Poker Veteran of 50 Years: The Free Card

The FREE Card

Everyone loves a bargain. Especially if it is free, it is just human nature.

The “Free Card Concept” is when a player gets a free card or cards without having to call an extra bet and give up any chips.

The free card gives players a chance to glimpse into the future at no charge.

This is especially true in no-limit hold 'em poker, where that free card can make all the difference.

The free card concept is an offensive and a defensive play all in one. It is a double-edged sword that can help you and hurt you at the same time.

Give a free card, and you allow your opponent to catch up and beat you. Getting a free card gives you the chance to hit your hand without having to pay for it.

It all begins pre-flop. Allowing access to the flop, without betting, opens the door to a myriad of possibilities, none of which are in your best interest. It is best to bet to keep your opponents from drawing out and winning the pot.

Weaker or less experienced players often limp in, hoping to see a cheap flop or get free cards and a possible windfall. Don’t fall for it.

After the flop, you already have a pretty good idea of the strength or weakness of your hand and what your opponents may be drawing to. Based on the betting action or lack of it, you’ll know whether or not to grant a free card.

Navigating through the endless possibilities of straight and flush draws is like tiptoeing through a poker minefield. Make the wrong move and poof, there go your chips.

The simple act of betting is the price you are imposing for the privilege of seeing another card. Consider it similar to the ticket price for a show or sporting event. No one gets in for free.

If a hand is worth playing, it is worth protecting, which means betting to limit the number of players who can oppose you to a minimum.

You always and I mean ALWAYS want to make them pay for the chance to catch that miracle card that can beat you. You need to dispel any hope that they can get lucky by betting and, in some cases, betting big. Deny drawing hands the chance to beat you cheaply.

The Cost

The cost of providing a free or even a reasonably priced card can be one of the most expensive mistakes a poker player can make. Protect your hand and prevent your opponents from drawing cheaply. The bet is preemptive and should not be taken lightly.

Of course, it’s one thing to give a free card, and yet another to get a free card.

There are those times when you’ll want a free card, like when you’re behind and drawing, or trying to maintain pot control, being deceptive, or when you have the nuts and hope to induce action moving forward.

Keep in mind, when other players are in a hand with you, they are generally drawing to cards that can potentially beat you and hoping you will let them catch it.

A good rule of thumb is to “Take the free card when you are behind and deny it when you are ahead.”

Knowing that the free card concept will manifest itself repeatedly throughout the course of the game, you must learn to adapt properly. Get comfortable with the challenges of figuring out how to weigh the values and benefits of either giving a free card or how to induce a check to get a free card.

In short, mastering the free card concept and recognizing the endless variety of possibilities that another card would do to upset the mix can mean all the difference between winning and losing.