Poker Hands To Always Fold
RR Lone Late, Fold. Fold: BB Raised Pot. Call (raise 1 or 2 limpers) Call. Call 2, or 1 Late. In the small blind, you can raise or reraise one or two opponents with AQ, otherwise, call against three or more opponents. In the small blind, always call A9s against limpers. If the pot has been raised, you should reraise a late position player. Good Poker Players Always Know When To Fold Video from a collection of amusing poker ads that were deemed too racy for TV. They contain some adult language and PG-13 situations. Texas Hold'em is always a game you should play with the long term in mind, if your poker hand has a 55/45 advantage compared to your opponents, you can lose it 10 times in a row. But if you play the hand 10,000 times on average you will win 55% (5.500) times.This is why good bankroll management is important. Fold, check, bet or raise. When it is your turn to bet, you have a number of choices. If you do not like your hand, you can always fold – that is, lay down your hand and leave the pot for the other players to contest. If no one has bet before you in this betting round, you may check. We used data from millions of hands of low-limit poker to analyze this. The same could be said for KQo, ATs, and KJs – you can make a small profit in the long run at most low-stakes games, but folding would be perfectly acceptable from early position.
Struggling poker players often find folding to be difficult, both preflop and postflop. One powerful method to cure this problem is to understand (and embrace) the fact that folding is a mathematically neutral play. Folding literally costs you nothing to do, regardless of how big the pot is, how much you’ve put into it, or how strong your hand is. Folding is always zero EV.
Poker is a gambling game, which means it’s dictated by the fundamental formula of gambling: Expected Value. Every decision we make in poker should be informed and driven by the Expected Value of that decision.
Expected Value, or EV for short, is simply a mathematical estimate of the average amount of money you can expect to win each time you perform a specific action in poker. Negative EV plays are ones that, on average, cost you money whenever you make them. Positive EV plays are those that win you money on average. And neutral, or “zero EV” plays are those that neither cost nor make you money.
For example, playing out of position with a trap hand or calling with the wrong odds to chase a draw are two common examples of negative EV plays. Conversely, playing in position with strong hands or calling on draws with the right odds are examples of positive EV plays. You should eschew the former as much as possible, and maximize the latter.
Which brings us to zero EV plays. These are plays that will net you zero dollars won (and zero dollars lost) whenever you make them. The most common of these is folding your hand. Folding your hand is always a zero EV play.
'We all know that making disciplined folds when the evidence points that way is part of a successful winning game. Executing those folds, however, is another battle altogether. Let’s face it; no matter how correct or skilled the fold we make, it almost never feels good!” —Pete Clarke, PokerStars School
Learning to fold is as important as learning which hands to play. But for a variety of reasons, folding is often very hard to do. Players get married to a pretty-looking hand. Players think they’re beat, but just want to be sure, so they call. Players get curious about what the other player has, or they feel the need to play the role of sheriff, ensuring their opponents know they’ll be looked up if they try to bluff.
Or, worst, of all, players feel the money they’ve “invested” in the hand on previous betting streets needs to be fought for. Ultimately, players feel that folding is somehow “costing” them money. And they’re wrong.
The pot doesn’t belong to you. Neither does any of the money you’ve put into it. The pot belongs to no one. Any money you’ve put into it is sunk cost and should have absolutely no bearing in your decision-making process. Sunk costs, well, sink far too many players, causing them to not fold when they should—often, when even they know they should but just can’t allow logic to overcome emotions. (Click here to learn more about the fallacy of sunk costs.)
Hanging onto a hand longer than correct is a common and expensive leak that causes beginning and intermediate players to lose far more money than it should. The reason we struggle with it as human beings is our innate predilection of “resource attachment.” We are programmed to hate, hate, hate letting something of value go. Our hand (i.e., the pot we’re contesting for with our hand) has value, so we feel an emotional attachment to it. Irrationality can overtake sound logical decision-making, and we end up dumping more money into a hand than we reasonably should.
