Explanation of Card Removal
Card removal pertains to the influence our hand exerts on the range of hands available to our opponents. For instance, when we hold the Ace of Diamonds, it eliminates the possibility of our opponent also having that specific card. While the effects of card removal are typically minimal, they can sway our decisions in crucial situations. This term is often paired with the idea of 'blockers' or 'blocking effects'.
Using Card Removal in Conversation -> With the Ace of diamonds in our possession, it becomes less probable that our opponent has a flush because of the card removal impact.
Card Removal Poker Strategy
Let's outline two typical scenarios in Hold’em where players might take card removal into account.
1. Pre-flop 4bet bluffs with Ax-type hands. When we decide to 4bet bluff pre-flop in Hold’em, we have to be wary that our opponent could be holding pocket Aces, which might lead them to 5bet shove. By having one Ace in our hand, the card removal effect means that our opponent's possible combinations of Aces decrease. Normally, there are six combinations of AA available to them. However, holding an Ace ourselves reduces their combinations to just three.
2. Catching bluffs on rivers that complete flushes. When the river completes the diamond flush and our opponent places a substantial bet, we can't help but worry that they might have completed the flush. But because we possess the Ace of diamonds, this reduces the number of flush combinations our opponent could have. As a result, we might choose to call their bet.
It's also important to note that many players tend to overstate the significance of blocker effects. Take the Ace of diamonds bluff-catch example: if our opponent never bluffs on the river, the card removal effects become irrelevant, and we should ultimately fold. Therefore, one should only factor in card removal effects in situations that are already quite close. It's not uncommon for players to use them to justify calls that lead to significant losses.
See Also
Blocker , Blocker Bet , Bluffcatch , Four-bet