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Raising

1. Give five reasons to raise. ?
1. To get more money in the pot.
2. To drive players out.
3. To bluff ( or semi-bluff ).
4. To get a free card.
5. To gain information.

2. If you think you have the bettor beat is it generally correct to raise even if you risk driving out players behind you ?

Yes.

3. A raise on the flop to drive players out will work only under what condition ?

This will work only against those players who have not yet had a chance to call the original bet.

4. Why is a raise often correct even if you are not sure that you have the best hand ?

If you do hold the best hand, or if your hand becomes the best hand, your raise may have stopped other opponents from drawing out on you.

5. Example ?

Suppose you raised before the flop with A♦ 4♦, the flop is T♦ 4♣ 2♠. If someone on your right bets, a raise is often correct, especially if you think that the raise will buy you a free card.

6. When can you occasionally raise as a pure bluff ?

When you are playing in very tough games.

7. Why ?

Because players are capable of folding in big pots without calling one last bet.

8. Are these plays recommended ?

No, not usually.

9. Why ?

They succeed rarely and are expensive when they fail.

10. When is the one time that a bluff-raise can be used in a weaker game ?

When you think that your opponent is bluffing, but also think that your hand is even worse.

11. Example ?

Your flush draw did not get there, but the hand was played in such a fashion that you are fairly sure your opponent was also on a flush draw.

12. Give an example of raising as a semi-bluff ?

You have A♣ 4♣, the flop is J♦ 3♣ 8♠, and everyone checks. If the next card is the 5♣, you should usually raise if someone bets.

13. Another example ?

You can raise as a semi-bluff almost any time that you pick up a back-door flush draw after calling on the flop with top pair. (But again, make this play poker only against someone who is capable of folding.)

14. How likely is it that someone will fold for a raise ?

The answer is based on the answers to the following three questions:

1. How capable is this person of folding a big hand ?
2. How likely is he to be semi-bluffing?
3. How are you perceived by this individual ?

15. When is raising to get a free card best done ?

When you are in late position and the bet is smaller than the bets on succeeding rounds.

16. When should raising to gain information be done ?

Only rarely, usually just in heads-up situations.

17. Is this raise worth it ?

Probably not, as you usually have to “pay” too much for the information.