 to 1.
You’re in a nine-handed hold ’em game holding A-9. What is the chance that yours is the only ace held before the flop? (a) 82 percent;
(b) 31 percent;
(c) 11 percent;
(d) exactly 50 percent.
Which is not an advantage of just calling with A-A in an early position in hold ’em? (a) You’re more likely to improve your position by acting after your opponents on subsequent betting rounds;
(b) If you call and you’re raised and then other players call, you can reraise and potentially build a bigger pot;
(c) You might earn extra profit from players with weak hands who wouldn’t have played if you had raised;
(d) Just calling can sometimes be advantageous because it’s a deceptive play.

Answers and explanations (with questions repeated for convenience)
Strategy – Hold ’em (level: advanced)

Disregarding suits, which flop is most profitable, on average, if you’re holding A-10 in hold ’em? (a) 2-3-4;
(b) 10-K-J;
(c) 10-4-4;
(d) A-2-2.
Answer: (c) Disregarding suits, if you hold A-10, then 10-4-4 is a more profitable flop overall than 2-3-4, 10-K-J, or A-2-2.
Disregarding suits, if you begin a hold ’em hand with J-10 and the flop is J-10-A, you should usually… (a) bet and reraise if raised;
(b) check and call if bet into;
(c) check and raise if bet into;
(d) bet and fold if raised.
Answer: (a) Disregarding suits, if you begin a hold ’em hand with J-10 and the flop is J-10-A, you should usually bet and reraise if raised. While you might occasionally want to check-and-call as a trap or check-and-raise as an act of war, your best tactic most of the time is to bet and then raise back if you’re raised.
Disregarding suits, if you begin with A-9 and the flop is A-9-9, you should usually… (a) check and call if bet into;
(b) check and raise if bet into;
(c) keep betting and raising until the river;
(d) check and fold if bet into.
Answer: (a) Disregarding suits, if you begin with A-9 and the flop is A-9-9, you should usually check and call if bet into. There’s such a high probability that your opponent has a moderate hand, a weak hand, or no competitive hand at all with that flop (considering that you hold both ranks yourself) that you don’t want to risk chasing him out of the pot with either a bet or a raise. Check, then just call.
In which way is 5-5 better than 2-2 as a starting hold ’em hand? (a) 5-5 can beat starting pairs 3-3 and 4-4, but 2-2 can’t;
(b) if the final board is J-9-J-3-4, 5-5 might win with a larger two pair than an opponents’;
(c) if two pair and no deuces show on the board, 2-2 will always be a worthless hand, unless a deuce completes the only flush. However, 5-5 can sometimes survive as a pair, even if two pair land on the board;
(d) all of the above.
Answer: (d) All of the first three listed reasons explain why 5-5 is a better hold ’em starting hand than 2-2: (a) 5-5 can beat starting pairs 3-3 and 4-4, but 2-2 can’t; (b) if the final board is J-9-J-3-4, 5-5- might win with a larger two pair than an opponents’; and if two pair and no deuces show on the board, 2-2 will always be a worthless hand, unless a deuce completes the only flush, while 5-5 can sometimes survive a two-pair board by measuring higher than the smaller pair showing.
It’s harder to protect a pair of aces in no-limit hold ’em than in limit hold ’em. (a) true;
(b) false.
Answer: (b) It’s false that it’s harder to protect a pair of aces in no-limit hold ’em than in limit hold ’em. In fact, no-limit makes it much easier to protect a pair of aces by betting bigger than your opponents can call. Of course, you often don’t want to chase opponents away in no-limit games when you hold aces. You do, though, want to tax them as much beyond where they’re getting a break-even calling proposition as they’re willing to pay.
In pot-limit hold ’em, a good strategy with a superior hand against a single opponent who acts first and checks is to also check all the way to the river and then bet the maximum. (a) true;
(b) false.
Answer: (b) It’s pot-limit hold ’em and you’re holding a superior hand against a single opponent who acts first. It’s false that it’s usually a good strategy to keep checking all the way to the river and then betting the maximum after your opponent’s final check. That may occasionally work in no-limit hold ’em, but in pot-limit, since you can only bet the size of the pot, it’s a good idea to build the pot bit by bit with superior hands, so you can wager more and make more money.
If you begin a hold ’em hand with A-A and the flop is K-Q-J, no flush possible, what percent of the time will you finish with just the aces you started with after seeing the turn and river cards? (a) 58 percent;
(b) 76 percent;
(c) 90 percent;
(d) 41 percent.
Answer: (d) If you begin a hold ’em hand with A-A and the flop is K-Q-J, without any flush possible, you can expect to end up with just those two aces 41.4 percent of the time. That means 58.6 percent of the time you will improve, making anything from aces-up to four aces.
If you begin a hold ’em hand with 6d 5c, what are the odds against flopping a straight? (a) 7 to 1;
(b) 14 to 1;
(c) 76 to 1;
(d) 48 to 1.
Answer: (c) If you begin a hold ’em hand with 6d 5c, the odds are 76-to-1 against flopping a straight.
You’re in a nine-handed hold ’em game holding A-9. What is the chance that yours is the only ace held before the flop? (a) 82 percent;
(b) 31 percent;
(c) 11 percent;
(d) exactly 50 percent.
Answer (b) If you’re in a nine-handed hold ’em game holding just one ace before the flop, there’s a 31 percent chance that yours is the only ace that’s been dealt.
Which is not an advantage of just calling with A-A in an early position in hold ’em? (a) You’re more likely to improve your position by acting after your opponents on subsequent betting rounds;
(b) If you call and you’re raised and then other players call, you can reraise and potentially build a bigger pot;
(c) You might earn extra profit from players with weak hands who wouldn’t have played if you had raised;
(d) Just calling can sometimes be advantageous because it’s a deceptive play.
Answer: (a) Just calling with A-A, as an alternative to raising, sometimes has advantages, but improving your position by acting after your opponents on subsequent betting rounds is not one of them.

6 Μαρτίου 2013

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