Intermediate and Advanced Poker Quizzes

[sen8taur]

Targeted poker quiz 15: Hold ’em (intermediate)

    By Mike Caro

(Note: Not at the old Poker1 site. This 39-part series of quizzes, originally published (2004-2006) in Poker Player, is based on the Mike Caro University of Poker library of research and advice. In each entry, Mike Caro presents 10 questions covering a category of poker, targeted for beginner, intermediate, or advanced players.)

The MCU Targeted Poker Quiz series

Strategy – Hold ’em (level: intermediate)

    1. When you’re on the button in a 10-handed game and everyone folds to you, it means…

    (a) on average, the hands in the blinds will be slightly stronger than usual;

    (b) you’ll need at least K-Q to consider playing the pot;

    (c) the blinds are less likely to call than they typically are;

    (d) all of the above.

    2. What are the odds against holding either two kings or two aces before the flop?

    (a) 225-to-1;

    (b) 110-to-1;

    (c) 55-to-1;

    (d) 470-to-1.

    3. It’s more likely that you will start with ace-king of the same suit than with a pair of aces.

    (a) True

    (b) False.

    4.If you hold 5-5 and your opponent holds A-K with the board being 6-10-6-J, how many of the 44 remaining cards can beat you on the river?

    (a) 6;

    (b) 22;

    (c) 16;

    (d) 10.

    5. In hold ’em, ace-king as a starting hand is often called…

    (a) old faithful;

    (b) morningside;

    (c) the great equalizer;

    (d) big slick.

    6. What signature ranks did Doyle Brunson hold as his final cards in the two consecutive World Series of Poker main event championships that he won in 1976 and 1977?

    (a) A-3;

    (b) J-10;

    (c) J-J;

    (d) 10-2.

    7. The more players are in the pot, the more willing you should be to play small “suited connectors,” such as 8-7 of hearts.

    (a) true;

    (b) false.

    8. If you hold two pair after the flop, what are the odds against making a full house or better if you stay to the showdown?

    (a) 5-to-1 against;

    (b) 15-to-1 against;

    (c) 23-to-1 against;

    (d) 9-to-1 against.

    9. If you start without a pair what are the chances that you will make a pair (or better) on the flop?

    (a) 2-to-1 against;

    (b) 3-to-1 against;

    (c) 4-to-1 against;

    (d) 5-to-1 against.

    10. The bigger the pot becomes…

    (a) the more often you should bluff;

    (b) the more often you should fold;

    (c) the more often you should call;

    (d) all of the above


Courtesy of:  poker1.com

[sen8taur]

UK Best Bet Betting and Poker Forum

Answers and explanations (with questions repeated for convenience)

Strategy – Hold ’em (level: intermediate)

    When you’re on the button in a 10-handed game and everyone folds to you, it means…

    (a) on average, the hands in the blinds will be slightly stronger than usual;

    (b) you’ll need at least K-Q to consider playing the pot;

    (c) the blinds are less likely to call than they typically are;

    (d) all of the above.

    Answer: (a). If everyone folds to you on the button in a 10-handed hold ’em game, expect the hands in the blinds to be – on average – a little stronger than usual. That’s because players who acted previously were more likely to have folded low cards than high ones, making high ranks more likely in the blinds. I call this the “bunching factor.”

    What are the odds against holding either two kings or two aces before the flop?

    (a) 225-to-1;

    (b) 110-to-1;

    (c) 55-to-1;

    (d) 470-to-1.

    Answer: (b). It’s 110-to-1 against holding either a pair of kings or a pair of aces before the flop in hold ’em. All the rest of the time you’ll have a smaller pair or no pair at all.

    It’s more likely that you will start with ace-king of the same suit than with a pair of aces.

    (a) True

    (b) False.

    Answer: (b). False. Actually, it’s more likely that you will start with a pair of aces before the flop, than with ace-king suited. There are six possible pairs of aces – clubs-diamonds, clubs-hearts, clubs-spades, diamonds-hearts, diamonds-spades, and hearts-spades. But, obviously, there are only four possible ace-king suited combinations – one in each suit.

