Party .5/1 -A9o

[Trix]

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif. CO posts a blind of $0.50.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, CO (poster) folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls, MP1 calls.

Flop: (7.50 SB) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 7/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, MP1 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB calls, MP1 folds.

Turn: (4.75 BB) 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB calls.

River: (6.75 BB) 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB calls.

Final Pot: 8.75 BB

Pretty sure I missplayed this somewhere...

[Sent]

Raising with A9o from MP?? I think I would've foled this PF

-Sent

[ElSapo]

I tend to check the river here. I can't seem to get people to fold often enough...

PF I like the raise.

EDIT -- Aces McGee was saying just today how he shows a profit betting all streets on blind steals and getting his opponent to fold the river. This is different, but the river bet may well be correct. And hey, maybe you got called by a worse hand.

[ElSapo]

[ QUOTE ]
Raising with A9o from MP?? I think I would've foled this PF

[/ QUOTE ]

You could, only you have a weak limper and a CO poster. I like the raise.

[nolanfan34]

Check behind on the river. Can't imagine BB calling all this time without at least some sort of pair. I'd expect to see something like 55 or 87s shown down here. You could even get called down by an ATo.

Checking also saves you a bet if BB is trying to C/R a made flush on the river. Not likely at that level, but possible.

Not sure I like the PF raise with that hand, because I'd really hate to have someone reraise behind me.

[Trix]

[ QUOTE ]
Not sure I like the PF raise with that hand, because I'd really hate to have someone reraise behind me

[/ QUOTE ]

This is not a reason not to raise. You also hate a reraise behind when you raise AQ from EP...

[Trix]

I wont do this earlier than MP3 and not without the poster.

[Trix]

I agree with the river check, though figuring that I am behind after the flop call and then taking the free card on the turn would be better against players who calls down with any pair, but not less. There aren´t many draws on this Qxx board.

[ElSapo]

[ QUOTE ]
There aren´t many draws on this Qxx board.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't like to generalize too much by limit, as I think there are quality players (and many) at all the limits. However, it's not too much out on a limb to say .5/1 players will often call with little-to-no draw.

I'd bet the turn before I gave in. You could be against someone trying to spike his deuce, but willing to fold the turn.

[huxbux]

I've shown a profit betting all streets on steal blind attempts. I will, if I have a good read on a player and am not played back at, fire "all three barrels".

No Flop%:16.67 Fold%:20 Ww/oSD%:50 WSD%:30 W$SD%:55.56

My steal success on PF is horrible, but I believe that's because PP .50/1 players can't stand to let someone steal there blinds and will call with almost anything.

[Brian]

Hi ElSapo,

I don't think that the CO poster means that our Hero should raise. If anything, it detracts from raising. While there is extra money in the pot, that also gives your opponents more incentive to play, both pre-Flop and post. Which means you'll have less of a chance of stealing. And, let's face it, A9o isn't all that great outside of stealing/isolating situations.

I think how to play when there are posters behind you is one of the most misunderstood things on our forums, and I wish we'd have another thread in Small Stakes with Dynasty, Clark, etc. contributing on how exactly one should play with a poster(s). I may be misunderstanding it myself. But, let's say you are in middle position, and there are 3 posters behind you. Should you open-raise with A9o? Sure, theres a lot of dead money in the pot, but you're almost certainly going to be playing a weak, offsuit hand out of position versus 2-3 opponents. You're just not going to take it down before the Flop, and I doubt very rarely that a bet will win you the pot on the Flop.

I think that this hand played out exactly how many of these situations will. Our Hero didn't flop a pair, and kept trying to force his opponents out of the pot. Meh. I'd fold pre-Flop.

-Brian

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
This is not a reason not to raise. You also hate a reraise behind when you raise AQ from EP...

[/ QUOTE ]

Which is why I often fold A9o if there are limpers in front of me. I will open raise with it in late position if folded to me. AQ can handle a re-raise better, as I think it can still be played profitably if your opponents will 3-bet with JJ, TT, KQs, or AJs. A9 can easily be dominated by hands like ATs, AJs, AQo, AQs, that are other possible 3-bet hands at the micro limits. I think there's a big difference there.

[blackaces13]

Its been said by others but I think its worth reiterating, the river bet is bad. The guy almost certainly has you beaten and its very unlikely that he will fold a better hand than you or call with a worse one. If he's got pocket 2's or 23o and he's a true blue PP .5-1er he's calling here.

[ElSapo]

Hey Brian...

I'd love to see comment from more experienced posters on this because I've begun raising one MP limper with less and less these days.

The fact that CO posted does mean he's more likely to call - just how much moreso, I don't know. But I think you have to work out if he will call with a worse hand. And if the CO will call with any two, or a worse hand that A9o, then I think the raise may still be ok.

Obviously I'd prefer he fold. But if he'll call with a dominated hand, I want his call.

In addition, I think a some of the plays at this limit, against weak players, are driven by the ability to outplay your opponents post-flop. And this is probably most true in steal and isolation situations, where you suddenly have much more agression and more bets going in than would have if the players were a few more steats to the right.

I'm not claiming to be an authority here, and I'd love to see more on this from better players. But of late I'm raising weak limpers with hands down to around JT and the like, and thus far it seems to be working out. A9o falls into the category I'd play in this spot.

As for how the hand played out, the river check is the right play, I agree.

ElSapo