How to play a draw in EP?

[DaNoob]

The beautiful part about NL games is that you can effectively kill the odds of draw hands when you are ahead on the flop or turn. The ugly part is, when you get draw hands in EP, a check to LP will almost always induce a pot-sized bet (either to steal or to protect best hand). What's the best method for playing draws in this scenario?

I usually bet 1/2 the pot and hope that it gets called around. If raised significantly before it gets back to me, I'll often muck. Sometimes I'll check and fold to a large bet if it comes, but it seems like the big bets almost always arrive.

What's the best way to play here, since draw hands will usually make u the most money in NL (betting with them and against them)?

I'm dizzy [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[sam h]

I would advise not playing too many draws from early position to begin with unless the stacks are very big. It's too hard to get paid off when you hit and you have a harder time controlling the betting to get the right price.

I think you need to mix it up. A lot of online players seem to love making that small bet to slow down the betting with a draw. I'll do that sometimes. But, depending upon how strong my draw is, how many players there are, and what the board looks like, I usually either check or make a pot sized bet. Not only will you take the pot down sometimes with these bets in the right circumstances, you will also, IMHO, have best disguised your draw for the purposes of getting paid off if you hit on the turn.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Draws are tough in EP any way you look at it.

I will sometimes make a semi-bluff check-raise with a draw from EP. This works best when you're not facing a bunch of opponents, you're pretty sure that a late position player will bet, and your draw is a good one. A flush draw with an ace overcard on a queen high non-paired board would be an example of such a draw. I like to make these moves in both tourneys and ring games, but more often in tourneys.

Other times, I'll check a draw. If there's a big bet, well, I'll just have to fold. The thing about making a small bet with a draw is that often you'll just be facing a big raise instead of a big bet, then you're in the same boat anyway.

The best scenario if you check is when there's a bet that gives you plenty of implied odds if you hit. Now in this situation, flush draws aren't as good, because they are too obvious, and often won't get paid off. Str8 draws are better, just make sure it's a rainbow board. This is why I like small connectors. Say there's a small raise from the button. You call in the BB with 76s. I'll call a raise with these hands only when the raiser has a big stack, and I think if I hit I can get a big chunk of it. The flop might be 5 8 K rainbow. This is an ideal situation, because the raiser probably won't put you on a str8 if you make your hand, and might just call a real big bet. After all, you called a raise, you must have BIG cards.

al