Free Online Poker Help For When You Get Stuck In A Slow Play Battle
In this free online poker strategy example we’re looking at the situation and options open to players in head to head play where both believe they have the best hand and both elect to slow play. Trap versus Trap as it’s known.
To illustrate this situation we will learn by example. For the example we’ll use a truly critical hand example, a WSOP final table head to head.
The Scene:
BLINDS 100k/200k, ante 30k
PREFLOP:
1) A has Ks-10s, raises to 400k
2) B has As-Ad, calls 200k
3) A’s raise is standard for K-10, which isn’t as weak in short-handed play as with a complete table.
B might have reraised A, but A might fold. B could possibly be worried only if the Flop came up paired like J-J-7, but B thinks that a continuation test bet will detect if A has a hand after the Flop.
Reraising preflop which test bet has got the same effect of making A fold if A has not got anything, but calling not only conceals A’s hand strength, but also makes it dangerous for B to bet if a King or a Ten comes.
FLOP: Kc-5c-3h
1) B checks
2) A bets 525k
3) B raises to 1.45m
4) A calls 875k (Pot now 3.76m)
Now A suddenly had top pair which he might think is the best hand!
B checks, again to conceal hand strength.
A bets to build the pot, then B raises.
A may interpret B’s raise for a bluff because he might think B is drawing (note the two Clubs) or that B could have a smaller pair, say, A-5 or A-3.
A just calls because he is now the one working to trap.
TURN: Kc-5c-3h-6s
1) B bets 1.5m
2) The three-Flush didn’t come. B’s bet will now be challenging A.
If A folds, B still wins a hefty pot. If A calls or reraises, B can push him all-in if action gets back to B.
A’s trap appears to be working at this point.
Now B could have decided that A is still on a Flush draw with maybe a small Pair, say Ac-3c.
In addition, because preflop A obscured his hand strength well (just smooth-calling), B can believe that A also has a King, however with a weaker kicker.
Now he thinks that A is going to call anything he hauls in the middle, and he also thinks his trap is working. So what does he do?
1) A moves all-in
2) B calls 3.6m (Pot now approx. 14 million)
Both think their traps are successful! In poker, the bigger the hands, the bigger the chips in front.
Both did well in protecting the balance building the pot and camouflaging hand strength, but only 1 hand can win.
A is only able to win with a river King or Ten.
RIVER: Kc-5c-3h-6s-10c (!)
A wins! But had A continued trapping through to the river with this river card, it’s still the same. Both still have big hands, both are willing to trap, and both are willing to jealously hoard each other’s chips when the opportunity arises.
The Trap vs Trap In summary
Take your time to read and have an understanding of the principles behind this article. Make an effort to have an understanding of the key points behind what’s going on in this example and look into ways to put these lessons into your individual play.
It takes time to learn how to play poker at a level where you make money consistently.
But if (and when) you learn to really play online poker well then you’ll make some good money. Why?
Simply that the vast majority of players you come up against never get to what can be termed a good level.
So you, if you can get to a good standard will do very well very easily. You don’t have to be a TV pro to make good money in poker!
The fact that most players are at such a low competence means that whenever you hunt/play them on free online poker or low stakes sites you’ll be able to clean up.
Nick from top free online poker site http://www.NoPayPOKER.com advises that to learn to play poker for free really well go visit NoPayPOKER blog, the free poker lessons there cover all levels from novice to advanced, plus, the site itself as a free online poker site is the ideal place to learn to play poker free.