Post by jdaddy on Dec 31, 2007 13:14:21 GMT -4
# Source: The Official World Poker Tour Magazine
#10…POKER A-LEVEL EXAM 2007
Qualification: Academy-Level Examining Authority: WPTMB Paper Category: Multiple Choice Time Allocation: 30 Minutes
QUESTION 1
You’re seated in a $25-$50 No Limit Hold ’Em cash game online. The game is 10-handed and you have exactly $7,500 on the table, which is an above average stack for this game. You have been dealt 10-10 under the gun and you’re first to speak after the Big Blind. What is your play?
■ a Call
■ b Raise
■ c Fold
Many people raise in this situation but this is not an astute decision. In No Limit Hold ’Em, position is king and being under the gun is hardly the best place for a pair of Tens. By raising at this point, you are hoping for everyone else to fold because the caller after you has the all-important element of position on his side.
Admittedly, you can represent Aces and Kings on the flop if the field is not too big and it has not been re-raised, but anyone who chooses to get involved in this hand will be doing so with a hand that is either comparable to yours or superior. Raising to three times the Big Blind is essentially risking $150 to win the $75 in blind money should everyone pass. In fixed odds terms, you are taking odds of two
to one.
Raising does not promote a multi-way pot and, as I’ve already pointed out, any would-be caller is likely to have a hand that is comparable to yours and have position on their side (unless it is the blinds who call). If several over cards come on the flop, then your hand could become quite tricky to play. A strong reason for limping is that you have a serious opportunity here to take someone’s entire stack: a pair of Tens could quite easily make either top set or middle set, which could then quite easily double up with an opponent’s unwitting help.
On a flop of 10-6-2 in a multi-way pot, if someone has limped in with 6-6 or 2-2, you will be doubling up against average players. One big double through per session is an achievable goal in No Limit but you have to put yourself into that position. If you folded, then I assume that you clicked the wrong button… Stay alert! Take an extra five bonus points if your analysis went along these lines.
QUESTION 2
You call the $50 and it is folded around to the Button. He has a similar sized stack to you and raises to $300 straight. That player has proved through his previous play that he is very aggressive and very strong. Both blinds fold and it is up to you, what is your play?
■ a Call
■ b Raise
■ c Fold
A lot of professional players will either re-raise or move in here, depending on stack size, because of the fact that the pre-flop raiser is raising from the Button and trying to steal against the blinds and the apparent weak limper. This is dangerous play, even when limping with Aces – which I have done in an effort to trap such a move – but it is risky anyway as the blinds are yet to be heard from. Calling does not tell your seemingly aggressive steal-raising opponent anything about your hand and you can represent many flops as a limper.
Re-raising will simply escalate the pot at a point in the game when the flop could blow you away. The Button raiser is not necessarily on a steal – he is not immune from being dealt a premium hand on the Button. Remember the value of position in No Limit Hold ’Em – your opponent has the advantage over you (although being the first to speak isn’t always the disadvantage people think it is).
How can you possibly fold? Your limp has indicated weakness and it has been folded around to the Button and he could easily be raising what is an apparent weak limper and nothing more. You cannot fold at this stage of the hand; if you reasoned that folding was but of the question here, take an extra five bonus points.
QUESTION 3
You call the extra $250, making the pot total $675. Just the two of you are left at the table. The flop comes J-7-5 rainbow, giving you second pair, what is your play?
■ a Check
■ b Bet
There is absolutely nothing wrong with betting here and I have to concede that, depending on the situation and the opponent, this could, in fact, be the best play. However, strong aggressive players can be very difficult to move off hands. Sometimes they need to be convinced that their hand is only second best and check raising rather than betting out is the way to do it.
The negative side to going for a check raise is that if your opponent checks behind you, your plan has failed and you have given them a chance to hit a free card and another over-card to your Ten could appear, costing you the pot.
A bet at this point could easily be interpreted as weak play and if you get called or raised, what are you going to do?
A strong aggressive opponent will make a continuation bet because there has been no sign of strength at all.
