Hand to Talk About

Here's a hand I played a little earlier this evening in a four handed $30-$60 game.


I was the bring in with a 5h up and my hole cards were the Qh2h. The three other up cards in order from my left were the 7d, 4s, and the Ac. Everyone called my bring-in of $5.


On fourth street, I caught a deuce of spades (giving me a pair and a three flush). The player on my left with the 7d caught the As, and the other two players caught the 9d and Ts respectively. The player on my right with the AcTs up checked, I checked, the player on my left with the 7dAs bet, the two players between us folded and I (checked) raised. My opponent called.


On fifth street I caught the 2d (giving me three deuces. and my opponent caught a 4d giving him 7dAs4d as his up cards. I bet, he raised, I reraised, and he called.


On sixth street I caught the 5s (giving me a full house) and my opponent caught a blank. I bet and he called.


On the river I caught another 5 (which gave me a slightly better full house). I bet and my opponent called, and (of course) my hand was good.


All comments are welcome.

I know very little about stud (hold´em player), but apart from the check - which later turned into a check-raise semi-bluff after it was heads-up - where you perhaps could have bet out instead with the 3 others showing so little strength (but I think I´d have checked too and waited if the next card brought a four flush/two pair/trips), the rest of the plays seem to be pretty automatic.

Mason,


Great Check-Raise on 4th being heads up. Check- Raising in that instance gives you several options on 5th.....( not to mention that it is possible you may take the pot down after the raise )


1) If neither of you improves, he is still high and will probably check to you, giving you a free card if you choose to take it.


2) If you improve and are still high you (obviously ) bet first and take the pot down or make him pay a high price ( which you did ). It is interesting to note here that if you caught a 5 on fifth ( pairing your doorcard )that it almost forces him to fold... and you WANT him too with just 5s and 2's.


Play after 4th is straightforward...


Later,


CJ

you had two pair in the air on sixth street...hard for him to raise..but he coulda figgered (hoped) you had 3 pair ace kicker..i guess by getting the extra money in the pot early you tied the opponent to the hand, others may have tried for extra bets on expensive streets..hey it's always easier to play when you bet aggressively and then trip up in stud...good hand..gl

One thing this hand shows is that many times the strategy in stud is onthe first few streets, since the later streets become almost automatic. The check raise is the play that caused you to post the hand. One point is the old "taking control of the hand" that many people use as a rationale for raising. Most of the posts that discuss taking control of the hand do so in situations where there is no chance of this; for example in a six way raised pot as some suggested in a prior post. In your situation you are heads up and will take a free card on fifth if you do not improve, or will bet if you think he will fold. This is taking control of the hand, not raising in a six way pot that had six callers on third street of a reraise.


Firstly no one has a real strong hand, and your hand has some possibilities on fourth street. I think that most players would incorrectly think that they wanted as many players in as they could since they hope to make the flush, but that is clearly not the correct way to play this hand. The raise is key since you want the option fo a free card on fifth street. In addition to the chances of winning right there since the pot was unraised on third it is a good play.


Pat

actually a very interesting hand...by semi-bluff checkraising on fourth street, you gave yourself a chance to win if he was stealing...gave great deception value to your hand later...i guess i would have just called on 5th street...then raised on sixth street...assuming both catch blanks...and get 4 bb this way...your way is better..and i guess the key was your deceptive raise on 4th street..it would be hard for him to put you on trip deuces..gl

That bring-in seems kinda small. What was the ante?

On 4th Mason had (x-x)2-2 showing. On 5th whether the opponent board didn't improve with a showing pair, Mason has to act first. If Mason checked I don't think his adversary would have checked behind. Where is the freecard move?


He played in an excellent fashion a pure semibluff, getting the perfect card on 5th. In my opinion opponent had a rolled trips of sevens (how could he give all that action when Mason showed a trips of deuces?)


Marco

The play on fourth street is not a check raise semi-bluff. It is a standard "buy the free card play."

"1) If neither of you improves, he is still high and will probably check to you, giving you a free card if you choose to take it."


That's the main reason for the check raise.

Keep in mind that in stud a standard play on fifth street is to raise with a pair and a flush draw and then take a free card on sixth street. So just calling on fifth intending to check raise on sixth if my opponent does not catch something scary is probably wrong.

"I think that most players would incorrectly think that they wanted as many players in as they could since they hope to make the flush, but that is clearly not the correct way to play this hand."


That's correct. The main value of the hand is the pair with the possible Queen Overcard kicker.

You're right. The ante is $5 and the bring-in is $10. My mistake.

The worst play in this hand was the Ac not making a full bet on the bring in, IMHO.

If the 3rd st cards are 5,7,4, A shouldn't the 4 bring it in?


Is the player who bet 4th someone who will automatically bet if checked to? I would suspect you would be strongly inclined to bet if he was likely to check...


I thought on 4th the reason for the raise is your hand is likely best, as his A is dead, and you also have a live 3 flush and an overcard to his possible pair (7's). Though it seems in this situation it is possible he bet to try and pick up the pot and actually has no pair.


On 5th when he raises when catches another dead card it seems likely that he has a four flush (there is an A and 4 out). So the reraise makes sense as does the bet on 6th.


On the river I suspect this is an opponent who would raise if he made his flush so you bet out.


I often feel like I'm missing what is controversial in these "hands to talk about" but the only thing I could think here is that

a) if its worth it to check on 4th w/ a hand you would like to have heads up and risk a free card to 3 others. Do you have a chance to pick it up on 4th w/these players??


b)if its worth it to check the river to induce or a bluff or to go for a check raise if he actually made a flush... I suspect betting out also gives cover for future river bluffs and future "hands to talk about."

"If the 3rd st cards are 5,7,4, A shouldn't the 4 bring it in?"


I guess I didn't list the upcards quite right. Stud hands are difficult to write up.


"I thought on 4th the reason for the raise is your hand is likely best, as his A is dead, and you also have a live 3 flush and an overcard to his possible pair (7's). Though it seems in this situation it is possible he bet to try and pick up the pot and actually has no pair."


I don't know if my hand is likely best but your points are certainly valid. Just because he bets the ace doesn't mean he has aces or a good hand.