Hi,

Just recently, I played in a $50 NL tournament held at my friend’s house by which second placer would win back his buy-in and first would take the rest. The tournament was actually composed of 8 players, 4 I personally knew before. I’m not boasting here or what but I believe I was the best player back then but was just eliminated first when my pocket Kings ran into Aces preflop. At some point, game was down to 3 players, a friend and two others I don’t know personally. Much later, it was already a heads up play. One of the two had approximately a 2:1 chip lead. The said guy had not spoken any word since the game started but suddenly exclaimed he wanted to split the pot. I then thought there was something unusual, I suspected for a teamwork cheating. Others also suspected for the same thing. After a while, one of the two suddenly said that he doesn’t like to play heads up and it was his right then to split the pot. He then told the third player that he would be getting his money back.

To me, it really appeared as a teamwork cheating. In fact, they don’t even bet into one another. Well, an argument appeared but not a hostile one.

Any thoughts? What would you consider a teamwork cheating?

Thanks in advance!

Best regards,
Johnny Bekham
Johnny,

This was not cheating. When players get down to two or three players in tournaments, it is not uncommon for a deal to be struck to split the pot. Heads-up poker a lot of times can be more luck than skill, especially with high blinds and cutting a deal helps to offset some of that luck.

I would consider two players colluding if the were sitting there and clearly slow playing each other. Such as someone making a large raise and then folding to a small bet from the other player. Another example would be someone making a big raise, someone going all in for a little more, and the other person folding. Things that look really out of place are usually signs of cheating.

Related articles:

1. There Was Cheating!
2. Chip Dumping
3. Wrapping Players in Hand

Hello,

Well I guess all of us know the feeling when you go all in preflop only for someone to call and turn over bullets. I myself even saw them beaten for several times. Because of this, I wanted to find out what the probability of overturning them is. For this, kindly consider the following scenario:

AA vs AKs
AA vs KK
AA vs KQs

I badly need to hear your thoughts or opinion. Thanks in advance!

Best regards,
Joey
Joey,

Kings win against Aces 19% of the time. A-K offsuit wins 7% of the time. A-K suited 12% of the time. K-Q suited is 18% of the time.

The only way to turn this around is to keep playing. You will lose sometimes with Aces. I did so just last night. I had a 3 way all in. I had Aces, an opponent had Kings, and the third person had A-10 suited. A 10 on the flop and turn ended my day.

Related articles:

1. Choosing 6 7 Over Pocket Aces
2. What Should I do When I have KK?
3. Pocket 8′s Against Ace King

Hi,

Just recently, I had an argument with a certain guy online. Well, he went all in with Queens and had two callers who created a side pot. Back then, I had AJ. There was another guy but I don’t know what he had then as he folded earlier. At some point, I had running Aces on the turn and river to win the hand. He then started complaining about my luckiness. I told him afterwards that Queens was not a mortal lock as long as I had one overcard and straight potential. And that with two callers, he was actually the favorite but also the overall dog.

I’ve been watching WSOP for some time now and from it I’ve learned a few things. The most important thing I guess is the one about when a pair against two overcards is a 53% favorite head’s up; the higher of two pairs is an 80% favorite head-to-head.

Anyway, guy who hosted the house game said I played the worst starting hand (72) against the best (AA) which will win about 12% of the time. Your thoughts?

On a side note, what are the odds of QQ against AJ as outlined above? I think the answer would be around 65%.

Thank you in advance!

Best regards,
Tyler
Tyler,

Pocket queens are 71% against A-J. 7-2 offsuit will indeed beat A-A 12% of the time. You were incorrect with him being an overall underdog with two callers. Actually, with 2 callers, he becomes more of a favorite over you depending on the hand. His win percentage is lowered, but so is everyone elses.

As far as your hand, you were fortunate to win, but heads-up both of the hands were very strong. He is just upset you won.

Related articles:

1. Odds of Winning
2. On Heads Up Play
3. An Argument About Side Pot

Hi,

Do you have any idea what hand is a boat? How about names of pocket cards, how many names do you know? Can you list them down?

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Landon
Landon,

A boat is a full house. As far as pocket cards, Aces are rockes, Kings are Cowboys, Queens are Ladies, Jacks are fish hooks, Nines are meat hooks, Eights are snowmen, Sevens are walking sticks, fives are presto or nickels, fours are sailboats, and deuces are ducks.

Related articles:

1. Improving Pocket Cards Odds
2. Pocket 8′s Against Ace King
3. Choosing 6 7 Over Pocket Aces

Hello,

I’m here to ask couple of questions. But before I lay them down let me first thank you for creating and maintaining a site like this one. It has been a great help to me and to many others. Keep up the good work!

Now, here are my two questions:

1. You once said that the odds of a pair pre-flop are 6% but the odds of AA or KK preflop are 9%. Why is this so? Is there any difference?
2. Why do you think poker is getting more and more popular? Do you think the Rounders movie has something to do with this? How about the power of television?

Thanks in advance!

All the best,
James
James,

1. The odds of being dealt a preflop pair are around 6%. The odds of being dealt Aces or Kings is no different than being dealt deuces.
   
