Rag time at loose tables

By Mark Lasser

Last issue I wrote about playing big hands, especially in early position. This issue I want to look at changing gears when a table has lots of action and more than seven players typically seeing flops.

Generally speaking, I’m a big advocate of disciplined and tight aggressive play. That doesn’t mean you should be a rock. Playing only big pocket pairs and top suited connectors is nearly as bad as playing every hand. This is particularly true on loose tables where almost everyone wants to see the flop and there’s not a ton of raising or re-raising pre-flop. In fact, there are certain late position situations where I’ll call with just about anything.

Recently I was in a hand on the button with a 2C4C. The first player raised the hand to $20, which would have normally caused me to fold rags. In early or middle position, I’m definitely dumping these cards to a raise. The next player called and by the time it got to me, there were five callers and the blinds to go. With a potential for eight-way action, and being in last position, it seemed a good idea to call and see the flop. There are a few things I like about this hand multi-way that I would hate heads up. Small blind calls and big blind checks.

For starters, I figured there was a good chance than many of the players actually had good cards. If that were true, then there would be fewer big cards left in the deck to hit, thereby increasing my chances of seeing what would appear to the table to be a worthless flop. In a situation like this, from late position, a flop of 24x, 22x, 44x, 3×5x, or a flush draw could make for some massive implied pot odds. It’s also super easy to get away from this hand if the flop isn’t a perfect fit or giving great drawing odds.

The flop came AC4H5C giving me low pair, a gut shot straight draw and a pretty poor flush draw unless the straight flush came. If I assume no one else has a flush draw and that two pair or three of a kind wins, I had 18 outs.

(2S2H2D3C3S3H3D4S4D5C6C7C8C9CTCJCQCKC)

The first player bet out another $20. He had one caller and me. I put him on a weak Ace. Maybe AT, A9 or even A2, but that would mean he didn’t have a flush draw involving an Ace so I ruled that out. The turn brought a TS that didn’t seem to help anyone. Lead out bettor flipped out $20, making the pot $240, and the middle player mucked. I easily called getting 12:1 plus beautiful implied odds.

River was a 7C, which I hoped gave him a straight. He bet another $20. At this point, I’m pretty darn sure he hasn’t improved. I figured a big $100 raise and he’s folding. What will he call? I try $45 and that works. He showed an AHQH, which is about what I put him on and I won the pot with the flush.

The point of describing this hand shows how it can be a strategically good move to play rags in big multi-way pots. Your hand is likely camouflaged and a good flop can give you a huge drawing advantage over big pairs or even top pairs with good kickers. My opponent really was not able to put me on something like 2C4C thinking I’d never call a raise with those cards.

— Mark B. Lasser is Denver writer and international poker player. He regularly plays in Colorado, Arizona, California, Missouri and Nevada. His work has appeared in Bikini Magazine, Blue Travel and Warp. Readers can send questions and comments to him at ColoradoPokerMark@comcast.net.