The G-Spot: Calling for Value
By Tony
GuerreraWhen thinking about how to extract maximal value from our good hands, our minds
usually turn towards aggressive play. We think about the bet amount that will
yield the highest possible profits. Against passive opponents, this instinct
to bet is usually correct. Against aggressive opponent, it can cost you money.
Don’t Deter Aggressive Opponents
Some opponents pounce on any signs of weakness. Check the turn to them after
betting the flop, and they will bet into you. Some of them will call you with
absolutely nothing on the flop with the intention of bluffing on the turn or
the river–especially when scare cards hit. However, if you continually
show aggression, these opponents will fold.
Your aggressive opponents will bet with a much larger range of hands than they
will call with. When you have monster hands, trap these opponents for lots of
chips by raising the bets you induce from them. When you have good (but vulnerable)
hands like top-pair-top-kicker, simply call these opponents down.
Think of Value Betting in Position on the River
To consider why check-calling with good (but vulnerable) hands can sometimes
be optimal, let’s think about when to bet in position on the river. When
you’re last to act on the river and a single opponent has checked to you,
a good value bet is one which will be called by a worse hand more than half
of the time. Your opponents’ calling distribution determines the efficacy
of a value bet.
Extending this line of thought, to determine how to get the most value out
of your hands, simply weigh your opponents’ calling distributions versus
their betting distributions. Viewing things through this filter, it becomes
clear that:
1.) You get value by playing aggressively against passive
opponents because their calling distributions are much wider than their betting
distributions
2.) You get value by playing passively against aggressive opponents
because their betting distributions are much wider than their calling distributions
Playing passively may result in you having to make some tricky decisions, but
when it comes down to it, it’s all about playing the distribution match-ups.
Provided that your read on your opponents’ betting and calling distributions
are accurate, you’ll come out ahead in the long run.
Everything Is Situational
Of course, you shouldn’t always be aggressive against passive opponents,
and you shouldn’t always be passive against aggressive opponents. As long
as you realize that “calling for value” is a valid line of play,
you’ll be fine. See beyond the tight-aggressive rhetoric from the pundits,
and realize that passive play can be just as much of a weapon as aggressive
play. The keys, as always, are using the right weapon for the right job and
having a logically defined reason for every action you take.
Tony Guerrera
is the author of Killer
Poker By The Numbers.