Advanced Poker Strategy –
When to Fold the Second Nuts
The best hand that you
can have in poker is the nut hand. Sometimes,
the hand is ranked in terms of importance as:
the pure nuts and second nuts. The pure nuts is
the best possible in a game, and is one that
cannot be beaten. The second nuts is one that
can be beaten only by the pure nuts. So, if you
feel that you have the second nuts in the game,
and are worried that your opponent has the pure
nuts, you should ideally fold it. Here are some
aspects that will help you decide if folding
with the second nut is apt or not:
On the flop – folding
the second nuts
If you have the second
nuts when the game is on the flop, you are in a
relatively safe position, and you need not fold.
An exception to this is when you are certain
that another player has a better hand – the pure
nuts. When you are on a flop that does not offer
possibilities for either a flush or straight
draw, the second nuts will be the middle set
ranked below the top set. It can be extremely
difficult to get away from such a hand. In this
situation, your middle set can prove to be
expensive if the top set is with your opponent.
However, you may be able to reduce your losses
if you understand the opponent and his tendency
to bet.
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On the turn – folding
the second nuts
On the turn when the
board gets a new card your position as having
the second nut can change. If, on the turn, your
middle card pairs with one on the board, you
could have shifted from having the second nuts
to having the pure nuts. On the other hand, if
the pair forms with the bottom flop card, the
player who was the bottom set will have the pure
nuts. This will then shift you to the position
of holding the third best hand in the game.
You may get the
opportunity to fold the second nuts and leave
the hand relatively easily if a tight player
makes a big raise after you or a large bet that
you have to follow. Most often, you may get
opportunities to bet aggressively with the
second nut on hand. However, the decision to bet
or fold the hand on the turn should be based on
your understanding of your opponents. This will
help you determine whether the exposure should
be limited against a big bet or a bet should be
raised.
On the river –
folding the second nuts
If you have reached the
river with the second nut, then you are in a
relatively beneficial position. How you proceed
on the river should be based on your assessment
of other players’ hands. Also, you should
consider their betting tendencies on the
previous streets. With the second nut you may be
in the last position on the river. And a tight
player who may have called all the bets you
placed on the previous streets may check to you
on this street. Then, you can check for a
showdown. You can do this as the probability of
the player calling you with a hand range that
you can beat is low. He could be setting a bluff
– the check-raise.
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