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you’ll be able to avoid getting yourself into too much
trouble.
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A CHEAT SHEET FOR FIRST TIME CASINO POKER PLAYERS
By: Lou Krieger©
I lived on cheat sheets in high school and college. Maybe
you did too. Cheat sheets, or crib notes, as they were
sometimes called, were little three by five index cards
crammed full of all manner of information needed for the
next exam, and those of us on a quest for good grades
spent days grinding the information we had written on
them into our short term memory. These little study aids
helped me get over. They got me into college, and into
grad school too. You can use this same process to improve
your poker, particularly if you are new to the game, or
are about to make the jump from kitchen-table poker to
the faster paced casino game.
To ease your transition, I’ve provided very simplified
strategies for three of the most popular casino games:
Texas hold’em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha eight or better
high low split (which we’ll mercifully abbreviate
as "Omaha/8").
While these strategies will not make experts of you, you’ll
be able to avoid getting yourself into too much trouble.
As you become more comfortable in a casino poker environment,
you can leave these cheat sheets behind and develop more
sophisticated and flexible tactics. Although some good
books are available to help you do this, these crib notes
will help you get over into this new environment.
7-Card
Stud
Each player antes a token sum of money into the pot before
receiving any cards. In a fixed limit game with $2 and
$4 betting limits, an ante of 50 cents is typical, and
betting is in increments of two dollars until the fifth
card is dealt, when the betting limit increases to four
dollars.
The card dealt face up is called the door card. The player
with the lowest ranking door card must make a token starting
bet, called the bring-in, of one dollar. When two or more
door cards are of the same rank, the lower card by suit
brings it in. The lowest suit is clubs, followed by diamonds,
hearts, and spades. This is the only time one suit outranks
another in poker.
Once the bring-in bet has been made, each player,
beginning with the player to the left of the bring-in,
has an opportunity to do one of the following:
Fold,
and relinquish any claim to the pot.
Call the amount of the bring-in bet, by matching the amount
of the bring-in’s wager.
Complete the bet to the two-dollar limit. By completing
the bet æ it’s a raise, actually æ your
opponents won’t get to see another card unless they
pay full fare.
If you bet or raise and all your opponents fold, you win.
If two or more players remain after the first betting
round, each active player is dealt another card face up
and another round of betting ensues.
On the second round of betting, the highest hand on board
acts first, and may check (which is really a bet of nothing)
or wager two dollars, unless there is a pair showing in
any player’s hand. If, for example, a player received
a Queen as his door card and was dealt another Queen on
the next round, any player may now bet four, as well as
two dollars.
If two or more players remain after the second betting
round, each player receives another card face up, and
another betting round begins. On Fifth Street, however,
betting increments double, and in our example they would
escalate from two to four dollars. The highest-ranking
hand still acts first, and may check or bet.
Sixth Street is a mirror of Fifth Street. On Seventh Street
each active player is dealt a final card face down. If
two or more players are still vying for the pot when the
betting concludes, the hands are turned face up. At the
showdown, the best five-card poker hand comprised of any
five-card combination of the seven cards in a player’s
hand is the winner.
If
you’re gonna play 7-Card Stud in a casino, here’s
the least you need to know.
Play Live Cards: If the cards needed
to improve your hand belong to your opponents, they are
dead to you. And seven-card-stud is a game of live cards.
Just because you’ve been dealt Kc9c5c as your first
three cards doesn’t necessarily mean you should keep
playing in hopes of making a flush. If only one or two
cards of your suit are exposed, you can take another card
and see whether it helps your hand. But if you looked
around and saw three or four similarly suited cards staring
at you, don’t even think about it. If the cards you
need happen to be in someone else’s hand, there’s
no chance that they’ll be dealt to you. But if the
cards you need are still live, it doesn’t mean they
will be dealt to you, but at least you have a chance.
Play Big Pairs Against Few Opponents; Play Draws
Against an Army: Big pairs play better against
a small coterie of opponents, while drawing hands do better
against a large number of opponents because they require
a relatively big field to make the pot large enough to
offset the odds against making your hand.
High Side Cards Are a Big Help to Small Pairs:
Starting out with a pair of fours and a live ace for a
side card is a lot better than beginning with a pair of
eights and a small or medium sized side card. That’s
because two-pair, particularly if that two pair is aces-up
is a very strong hand against one or two opponents, while
eights up is marginal.
Scare ‘em Off With Scare Cards:
If you’ve just caught the Qd on fourth street to
go along with a Jd door card, your opponent will have
to worry about the possibilities of you making a straight
as well as a flush. If the card he caught doesn’t
appear to have helped him, your bet might win the pot.
If he calls and you catch another diamond, or any card
supporting your possible straight, a bet should be enough
to force him to fold, as long as his next card does not
appear to have helped him. But scare cards are a double-edged
sword, and you have to be wary of the cards showing on
your opponent’s board too.
Patience Is a Virtue: The first major
decision point you encounter when you’re playing
7-card stud occurs on the initial betting round. Be careful
about the hands you choose to play. 7-card stud rewards
patience above all other virtues.
