If you are sitting at home reading this article, chances are you’re just like me – you can’t get enough of online poker. Whether you’re in it for the thrill of the game or you’re trying to make a living, playing online offers several distinct advantages over the “live” game. The online game is a faster game, which essentially means more and potentially larger pots and more risks per hour than a standard B&M (brick and mortar) game. When you see a larger volume of hands, chances are that during each session you play, you are bound to see something that leaves you speechless, shaking your head, mystified, or (shudder at the thought) having to re-buy. In this column, each week we will take a look at a different hand that fits the previously mentioned criteria. My involvement in the hand notwithstanding, I will try to remain as impartial as possible, and for the hands that I didn’t win, I will keep my bitterness to a minimum. (At least, this is my intent)

What do you do when you have a powerful draw? Are you content to check and call until you see if you’ve hit or do you force the action? The argument can be made for either approach. The passive player checks and calls and sees if he can come out on top. By this action, everyone knows what kind of draw he’s on and if he hits, he just won’t get paid off hen he does hit it. The aggressive player does things differently. He bets his draws aggressively and he even bets and raises without a made hand. Which is the better approach. Well, I would have to agree with the latter. When you check and call you can only win the hand if you hit your draw. That’s the only way a win is possible. However, when you bet and raise you can win in different ways. You obviously still win when you hit. However, now you can win by making a potentially winning hand fold. Plus, as an added bonus, your actions make it difficult for your opponents to read what you are holding so when you do hit your draw, you will be paid more times than if you were passive.

On that note, here comes this week’s hand of the week. I was playing online at a $2-$4 no limit hold em table and as is usually the case, the players were solid and the stacks were deep. I was on the button and looked down to see the QJ of hearts. Three players called before I did and I called as well. The big Blind then made it $12 to go and 5 players saw the flop. There was $60 in the pot and 5 players. The flop came down and it was the 7c-8h-9h giving me an inside straight flush draw. The initial raiser came out betting $30 and it was folded to me. I don’t like to call in this spot with the type of draw I have. If the player has Ace King, a raise would likely make him fold and make Aces or Kings think about what I would have. At the very worst, I was hoping it would give me a free card should I decide to take one on the Turn. With this in mind, I decided to raise to $60. My opponent smooth called and we saw the Turn card.

What a beauty it was! It was the 10d, giving me the nut straight plus a redraw to my flush. Surprisingly, my opponent bet out $60 and I had about $150 left so I decided to push it. I re-raised all in and he called instantly. With $480 in the pot the cards flipped over. He had 10-J offsuit. He flopped the nuts and decided to slow play me on the flop. Ouch! The River was a King and my straight got even better and I took down the pot.

By being aggressive, my opponent had to be completely confused about my holdings and allowed me to bust him out of the game. Think about this the next time you have a draw.

Until next time, may the chips fall your way.

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