more counter-examples
James writes that some of the things you should look for in a good free showdown raise spot include:
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*you don't need to call a 3bet
*you have little chance of improving if behind
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However, I think these guidelines are misguided. For example, you can often make free showdown raises with pair + draw hands, where you are semibluffing with outs, then giving up on the river if your opponent calls and you miss your draw. This is best used when the completion of your draw will be very scary, so that your opponent may be inclined to just check-call instead of bet-calling when it hits. Draws to 4-flush or 4-straight are prime examples.
Here's my list of considerations for free showdowns:
- how often will I fold a better hand?
- how often will I fold a hand with outs? How many outs?
- how often will I get outplayed and cost myself the pot?
- how expensive is it to raise and fail to get a fold?
Getting better hands to fold is obviously by far the most valuable, so you focus your attention there. Getting hands with outs to fold has some value, but you don't take much risk of losing the pot to get that. It's more like icing on the cake typically. Evaluating the cost of failing takes into consideration both your equity in the pot when called and how often you get 3-bet.
Here's are a couple examples where free showdown raises may be appropriate, but you have to call if 3-bet:
You raise 8c7c from the button. A reasonably straight-forward small-stakes TAG 3-bets from the big blind.
Flop: 9c 8h 4d. He bets, you call.
Turn: 5c. He bets, you make a free showdown raise.
If you follow the rules put forth by others, you can't raise here. However, it's actually an excellent spot to raise, because you can fold overcards, are planning to call the river anyways, and have great equity in the pot when called. It will be hard, though of course not impossible, for him to 3-bet an overpair. If he does, it sucks, but it's hardly the end of the world as you have excellent equity in this pot.
So you raise hoping your hand is best, but ensuring that 3-bets go in against overpairs when you catch those scary rivers like the 6 and ace of clubs.
-eric
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