    If you hold 5-5 and your opponent holds A-K with the board being 6-10-6-J, how many of the 44 remaining cards can beat you on the river?

    (a) 6;

    (b) 22;

    (c) 16;

    (d) 10.

    Answer: (c). Without considering suits, there are 16 cards that can beat you on the river if you hold 5-5 against A-K with a board of 6-10-6-J. Many players forget that either a ten or a jack will beat you, putting two bigger pair than yours on the board, meaning your pair of fives is worthless. The losing cards are four queens, providing an opposing straight, three aces, three kings, three tens, and three jacks.

    In hold ’em, ace-king as a starting hand is often called…

    (a) old faithful;

    (b) morningside;

    (c) the great equalizer;

    (d) big slick.

    Answer: (d). In hold ’em, ace-king is often called “big slick.”

    What signature ranks did Doyle Brunson hold as his final cards in the two consecutive World Series of Poker main event championships that he won in 1976 and 1977?

    (a) A-3;

    (b) J-10;

    (c) J-J;

    (d) 10-2.

    Answer: (d). Doyle Brunson held 10-2 on his final hand of both tournaments when he won the World Series of Poker back-to-back in 1976 and 1977.

    The more players are in the pot, the more willing you should be to play small “suited connectors,” such as 8-7 of hearts.

    (a) true;

    (b) false.

    Answer: (a). It’s true that the more players that are in the pot, the more willing you should be to play small “suited connectors,” such as 8-7 of hearts.

    If you hold two pair after the flop, what are the odds against making a full house or better if you stay to the showdown?

    (a) 5-to-1 against;

    (b) 15-to-1 against;

    (c) 23-to-1 against;

    (d) 9-to-1 against.

    Answer: (a). If you hold two pair after the flop, it’s 5-to-1 (more precisely 4.97-to-1) against making a full house if you stay to the showdown. (This includes all full houses, even those that are less favorable to you, such as your 8-7 with a board of K-8-7-K-K or 6-6 with a board of 8-8-J-8-A.)

    If you start without a pair what are the chances that you will make a pair (or better) on the flop?

    (a) 2-to-1 against;

    (b) 3-to-1 against;

    (c) 4-to-1 against;

    (d) 5-to-1 against.

    Answer: (a). If you start without a pair, it’s 2-to-1 against making a pair or better on the flop. (More precisely, it’s 2.08-to-1 against pairing at least one of your cards on the flop. And, obviously, if you start with closely ranked cards or suited cards, your chances of flopping a straight or flush become a slight factor, also.)

    The bigger the pot becomes…

    (a) the more often you should bluff;

    (b) the more often you should fold;

    (c) the more often you should call;

    (d) all of the above.

    Answer: (c). In hold ’em – as in all other poker forms – the bigger a pot becomes, the more willing you should be to call.


_{Courtesy of:  poker1.com}

[sen8taur]

5 and 6 were gimmes.   

[Danny]

Actually think they all are lol

[sen8taur]

UK Best Bet Betting and Poker Forum

Targeted poker quiz 28: Hold ’em (advanced)

    By Mike Caro

(Note: Not at the old Poker1 site. This 39-part series of quizzes, originally published (2004-2006) in Poker Player, is based on the Mike Caro University of Poker library of research and advice. In each entry, Mike Caro presents 10 questions covering a category of poker, targeted for beginner, intermediate, or advanced players. Answers with explanations appear below each quiz, with the questions repeated for easy reference.)

The MCU Targeted Poker Quiz series

Strategy – Hold ’em (level: advanced)

    Disregarding suits, which flop is most profitable, on average, if you’re holding A-10 in hold ’em?

    (a) 2-3-4;

    (b) 10-K-J;

    (c) 10-4-4;

    (d) A-2-2.