Said more plainly: not folding when it’s appropriate to do so is a common and costly leak.
'Our goal is to make as many +EV decisions as possible, and the more +EV the better. In short, a play that is +EV is expected to net us money over the long term while plays that are -EV are going to cost us money over the long term.” —Kat Martin, Red Chip Poker
At the heart of these kinds of “refusal-to-fold” leaks is a misunderstanding about the cost of mucking your hand.
To understand this, let’s take a quick look at the Expected Value equation, which is: EV = (W% x $W) - (L% x $L), where W% is the probability of winning, $W is the amount that will be gained if you win, L% is the probability of losing, and $L is the amount it will cost you if you lose.
For example, imagine that you believe your opponent has an overpair to the board. You have the nut flush draw. He’s jammed on the turn and you’re contemplating a call. With 9 flush outs to hit your draw on the river, you have roughly a 9x2=18% chance of making your flush. This means, conversely, you have a 100%-18%=82% chance of missing your draw, not making the flush, and losing the hand at showdown. Now let’s imagine there’s $100 in the pot and it will cost you $30 to call. We can plug these numbers into the EV equation: (18% x $100) - (82% x $30) = -$6.60. This means that, on average, making this call will cost $6.60, which means it’s a negative EV play (1). Calling in this situation is a mistake.
In comparison, if it would cost us only, say, $15 to make this same call, our EV would be (18% x $100) - (82% x $15) = +$5.70, which means it’s a positive EV play. Therefore, calling would be a profitable play (even though you’ll not make your flush the vast majority of the time; i.e., 82% of the time).
Now, if we look at the EV of folding through the lens of the EV equation, we can see instantly that if we fold, our average gain = our average loss = zero. This is because the $W and $L terms in the equation both become zero: EV of folding = (W% x $0) - (L% x $0) = $0 - $0 = $0. You can’t win or lose any more money in the hand if you quit the hand.
”Why can someone fold 7-2 preflop out position but can’t fold red aces in a big pot when the board is T♣-9♣-8♣-7♣ and a tight rock has bet hard into them? Both folds cost a player nothing. Both situations are identical: you have a losing hand and not folding costs money. But many players just can’t let those aces go, choosing instead to spend hard-earned money to confirm an obvious outcome.” —Lou Krieger
Imagine that, preflop, you’re dealt Krieger’s offsuit 7-2 in the under-the-gun seat at a full-ring table. You look at your hand and have two options: play the hand (either with a raise or a limp) or fold the hand. Most good players would choose folding as the right play. Why? Because 7-2 is a well-known bad hand that has a high probability of being dominated by at least one other player’s holdings. Further, you’re very likely to be out of position postflop, and the chances are high that playing this hand will cost you more money than you might win with it. In this situation, playing with this hand is negative EV, which means it will, on average, result in you draining money from your bankroll instead of adding to it. Folding in this situation is the right play.
Well, duh. Thank you for that insightful commentary, Captain Obvious. What’s the point we’re trying make?
The point is that there is absolutely no difference between this situation and Lou Krieger’s red Aces on a T♣-9♣-8♣-7♣ board facing aggression from a nit. You’re almost certainly behind in equity and are very likely to lose the hand if you go to showdown. At the risk of repeating myself from earlier: “In this situation, playing with this hand is negative EV, which means it will, on average, result in you draining money from your bankroll instead of adding to it. Folding in this situation is the right play.”
The key here is to stop thinking about hands in terms of their absolute strength, and instead begin considering your hands in terms of their relative strength. How strong are your red Aces against the villains range on this board? Folding in this situation should become an easy action to take, not a painful one. Why? Because there is no cost to you to do so. Folding is free. Remember that it’s zero EV.
Over on the Smart Poker Study site, Sky Matsuhashi lists examples of good folds: “Folding when you know your hand is inferior, no matter the strength of your hand. Folding when you know you can’t bluff them off their hand now or later. Mucking when you’re unsure of the situation. Folding when they’re charging you too much to draw to your hand. Folding in order to avoid a worse situation in a bigger pot later on.” And so on.
