We’ve learned how some calls should encourage you to enter a pot.  But there are also calls that should deter you from playing.  Here are some of those.

Players who call raises should deter you from playing -- even if you were tempted to play for the raise.  This tells you that even if the raiser was on a steal or a semi-bluff, the caller is likely to be very strong.

Here’s an example of that.

Similarly, calls of the big blind, when you have a hand you’d only like to play heads up or against few players, should deter you from calling.

Same thing with no limit.  Hands like this -- two big spaced cards -- are poison unless you can get them heads up against a blind, and even then you have to be careful.  You could easily be second best even if you hit a

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The same can be said for calls after you are raised.  Say, for example, you have a semi-strong hand you’ve decided to raise with in a no limit game.  You raise, hoping to steal the blinds.  An aggressive player raises you -- but not by the amount they normally raise when they are on a legitimate re-raising hand.  You suspect a re-steal.  But then their re-raise is called.  Be inclined to fold even if you were not so inclined before.  Even if the aggressive player was just putting a move on you, it’s highly unlikely that the player who called his re-raise has anything but a very high quality hand.  Be appropriately deterred, and concede the hand.

Part III
Calls that Induce you to Raise

We’ve looked at calls that should deter you and calls that should entice you to enter a pot.  There are also situations when a call, or multiple calls, should encourage you to raise.  This is especially true in no limit.

You are motivated to raise by calls that indicate that your opponents are on drawing hands pre-flop -- and you don’t want people to draw against your strong starting hand.  Here’s an example.  Suppose you’re playing in a single-table tournament.  You’re in late position with a pair of Queens.  Six players call the big blind of $50.  You each have about $1,000.  Make a very, very large raise.  They have invited you to.

Their calls mean that they’re on mediocre or drawing hands.  Since they didn’t raise, it’s unlikely that they have you beat.  It’s always possible that they’re slowplaying a monster like Kings or Aces, but it’s unlikely.  In any event, your chances of winning are greatly increased if you can limit the field.  Also, since there are seven bets in the pot already, you’re not sad about winning the pot right there.  The worst thing that could happen would be for you not to raise with your Queens and for a King or an Ace to hit the flop.  Then you’d have to fold to a bet.

Here’s another call that invites a raise.

This is because you don’t want drawing hands to see a flop cheaply.  The call tells you that this opponent doesn’t have a strong hand himself -- even a moderately strong hand -- or he would have raised to steal the blinds.  In all likelihood he has only a drawing hand.  Otherwise, why would he call?  You want to make that draw very, very expensive or get him and the blinds to fold.  Hence, you should raise.  If you get raised back by the big or small blind you should fold, of course.~~