hut-hut-HIKE!

[Cameron McCown]

Here's a quesiton that most beginners just kind of let slip by:

What's the difference between "playing defense" and "playing offense" post-flop?

Thanks.

[Small Fry]

Interesting question. Can you define the two terms for better clarity?

[Cameron McCown]

WHen you have QQ against a 10, 7, 2 board, you want to "defend" it by betting. Then what is playing offense?

[Small Fry]

[ QUOTE ]
WHen you have QQ against a 10, 7, 2 board, you want to "defend" it by betting. Then what is playing offense?

[/ QUOTE ]

Assuming it's rainbow what are you defending against? Two overcards I guess. So potentially 6-7 cards out of 47. Why wouldn't you call this offense in so much as your want to charge worse hands, like A,x or even somebody with a pair of tens (top pair) to try to catch up.

I look at defending your hand as making a move that gives you the best chance to win, even if you might not have the best hand at the moment. The following applies to limit, NL is more complicated. Lets take your flop of T,7,2 and assume you're in the bb with J,T. 3 players limp and a loose cutoff raises. You call as do all the others. You check this flop hoping for the cutoff to bet so you can check raise. You cannot defend (protect) your hand by betting out as the pot's too big, but a check raise can. Even though you might be beat at this point the check raise, forcing the other players to call two cold and most likely clearing them out, gives you the best chance to win.

I see your example more as offense. If you change the flop to include some draws then I guess you could argue you're defending your hand by betting and making the others pay, either correctly or incorrectly, to draw. Or if you change your hand so that you have middle pair and it's checked around and a 3 or 5 comes on the turn. You might lead out now as you would have expected anyone with a hand better than yours to bet the flop. But again this could be seen as going on the offensive

BTW- are we talking limit or NL?

[mutiger91]

I would consider any value bet or bluff to be offensive in nature. The only thing I call a defensive bet is best illustrated in NL. Let's say I am out of position. It's the river and I have top pair and an opponent who may have hit something like a straight draw. Let's say there is $50 in the pot. You have two choices:

1) Check-call to allow your opponent to bluff worse hands which will hopefully offset the times you are calling with the worst hand

or

2) Make a defensive bet. Put out a $20 bet. If your opponent has a marginal hand, they will not be raising (unless they recognize your strategy and make a somewhat risky bluff). Therefore, you have a better chance to see a showdown - maybe a bit more cheaply than if you check-call.

[Cameron McCown]

Hmmmm...interesting. I play primarily limit right now. Thanks all