Capping preflop, Calling Flop and Turn...

[MoDOH]

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (8 handed)

BB is 40/7 after 6 orbits. pretty basic opponents for a 5/10 game...


Preflop: Hero is Button with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, CO calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB folds, <font color="CC3333">BB 3-bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, CO calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero caps</font>, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, CO calls.

Flop: (20.40 SB) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, CO calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (12.70 BB) A/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, CO calls, Hero calls...

[Derek in NYC]

Why did you not raise this turn? You're only afraid of AK and AA (with the unlikely 3 bet from AQ). I raise the turn. If reraised, I think seriously about folding.

[edited to say raise turn, not flop]

[dejableu]

I think you can go either way as to whether you call or cap preflop. The flop is another tough decision. The problem with calling is that it makes your decision more difficult on the turn. I think I raise the flop. You could possibly buy a free card in case you hit a club on the turn, and you will very likely get more information about what hand BB 3-bet preflop with.

Really, the two you are most worried about are AK and the somewhat unlikely AA. He probably 3-bets again on the flop with JJ, QQ, KK, or AA, but merely calls with AK. If he merely calls and then leads again when the A falls on the turn, you'd know not to go crazy. But if he 3-bets again on the flop, I'd go wild on the turn. Just my thoughts. I think you want to extract the most possible for those cases when your opponent has KK, QQ, JJ, TT, and 99.

[Fnord]

With a 7% PFR opponent 3-betting, raising the flop is just giving away money. The pot is so big, you're going to need to show the best hand.

Consider raising the turn because the CO is hanging around and the pot has gotten juicy. HU and/or in a smaller pot calling is better.

[dejableu]

Sorry, to those of us who only play live games, 40/7 and such things are like braille. I wish I could decipher it, but I can't...

[eh923]

The PF play is fine, but flat-calling the 3-bet is fine too. The real debate should be the flop and turn play, so here goes...

Calling the flop is the right play:
- The first person to act bet, and everyone between you and him called. A raise won't knock anybody out.
- At this point, your hand isn't worth protecting anyway.
- Even if you got a free card, there are next to no "good" cards for you. You can't feel good about a J since an overpair is likely. You can't feel good about an A since you might have kicker issues. Any /images/graemlins/diamond.gif can complete a flush, and any low or medium card can complete a straight or pair the board.

To me, this sounds like a perfect hand to just call the flop, and then pop the turn if your draw improves. Folding for one bet is out of the question. The pot being so large, a crying call is in order.

[dejableu]

When you say there are next to no "good" cards for Hero to try and see for free, are you insinuating that it wouldn't be helpful to pull a club on fourth street? I think that would be quite good because his river outs would increase immensely.

[eh923]

The best possible card for him is definitely a club. I thought that went without saying. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

The problem is that some clubs are much better than others. A club pairing the board is probably not a threat, but could be. A low to medium club will probably put 4 to a straight on board. By the time it reaches our hero, it's going to be expensive, although correct to call and go for the flush...but he also is sure to lose the slim chance he had that spiking a J or an A would win the hand.