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The
technique here is similar to Pass Out after a pot-sized opening
bet. Apart from the ante and the blind, anyone who plays against
the opener alone is getting only 7 to 4 for his money. Since
the odds against beating a better hand are practically never
less than 3 to 1 (the exception being when you draw to an open-ended
straight flush), it is a losing proposition in the long run
to stay with a hand inferior to the opener's. If your opponents
stick more or less to the opening table, you must take into
account that on the average the opener will hold rather better
than the precise minimum for his position.
If you can equal this, stay. If you can better it, raise. This
means that against an early opener you can stay with a pair
of Aces and raise with a good two pairs, say Queens up. (Low
two pairs are a doubtful proposition in these circumstances,
on the whole a less promising holding than a pair of Aces.)
If a middle player opens, stay with a pair of Queens, and raise
with a pair of Aces or any two pairs. The straddle, having better
odds to his money, can stay on a low pair against a late player.
The straddle against the ante is one of the most critical encounters
in this game. In about one third of the hands played, the early
players will pass. Thus a player's fortunes will depend to a
large extent on how he conducts this final battle. The ante,
if a reasonably aggressive player, will attempt to snatch the
blind on any pair and sometimes even without a pair. It follows
that if, as the straddle, you have as good as a pair of Jacks,
you probably have the best hand and should raise. You can stay
with any pair or Ace, King or a four-card straight or flush.
So far we have assumed no active players except the opener.
But of course it will also happen, though not so often as in
Jackpots, that one or more other players will have stayed in
front of you. As more players stay, you naturally have better
odds to your money, but on most types of hand your chances of
winning will decrease at a steeper rate.
You should, therefore, be less inclined to tangle with two or
more opponents than with one, and standards for staying and
raising should be adjusted upwards. The exception is with four-card
straights and flushes. Against the opener alone, only the straddle
is justified in playing with either of these holdings. With
one other player besides the opener, the blind can stay with
a four flush, and with three players already in the hand, anyone
can play with a four flush, and it wouldn't be far wrong to
play with a bobtail straight.
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