Fred and I thought we were too well known at our local casino and so we needed another venue in which to book a win. A half-hour's drive brought us to a rival casino with an eight-table poker room. Fred signed up for $1-$2 no-limit hold 'em and I took an open seat at a low-limit hold 'em table.
After a few laps, I found myself on the button holding 6d-5d. Two players limped. I raised and both blinds called as did the limpers. (By the way, it's almost universally true in low-limit games that a limper will call one raise.) With two bets and five players before the flop, the pot held 10 small bets minus the rake and bad-beat drop. The dealer burned a card and flopped these three:
Jh-3s-2c
The small blind led the betting, the big blind called, and so did the two limpers. I counted my outs: four, because any one of the outstanding fours would make the nut straight. The odds against hitting the straight on the turn were 43-to-4, or about 11-to-1. After the rake and bad-beat drop, my pot odds were 12-to-1. Since the pot odds for were larger than the cards odds against, I called smoothly. The dealer laid the 5h on the turn.
Jh-3s-2c-5h
The turn card increased my outs by five, to a total of nine: any one of the four fours, either five, plus any one of the three sixes, whereabouts unknown. All nine outs were iffy, some more than others.
If a four were to appear on the river, my six-high straight could lose to the nut straight, or we could tie if anyone else held a six. If the four were the 4h, then it would also put three hearts on the table and possibly make someone a flush if she held a hand like Ah-3h.
Any six on the river would make a six-high straight for anyone with a four, and of course the 6a could make a flush for someone. Another five could lose to a better kicker, for example, to As-5s.
Realistically, the only relatively safe outs were the 4s, 4c, or 4d, a total of three. My cards odds were 43-to-3, or about 14-to-1. The bets double on the turn, so if anyone bet, then I would have to fold.
Wonder of wonders, they all checked to me! Never one to pass up a free draw, I checked too. The dealer placed the 4s on the river.
Jh-3s-2c-5h-4s
Because they all checked to me again, it seemed unlikely that anyone held a six. I bet. The small blind called. I showed my 6d-5d for a six-high straight. The small blind mumbled something and mucked his hand. The dealer pushed me the chips, I pushed her $1, and then I stacked a nice little pot.
Fred had done well in his no-limit game, so after about four hours we left those foreign waters and headed for port. I was pleased with my pre-flop raise on that hand and I told Fred about it on our way back across town. "By raising before the flop," I told him proudly, "I priced myself into a profitable chasing situation."
Fred asked what I would have done if the flop had disappointed, as it will about half the time. "Ah, well, then I would muck my hand at the first sign of strength and announce 'Ace-king, no good.' It's rewarding," I told him, "to change gears occasionally by raising in good position with a modest hand. Besides, if you didn't get lucky once in a while, hold 'em would be an awful game."
Mr. Burke is the author of Flop: The Art of Winning at Low-Limit Hold 'Em, on sale at amazon.com & kokopellipress.com. E-mail your Hold 'Em questions to richardburke@comcast.net
