Yet another AK blind hand

[El Dukie]

Playing at Hawaiian Gardens this afternoon, I'm seated in an 8-16 game while waiting for a 15-30 seat. There are a couple people away from the table at the moment, so we're 7-handed when the following hand comes up:

UTG raises. From the one hour I've been sitting at the table, he appears to be the most competent non-2+2 player in the game. He's a little loose, but fairly aggressive, and he hasn't been showing down junk. He seems to play pretty well postflop, and he's been paying attention, which sticks out in this game. I have to give him credit for a real hand. UTG + 2 and the CO both cold-call (both seem to be the typical L.A.-sort who cold-call an UTG raiser with marginal hands), SB folds, and it's back to me in the BB. I've got A /images/graemlins/heart.gif K /images/graemlins/club.gif. I think about reraising, but I don't like my position relative to the raiser so I opt to call and see if I can connect.

Flop is 4 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 4 /images/graemlins/club.gif 9 /images/graemlins/club.gif. -Whiff- Though I doubt that hit the PFR, either. I check. UTG checks. UTG+2 bets, CO calls. I'm getting 10-1 on a call. I really don't think UTG+2 has a 4. (He's the type I'd expect to try waiting to raise the turn with a 4.) I think a 9, smaller pair, or club draw is most likely. I'm a little concerned that UTG might raise, but I call. UTG, of course, raises. Okay, so I think he probably has TT - AA. I suppose 99 is possible, too, but not as likely. I'm willing to fold to a 3-bet now, but UTG+2 just calls as does CO. Now I'm getting 15-1. I call with my overcards and backdoor draw.

Turn card is a beautiful K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. Okay, so if UTG has the big pair I put him on, he's got 18 possible TT - QQ combinations (that I beat), but only 1 KK and 3 AA (and 3 99 too.) Meaning I'm almost 3-1 to be best. If my read is correct. Though if he does have KK, AA, or 99, I'm drawing mighty thin. I check. UTG bets. UTG+2 calls, CO now folds, I checkraise, UTG 3-bets, UTG+2 folds. Here's where I went all weak-tight: Since I'm getting better than 13-1, I know that I have to at least call him down here. Being a wuss, I only call. I don't reraise. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

River is a complete brick. 6 /images/graemlins/heart.gif or something. I check. He bets. I call. He turns over TT. MHIG. So, I made the correct read. And I acted on it on the turn. Initially. Then I wussed out and went into weak-tight-call-for-the-size-of-the-pot mode. I think he would have had to call a turn 4-bet from me, and probably called me on the river if I bet again. So I left at least 1 BB on the table. Yes, I'd have been risking 2 bets (if he 5-bets my 4-bet on the turn) to win 1, but I was nearly a 3-1 favorite over the hands I put him on. /images/graemlins/mad.gif (Though, obviously, once he 3-bets the turn I should probably adjust my odds a bit....)

Comments?

[James282]

Without reading the rest of the post, reraise preflop.
-James

[James282]

Having read the rest of the hand, I think you got 1 more bet than you would have by reraising the turn.
-James

[JasonP530]

Can you explain why you would reraise preflop? Many people advocate this, and I dont see why, especially against a competent(non maniacal) raiser.

Your hand will play very poorly after the flop if you miss and are forced to take bets off. If you miss without reraising, you can check fold(or bluff, since noone knows you dont have a 4/9/club draw), and you will know exactly where the UTG is by his play.

If you reraise, you lose the opportunity to outplay him after the flop and essentially turned it into a race if you miss and he has a pocket pair(plus, if an A or K comes, he can check fold because he puts you there). Reraising will only get him to muck AQ and AJ earlier, which is not necessarily good.

[James282]

[ QUOTE ]

Your hand will play very poorly after the flop if you miss and are forced to take bets off. If you miss without reraising, you can check fold(or bluff, since noone knows you dont have a 4/9/club draw), and you will know exactly where the UTG is by his play.

If you reraise, you lose the opportunity to outplay him after the flop and essentially turned it into a race if you miss and he has a pocket pair(plus, if an A or K comes, he can check fold because he puts you there). Reraising will only get him to muck AQ and AJ earlier, which is not necessarily good.

[/ QUOTE ]

The hand doesn't play poorly if you miss, you do. You don't lose the opportunity to outplay him if you reraise unless you can't outplay him. Can't you represent a big pair if he also has AK? Won't he still pay you off with worse aces and kings if you flop an ace? You reraise because you have what is very likely the best hand or a hand that is likely to be the best hand by the river, ESPECIALLY against multiple opponents. Forget about the raiser for a second - what about the limping clowns? Don't you want to punish them when you almost always have the most equity?
-James

[Cactus Cactus]

About the re-raise pre-flop...I really do like your comments about why not to re-raise on the flop. I remember reading in S&M that you don't want to raise AJ, i think AQ too if it is called to you, and you have the option to put in another raise. However I do remember the book stating that AK just has so much preflop equity that it is necessary to make the raise.

Applying that information to this situation is quite tough. It is hard to tell if you AK really has that much equity (considering that it was a raise from UTG. If you do 3 bet it you will have a harder time check raising in this very big pot. Which would be very helpful if a A or a K were to pop. So calling from the big blind I do believe would be the best option.

As for the turn play I believe that a 3 bet on the turn would indicate at least an AK at worse. I see that he had TT, now for a good player that a re raise with TT would be likely or a pair under Kings. If he is a good player I have got to believe that you are tied or beat. I believe that calling down from there would be the right play. I see how you are talking about all the other combinations, however 3 bets on the turn rules out many of them.

[JasonP530]

You bring up an interesting point about equity. You probably get more equity that way, though it is harder to play after the flop. You need to hit though, because I am sure neither of those cold callers is laying down a pair if they happen to make one. If you 3 bet and miss, do you bet the flop, or check and call?

[steveyz]

You played it fine. If he's gonna 3-bet that turn check-raise with TT, let him. Especially if he's gonna fire again on the river. With your call on the flop and turn check-raise, you pretty much spelled it out that you have AK. He's representing AA/KK/99. I'd adjust my read of him.