2. The popularity of poker has been mainly due to ESPN’s World Series of Poker and Chris Moneymakers win in 2003. Rounders is a great movie, but only helped make Holdem popular in a small way. Thank Chris Moneymaker for the current poker boom.

Related articles:

1. Couple of Questions
2. Lots of Questions
3. Revealing Your Hand at Showdown

Hello,

I’m actually here to ask something. Do you have a general catalog of all the hands, which listed hands a player would absolutely fold? I’m referring here to hands that players will fold more often, hands that players will always bet however not necessarily raise, and hands that players will always bet and at the same time raise.

Well, I’m not sure but you more or less raise group 1 hands always. But about the other groups, what do think players should do with them? And should you play hands in groups 6 & 7?

By the way, for the ones below what kind of general percentages would you expect to see? As a fairly new player I don’t know what will you expect aside from:

Saw the flop (90%)
Went to the river (41%)
Folded to a river bet (58%)
Showdowns won (42%)

I love playing online and of course I’m using play money. Just the other day I tried to play at some online $1-$2 tables and unfortunately lost. I must admit I’ve stayed on too many hands to begin with and let myself be trapped while trying to make a hand then.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Vincent
Vincent,

First, you are playing 9 out of 10 hands. You are playing way too many hands. You need to lookup general starting hands or buy a book or DVD about beginning holdem. Strong hands such as Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, and A-K suited can be played in most positions for a raise. Medium pairs down to 9’s and A-Q, A-J can be played for a raise from middle position. Other pairs can be played for a raise from late position. In other positions, the hands can be limp hands.

Related articles:

1. Hand Percentages
2. Sharing Information With Players Outside the Game
3. On Various Stack Sizes

Hello,

One time you said you’d prefer to play with 6,7 than pocket aces. Honestly, I can’t believe you you’d prefer playing with 6,7. Maybe you are into something. Maybe you want others to be worse in playing poker so you can destroy them. Well, if your intention was somewhat like that congratulations as you succeeded. Some players now believe calling a big bet pre-flop is okay with 6,7.

I’m sorry but I don’t mean to offend you or what. I know what you mean by saying you would rather play 6,7 however not everyone will understand what you are trying to imply. Also there’s a great possibility that some players will really choose 6, 7 than poker aces though it will lead them to horrible calls and cost them a lot of money.

Any thoughts?

Regards,
Beeler
Beeler,

I’m wondering if this is being taken out of context with something else. However, I wouldn’t call a big raise with 6-7. Some will in order to try and crack aces. If you are trying to crack aces, 9-10 is a much better ace cracking hand due to the array of straights it can make.

Related articles:

1. On Pocket Aces
2. What Should I do When I have KK?
3. Boat and Pocket Cards

Hello,

I noticed that as the blinds increase, the lower denomination chips are no longer wanted. Therefore most of the time, we turn our $1 chips in for $5 chips. But most of the time we end up having $1 chips. Say one guy has two $1 chip, another guy has 2 chips, and the last has 1 chip. For me each guy should be given a card from the deck for each chip at hand then the guy holding the best hand will take the privilege of having the $5 chip. Am I right?

Another thing, what’s the best hand? Well, I know small straights and flushes are of no value and of help. But how about pairs? Say player A has a pair of 6′s while player B has an Ace-Jack, who has a much better hand?

And about coloring up, can a player actually get more than one chip? Say player A has four $1 chip, players B and C have 3 chips, and finally player D has 4 chips. Player D was dealt A-A-J-10 while players B and C was dealt K-9-6 and J-7-3 respectively. Do you think the player with the pair of aces will have both $5 chips or just $1 chip as the other to player B? What do you think?

Thanks!

Regards,
Ben
Ben,

A player may not get more than one chip.

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1. Last Two Places
2. About the Second Place
3. Chip Count or Best Hand?

Hi,

I was in a $50 NL tournament recently. The said tournament was held at my friend’s house. There was an agreement that second place would win back buy in and first would take the rest. The game started with 8 players, four players I actually knew then.

Unfortunately, though I was good, I was the first one to be eliminated as my pocket Kings ran into Aces preflop. Later, it went to 3 players, then much later to 2. One of the two had approximately a 2:1 chip lead. However, suddenly such player requested for a split pot. I then felt something was wrong. I can feel then something was agreed upon, there was a “teamwork cheating” if I may quote it. Well, I believe poker is an individual game and so players are expected to act out alone.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Gierren
Gierren,

I have been involved in quite a few deals. This is not illegal. It’s a normal part of poker. All players remaining in the tournament must agree to a deal in order for it to be valid. It must be unanimous.

Related articles:

1. Teamwork Cheating
2. Surprising Chips
3. Regarding Our Set Up

Hello,

Most of the time, when I play KK pre-flop, I get series of bad beats. So now I’m wondering, is it wise to go all-in or call all-in with all my stack or else just fold and then hope for a much better hand?

Another thing, I don’t like calling all-in pre-flop and would just choose to wait for the flop for me to eventually make further sound decisions. Any insights on this?

Thank you very much.

Kirk
Kirk,

Calling all-in preflop with kings is a solid decision. I would do so and let the cards fall as they may.

Related articles:

1. On Pocket Aces
2. Choosing 6 7 Over Pocket Aces
3. Wrapping Players in Hand