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Kid Sheleen 05
02-19-2005, 11:59 PM
I ran into this situation a few times this evening. I think the same issues apply to an Ace high straight draw or any single gut shot. I am new to this and if anyone has the patience to follow my analysis and tell me if it holds water or not, I would appreciate it.

Paradise Poker 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (4 SB) J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>

I have broken the EV analysis into three reasonably likely scenarios to calculate implied odds: Passive (Hero check/calls), Moderate (Hero bets/BB calls), and Aggressive (Hero checks/BB raises/Hero reraises).

Passive Analysis

On the flop: Hero checks, BB bets, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, Hero calls.
On the turn: Hero checks, BB bets, MP1 folds, Hero calls.
On the river: Hero checks, BB bets.

At the flop, Hero expects to make an additional investment of 2.5 BB against an expected return of 5.5BB, thus yielding implied pot odds of 1.2:1. This is lower than the odds of drawing the gut shot by the river, which would be about 4.8:1. Thus, the passive approach does not offer a positive expectancy. Hero would need 8 outs to yield a positive expectancy

Moderate Analysis

On the flop: Hero bets, BB calls, MP1 calls, MP2 folds.
On the turn: Hero bets, BB calls, MP1 folds.
On the river: Hero bets, BB calls.

At the flop, Hero expects to make an additional investment of 2.5 BB against an expected return of 5.5BB, thus yielding implied pot odds of 1.2:1. This is lower than the odds of drawing the gut shot by the river, which would be about 4.8:1. Thus, the moderate approach does not offer a positive expectancy.

Aggressive analysis:

On the flop: Hero checks, BB bets, MP1 calls, MP2 folds Hero raises, BB calls, MP1 calls.
On the turn: Hero bets, BB calls, MP1 folds.
On the river: Hero bets, BB calls.

At the flop, Hero expects to make an additional investment of 4 BB against an expected return of 9 BB, thus yielding implied pot odds of 1.25:1. This is lower than the odds of drawing the gut shot by the river, which would be about 4.8:1. Thus, the Aggressive approach risks more and improves the expectancy but it does not go positive.

Hidden Outs

It is entirely possible that BB has made his flush, possibly ace high, and that I am drawing dead. I cannot assume this, however, because this is micro limit poker. It is also possible that he limped in on an A /images/graemlins/heart.gifJ off suit.

Although I am playing the gut shot, I might have as many as 4 additional hidden outs to improve my hand, 2 aces and 2 fives (no /images/graemlins/heart.gifs allowed), but I would have to discount these from 4 to 1 or less than that due to the foregoing risks.

Thanks to any who bothered to read this. I would appreciate any comments you might offer.

ArturiusX
02-20-2005, 01:01 AM
Getting your gutshot doesn't even guarrentie you win, so I fold.

davelin
02-20-2005, 01:32 AM
I can sum up your lengthy post with check/fold the flop.

sy_or_bust
02-20-2005, 01:50 AM
Betting or raising this flop is pretty ridiculous. You're drawing to a hand that's easily second-best and will come a small minority of the time. This should be an easy check/fold.

milesdyson
02-20-2005, 01:56 AM
You went through three (3) possible hand actions in your analyses. In a 5-handed pot, gut instinct is telling me there are a few more ways the hand can play out, one of which is you check folding the flop. I calculated the EV of every other combination using a program I wrote (there were 54,231), and check folding came out the best.

Kid Sheleen 05
02-20-2005, 03:53 AM
Well, I certainly check folded this hand, and would not have given it any more thought had a 2 not landed on the turn. It led me to ask whether there is ever a situation where this kind of draw would pay.

In another hand I folded a KQ when an AJ fell on the flop. I had read that these kinds of draws can be valuable but it seemed to me that in the vast majority of cases like this you would probably be drawing dead.