QQ - Threw Away The Winner

I was playing in a pretty loose 15-30 today with 4-5 players seeing every flop (even when raised). Everyone except me and the player to my right (let's call him Mike) is at best an average player. It's a great table! Anyways, the following hand comes up:


I'm UTG+1 with QdQs and open with a raise. Everyone calls except one middle position player and Mike (who was UTG). We see the flop 7-handed with $210 in the pot. The flop comes:


7h 9d 10h


Not the best flop for me, but I can deal with it. SM and BB check, I bet, and player to my immediate left raises. He's pretty loose and can have anything from a straight draw, flush draw, top pair, middle pair, etc. Anyways, I'm not too worried about his raise (he's done this before often), but I quickly become worried when only one player folds. It's back to me and I just call. If more players had dropped out, I think I would have 3-bet to get more information, but I decided not to because of the texture of the flop combined with the fact that there are still a total of 6 players in the hand. The pot is now at $390. The turn:


7h 9d 10h


Jesus, what a beautiful card! The SB checks and I think about betting to represent an ace, but it's also possible that at least one of the other players behind me has made two pairs. I decide to check and it gets checked around! At this point, I'm still not crazy about the hand, but I might be good. The river:


7h 9d 10h Ad 10c


Now I'm not only faced with the chance that someone has an ace, but also with the fact someone just made trip 10s. The SB fires a bet. BB folds and I'm pretty sure I'm beat. The SB is loose, but has shown down some pretty decent hands. Besides, why would he bet here if he didn't at least have an ace. Also, there are still 3 players behind me. I thought for few moments and decided to fold. Everyone folded to the button who then thought for an eternity. He asked if the SB would show his hand if he folded. The SB said sure. After the button folded, the SB showed 58o for a busted straigt draw! It was a great play on his part.


Anyways, I think I did the right thing by folding on the river. Sure, there was $420 in the pot, but with 3 players behind me and the SB betting out in his position, I figured there was no way in hell that my QQ was good. I later asked Mike (the other solid player on the table) if would have mucked the QQ and he said he would have played it the same way.


I guess I need to know from you guys if I was in a must call situation. If I was the last player left, I would have called for sure, but I felt that I couldn't win given the number of players left in the hand and the texture of the board. What would you guys have done?


BTW, the button had 6d7d. Would you have called with his hand (pair of 7s)?

Given the size of the pot, you should call. You also should have re-raised on the flop.

Jace,


Here's where I think you goofed, it's inside your midstreet editorializing,


"At this point [after everyone checked the turn], I'm still not crazy about the hand, but I might be good."


I'd be thinking that my hand was almost certainly good. And I'd be thinking that if the river is low or pairs the board, I'll be in for a showdown for one bet.


Maybe I pay off too much. But when the turn gets checked, I'm very untrusting on the river.


Tommy

golden rule #1 - when pot gets big, do not get yourself pushed out of the pot. i've learned this the hard way. hopefully readers here will appreciate this.

hey...give us a break...pleeeze..pretty pleeze with suger...gl

When the SB agreed to show, the button should have called for sure. That answer is screaming for a fold. I'll have to remember that one, it could come in handy. When the guy won't agree to show, that's the time to fold.

Sounds to me like your trying to find a way not to win the hand. Once it's checked on the turn, your feeling should have been yes my hand is good, and I will see you at the river. Always playing like the nuts is out, is no way to play.

I agree with Tommy regarding the river, if it's checked around on the turn, be suspicious on the river. Your decision was pretty tough, no doubt. I think it would have been easier to make had you bet the turn, as you would have had more info to work with. However, this is not a post regarding your turn play, it's about the river. And the big thing on the river is that when the pot is big, you should call more often than if the pot is small. If in doubt, it's only one more bet. That's not to say your decision wasn't still tough though, but if you NEVER throw away the winner, you're calling too much. Good post.


Dave in Cali