October 06, 2005
While I would not always expect your Tigergaming opponents to be oblivious to your folds, it is far worse to expect your opponents to "guess" your cards. Don't sweat it until you find yourself the victim of excessive aggression from one player. When you do, switch gears and adjust your play to punish their bluffing. Second, you will still have a hand often enough to camoflage how tight you are playing.
The calculations are fairly straightforward. Let's compare the EV for a call (since we have already concluded that a raise is less profitable than a call against all but the most passive Tigergaming players.) If we again presumed the button would win one extra big bet when a King or Queen falls on the turn, then the EV for a call would be calculated as follows.
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- It is clear that this is the kind of scenario where the big blind is very concerned to make sure no free Tigergaming cards are given, so my advice is different if the button will check the flop. But our basic assumption is that the button will not check the flop, but will come out attacking every time. Unless the button will call a check-raise significantly more often than a bet out, the choice is clear. A check-raise earns an extra bet.
- So, when the big blind has a pair or better, the check-raise is superior against competition that will automatically bet on the flop, with a couple rare, but notable exceptions. But what if the big blind has a draw, medium pair, or just overcards? Does the strategy change when the big blind holds a more marginal Tigergaming hand? And what about bluffing? In Part II of this article, we answer those questions. Until then, let me know if you have any questions or comments for me.
- In a scenario such as the one in Example 2a, it is completely reasonable that the button might decide to call down to the river, but may also check the turn to take a "free card." However, most Tigergaming opponents will not be so excessively aggressive, especially on a dangerous flop like #2 or if a scare card hits on the turn. Every time the preflop raiser would have called bets on the turn and river but was able to check the turn and take a free card, the big blind loses three small bets.
The Mirage was absolutely packed every night I visited. And then there were the Tigergaming tournaments. I play No-Limit tournaments while on vacation every year, and this trip was no different. But the competition had changed. I heard another player call it "WPT fever." Every single tournament contained the wildest, gutsiest, most loose aggressive No-Limit action I've ever seen in Las Vegas, all from new blood.
Next, stop trying to practice all those observation skills mentioned in the books. Reading each Tigergaming player's tells, interpreting the betting of every player every hand, counting the pot at all times, classifying the type of action (loose, aggressive, tight, passive), and predicting each opponent's holdings: forget about it. Trying to watch everything at once and think about what you are doing is just too difficult (at first).
