Bad luck or bad play?

[deception5]

Hi all,

I was playing a game last night and my losses were mostly due to one hand so I was curious if I should have given up earlier or stayed in.

Game is .05/.10 microlimits on Pacific (hey I'm just starting!). The table is full and almost everyone is on the pot and I have pocket 2's on the button so I limp in hoping to get the set.

The flop comes up 10/3/2 and someone in middle position bets and I raise. He reraises and I cap. I figure he may have top pair or an overpair (maybe even two pair).

On the turn comes a 10 so I'm pretty happy now with my full house so I cap it again with the same better. By this point there's only one other person in the betting with us. 3 cards of the flush are on the board so I'm hoping at least one of them was chasing that.

I can put him on a bunch of other hands but very few of them beat me at this point. I'm not too worried about pocket 10's (I figure he would have raised this preflop) and pocket 3's while possible are unlikely. I'm guessing a 10 a flush an overpair or a bluff.

The river is a blank and we cap again (maybe I should have slowed down?). We flip over and sure enough he has 10-3 for 10's over 3's.

So should I have realized this at the turn/river when he didn't back off? When the board paired should I have just checked/called? I figured there was just as good of a chance he had an overpair, 2 pairs, or a flush (and if he started with a higher set I knew I was beaten regardless, but that should be pretty rare).

Thanks for your help!
Deception5

[dfscott]

One of the old cliches in Hold'em is that if you flop a set and lose, you didn't play it right if you didn't lose a lot of chips.

You're definitely going to the river in this one. Capping the flop is correct, particularly with a low set. The turn is definitely something to worry about, but I wouldn't slow down here. It's very possible that he has a set and thinks you were on 2-pair on the flop. I cap the turn, but when he bets into me again on the river, I might slow down. I worry about TT here -- there are many people that won't raise this pre-flop. I'd probably just call the river bet.

10-3 from MP? I'd forgotten how awful those Pacific players can be.

[onegymrat]

Hi D5,

Welcome to the site. Although your game will improve in different ways from participating in these forums, you must learn that monsters do exist (2+2 cliche - monsters under the bed) when it's fairly obvious. You stated yourself that almost everyone is in the pot. This type of game requires a different type of adjustment. The possiblity that you are behind is very real. Your 22 is the fifth-high full house. I would have raised the turn also, called the 3-bet and called him down on the river.

[ QUOTE ]
The river is a blank...

[/ QUOTE ]
You can't get more "blank" than 2 or 3. Post the actual card next time.

Good luck.

[dfscott]

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
The river is a blank...

[/ QUOTE ]
You can't get more "blank" than 2 or 3. Post the actual card next time.

[/ QUOTE ]
Heh -- I was thinking the same thing. I just assumed a 7 or something?

[AKQJ10]

[ QUOTE ]
You can't get more "blank" than 2 or 3. Post the actual card next time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought a "blank" was a small card that didn't help any player? Unless i don't really understand the term, neither a deuce nor a trey would be a "blank" in the context stated.

[Greg J]

Intersting name... welcome to the boards.

I suggest you check out the micro limit forum.

I started at the Paradise nano-limits too. You will work your way up there with good play. I built the beginings of my current BR there starting at the .02/.04 tables. The guys up at .25/.5 are just as bad.

Post your hands on the micro forum for comments and you should be crushing .05/.1 before long.

/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Greg

[onegymrat]

Hi Broadway,

You are correct. A "blank" is a term generally used to describe a card that doesn't appear to help your opponents. Normally, any 2 or 3 will fit into that description in the midst of a strong board. In this case, however, the 2 and 3 were already on the board, and poster omitted to state the river card. What appears to be a "blank" to him, may be a gold card to the opponent. For example, 10 with a 6,7,8,9 or J will often be played in any position in low-limit games, especially if they're suited. Therefore, poster needs to understand why his continued reraises were bad plays.

[RydenStoompala]

It was not terrible play on your part, but the smaller of two boats was possible on the turn. You would know better than us if someone in the game was likely to think 10-3 was a playable hand. At those limits you'll get three raises called with 7-2 offsuit, pre-flop, so the "monster under the bed" analogy is more appropriate. If you want to be picky, you may have backed off a couple of bets on the river. If this is your biggest blow-up in micro, you're doing OK.

[afk]

Hey there, I miiiiight consider slowing down on the river, but I think you played it well. Sucks to lose, but you'll win this one most of the time. And don't worry that you're down there playing $.05/.10 tables! I started at Stars $.05/.10 in February and I can say I think it was the best way to learn the game on a limited budget. I'm playing Party $.5/1 now and moving to $1/2 probably in another couple weeks or so.

[SeppDeitrich]

i think you should just call the river, but the flop and turn is ok. Sometimes you will lose big pots, that's just the way the game is. with this hand you are going to lose a fair bit of money all the time.

[deception5]

Hi all!

Thanks for all the great responses! I'll definitely have to slow down next time I'm in a similar situation - I think the flush possibility is what made me believe I still had the best hand, but considering there was a pair on the board, there are plenty of ways I could have been beaten.

By the way dfscott was right on - it was a 7 on the river... I just thought it was a blank because it didn't help either of us... sorry for the confusion!

Thanks again for all the help!
Deception5