Suppose that a mouse has raised in the third position and an elephant has called on the button, before the flop. You call with S"S m tne big blind because it's only one more bet to you in the big blind. Normally you wouldn't call the mouse's raise with this hand, but you're getting a discount! The flop comes down 9-8-3. What do you do here? I'd want to bet out here to see what the mouse does. If the mouse were to raise me, then I'd probably call the bet, but I'd fold my hand if the mouse bet on fourth street (unless I'd caught an A or an 8). If the mouse just called me on the flop, then I'd figure that I have him beat (I'd put the mouse on A-K or A-Q) and I'd continue to bet with my hand all the way.
If the elephant were to put in a raise on the flop, then you'd have to read him the best that you could. You'd want to call his raise on the flop and see what card comes up on fourth street and whether the elephant bets on fourth street or not.

• Poker – Playing A-x Suited – Bad Flop (0)
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Suppose that a mouse in second position has raised it up before the flop and the jackal on the button has called. You then called as well in the big blind with lV)-(3, and the flop is 0. Generally, when you flop an open-ended straight draw (you need a four or a nine to make your hand) in Hold'em, especially when you're drawing to the big side (in this case a nine-high straight as opposed to having A-4 and drawing to the small side or eight-high straight), you're well advised to play this hand all the way to try and hit it. What do you do now?

You know that you are going to have to call on the flop, and on the turn as well, if you miss making the hand on fourth street. You also know that the mouse has a strong hand and that the jackal could have anything. I would be thinking, "I hope the mouse has A-K so that I can bluff him out of this pot." (We all know how tightly the mouse plays!) I would also be hoping that the jackal has a hand that I can beat, but that he can bet with, for example A-4 or K-8 or J-8 or some other straight draw. Perhaps I would check with my hand, hoping that the mouse checks and the jackal bets. Then I could check-raise, making it two bets to the mouse and therefore forcing him to fold his A-K or A-Q. Of course, what I really want to do is complete my straight on the turn or the river.

You could also decide to bet right out into the mouse on the flop, to see what he does. The mouse would either call you or raise you; it's hard to imagine him folding this flop, just because he's a mouse, which means he had a pretty strong hand before the flop. If he were to call me, I would try to bluff him out on the next two rounds of betting, thinking he couldn't call me down with A-K—because he's a mouse! If he were to raise me on the flop, then I would call him and check to him on the next two rounds of betting (unless I were to make my straight). I'm assuming that the mouse would just call on the flop with A-K and raise me with any overpair.

• Playing Poker A-x Suited – Hitting Second Board Pair (0)
• Poker – Playing A-x Suited – Bad Flop (0)
• Playing Poker A-x Suited – Second Pair With Mouse (0)

Suppose you've called an elephant's early-position raise with and then three other players call, including the big blind. The flop comes down and the big blind bets out and the elephant calls.

What do you think, and what do you do? I wouldn't raise, because I figure that there is an excellent chance that the big blind has me beaten, and with five players in the pot, what are the chances that I have the best hand? But calling and folding are reasonable options.

I would lean toward calling, but with two other people behind you and the big blind leading out, I could also make a pretty reasonable case for folding your hand right there. What did the elephant, the original raiser, call the one bet with on this flop? It seems pretty likely that he has A-Q, A-K, or K-Q, all of which would give him a straight draw. The reasons why I lean toward calling a bet on the flop in this situation are these:

1. You may have the best hand.
2. There are already six big bets in this pot.
3. Calling will cost only one more small bet, and perhaps both opponents behind you will fold their hands.
4. You may hit an ace or a ten on fourth street and wind up winning this pot because you called that one bet on the flop.
5. It's possible that everyone will check the rest of the way (no one will bet on fourth street or the river) and that you win the pot because you called one small bet on the flop. (Don't hold your breath hoping for this to happen!)

• Poker – Playing A-x Suited – Bad Flop (0)
• Playing Poker A-x Suited – Hitting Second Board Pair (0)
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Suppose you've called an elephant's early position raise with on the button. The big blind calls the raise as well,

and the flop comes down ~[S• Now the big blind bets out
and the jackal raises. What do you do? Read, read, and read your opponents. If it were my hand and if I didn't have a read on my opponents, I would reraise (make it three bets) to find out where I am, especially given that the raiser was a jackal. Your opponents need to have an overpair or three jacks to have your two pair beaten at this point in the hand. They may have the three jacks, or they may have 6-7 or K-6 or a smaller pair or a flush draw.

Raise it in this spot, unless you have a strong feeling that you're beaten, in which case fold.

• Playing Poker A-x Suited – Marginal Flop (0)
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• Poker – Playing A-x Suited – Bad Flop (0)

A jackal in the second position raises before the flop, and you call with (Vj_[5] m nrth position. The button and the big blind call as well. The flop is fv]-f3-[2, and the jackal bets out into you. This situation seems to be a good time for a raise. To have you beaten right now, someone has to have a ten in his hand or an overpair (a set or two pair are also possible). You also know that the jackal could have anything at this point in the hand.

Let's try the same situation, but let's say that the big blind bets out this time and then the jackal raises on the flop. What do you do? It's time to use that newly developed reading power you've been working on. There are two possibilities here: you have the best hand or not. With this flop (f9-&E)' lt's Possible that you still have the best hand with your [V]-[3. Perhaps one of your opponents has J-9, and the other has the J-Q for an open-ended straight draw. Maybe one of your opponents has a straight draw and the other has a flush draw. But you may also be in a lot of trouble with the way that the action came down on this flop. Perhaps one of your opponents has a ten (for a pair of tens) and the other has a flush draw. If this is the case, then you need to hit one of two aces left in the deck (the 0 makes a flush), one of two nines left, or consecutive spades (called "runner-runner," not something you want to depend on!) for a backdoor flush. So if one of your opponents has you beaten, then you're really an underdog to win this pot. Whether you call two bets or fold in this case depends on how you read your opponents.

• Playing Poker A-x Suited – Marginal Flop (0)
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Suppose that a jackal has raised before the flop, and you have called his raise with 0-0, and then the big blind calls as well. If the flop comes down 0-0-0 and the big blind checks and the jackal bets, fold your hand. You have missed the flop (you don't have either a pair, a straight draw, or a flush draw); you have only two bets in the pot at this point; and you were the caller before the flop, not the raiser. There is no warrant for getting further involved in this hand.

Suppose now that a jackal has called one bet before the flop, and you've raised it with your 0-0. Then the big blind and the jackal both call and the flop comes down 0-0-0. If they both check to you on the flop, then go ahead and bet once on the flop. They may both fold at this point. If one of them does bet into you, just fold your hand. Other than taking one shot at the pot on the flop when you were the preflop raiser with A-x suited, what you really want to do when you miss the flop is fold your hand.

• Playing Poker A-x Suited – Marginal Flop (0)
• Playing Poker A-x Suited – Second Pair With Mouse (0)
• Playing Poker A-x Suited – Flopping A Draw (0)