Checking a hand down when a player is all-in.

Typical donk comment you hear at the tables goes along these lines: "Why didn't you check it down? You betting me out of the pot let the shorty win, when I would have beaten him!" As an example of this, I was a shorty in a satellite this weekend, and jammed UTG with 4-4 - donk bigstack pushed out another caller after the flop with only a pair of 2s (other player folded 6-6 on a 9-5-2 board), and my hand held up - and I went on to win one of 15 seats in this satellite with more than a 3-1 chip lead over the player with the 2nd most chips.

Usually, this involves players betting into what is known as a "dry side pot" - i.e. only all-in chips and calls from the players are in "main pot", and side pot is empty. Many players are huge fans of the "don't bet into a dry side pot unless you have the nuts" philosophy...but the idea about betting into a "dry side pot" is one that is misapplied and misunderstood to a ridiculous degree.

With cards to come, you should be trying to increase your equity in most spots - even 'bluffing' into dry side pots. The occasions where 'cooperation' plays are correct are few and far between, and it's waaaaay overdone. I have seen people 'checking down' with 20-30 people still in a tourney.

For me to 'cooperate' (in general):

- We need to be at the final table or close to the money in a qualifier/flat payout.
- The pot has to be small.
- My hand has to have very little chance of being best.
- Sidepot needs to be empty.
- River is dealt.

The last one is important. If there are cards to come, bluffing the other player out will generally increase your equity substantially. The only way that isn't true is if the shorty already has a hand made that you cannot beat.

I'm all for 'cooperation plays' - but only when it benefits ME. I love it when it gets checked down to my garbage which ends up hitting and being best. But if I think I can improve my chances by pushing out my 'partner', well......

Remember, play to win!

Daniel Negreanu has 2 articles on this topic:

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/archives/?a_id=13113&m_id=53

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/archives/showarticle.php?a_id=13135&m_id=54