Dynamic Full Ring Poker

by James Sweeney

  A “thin VB” is the opposite of a fat VB. When we make a thin VB we do so usually without a nuttish hand, in a situation where more of our opponent’s calling range is strong. So a situation where we bet KK on an A8722 is a perfect example. Unlike a fat VB where we expect to be way ahead of our opponent’s calling range, we only expect to be ahead of some of our opponent’s calling range. One thing we have to remember when value betting is that we have to be ahead of at least 50% of our opponent’s calling range to justify making the bet. Let’s look at a few examples:

  Take a situation where the button opens to $6 at 200NL, we 3-bet QQ to $20, and he calls. The flop comes 854. We bet $26 and he calls. The turn is an A, we check and he checks. The river is a 4 and we think about our options:

  Check. If we thought that nothing worse would call us if we bet, then a check would be the best play. Against tight players who would fold everything due to the A on the turn, checking is a fine option.

  Bet. Against players who would call hands like 99 or JJ here, a bet is great. The thing we have to remember is that if we bet, we need to be ahead of at least 50% of his calling range. So if we were to bet something like $72 here, and he would fold everything but hands that beat us, then it’s not a good bet. If a $42 bet would get looked up by more second best hands than hands that beat us, then $42 can be a good bet size.

  Let’s look at another situation. Say we raise with Ad4d from the CO and only the BB calls. We see a HU flop of AJ3. He checks, we bet, and he calls. The turn is a 9, he checks and we check behind. The river is an 8 and he checks to us. Let’s explore our options:

  Check. Against tight opponents who would never call here with worse, a bet is relatively useless. Remember, when we bet we do so because worse hands continue or better hands fold.

  Bet. Against players that would call with QJ or TT type hands, a bet here is great. However, we don’t have much of a kicker, so we have to remember that most every Ax hand beats us. At this point though, it all becomes a hand and action reading exercise. If our opponent would bet the river with 2pr, then we can take hands like AJ/A9/A8/A3 out of his range. So the hands that beat us are AQ/AT and of course we chop with A7s/A6s/A5s/A2s (betting and getting folds from chopping hands is better than checking and splitting with chopping hands). If we look at logical Jx hands he could have KJ/QJ/JT. He could occasionally have a hands like TT/77/66 as well. So at this point, the hands that we beat outweigh the hands that beats us, leaning us closer to a bet. If he would bet every A on the river in an attempt to VB us, that would mean his river check range is full of the Jx and worse pairs combos, and none of the Ax combos. If that is the case, we should certainly bet, assuming that he would call a river bet with Jx or worse pairs.

  If we think and extrapolate from this for a moment, we see that VBing against players that have more of a calling station tendency with second best hands is best. When it comes to thin VBing, it is very important that we think about the possible hands in their range, and then ensure that if we bet, enough of the second best hands would continue. Our bet sizing is very important in this. Remember that large sizes tend to get action from a smaller and stronger range, and smaller sizes tend to get action from a bigger and weaker range. So if we are looking to thin VB, we might consider using smaller sizes, like half pot or even smaller. We will talk more about this later in this chapter, but it is very important to consider if we are going to put the bet out there.

  Also in thinking about this, we notice that tight players are usually not players we want to be doing a lot of thin VBing against. They tend to continue stronger when they get to the turn and river, so unless we took lines that really allow them to feel comfortable and encourage lighter calls, we usually veer away from thin VBing them. We also might not want to thin VB players that might start check raising us on the river (assuming that we won’t call the CR). If a player might shift a hand from their calling range into their CR range because our bet size looks bluffy and they want to attack the big pot, we are better off checking behind or possibly selecting a different size.

  The best players to attack with thin VBing are calling stations, especially fish. Because their ranges are wider (they peel flops and turns more liberally), they often have a range that is large enough to consider thin VBing. We just need to make sure that we think about their range versus the board texture, and choose sizes that make us enough money while not contorting their range unfavorably. If we are ever confused while IP about whether or not we should thin VB, checking behind is the safer play. But OOP it can be a bit more difficult. The blocking bet section of this chapter will cover those spots in a bit more detail.

  The Best Hand That Checks

  There are times when we have the best hand and decide to check. This is actually where many players tend to mess up postflop. They take a hand with SDV and confuse it for a hand with pure value. Or they bet so thinly that they don’t get enough second best calls to justify making the bet in the first place. Often times in FR we check the logical best hand for a few reasons:

  Pot control. Controlling the pot size is very important. Many times players continue more liberally in small pots versus larger pots. So creating these smaller pots tends to keep our opponents making more mistakes, either by betting or calling. We pot control in situations where we think a large pot wouldn’t be very advantageous, and when our hand strength might not fare as profitably in a bloated pot.

  Induce worse calls. Most players are ingrained to think that a check means weakness. Because of this, a check would often times instill more comfort in our opponent’s weaker pairs. Of course, this does give them a free chance to improve to a better hand, but all plays come with some risk. We just need to consider the $EV of our play and ensure we are winning the minimax game in the long run.

