Stuart Rutter on the ever-changing face of poker. Grrrr.
I am maybe too young to remember, but more experienced players assure me of this: Once upon a time in poker, in fact not too many years ago, pre-flop play was a little different. If a player made a re-raise (a few years on, known as a 3-bet), you could begin to worry he had aces. Indeed, if a player ever put in a re-re-raise (today’s buzz word is the 4-bet), you could start to feel pretty sure about it.
Oh, how the times have changed. This article is going to detail what those changes have been, and in particular how to fight your corner in a tougher game. I’ll be writing with reference to the most aggressive of poker situations, namely six-max cash games online. However, if you imagine a scenario where the aggression is toned down just a level or two, our advice could easily apply to the tougher live tournaments on the circuit.
Let us first of all pinpoint the stage the pre-flop game has reached, just a few years after the good old days where players were more honest:
• The most aggressive players thrive on 3-betting a much wider range of starting hands in order to put pressure on the initial raiser. They will do so particularly when they will have the advantage of position after the flop, but also when they suspect that the initial raiser may himself be opening with a wider range because of his position on the table.
• These two factors mean respectively that the two re-raising scenarios that you can expect to see most frequently are: 1) the button re-raising the cut-off, and 2) the blinds re-raising after an open bet from the button.
• The hand ranges that this type of rogue will 3-bet with basically fall into one of two distinct types.
Let’s imagine that an aggressive player is going to 3-bet a late position opener 10% of the time. This could mean that he will do so using exactly the top 10% of his range (say, something like AJ+ and 66+), but many use a more polarised range. They will of course 3-bet the very strongest hands (maybe AK and TT+), but will also be crafty with more marginal hands like Q-J off-suit or 7-6 suited, which could play well after the flop.
• Unfortunately, good players do not see a 3-bet just as a one-off attempt to steal the pot before the flop. Instead, the 3-bet is often the building block designed to take down the pot on the flop or turn. The crucial logic is fairly simple, and the same behind any other aggression in poker. It makes up our first key rule:
Key Rule #1
More often than not, a player’s starting hand will not hit a flop on which he can feel very confident. If the 3-bet is used as the first sign of strength, then further bets across the streets can make it very difficult for the initial raiser to continue with the hand.
Fighting back against the aggression
Though many would argue that these kinds of changes are gradually making poker a more difficult game, there is at least some good news. Every new means of aggression in the game must have a counter-strategy that gives a means of fighting back.
To understand the best way to adapt to these difficulties, it may first be best to understand the worst. The style that these sneaky players would love you to use would start with opening just as you would with many hands, and calling most of their 3-bets in the knowledge that they may well be weak. You would then hope to flop a strong hand, and be able to trap your villain into bluffing off more chips.
The fault in the plan is simply that this does not happen often enough. Indeed, the hands most commonly misplayed against the serial 3-better are the low pocket pairs.
Why are the hands that can flop a monster not valuable?
Many players make the mistake of hoping that a flopped set could win them a massive pot. On the contrary, this is actually the right plan against the old-fashioned player who re-raises only with aces, because he will have to pay you off. The new age of player just does not have a hand enough of the time to justify your 8-to-1 shot, and will be too canny to give you as many chips as you may hope. The best players can smell out a trap well enough to halt their bluff and employ pot control so well that they can limit the damage when your flopped set does have their genuine hand in danger.
What is the right thing to do?
The right answer to the question comes as easily as the opposite to the wrong answer. There are two equally sensible strategies before the flop. You could decide to open with fewer hands when this type of player is waiting on your left. Alternatively, you could open the same range, but be ready to 4-bet a significant part of it.
A 4-bet as a bluff before the flop can be an effective weapon but is a very expensive one that may even commit you to going all-in. Even if it is profitable, the variance that comes with it can make the move a little blunt and negate the proper side of poker, namely post-flop play. Indeed, the best way to turn an opponent’s aggression back against him comes from what I consider to be one of the biggest misconceptions of post-flop play, highlighted in my 2nd key rule.
Key Rule #2
Many players see an aggressive player and set too much hope on being able to trap him for lots of chips. This mistake is made especially when a player is out of position and they will not have the crucial last bet.
Admittedly some players are too exuberant in their aggression, but most are wise enough to not help you in your plan. Therefore, the best tool against these players is not to hope to trap when you have a hand. On the contrary, it is to construct some nice bluffs when you don’t have a hand by “feigning” that you are trapping.
How does this apply to 3-bet pots?
Our knowledge that our 3-betting opponent is weak makes us want to throw some chips back at him. The best way to do this is not to 4-bet before the flop, but to delay by seeing a flop and turning the “most hands do not hit most flops” rule back against our opponent. Here are some of the possible counter-attacks, in increasing order of stealth:
1. If you are out of position and the flop makes a lot of your opponent’s hands vulnerable, you can check-raise after your opponent’s probable continuation bet.
2. If you are in position, you can “float” your opponent’s c-bet, and hope to take it down on the turn if he checks to you.
3. If your opponent instead bets the turn in this situation, you can be even braver. A call on the flop and re-raise on the turn is still considered a really strong move in poker, and would be perfect for representing that we have been trapping our opponent.
What type of hands should we be using?
1. Any new strategy in poker will distort the value of starting hands, as some gain more value than others. The low pairs are damaged the most; not only are they bad hands to try to hit, but they are suicidal to turn into a bluff, as they will only have two outs if called.
2. It is this idea of what shape you will be in if called that is crucial. It means that the drawing hands like suited connectors gain the most value from this new style of play. If you can flop a reasonable draw and re-raise all-in, it will always be a profitable move where you have an escape route even in the scenario of being caught.
3. In the most aggressive of games, a “drawing hand” can be as weak as two high cards. A hand like ace-king is often considered perfect for the 4-bet all-in, but it can be perfect to underplay by just calling the 3-bet. If you can flop top-pair top-kicker, its strength is massive in a bigger pot. If you miss on a low flop, a daring all-in play may well work but should at least leave you with six outs if it doesn’t. |
