Free Card - Getting a Free
Card in Poker
Playing poker is all
about making the most of your opportunities, and
sometimes even creating a few extra ones for
yourself. Manipulating a round of betting in
order to get a free card is one way to create an
opportunity for yourself, with little risk and
the potential to gain a big pot. It is a
strategy that is best used when you are sitting
in late position, post flop, holding a hand with
potential – not necessarily one capable of
immediately winning anything – and when you are
playing on a table of mostly passive players.
In this situation, you
make a small raise when the betting comes around
to you. The bet is not intended to get the rest
of the table to fold their hands, but has two
other purposes. The first is to test out is
there is any strength on the table. This will be
indicated should somebody re-raise you - in
which case your best action should be to fold.
The second reason is that when the next round of
betting occurs (after the turn), the other
players will naturally check to your hand –
enabling to take a free card (the river) by
checking if you have not connected with the
board, or raise the stakes if you have.
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This a very simple way
of leading a table to believe you have a good
post flop hand, and taking advantage of it in
such a way that you have a minimum risk of
losing many chips. It is similar to a semi-bluff
inasmuch as you are indicating that you have a
hand that could be strong, but the size of the
bet is much smaller. This action also helps
build up the pot should one of the cards you
need to complete an out is drawn on the turn or
river, and the only thing you need to be wary of
is if one of the passive players on the table
has a habit of slow-playing.
It can also be
advantageous to watch out for other players
using this strategy. If you find yourself in
early position with a strong hand - but want to
gauge the strength of the players behind you
before committing to it - and the player on the
button makes a weak raise, by making a large
re-raise yourself you may pick up the pot before
the turn is drawn. Knowing how to manipulate the
betting, and identifying other players doing it,
can be a lucrative means of increasing your
fortunes in any type of no limit or pot limit
poker.
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