Drawing Out of Position

Drawing hands can be tough to play out of position in no-limit poker. The obvious approach of check-calling is not only easy to spot by opponents, but also a losing play in most cases. The trouble arises if you hit your hand on the turn; your opponent knows it and you are unlikely to get paid off. If you don’t hit your hand, your opponent also knows it and will make you pay dearly to see the river – negating any odds you might have had to draw out. Most turn bets negate profitable drawing situations since those hands only hit one in five times.

The second situation where you actually hit your hand on either the turn or river causes problems as well. When you hit the turn you will likely check. Your opponent will usually know it and check behind you – or you will bet and your opponent will usually fold limiting your profitability. In either case hitting your hand usually results in no added profit since check calling a draw telegraphs your hand.

Next time you face yourself in the above situation playing out of position try making a check-raise. Doing so will add a little mystery to your play. Your opponent won’t know if you made a big hand like a set or if you are actually on a draw. Better yet, the check-raise may steal a pot away from your opponent who might have hit air. This will more often than not be the case on a flop lacking face cards or an ace.

If your opponent calls the check-raise you get a better sense of where you are at. If he re-raises then you obviously know you are up against a monster like an over-pair or set. If the turn misses, your check raise may trick your opponent into giving you a free river card.

Playing out of position is never easy – especially when you have a drawing hand. However, playing your draws in a way that deviates from the norm will certainly be more profitable than check-calling. Next time you face a draw out of position, try semi-bluffing in effort to confuse your opponent. It may not work every time, but most things don’t in no-limit poker.  The art of the semi-bluff is a strategy you will need to master if you want to become a top poker player.

Semi-bluff Your Opponents at Full Tilt Poker

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1. Strategic Poker Consequences of Table Position
2. Hitting Sets in Poker
3. Set Mining Using Implied Odds