Advanced Strategy – the Free Card

First of all, what is a free card? If the player in the last position bets or raises and everyone checks to him on the next round of betting, this gives him an opportunity to check also, and thus get to see another card for free.

I’ll divide this advice into two - getting a free card and giving one:

1. Getting a free card – Raising before and after the flop may allow you a free card on the next round of betting, especially if you are playing with weak players. This maneuver should be used whenever possible. For example if you raised the pot preflop with AQ suited from the latest position and the flop comes with 9, 5, 2 you should probably check and get a free card since 6 outs can give you an overpair. If you bet instead of checking, anyone that will call your bet is probably better than you and you’re taking a risk that someone has checked with the intention of raising. Understanding the advantage of getting a free card is nine-tenths of understanding the danger of giving one.

2. Giving a free card – A common mistake among beginners is to immediately check to a player who bet or raised in the previous round of betting, thus giving him a free card if he wants one. If you think you have the best hand, go out and bet no matter what happened on the previous round. If you think he has a better hand than yours, consider folding - unless the pot odds justify calling. Giving a free card is a big mistake if you have a good hand and there are many players in the pot. Giving them another card could give them the best hand – one that they didn't even have to pay for (a gutshot straight, for example). Give a free card only when you have a drawable hand that needs to be improved in order to win, or when you are very strong and slow-playing, thus wanting other players to make second best hand.

Examples of when and when not to give a free card:

A. If you hold JT diamond and the flop is J62 rainbow, you should probably bet even if the player in the last position raised before the Flop. You don’t want to give someone holding AK or AQ a free card. If you think you can 'read' the raiser and that he has an overpair, you shouldn’t bet, and if he bets again, you should fold.

B. If you hold AT and the flop comes with ATT, you should slow-play by checking, thus letting others catch something so that later on in the game, they will either call your bet or even raise on later rounds. If you are holding most of the valuable cards, it is unlikely that someone else will be holding a good hand. By giving a free card, you might be allowing someone to make a straight, and pay you all the way to the river.

C. If you have a top pair with a low kicker, it’s probably okay to feel out the other players by checking. If they checked as well, and the next card isn’t likely to improve their hand, you probably hold the best hand and should bet.