Talking texture

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/06/2012 (4893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Great players are the ones who are able to make the best decisions. Sounds obvious, I know. But how do they make the best decisions? One way is that they make sure they understand board texture and board run-outs.

Whenever we are the one raising or three-betting pre-flop with a big hand, and whenever we flop a big hand, our goal should be to get three streets of value. You might be thinking, “Sure all I have to do is bet the flop, turn and river and I have accomplished this.”

Well, not exactly.

Let’s take the strongest starting hand in hold ’em: A A.

We open with a raise and get called by the button. The flop comes down 10 6 2 rainbow. This is about as safe a flop as we could hope for. There aren’t many scare cards that will kill our action on the turn or river if our opponent calls. The only card that may stop us from betting is another 10, so we should definitely be betting every street here for value.

Now let’s consider another scenario. Say the flop comes down 10 8 6 with two hearts. Although our pair of aces is still likely best on the flop, there are many cards that could come up on the turn that would be very bad for our hand. Any Q, 10, 9, or 7 could lead to a straight, or any heart could mean someone has a flush. This means roughly half of the deck will be able to hit on the turn or river and potentially crush our hand.

In both scenarios, we are out of position, but the difference is that in the first scenario, we can safely bet every street for value and be confident we have the best hand. In the second scenario, there are too many cards that may come that are going to kill our action and prevent us from getting three streets of value.

So how can we play the second scenario in the most profitable way? We have a few options, but I like to check the flop here. This accomplishes a couple of things. First, it disguises our hand, and second, it helps keep the pot small. If we check-call the flop and then check the turn, there is a good chance we might get to the river cheaply, as our opponent might check also. Since more than 50 per cent of the time one of the scare cards will hit on the turn or river, our main goal should be to get to a showdown for as cheaply as possible.

Everyone who plays this game knows there is really no better feeling than looking down and seeing A A. But unless we can get all of the money in pre-flop, we must be able to adjust our play in order to not give away money in certain spots.

The next time you find yourself in a pot, make sure you are looking at board texture, but also be sure to pay attention to how the board may run out. Having the understanding of what cards may come that will be a detriment to your hand will help you stack the chips instead of watching your opponent do so — and we all know that is not much fun.

Marco Carreira is a professional poker player living in the Winnipeg area.