Now it is interesting to point out here that our hero had some highly relevant data on the big blind and they were 44/17/1.9 which made them a very aggressive poker player in six max games. The flop is good and comes Jh-9c-3d and the big blind checks and our hero makes the obvious $20 bet and gets called.

The turn card is the 4d and the big blind checks again and our hero bets only to get check-raised. Now here I think we are looking at two distinct lines of play. Folding is clearly not an option in limit play and especially against a highly aggressive opponent at $20-$40 limit poker. So we are certainly calling here at the very least but in this instance then a three bet is probably required.

Having top pair and top kicker is still a strong holding in this situation but your opponent does not know that our hero is this strong. So the turn check-raise sort of becomes part of a standard line and cannot be considered to be ahead at this point.

Now our hero has to decide how to proceed as calling and then possibly calling the river or raising the river or re-raising the turn are both viable alternatives. The problem with three betting the turn is in if you get four bet and this now puts you into a tough spot. Much of how you play this hand from this point onwards comes down to having specific reads.

Against aggressive opponents like this then three betting is a highly attractive alternative as your hand is likely ahead of their range given what type of player that they are and what statistics they have. There are many draws that the aggressive big blind could be trying to semi-bluff with like Q-10, 10-8 or even a diamond draw. They could even have a hand like A-9 or A-4.

The good side to three betting the turn with hands like top pair and top kicker is that not only will you often be ahead but your aggressive play will often lead your opponent into backing down with hands that are superior to you like with weak two pair hands for instance.

One of the keys to successful limit play is to play without fear. In fact this can be said of any online poker game. Powerful aggressive players will often force you into making plays that can force you into passivity and $20-$40 is certainly a level where the average player will try to make you do that.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson
Play Texas Hold’em poker at one of the best sites around

I’m just thinking if what happens next when another player at the table bets out of turn? Any rule to consider?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Matthew Gilberg
Matthew,

When a player bets out of turn, their bet stands if nobody acts before it indeed become his turn to bet. If someone bets before it’s his turn, then he has the option to pull his bet back and continue as normal. In a tournament he will also receive a warning. Repeatedly acting out of turn can result in a penalty in a tournament.

In a cash NL game held yesterday, I was the dealer. Unfortunately, I made a mistake. The player to act first placed a bet right after the flop. I remember he had a caller then. A player was in the hand, however his cards were concealed behind his hand and it was an honest mistake, I forgot he was still in the hand. Turn card came and I flipped it over before he made a move. Just few seconds after, he announced that he was going to call and therefore the hand continued.

Any comments about what happened? Base on the rules, was everything acceptable?

Thanks!

Landon Woffer
Landon,

If I were there, I would have let it go with the way it happened. In a casino, it is the call of the floor person. Some may let it go at his word and others may require that you pull back the turn and burn and turn a new turn. Then you take the old turn card, put it back in the deck, shuffle it, and then burn and turn the river.

In a recent game by which my friend was in, something happened. At preflop, there was betting. Then flop came and after that two players remained, player A and player B. Player A went all in. While player B without any doubt, immediately flipped his cards and afterwards said “I flopped a straight”. I was not there actually so I am not certain if the cards that were flipped touched the muck pile or not. Well, I think they didn’t. There’s just one thing I am certain of, player B had turned his cards over however never call, go all in or fold.

Do you think what player B did is already a call or else a fold? Any idea?

Thanks!

Jeffrey Anderson
Jeffrey,

Most will assume this to be a call. The dealer should have asked if he was calling. That would have solved it right there. If this happened in a casino, the dealer would ask his intentions and then move on. If there was a debate, then the floor would be called, but the fact he flipped his cards up and declared his hand would have been ruled an intention to call the bet.

I played holdem with some family members just this evening. I admit most of us are just newbies.

At near mid part, three were left for the pot including me. With a small pot, I went all-in. Two other players had more chips than me, later, they called my bet. Flop then came. However, two cards were not revealed.

Do you think the two other players should have continued to bid on the turn and river card, actually right after I called all-in? Or else with the other two players, the two cards may have just been flipped with no more side bidding? Any idea?

Thanks!

Regards,
Darrel Koester
Darrel,

Your two opponents have the option to bet or not to bet after they call your all in bet. They must still at least check it down on the flop, turn, and river.