QUESTION 4
So you check and, despite what I have just said, your opponent surprisingly checks it back. The turn card is the Ace of spades, making a board of J-7-5-A, what is your play?
■ a Check
■ b Bet
Once again, betting after your opponent has checked the flop is not bad play but when a strong aggressive player raises before the flop and then checks it back on the flop when heads-up, I get suspicious. If they had failed to connect with the flop, then they would have tried to move you off the hand. With $675 in the pot, you would have to bet at least $400 to make the bet anywhere near decent. Because the pot is still small for a $25-$50 No Limit game, your opponent could be checking a real hand to try to get some extra value by inducing you to try to bet at it. The flop check is too suspicious, and the Ace only adds to the concern here.
QUESTION 5
So you check and your opponent checks it back. The river card is the King of clubs, making a final board of J-7-5-A-K. What is your move?
■ a Check
■ b Bet
Nothing has changed. Your aggressive opponent checking back twice is now even more suspect; do not fall into the trap by betting. Think back to what you were trying to do pre-flop – induce a multi-way pot and double through someone. You don’t need to get into a macho war and lose needless chips.
QUESTION 6
You check and your opponent bets $375. What is your final play?
■ a Fold
■ b Call
■ c Raise
You are getting just under 3-to-1 for your money but that is not enough to warrant a call. Save the $375 and keep it in your stack – the chance that you are beaten is too great. If you chose to raise, I only hope to play you at some point! Do not let curiosity get the better of you; it can cost you and turn winners into losers. I hope you did the sensible thing and folded without seeing your opponent’s hand.
HERE ARE THE SCORES. HOW WELL DID YOU DO?
Q1: a 10; b 6; c 0
Q2: a 10; b 4; c 0
Q3: a 10; b 8
Q4: a 10; b 6
Q5: a 10; b 3
Q6: a 10; b 6; c 0
SCORE RATING
70 Did you say that you were a professional?
60+ Very strong!
50-59 Be careful now, you still have technical flaws.
40-49 Not bad but don’t rush to play $25-$50.
30-39 You have an awful lot to learn.
20-29 Were you actually trying?
17-19 That score is so bad it defies belief!
#10…POKER A-LEVEL EXAM 2007
Qualification: Academy-Level Examining Authority: WPTMB Paper Category: Multiple Choice Time Allocation: 30 Minutes
QUESTION 1
You’re seated in a $25-$50 No Limit Hold ’Em cash game online. The game is 10-handed and you have exactly $7,500 on the table, which is an above average stack for this game. You have been dealt 10-10 under the gun and you’re first to speak after the Big Blind. What is your play?
■ a Call
■ b Raise
■ c Fold
Many people raise in this situation but this is not an astute decision. In No Limit Hold ’Em, position is king and being under the gun is hardly the best place for a pair of Tens. By raising at this point, you are hoping for everyone else to fold because the caller after you has the all-important element of position on his side.
Admittedly, you can represent Aces and Kings on the flop if the field is not too big and it has not been re-raised, but anyone who chooses to get involved in this hand will be doing so with a hand that is either comparable to yours or superior. Raising to three times the Big Blind is essentially risking $150 to win the $75 in blind money should everyone pass. In fixed odds terms, you are taking odds of two
to one.
Raising does not promote a multi-way pot and, as I’ve already pointed out, any would-be caller is likely to have a hand that is comparable to yours and have position on their side (unless it is the blinds who call). If several over cards come on the flop, then your hand could become quite tricky to play. A strong reason for limping is that you have a serious opportunity here to take someone’s entire stack: a pair of Tens could quite easily make either top set or middle set, which could then quite easily double up with an opponent’s unwitting help.
On a flop of 10-6-2 in a multi-way pot, if someone has limped in with 6-6 or 2-2, you will be doubling up against average players. One big double through per session is an achievable goal in No Limit but you have to put yourself into that position. If you folded, then I assume that you clicked the wrong button… Stay alert! Take an extra five bonus points if your analysis went along these lines.
QUESTION 2
You call the $50 and it is folded around to the Button. He has a similar sized stack to you and raises to $300 straight. That player has proved through his previous play that he is very aggressive and very strong. Both blinds fold and it is up to you, what is your play?
