how aggressively do you play big hands?

[dethgrind]

I've been having trouble lately deciding whether I'm playing my really big hands correctly. Here are three situations:

1) You're in the small blind with Qd5d. The tourney has just started (ten people are in), everyone has ~1500, blinds are 10/20. Four limp, you complete, big blind checks. 6 people see the flop, 120 in the pot.

Flop comes 4s Ad 8d, everyone checks. Turn comes 6d. You bet 60 (half-pot), big blind doubles it, everyone folds to you. How do you play it?

2) You're in middle position with QsQc. Again, this is the start of the tourney, everyone is at ~1500, blinds are 15/30. UTG raises to 60, one caller, you raise to 175, everyone folds to UTG who calls, as does the other caller. Three people see the flop, 570 in the pot.

Flop comes 6s Qh 3c. They check to you, you also check. Turn comes 7h. They check to you again. What do you do?

3) You're in middle position with 8s8c. Again, this is the start of the tourney, everyone is at ~1500, blinds are 10/20. One early caller, you call, two call behind you, small blind completes, big blind checks. 6 people see the flop, 120 in the pot.

Flop comes 2s 7d 8d. The blinds check, early player bets 50, you raise to 200, late player calls, better calls. Turn comes Ac. Early player checks to you. What's the right play?

These are all 30+3 games at pokerroom.

[Desdia72]

1. i would've bet more than half the pot on the turn. also i would have probably bet the flop too instead of checking. i'm the type of person that's looking to find out as early as possible if somebody with a King suited hand is in on the pot. plus, a nice bet on the flop (more than half the size) may win it for you here.
2. i would have bet strongly at the pot on the flop (which is a rainbow) instead of checking, say pot sized. there is no hand that beats yours right now, so anyone with pocket Kings or Aces is in bad shape. you don't want to slowplay a hand like this (i know i don't).
3. i think you played the flop fine on this hand. somebody might have a flush draw, though. i'd say bet the pot on the turn and be mindful of a reraise.

[dethgrind]

In #1, you're first to act on a 6-handed flop with an ace on board. Are you sure you want to bet it into that field?

In #2, suppose you accidentally checked the flop. How do you play the turn?

In #3 there's 720 in the pot on the turn and you have ~1280. Do you still bet the pot, or do you push?

[chill888]

When you flop a set, you need to be very aware of what potential straights and flushes are out there. In your second and third scenario, I might check post flop especially if if in early position and the game has been pretty tight and aggressive.

But if you bet out and win right there, just be happy for the chips. Better than an ugly river.

Checking after the turn is asking for trouble unless you think there is a great chance of someone betting into you. If you do it be ready to discount your hands value dramatically if the board is three suited or straight possibilities exist. Persoanlly, when i have a great hand I don't like to give too many free cards, especially against a lot of players.

You get in a real dilemma if someone makes a big bet or raise.



Good luck

[eMarkM]

1), I would make a pot sized raise here and be willing to go all-in. If he has Kxd, so be it. You have to play this aggressively once you've been raised.

2) I like the flop check, let another hand catch up or try to bluff you. There are no draws on this board so the slow play is fine. Bet about half the pot on the turn acting like you're buying it. You probably won't get any action, but you should bet the turn.

3) Pot it. There are draws out there and someone who caught an A on the turn may pay you off.

[SixgunSam]

Here's my opinion for what it's worth:

1) I would have bet 90 on the flop to build up the pot in case I made my flush, it would also give me information on who else has a hand with that board. A lot of the time, I like to bet my 4 to a flush and open-ended straight draws because it's deceptive when they hit and you have the opportunity of taking down the pot right there. If I did check, I would have bet about 100 on the turn. If I played it exactly as you layed out, I would put in a pretty big re-raise after he doubled my raise, maybe 3x the pot. He might have the K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif and he is semi-bluffing or more than likely he has two pair or something because it is the big blind, something like 86 or 46. I wouldn't give him a chance to draw a full house.

2) I don't usually re-raise a 3x raise with QQ that early, I would probably flat call. Say the guy came back over the top of you all-in, that would be a really hard call IMO. With KK or AA I probably make that re-raise. I might slowplay and check that flop, but probably not early in the tournament when I don't have a read. If I did slowplay, I would take the pot down on the turn. I wouldn't want someone to check their way to a flush and beat my hand.

3) One of those guys is drawing at a flush and one probably has an ace. I would bet the pot.

Early, I'm content to make what I can and I expect to do my real damage later when the blinds put more in the pot and I have a good feel for my table. In a ring game, I slowplay more often than a tournament situation.

[tallstack]

Hand 1) There are so many ways to play this one in my mind. FWIW, I would likely reraise to about t300. If you are re-raised again then I would go all-in. I wouldn't be real happy to see a fourth diamond on the river, but I wouldnot lay this down.

Hand 2) I would bet about t400. You have already given a free card to let them catch up and another low card came. You are still likely pretty far ahead, but why let someone have a free flush in the off-chance they have the hearts.

Hand 3) Very different than hand 2 IMO. The board has lots of draws and people can have a huge range of hands in an unraised pot. I would play this very fast. The turn Ac is a great card, it doesn't complete any draw and hopefully someone made 2 pair. There is t720 in the pot already, so you could bet a little less than the pot, or since a pot bet is over half your remaining chips, you could just push here as I think someone will call.

Dave S

[RPatterson]

1. I think this dude is making a shitty semi-bluff so I'm going to call and check the river praying that he bluffs.

2. Bet 425.

3. Bet 400.

[SeppDeitrich]

1) reraise pot
2) check
3) bet pot

[dethgrind]

Solid advice, thanks guys. In all these situations, I either bet (or raised) the pot, or went all in (obeying the 30%-40% rule), and my opponents folded. This seemed to be a good play in hands 1 and 3, with the flush and set of eights. With the set of queens (hand 2) I probably should have bet less. All the same, good stuff.