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Bob Ciaffone's 20 Questions
May 16, 2001

In each of the following questions, select the one best answer. Assume you are playing in a typical game in a public cardroom against sane opponents. After you have answered all the questions, press "Submit," and you will see what I believe is the correct answer.

For the first ten questions, you are playing $20-40 limit hold'em with a bet and three raises allowed.

For problems 11-20, the poker form and other conditions are stated in the question.

1)	You are under the gun with the 9h-8h in a nine-handed game at one of the big Southern California card clubs. You would like to vary your game by opening with a raise, and do so. You play poker about three times a week. The next time you should make this play on small suited connectors ought to be: several hours later several sessions later Several weeks later
2)	You are in the big blind with Ac-Qs. The cutoff seat opens with a raise, the button folds, and it is up to you. The raiser is a stranger who has been in the game only a few minutes. You should: Call Reraise Base your play on how the player put the chips into the pot.
3)	You are in the big blind with 7c-6c. A player calls under the gun, the button calls, and the three of you see a flop of Kc-8d-4h. The opponents are ordinary players. How often should you bet in this type of situation? Once in a while About half the time Most of the time
4)	You are on the button with Ad-Jd. One player in early position limps, and a player in middle position calls. How often should you raise? Once in a while About half the time Nearly all the time.
5)	You are in late position with two black queens. One player in early position limps, you raise, the big blind calls, and the three of you see a flop of Qh-7h-4c. They check, you bet your top set, the big blind calls, and the other player folds. The turn is a fairly innocuous 9d. Your opponent checks, you bet again, and he calls. The last card is the 2h, putting a three-flush on board. Your opponent checks again; what do you do? Show your trip queens and see if he made a flush Bet for value Bet and represent the flush
6)	You limp in with the Kh-Qh. A player limps behind you, and the button raises. Now the big blind makes it three bets, and it is up to you. The button is a frequent raiser in late position, the big blind a rather ordinary player. You should: Fold, because you are worried that someone has a hand that dominates yours. Call, because the big blind may be trying to take advantage of the button's raise to get people out. Cap it to knock out one or two players.
7)	You pick up the Qc-Jc in the small blind. All fold around to the button, a fairly aggressive player, who opens with a raise. You should: Fold, because you have a bad hand to call a raise with Call and hope to buy help on the flop Reraise, to knock out the big blind.
8)	You hold As-Ks and open with a raise in middle position. The button and big blind call. The flop is Js-7d-3c. The big blind checks. You should: Check, because the button may well check behind you Bet, and decide what to do if raised Bet, and call a raise
9)	You hold Ah-Jh in middle position and open with a raise. Four people call, including the big blind. The flop is Js-7d-4c. You bet, and the next player plus the big blind call. The turn is the 10h. The big blind now bets. You should: Fold, because it looks like you are now beat Call, because it is unclear what is going on Raise, to get the third player out
10)	You hold 10s-10d and open with a raise. Everyone folds except for the little blind, a stranger, who reraises, and you call. The flop comes 8c-5c-3h, giving you an overpair. The opponent bets. You should: Call, and decide what to do later on. Call the guy down all the way and see how he plays. Raise, to find out where you are at.
11)	In a no-limit hold'em tournament, you get $500 worth of chips and start out with a $5-$15 blind, which goes up every half-hour. You pick up 10c-10d on the first hand and are second to act. The first player folds. You should: Call, because you are not playing strongly against the blinds this early Open for $30, to get a little money out there in case you help on the flop Raise to $50, because you have to get a hold of some chips for the next level
12)	In a no-limit hold'em tournament nine-handed last table, you pick up Ks-6s and are on the button. It is folded to you. The blinds are $500-$1000 (no ante), and you have $6500 in chips, slightly below average. You should: Fold your pig Call the blind Go all-in
13)	You have the big blind in a $5-5-10 blind no-limit hold'em money game, a grand in front of you, and pick up Ac-Qs. Three people limp in and it is up to you. Your probable choice of actions should be: Decline to raise; you have bad position Raise to $70, a pot-size raise Raise to $100 and hope they all fold
14)	You have the big blind in a $5-5-10 blind no-limit hold'em money game, a grand in front of you, and pick up Ac-As. Three people limp in, including the button, and it is up to you. Of course you raise, but how much? Raise to $50, so you get players to call your aces Raise to $70, a pot-size raise Raise to $100, hoping someone puts you on a pickup and calls or reraises
15)	In a pot-limit Omaha $5-10 blind money game, you pick up Kd-Qd-10s-9s in the big blind. You have $1000 in chips. Three players limp in and the little blind folds. You raise $50 more, and they all call, so the pot is now $250. The flop comes Jd-10d-3c, giving you a gigantic straight-and-flush draw. You should probably: Check, intending to call if someone bets Check, intending to raise all-in if someone bets $250, and call if someone raises
16)	In an eight-handed no-limit ace-to-five lowball game with a $10 ante and one blind of $25, you pick up 10-8-3-2-A. The field folds and you open for $125. The big blind, a loose player, calls. You both have about a grand in chips. He takes two cards. You should: Stand pat Take one card Take two cards
17)	In a pot-limit $10-25 blind Omaha game, you pick up Ac-Ad-Kd-2d on the button. Several people limp and you raise the maximum amount. In all, you have five callers. The flop comes Qd-10d-7h, giving you the nut flush-draw with your two aces. The draw is marred by having three diamonds in your hand, but is it still viable? The first player bets the pot size of $500 and the rest of the players fold. You and the first player each have $2000 left at this point. What do you do? Fold Call Move all-in
18)	In a $30-60 seven-card stud game, you start with (9h-10d) Jc. The club deuce is the doorcard that is dealt to the player on your immediate left. He bets the mandatory $10, and everyone folds around to the player on your right, who has the 5h showing and raises to $30. What should you do? Fold. You do not want to play a three-straight heads-up Call. The raiser may not have that strong a hand. Reraise. A five is not supposed to be pushing a jack around.
19)	The tallest no-limit hold'em player (among "known" players) is: Erik Seidel of Las Vegas The late Jack Straus of Texas "Long Peter" of Denmark
20)	You are the floorperson who gets called over to make a ruling in a $10-$25 blind pot-limit Omaha game. The first player calls, another player makes it $55, and two players call. At this point, the player whose turn to act says, "You have to bet in even quarter increments in this game," which indeed is the rule. The raiser says he thought he put in three chips of the same color, and wants to correct the raise to $75. The first player complains that it is improper to make a raise bigger, and wants the raise made smaller, to $50. The raiser accommodatingly changes his amount to $50. At this point, the last caller says he wants to switch his action to a raise, because the pot is not big enough to suit him now that the amount of the raise has been reduced. He further says that he should be entitled to raise because no one has acted behind him, so what's the harm? How do you rule? Allow the original raise of $55 to stand, since it got called in two spots. Set the raise amount at $50, but not allow the last caller to reraise. Set the raise amount at $50, but allow the last caller to change his action to a raise.