AK to the river

[prayformojo]

MP3 is an interesting player. He played more than half his hands, rarely raised pre-flop, and was aggressive post-flop but often overplayed his hands in a peculiar way. I had seen him several times check/call the flop with some piece of it, then come out guns blazing on the turn unimproved, sometimes with two overcards to his pair, or three or four of a suit on the board versus his flopped trips. Whenever I had a decent hand heads up against him and the pot was large I was making a point of calling him down. It won me far more than folding to him would have lost.

The Button was new to the table, so no read at all.


Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif. CO posts a blind of $2.
<font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="666666">2 folds</font>, MP3 calls, CO (poster) checks, Button calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button calls.

Flop: (11 SB) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 4/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls, CO folds, <font color="CC3333">Button raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, MP3 calls, <font color="CC3333">Button caps</font>, Hero calls, MP3 calls.

Turn: (12 BB) T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">MP3 bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Button raises</font>, Hero calls, MP3 calls.

River: (18 BB) A/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">MP3 bets</font>, Button calls, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 21 BB

[prayformojo]

Small hand history problem. UTG+1 folded to my flop 3-bet.

[Eihli]

I fold the turn. I don't think you've got a full ten outs here. There is a club draw that might hit the same time you make your hand costing you money when you hit. Two big bets is a lot to call with a gutshot and overcards in this pot.

[balkii]

i'm having a hard time understanding the flop 3-bet.

[Eihli]

Heads up against a guy who could have any 2 cards?

[balkii]

are we reading the same hand?
you have AK
flop is J94
there are two other players in the pot and you are out of position.

tell me why you are 3-betting?

[Eihli]

My mistake, I thought the button was the one that he described as a maniac in his post. 3betting then would push MP3 (a regular player) out and get him heads up with someone who has any 2 cards. I'm not defending the 3 bet either way. I'm just saying what I think he would say if he were defending it.

I think you can safely fold the turn here. Even if MP3 is as crazy as you say, the presence of the button, and really only 4 non dubious outs on a 6:1 call make this an easy fold.

[Rico Suave]

prayformojo:

How about checking the flop?

--Rico

[prayformojo]

Edit: Mixed up my hands.

Button didn't check raise the flop though, he raised after you bet and everyone else had called. This certainly doesn't necessarily mean flush draw, it could mean KJ, AJ, QJ, two pair, who knows what else.

[prayformojo]

You're right. I mixed up hands from last night. Forget flush draw feelings. I simply hoped to wipe out at least one of my opponents and increase my chances of winning.

[prayformojo]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you can safely fold the turn here. Even if MP3 is as crazy as you say, the presence of the button, and really only 4 non dubious outs on a 6:1 call make this an easy fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have three absolutely clean-as-a-whistle outs on the turn: the three non-club queens. I think it is safe to give myself at least two outs for my overcards to make top pair. I am getting 7.5:1, not 6:1 to coldcall the turn bet.

I hate coldcalling. I would rather punch myself in the face. But this pot was huge, and I still have two very good cards and a decent draw. I am willing to let go of it on the river unimproved. Is this turn call chip-spewing, or simply marginal?

You're right, it is 7.5:1 on the call, I wasn't paying attention. I think the problem is that three cards are in the typical "playing zone" for party players, especially since they didn't have to call two cold. I could see button having J10 and mp3 having J9 here.

[zimmer879]

Even if you were getting proper odds on the turn call, which you're not, you're still facing the possibilty of a re-raise from MP3, who just bet out into the flop capper. I also think you're being generous giving your overcards 2 outs for top pair. The fact that you have squeaky clean outs in this huge pot makes it a tough fold, but do it anyway.

[prayformojo]

All right, I'm not getting a lot of support for either the flop 3-bet or the turn call (although I still think the latter is safe). The results, I have to admit, were a pleasant surprise to me:

MP3 shows K/images/graemlins/heart.gif J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif for one pair, jacks
Button shows T/images/graemlins/club.gif 6/images/graemlins/club.gif for one pair, tens
Hero shows A/images/graemlins/heart.gif K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif for one pair, aces, and MHIG