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by Keith Ecker
The most satisfying feeling in poker is reaching across the table after laying down a winning hand and reaping the benefits of claiming a hefty pot. Winning builds your own confidence, increases your stack and intimidates your opponents. But statistically speaking, you cannot win every hand. In fact, there is a good chance that you will lose more often than winning. In these situations, when you already have plopped down a blind to see the flop and the ensuing cards are not in your favor, it is a necessity to have an understanding of the art of folding. Herein lies a dividing line that separates the true winners from the losers – knowing when to give up.
The most money-saving time to fold is, of course, at the beginning of the hand before any cards have been laid down in the middle of the table. The most you stand to lose when folding on your initial move is the big blind. The obvious 7-2 off-suit is a standard bad hand. What constitutes other bad hands are ones that are basically unplayable, the ones that leave you little options no matter what flops on the board. Unsuited cards, unconnected cards and low cards are all pocket hands that might cause a player to fold. Of course there is always the long shot luck flop like a 7-7-2 that gives even a 7-2 a monster hand, but, for the most part, a loser hand is a losing hand. Unless you have mastered the skill of bluffing or if you are on the big blind and no one raises, let these hands go.
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Decisions become trickier when the hand you have is worth betting on pre-flop. The value of your hand might be relatively high. In these cases, when you have a playable hand, and you pay to see the flop, you must be able to process a variety of factors once the cards come down. Specifically, if the flop is completely not in your favor, you have to have the self-restraint to fold even if you initially entered the hand with a big bet. For example, let’s say your pocket cards are 10h and Jh, and the flop comes down 2s, 2d and 3c. Let’s say that after this flop, an opponent who is in an earlier position than you drops down a hefty bet. Although your initial pocket cards are some of the best in the game, it would be wise to swallow your pride and fold before you end up chasing a hand that is sure to be a loser. In this scenario, the odds are just too good that your opponent is either on a straight draw or most likely holds a three-of-a-kind to your zilch.
As the hand advances, the decision to fold gets even more difficult. Even if the flop goes somewhat in your favor, you still have the turn and the river to deal with. If you’ve played poker for a while, there’s a pretty good chance that you have bared witness to someone stealing the pot on the turn or the river because they have landed the out that they so desperately needed to win. It is at these times when you and an opponent or opponents are chasing a hand post-flop that you have to be careful. Let’s say you hold that 10h Jh, and the flop has come up 2h, 8h, Ks. You have reason to feel excited. You flopped a flush draw. But this doesn’t mean that an opponent isn’t on the same flush draw as you, and more so he might have a higher heart than you hold. Also, there is the possibility that an opponent flopped two pair or a pair of kings, both hands that currently beat your flush draw. The only way in this scenario to determine whether or not it is time for you to declare defeat is by how your opponents act. A hefty bet by an opponent in this scenario might denote a flush draw. As to whether or not the opponent has a higher flush possibility than you is difficult to determine at this point. However, a big bet could also mean two pair or a pair of kings, yet it would be foolish for anyone to bet big on these hands at this point with an obvious flush draw on the board. In these tricky situations, it is best to keep a keen eye on your opponents’ moves as well as a keen memory on their prior playing history.
Building on the previous scenario, let’s say the turn card is a 5h. Great. You landed your flush. But don’t count your winnings yet. Someone else might have a flush too, and his could be greater than yours. However, this does make your life a little easier because now you know that the guy who was banking on his pair of kings is probably caught in a tough position and will most likely fold. In this scenario, it is best to bet bigger in order to weed out all the opponents that don’t have a fighting chance. Of course, there is always the option of slow playing as well. The choice is up to you and on the specific circumstances of the game you are playing.
Let’s say you make that big bet and everyone but one other player folds. Now you have to be cautious. Most likely, depending on how this player has been playing his hand throughout the game, he has a flush as well. Now the river card comes up. It’s an Ah. Well, obviously this opponent doesn’t have the ace. But he might have the king or queen. Let’s say it is his turn to make the first move, and he begins with a huge bet that is twice the size of the pot. Now you have to think. He could be bluffing. Such a big bet could be a sign of weakness. But he could know you have flush that he predicts is lower than his; therefore, he believes you will call his big bet. It is at this point that you have to look back at his actions throughout the hand as well as his patterns from previous hands. After analyzing his moves and his possible motivations, you can make a sound decision.
Let’s say you believe so strongly in your hand that you decide to raise him back. Now let’s say that he goes all-in. Well, now you’ve gotten yourself into a mess. Most likely, he holds a killer hand such as the Kh or a Qh. As sad as it may be, the best decision to make is to walk away rather than burying yourself in the grave you dug. It is these scenarios and the moves prior to this hypothetical climax that are some of the most important in poker. If you can fold at the exact right time, ensuring as little of a loss as possible, then you can guaranty that you won’t walk away from the table flat broke. And that, any many instances, is a win within itself.
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