Here are the questions, answers, and explanations from our Live Cash Game IQ Quiz.
Question #1: Everyone folds to you in middle position. You have A-A. The players at your table like to see flops with reasonably wide ranges as long as the preflop raise isn’t too large. What should you do?
Limp
Raise to 3 big blinds
Raise to 5 big blinds
Raise to 10 big blinds
Explanation: With A-A, and all of your playable hands, you should make a standard preflop raise when everyone folds to you. The only time you should adjust your bet sizing is when you know your opponents will happily call any bet size with most of their playable hands.
Question #2: A tight, passive player raises from second position to 4 big blinds. You have A-T on the button. What should you do?
Fold
Call 4 big blinds
Reraise to 10 big blinds
Reraise to 16 big blinds
Explanation: Even though A-T is normally a decent hand, when facing a preflop raise from a tight, passive player, it is often in horrible shape. Look to avoid reverse implied odds situations whenever possible.
Question #3: A loose, passive calling station limps from middle position and you raise to 5 big blinds on the button with K-J. Only the calling station calls. The flop comes J-8-7. Your opponent checks, you bet 7 big blinds, and he calls. The turn is the (J-8-7)-4. He checks, you bet 12 big blinds, he calls. The river is the (J-8-7-4)-Q. He checks. The pot is 49.5 big blinds. What should you do?
Check
Bet 12 big blinds
Bet 25 big blinds
Go all-in for 76 big blinds
Explanation: Even though the board ran out somewhat bad, turning your hand into middle pair, it is likely your opponent will call any reasonable bet with a wide range of hands you beat. You crush calling stations by value betting thin in situations where they can realistically have a wide range of worse made hands. This is a great spot to continue betting for value.
Question #4: Everyone folds to you in middle position. You have Kd-5d. Your opponents are a mix of loose, passive and loose aggressive players. What should you do?
Fold
Limp
Raise to 3 big blinds
Raise to 6 big blinds
Explanation: Since the players yet to act do not like to fold, you should fold your marginal hand. If everyone yet to act was tight, you should raise because you will frequently steal the blinds, or face one caller and have a great chance to win the pot after the flop.
Question #5: A loose, aggressive player raises to 3 big blinds from middle position. Two loose, passive players call. You have Qs-Ts in the small blind. What should you do?
Fold
Call 2.5 more big blinds
Reraise to 8 big blinds
Reraise to 14 big blinds
Explanation: Qs-Ts flops amazingly well. Even from out of position, you should be content to call the initial raise and see a flop.
Question #6: The player in first position, who is known to be a tricky player who will occasionally limp with strong hands, limps from first position. Four other passive players limp. You have A-Q on the button. What should you do?
Fold
Limp
Raise to 4 big blinds
Raise to 9 big blinds
Explanation: When facing a tricky first position limper, limping behind becomes a decent option even with a hand as strong as A-Q. However, if you get limp-reraised you can easily fold. There is also no guarantee you will frequently get limp-reraised. A-Q simply has too much value to limp. Instead, raise to an amount that will allow you to get called by numerous hands you crush.
Question #7: A tight, aggressive player raises to 3 big blinds from second position. Two loose, but reasonably active players, the Cutoff and Button call. You call from the small blind with 9h-8h. The flop comes 9s-8s-2c. You check, Second Position bets 10 blinds. The Cutoff folds and the Button raises to 30 big blinds. What should you do?
Fold
Call 30 big blinds
Raise to 50 big blinds
Go all-in for 97 big blinds total
Explanation: Even though it is likely that one of your opponents has a strong hand, your top two pair is the effective nuts. When you have the effective nuts, you should happily get your entire stack in. If you happen to lose to a set, that is simply bad luck.
Question #8: Three loose, passive, straightforward players limp from middle position and you raise to 8 big blinds from the button with A-J. They all call. The flop comes A-9-6. They check to you and you bet 10 big blinds. Only one player calls. The turn is the (A-9-6)-Q. Your opponent checks, you bet 16 big blinds, and he check-raises to 35 big blinds. What should you do?
Fold
Call 19 more big blinds
Reraise to 52 big blinds
Go all-in for 82 big blinds total
Explanation: When you get check-raised, especially on the turn or river, by a loose, passive, straightforward player, you should assume top pair is beat. While you will occasionally fold the best hand, most of the time, your opponent will have you crushed.
Question #9: The Lojack, Hijack, and Cutoff, all loose, passive players, limp. You limp with 9h-8h from the button. Both blinds call. The flop comes 7h-6d-2c. Everyone checks to you. You bet 4 big blinds. Only the Hijack calls. The turn is the (7h-6d-2c)-Jd. The Hijack checks, you bet 9 big blinds, and he calls. The river is the (7h-6d-2c-Jd)-Qd. Your opponent checks. The pot is 32 big blinds. What should you do?
Check
Bet 10 big blinds
Bet 26 big blinds
Bet 44 big blinds
Explanation: When the board runs out such that it should not be very good for your opponent’s range (mostly one pair hands and draws), you should usually continue bluffing, assuming your opponent is not a calling station. You will find that very few opponents will call your river bet with worse than a pair of Jacks, which your opponent should rarely have. If your opponent is a calling station, you should probably check behind on the turn, hoping to improve on the river.
Question #10: If you have $5,200 in your bankroll, what is the largest game you are properly bankrolled to play?
$0.50/$1
$1/$2
$2/$5
$5/$10
Explanation: You generally want to keep at least 15 buy-ins ($3,000) to play $1/$2 and at least 25 buy-ins ($7,500) to play $2/$5. Since you don’t have enough to move up to $2/$5, assuming you cannot or do not want to reload your bankroll, you should play $1/$2. You could also play $0.50/$1, but you your time is probably better spent playing $1/$2.
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