One of the least understood poker strategies is trapping. When playing poker, how many times have you been caught by a more experienced or difficult player? We all fall into these traps from time to time… but why? How can we detect cheating and avoid it? This article delves into the keys of poker strategy to set traps and detect them.
First, what is a trap? A cheat play is where an opponent with a strong hand represents weakness, luring his opponent into overplaying his hand. For example, I hit a null flush (Ace high flush) on the flop. I now have the best hand on the board, unless the board pairs (so someone can hit a pot or four of a kind, not likely).
So, instead of betting big, you could throw in a smaller bet or even check (slowplay). Another player who has big slick (AK) flops an Ace, thinking he has the best hand yet. Another player has a small pair (eg 4) and flops a set (assuming the flop was something like 4-AJ).
Now, if he had bet really big or raised too early, the player with the ace would realize he’s in trouble and the small pair would probably have folded before the flop. Since I just checked, there’s no reason to be afraid of me, since I’m obviously in some kind of tie…
The person with the three of a kind (all 4) posts a bet of 4 times the blind. The guy with the Aces calls him. After lagging a bit, I go ahead and call as well (why not, I’m getting decent enough pot odds).
So, I’m trapping them both at this point, letting them bet on me and just calling their bets. The same thing happens again on the turn, except that the player with Aces folds.
Now it’s just me and the group of 4. They bet big again, this time to the size of the pot. Again, after a short pause, I just call them “reluctantly”. Then comes the river, and they go all-in.
I immediately call them … oops! They are sunk! What happened here?
These players never asked themselves two simple questions:
1) Why is he calling that raised pot (on the flop and on the turn)?
2) Which hands could he be holding? What could she be?
even calling my bets that way? Capture? We draw?
It is vitally important to THINK before you ACT when understanding what the other players are actually doing. It’s also very important not to underestimate your competition, as there are some very clever players out there…
There’s a potential flush on this flop, and since I’m “lurking” this hand, it’s highly suspicious behavior, and it’s unlikely I’d be in a draw calling those kinds of big bets.
Unless you’re playing a beginner or a drunk, there’s no reason to believe that someone is likely to call a 4x big blind raise on a draw. That’s the first mistake: assuming another player doesn’t have a hand and not realizing why he’s behaving that way.
Second, the board shows a possible flush, and these two players don’t have it! Just because you don’t bet the flop doesn’t mean you don’t have it!
If any of these players had slowed down and considered my betting (calling) behavior, and asked themselves these questions, they probably would have realized what was going on. Whether the player with the set of 4 could double them is another story 🙂
Other than a trap, what else could have held me back in this hand?
Traps are not easy to spot. When a good player calls a big bet, there’s a better than average chance that he’s trapping! You will also often see them lag for an unusually long time, as if they are struggling to make a decision about calling your hand, then calling, raising, or going all-in. If this is really a good player, now he almost certainly knows that he is being trapped (call) or warned (raise / all-in). If you don’t have the top hand at this point, you’re probably beaten.
This long delay can be a great “indicator” for cheating and strong hand detection, and it’s something you need to learn to recognize. The delay is an attempt to make you believe that they are “fighting” to make their decision – do the opposite of what your opponents want you to do when there is an obvious signal like this.
Good players don’t usually call, they usually raise/reraise hard or fold. They don’t usually waste their money on sweepstakes, so if they’re lurking with you, it’s almost certainly not out of curiosity…
If you don’t spend twice as much time thinking about what your opponent’s hand might be, based on his calling pattern, position, and playing history, you should.
Your own hand strength is determined quickly and easily. Spend more time with your opponents, learning to read their normal betting patterns and skill level, then when they do something that doesn’t match your normal pattern, slow down and ask yourself why.
I hope this helps you become a better trapper (and avoid falling into yourself 🙂
Haystack