Poker theory says that all betting starts out as a contest for the antes or, in the case of flop games, the blinds. When a player has no money invested in the hand, and the size of the pot is very small, he has little incentive to enter the pot unless his hand is very good. If he does call, he knows that other players behind him might also call, so he will often raise to discourage competitors from entering the pot. This play is called raising to eliminate players. It's only one of the five major reasons to raise, especially before the flop.
The five major reasons to raise are:
1. To eliminate players.
2. To get a free card.
3. To gain information.
4. To get value from your hand.
5. To bluff or semi-bluff.
Raising to eliminate players works best before the flop, when a player doesn't have any money invested in the pot. It also works well on the flop and on the turn,when a player may have only one bet in the pot, and he doesn't have the right odds to continue with the hand. Raising to eliminate players on the river is less effective, because at that point all the cards are out. Your opponent will call based on his pot odds and his estimation of your hand.
Raising to get a free card sometimes works before the flop, because it may induce players to check to you when they see the flop, but you can't always count on it. If the flop makes a great hand for one of your opponents, the fact that you raised before it won't stop him from betting into you. Raising to get a free card works best on the flop, when the other players flop what they consider to be weak or drawing hands. Because the bet doubles on the turn and the river, raising to get a free card doesn't work then. It costs just as much to raise as it does to call the next bet.
Raising to gain information works best if you are reraising a before the flop raiser, or if you raise a player who has bet on the flop. Your opponent's reaction to your raise is loaded with information, if you know how to interpret what you see. You usually won't raise to gain information on the turn or on the river, because a raise there will have quite a different effect on your opponents.
Raising to get value from your hand works well before the flop, on the flop, on the turn, and on the river. A raise for value often has the undesired effect of making inferior hands fold when you would rather they call, but you can't always know in advance whether that will happen.
Raising to bluff is an unusual tactic in the lower limit games, and you won't see it done very often. Raising to semi-bluff, however, is very common, especially on the flop, and you'll use this tactic very frequently in your games.
Let's look at some examples of how to use each of these tactics in a real game.
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Structure Your Learning
Assignment #7
Next time you play in your regular game, make sure you check out the different tables and try to pick the best one for you. If the floorman has you seated at a table you don't want, tell him to put you on the table change list. Once you get in the right game, start looking for the best seat, using the criteria you learned in this chapter.
When a seat comes available, the first player in the game to inform the dealer that he wants that empty seat gets it. If possible, try to avoid making it obvious why you're changing seats. You certainly don't want to actually say out loud during the game why you're moving.
When you get home, and you're completing your notes about the game, mention the seat change, the reason you changed, and what you think the results of your move were. Make this process a regular part of your note-taking.
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