The underlying foundational key to these “good folds” is that they’re free. Folding is the one action in poker that doesn’t cost you a single penny more in the pot. In contrast, not folding will cost you money in the long run. Or, as Mike Sexton once quipped when folding during a deep tournament run, “A chip saved is a chip earned.”
Far too many players make the game of poker more complicated than it should be. Poker is not rocket science, folks. The hardest parts are (a) determining what your opponent has; and (b) having the discipline to act accordingly. The first part is sometimes easy; you just have to pay attention to what your opponent is telling you with his or her bets. The second part is where many otherwise good poker players mess up. They get married to hands that they don’t want to fold, despite understanding that staying in the hand can and will cost them money. They know that folding is zero EV, yet they don’t have the discipline to do so.
Can you fold when you know you should? Do you understand that folding is free? And if so, why aren’t you doing more of it when the situation calls for it? A chip saved is a penny earned.
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1 Of course, in each individual hand situation, you will either win $100 or lose $30. EV is an averaged result, which is what really matters in poker. The specific, individual outcomes of hands are irrelevant in the big-picture long-run of poker mastery.
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Kenny Rogers tells us you need to “know when to fold ’em” and “know when to hold ’em”. Lady Gaga sang about perfecting the “poker face”.
But how do you know when you have a poker hand worth betting on? Or when you should cut your losses and fold? This question plagues gambling newbies and professionals alike.
And while there’s no universal answer, this article will offer some tips and tricks on when to fold your hand when to ante-up.
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Two Types of Poker Players
When it comes to folding your poker hand, there are usually two types of players. Those who fold too often and those who don’t fold enough.
Poker Hands To Always Fold
The former loses out on most opportunities to win and makes themselves a target. When you fold too often, other players dub you a rookie. You come off as inexperienced and unsure of yourself.
The latter blindly bets all of their earnings and will quickly end up broke and out of the game. Other players at the table view you as an eager, overzealous fool.
Poker Hands To Always Fold Away
To be successful at the poker table, you need to strike a balance between these two types of players. One of the best poker tactics is to keep your opponents guessing.
Even if you have your own system when it comes to folding or holding, don’t make it obvious to others. The less they know about your technique, the better.
Now let’s take a look at how to create that technique and make it work in your favour.
Know the Game
Before sitting down at the poker table, you should know the rules of the game. There are several types of poker including:
- 3 card
- 7-Card Stud
- Texas Hold ‘Em
- 5-Card Draw
Each game has its own set of rules, but the basic principles are the same. You should know the different types of winning hands and which hands beat others.
There’s nothing worse than going “all in” on a hand you think trumps all, only to learn you’ve been beat at your own game.
The Power of the ‘Check’
If you’re unsure about whether or not to bet, don’t. You can ‘check’ to the next player at the table.
When you check, you’re skipping your turn. The universal sign for checking is tapping the table.
The next player will now bet. At this point, you can either match their bet (call), raise, or fold. Checking is a good technique for buying yourself some time and sizing up your competition.
Players with anything better than a pair will often call the bet or raise. Unless they’re bluffing.
Bluffing involves raising the bet to intimidate other players into folding a good hand even if they themselves have nothing. Some professional poker players have won thousands using bluffing techniques alone.
Poker Hands To Always Fold Around
After a win, players aren’t required to show their cards. This means you’ll never know if the winner had a good poker hand or if you were duped.
Trust Your Instincts
Winning in poker is 50% luck and 50% skill. Knowing when to fold your poker hand has a lot to do with following your instincts. And these instincts will change with every game you play.
There are good and bad days in the world of poker. If you’re on a good streak and every hand you’re dealt is a winner, keep going. Bet a little more and take a few risks.
But if you’re having a bad run and are losing every hand, it may be time to call it quits. Trust your instincts with each hand you’re dealt.
Are you confident your two-pairs will beat the competition? Is the player across the table bluffing?
