TPTK (monotone flop)

[SlyAK]

Hi all,

Wanted to get some thoughts on my play of this hand... particularly whether or not I should bet the flop. Prima 1/2 blinds, 200 max NL.

Relevant stacks
SlyAK (195)
UTG+2 (150)
CO (250)

My reads on the players is that UTG+2 is loose and poor, and CO seems decent and is at least reasonably tight.

I am dealt A /images/graemlins/club.gif Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif UTG+1 and open-limp. UTG+2 calls, CO calls, SB completes, BB checks. Pot $10.

Flop: Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif J /images/graemlins/heart.gif 7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

HMMMM.... Checked to me, and I decide to bet out for $10, this flop should scare away a lot of hands, and I dont want to give a free card to the A /images/graemlins/heart.gif

UTG+2 calls, and CO calls, both blinds fold. Pot $40.

Turn: A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Now I have top 2, but I have no idea where I stand. I figure CO would play a small to medium flush more aggressively to prevent a draw from beating him, so I put him on either the flopped nut flush or the nut draw. UTG+3 could have about anything. I check, and plan to fold to a big bet. It gets checked around.....

River: Q /images/graemlins/club.gif

I have Queen's full and lead out for $30... both players call me. Total pot $130.

How did I do??? And what did my opponents have?

Results to follow.

[smartalecc5]

How did you do? I think you won.

As for the other players, one flush, and the other had a set.

[cornell2005]

flop: obviously

turn: i actually like the check too. however, i probably wont fold to any bet, unless it really is something extreme/strange.

i dont see much point in building the pot here with 2 people still behind, and I'd rather call a bet from an ace than build a pot that i have to auto fold on the river if a heart comes, and may be drawing to 4 outs if someone has the flush. in addition, i want a pair and a busted flush draw to have a chance at getting money in on the river also, and clearly thats not going to happen with a turn bet. last, (and this is a smaller reason), you dont particularly like getting pushed off your hand on the river if a heart doesnt drop, and betting the turn and building the pot increases the chances of this happening. as the pot grows, the incentive to put a move on increases.

i think alot of players make the mistake of thinking "i have to charge draws here" and forget that checking may have other advantages that outweigh the "charging the draw" betting advantage.

[bunky9590]

[ QUOTE ]
think alot of players make the mistake of thinking "i have to charge draws here" and forget that checking may have other advantages that outweigh the "charging the draw" betting advantage.



[/ QUOTE ]

Well put. You have mega reverse implied odds here. Keep the pot small. Bet the flop check the turn. I actually call any small medium river bet that is no heart.

[fsuplayer]

Very well played Sly. I like your thinking on each street but will offer a bit of advice.

Throw out a much bigger bet on the river.

The most likely hands held by the others are a (almost) nut flush or a set, or both. (or a busted draw, but they arent calling anyways, so its a moot point). These hands will call a much bigger bet on the river.

I would lead out for about $60-70. That big bet combine with your turn check may get them to think that you were betting a high heart on the flop, checked the turn and bluffed big when you missed, either that or a flopped flush who wanted to CR. The set will call (or raise!) you everytime and the flopped flush will call you more than 80% of the time, so I would bet bigger here.

I could be wrong but I think that you'll see at the showdown that you could have gotten more out of 'em.



fsuplayer

[gomberg]

great post - very well said. When I have a great hand, I tend to bet larger than usual. Makes sense, right? Especially if others probably have a decent hand.

You have to vary it a little, but Mike Caro had a good little article about this concept. When deciding how large to bet, randomize it, but base it on the strength of your hand. So with a great hand, once in a while bet small, once in a while bet all-in, but most of the time bet large. With an average hand or semi-bluff, bet real small sometimes, bet large sometimes, but most of the time bet smaller than if you had a great hand.

[SlyAK]

Thanks for the comments as usual.

I wasnt planning to fold the turn to a small bet, but I think anything over 1/2 the pot or so. My reasoning is that if I am up against a made flush, I dont want to be faced with a large bet on the turn, and again on the river with a hand that is probably not good. (And I only have 4 outs to the boat).

Anyway UTG+2 showed 8 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 2 /images/graemlins/heart.gif for the flopped flush.

CO showed J /images/graemlins/diamond.gif J /images/graemlins/spade.gif for the flopped set and rivered boat. I am surprised that he didnt raise me on the river.

I agree with some of the comments about betting bigger on the river. If I had bet $60 or $70, the baby flush probably would still pay me off... (this guy isnt very good, he did limp with 82 soooooted). Also, the boat is obviously going to pay me off as well.

What do you think of the way my opponents played? I thought they both did a very poor job of protecting their hands. If I were in either one of their positions I would have raised the flop to protect my hand.

Sly