Raise, Call Or Fold

When playing poker there are just some situations that come up over and over again. Right off the bat you might realize that aggression at the poker table pays off big time and especially in no limit situations. But their is a scenario that we see over and over again with online poker at Titan Poker, live games and any tournament poker.

Here is the set up , you are in a no limit game with 8 poker players at the table. Your on the button and everyone has folded to the small blind who limps in. You have a an mediocre good hand with K(c) 4(s) but lets see the flop.

The flop comes out Q (s) 9(c) K(s). The small blind bets a pot size raise. Now here is the interesting part about poker. If you check with top pair you give the other player the opportunity to see a free card and maybe hit the potential flush or even straight. Or if you bet you might put to much pressure on them and take down to pot. But how much to raise? Do you move all in or do you make a mighty raise that says hay I have the stuff you better fold.

You raise 3 times the small blinds original raise. It must not have been enough since they call the raise. The river comes 9(h) so now the board pairs 9's and their is still flush draw a straight draw and now a possible set. You bet with a continuation bet...will it be enough to push them off the hand. You bet 2x the original small blind raise in the beginning of the hand. This totally confuses you opponent and they think you are tying to milk them and folds. They muck and you never see the hand.

Ok we will tell you they had. They had A(s) 2(s) so that means they where on a nut flush draw. Nice hand! Well played.

Now in this situation the only way to assure that you are victorious other than you pushing them of the hand was to apply the right amount of pressure since you didnt know they could of had trip 9's.

This is a classic scenario with a large pair against a drawing flush or straight. We say bet and let them figure out what to do. Put it too them and see if they can handle the pressure and in no limit we say 9x out of 10 they cant. This doesn't always apply to low limit holdem. Most online Titan poker players will call in this situation no matter what the bet if its a small enough game.

Final thoughts do you raise, call or fold? We say raise!!!