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Your Betting Consideration Early In A Tournament

Greetings, my friends:

First, I must advise you the following:
Warning: Everything in poker is situational

You are in a internet tournament on SpadeClub and on the first you find AQs (s means suited and ns means different suits for your cards) and the blinds are 10/20 plus you are in middle position, what do you do?

Good question, let’s consider your options: Check, Fold, Bet, Raise or Check Raise.
A – Since you can not check in this example, we will forgo check comments.
B - Well if you fold, you must seek help because your cards of AQs at least merit some action and you are a poker idiot if you just fold them!
C – Now, if you bet, you may see the flop cheaply and betting tells the other players that you must have something of value, but how much should you bet?
C1 – if you just bet the 20, the minimum of chips, you may see the flop cheaply but you will get a lot of callers which is OK since you do not have a “made hand” (meaning a pair or higher) plus
C2 – If you miss the flop, then you can get away from the hand cheaply, losing a minimum of chips which is a hard thing for poker players to remember throughout a tournament.
C3 – If you are raised after you bet and it is before you see the flop then you must consider the variables: position, does he have position on you? Position is very important!
C4 – How big was the raise? How many chips did you start the tournament with? I believe that if you are within 5% of your chips that you are probably OK to call since you have a hand that has implied odds, meaning that if you hit your hand that your opponent just might pay you off, allowing you to win a lot of chips; remember, if you miss and have nothing but air, don’t chase and lose more chips!
C5 – Do you know anything about the raiser? If he or she is a tight-aggressive type (I will describe the types of players in an upcoming blog) then you should probably fold but if he or she is a loose player then consider calling and see the flop.
D – Raise. You do not have a made hand so I think the only reason that you might raise is to thin the field but again – you do not have a make hand. I wouldn’t raise because I want to play “small ball” and keep it low and you may get a “free” and be able to make your hand on sixth street.
E – A “Check-Raise” may work later in the hand but not now.

Here are some math considerations for the Ace – Queen suited, pre-flop:
1 - Chances of getting a full house on the flop: 1087 to 1
2 - Chances of getting a flush on the flop: 118 to 1
3 - Chances of getting a straight on the flop: 310 to 1
4 - Chances of getting Trips on the flop: 63 to 1
5 - Chances of getting two pair on the flop: 24 to 1
6 - Chances of getting a pair on the flop: 24 to 1
7 - Chances of getting “4 Flush” on the flop: 8 to 1 and then the chances of hitting that flush are approximately 30% with two cards to come

Hopefully, I have been of some help to you today.

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