Advance Strategy. The Free Card: First of all, what is a free card? If the player in the last position bets or raises and everyone checks on the next round of betting this gives him an opportunity to check also and thus get another card for free. We will divide this advice into two parts, getting a free card and giving one.
Getting a Free Card: Raising before and after the flop may allow you a free card on the next round of betting especially if you are playing with weak players. This maneuver should be used whenever possible. For example, if you raise the pot pre-flop with an Ace Queen suited from the latest position and the flop comes with Nine, Five, Two you should probably check and get a free card since six outs can give you an over pair.
If you bet instead of checking, anyone that will call your bet is probably better than you and you are taking the risk that some one has checked with the intention of raising. Understanding the advantage of getting a free card, is nine-tenth of understanding the danger of giving one.
Giving a Free Card: A common mistake among beginners is to immediately check to a player who bet or raised in the previous round of betting, thus giving him a free card, if he wants one. If you think you have the best hand, go out and bet no matter what happened on the previous round. If you think he has a better hand than yours consider folding unless the pot odds justify calling.
Giving a free card is a big mistake if you have a good hand and there are many players in the pot. Giving them another card could give them the best hand -- one that they did not even have to pay for, a Gut Shot Straight for example.
Give a free card only when you have a drawable hand that needs to be improved in order to win or when you are very strong and slow-playing, thus wanting other players to make second best hand. Here are some examples of when and when not to give a free card.
If you hold a Jack and Ten of Diamonds and the flop is Jack Six, Two Rainbow, you should probably bet even if the player in the last position raised before the flop. You do not want to give someone holding an Ace and a King or an Ace and a Queen a free card. If you think you can read the raiser and that he has an Over Pair you should not bet and if he bets again, you should fold.
If you hold Ace, Ten and the flop comes with Ace, Ten, Ten you should slow-play by checking, thus letting others catch something so that later on in the game they will either call your bet or even raise on later rounds. If you are holding most of the valuable cards, it is unlikely that someone else will be holding a good hand. By giving a free card, you might be allowing someone to make a Straight and pay you all the way to the River.
If you have a top pair with a low kicker, it is probably okay to feel out the other players by checking. If they checked as well and the next card is not likely to improve their hand, you probably hold the best hand.
Learn and share Texas Hold'em Videos for free, myholdemtips.com.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services