    Disregarding suits, if you begin a hold ’em hand with J-10 and the flop is J-10-A, you should usually…

    (a) bet and reraise if raised;

    (b) check and call if bet into;

    (c) check and raise if bet into;

    (d) bet and fold if raised

    Disregarding suits, if you begin with A-9 and the flop is A-9-9, you should usually…

    (a) check and call if bet into;

    (b) check and raise if bet into;

    (c) keep betting and raising until the river;

    (d) check and fold if bet into.

    In which way is 5-5 better than 2-2 as a starting hold ’em hand?

    (a) 5-5 can beat starting pairs 3-3 and 4-4, but 2-2 can’t;

    (b) if the final board is J-9-J-3-4, 5-5 might win with a larger two pair than an opponents’;

    (c) if two pair and no deuces show on the board, 2-2 will always be a worthless hand, unless a deuce completes the only flush. However, 5-5 can sometimes survive as a pair, even if two pair land on the board;

    (d) all of the above

    It’s harder to protect a pair of aces in no-limit hold ’em than in limit hold ’em.

    (a) true;

    (b) false.

    In pot-limit hold ’em, a good strategy with a superior hand against a single opponent who acts first and checks is to also check all the way to the river and then bet the maximum.

    (a) true;

    (b) false

    If you begin a hold ’em hand with A-A and the flop is K-Q-J, no flush possible, what percent of the time will you finish with just the aces you started with after seeing the turn and river cards?

    (a) 58 percent;

    (b) 76 percent;

    (c) 90 percent;

    (d) 41 percent

    If you begin a hold ’em hand with 6d 5c, what are the odds against flopping a straight?

    (a) 7 to 1;

    (b) 14 to 1;

    (c) 76 to 1;

    (d) 48 to 1.

    You’re in a nine-handed hold ’em game holding A-9. What is the chance that yours is the only ace held before the flop?

    (a) 82 percent;

    (b) 31 percent;

    (c) 11 percent;

    (d) exactly 50 percent.

    Which is not an advantage of just calling with A-A in an early position in hold ’em?

    (a) You’re more likely to improve your position by acting after your opponents on subsequent betting rounds;

    (b) If you call and you’re raised and then other players call, you can reraise and potentially build a bigger pot;

    (c) You might earn extra profit from players with weak hands who wouldn’t have played if you had raised;

    (d) Just calling can sometimes be advantageous because it’s a deceptive play.




_{Courtesy of:   poker1.com}

[sen8taur]

UK Best Bet Betting and Poker Forum

Answers and explanations (with questions repeated for convenience)

Strategy – Hold ’em (level: advanced)

    Disregarding suits, which flop is most profitable, on average, if you’re holding A-10 in hold ’em?

    (a) 2-3-4;

    (b) 10-K-J;

    (c) 10-4-4;

    (d) A-2-2.

    Answer: (c) Disregarding suits, if you hold A-10, then 10-4-4 is a more profitable flop overall than 2-3-4, 10-K-J, or A-2-2.

    Disregarding suits, if you begin a hold ’em hand with J-10 and the flop is J-10-A, you should usually…

    (a) bet and reraise if raised;

    (b) check and call if bet into;

    (c) check and raise if bet into;

    (d) bet and fold if raised.

    Answer: (a) Disregarding suits, if you begin a hold ’em hand with J-10 and the flop is J-10-A, you should usually bet and reraise if raised. While you might occasionally want to check-and-call as a trap or check-and-raise as an act of war, your best tactic most of the time is to bet and then raise back if you’re raised.

    Disregarding suits, if you begin with A-9 and the flop is A-9-9, you should usually…

    (a) check and call if bet into;

    (b) check and raise if bet into;

    (c) keep betting and raising until the river;

    (d) check and fold if bet into.

    Answer: (a) Disregarding suits, if you begin with A-9 and the flop is A-9-9, you should usually check and call if bet into. There’s such a high probability that your opponent has a moderate hand, a weak hand, or no competitive hand at all with that flop (considering that you hold both ranks yourself) that you don’t want to risk chasing him out of the pot with either a bet or a raise. Check, then just call.

