SeaRun
Visionary
Silver Level
SNIP<<<<< no matter who calls (if anyone) we have the huge advantage of acting last after each Street after pre. NEVER EVER EVER EVER... Underestimate the importance of acting after your opponent. You must recognize that your opponent misses the flop about 70% of the time. >>>>>SNIP
The above is a snippet from Jblocher1's 1K post, and I believe is a great statement, and should be required reading for all players.
Position is important, no doubt about it and if anyone disagrees with that, maybe poker isn't your game. Some like to be the first to act, be the aggressor where others (and maybe most) like to act last. Please comment on the scenario below:
You're UTG with a great hand, AA, KK or AK Suited let's say, you're probably going to raise with that. Folds around to the Button who has been playing loose but aggressive and he 3 bets you. You know his range is a lot wider than yours and most here would 4-bet. Is there an advantage to checking here to basically give him the lead and give a bit of a false impression of weakness?
- Flop hits good, giving you TPTK, a set, maybe nut flush draw. Now you can check to further disguise your hand as weak hoping he will bet into you.
- Flop is a brick for you and on the dry side, but knowing his range, he could have hit something decent, now you have something to think about
- Flop is a brick for you, but very wet with a pair and middle or high suited connectors. Now your monster hand could be reduced to a pile of crap a crow wouldn't eat.
I don't like slow-playing anything, and at times it can lead to a loss that could be more than you had the opportunity to win. Normally (unless I have nuts) I don't like hands to go past the Flop. Am I throwing away money there at times? Yes, I am, but I think by getting players off the hand early and getting what you can out of it without them seeing the turn or the river can be profitable.
However, in the first bullet point, I'm tempted to milk the villain for whatever I can, 2nd and I'm thinking hard, and in the 3rd, maybe take the medicine and get out while you can get out cheap if he comes back at you.
Thoughts and discussions? (If this has been discussed ad nauseum previously, I apologize).