home game NLHE hand

blinds are 1-2. friendly game but no one likes losing.


I am UTG with 10-10 and decide to limp. I limped because the game was about to break. I was stuck and wanted a chance at a big pot. There was a good chance of stealing the blinds with a raise. stack sizes are all pretty close except for one guy who has me covered by alot.


next guy raises to 10. 5 callers, including small blind. very unusual for this game.


when the action gets back to me I re-raise to 80. everyone folds except for small blind. sb thinks for awhile and then calls. sb has about as many chips as myself (around $180 left in my stack). before we see the flop sb says "check dark". sb is not a fear inducing player.


flop is Q-9-3.


what's your action?

I prefer to limp with these pairs and would not have raised preflop. If the ten flops, pound away; otherwise you can release out just $10.


When you raise preflop, best scenario is you pick up the $50 and usual scenario is you get called by one player then face overcards without the set on the flop, the situation you're in here. If you commit, you put your whole stack at risk with second pair; if you don't you concede the pot. Neither situation is good, and the preflop raise is what got you there. Best to avoid the situation altogether.


Matt

Interesting hand! In your estimation, what will this player do if you check and he has no pair after the turn? If he's likely to move on the pot, you don't know if your hand is good unless you can read him. This probably suggests going in on the flop and making him guess. Hopefully he's not quessing with a pair of queens.


Hmmm - now that I read my last paragraph I ask myself why get broke on a cruddy pair of tens? The pot's already large, and I probably had the best hand before the flop and likely still do, but if he calls I'm probably beat. Still, I HATE it when I telegraph weakness and someone sticks it to me.


Fat-Charlie

The stack sizes are crucial in this situation.


If you are shortstacked, you have to go allin here. I figure that means having about 200 or less in front of you preflop. You have to move in. If you had AA, you'd have to check. But with TT, you don't want him to outdraw, just take the pot now while you can. If he hit his three outer and has a Q, so be it.


If you have a big stack, like over 700 in front of you preflop, you should bet 100 and fold to a raise. Simple.


If you have a medium stack of around 500, you should probably check and see what he does on the turn. If he checks the turn, bet 100 regardless. Fold if he bets into you. You said he was someone not to fear, so if he shows any aggression you're probably losing and can maybe even fold for your last 300 if he check-raises the turn here. This would be the stickiest situation of any of them and your judgment would have to be good.


natedogg

oops, didn't see that part!


Ok, you've got 180 which is a borderline situation in terms of going all-in right now. There's 220 in the pot so I say the 180 is still within the all-in range. Push.


His play up to now smells a lot like AK. If he outflopped you or has AA, so be it.


You MAY want to check and see what he does on the turn depending on how passive and predictable he is. If he's really truly someone not to fear as you suggest, you can check and the go all-in on the turn when he checks again. He's begging you to take it. If an A or K comes and he bets, you can safely fold.


natedogg

It looks like a bet to me, probably $90-120.

most times its an automatic large bet or allin move.

I moved in with the rest of my stack and was called. My 10-10 was good against 8-8.


one of the reasons I moved in was because the other player checked dark. In limit hold'em its been my experience that this means the player isn't real proud of their hand but they will probably call a bet so as not to get bluffed out. I was pretty surprised I got called in this particular spot because it was a good size bet. even though I came out on top in this particular instance I have to wonder how often I'll end up with the winner when called in a similiar situation.

The answer is that you will rarely win if you get called, but you will rarely get called. You are making a protecting bet here with a hand like TT. You are betting that he missed the flop and don't want him to see the river because he certainly has overcards. Your hand is just WAY too vulnerable still, even if he has a queen.


In this case, he could only beat AK, so his call was terrible. He couldn't even beat AQ! Or AT!! What did he put you on, 77?


You weren't kidding when you said this player wasn't someone to fear. He held 88 and called $80 from out of position against a stack with only $180 left in it?


When am I invited? :)


natedogg