Quizzes to improve your shorthanded no limit game
Below you’ll find a series of quizzes from the shorthanded no limit section of DailyHandQuiz.com. For each quiz, you’re provided with a basic scenario and a few options for action. We’ve provided our takes on these hands at the bottom of the page, but we challenge you to come up with your own justifications before you skip ahead to the answers.
Quiz one: Facing a massive overbet with two draws, no limit cash game
Game type: No Limit Cash Ring
Your image: Loose Aggressive
Misc notes:
Your hand: J♠9♠
We are fairly new to the table, haven’t seen many hands. UTG raises to 20 preflop, you call from the button with J♠9♠ The flop comes
8♠T♥4♠
…and then the preflop raiser checks to you on the flop, you bet 40, raiser goes all in for 280. Now what do we do?
Quiz Two: Flush vs. Raise on Paired Board
Game type: 50 NL
Your image: fairly tight
Your hand: 2♥8♥
Preflop: 2 Players limp and you check in the BB with 2♥8♥. The flop comes:
9♥Q♥T♥
Flop: You lead right out with your baby flush and Player A calls. The turn brings:
4♣
Turn: You bet about the pot again and again Player A calls. The river pairs the board:
9♣.
River: You decide to bet out 1/2 pot and now Player A quickly raises to 20 total. What’s your move here?
Quiz Three: Middle set on river UTG
Game type: $400 NL
Your image: You sat down a couple of minutes ago
Your hand: 5♥5♠
Preflop: Player A limps, you limp with your 55, Player C limps and Player D makes it 10 to go. Player A folds, you and Player C both call. Flop gives you middle set:
Kd5♣3d
Flop: You decide to lead out for $35 and both players call. Turn is J♥.
Turn: You lead for $120 now and again both players call. River brings the 4d.
What’s your play here? If you check how will you respond to a bet?
Answer 1
You need to call $240 to win $370. With the open ended straight draw and the flush draw, you’re about even money to win the hand. Even if you’re up against a set (which seems pretty unlikely), you’re still better than 40% to win. Your big fear is being up against a bigger spade draw. Call and hope for the straight.
Answer 2
When I’m very confused and facing a raise with a decent hand, I tend to just call. If you and your opponent had much deeper stacks, this would be an auto-call, since opening up the betting could be potentially disastrous. As it stands, there’s not a lot more money in play, so a raise isn’t terrible, but the only hands that your opponent can have that make a ton of sense here are A9 with the A of hearts or something along the lines of J9. I have to believe two pair or a set makes a stronger move earlier with such a scary board. That said, you could be facing a better flush or a badly played 2 pair that filled up, so on balance you probably make more flat calling than raising here.
Answer 3
It’s hard to see a world where you’re winning this hand. No one likes giving up on a set, but you don’t seem to have much of choice at this point. Sigh deeply, hit fold, and move on to the next hand.