I oftentimes play at casinos. Well, there’s actually one thing I notice, players there usually show their hand to the player sitting next to them or to other players around. At first, I don’t mind, however, as of now I find such kind of practice not helpful at all, most especially to the player who showed his hand.

Tomorrow, I’ll be going to the casino to play and I don’t know what to do. I’m bothered and I definitely want to do something about the practice I have discovered. However, I don’t want to look as if I’m mingling with the affairs of the room or the casino though I’m not in the position to do that.

In your own opinion, is the practice I’ve come to discover legal and ethical?

And another thing, can you help me with my problem about mucked hands. Right now, I still don’t know when to show my hand. Say we’re actually on the river and then I bet and so you called. I believe I have to show my hand then, but am I right for saying that I don’t have the right to see your hand because I’m the bettor? What’s your thoughts on this? And is it true that all players who called a river are obliged to show their hands at the end, and then a player will reveal his hand and then other players will just muck as they know they can’t win eventually? Any idea?

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you so much!

All the best,
Jon Lewis
Jon,

This is not an illegal practice as long as the players are not in the hand. However, you may request the dealer show everyone the hand since they showed the hand to other players.

A player that calls your bet at the end has the right to see your hand. If you muck your hand, they can request it be shown. In showing down hands, the player that makes the last aggressive action should be the one to show his hand first. In the event both players check down the hand, then the player closest to the button must show first.

I got the chance to read your comment about the rule on show one show all. Well, I’m not sure but to me it appeared that in the event I am in a hand to the river and I call someone else’s´ bet, and he has me beat, he has the right to see what I have. Am I right? I admit, in my opinion, if this is the case it’s actually unfair.

Let’s assume that you have a pair. Then you bet into someone from pre-flop to river and fortunately was able to have the third card to have a winning set. It would be nice then if you could ascertain if you actually need such card or not. And on the part of the losing player, well, it’s up to him to show you if you were correct with your findings.

Any comment?

Thanks in advance!

Chris Brown
Chris,

It doesn’t matter if he has you beat or not. If he calls your bet on the river, he has the right to see your hand. He paid for the right to see your hand and can exercise it. If you paid money to see a movie, you would expect to be allowed to see the film right? The movie theatre can’t take your money and say, “Oh, we don’t feel like allowing you to watch the movie.”

At later part, someone who had folded looked at my cards and then announced that I had an Ace. Do you think it was a misdeal? If so, then what should happen next? Also, in case a player who is not actually in, reveals someone else’s hand, is there anything he has to face? Just an information, I allowed him to look at my cards but not to announce what are they.

Thanks!

Eddie McBright
Eddie,

This is not a misdeal, but in a casino, the floor should be called. Chances are he will receive a warning. There is a good chance they will kick him out. Personally, I would have kicked him out of the game.

You should not show your cards to anyone else while you are in a hand.

Just recently, I played poker with twelve men I personally don’t know. At mid part of the game, I remember I only had a 10/4 off suit. Actually, until the river cards, I was checking and betting with a certain guy. I tried to bluff as much as I can recall, however I’m not sure if we checked on the river or if either one of us placed a bet. Eventually, I revealed a pair of 4′s while he had a pair of six’s. We both knew then that he had won the pot.

Later, I just mucked my other card without letting him know what it was. But the guy was so rude, he grabbed my card and looked at it as if no one was around him. Honestly, I was so mad at the guy. I believe if he wanted to see my card he can ask the dealer to turn my card over.

Any comment on what happened to me and with the other guy?

Thanks!

Karl Bynum
Karl,

The player has the right to see the card, but he is supposed to ask the dealer to show the card. He was being rude. At most it is just poor etiquette.

Say for an instance, there were three players left for the pot, player 1, 2, and 3. Player 1 was the short stack and he went all in. Players 2 and 3 as a result called. Flop came and maybe because quite confident player 2 went all in. Player C on the other hand, believed then that he should go for initial three way pot.

Personally, I believe that in the event player 3 opt to fold, he will then lose his right for three way pot. What do you think? Am I right?

Thanks!

Don Lidster
Don,

Once the first player went all in, remaining betting goes to the side pot. The players in the side pot will battle for the side pot and the rights to the main pot. If player 3 folds to a bet, they forfeit the rights to the main pot.