But It Was Suited

Top Ten Mistakes In No-Limit Hold’em Cash Games

Russell Fox

July 11, 2006

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19 Common Errors in No-Limit Hold’em Cash Games (Alphabetical)

1. Betting Too Little.2. Betting Too Much.3. Ignoring Position.4. Ignoring Pot Odds.5. Ignoring the Biggest Tell in Poker.6. Ignoring the Goal of Poker.7. Ignoring Your Opponents.8. Mechanical Errors.9. Money Management.10. Not Concentrating.11. Not Recognizing You’re Beat.12. Not Taking the Initiative.13. Playing NLHE Like Limit Hold’em.14. Playing Over Your Head.15. Playing Too Loose.16. Playing When You Shouldn’t be Playing.17. Poor Bluffs.18. Poor Game Selection.19. Trapping.

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11. Ignoring the Biggest Tell in Poker

• A player wins a hand, is stacking a mountain of chips.

• On the next hand, while he’s still stacking/racking chips, he raises.

• There is almost no chance that he’s bluffing.

• But you must be aware that everyone has different standards for a hand worth a raise.

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10. Trapping (Fancy Play Syndrome)

• In restricted buy-in NLHE, straightforward play is usually best.

• Many of your opponents will be playing drawing hands; you do not want to give them the right price.

• Beware of flush and straight draws.

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Examples of Fancy Play Syndrome?

(a) You’re the big blind and hold 52 and see flop for free along with 4 other players ($2/$5 blind nlhe game). Flop comes Q55. You’re first to act. What’s your action?

(b) Same hand, 4 other players seeing flop with you. Flop is 255. You’re first to act. What’s your action?

(c) Same hand, 4 other players seeing flop with you. Flop is A52. You’re first to act. What’s your action?

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9. Not Taking the Initiative.

• Aggression wins. Whether you’re tight or loose, don’t play passively!

• Players who make the continuation bets, raise instead of call, and re-raise instead of calling the raise will, in the long-run, win more money.

• But this does not mean you should play recklessly.

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9. Not Taking the Initiative (ctd.).

• You have KK and raised to $20 pre-flop from middle position (blinds $2/$5); the button and the bb call. The flop comes AT4 rainbow. What is your action?

• You raised with T9 from the cut-off, both blinds calling. The flop comes K94. The blinds check. Do you bet?

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9. Not Taking the Initiative (ctd.).

• You have K4 in the bb. There are three limpers, and you see the flop for free (the sb folds). The flop is 722. What is your action, and why?

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8. Playing Too Loose.

• Most restricted buy-in NLHE games are fairly loose. It’s best to play the opposite style of the average opponent.

• Because the blinds are usually low in these games, you can afford to be patient and toss your junk hands in the muck.

• By being more selective, you avoid having to make some difficult decisions.

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8. Playing Too Loose (ctd.).

• The looser you play, the more rake you’re paying. Don’t discount this: the rake causes at least 85% of all poker players to be losers.

• One drawback to this style is that you will feel the impact of bad beats (statistical anomalies) more than loose players.

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7. Playing NLHE Like Limit Hold-em.

• Sure, hold’em is hold’em, but…

• In limit hold’em, it’s almost always right to draw.

• In no-limit hold’em, it may be right to draw; however, if you’re up against aware opponents they’ll make the price wrong.

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7. Playing NLHE Like Limit Hold-em. (ctd.).

• In limit hold’em, it’s usally correct to call a raise from the big blind with almost any hand. In no-limit, that’s rarely the case.

• Assume you’re playing limit hold’em. Your rho flashes his cards (AA) just after you called his raised with AQ. One of the blinds also calls. The flop comes T86. Should you continue with your draw?

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7. Playing NLHE Like Limit Hold-em. (ctd.).

• Now, let’s assume the same hands, but it’s NLHE, $2/$5 blinds. You’ve called your rho’s pre-flop raise to $20 and then see his hand (the bb also calls). The flop comes T86. Your rho bets $55. Should you continue with your draw?

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6. Ignoring Your Opponents.

• Poker is not played in a vacuum. Your opponents, well, some of your opponents, are trying to get your money.

