Way Ahead or Way Behind

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Home > Strategy > Way Ahead or Way Behind

2 December 2008 3 Comments

In Texas Hold’ Em, and against thinking players, situations come up when you are either way ahead or way behind your opponent. When you are way ahead, you risk being too aggressive and leaving money on the table by not extracting the maximum value if he folds. When you are way behind, you risk losing your entire stack if you fail to realize you are drawing slim.

Way Ahead/Way Behind situations typically come up on dry boards (no flush or straight draws). Once the flop hits, neither you nor your opponent are likely to draw out on each other. Take for example, you are in position with AQs and the flop comes Q43 rainbow. It is checked to you and you make a continuation bet and are called.

The turn is an 8 and it is checked to you again. Do you bet here or check behind? If you bet, showing a lot of strength, your opponent is likely to fold if he is way behind. If you bet and are check-raised, it is likely that you are way behind. Perhaps to a set or two pair.

A decent line here is to check behind. This will do a few things. It will keep the pot size small, which is good seeing as you only have one pair (Big pots for big hands. Small pots for small hands). It may also entice a call on the river from your opponent as they will assume you made a continuation bet on the flop with complete air.

Another example is a case where you raise AKs in position and get one caller. The flop comes Q33. You continuation bet and are called. The turn is a K. If you bet, what hands that you beat are actually going to call? If you check behind and value bet the river, you may get a call from the Q. If you are check-raised on the river then you could be up against a 3.

You want to be sure you do not misapply this concept. Take the Way Ahead/Way Behind concept with a grain of salt if you are up against a donk. Also, if the flop has straight or flush draws, you do not want to be checking behind turns to give your opponent a free card to beat you!

Photo Credit: Johnny Blood

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3 Comments »

PokerPlasm said:

You really think a blind check after the turn is a good move?

I am debating that, I am not sure. A bet really gives you a ton of information. In limit I would be betting out, but undecided on no limit.

# 3 December 2008 at 9:11 pm

Twitchy67 said:

Yeah I have a bit of a problem with checking the turn if your out of position…at least online. The problem u make yourself is a good player will then force you to a decision. If you check to me, it doesn’t matter what I have anymore…i’m going to try and extract what you have by betting, and use my position on you. The bet will be big enough that you’ll probably check the river even if u call, but small enough that it doesn’t hurt if u raise and i need to chuck my cards. Which is exactly the size of bet I personally think you should make if you’re the early position player.

Live it’s a whole different ball game. I have a little trick that has worked 100% of the time in 1-2 NL and 2-5 NL cash games. Basic knowlege of tells and psychology makes it very easy to check in a particular way and get a ton of information based on the reaction you give. Often if I think i’m not hugely strong but still might be best I can use this to get a free turn card and then make a semi bluff on the river (barring any scare cards showing up).

# 3 December 2008 at 9:30 pm

geoff (author) said:

This is assuming we have position. Checking behind to control the size of the pot with only one pair. We can then call a decent size bet on the river if bet into (or reraise it if we think they are bluffing, or fold if we think they slow played a monster) or we bet for value.

A 2nd barrel bet on the turn will likely be folded to by a much worse hand and called/re-raised by a much better hand.

I just have a hard time inflating the pot with a one pair hand. If we bet the turn in both scenarios above and are called. What do we do with the river if lead into? We now have a big pot on our hands and have been called down the whole way. Do we still like TPTK? Or if we are checked to? Do we still think we are betting for value here?

# 3 December 2008 at 10:00 pm