Harrington on Hold'em

Vol 2 hand 10-6.....you have flopped top pair weak kicker with vague backdoor possibilities. Harrington advocates a check (you're the big blind and called a minimum raise from the under the gun chip leader..no other callers. You had 98 offsuit, your call according to the author was based on favorable pot odds). Harrington states ""you check, he checks behind you. That's good news, although a strong player with a high (pocket) pair would most likey check also." WHY??? With a flop of 8H 6H 4S straight and flush draws are possible, especially since you called from the big blind. Why give a free card under those circumstances?

[benkahuna]

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Vol 2 hand 10-6.....you have flopped top pair weak kicker with vague backdoor possibilities. Harrington advocates a check (you're the big blind and called a minimum raise from the under the gun chip leader..no other callers. You had 98 offsuit, your call according to the author was based on favorable pot odds). Harrington states ""you check, he checks behind you. That's good news, although a strong player with a high (pocket) pair would most likey check also." WHY??? With a flop of 8H 6H 4S straight and flush draws are possible, especially since you called from the big blind. Why give a free card under those circumstances?

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I think Harrington assumes strong players aren't going to be calling that raise with random suited crap. So the board is less scary than it appears. Cloutier talks about a good player checking an ace on the flop when they have one in their hand along the same lines.

I think this assumption is more dangerous now than it may have been in the past because you have larger fields with less experience that may have qualified online so they are more likely to be more liberal with starting hand requirements.

It's still better though. John D'Agostino has said it's much easier to figure out what the best players have and in some ways to play at higher levels of competition because the players are more predictable.

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Harrington states ""you check, he checks behind you. That's good news, although a strong player with a high (pocket) pair would most likey check also." WHY??? With a flop of 8H 6H 4S straight and flush draws are possible, especially since you called from the big blind. Why give a free card under those circumstances?

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WARNING: It may come as quite a surprise to Limit Hold 'em players, but there are some very good reasons for just checking a flop when holding an big overpair in No-Limit.

#1 - To defend against TRIPS:

Strong (NL)players with lots of experience know how DEVASTATING it can be to simply play big pairs like BIG PAIRS!

In this example when UTG raises(min) with [AA,KK,QQ],JJ,TT,or 99. BB could easily be calling with any smaller pair.

This flop was small - 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif6/images/graemlins/heart.gif4/images/graemlins/spade.gif

I know it is not likely that BB has trips, but when it happens - KABOOM! So from the sane/paranoid perspective of a strong player UTG - in the event that BB had called pre-flop with 88,66,or 44 the UTG could very well lose ALL his chips on this hand by betting this flop. After a bet it would be reasonable for the BB to put UTG on a big pair here - and the BB's trips will be looking to extract the MAXIMUM.

TEST: If nothing but blanks come, and the board reads like a busted draw, would you lay down your AA to a HUGE bet at the river?

The UTG's check will not look like an overpair, but rather more like overcards with one or two hearts. Now the trip hand will not win as much since he will not be able to overbet and expect a call from just overcards. This logic could apply to any small card flops after a pre-flop raise by UTG - like this (NL) situation.

#2 - To protect against "expensive" SCARE CARDS:

Now after the flop check - If a scare card did come on the turn - BB would probably be thinking "If he did not like that card - he would have bet the flop earlier." Therefore any scare card that comes is logically going to be seen as probably helping UTG . This is very important since it takes away BB's incentive to bluff using future scare cards. So the check gives insight that might allow UTG to get away from his AA when the BB puts in a huge bet - especially when a scare card actually makes his hand!

#3 - To get more $$$ from 2ND BEST OVERCARDS:

Another advantage of the check is when BB holds overcards that end up improving to 2nd best on the turn. Lets say J/images/graemlins/spade.gifT/images/graemlins/spade.gif and hits the T on the turn with UTG holding AA. It should be obvious how much more $$$ can be made here - especially if the check on the flop has coerced the BB into thinking that UTG has something like AK.

#4 - To get more $$$ from LOWER PAIRS:

And if BB holds a smaller pair - a check will again extract more gain later on if it helps BB to assume that UTG has overcards.
For example: a value bet on the river is much more likely to be called by BB's small pair if he has put UTG on overcards.

#5 - To induce HOPELESS BLUFFS at the river

And what about hands like K/images/graemlins/club.gifJ/images/graemlins/club.gif that are just checked down? Will the BB attempt a bluff bet at the river if he puts UTG on an Ace High? There is a very good chance he will! And it may be a very easy call to make. But betting the flop might just kill this possibility as well. The BB would have folded already, or simply won't bluff if he puts you on an overpair.

#6 - To minimize the positive implied odds for draws

1st off - the "free card" check is giving up very little anyway if BB is the type of player that would probably bet 1st when holding a 5 or 2 hearts. Now if the BB checks the flop (as in this example)and the UTG will ONLY make a bet in this spot with a big overpair trying to stop the draws - the bet might actually backfire, and cause to BB to draw anyway knowing that UTG has a hand that will be hard to lay down. If UTG would normally just check with Ax here - then an observant player should be able to put him on a likely overpair when betting. Since UTG also only raised min. it may be a unique situation of just AA after the flop gets bet. How much will UTG have to bet - if the BB knows he might get all his chips if he hits? And what if BB is not drawing at all, and actually has trips!!! Don't say I didn't warn you.

So Harrington is correct - it IS the strongest play to check here with an overpair, but I think only the very strongest (NL) players are seen making it.

You didn't mention how many players are left at the table, which is a critical element in determining the strength of a hand at a short table.

UTG(new player to the table of 8) raised min., everbody folded to the BB who called.