Gritz18 said:
For those who don't know what Trap is in poker.
" Trap is a passive move, like checking or calling, to hide the strength of the hand "
I see many players making this type of move in Cardschat freerolls. In my opinion, it's a very risky move, today in one of the CC tournaments, I saw the player with AA clean in the BB, another player who was on the button, and who had limped, hit two pair on the flop, resulting in the player who cleaned with AA he lost all his chips.
I confess I remember one time I limped with KK, but the villain was very aggressive and I was short on chips, in this case I even consider making the move in an attempt to double my chips.
But making this type of play like our friend above did, having more than 36bb, I consider it a very bad move.
And do you usually make this kind of move?
First of all -- a pedantic point -- A trap is a tactic, not a strategy. It is a tool in your toolbox. Whe you build a house, do you use a hammer for EVERY task? No. But as a tool, the hammer is frequently used, to the point that EVERYONE needs a hammer in their home.
So some tools are used all the time, whilst others only come out when the job is specific enough to require its own tool.
So -- a trap has its time and its place but should not be over-used, lest you be the one getting trapped. (yes, I used LEST in a sentence!)
The problem with over-use of this tool is that you are losing value when you trap. You are losing control when you trap.
If you think you have the lead, then you want to be putting pressure on your opponent and making them pay. Instead, you are letting your opponent decide how much the port will be worth.
Next, if people notice that you regularly trap, then they can use that against you. I make notes on trappy players and reduce/avoid CBets where I haven't hit against those players.
Traps can be effective against particularly aggressive players. Sometimes you have that guy at your table who will 3-bet everything and you're not sure where you are. This is a good opportunity to check/limp and four-bet shove the 3 Bet, with strength.
your new motto should be:
ALMOST NEVER SLOW PLAY / TRAP MONSTER
hands.
You will reduce your value and you just may leave the door open to get yourself crushed.
Cheers,
JT