03- 6-08, LearnTexasHoldem:

Facing Sudden Big Bets or Raises in No Limit Texas Hold'em

No-limit Texas hold'em has been described as a game filled with hours of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror. Indeed, some no-limit Texas hold'em hands are relatively innocuous. Two marginal hands trade bets and calls, with the winner taking a small pot at showdown. However, there are some situations where the player who has been leading is suddenly faced with a large raise. What's the best way to handle these situations?

Top 3 Beginner Rooms

Consider the Action

Have you been making large bets or small ones? Has your opponent been calling quickly or deliberately? You should always be observing the behaviors and betting patterns of your opponents. Furthermore, you should be observing them all the time, even when you are not in a hand, in case you have the opportunity to link their current behavior to a prior hand. In the absence of other information, quick calls often mean a drawing hand, and a drawing hand is more likely to call smaller bets.

Consider the Board

Did a card that is likely to complete a straight or flush just hit? Not just possible, but likely? For example, on a board of 3 8 T, a player calls your pot sized bet and a 9 comes on the turn. This card certainly could complete a straight with 67 or JQ, but a player with one of these hands would have had to call your bet with a gutshot, only four outs to make their straight. On the other hand, if a Q or 7 were to hit, this would be cause for alarm, as this would compete the open ended straight draw held by a player with J9.

Consider the Player

Are you facing an opponent who likes to make a move whenever he smells weakness, or one who likes to slow play his big hands. Your read of the player you are facing may be the most important factor in determining whether a sudden big bet means a monster hand or a monster bluff.

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