Folding Down Your Poker Hand
July 24th, 2009
With a hand of 10-10 you've made it three bets to go over the top of a lion before the flop, and two other opponents have called. This means you have four players putting in three bets each. The flop comes up 0-0-0, the lion bets, and you raise him, but this time he reraises you (assume that everyone else folds on the flop).
Fourth street is the time to fold this hand. The lion can't be drawing here, because there is no draw, and you can assume the lion isn't playing 6-7! The jackal might have 6-7, but the lion wouldn't. So when the lion bets out again, into you, after the 0 comes up, for 0-0-0-0, it's time to fold your hand. The lion's response to your raise on the flop lets you know that he has you beaten! Now act on the information you've paid for, and fold your hand. You may even want to show the lion your hand and say, "OK, you win because I fold." Although you are giving away free information when you show your hand in this spot, sometimes this sort of ad hoc play encourages your opponent to show you his hand for free (now or in some later hand), and you may wind up collecting a lot more free information than you've given away.
Examples
Let's now revisit an example we looked at earlier and consider a few different possibilities.
Assumptions for the following five examples:
1. The game is $5-$ 10 at UltimateBet.com.
2. You have 0-0 (pocket jacks).
3. Jim (a jackal) raises before the flop in the first position.
4. You make it three bets ($15) with J-J in the third position.
5. Dumbo (an elephant) calls on the button.
6. Jerry (unclear profile) calls in the big blind.
7. Jim calls your raise.
8. The flop comes down [51 ~I3 -
9. Jerry bets out and Jim calls the bet.
10. You raise with your 0-0, making it two bets to go.
Folding Your Hand Because a Bad Card Came on Fourth Street
Jerry makes it three bets, and Jim calls three bets. Now you call three bets, but you now believe that Jerry has some kind of a strong hand. You aren't sure if Jerry has an ace, or a flush draw and a straight draw (like 0-0, 0"0, or 0-0), or a flush draw and a pair like 0-0, 0"0, or S'xd <x is a random card). The next card is the 0, for 0-0-0-0, and Jerry bets out into you and Jim folds. OK, the flush draw has hit, so you fold your hand, because you figure that Jerry has either an ace or a flush.
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