  Induce bluffs. Keeping in mind that checks tend to imply weakness, a check can also solicit some extra bluffs. If our opponent were floating the flop, a check allows them a chance to stab at the pot on the turn. It also gives our opponent the chance to turn a hand into a bluff by betting a pair that he may feel has no real SDV. Especially against aggressive players who tend to make many more betting mistakes than calling mistakes, checking to induce bluffs is a very valid option.

  Nothing worse continues. Whenever we are considering making a bet we always want to ask ourselves what the bet actually accomplishes. If we ask ourselves that question and the answer is “well nothing worse continues and nothing better folds,” our bet probably isn’t very useful. In a hand where we feel we have value, or SDV, if nothing worse continues to our bet then checking often times becomes a better play.

  Let’s look at a hand that comes up often. We raise with AK from MP, the SB calls, and we go HU to a flop of J95. He checks, we think that a CB would get enough folds, and we make a CB for $2. He calls and the turn comes an A. He checks to us. Let’s explore our options:

  Bet. f we bet we want to ask ourselves what it accomplishes. Well if our opponent has a hand like TT or 77 he is probably going to fold. If we has a hand like QJ or JT he might call sometimes, but a tight player is probably going to fold it facing this line (we raised PF, CB, and now bet again on a card that looks like it should hit our range). If our opponent has a hand like 99 or AJ he is of course never folding. So nothing worse really comes along, and nothing better ever folds. A bet doesn’t accomplish much against a standard player. Against a calling station we could consider betting for value, but that is because he is very likely to continue with many second best hands.

  Check. A check here keeps the pot size fairly small (and aims for a nice 2 street play, a standard pot size creation with a single pair in FR). It also encourages bluffs (lets him turn a hand like 66 into a bluff on the river), encourages worse bets (maybe he goes for a river VB with KJ), and encourages lighter calls (he might check/call the river with QJ or JT type hands that he wouldn’t call with on the turn).

  Now, if our opponent were the type to call the turn bet with QJ or T9 every time, then we might just b
et. Our hand, against that player type, shifts from SDV to pure value. Whereas against a more normal opponent, who would play more straight forward against a bet on the A, we should consider checking to induce and also minimize loss against the hands that beat us. If we do check behind, our normal plan on the river is to call a bet if he fires into us, or bet ourselves if he checks to us. Again, we aimed for two streets of value, and our turn check helped make that easier to accomplish.

  It should also be noted that by checking the turn we are giving a free card. So we give our opponent a free chances to spike a set with a floated 88, or a chance to improve with a QJ type hand. While it is always painful to have that happen, we have to remember that it only happens a small percentage of the time. The other large percentage of the time, the time when he doesn’t improve on the river, we usually make more money. This doesn’t mean we would always want to check the turn behind (say there is a 3 flush out there and our opponent would call many second best hands if we bet), just that we should consider it in spots when a check induces a lot of mistakes, while a bet would allow him play closer to perfect.

  Let’s look at another situation. Say we raise KK from EP, the CO calls, and we see a HU flop of 975. We CB for $4 and he calls. The turn is a K. Let’s explore our options:

  Bet. If our opponent would never make a mistake if we bet here, then a bet doesn’t really accomplish anything. If he would fold 88 or T9 if we bet, then we are only getting action from sets and very aggressive float bluffs.

  Check. A check would probably induce a bet from most all of his range. His float range would certainly take advantage of our weakness on a scare card. His value range would bet in order to create a larger pot. So while a bet would allow him to play relatively perfect, a check should induce a lot of confusion and betting from him.

  The default line would usually be to bet this turn again. We have a big hand, and even though a large percentage of his range can’t continue, we want the range that can/would continue to lose the most amount possible. But against players that can’t help themselves but to bet when checked to, this is a great spot to go for a check and induce some bluffs and bets.

  Let’s take another situation that happens with SDV hands. Say a player opens from MP to $.75 and we call on the button with JJ. We see a HU flop of Q86 and he CBs into us for $1. We call because we think JJ is ahead of his range often enough and we have SDV that we can use. The turn is a 3 and he checks to us. Let’s explore our options:

  Bet. A bet probably doesn’t get looked up very often by second best hands. We probably get a hand like 99 or TT to call sometimes, but an AQ or KQ hand is never folding and would often times check to induce bets. A bet really doesn’t accomplish much other than lose us the most amount of money when we are behind, and makes us nothing extra when we are ahead.

  Check. A check here utilizes our SDV and keeps the pot size small. If a bet doesn’t accomplish anything (aka, he doesn’t call with many second best hands), then checking is usually going to be the best option. Yes, this gives free cards to hands like 44 or AK, but we are interested in taking the most +EV lines.

  So we check behind the turn. Let’s explore a few river cards and actions:

  The river is an A and he bets $2.5

  At this point the board is Q863A. While he could be using the A as a scare card to bluff us, we can’t know for sure. If he would only bet the A with TP or better, then this is an easy fold for us. If he would bluff a large percentage of the time on a scare card, then we can consider calling sometimes. If we don’t know, defaulting to folding our hand is perfectly fine. We aren’t getting a great price, and unless the game is playing really aggressively, odds are that we aren’t getting bluffed enough of the time here.