When the Betting Doubles: The second
important decision is made on Fifth Street, when the betting
limits usually double. If you call a bet on Fifth Street
it’s usually correct to continue on until the bitter
end. Release any hopeless hands, but with any reasonable
holding it usually pays to stick around to the river if
you’ve called a bet on Fifth Street.If you like numbers,
here are some odds to put the game of seven-card stud
in perspective.
424-to-1: The odds against being dealt
three-of-a-kind on your first three cards.
5-to-1: Against being dealt any pair
on you first three cards.
18-to-1: Against being dealt three
suited cards.
3.5-to-1: Against improving to
a straight if your first three cards are sequenced.
4.5-to-1: Against improving to
a flush if your first three cards are suited.
1.2-to-1: In favor of improving
to at least two pair if you start with a draw to a straight
flush, such as 10c,Jc,Qc.
1.4-to-1: Against improving to
two pair if you start with a pair in your first three
cards. It’s 4.1-to-1against making three-of-a-kind
or better.
3.5-to-1: Against making a flush
if you begin with three suited cards and catch a fourth
suited card on the next round. If you fail to catch another
suited card on Fourth Street, the odds against hitting
your flush jump way up to 8.5-to-1!
4-to-1: Against making a full
house if you hold three-of-a-kind and three other cards
on Sixth Street.
Texas Hold’em
The mechanics of Texas hold’em are simple, and unlike
7-card stud, there’s no need to remember which cards
your opponents have discarded. All of the cards that can
be seen remain in the center of the table during the play
of the hand. Rather than antes, the two players to the left
of a rotating dealer button post blind bets. In a game with
betting increments of two and four dollars, blinds are one
and two dollars.
Two cards are dealt face down to each player and a round
of betting ensues. Beginning with the player to the left
of the two-dollar blind, each player may fold, call that
blind two-dollar bet, or raise. The player who posted the
one-dollar blind bet has an option to fold, call, or raise,
and the player who posted the two-dollar blind even has
an opportunity to raise his own blind bet if he so desires.
In most casino games, a bet and either three or four raises
per betting round are permitted. Once the first round of
betting is complete, three community cards, called "the
flop" æ to be used by all players in conjunction
with their private cards æ are dealt face-up in the
center of the table. There’s another round of betting,
followed by a fourth community card. After the next round
of betting ensues, a fifth and final community card is dealt
face up. Following a final round of betting, a showdown
occurs if two or more players are still active. The best
five-card poker hand æ comprised of any combination
of private and communal cards æ wins the pot. Betting
limits usually double on the third and fourth round.
When you play Texas hold’em in a casino, here
is the least you need to know.
Play Strong Starting Hands: That’s
a major key to success in hold’em. Because betting
position is fixed for the entire hand, and acting late carries
a significant advantage, you might raise in late position
with hands you’d throw away if you had to play them
before most of your opponents were forced to act.
All Else Equal, Suited Cards Are Better: Because of their
flush-making possibilities, suited hands are more valuable
than unsuited hands of the same rank. Raise before the flop
with any pair of Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Tens. If
someone has already raised and you’re holding a pair
of Aces, Kings, or Queens in your hand, go ahead and reraise.
Reraising protects your hand by thinning the field, which
minimizes the chances of anyone getting lucky on the flop.
Play Big Pairs: Any pair of tens or higher
are excellent starting hands. Bet or raise to reduce the
number of opponents you are playing against. Big pairs play
better against a small field, while straight and flush draws
play better against an army of opponents.
Small and Medium Pairs Usually Have to Improve
to win: A big pair, like queens, kings, or aces,
can often win without any improvement at all, particularly
if a card bigger than your pocket pair does not appear among
the common cards in the center of the table. But smaller
pairs, such as sevens or sixes, must usually improve to
win, and the odds are 7.5-to-1 against catching a third
card that matches your pair on the flop.
• Unsuited High Cards,
Sometimes Yes, Sometimes No: A hand like K-J, though not
a great hand, can usually played if no one has yet raised,
but it should probably be thrown away if you’re forced
to cold-call two bets in order to see the flop. Of course,
if you’ve called one bet and a player who acts after
you raises, you should call and decide what to do after
you’ve seen the flop. Don’t be afraid to call
a raise with A-K or A-Q, and raise with these hands when
you can.
Don’t Fall In Love With Suited Connectors:
While suited connectors, like 9s8s, which offer the possibility
of making a straight or a flush, are good hands to play
from late position when a lot of players are already in
the pot, they do not fare well against a small field and
shouldn’t be played if you have to cold-call a raise
in order to enter the pot.
When To Raise: You can also raise
before the flop if you’re holding a suited Ace with
a King, Queen, or Jack, or a suited King with a Queen. If
your cards are unsuited, you can raise when holding an Ace
with a King or Queen, or a King with a Queen. If you are
in late position, and no one else has entered the pot, you
can raise with any pair at all, as well as with an Ace and
any kicker, and a King with a Queen, Jack, ten, or nine.
You’re hoping the blinds will fold, but even if they
play, your Ace or King is likely to be the best hand if
no one improves.
Fit or Fold: Seventy-one percent
of your hand will be defined on the flop. For that reason,
hold’em is a "fit-or-fold" game. If the flop
does not improve your hand, or provide four cards to a flush
or a straight, you should probably abandon your hand.
