Rockets heads up, what's your plan after this flop?

[SeppDeitrich]

pre flop i smothcalled planing to raise a later street, probably 4th. But as the saying goes the even the best plans do not survive the first sight of the enemy. What is your plan after this flop?

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (8 handed)

Preflop: Sepp is MP1 with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, Sepp raises, MP2 folds, CO 3-bets, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, Sepp calls.

Flop: (7.40 SB) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Sepp checks, CO bets, Sepp calls.

Turn: (4.70 BB) 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Sepp checks, CO bets, Sepp calls.

River: (6.70 BB) 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Sepp bets, CO calls.

Final Pot: 8.70 BB

[dave44]

If I see the pre-flop raiser check this flop heads up, I'm saying he almost always has a king and is trying to slowplay it. Normally, I would bet this flop hoping he doesnt think I have much of anything and calls, but you managed to draw him in by checking, although who knows what he had.

[jmark]

Cap preflop.

Lead the flop?

[SoCalPat]

I think you misplayed this hand on every street until the river. You have to cap this hand PF. You're heads-up. Your earning potential from this hand is minimal. Don't leave bets out there when you have the best hand and you clearly have someone willing to play.

Now, here's why I think you should bet out the flop:

Let's say your opponent has a K. If you bet out the flop and he calls, and you bet the turn and he raises, you can probably drop. Total cost: 1.5 BB.

If you C/R the turn, it's going to cost you at least 2.5 BB, and that's if you can drop when he makes it 3. In any event, if he has a K, you're going to be facing a third bet when you C/R him.

Now, let's say your opponent doesn't have a K. Are you confident he'll call your turn C/R and pay you off on the river, too? He'll call you down with his 99-QQ, but he likely could shut it down when you bring out the C/R.

I just don't see any value for using a C/R here. You're either way behind or way ahead. You can minimize the amount you lose here, but it's highly unlikely you can extract any more out of your opponent by C/R'ing.

As for how you intended to play it, I don't know how the turn could scare you into changing your mind. That's as blanky as they come. It certainly didn't improve him. Carry out your plan.

In short, cap the flop and don't slow down until you get some resistence.

Now, if the flop contained only one K and you were raised on the flop, I would go for the C/R on the flop. Regardless of what falls, he'll bet out every time after you check. Go for the C/R here (unless another K falls).

[SeppDeitrich]

the flop really screwed me up. I no longer knew what to do.

[HajiShirazu]

I know the two kings are a bit scary but with two aces in your hand and two kings on the board, it's far less likely that your opponent has AK than one of the other big pairs.
Not capping preflop isn't that bad heads-up, I probably wouldn't do it either. I would have just bet the flop and hoped to be raised...this is a poor flop not because of the fear of being behind but because a turn checkraise could induce a fold from a hand that would call down on most other boards. A bet doesn't mark your hand for having a king but a turn checkraise does, also you risk a 3-bet on the turn in the rare event that your opponent has a king.

[k000k]

[ QUOTE ]
Not capping preflop isn't that bad heads-up, I probably wouldn't do it either.

[/ QUOTE ]
Why do you say that? The CO 3bet you, he likes his hand a lot. He'll call one more, you're guaranteed to have the best hand PF, put the $$ in!

[ QUOTE ]
this is a poor flop not because of the fear of being behind but because a turn checkraise could induce a fold from a hand that would call down on most other boards. A bet doesn't mark your hand for having a king but a turn checkraise does, also you risk a 3-bet on the turn in the rare event that your opponent has a king.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you cap preflop, there's more $$ in the pot, so maybe he'll be more inclined to call with those hands he would have folded to a C/R but called down for 1 bet. Plus, if you get 3bet back, THEN you can start worrying about a K.

I dont like calling this down, you are getting absolutely ZERO info about CO's hand. AA isn't the nuts to slowplay, and it's not a weak hand to play scared. I bet out the flop and hope for a raise. If I get raised on the flop, I'll call it and C/R the turn. I don't beleive in the K until these 2 things BOTH happen, AND I get 3bet on the turn.. If you bet out and just get called, I think you're home free.

[SeppDeitrich]

I agree with this post KoooK, i think i played this hand too softly after the flop. In this case i doubt my line cost me too much, but in general i did bad.

as for not re-raising pre flop, i like changing up my play a bit, especially heads up I re-raise this 90% of the time this is probably only the 2nd time in my poker career that i havn't put in the last raise pre flop when i have AA.