Getting Information from Out of Position

One of the first things you learn as a No-Limit Hold'em student is to avoid playing out of position whenever possible. Going first every turn is a disadvantage.

Playing out of position is a real disadvantage against strong players. However, when your opponent is weak and doesn't play in such a way as to punish you for it, typical in $1/$2 and $2/$5 limits, it's not such a problem to play out of position. Here's why:

The 3-barrel bluff is a basic strategy for players in position. The threat that the player on the button can bluff you on every post-flop street, usually putting you all-in until the river, is the biggest danger your opponent can present to you.

This strategy is basic, because without it there is no reason to respect a player's aggression on the button.

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Here's what I mean. Let's say you're playing a $2/$5 game with a stack of $500. Your opponent opens with a raise to $20 MP, and you, in the big blind with KcQc, call.

The flop comes :Kh :9h :4s . You check and your opponent bets $40. You call.

The turn comes :4d . You check and your opponent bets $120 into the pot. You call.

The river comes :3h . You check and your opponent bets all-in with $320 into a pot of $362.

Without the threat of a 3-barrel bluff, there's no reason to call in this situation. If you, for some reason, know that your opponent wouldn't bluff three times like that, then you know that your final bet can't be a bluff. And, if it isn't a bluff, it will be a hand that beats KQ more often than twice out of three.

This is, strategically speaking, very important. From now on, you'll essentially never have to lose your entire stack on hands like this. You can just call two bets (folding on the third), instead of calling all three, so you can only lose $160 after the flop, not $480.

I've made the math simpler for didactic reasons. However, if you know that your opponent won't 3-barrel bluff you, this makes all the hands you play from out of position much more profitable than they would be against a player who 3-barrel bluffs more often.

And guess what? Many players in $1/$2 and $2/$5 games will never apply 3-barrel bluffs. Some will do it often, like when they flop a very strong draw but miss the turn and river. But even then, very few players at these lower limits will do it as often as they should, to take advantage of their position.

So how do you take advantage of opponents who fail to execute this kind of fundamental move?

First, you can fold to big bets on the river. Secondly, and less obviously, you can check out of position and "get rid" of losing a lot of chips.

It's the second adjustment that helps you gather information.

Many of my students say they have trouble playing medium and high pairs like TT or 99 out of position. In small stakes games, you can use the check to navigate the waters full of fish. Here's an example.

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The game is $2/$5, with a stack of $500. You open $20 with MP ThTs. Two players and the big blind call.

The flop comes :Kh :9h :4s . You check, your opponent bets $40, you call.

The turn comes Ad. The pot is $202 and you have $420 behind. You could be ahead of hands like 6x5x, Kx8x or QhJh. Or, you could be behind hands like 8x6x, Ax7x or AhJh.

If you're ahead, your opponent certainly has a good chance of running out of draws. On the other hand, if you're behind with TT, you often only have two outs.

What's more, if you bet any amount at this point, you could end up compromising the pot.

Then check. A strong opponent will usually bet the turn and, if you call, shove on the river. That shove on the river can sometimes be for value and sometimes it can be a bluff. It's a tough decision to make.

However, the chances are that your opponents at limits like this won't bluff as much on the river. So you can check and, if your opponent bets, call. Then you can check on the river and hope that your opponent will also check if you have the best hand.

Assuming that your opponent probably won't bluff you twice makes the whole situation much less dangerous. The most you'll lose to a better hand is that bet. And you probably won't fold if you have the better hand.

It's great to know that you'll only lose one bet instead of two if you're behind. However, you can always improve this result by starting to understand bet size tells.

Returning to the hand, the pot has $202 and you have $420 behind. The board shows :8h :6h :4c :Ad . Let's say your opponent holds 8x6x, with two pair. The table has a flush draw and a straight draw, as well as an ace. If you check, the typical $2/$5 player will be worried about being behind in a big pot. This fear will make you bet big, certainly $100 or more, maybe even $150.

Now let's say your opponent holds 6x5x. You check and he decides to try to steal the pot. This player isn't worried about being behind, but he is worried about missing his draw and losing the bet. This player tends to bet something smaller compared to the other. I'd be surprised to see a bet as big as $150 from this player, often I'd expect bets of $100 or less.

Now, if you check on the turn and your opponent bets $80, that doesn't mean your win is guaranteed. Your opponent could have hands like 7x5x and be trying to hold you off.

However, if that's what's happening, you'll soon realize it. After you call the $80 and check the river, your opponent will bet big. Since he won't shove all-in with 6x5x (that would be a big bluff, which we don't expect this player to make often), you can just fold to a bet on the river.

So the final strategy looks something like this: you check the ace on the turn, if your opponent bets big, assume you're losing and fold. If your opponent bets small, call and check on the river. If your opponent bets big on the river, assume you're behind and fold.

If your opponent checks on the turn, you can usually expect him to have nothing better than an ace (perhaps with a draw). Then, if he also checks on the river, you can consider applying a big bluff, like an overbet for example, to steal from weak aces.

Final Thoughts - Gathering Information: Out of Position

Playing out of position is never fun, but it's part of the game. When your opponents fail to take the advantage they have by being in position over you, you can check to fish for information before committing your stack. This doesn't mean that you should never call a high bet again. However, if you are constantly acting with more information than your opponents, you will see this advantage in your results.

Article translated and adapted from the original: Poker Strategy With Ed Miller: Gathering Information From Out Of Position