Trailing Poker Hands
Author: admin
One step above the weak hand scenario is the trailing hand. You do not figure to currently have the best hand, nor are you favored to win if the hand is played out. Of course, a good draw will change that designation rapidly, but at the moment, you don't figure to have a strong enough hand to be considered a favorite or near-favorite. You need to improve.
Trailing Hand Strategy
Relatively speaking, a trailing hand is an underdog. Under the right circumstances, though, it does have some redeeming value. If the trailing hand can get into a pot cheaply or even grab a free card—allow a player to proceed to the next round for free because all players have checked-then this type of hand is worth playing to the next card. When the cost is a stiff bet, however, trailing hands must be folded and thrown to the wind. The winning possibilities of borderline hands aren't strong enough to warrant heavy investments into a pot.
A pair of jacks (J J), for example, is a marginal starting hand at hold 'em. It holds some possibilities of becoming a strong hand with a favorable flop, but at the cost of weighty betting, or the threat of having to meet raises behind its position, this hand isn't worth a call. If an ace, king, or queen appears on the flop, the jacks begin to pale under the bright lights. A pair of jacks are heavy underdogs to the probable queens, kings, or aces of opponents. If they are played against a flop like this, they will, in the long run, take heavy losses.
Position also plays an important role in the play of a trailing hand. From the last position, you can play a trailing hand because there is no possibility of being raised. In early position, though, a call would be fraught with the danger of a possible raise after the position. This is not a situation you want with a trailing hand.
To sum up, trailing hands are worth a play when the price is right, but if the cost is at a premium, they're rarely worth betting on. Save your sweet dreams for the late night, after the poker game. And save your money as well.
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Tags: heavy losses, poker, poker game, pot
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