Samuel Goldwyn Mayer, the colorful head of MGM Studios in Hollywood, CA., was being interviewed by a writer for one of the movie magazines when he confessed he never would order a banana split.
What do you have against banana splits, Mr. Mayer, the interviewer said.
'I have nothing against them,' he said. 'In fact, I love them. But one would not be enough. If I ate one banana split, I'd have to order another one and that would probably make me sick.'
Interesting logic, to say the least.
In poker, one of the greatest weapons at the disposal of a player is the raise. Raises are an important part of the game, and the player who does it well and effectively should be able to count on a productive session.
Years ago I played poker regularly in a home game and at the Elks Club in Brownsville, PA. Fresh out of Las Vegas and Phoenix, I wanted to show the home-towners what real poker was all about, and I did it through the raise.
In three months time, I had won about $10,000 from both games. When I left Brownsville to move to California for a new writing job, Dave, one of the players, congratulated me and said, 'You taught me more about poker and raising than I ever knew before. Thanks for the lessons.'
In the real world of poker, while a raise is important, a double-raise may be the icing on the cake.
Let's say you are familiar with the style of the raiser and that he often raises with a less than premium hand. He raises, there are two callers, and you look at your hand and see A-Q.
Most players would simply call the raise (some of the more timid ones might even fold). But A-Q being an above-average hand, I would be sorely tempted to make a double-raise.
The truth is that double raises are relatively rare in poker. In some games, of course, double-raises occur often, but in most games they are rare. A double-raise instills fear in the minds of the other players. In their mind, the double-raiser is holding one of three hands: A-A, K-K, or A-K.
Let's say the flop comes 8-7-3 or some other garbage hand. The original raiser may be holding pocket 9s but when he sees that kind of flop, would rap check. If the other players also check, you can come out betting with a reasonable expectation that the players will fold.
The double-raise is also effective because of your position. After the flop, it is up to the other players to act before you. Now you control the betting because of the power of your double-raise. While you will sometimes lose to a made hand, you should find yourself winning 80 to 90 percent of the time.
When I start a game early with the double-raise, I feel more aggressive toward the other players. It can be very effective whether the game is cash or a tournament. It will set the tone for later play and could be the determining factor in who wins the money or the tournament.
Even a veteran player will need time to determine what you are doing and to create effective play to counter-act your move. When and if that happens, you can make changes in your play to change the odds to your favor again.
But like Samuel Goldwyn Mayer, you don't want to let yourself get caught over-eating. That could make you sick or wipe out your stack. And no good poker player wants to be caught in that position.
I recall a memorable hand when I had pocket aces. I was in early position and looked at only one ace when I called the bet. The player in seat five raised, and the player in seat seven, who had far fewer chips than me, went all in.
I started to go all-in. But from the corner of my eye, I could see the initial raiser reaching for his considerable stack of chips. I hesitated for a long while, then just called.
Dear reader, that raiser with his pocket queens went all in. I called of course, nobody improved, and I won a monster pot.
I suggest you practice the double-raise in your home games, either with friends or by dealing to imaginary players around the kitchen table. When you are familiar with the technique, take it with you to a cash poker game or tournament. Then let me know the results, and I will share them with our readers. Good luck. It is one tool that should aid you greatly in scooping up the gold.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
