Breaking Up is Hard to Do

It's one of the most difficult things for any player to do: Let go of a good poker hand. So much of our time at the poker table is spent waiting, waiting, waiting to be dealt just a couple of decent cards. And so when we finally do peek under our hole cards and see something worthwhile, it's almost like falling in love-or at least like temporary infatuation. But the ability to fold premium cards in the right spot is a critical poker skill. When good hands make bad calls, it's virtually impossible to win in the long run.

Almost anyone would have a difficult time saying goodbye to a premium pair like aces, kings, or queens. But too many players can't ever let go of hands such as jacks, tens, or Big Slick-and even lesser hands. While they're all very strong hands, they can be second-best pre-flop, and especially after the flop if an overcard falls. Any two cards should be foldable in certain circumstances. Calling off money with these hands again and again, when it should be sadly obvious that they are beaten, is the kind of mistake that separates the great players from the wannabes.

The trick, of course, is knowing when. For starters, it's always about the type of game you're in. Obviously, making a bad call with a good hand is not nearly as much of a mistake in limit games, since the potential cost to you is, well, limited. While in pot-limit or no-limit this mistake can evaporate your entire stack in one fell swoop. And the ability to fold a strong hand is perhaps most crucial in tournaments, where a single bad decision can send you to the rail.

Naturally, pot odds are another major consideration. In limit games, if the pot is large enough, you're usually getting the odds to call. The big-bet games are another story, and this is where factors such as the size of the pot, how much it will cost you to see the hand through, and how many clean outs you have that will improve your hand if you are currently behind, all must be considered very carefully.

Beyond that, it's all about the reads. To know when to fold a premium pair, you must have a good read on your opponents and pay close attention to their betting patterns. What kinds of hands do they limp with or raise with before the flop? The same logic applies after the flop, especially if the board is coordinated. It's painful to fold pocket aces, but if the flop contains flush or straight possibilities it's raised by a tight player before it gets to you, then those beautiful aces are probably circling the drain. Ditto for a flopped set, which may be one of the most difficult hands of all to release. The stronger your hand, the more certain you must be that it is truly beaten-which brings us back to the need for a strong read on your opponents.

Finally, if you do manage to make that tough lay-down and then it turns out that the turn or river card would have improved your hand and won the pot for you-don't kick yourself. Letting go of a good hand is one of the toughest decisions in poker, and it should not be a results oriented choice. It's about making the best decision based on all the information you have at the time. If the available information convinces you that your hand is behind and has only two clean outs, then folding is probably the right choice-even if one of those two cards miraculously appears on the board after you fold. Chasing long shots is for suckers, so leave it to them. Parting may be sweet sorrow, but clinging to something that's no longer working, hoping against hope for a miracle, is even worse. Much worse.

Barbara Connors is a sucker for classic old movies, science fiction, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Her life's ambition is to figure out the unusual behavior patterns of that unique breed of humans who call themselves poker players. Contact her at fyreflye222@yahoo.com.