A scare card is one that when delivered to the board could significantly help an opponent's holding, such as a third suited card to make a flush, or a card that makes a pair on the board and could result in a full house.
I've always felt that it was better to attempt to use a scare card to your own advantage than to freeze up due to fear of how your opponent might have improved.
Remember, if the card looks scary to you, it probably looks scary to your opponent as well.
Let's look at an example where I believe one should resist the urge to check when a scare card makes its appearance.
Here's a fairly common scenario. You're in the cutoff seat with a holding of A-9 suited in a fixed-limit hold'em game. Everyone has folded and you bring it in for a raise-as well you should. The button and small blind fold, but the big blind calls making it a heads up pot and you're in superior position. You recognize that the big blind could have a very wide range of hands since he was getting 3.5-to-1 odds on his call.
The flop was 9-5-4 rainbow and the big blind checks to you. You have top pair, top kicker and position. Some players attempt to get cute at this juncture and check in hopes of inducing a bet on the turn so they can raise. I believe that's a big mistake. Remember the old adage that it is better to win a small pot than to lose a big one. The big blind could have a piece of the flop or possibly a straight draw. I don't advise giving out free cards. Bet for value and if your opponent happens to fold ... good; you just won a pot. However, in our scenario, you do bet and the big blind calls.
Now the turn delivers another five, pairing the board. That qualifies as a scare card. The big blind checks again. Many players who see that scare card will freeze up in fear that a trap is being set and the big blind may have just made trip fives.
Well, there isn't a sniper behind every tree and you really can't afford to be giving free cards away so you should bet for value once again. There are just too many holdings that an opponent would feel compelled to call with, that were well behind you. While you might step into a trap on occasion, but over the long pull a value bet is the best course of action. Obviously, if you're raised there is a whole new dynamic at play and you have a tough decision to make.
Unless you have a significant reason not to, you should usually ignore the presence of a scare card for two major reasons. First, you will be missing too many important value bets and secondly, you will be giving away too many free cards that will ultimately come back and bite you on your butt! That really is a double whammy ... missing extra bets and losing pots to hands that suck out on the river that would have folded to a bet on the turn.
Our goal for today is to take the word scare out of scare card and when they do appear attempt to use them to our own advantage not allow them to freeze us up and let our opponents benefit.
See you next "TIME."