    In which way is 5-5 better than 2-2 as a starting hold ’em hand?

    (a) 5-5 can beat starting pairs 3-3 and 4-4, but 2-2 can’t;

    (b) if the final board is J-9-J-3-4, 5-5 might win with a larger two pair than an opponents’;

    (c) if two pair and no deuces show on the board, 2-2 will always be a worthless hand, unless a deuce completes the only flush. However, 5-5 can sometimes survive as a pair, even if two pair land on the board;

    (d) all of the above.

    Answer: (d) All of the first three listed reasons explain why 5-5 is a better hold ’em starting hand than 2-2: (a) 5-5 can beat starting pairs 3-3 and 4-4, but 2-2 can’t; (b) if the final board is J-9-J-3-4, 5-5- might win with a larger two pair than an opponents’; and if two pair and no deuces show on the board, 2-2 will always be a worthless hand, unless a deuce completes the only flush, while 5-5 can sometimes survive a two-pair board by measuring higher than the smaller pair showing.

    It’s harder to protect a pair of aces in no-limit hold ’em than in limit hold ’em.

    (a) true;

    (b) false.

    Answer: (b) It’s false that it’s harder to protect a pair of aces in no-limit hold ’em than in limit hold ’em. In fact, no-limit makes it much easier to protect a pair of aces by betting bigger than your opponents can call. Of course, you often don’t want to chase opponents away in no-limit games when you hold aces. You do, though, want to tax them as much beyond where they’re getting a break-even calling proposition as they’re willing to pay.

    In pot-limit hold ’em, a good strategy with a superior hand against a single opponent who acts first and checks is to also check all the way to the river and then bet the maximum.

    (a) true;

    (b) false.

    Answer: (b) It’s pot-limit hold ’em and you’re holding a superior hand against a single opponent who acts first. It’s false that it’s usually a good strategy to keep checking all the way to the river and then betting the maximum after your opponent’s final check. That may occasionally work in no-limit hold ’em, but in pot-limit, since you can only bet the size of the pot, it’s a good idea to build the pot bit by bit with superior hands, so you can wager more and make more money.

    If you begin a hold ’em hand with A-A and the flop is K-Q-J, no flush possible, what percent of the time will you finish with just the aces you started with after seeing the turn and river cards?

    (a) 58 percent;

    (b) 76 percent;

    (c) 90 percent;

    (d) 41 percent.

    Answer: (d) If you begin a hold ’em hand with A-A and the flop is K-Q-J, without any flush possible, you can expect to end up with just those two aces 41.4 percent of the time. That means 58.6 percent of the time you will improve, making anything from aces-up to four aces.

    If you begin a hold ’em hand with 6d 5c, what are the odds against flopping a straight?

    (a) 7 to 1;

    (b) 14 to 1;

    (c) 76 to 1;

    (d) 48 to 1.

    Answer: (c) If you begin a hold ’em hand with 6d 5c, the odds are 76-to-1 against flopping a straight.

    You’re in a nine-handed hold ’em game holding A-9. What is the chance that yours is the only ace held before the flop?

    (a) 82 percent;

    (b) 31 percent;

    (c) 11 percent;

    (d) exactly 50 percent.

    Answer (b) If you’re in a nine-handed hold ’em game holding just one ace before the flop, there’s a 31 percent chance that yours is the only ace that’s been dealt.

    Which is not an advantage of just calling with A-A in an early position in hold ’em?

    (a) You’re more likely to improve your position by acting after your opponents on subsequent betting rounds;

    (b) If you call and you’re raised and then other players call, you can reraise and potentially build a bigger pot;

    (c) You might earn extra profit from players with weak hands who wouldn’t have played if you had raised;

    (d) Just calling can sometimes be advantageous because it’s a deceptive play.

    Answer: (a) Just calling with A-A, as an alternative to raising, sometimes has advantages, but improving your position by acting after your opponents on subsequent betting rounds is not one of them.


_{Courtesy of:   poker1.com}