some PLH hands

Here are some PLH hands:


blinds are 1-2, full table, stacks around 200-300 mostly, two big stacks with more than a grand, I have about 500.


Hand 1:

I raise AKo from middle position, one caller behind me. Flop is KQx, twotone. I bet the pot, he calls.

Turn KQxT, no flush. I check, he checks.

River comes K.


What s my play?


Hand 2:

I raise with AA UTG, two callers. Flop 772, I bet, one caller. we both have big stacks. Turn wonderful A, I bet, he still calls. River 7.


whats my play?


Hand 3:

I raise late position with AKo, one caller, BB calls. FLop comes AJ9 two tone. I bet, he calls. Turn 7 offsuit. I bet, he raises.


?


I am relatively new to PLH, although I have some PL experience, mostly Omaha and Omaha8 in Europe.

So far I am losing at PLH, due to a horrible start with awful plays. The games I play in have a lot of players cold calling pot raises preflop with hands like KTo or AJo, practically no reraises preflop and lots of hands like J4s, that will raise their flushes against two opponents. So in my opinion, I see lots of mistakes they make that I would not make. Still, I am having trouble beating the games. I tend to have a tough time with hands like Hand 1 and 3.


Any advice will be appreciated (Natedogg?)


Stephan

Hand #1, check-call to induce a bluff and pay off the least if you are losing. If you know the player well, you can adjust based on that. i.e. if he NEVER bluffs on the river, check-fold. If he has even the slightest propensity to bet when checked to on the river, check-call is your most profitable move here. If he is an absolute passive calling station who simply will not raise without the nuts, bet.


Hand #2, Bet the river, he probably has an ace or possibly even a pocket pair bigger than 7.


Again, if there's something you know about this player that would help your decision, you can use that to adjust. Such as, he simply would not call the turn with only an ace. He'd either call with a 7 or raise with an ace. If you have a read like that on your opponent, you can act on it. Otherwise, he's going to take all your money when he as quads and you're going to take all his money when he has an ace. That's the way it goes.


Hand #3, fold, unless you are pot stuck. For instance, if you bet $100 into a $100 pot, and he raises, but you only have $50 left, you have to call. If you can cover a full pot-sized checkraise, you definitely need to fold here. Very few players will check-raise a preflop raiser who has stayed aggressive until the turn. They almost always can beat a lone top pair. And I'll add one more time, if you know the player well, you can adjust based on that.


natedogg

Here is how I played the hands:


Hand 1:

(I raise AKo from middle position, one caller behind me. Flop is KQx, twotone. I bet the pot, he calls.

Turn KQxT, no flush. I check, he checks.

River comes K. )


I checked, he bet, I happily call and unhappily lose to AJ.


Hand 2:

(I raise with AA UTG, two callers. Flop 772, I bet, one caller. we both have big stacks. Turn wonderful A, I bet, he still calls. River 7.)


I check because I thought he could not have called the flop without the 7. He bets, I call and lose to his one -outer.


Hand 3:

(I raise late position with AKo, one caller, BB calls. FLop comes AJ9 two tone. I bet, he calls. Turn 7 offsuit. I bet, he raises.)


I fold. As you said, he must have me beat at this point, otherwise no way he would bet into strength like that.


Thanks for your thoughts, Natedogg, I always enjoy (and learn from) your posts.


Even looks like I am getting a grip on the game, though still losing...


...but give me another few weeks...


Stephan