■ a Call
■ b Raise
■ c Fold
A lot of professional players will either re-raise or move in here, depending on stack size, because of the fact that the pre-flop raiser is raising from the Button and trying to steal against the blinds and the apparent weak limper. This is dangerous play, even when limping with Aces – which I have done in an effort to trap such a move – but it is risky anyway as the blinds are yet to be heard from. Calling does not tell your seemingly aggressive steal-raising opponent anything about your hand and you can represent many flops as a limper.
Re-raising will simply escalate the pot at a point in the game when the flop could blow you away. The Button raiser is not necessarily on a steal – he is not immune from being dealt a premium hand on the Button. Remember the value of position in No Limit Hold ’Em – your opponent has the advantage over you (although being the first to speak isn’t always the disadvantage people think it is).
How can you possibly fold? Your limp has indicated weakness and it has been folded around to the Button and he could easily be raising what is an apparent weak limper and nothing more. You cannot fold at this stage of the hand; if you reasoned that folding was but of the question here, take an extra five bonus points.
QUESTION 3
You call the extra $250, making the pot total $675. Just the two of you are left at the table. The flop comes J-7-5 rainbow, giving you second pair, what is your play?
■ a Check
■ b Bet
There is absolutely nothing wrong with betting here and I have to concede that, depending on the situation and the opponent, this could, in fact, be the best play. However, strong aggressive players can be very difficult to move off hands. Sometimes they need to be convinced that their hand is only second best and check raising rather than betting out is the way to do it.
The negative side to going for a check raise is that if your opponent checks behind you, your plan has failed and you have given them a chance to hit a free card and another over-card to your Ten could appear, costing you the pot.
A bet at this point could easily be interpreted as weak play and if you get called or raised, what are you going to do?
A strong aggressive opponent will make a continuation bet because there has been no sign of strength at all.
QUESTION 4
So you check and, despite what I have just said, your opponent surprisingly checks it back. The turn card is the Ace of spades, making a board of J-7-5-A, what is your play?
■ a Check
■ b Bet
Once again, betting after your opponent has checked the flop is not bad play but when a strong aggressive player raises before the flop and then checks it back on the flop when heads-up, I get suspicious. If they had failed to connect with the flop, then they would have tried to move you off the hand. With $675 in the pot, you would have to bet at least $400 to make the bet anywhere near decent. Because the pot is still small for a $25-$50 No Limit game, your opponent could be checking a real hand to try to get some extra value by inducing you to try to bet at it. The flop check is too suspicious, and the Ace only adds to the concern here.
QUESTION 5
So you check and your opponent checks it back. The river card is the King of clubs, making a final board of J-7-5-A-K. What is your move?
■ a Check
■ b Bet
Nothing has changed. Your aggressive opponent checking back twice is now even more suspect; do not fall into the trap by betting. Think back to what you were trying to do pre-flop – induce a multi-way pot and double through someone. You don’t need to get into a macho war and lose needless chips.
QUESTION 6
You check and your opponent bets $375. What is your final play?
■ a Fold
■ b Call
■ c Raise
You are getting just under 3-to-1 for your money but that is not enough to warrant a call. Save the $375 and keep it in your stack – the chance that you are beaten is too great. If you chose to raise, I only hope to play you at some point! Do not let curiosity get the better of you; it can cost you and turn winners into losers. I hope you did the sensible thing and folded without seeing your opponent’s hand.
HERE ARE THE SCORES. HOW WELL DID YOU DO?
Q1: a 10; b 6; c 0
Q2: a 10; b 4; c 0
Q3: a 10; b 8
Q4: a 10; b 6
Q5: a 10; b 3
Q6: a 10; b 6; c 0
SCORE RATING
70 Did you say that you were a professional?
60+ Very strong!
50-59 Be careful now, you still have technical flaws.
40-49 Not bad but don’t rush to play $25-$50.
30-39 You have an awful lot to learn.
20-29 Were you actually trying?
17-19 That score is so bad it defies belief!