What is a cooler in poker and how to avoid too expensive calls

By knowing the basic words and meanings in gambling, bettors can avoid mistakes and demonstrate their erudition. In poker, the term cooler refers to a situation in which players are forced to participate in a game with a large pot due to the presence of extremely strong cards. The word is most often used to describe someone who is on the losing end of a particular round. Example usage: ‘He did well in the tournament, but ran into a poker cooler before the final table’. In this context, a cooler is associated with a bad beat, when a player behaved correctly but was unlucky.

It is impossible to avoid such situations completely, even if you choose an online casino with a licence and a good history. They are an integral part of the game dynamics. However, experienced players can reduce the number of such situations by reading their opponents more accurately, studying their statistics more closely, and analysing their strategies on the following streets of the game.

Two starting hands: the match starts

Masterful poker strategies can lead players to face challenges, such as coolers – moments when it seems that the decisions were correct, but bad luck still struck the hand. These unavoidable scenarios highlight the importance of clear analysis of the situation and careful reading of the opponents. One of the typical cases when a cooler occurs is a collision of strong starting hands on the preflop. When players with a high stack and promising cards are forced to fight each other, like Maxim, who holds a pair of aces (AA), and Nikita, with a royal pair (KK). In such moments, preflop betting is considered a wise decision, despite the possibility of being in the cooler.

Another option for the cooler is a powerful hit in the postflop. The opponents, despite the strength of their combinations, cannot give up, and the hand develops in a tense moment. An example of this is the situation with Vanessa Selbst at the 2017 World Series of Poker, where she was eliminated with full house AAA77 against quad sevens. Undoubtedly, cooler situations can be unprofitable in the short run, but in the long run, they even out. Professionals who rely not only on online casino bonuses but also on dry statistics assume that winning with A-A against K-K preflop all-in is not something special and look at these moments as part of the inevitability. The term ‘cooler’ is better translated as ‘setup’. Newcomers sometimes confuse the concepts of ‘bad beat’ and ‘cooler’, with the former implying a loss with a high probability of winning, while the latter is a set of circumstances in which even the right decisions can lead to failure.

Read also: What is a call in poker?

Poker cooler: don’t panic

Developing a tactic that completely avoids encountering coolers in poker seems to be an illusory task. The essence of the game is that each participant can be the owner of any starting hand that is comparable to the hand of his opponent. The probability that both players will have outstanding combinations in their hands, although not high, always remains within the range of positive values. However, situations with coolers are diverse. In some of them, a player finds himself with zero chances of winning, while in others, he has minimal prospects of winning. Of course, there are also situations when everything goes in favour of the player, and he ‘cools’ his opponent.

Most gambling enthusiasts are familiar with coolers thanks to exciting moments at large tournaments or in high-stakes games. This fascinating drama, for example, when a player makes a quad, not knowing that his opponent has an even stronger hand, keeps poker popular. Interesting game scenarios contribute to the appeal of poker, as do spectacular badbeats. Some regular bettors may find both of these phenomena offensive. However, those who make balanced and profitable decisions do not lose heart.

Cases that do not fall under the definition of ‘cooler’

Beginners and amateurs often misinterpret the term ‘cooler’. They can lose on the showdown to a strong opponent’s combination and claim that they were ‘cooled’, without paying attention to the context of the hand. Additional information may reveal that erroneous and unprofitable decisions were made. Common mistakes and excuses include:

• Exaggerating the chances of winning the pot. This mistake is often made by players who evaluate their hand solely by its absolute strength. For example, an opponent calls on a paired river with no position. It can be difficult to call a bet with a nut flush. To play the odds, you need 33% equity. These odds can be found against an opponent with a balanced strategy who knows how to bluff. But against a straightforward player, you will have a full house in 100% of cases.
• It’s too strong a hand to fold. The only hand that cannot be folded is a royal flush. With the rest, there are theoretically possible situations when folding is necessary. The decision depends on the opponent’s statistics, his playing style and the history of his actions on the previous streets. If the information indicates that the opponent is ahead, you should fold.
• The opponent’s statistics leave no chance for a fold. Statistics is an auxiliary tool, not the only criterion for making decisions. If the opponent’s actions clearly indicate his strength, the player should be ready to fold. For example, a maniac makes three-betting in a very woody board – it is not advisable to open it on the third or fourth nuts. The opponent may be aggressive, but this does not exclude the possibility that he has good cards. The strength of an experienced player lies in the ability to understand the game and think one level deeper than his opponents.

Neglecting information about the opponent

It is wise to avoid triple-barreling against a tight opponent on a board with limited opportunities, especially if he is active preflop, trying to steal the blinds or the rest. The opponent’s range is shifted towards premium and Broadway starting hands, and there may be no bluffs in his strategy. Therefore, it becomes impractical to make multiple aggressive moves without absolute nuts, especially since the range is narrowing with each opponent’s round.

For its part, ignoring information is reflected in chirocalls against passive opponents. If the statistics show a low frequency of opponent’s aggression and he makes an overbet, it should be a cause for concern. Regardless of the strength of the hand, you should seriously consider the possibility of folding.

Appearance of potential draws on the board

Beginners often pursue draws without assessing their real chances, but sometimes the necessary cards do fall. It is important to avoid paying for ready-made combinations, otherwise unsuccessful pot-odds of your opponents can turn into profitable splits. Also, the strategy requires caution in case of unexpected all-ins, overbets or uncharacteristic large bets from the opponent. Do not overestimate the combinations that turn into outsiders due to dangerous cards.

Overestimating the strength of the hand

Even a flush draw from the flop seems to be an invincible hand, but less strong hands may have a redraw. A set or a double up can improve to a full house. The appearance of a pair of identical cards on the board narrows the opponent’s range. There are two reasons to think about the appropriateness of a big blind:

• The opponent calls closed full houses.
• The opponent folds all losing hands.

Thus, it is impossible to knock out the strongest combinations or extract them from the weak ones. The best solution is to check.

Read also: What is a Button in Poker.

Common mistakes of beginners

The following mistakes are common for beginners due to inattention or insufficient theoretical training:

• Neglecting dangerous cards on the turn or river.
• Incorrect assessment of the bank’s chances.
• Ignoring situations when the opponent has 100% nuts.
• A misconception like ‘everyone around you is bluffing’, which is especially destructive on micro-limits.

Unfortunately, there is no universal recipe that will make you indifferent to coolers in poker. However, you can reduce their frequency by improving the assessment of your opponents’ ranges, keeping records, and properly narrowing the ranges during the hands. The only right advice is to learn and practice, and then the emotional swings in poker will be less vivid. Read more information about the gambling industry in our blog.

FAQ: What is a cooler in poker?