In multi-way pots, draws become especially powerful, and playing big draws aggressively
against multiple opponents can create very pro table situations. For example, say that
you’re dealt As-8s on the button. Three players limp before the action gets to you, and
you decide to limp as well. Both blinds call, so a total of six players see the op of 4s-7s-Jc.
You have no hand at the moment, but you do have the nut ush draw.
On the op, the small blind bets and three players call. What’s your best action? Clearly,
folding would be wrong. With two cards to come and nine outs, you’ll make the nut ush
roughly 35 percent of the time, making you only a 2:1 dog. With six small bets going in the
pot pre- op and four going in on the op, you’re getting pot odds of 10:1.
You might be tempted to just call and see what the turn brings but, in fact, raising in this
situation gives you better value. The pot is getting large and it’s likely that all your
opponents are going to call. Even those who have nothing more than second pair or a
gut shot straight draw may feel that their pot odds are favorable enough to justify calling
the second bet. If your raise gets called by four people, you’ll be getting great value. You’d
be getting 4:1 on your money when you’re only a 2:1 underdog – a clear win for you.
The raise might also work well for you on the turn and river. By acting after the op,
there’s a chance that the other players will check to you on the turn. This gives you the
option of checking and taking a free card if you don’t make your ush.
The level of aggression that you show with a draw will largely depend on your position. To
show how your play might change with position, imagine you’re in a hand with the same
hole cards (As-8s), the same number of players (six), and the same op (4s-7s-Jc). This
time, however, you’re not on the button but are in the big blind instead when the small
blind bets out. Here, you want to encourage the other players in the hand to put as much
money in the pot as possible. If you raise, you’re probably going to force players with
second pair or a gut shot to fold, so your best option is to call. Give your opponents
every opportunity to throw money in the pot.
Finally, let’s look at how you might play the same cards when you’re the rst to act. If you
have a nut ush draw in the small blind and there are six players in the pot, go ahead and
bet. It’s a favorable situation for you, so you want to make sure that some money goes in
the pot. When out of position, I’ll usually follow-up my op bet with another bet on the
turn no matter what card hits. Then, if I miss again on the river, I can decide whether or
not I want to blu at the pot. If I’m against only one or two players on the river, I’ll usually
blu . If there are ve players left in the hand, I won’t bother. It’s too likely that someone
will call.
Online Poker Winning Strategies Revealed # 38