This is basically a bit of Daniel Negreanu advise. I try to bet out even when I have a monster hand. Why? Well it acts as kind of a trap and it’s surprising how many players get sucked in by it.
Now a lot of the time if I flop a monster, I bet out and they fold. This is fine for me. I don’t like slow playing anymore after getting stung a few times. One hand that sticks in my mind was a hand where I finally said to myself: “No more slow playing!”. I was dealt A-A. The flop was very nice, A-8-3 rainbow and there was one other guy in the pot with me. He had called my big raise. I really hoped he had called with A-K or A-Q or 8-8 here. I decided to play slow and reel him in. I checked, so did he. Turn was a 6. Again I wasn’t worried by this at all. I checked again, and so did he. Now I’m starting to think he hasn’t hit this at all and I have this in the bag, even if it is a smallish pot. The river was a 2. I bet out the pot hoping he maybe hit a pair. To my surprise, he put in a big raise. My only thought was “I got him! He thinks I’m bluffing”. I re-raised all-in. He insta-called.
The board was A-8-3-6-2 : he turned over 5-4 suited and took it down with a straight.
Now this was in my earlier days of playing and it shows the impression this hand had on me because I can still remember it well. I was gutted. I hadn’t put him on 5-4 at all and in my blind rush to push all-in, I hadn’t seen the straight potential at all. The worse thing was, I let him win this hand. Had I bet out on the flop, he would have folded. He had absolutely nothing.
So now I bet out a lot, even if I have missed. In fact it’s sometimes good to bet, get raised, and fold. Players start to think you keep trying it on.
I have had a couple of big catches. The other day I saw a free flop in the BB with Q-9 and about 5 limpers. The flop came down Q-Q-9, 2 of them clubs. First into the pot, I bet out the size of the pot. The next guy pushed all-in. They all fold and of course I call. He showed A-x of clubs. He was drawing to runner runner aces. Lol. They didn’t come and he asked “Why bet the nuts?”. I just said “Why not?”. I really didn’t want to explain anything to him.
The reasoning behind it is that some players just simply don’t believe you have anything or you are drawing. I mean, if you have the flopped the nuts, the logical play would be to check and not scare players away. That’s what a lot of players think and expect.
And yesterday I caught my best one yet.
I was mid position with 9-9. There was a 3x BB raise before me, I called as did 2 other players. So 4 of us saw the flop. It came down 8c – 5c – 9d. Very nice for me. 2 players before me check, I bet the pot as is my style. Two fold, but one guy who checked before me called. I don’t like the check-call. Usually means a slow play. I reckon he’s either drawing or he might actually have 6-7. I’m really hoping for the board to pair on the turn.
Well it was even better. Turn was the last 9, I hit quads! In the past, I would have checked here. But now I try and be a bit clever. I wait a little, then bet half the pot. I’m trying to look like I’m drawing and don’t like that 9-9 on the board. He called. River was 10h. At this point, the other player has a lot less than the pot sat in front of him. I hope he’s hit a straight and I put him all-in. He paused, then called. I got all his cash. And what did he have? Ad – Qs! He thought I was drawing and had missed and I was bluffing the river. Because I was betting my monster, he had no idea I had it. He totally miss-read me. That said, I don’t think I would have gone past the flop with his hand, so it also has to go down as bad play on his part.
So this is why I bet my hands whether I hit or not. I also try and be consistent and bet the same amounts, such as I’ll bet the pot a lot of the time. It makes it harder for players to read me.
So come on, how would you guys have played that quad hand?
