PLAYING $1 AND $2 NO LIMIT CASH GAMES
with Sam O’Connor
FIRE FOR EFFECT BUT BE SURE TO WIN THE WAR.
Players are in place, the dealer is ready and a new game is starting. It’s 1-2 blinds no limit hold’em with a capped buy-in of only $200. Nearly all the players start with the small but maximum stacks.
The dealer puts the cards in the air and war is declared.
Nine minutes later, this young game is already aggressive. The players are taking turns raising, trying to be the first to double up their meager starting stacks to gain advantage. Mounted on stacks and pocket swords drawn, the players resemble a hell bent charging cavalry. Napoleon would have been proud – from a safe distance, of course.
The chargers in this war have barely enough ammunition to carry them in a full charge to the river but, if they lose a river attack, they can always go to their left pockets, or reach under their chairs for purses, and call up reserves for the next hell bent charge.
Our man, Jim, is under the gun and he finds two black kings in the pocket. He raises seven and a half times the big blind, making it seventeen dollars to go. Jim’s hoping for an early victory with this hand. His raise is the best way to find out if there are aces out there. In this war, it’s not a bad first salvo.
The players fold except for the big blind who calls. Because the war has barely started, Jim knows almost nothing about this calling opponent to his right. But there is no re-raise, so Jim believes there are no pocket aces. The fast tempo and hard charging tactics at this table support his theory.
The flop is deuce, five, seven - all diamonds. No help for Jim’s kings.
The big blind comes out betting thirty five dollars.
What should Jim do?
This hand was discussed recently in a writers and players club meeting in Las Vegas. Jim is new to the club and he presented the hand to the membership, looking for insight.
Discussion of the hand by the club was lively. All three options were favored by various members – raise, call and fold.
There were those who argued the value of pocket kings, pot equity and implied odds. They insisted on a raise. They said the opportunity to win an early hand demanded action. They argued that, since it is mathematically improbable the opponent has made a flush, the big blind’s bet was probably a semi-bluff and strong action should be taken by Jim with a Napoleonic-sized, blood tingling raise.
Those who argued for a call on the part of Jim had concluded there were no pocket aces; the kings had the advantage, so Jim should call to see another card. He would be calling for value, they said, and Jim could determine the blind’s hand better after the turn. (This kind of decision would not have impressed Napoleon. He would have viewed it as a non-decision, a mere postponement of the real decision.) But, the members pointed out, if the opponent didn’t have the flush and he saw Jim was committed by calling, the big blind might check through to the river with no further money risk to Jim with still a chance to win the pot.
Most members agreed that, since the big blind came out betting, he could easily have an ace for an over card, maybe the ace of diamonds, which would give him a powerful drawing hand. Even a working straight could be possible. Does the big blind call pre-flop with small cards to “protect his blind”? It’s early in the game and Jim doesn’t know.
What really matters?
The mathematics of the situation in this case has little relevance. Never mind the odds against the flush being made in five cards or the chance of having one of the unseen aces. Without opponent information, every hand conclusion is mere weak speculation. What matters is what this opponent actually has. And, because Jim has no read on this opponent, our man hasn’t any idea.
If Jim raises the post-flop bet, he’s hoping there will be no re-raise. (Napoleon would say the general who directs his battles with not much more than hope, will lose the war.) A re-raise could come from the blind even if the blind doesn’t have much of a hand; it’s the nature of this hard charging game and, who knows, it could be a common habit of this particular opponent. On the other hand, with a tentative call, Jim will have lost the initiative and he’ll be on the defensive.
Let’s not lose perspective.
It’s important to remember that this early encounter is only one of many in this war.
How many times have we been seated in a game and made an early wrong play, then later picked up a few pattern tells on that same opponent? We say to ourselves “If only I’d had that information before, I wouldn’t have lost that first big pot.” This is Jim’s chance not to have to say that.
The seventeen dollars invested by Jim is comparatively little money. The game will continue and Jim will be presented with many better opportunities in the course of battle. And those opportunities will be better because he will have gotten to know his players.
Napoleon often feigned a few charges to get an idea of the opponent’s retaliatory response and ability. Jim’s initial raise gave him information. Now it’s time to fall back and re-group.
Jim is in a cash game, not a tournament or a sit & go. He doesn’t have to hurry into a hand before he is swallowed up by time, escalating blinds, or a bad run of luck Jim can take his time to size up the opposition and find a place to play a future jack/ten with more confidence than he could possibly have summoned with the nervous kings.
Napoleon knew the beginning thrusts and parries provided useful information. But the reason for being there was to win the war.
Sam says: Unless you’re sure of winning an early skirmish, don’t send in the cavalry until you have fully surveyed the terrain and have a good read on the enemy. It’ll only take a little while.
Sam O’Connor is the author of the new book "How to Dominate $1 and $2 No Limit Hold ‘Em". You can contact him at HowToDominate@aol.com