Winning at poker and knowing when to fold have a lot to do with the other players at the table, which is why sizing them up is crucial.
Pay Attention to Other Players
Have you ever watched professional poker players on television? They wear sunglasses, hats, and hoods to hide their eyes and faces. And no, it’s not about making a fashion statement.
Body language is another important component of poker. Players offer countless nonverbal signs about the hand their dealt. A furrowed brow, eye twitch, or pursed lips may all be signs that they have a great hand or garbage.
Glasses, hats, and other distractions hide these cues. But it doesn’t mean you can’t still get a feel for your opponents.
Over-confident players tend to bet on every hand they’re dealt. They bluff often and thrive on scaring other players into folding. If you have a good hand, don’t let these types of players intimidate you.
Then, there are timid players. The ones that are clearly unsure of themselves. They may shift in their seat, play with their chips or cards, and hesitate before betting.
If you’re working on your own bluffing game, going toe-to-toe with a nervous player is great practice. Trying bluffing with a high pair or two low pairs. But don’t lose your shirt over it. Make reserved bets that if you lose, won’t put you completely out of the game.
Do the Math
You don’t need to be a mathematical genius to know when the odds are for or against you. There are times when it’s okay to take a risk and others when you should fold your poker hand and call it a day.
The best way to decide is by examing your money. Do a quick count of how much money you have. Now, assess the pot and how large the bets are. Can you afford to stay in?
If your money pile is getting low, fold hands that you’re not confident in. Only place bets on hands where you’re more than 50% sure you’ll win. There’s no shame in folding and cashing out your winnings.
Weigh Your Options
Before you fold your poker hand, you need to weigh your options. Folding means you’re automatically out of the game. Everything you put into the pot now belongs to the winner.
Are you prepared to lose everything you’ve bet? If so, fold. But if you feel there’s a chance you might win or you have a fairly decent hand, it’s probably worth the risk to stay in the game.
Plus, if you fold too soon, you’re making it too easy for your opponents to win. Depending on the type of poker you’re playing, wait until at least a few more cards are dealt before throwing in the towel.
This forces other players to (literally) put their money where their mouth is and fight for the win.
Know the Signs of a Good Poker Hand
Seasoned poker players are not only experts at the game of cards, but they’re also well-versed in reading the signs of other players. And you should be too.
When playing Texas Hold ‘Em, each player is dealt two cards to start (hole or pocket cards) and then asked to bet. If a player starts off with a high bet, they likely have a pair, two suited cards, or two high-value cards. Remember this.
Next, the dealer will then lay three community cards face-up on the table (the flop). All players use these three cards along with their two pocket cards to create the best five-card hand.
If the same player who bet big on their first two cards, ups their bet this time, they probably have a decent hand. Two more cards will be dealt face-up (the river and the turn). If at this point you have nothing, you should fold.
Although these signs aren’t a guarantee that your opponents have a winning hand, you should still pay close attention to their betting patterns. It’s unlikely that someone will bet a large amount on their pocket cards unless they’re confident they’ll win.
Bluffing in Texas Hold ‘Em comes into play following the flop, so pay close attention to the bets made before and after.
Tips from the Experts
Who better to teach you about when to fold your poker hand and when to bet it all than the experts? Here are a few, basic tips when it comes to folding and holding in poker.
Poker Hands To Always Fold Napkin
- Never play poker drunk (your judgment is skewed and you may inadvertently bet your home or first born child)
- Don’t play every single hand (remember, it’s okay to fold)
- Never count your poker chips at the table
- Avoid high-limit games (unless you’re a professional)
- Don’t stay in the hand just because you’ve already bet (staying in out of fear of losing what you’ve already bet could result in losing even more)
With a little time and experience, you’ll find your own poker style and tips that work for you.
Time to Get in the Game
Poker Hands To Always Fold The American Flag
Whether you like poker or slot machines, you have to be in it to win it. And knowing when to fold your poker hand helps you stay in the game longer and keep your shirt.
Poker Hands To Always Fold Bias Tape
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