Saturday, July 23, 2005
Doyle Brunson
A few years ago, I read the book Super System by Doyle Brunson. I thought it was a fantastic book, personally. It was the first book to really talk about some of the best ways to bluff, and the best ways to mix up your plays, etc. But, probably, the thing that most sticks out about that book is one move, a move that at one time nobody did, but a move that now almost everyone does. The move I am talking about is this: If you are the one raising preflop, you bet on the flop no matter what (unless the flop is extremely detrimental to your hand, like where you raise with QQ and the flop comes AKK). I call this move the Doyle Brunson. Personally, I think its a great move, and one that must be done. The only problem with it is that everybody knows about it, and its got to the point where people are check-raise bluffing people and things like that. This is one thing you have to watch out for. This is one of the most important things I will teach because it is one of the only things that will separate you from the average poker players at these websites.
Basically, what it comes down to is that you need to watch the hands where people are raising preflop. The topic of this page will be what to look out for and what to do later when you see people doing it. I'll try to give some of the typical types of strategies I've seen from other players, and tips that you can use against them.
Typical Strategies of pulling the Doyle Brunson (After raising preflop and is called, on the flop the person...)
1. bets just about everytime, but checks when they have something really good such as trips, a straight, a flush, two pair, or even top pair top kicker.
These people are usually pretty easy to spot. You've probably seen these people a lot. You've probably been at a sit and go where there's this guy betting just about everytime. He's gotten pretty lucky and has ended up building up a pretty good stack. All of a sudden you get something like 99, and you decide to call his preflop raise from the big blind. The flop comes up A 3 7, and you check. You expect him to bet, planning on probably folding your 99, when to your surprise he checks as well. Huh? That doesn't make sense. Well, yes it does, and it happens pretty often. He's just got something really good and he knows he's got you beat, so he's trying to look weak. He's probaly got AK, A7, or even AA.
This is where your instinct has got to kick in, and you've got to realize whats going on. If your tired, feeling depressed, in a hurry, on tilt, etc. your first thought is going to be that he has nothing and you should bet. This is almost always the wrong way to go. There must be a reason why this of all times he decides not to bet. And, I'll tell you what. Its not because every other single time he caught something, and this was the first time he didn't catch something. Its much more likely that this is the first time he did catch something, something really good.
More and more I've found that these people are not checking as much with the great hands, but betting the minimum, hoping for the other person to raise so they can go all in. If a guy who hardly ever bets the minimum suddenly does, he probably has something really good. The best thing to do is to call if you have a pretty good draw (cause you can probably take all his money, remember, though, that a low pocket pair is not a good draw to catching trips), or just fold right away if you don't really have anything.
2. bets way too much (the pot size) everytime
This person is easy. You just wait until you get something really good on the flop. Then, raise them back postflop, and they'll be so pot committed they'll probably call and you'll win a humongous pot. Once again, this takes patience.
3. bets about half the pot or so when they have something decent, but bets way too much (pot size) when bluffing
Watch for these people. They can be difficult to spot, but use your intellect. I've won a lot of chips off of these type of people. They think they can only bluff people if they bet the pot, but if you can spot these people, you'll be more likely to raise back at them if they bet more.
If you see people take down pots with decent hands, pay attention to how much they bet on the flop. You may not be able to tell their bluffing when they bet the pot, but you can tell when you doubt they have anything. For instance, if they bet the pot when there's all low cards (be careful of people with overpairs that aren't that high though, as they might have been just trying to protect their hand).
Once you spot this person, you can figure out what to do. If they bet the pot, they're probably bluffing. This is one of those times you've got to have some balls. You got a pair of threes, you should raise back. You got a decent draw and tons of chips, raise back big, there's a good chance they'll fold and you'll take down a huge pot.
4. bet only when they get something
These people did not read Super System nor are they paying attention to other players. Playing these people is pretty straightforward. If they don't bet, bluff them out (make sure its a decent size bet, though, and that the person isn't in category 1). If they do bet, fold. Pretty simple.
5. bet everytime no matter what
These people are a little more difficult. Basically, you have to make a judgement call. If you think you have a better hand, raise back. You may run into something better once in a while, but you have to take that chance.
Its also good to pay attention to what these people do when a person raises back at them. A lot of people have too much pride and will refuse to fold no matter what. So, basically, wait till you have something, top pair or something, before you make your move. Also, there are people who fold a lot of the times they are raised back at. Against these people you can raise back at them with draws also, and more mediocre hands that have chances to improve. The reason you need the chance to improve is that in case they do call you, they're probably beating you. So, a low pocket pair may not suffice, wheareas a single pair may, since you can catch both trips or a two pair.
