When do you toss away a hand??

Here is a hand I would like to discuss and would like all opinions and ideas. The scene is the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on a Saturday night. There are five 5-10 tables with many new players.Players were constantly coming in and out and the table mood would change. This hand was played when I sat with a bunch of loose passive players. Tell me what you would do. Preflop I am the button with AK clubs. There are 3 callers before me and I raise. The big blind calls and there are three cold callers behind him. The flop brings 478. Big blind checks, next player checks its called to me what do you do? any suggestions..

You've mentioned they are passive, right? So I would bet the flop and play according. Assuming this is low limit no foldem game, if I don't improve, then I just check the turn and river. If I improve, then I bet for value.

Usually check, sometimes bet (say you flop a 3-flush). It's likely that this flop hit several of your opponents -- gave them draws, of sorts -- and you're less likely to lose them by betting than if the flop had a queen or a jack in it. Since your hand probably isn't best anymore, you don't mind taking a free card. That's the lesson: don't be too afraid of taking a free card in a passive game when you raise preflop with big cards and miss. You just don't want to be too predictable because now everyone knows you've got a big ace. And betting here even when it's a "mistake" isn't much of a mistake. The beginner mistake is to keep charging on every round even when it's obvious that someone who has paired won't fold.

That is a tough one. These days especially on a Saturday at the Taj, it can be a "no-fold'em game". Your move really depends on what you estimate the players are doing. Remember, they saw the flop for $10 bucks (3 cards/$10 or about $3.33 per card). I would make them pay $10 for the next card. Do you have a flush draw? You have at least 6 outs with AKc. If someone has a set, he/she will raise and let you know. My guess is you are 1st or 2nd. I would not check in a loose passive 5/10 game on a Saturday night in AC with all thhose hosers.
There is $57 in the pot 6/(52-19)=6/32 or 1:5. The pot is giving you about 10:67, so that is OK to bet especially since you are on the button.



Hey Swen, am I correct?

I didnt call the bet,I folded. One of the players in early position called my raise with 56 suited. Needless to say, the player flopped the straight. Flop didnt Fit so I folded mg

I'd get out of that hand as soon as any more money hit the table... with players like that, they could have anything. Its almost certain that someone will pair the board, and possibly get the straight.


No sense betting, since you'll not drive everyone out. Your only chance to win in a loose passive game is to get the best hand...


Your Ace high isn't going to be it... and in the shocking chance that it is... your hand isn't strong enough to play aggresively... wait until you get better cards.


Folding once promising hands is very hard... and the mark of a quality player.

If I bet $10 and got raised, I would be out, but I would bet $10 on the button.

Basically, this is a flop that favors the fish. At this point there are 47 unseen cards, 6 of which are aces or kings, so your odds of spiking an ace or king on the turn are 41:6 against or about 7:1 and there are 10 sb or more in the pot. If you won every time you made top pair, this would be an easy call of one small bet, but with this flop you will lose a lot of the time when you make top pair to 2 pair, a straight, a set or a flush. The more players in the game playing any two cards or close to it, the more likely you are to lose with a pair of aces or kings.


My decision would depend on suites on the flop. If you are suited and there are 2 of your suite on the flop, definitely call and you should think about raising. If the flop is three suited, with one or none of your suite, then call one sb, but muck if someone raises, especially if it is a check raise. If you call one small bet and someone raises, the odds that one pair will win are much lower. If there were two of a different suite on the flop, I would be more inclined to fold.


Don't call any bets on the turn without a pair of aces or kings or a good flush draw.