Drawing hands

For lack of better content, I'm going to ramble for a little bit ...

I've been thinking about the power of drawing hands. These kinds of situations are crucial to profitability in no limit hold 'em. But how to play them?

There was one hand earlier in the day where I flopped the A-high flush draw and folded to a single bet. There was another time when I raised all-in with nothing but a flush draw and overcards.

What was the difference?

Implied odds. In the first hand, the early position player bet the pot in a heads-up confrontation. I took his flop bet to mean that he got a part of the flop -- probably top pair, maybe more. I could have flat called or even raised, but I didn't feel like I'd get paid off if my flush card hit on the turn. The pot was small, and I didn't think I had any edge. I folded.

In the second hand, I flopped the nut flush draw, overcards and a backdoor straight draw with AJs on a T-high flop. I knew my odds in the hand were close to even, and I was against a calling station fishy player. He bet out, which could have meant anything. I raised all-in, and he called. He flipped of AT for top pair, top kicker, and I failed to improve. I later ran the hand through twodimes.net and found that I was a 52-48 dog. I'll take those odds any day against a poor player in a large pot. Next time, he'll pay. Fish always pay eventually.

I was thinking about how I play draws, and I find that I like to get some money in on the flop with them.

The only question is whether I want to bet out from early position, check-raise or cold-call a bet in front.

Betting out is a good option against weak players who will either cold-call or fold. If they call, my hand will be well-disguised when I hit my draw on the turn.

Check-raising is a great option against a late position bet or on a frightening board. It's pretty likely that your opponent will fold to your check-raise, and if not, your flop bet opens up a lot of options on the turn.

My least-favorite option is the cold-call on the flop, but sometimes it's the best move. For example, there are many times when I'll find myself with a flush draw from the big blind, and the small blind will bet into me on an inconspicuous flop. If I raise him, the small blind would reraise me with any random two pair or a monster draw. That would push me out of the hand unnecessarily. In addition, I don't know what other players yet to act may do. In times like these, I'll just call and hope for the best on the turn.

Playing draws recently reminds me of this fat British asshole Daniel and I played against at the old Horseshoe in Vegas. This dude, named Renee, was a self-congratulatory high-pitched annoying semipro who thought he knew what he was doing. His whole game was to try and trap people with any old crappy draw. He thought he was Gus Hansen or something.

Anyway, I didn't think much of his poker game, but I came to respect his overall strategy of going for the big score with marginal drawing hands. They pay big if they're well-disguised and you have an opponent who may well overplay top pair or an overpair.