• Categorize your opponents. Determine what their bets and raises mean. It’s best to start your work with the most dangerous opponent first (usually, the one with the most chips).

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6. Ignoring Your Opponents (ctd.).

• When you’re not in a hand, what are you doing? Watching the game on television? Looking at the people in the casino? Or are you observing your opponents?

• Here’s a hand which I flunked. I had AQo in a $1/$2 blind game. My very loose opponent raised from early position to $5; I re-raised from the button to $18. [ctd]

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6. Ignoring Your Opponents (ctd.).

• The flop came Q55 rainbow. He checked, I bet $25 and he called. The turn was a 2. I bet $35, and he moved-in for $41 more. I called…and he held K5o.

• Had I been observant, I would have known that when he raised he always felt that he had the nuts. But I was playing while tired, and wasn’t paying attention.

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5. Ignoring Position.

• If you play AJ the same UTG as you do on the button, please let me know where you play.

• Position is the most important factor in flop games.

• At a full table, all marginal hands should usually be thrown away in early position.

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5. Ignoring Position (ctd.).

• But many of these same marginal hands are worth a raise in late position in an unraised hand.

• You want to avoid difficult decisions in NLHE. Assume you raise with QT, and are re-raised, and call. The flop comes T52. Do you bet, and find your opponent with AT? [ctd.]

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5. Ignoring Position (ctd.).

• But if you check, Mr. Murphy guarantees that your opponent holds JT. It’s much easier to act last than it is to act first.

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4. Betting Too Much.

• If you bet too much, who is going to call you? Assume the blinds are $1/$2, and you raise to $30. Unless you’re in a great game, only a hand that will beat you will call you.

• Blind stealing is not a profitable strategy in many NLHE games. [Note: In Southern California, blind stealing is an important and useful strategy.]

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4. Betting Too Much (ctd.).

• The basic strategy in NLHE is to give your opponents the wrong price. You want them to make bad calls. So you may wonder why overbetting the pot isn’t correct. If your opponents will call your overbets, then you should bet too much.

• If you’re up against maniacs, overbet the pot.

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3. Betting Too Little.

• Minimum raises (or “min-raises”) are a great way to price your opponents into a pot.

• Why do you raise?

• There’s an old saying, “Never draw to an inside straight.” It should be, “Never draw to an inside straight unless you have the right price.” Min-raises give your opponents the right price.

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3. Betting Too Little (ctd.).

• Assume you have AA, and are UTG. The standard raise in your $2/$5 game is to $25. Do you (a) fold, (b) limp, (c) raise to $15, or (d) raise to $25?

• Assume you limp, hoping to limp re-raise, but all you get are five opponents. The flop come KQT. The big blind moves all-in. What do you do?

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2. Ignoring Pot Odds.

• If you go after draws with the wrong price, you will be a losing player.

• If you give your opponents the right price to chase their draws, you will be a losing player.

• Implied odds are important (as are reverse implied odds).

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2. Ignoring Pot Odds (ctd.).

What hands allow you to win a substantial pot

in NLHE?

• Big hand vs. big hand (AA vs. KK)

• Flopped set vs. big hand (33 vs. KK with QT3 flop)

• Flopped set vs. top pair, top kicker (33 vs. AK with KT3 flop)

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1. Ignoring the Goal of Poker.

• What is the goal when you play poker? Is it: (a) to have fun/entertainment, (b) because it’s the “in” thing to do, or (c) to make money?

• Bill Fillmaff got this correct (see http://planetstackedmovies.gamespy.com/fillmaff04.wmv); well, sort of….

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1. Ignoring the Goal of Poker (ctd.).

• Almost every decision you make at the table should be based on Expected Value (EV). If a yes answer equates to an increase in EV, do it. Cash games are a long-term grind.

• Money flows from the patient to the impatient. Be one of the patient people.

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Questions?

“There are two cardinal sins from which all others spring: Impatience and Laziness.” -- Franz Kafka

“How many a man has thrown up his hands when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success?” -- Elbert Hubbard

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” -- Saint Augustine.”

“Money can’t buy happiness, but neither can poverty.” -- Leo Rosten

“Money doesn’t always bring happiness. People with ten million dollars are no happier than people with nine million dollars.” -- Hobart Brown