Previously on Eyebrows.....
(To achieve the required level of anticipation, please imagine the whooshing windows from the intro to TV’s ‘24’ and shout at least one of the following lines of dialogue: ‘I’m federal agent (insert) and this is the longest hand of my life’; If you don’t show your hand, then it will just be a question of how much you want to hurt’; ‘When I’m finished with you, you’re gonna wish you felt this good again’.
OK, done that? If so, you are either in the mood to read the second piece of a two part poker blog or fight international terrorism. If the former: see below; if the latter: see a therapist.)
Yesterday, you had just been dealt KK in mid position and you had re-raised an early position player, making it $22 to play. I asked – why is it possible you acted rashly?
The answer is that you may have forgotten to consider the size of the stacks behind you.
Let’s say there is a player immediately to your left who has only $30 left. If he wants to play his cards, he will go all in – and that could leave you screaming ‘Nooooooo’.
Why?
You have given him a chance to make a partial raise.
The $30 guy can only raise $8, which is lower than the minimum raise – but, as he is spent, it is acceptable. That means that unless the pot is raised again by another player, all you can do is call.
If there are any astute players behind you, they will realise you are trapped, and may call for value. Given that the original raiser obviously has strong cards, it is unlikely he will fold them, particularly as he knows you are stuck. Suddenly, you are looking at a three-way $90 pot that is destined to go to the river.
When there is a mid stack behind you, it is important that your bet is either: less than half his total, or enough to put him in. The middle ground is death.
It is a more common situation than you may realise and few players take it into account. You have to be aware of everything that is going on around the table, not just your hole cards.
It pays to notice the dancing bears.
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