Playing the board

[KneeCo]

In NL, when the board makes a (non-broadway) straight, I’ve found some players will often push all-in out of position.

Assuming I don’t have the overcard(s) to make a straight higher than the board’s, how should I approach this situation?

Obviously the style of play of the villain, how he played the other streets and the size of the pot are my three main (only?) indications of whether or not to make the call here, but specifically what am I looking for?


More generally, what is the best approach for playing the board?

[GoodOL]

It depends on the size of the all-in bet, the size of the pot, and the bluffing frequency of your opponent.

Let's say the bet is roughly pot-sized. If you estimate that your opponent will bluff 50% of the time and have a higher straight the other 50%, you should fold. Half the time you will lose 1 pot sized bet, while the other half you will win only 1/2 a pot sized bet.