There’s a reason that the button and blinds rotate around the table: Every player gets the chance to act in late position because acting after most of your opponents is one of the greatest advantages in poker.
The later you act in each betting round, the more information you gain. That information can allow you to bet or raise your way into winning a pot. It can also allow you lose the minimum.
Men Nguyen
8 OF DIAMONDS
8 OF HEARTS
The flop
3 OF DIAMONDS
5 OF DIAMONDS
ACE OF DIAMONDS
The turn
KING OF CLUBS
The river
KING OF DIAMONDS
At the World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in main event at Las Vegas’ Rio Hotel in July, with blinds at $250-$500 plus a $50 ante, the player under the gun raised to $1,300. Action folded to colorful, veteran pro Men “The Master” Nguyen, who found pocket 8s in the cutoff seat.
“That’s the kind of hand you can call with to break people,” Nguyen said. “If you hit an 8 on the flop, you’ll get action.”
Nguyen called, so the two players took a flop of 3-5-A, all diamonds, creating a flush board that could halt action or create bluffing opportunities.
The player under the gun led out for $1,500, less than half the pot.
“He bet a small amount,” said Nguyen, winner of six WSOP bracelets, “so I thought he was afraid that I flopped an ace or a flush draw. If he had bet $3,000 or $4,000, I’d lay down the hand quickly. But when he bet like that, he was kind of scared. I thought if it came a diamond [on the turn], I’d still check, but if it came an 8, I’d bet.”
Nguyen called the $1,500. The turn came the king of clubs. Both players checked.
The river came the king of diamonds, giving Nguyen a weak flush while also creating a potential full house. The player under the gun checked.
Nguyen checked behind him.
“The best way to play that hand was to check behind because if you bet, you give the guy an opportunity to raise you back and you can’t call,” Nguyen said. “The board is paired and there’s a flush there. A jack, queen, 10 or 9 of diamonds – there are a lot of cards that can beat my 8.”
Nguyen’s opponent showed pocket queens with the queen of diamonds, so Nguyen lost the pot, but also lost the minimum by being last to act.
“Position is very important in no-limit hold’em,” Nguyen said. “I’m behind him and I have the option of checking or raising if he bets in front of me.
“I tried to lay a trap. I had seen him check the nuts before, so even though I hit a flush, I wasn’t going to let him check-raise me. You can make a value bet, but I smelled something funny like he did before. I just played it safe.”
Table talk
Cutoff seat: The betting position one spot in front of the button, which is the best betting position in each round.
