03- 6-06, LearnTexasHoldem:
Sand Bagging And Betting The Nuts
the first is concerning how you can tell a bad player has made a strong hand. most loose-passive players that i encounter will often call all the way down whether they have bottom pair or top set; i often bet hand such as top pair and try to remain aggressive.
do you have to wait for the absolute nuts before facing these opponents or can you still play big pairs and top pair w/ a good kicker with positive expectation?
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The second question is concerning the correct amount to value bet against these opponents? if they are willing to call any bet that you make then is it appropriate to often bet double the pot size with the nuts?
thank you for your help, vincent
Answer:
These are good questions, thanks for sending them in Vincent.
Thoughts about players who just call you with strong hands:
- the best defense against someone like this (a "sandbagger") is to watch their previous play. Most likely at some point in the session this player did the same thing against someone else. You should be aware of this so that if the person makes a big move on the turn or river you'll know that they aren't bluffing and most likely have you beat.
- you do not need to nuts to keep betting into someone like this. A loose-passive player, by definition, will not normally have a strong hand. If you were to always fear the nuts and not bet, you would end up losing opportunities. You need to think about getting value on the hand but also following a good no limit holdem poker axiom: Never bet more than an opponent with a worse hand can call with. That basically means that you wouldn't try to put the opponent all-in with just top pair, because it is unlikely that you'll get him to call with a hand you can beat (at least in most situations). The only way the opponent could call you is if he had a hand that could beat you. Say you have a hand like KJ and the flop is Jack high. You have one opponent who is a loose-passive player, willing to call down with anything, including strong hands. The correct way to play is to make bets relative to the pot size. Bet the pot on the flop, then half the pot on the turn and again on the river. That prevents you from overplaying your hand and getting in trouble. Also, it allows your opponent to call with a worse hand. Another way to play it would be to just check the river. Checking the river in no limit holdem doesn't necessarily mean you'll fold, or that you are even scared. Often times good players will bet the whole way and check the river because they know that the opponent has a missed draw or holds a weak hand and if they bet the opponent won't call, but if they check then there is a possibility that the opponent will fire a bet and cost himself more. You can use this strategy against the loose-passive player too with hands that aren't that strong. Bet the flop, bet the turn and then check the river. You get some value and preserve the chance of someone with a worse hand calling.
Now, how do you play your hand when you have the nuts?
- when you have the nuts, what is the goal? The goal is to make the most money. Therefore, whatever play earns you the most chips, is the correct one.
- there is no set way to pay a hand because how to play the hand depends on your opponent's and what they may have. Sometimes you'll be able to go all-in and get called by another player because you have correctly read that he is committed to the pot, or that he is bad enough not to fold, etc. If you can go all-in and get paid off, then by all means do it. I recommend this in my no limit holdem tips section. There is no reason to always bet the same amount of chips against different players. For example, if you know everyone will call 10x the BB preflop if you have AA and raise, then why not do it? If he'll call 100x the BB, then do that. If you want them to call, bet as much as you can while still getting the call.
- try to hone your skills for understanding what your opponents are thinking during a hand. What do they think you have? What do they think you think they have? Then when you know this information, opportunities will present themselves where you can bet an amount that is odd with the intention of manipulating the opponent's thought process. Say you have the nut flush on the river after you've been leading the whole way. There are many ways to play this hand. You could bet a small amount to feign weakness, overbet the pot to feign a bluff, bet a regular amount, or check and raise. Let me give you a couple examples:
1. You bet into a preflop raiser with a set on the flop. His thinking, "this guy is testing his top pair right now." Contrast that with checkraising the flop or turn with your big hand, which definitely suggests strength.
2. You have AA and the flop is all rags with a flush draw. One opponent calls you to the river. You check now. His thinking with a broken flush draw, "he might just have AK, I'll bet here and try to win the pot." Contrast that with leading out again on the river when there is no way he will call.
Each of these can work wonders at the right time. As your skill at this improves, how much you can make from a pot does too. You'll be able to break players left and right because you trip up their thinking. And I've found that once a person thinks a certain way, like assuming you don't have a big hand because you bet too much for anyone to call with, that person rarely reevaluates their read until its too late.
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