  The river is a 5 and he checks to us

  At this point the board is Q8635. He checked the turn and now river, so we probably have the best hand. If he has something like KQ or AQ he would probably VB the river, unless he thought we were bluffy (but then why wouldn’t we have bet the turn?). So he probably has a whiffed hand that he wouldn’t call a bet with, or a hand with some SDV like 98, 88, or TT. If we thought he would call those hands a large percentage of the time, then betting like ½ PSB is great for value. If we thought he would never call with a worse hand if we bet, then we should just check and preserve our SDV.

  The river is a K and he checks to us

  At this point the board is Q863K. He checked the turn and now the river, so we probably have the best hand. However, if we bet, do any worse hands continue? He probably folds TT and 99 because there are two over cards on board now. So his only call range is probably beating us most all of the time. Because of this, and the fact that we have SDV, a check behind here is usually best, despite the fact that we usually expect to win at showdown.

  The river is a J and he bets $2.5

  At this point the board is Q863J. Of course, at this point our hand shifts from SDV to pure value. We have the best hand and there are surely some AQ type hands in his range that would probably call a raise. A raise up to $7.25 should probably get enough second best hands to continue, and his bet should imply he either has a hand which he feels has some strength (KQ, AQ, etc) or simply a bluff.

  The important thing to remember when we have a strong hand is that it isn’t always worth a bet. Sometimes a bet would allow our opponent play too perfectly and wouldn’t allow our opponent to make any mistakes. Other times a bet wouldn’t get called by enough second best hands to really justify making the bet in the first place. When we are playing we need to remember to ask ourselves what our bets accomplish, especially with SDV hands.

  The Blocking Bet

  A “blocking” bet is one made from OOP in an effort to prevent problematic bets from a player IP. We can use this bet in situations where we don’t feel comfortable checking and facing a large bet and when we feel our opponent has many worse hands in his range. Let’s review some things that would make for a good blocking bet:

  Our opponent has worse hands in his range

  As always, our plays boil down to ranges. If our opponent has many second best hands in his range, and we think he might call those if we bet, a blocking bet can be great. We give ourselves a chance to make more value from our hands while negating some of our positional-disadvantage.

  Our opponent might easily bet a large amount

  A big part of the reason why we use a blocking bet is to avoid facing a larger bet that we are uncomfortable with. Take a situation where we are on the river with AK. The board is Ah7c5cTs4c. We might not feel comfortable facing a big river bet, and thus going for a c/c line could get us into trouble.

  We have a hand with some value

  Take that same AK on the Ah7c5cTs4c board. We certainly beat some hands (88-QQ, AJ/AQ, 76, etc.), and of course we do lose to some (54, KcQc, etc.). So a bet does accomplish getting called by some worse hands, while ensuring that we lose less when we are against the strong part of his range. A blocking bet can be a great way to get on the good side of the minimax game from OOP.

  When considering a blocking bet we need to think about the line we have taken, our opponent’s range, and his logical actions if we bet or check. Let’s look at a situation with JJ. We raise to $3 from EP and get called by the CO. We see a HU flop of K95 and check to him. He checks behind and we see a 3 on the turn. We bet for $4 and he calls. The river is a 3 and the action is on us. Let’s consider our options:

  Check. If we thought that a check could encourage a lot of bluffs, then we could consider check/calling. If we thought his turn call meant we were never ahead, then we would want to check/fold the river.

  Bet. Betting the river should get us some value (hands like 98, TT, 88 sometimes, etc.). We will also be behind sometimes to a hand like KQ, 43s, etc. So a bet can help us maximize gain (get value from hands he might otherwise check behind), and minimize loss (we lose less if we bet less than he would bet if he VB a hand that beat us).

  So rather than c/c for something like $11, we could b
locking bet the river for $7. For one, the $7 bet should get looked up by a wider range of pairs because the size is around ½ PSB. Also, the $7 will lose us much less than check/calling $11 and running into KJ. In situations where a bet could get good action, a c/c is harsh, and we plan on normally bet/folding, blocking can be a great idea.

  Blocking bets are great to do in situations where we know a player has a calling range that is favorable, and when we aren’t really sure if his bet range (if we check to him) would be favorable to us. Blocking allows us to control the bet size which keeps us in control of the pot size that gets created. Let’s look at another situation. Say we open raise to $1.25 with T7s from the CO. The button calls, as does the BB, and we see a three way flop of Qd7c6d. The BB checks, we CB for $2.75 and only the button calls. The turn is a 2s and we both check. The river is a Td. Let’s check out our options:

  Check. If he didn’t bet the turn as a bluff, he probably isn’t going to bluff now. So a check just lets him check all of his SDV hands behind and allows him to VB as large as he wants when he has a hand like QT or a flush.