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TIPS FROM THE PROS
Howard Lederer
Sept 11, 2006
This week, Full Tilt Poker launched Cap
Games - a version of our Pot- and
No-Limit games in which no player can commit
more than 30 big blinds to any pot. The
biggest cash games in the world, the ones
that Jennifer Harman and Phil Ivey play in,
use a cap when they play No-Limit Hold 'em
or Pot-Limit Omaha, and we thought you'd
enjoy the experience as well.
For this tip, I am going to discuss some
of the advantages of Cap Games over
traditional big-bet poker, then I'm going to
cover some strategic points that should help
you when you first sit into a Cap Game. For
even more information on Cap Game
strategies, you can read my recent Pro
Chat transcript.
Advantages of Cap Games
Most players reach a point where they
grow uncomfortable with the thought of
risking all the money they have on the table
in a single hand. For example, say that a
player in a $.50/$1 No-Limit game has done
well and has built his stack from $50 to
$300. He's certainly happy with that turn of
events but, if there's another big stack at
the table, he may be unwilling to stay at
the table for fear of losing a very large
sum on a difficult hand. In a Cap Game,
however, this player can keep his seat,
knowing that he can't lose more than $30 on
any single hand.
When a cap is in place, there tends to be
a lot of action. Players open up their games
when they know their losses will be limited
and will commit for the cap on hands they
might be more cautious with in a standard
No-Limit game. So Cap Games can be action
packed and a lot of fun.
Cap Game Strategy
For the most part, Cap Games play just
like other big-bet games. But there will be
some key pots where you can use the cap to
your advantage. You'll be able to take some
shots at pots that you probably wouldn't
take in deep-stack games.
In particular, Cap Games offer great
semi-bluffing opportunities. For example,
say that you're in a $1/$2 No-Limit Hold 'em
Cap Game and a player opens for a $6 raise.
You think he's weak and decide to re-raise
to $20 with the 9c-Tc. The blinds fold and
the raiser calls. The flop comes 2c-6c-Js.
He checks to you and you decide to bet about
the size of the pot - $40 - with your flush
draw.
With this bet and the pre-flop action,
you've reached the cap; you can't commit any
more money to the pot. That makes this flop
bet a pure semi-bluff. There's a good chance
that you'll force a fold and, if you don't,
you've still got about a 1 in 3 chance of
hitting your flush on the next two cards. In
a standard No-Limit game, however, this play
could go very badly. You could be
check-raised or called. If called, you could
face a large bet on the turn after missing
your flush. Either way, you might be forced
to fold without having the opportunity to
hit your hand.
Also in Cap Games, you can play some
medium-strength hands more aggressively than
you would in a traditional No-Limit game.
For instance, you might be reluctant to
commit 100 big blinds on a middle pocket
pair, even if you felt your opponent was
playing overcards and missed the flop. But
in a Cap Game, you might play for the
maximum on something like pocket 9s if you
feel it is, in fact, the best hand.
In addition, there are more opportunities
for slow-playing in Cap Games. Say that you
hit a set of 5s when the flop comes
5d-7d-9c. You could be up against some sort
of draw here and, in a standard No-Limit
game, you'd probably want to bet so that you
didn't risk letting a flush get there for
free. But in a Cap Game, you might give the
free card. The draw will probably play for
the cap no matter what you do, and if an
opponent had overcards and missed the flop,
he'd only commit money if he connects with
the board on the turn.
In general, you don't need to be so
concerned about super-fine reads or making
big laydowns in Cap Games. If you think
there's a reasonable chance you're ahead,
you can play for the cap without putting an
excessive amount at risk.
Give our new Cap Games a shot. I think
you'll enjoy the more open style of play
that accompanies these games. They really
are a lot of fun.
Howard Lederer
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