Poker After Dark - Cut Off in More Ways than One

  In the game of No Limit Texas Holdem position is very important. Where you sit at the table in relation to the dealer button determines how much information you will get before you have to act. The dealer button is the last position to go and thus gets the most information. The last person typically has an advantage; the person to the right of the dealer is called the Cut Off because he or she can cut the dealer out of the hand by betting a lot - picking up the last position that way.  In this particular hand during Hecklers' Week of NBC's hit poker show, Poker After Dark, Sam Grizzle showed how to play from the cut off position and Jean-Robert Bellande demonstrated how not to play a pair of fours.  Sam was holding: ... when he decided to raise it to $1,200 from the cut off. His move worked when the dealer folded but Robert, holding Sailboats: ... called from the small blind. The flop came down: ... a scary board for both players. Both elected to check it down to the turn. The turn was: ... and Robert checked, while Sam decided Robert's weakness was too good an opportunity to miss. He pushed forward $1,500, likely expecting to pick up the pot. Robert, however, called. The river card was another lady: ... At this point Robert had a real opportunity to steal the pot with a sizable bet. However he was likely already feeling bad that he had stayed in as long as he did when the whole board were over cards. He checked, as did Sam, who took down the pot with a pair of fives.