TT on the button

[NotMitch]

I have some history with SB, he is not good but is agressive. I'm at least somewhat unsure about the flop and river play.

PokerStars 2/4 Hold'em (5 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is Button with T/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG folds, MP folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, BB folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero caps</font>, SB calls.

Flop: (9 SB) K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB calls.

River: (8.50 BB) 5/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 8.50 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 8.50 BB, between Hero and SB.</font>

[J.R.]

What percentage of the time do you think your opponent is betting a hand worse than a pair of jacks on the flop?

[NotMitch]

[ QUOTE ]
What percentage of the time do you think your opponent is betting a hand worse than a pair of jacks on the flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

Like 60% or more, though that number goes down a ton if he 3 bets the flop, but he didnt.

[DyessMan89]

You raise pre-flop, raise on flop, bet on turn and then ... check on the river? When that 5 of clubs couldnt have helped him? I dont understand that play. Anyways, I probobly would have dumped it, but I dont blame you for not releasing your hand.

[fsuplayer]

this is a fairly common raise the flop, bet the turn and check behind on the river hand. i do it all the time in similar situations.

for two reasons....

1. its cheaper, raising the flop, betting the turn and checking the river cost 2BB.

if you just call down its 2.5BB.

2. you are not sure you are ahead, but dont want to give free cards as there are lots of draws on the board.

you would be suprised how many times on a similar board you will be shown Q10, A10, a flush draw, or something similar.

yes sometimes you will bet their hands for them, but more often this is the right play.

(i am not saying that the above advice applies directly to this hand, but some that are quite similar).

this hand though, i wouldnt be suprised if you took it down.

fsuplayer

[NotMitch]

Pretty much my thoughts exactly fsu, I have been away from short handed for a little while and wanted to make sure I wasnt getting out of line.

To respond to the other comment about not betting the river what it came down to was that I don't think a better hand folds ever and I dont get a lot of calls from hands I beat. Plus if he has a jack I get checkraised a lot here.

Anyway he showed AQ and MHIG.

[J.R.]

"Like 60% or more"

Its just an echo now but in light of this you played great.

[Nemesis]

I really like this play, and I think it's going into my inventory as it IS cheaper than just calling down. Two things, what do you do if he 3-bets you? Call and fold the turn unimproved? Fold right away? Off topic... what are pokerstars 2/4 games like? I'm right at 1200 in the bankroll and i want to try out some bigger limits.

[J.R.]

what do you do if he 3-bets you?

Call. I really dislike folding on the same street I have raised on with more cards to come, and you have a backdoor straight and set outs (although one maybe tainted), and aren't always behind when 3 bet. And the type of opponent against whom I raise this flop is often the type of opponent I would call down.

Call and fold the turn unimproved?

I would against most opponents, but there are those who get out of line enough (and there are multiple possible draws on board for them to get out of line with) who I would have to call down, and the guys i raise the flop against overlap with these.

Off topic... what are pokerstars 2/4 games like

Not to bad, tighter than party 1-2 (in general) but there are good tables, and more aggressive than party 1-2. I think its a good place to go before party 5-10.

[spydog]

[ QUOTE ]
Off topic... what are pokerstars 2/4 games like? I'm right at 1200 in the bankroll and i want to try out some bigger limits.

[/ QUOTE ]

ASF% at PS (2/4) is around 46% vs 55% at PP (1/2). PFR% is about 8% at Poker Stars, so it is more aggressive than Party but may be just as beatable, if not more, because of the aggression.

I have been playing 2/4 and 3/6 at Poker Stars as I gear up for 5/10 at PP. 3/6 is slightly tighter and more aggressive than 2/4, but seems easily beatable so far.

[imitation]

Nemesis the games are good, more aggressive than 1/2 at party and no table selection during non peak periods however and much tougher games during these times. I would suggest playing it during the peak times when there are 7+ tables of 6max to choose from at each limit and play party 1/2 during other times. I played 10k hands at 2/4 winning at ~3.5BB/100 I played a little of the 3/6 and there was a small improvement in player quality but I haven't got enough hands at that limit to really judge it much, I left because I felt the 5/10 at party was probably more profitable.

[Guy McSucker]

[ QUOTE ]

check on the river? When that 5 of clubs couldnt have helped him? I dont understand that play.


[/ QUOTE ]

The river check is straight from Limit Poker 101.

What hands that our hero beats will call the river bet? Only smaller pocket pairs I think, and that's a bit of a longshot.
What hands that our hero is beating will fold to the river bet? I can't really think of any.

So there's no bluff value in a river bet, and not much value-betting value either. When a bet has little value, don't make it! Check through.

(Seems like you need to read the chapter called "Heads up on the river" or something, from Sklansky's Theory of Poker.)

The action before the river is less straightforward but I like our hero's line: preflop raise is fairly normal, flop raise to retain initiative and see how much the enemy likes his hand, turn bet to take the free showdown, charge potential draws and aces, and because the flop raise quietened the enemy down.

Guy.