Most
people who write about poker tend to make the mistake
that everyone that reads about poker knows what
all of the specialized lingo means. Examples of
words and phrases with unique meanings are tilt,
turn, river, value bet, nuts and hundreds of other
terms. Of course I am as guilty as the next guy,
or gal, so I decided to discuss one of the phrases
that I didn't understand the first time I heard
it, the free card.
Often
when you raise pre flop in late position, all of your
opponents will check to you on the flop. You now have
the option to check, and see the turn card for "free".
This is sometimes beneficial, but shows weakness to
your opponents who may try to take the pot from you
on the turn. Most of the time, the correct place to
attempt for a free card is on the turn. With a pre flop
raise, your opponents check to you on the flop and you
bet, if your opponent's just call,
they will often check to you again on the turn.
Remember that in limit, the bets double on the turn,
so by checking on the turn to see the river for
free, you may save yourself a double bet. Of course
the only times you want to try for a free card
are when the flop has missed you and you may improve
to the best hand and when you are on a draw, such
as a flush or open ended straight draw.
The better your opponents play, the fewer free
cards they will allow you to have, especially
on the turn. The way you play against your opponents
who show strength pre flop also ties into the free
card. It is often correct to check to them on
the flop, but if you have a strong hand, it may
be dangerous to not bet into them on the turn. Unless
you are 95% or more sure that your opponent will
bet when you want them to, you are better to bet
into them and not allow them to see the river for
free. In addition, you will occasionally find an
opponent who will have a good hand, but not as good
as yours, who will cap the betting at this time
and create a large pot.
Hopefully now all of you know the meaning of one
more poker term, and more importantly, know how
to work it into your game. Until next week, good
luck at the tables.
The
Poker Column is published weekly. Send questions
for the author or subscription requests to admin@thepokercolumn.com