Playing On the Turn: On the turn,
you should bet if you believe you have the best hand, or
if you believe there’s a chance your bet will cause
your opponents to fold. You can consider checking with the
intention of raising if you have a very strong hand and
feel assured that one of your opponents will bet after you
check.
Playing On the River: If you’re
still contesting the pot while awaiting that river card,
you should have a strong hand, or a draw to what you believe
will be the best hand if you make it. If you can’t
decide whether to call an opponent’s bet on the river,
it’s better to err by calling because a mistake in
judgment costs only one additional bet, while folding a
winning hand costs the entire pot. I’m not advising
that you call all of the time, but if you have a decent
hand and someone bets into you on the last betting round,
you should consider calling. On the other hand, if you were
nursing a straight- or flush-draw that never materialized,
throw your hand away if someone bets.
Omaha/8
Omaha/8 is a variation of Texas hold’em in which
each player receives four private cards, and the best
high hand and the best low hand split the pot. The mechanics
of the blinds, and the deal, and the betting rounds are
the same as they are for Texas hold’em, but the game’s
strategies are quite different.
Although Omaha/8 resembles Texas hold’em,
you’ll find two major differences:
Because it is a split-pot game, you can expect
to find more players in each pot. With four cards to choose
from, many players don’t have any trouble finding
a hand they think is worth playing.
Each player must use exactly two cards from his
hand along with three communal cards. In Texas hold’em,
you can form the best hand using two, one, or even none
of your private cards, but in Omaha you must play two
cards — no more, no less— to make a valid Omaha
hand.
When you play Omaha/8 in a casino, here is the least you
need to know.
Each Starting Hand Is Like Six Hands In
One: With four cards to work with, you can form
six different starting combinations. In other words, you
have six times as many potential starting hands as you
do as you do in hold’em. As a result, winning hands
tend to be quite a bit bigger than they are in Texas hold’em.
Play Coordinated Low Hands: A
hand containing an ace-deuce, and particularly an ace,
deuce, trey is a good starting hand, although if three
high cards flop, it should usually be abandoned.
Play Coordinated High Hands: A hand like
A-K-Q-J is an excellent starting hand, although anytime
the board contains three low cards, you have probably
lost half of your equity in the pot because one of your
opponents will probably make a low hand.
Avoid Mid Range Holdings: With
a few rare exceptions, it’s hard to make the best
possible hand with medium range cards, and even when you
do, one of your opponents will probably make a low hand
and cut your win in half.
Winning Half the Pot is Nice, but Scooping Is the
Name of the Game: While it’s nice to win a share
of the pot, it’s much nicer to win it all. You can
do this by holding a high hand when there is no low possible,
or by making a low hand along with a high hand. A player
can also make a high and a low hand using different cards
from his hand to construct the two hands. For example,
if your private cards are Ah2d3sKh and the five communal
cards are Qh9h7h6s4c, your AhKh will form a flush. You’d
have a low hand too, created by combining your ace and
deuce with the board’s 7-6-4. Omaha/8’s prime
directive is to play hands that have a chance of scooping
the entire pot.
Two Pair Seldom Win: Straights
and flushes are common in Omaha, and two-pair, which is
often a winning hand in Texas hold’em, seldom wins
in this game.
Low Hands Diminish the Value of High Hands: Regardless
of how powerful a high hand you make, whenever three unpaired
communal cards with a rank of eight or lower are on the
board, someone probably made a low hand and that big pot
you were hoping to win has effectively been chopped in
half.
Hand Selection Is Critical: Every
form of poker requires a blend of skills. But in Omaha/8,
hand selection far outweighs other skills. Some Omaha/8
players start with almost any four cards, and if you have
the discipline to wait for good starting cards æ
hands that are coordinated, with cards that support each
other in some discernable way æ you’ll have
an edge over most of your opponents.
Beyond the flop
As a general rule, you shouldn’t continue beyond
the flop without best possible hand, called "the
nuts," or a draw to the nuts in one or both directions.
With six two-card combinations in each player’s hand,
a lot of hands are possible, so make certain that you’ll
have the best hand if you catch the card you need. Here’s
an example. Suppose the flop is K-8-7 of mixed suits,
and you hold 3-2 among your four cards. If 6, 5, or 4
hits the board, you’ll make a low hand but anyone
who holds an ace-deuce will make a better one.
If you like numbers, here are some odds that relate
to making a low hand in Omaha/8.
If
you begin with four different low cards:
• Your chances before
the flop are 49%
• Your chances if
two new low cards flop are 70%
• Your chances if
one new low card flops are 24%
If you begin with three different low cards:
• Your chances before
the flop are 40%
• Your chances if
two new low cards flop are 72%
• Your chances if
one new low card flops are 26%
If you begin with two different low cards:
• Your chances before
the flop are 24%
• Your chances if
two new low cards flop are 59%
• Your chances if
one new low card flops are 16%
If you’ve survived the flop, keep playing if you have
flopped the best high hand, a draw to the best high hand,
the best low hand, or a draw to the best low hand.
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