Trips

BY: Ashley Adams
Contact at: (Asha34@aol.com)
Author of Winning 7-Card Stud

I've received a few queries lately about how to deal with rolled up cards - you know, TRIPS. I know that most of you haven't spent much time thinking about this because they come so seldom (around once every 450 deals). But, it's always good to be prepared I suppose. So here's my answer.

I'd like to show you a hand I played. Though the result wasn't what I would have liked, I think it provides a useful way of teaching folks how to think about Trips on Third Street.

I was playing $20/40 Stud at Foxwoods. I was not in a very good game. Most of the players were regulars. In fact, I had played with several of them at one time or another -- and the eighth guy seemed like he knew what he was doing. These were players who often called Third Street, even when it was completed, thinking that they could outplay their opponents on later street. They used selective aggression and bluffed or semi-bluffed regularly. So they didn't respect raises on Third Street the way some newer players who are weak-tight do.

I was down a few hundred after a couple of hours -- playing quite tightly myself. I hadn't seen many hands. And though I had saved money by being conservative up front, I was starting to get impatient for a playable hand. I watched the dealer slide out cards to each player 2-J-7-J-Q and an Ace to me. Before looking at my hole cards I watched what each player did. The 2 was the bring in and bet $3. Another card folded. The first Jack called as did the 7. The second Jack raised to $20 and the Queen called $20. I checked my hole cards only to find the sweet Aces in the hole -- giving me three Aces -- the highest possible hand.

In about 1/2 a second the following thoughts went through my brain. I could call the raise, looking like I was drawing to a Flush or maybe had a low pair in the hole or was slow playing my Aces. Or I could raise, representing two Aces. I wanted to make as much money as possible and decided that the raise was the best option.

My reasoning was fairly simple. I presumed that since there were so many callers, at least one of them and maybe two or three would call my reraise. They wouldn't dream that I would have three Aces -- they'd assume either that I had a pair of Aces or that I had a lower pair with an Ace kicker and wanted to limit the field to just me and the raising Jack.

I reasoned that once someone had called -- and certainly if two people had called -- the size of the pot would make it attractive for the remaining players to keep calling -- going for their two pair or trips. I was very likely to win the pot and wanted their future action. I figured that my increasing THEIR implied odds (the money they would eventually win if they won compared to the money they would have to put in the pot) I would improve the chances that they would stick around until the River...bolstering the pot with their calls -- a pot I certainly expected to win.

There are a lot of players who will assume that their opponent has a higher pair but will draw to their lower pair until and unless they see evidence that their opponent has improved. This is a faulty and expensive way to play Stud -- but it is common even at the middle limit tables of $20/40. In fact, it accounts for most of my wins at that level -- finding games with players who do that.

So I bet the $40 and watched the reactions of my opponents.

The bring-in folded. The initial Jack, who had called the $5 looked at me briefly and folded.

The 7, who had also called the $5 also folded. The initial raiser, the second Jack, looked at his hole cards, looked at my Ace, shrugged a little and then folded. It was up to the Queen.

The Queen, having called the $20 completion said "I hate to do this" and then folded as well.

Damn!!! I had images of a $500 pot and only won $79. What an awful feeling. Not as bad as having Trip Aces cracked I suppose, but nearly so.

I reevaluated what I had done. On retrospect, I was not respectful enough of the abilities of my opponents. Though I hadn't seen them lay down any hands on Third Street when they had already called, later in the evening I did -- a few times. I took their willingness to call one bet on Third Street to be an indication of general looseness -- not skill. They must have figured it wasn't worth going up a pair of Aces with a lesser pair -- something I would have decided as well.

I also think that I just had an instinctive reaction against the conventional play -- which would have been just calling the raise. I remembered something that some other poker author had written about doing what would be expected with a pair of the rank you have exposed. In other words, if I had low trips I would have called because that is what would have been expected of someone with a low pair. But having an Ace, I should do what would be expected of a high pair -- namely raise. I'm not sure if I made the right play -- even though the results indicate that I erred. On balance, my main mistake was in underestimating my opponents. I probably should have looked for an easier table.

Oh well. Live and learn!

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