**Be careful of people who double the big blind preflop, especially if its someone who hardly ever does this, there's a good chance they have AA or KK. People do this because its kinda like saying, "I'm raising, so I'm gonna pull a Doyle Brunson on the flop, but I don't want there to be any chance you'll fold before we get there". If you're in the big blind and someone does this, I would still call, but be weary as to what you catch, you may really be trying to catch a two pair or three of a kind. If you do catch something really good, you may be able to win a huge pot. If you catch something like a low pair, however, I personally would try betting it. If I got raised, I'd fold. If I got called, I'd probably check on the turn unless I improved.
Basically, what it comes down to is that you need to watch the hands where people are raising preflop. The topic of this page will be what to look out for and what to do later when you see people doing it. I'll try to give some of the typical types of strategies I've seen from other players, and tips that you can use against them.
Typical Strategies of pulling the Doyle Brunson (After raising preflop and is called, on the flop the person...)
1. bets just about everytime, but checks when they have something really good such as trips, a straight, a flush, two pair, or even top pair top kicker.
These people are usually pretty easy to spot. You've probably seen these people a lot. You've probably been at a sit and go where there's this guy betting just about everytime. He's gotten pretty lucky and has ended up building up a pretty good stack. All of a sudden you get something like 99, and you decide to call his preflop raise from the big blind. The flop comes up A 3 7, and you check. You expect him to bet, planning on probably folding your 99, when to your surprise he checks as well. Huh? That doesn't make sense. Well, yes it does, and it happens pretty often. He's just got something really good and he knows he's got you beat, so he's trying to look weak. He's probaly got AK, A7, or even AA.
This is where your instinct has got to kick in, and you've got to realize whats going on. If your tired, feeling depressed, in a hurry, on tilt, etc. your first thought is going to be that he has nothing and you should bet. This is almost always the wrong way to go. There must be a reason why this of all times he decides not to bet. And, I'll tell you what. Its not because every other single time he caught something, and this was the first time he didn't catch something. Its much more likely that this is the first time he did catch something, something really good.
More and more I've found that these people are not checking as much with the great hands, but betting the minimum, hoping for the other person to raise so they can go all in. If a guy who hardly ever bets the minimum suddenly does, he probably has something really good. The best thing to do is to call if you have a pretty good draw (cause you can probably take all his money, remember, though, that a low pocket pair is not a good draw to catching trips), or just fold right away if you don't really have anything.
2. bets way too much (the pot size) everytime
This person is easy. You just wait until you get something really good on the flop. Then, raise them back postflop, and they'll be so pot committed they'll probably call and you'll win a humongous pot. Once again, this takes patience.
3. bets about half the pot or so when they have something decent, but bets way too much (pot size) when bluffing
Watch for these people. They can be difficult to spot, but use your intellect. I've won a lot of chips off of these type of people. They think they can only bluff people if they bet the pot, but if you can spot these people, you'll be more likely to raise back at them if they bet more.
If you see people take down pots with decent hands, pay attention to how much they bet on the flop. You may not be able to tell their bluffing when they bet the pot, but you can tell when you doubt they have anything. For instance, if they bet the pot when there's all low cards (be careful of people with overpairs that aren't that high though, as they might have been just trying to protect their hand).
Once you spot this person, you can figure out what to do. If they bet the pot, they're probably bluffing. This is one of those times you've got to have some balls. You got a pair of threes, you should raise back. You got a decent draw and tons of chips, raise back big, there's a good chance they'll fold and you'll take down a huge pot.
4. bet only when they get something
These people did not read Super System nor are they paying attention to other players. Playing these people is pretty straightforward. If they don't bet, bluff them out (make sure its a decent size bet, though, and that the person isn't in category 1). If they do bet, fold. Pretty simple.
5. bet everytime no matter what
These people are a little more difficult. Basically, you have to make a judgement call. If you think you have a better hand, raise back. You may run into something better once in a while, but you have to take that chance.
Its also good to pay attention to what these people do when a person raises back at them. A lot of people have too much pride and will refuse to fold no matter what. So, basically, wait till you have something, top pair or something, before you make your move. Also, there are people who fold a lot of the times they are raised back at. Against these people you can raise back at them with draws also, and more mediocre hands that have chances to improve. The reason you need the chance to improve is that in case they do call you, they're probably beating you. So, a low pocket pair may not suffice, wheareas a single pair may, since you can catch both trips or a two pair.
**Be careful of people who double the big blind preflop, especially if its someone who hardly ever does this, there's a good chance they have AA or KK. People do this because its kinda like saying, "I'm raising, so I'm gonna pull a Doyle Brunson on the flop, but I don't want there to be any chance you'll fold before we get there". If you're in the big blind and someone does this, I would still call, but be weary as to what you catch, you may really be trying to catch a two pair or three of a kind. If you do catch something really good, you may be able to win a huge pot. If you catch something like a low pair, however, I personally would try betting it. If I got raised, I'd fold. If I got called, I'd probably check on the turn unless I improved.
# posted by Clyde @ 2:57 PM 
