Dr Jack's Stack Attack

To the Good Doctor,

In a reply to a query on online tells, you mentioned looking for players that fold via check boxes…so how can you tell if they are?  

Keep up the good work!

kerrybob




Hello Bob!  

Aha, dragging something up from my long-forgotten past I see!  My Mistress Jacqueline uses that trick all the time to shame me into doing whatever she wants – ‘remember the time you and your college roommate got drunk and went skinny-dipping together – now take me shopping’ or ‘remember the time you drank a whole bottle of fine whiskey; we never saw Weeny my Chihuahua after that night, suspicious – now buy me a chocolate cake’ and so on.  That being said, I vaguely recall writing about online tells, so it looks like you might be in luck young man!

It is quite easy to notice when players are using the ‘fold’ check box option, as their cards will be folded immediately as action gets to them.  Occasionally this will seem to happen due to internet connection issues, but if you notice players continually folding (or checking on the big blind) almost instantaneously as action gets to them, you can be sure they are using the ‘fold’ button (or ‘check / fold’ button on the big blind).  

These convenience buttons (which also include ‘call’, ‘call any’ and ‘bet any’ buttons) are widely used by players at lower stakes cash tables and tournaments to give the game a better flow, but much rarely by higher stakes players.  This is because the use of the convenience buttons can sometimes give off some information to your opponents.  

For example, frequent use of the ‘fold’ or ‘check / fold’ buttons will obviously show that you have no interest in those hands (automatic checking of your big blind will just encourage your opponents to bet into you after the flop) and that you probably aren’t paying much attention to the hand once you’ve thrown your cards away.  It would also indicate that you are playing a very formulaic style of poker, with fixed ranges of starting hands – if you are using the ‘fold’ button too liberally on the button or the cut-off (the position one to the right of the button), you are probably throwing away money!  Most of the time, when action is folded to me in either of these positions, I will raise (dependant on the opponents in the blinds) with any two cards – seven-deuce can be enough to steal those blinds!

Meanwhile, using the ‘call’ or ‘call any’ buttons (again, obvious to most others at the table by your instantaneous calling of their bet once action gets to you) indicates weakness and drawing hands.  If you were really trying to maximise value with a monster hand, surely you would wait until the action was on you to make your decision?  Insta-calling is a common move by multi-tablers anxious to get to see another card – if you notice your opponent trying this on the flop, remember this when action gets to you on the turn or river!

Well, I hope that helps a little Bob!  Now, if you please, do not bring up any of my old writings again, for fear of what other memories it may resurrect in my mind – I have done many things I would like to forget, both as an eager young college student and in these last few years with Jacqueline…I’ve almost forgotten her skill with a wooden paddle…just a few more bottles of whiskey and I’ll have forgotten entirely!

Good luck at the tables,

Dr. Jack

Hi Doc,

I’m having problems in knowing how to play certain hands under the gun, pocket nines through to pocket aces.  Generally I would raise with 99, TT and JJ UTG [1st position to act], as this lets me know where I stand if I’m re raised.  I’m a little unsure about QQ and limp with AA and KK in the hope I can re raise, but I’ve heard it is bad policy to limp with any cards UTG?  Is this true?

AbigdealA

Hello AbigdealA!  

How are you?  The weather has been beastly for the past month, so I haven’t had much of a summer I’m afraid (though Jacqueline has enjoyed having me about the house, it must be stated) – luckily, the rain and winds have let me enjoy more online poker than is usual during June and July, so I hope I am better placed to answer your question than before!

Playing from the Under The Gun (UTG) position can be quite tricky.  You are 1st to act after all the cards have been dealt and on a full table this means that there will be 8 other players to act after you.  As a result, I think you need a very clear plan of how to react in all circumstances that may occur after you decide to stay in the hand by either calling the big blind (limping) or raising.

What will you do if three other players flat call and the player on the button (last to act before the two players who posted blinds) makes a big raise?  What if the next player to act after you raises your flat call or re-raises your raise?  What will you do if three players see a flop and the big blind raises into you?  Unless all the other players in the hand, apart from the blinds, fold, playing UTG means that there will be players to act after you on the flop and perhaps on subsequent streets (the turn and the river), and so your position will be acting against you!

For all these reasons, it is worth thinking hard about your plan for the hand if you decide to play on.  I think there is an argument for limping UTG with 99, TT and JJ if you are on an aggressive table where your initial raise is likely to be re-raised by a player closer to the button.  Re-raising again (or ‘4-betting’) UTG with these medium pairs can get you into a world of trouble (what if the other player then goes all in and you are unsure about your hand?); but you limp with these hands, you can then can the inevitable raise in the hope of hitting your set on the flop.  Set mining on aggressive tables can be very profitable, believe me!

At the same time, if the table is ultra aggressive and you think your raise UTG is more than likely to be re-raised by a player with a very wide range, I wouldn’t be unhappy to pump up the pot pre-flop and re-assess when those three cards have been dealt.  Against a serial re-raiser, I would be happy to ‘go to war’ with 99-JJ pre-flop, even to the point of getting all my chips into the pot at this stage, if I believed his 4-betting range was wide enough!

Likewise, on a very aggressive table I would always raise UTG with QQ, KK or AA in the hope of being re-raised.  If this happens you can then vary it up by 4-betting 80% of the time and flat calling your opponents re-raise (assuming no-one else is now in the hand, if so you should raise)  the other 20%.  It is great to have big hands against these aggressive opponents; it is so much easier getting their chips into the pot if they keep on betting at you or happily call your big raises!

On a passive table, I typically raise UTG with 99+, but am willing to throw away 99, TT, JJ and even QQ if there is a huge amount of action by the other players (raise, re-raise, 4-bet, 5-bet, etc!).  I would be less likely to limp with KK or AA as there is less likelihood that you will be raised and with your premium hands, you want to build the pot as much as you can while you are ahead, in order to extract maximum value.  There is nothing worse than limping with AA, seeing an Ace-high flop and only taking down the blinds when you bet at it!

There was one circumstance many years ago where I was seated UTG with 88 on a very passive table, limped in along with 4 or 5 other players and hit the dream flop of 88x!  I decided to be sneaky and checked when action got to me, and it was checked around.  On the K turn I couldn’t wait any longer and bet half the small pot, praying that one of my opponents had a strong king and would re-raise.  I got one flat caller, who folded when I again bet half the pot on the river.  I hardly won anything, as I hadn’t built the pot either pre-flop or on the flop.  That soon ended my limping UTG with a medium-strength hand on a passive table!

I’ll end by re-iterating how important it is to have a clear plan in your head if you decide to get involved when sitting UTG.  Your position at the table is poor, so factor this into your decision and don’t leave yourself having to fold on the flop or later streets having played passively and still putting too much of your stack into the pot.  My Jacqueline constantly berates me for my misuse of position and for not having a plan for what I am doing – yes, the advice given above covers more aspects of life other than just poker, let me assure you!

Best of luck at the tables,

Dr. Jack