Is this push a bad play or a good play? Trying to learn how to do this.



Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (6 max, 6 handed)

saw flop|saw showdown

CO ($49.25)
Button ($47.85)
SB ($89.70)
BB ($72.10)
UTG ($48.20)
Hero ($112.15)

Preflop: Hero is MP with , . SB posts a blind of $0.25.
1 fold, Hero raises to $2, CO calls $2, 1 fold, SB (poster) calls $1.75, BB calls $1.50.

Flop: ($8) , , (4 players)
SB bets $3, BB folds, Hero raises to $6, CO calls $6, SB folds.

Turn: ($23) (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $7, Hero raises to $41,

I can't comment on 6-max games, but briacheck: the turn bet puts his opponent all-in.
No need to worry about making a play on the river.

The CO cold called the flop, looks like trouble to me.

good point, i missed that. I'm still not a fan of this play as if you get called, I think the best you can hope for is a split or 3 outs to the T. If the opponent is weak, I can't fault it but it just doesn't sit well with me.

Briachek---If I understand your posts, what you want on a push (b/c of fold equity) are outs that if you get called you can still win. Here if I get called, I lose. Makes sense

RESULTS

Guy took almost all his time to decide, and he called with QJo to win.

At the time, my thoughts were he was a known flush chaser who liked to play cards like Q5s in a raised pot. I've muscled him off pots before and figure he'd want to call here with a Q and lowsy kicker to get back at me.

Hindsight, I think (thanks Brian) that this is a case of only a winning hand calls (although I almost made him fold).

Another note, rdale is right that 6-max is full of situations like this where yahoo factor, etc. play a role

Tim

Its true that you will often make a good player fold (at least at full ring) but I think its always smart to have at least some kind of backup in case in doesn't. In this case, your backup was only 3 outs so you had to be REALLY sure he would fold to risk that much.

I think you misunderstand situations in which fold equity applies. When you make a big all-in raise - you win one of two ways -

1) He calls and your hand wins the showdown
2) He folds, you take the pot.

As a result of option 2, sometimes this can make calling incorrect, but pushing correct. This most often occurs when you have a big draw. Say you have a 12 out draw. Your opponent bets the pot. You are about 60/40 to win by the river, but a 3:1 dog to make your hand on the turn. If you call, without implied odds, its -EV. But if you push, you win 40% of the time + what ever % of the time he folds to this bet. (Multiplied by the amount you win) This is fold equity. It pushes a slightly -EV move to a +EV move by getting your opponent to fold.

In your case, if he calls you are in deep poo. Against QJ, you have a 3 outer, with one card to come. You are only about 8% to win. This means your opponent is going to have to fold a significant amount of the time, easily more than 60% for this to be a +EV move.

This type of move is usually made with big draws, and on the flop. But it can be made on the turn, if your fold equity is high.

D

So, when heads up and drawing to a large number of outs, the correct play is to push?

I haven't really understood fold equity until drogga's explanation above but if I'm understanding it now then pushing (when your opponet raises an amount that makes calling against pot odds) will make this situation +EV? Instead of calling to see the turn and folding if you miss.

Someone should write an article on this and put on the home page.

Great post Drogga. Makes more sense now.