Two players left in a large pot, turn card done, and player 1 (first to act) goes all in. Player 2 contemplates for a awhile and then declares “I am not not making a call” and turns over his cards (not mucking them). Player 1 moves to flip his cards over and Player 2 reminds him that he has not called yet. Player 1 stops his movement. Player 2 then folds his hand.

The question: Is it legal to turn over your cards while you are still in the hand and you are not folding? After the hand was over, Player 2 stated that it is within his rights to turn cards over without folding and that he did so in attempt to see if Player 1 would give away a tell/read on his cards. Player 1 (and a couple others) felt that it is not legal to turn your cards over while you’re still in the hand. What would be the ruling here? (I’m reminded of the Jamie Gold vs Allan Cunningham similar situation at the final table at WSOP main event in 2006)

Thanks,
Daryl

My question addresses blind play. According to SSH, I should complete the small blind with any XYs, any two ten or higher, and all PPs. I’m confused though, as to when it is appropriate to loosen up beyond this if there are many limpers. Say I’m in small blind, 4 players limp and I hold Q5o. Since I’m getting around 11-1 from the pot, should I call? What should I consider when making such decisions?

About the big blind play: SSH suggests calling against a raise the same hands I would play in late position for one bet (minus weak offsuit holdings, e.g. KT). Say a tight player raises from middle position and gets one cold-caller; if I hold something like KTs/QJs, should I call because of the pot odds or should I fold because I fear domination? I seem to be conflicting the two concepts.

You DVD set is great for starting me off on the shorthanded end of play (Advanced Pre-Flop Strategies. I finally understand the concept of when to get in and such. But I still have a problem playing shorthanded.

Against better players, I can handle myself in mutil-pot situations, but I walk on eggsheels once it gets heads-up before the flop. I know things change when you go heads-up on the flop, I just don’t know what they are and how to react to them.

Do you have a reference of what to read to learn heads-up play?

Also, since we are talking pre-flop strategies, at the table I was at today (and most days) I am seen as a tighty. How often should I bluff at a pot and/or raise early with something less than optimal to mix it up without getting expensive?

Thanks

Jim

I am struggling with the notion or process of controlling pot size especially out of position.
I am playing .5/1 NL 100max at Party. This is a hypothetical situation but one which I am struggling to get to grips with. Say I am in UTG+1 I raise to $3 with KK and get one caller in LP. Caller has same stack size as me at $100.
Flop comes Q73 rainbow I bet $5 into the $7.5 pot and LP calls. I never find it easy after this point when I have raised and then get called on the flop and we have deep stacks. How should I proceed now. It is these way ahead or way behind situations that are so difficult to get to grips with(I am hoping your new book helps a lot with this). If the stacks are a lot shallower then I probably have to go all the way here. But I have read about controlling pot size when in position but not when out of position. I know most of these sort of situations are player dependant but lets assume the caller is a splid player. Thanks

Having the river checked to you is confusing. It suggests the raiser was bluffing and everyone else was drawing. But someone could have a king, and the checks could be a 9 that’s scared of a straight or full house. Overall I think it’s too likely you’re beaten to risk a value bet, but it’s fairly close.

I think you played the hand great. I like everything, including your river check. You can’t expect anyone to fold a king for one bet in this huge pot. If they raised the turn or called two cold, they aren’t folding top pair in a huge pot for one more bet.

It takes experience to know when the extra bet is worth it for “save pots not bets” and when you have almost no chance of making a better hand fold. In this case, you can’t really expect anyone to fold a king, so I like just checking it down and hoping to win a showdown.

.25/.50 (9 players)

Hero : Jd Jc at MP3

UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls , MP2 calls, Hero raises, CO folds, Button calls, SB calls, BB folds, all call.

Flop: 8h 9s 9h (15sb)

SB checks, UTG+1 checks, UTG+2 checks, MP1 checks, MP2 bets, Hero raises, Button folds, SB calls, UTG+1 folds, UTG +2 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls

Turn: Ts (11.5bb)

SB checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, Hero bets, SB raises, all call.

River: Kd (19.5bb)

All check to Hero. Hero checks.

MP2 wins with Kh 5h (Two of a Kind) 19.5bb

MP1 had Ah 7h. SB had As 6h.

What I should have done: These guys were very loose and agressive. As soon as I got check raised on the turn by the SB. I was thinking I was beat by a slowplayed trips or he hit a straight. But I had the outs to continue.

Four 7′s would give me a good straight, that would split at the least. 3 outs.

Four Q’s would give me an ok straight, not as much confidence with them as with the sevens, since JT would beat me. Give it 3 outs.

Of course two J were left to beat trip 9′s, but would put a straight on the board as well, so I could only count one out there.

Seven outs is 6-1. Pot was 10-1 with his raise. I’m ok.

This river play is my main problem. It gets checked to me. It’s already been check-raised on the turn by the SB. I am thinking that he still had something big and trying to drop me for another bet so I checked with every one else.

Could I have knocked out the better hand here with a bet? Well, no. Probally not. It’s what he was waiting for wasn’t it? He didn’t have anything else at all. But that’s not really the point anyway.

The point is since the pot is so large would it have been worth the extra bet to try to knock others out at the point?

The pot is huge here. So it’s worth calling for a bet, why not put it in myself? Worst case: I get raised (then I can fold peacefully). Best case: I get the best hand to fold.

What do you think? Does “Win pots, not bets.” come into play here?

I haven’t gotten a chance to read the book yet, but I hope to read it sometime this month. So I can elucidate then.

One difference I can think of off the top of my head is that their jam or fold tables might be a Nash equilibrium solution, and S-C numbers aren’t an equilibrium. They’re a worst-case. If that were true, they’d have you jamming in MoP with some bigger stacks than the S-C number.

Ed

thanks,
ozone