Delaying One Round to Drive Opponents Out

In structured games the size of the bet doubles on the third round of belting - for example, from $5 to $10 in a $5-$10 game and from $10 to $20 in a $10-$20 game. In these games you may want to wait until the bet doubles in size before putting in a raise - not as a slowplay but as a better way of driving people out. If in $10-$20, for example, you raise a $10 bet to $20 on the second round, some players behind you may be willing to call; but if you wait until the next round to raise a $20 bet to $40, these players will not be so willing to pay the price. The greater likelihood of driving opponents out with a big raise on the third round of betting offsets the cheap $10 card you allowed them on the previous round.

Summary

The basic concept set forth in this chapter is a simple one. When the pot is big, you want to win it right away. To try to win it right away, you should bet and raise as much as possible, hoping to drive everybody out, but at least reducing the opposition. You should bet and raise with the best hand, and you should frequently do the same even with a hand you think maybe second best. The fewer opponents you have in a pot, the greater your chances of winning it, even if those chances are less than 50 percent; and when the pot gets large, winning it should be your foremost concern.