Free Card example

I respectfully disagree with the play on this page. First, the free card play is considerably less useful (if at all) in NL because the damage done by a re-raise or a big turn bet can be so devistating to your draw. Second, this gives an example of a particuarly uncommon, interesting and profitable situation. You technically have a bust hand, but between your inside straight draw, flush draw and maybe 2 overs (well in this case 1 over, but you don't know that) you're probably a favorite to win the hand once the turn and river are out. Yet, the turn is likely to make you not a favorite to win. There is already $6.50 in the pot between pre-flop betting and his bet. I would push him all-in here.

By going all in, you push your small edge on the flop and give yourself 2 ways to win (he folds or you win showdown.) You also eliminate any chance of him betting you off your hand, or being spooked by the turn. It's win/win either way. These kinds of situations are what NL is all about! Particuarly given that this is a cash game where busting out in a ~60% win situation is not a concern.

I hear you on the all-in after the flop, and that would have been a very acceptable play, no doubt. And if I was playing in a higher stakes game (like the no limit $100 at Monte Carlo) or a tourney, my play may have been different.

However, for my regular day-to-day game at PP, I tend to not put all my chips on a draw hand that may only be a slight favorite, I tend to wait until I know I'm winning and am a huge favorite. This is my auto-pilot kind of play and I think it's pretty easy to wait and make some money playing this way.

In fact, I thought my raise was surely going to win the pot right there on the flop, it was a big bet for that table. And, obviously, when he called my raise, I wished I HAD bet bigger - which goes to your point of going all-in. The free card was just a result of this play, not the purpose.

One of my concerns, however, was that my opponent was holding the nut flush draw, which puts me at a huge disadvantage, I think that puts him above 60% to win the hand. But his check on the river gave me a greenlight to put him all in at that point.