The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

One of the biggest blunders I see occurs when positioning for the money finishes is taking effect. I see so many bets and non-bets that should take place, it drives me crazy to no end. Remember, if the top 5 get paid and there are still 6 players left, you haven't won anything until that 6th person is gone.

Let's say the short stack goes all-in, everyone folds to the small blind who elects to call. You turn up your big blind hand and look down at pocket 10s. It cost you 3x the big blind to call, you have a strong hand, but you're not really sure what the all-in and the small blind have. You decide to call and not get too cute with a re-raise.

The flop comes K-Q-5.

Two overcards, not a great flop for you. The all-in guy can no longer bet, so the small blind acts and checks to you. What do you do?

YOU CHECK.

Some might think that the small blind showed weakness by checking and from here you should bet out to get him out of the pot. But you're not playing heads up. You still have to eliminate the all-in and you have no idea what he has. Both you and the small blind should check the hand down together as a co-operative play to get rid of the all-in player. This is perfectly legal as long as the two of you do not audibly announce your intentions. With both of you co-operating to eliminate the 6th player, you are moving "up the money ladder" and ensuring you get paid for your game.

The next card is a 4, the small blind checks and you check. The next card is a ten. The small blind checks. Now here, if you want to build a side pot, you hit three of a kind so a bet here would make sense. You bet out 1/3 the pot and the small blind calls. He turns over pocket jacks. The all-in had King-Queen and made two pair, but your three of a kind takes it.

If the small blind had bet out at you after the flop or turn, you would have probably folded guessing he had paired up Queens or Kings but then the all-in would have won with his two pair. The small blind would have lost his money anyway, but now it'll be tougher to get paid off with the short stack still in contention.

Unless you've made some sort of strong hand when the cards hits the community, CHECK.