Mirage 10-20: What should I conclude?

This afternoon's Mirage 10-20 game was very tight with almost all well-playing locals filling the seats.


I was so surprised that I won this hand on fourth street that I actually said "Wow" out loud when everybody folded.


The third street boards are:


(x,x)2c

(x,x)9d

(x,x)6h

(x,x)Js

(3c,4h)3h ME!

(x,x)7c

(x,x)Qc

(x,x)Ad


The 2c brings it in for $3. The Td calls. The 6h folds. The Js calls. I decide to call with my monster hand. /images/smile.gif The 7c folds. The Qc calls. The Ad raises. That's exactly what I didn't want.


The low card bring-in folds. The Td calls. The Js folds. I decide to call with suited connector as a kicker. In addition, all my cards are live. The Qc calls and four players see fourth street.


(x,x)9d,5c

(3c,4h)3h,4s

(x,x)Qc,6s

(x,x)Ad,Td


I caught just about the most difficult card to play- a good reason for not playing (3,4)3. As soon as I saw it, I started trying to figure out the best way to narrow the field.


The AdTd bet. The 9d5c called. I raised. Here is how I expected the hand to play out.


A.)I thought my raise would knock-out the Qc6s who I'm sure didn't have split Queens. He could have had a small pair or three-flush. Either way, he's in a difficult spot to call with the Ace yet to act behind him.


B.)I expected (and wanted) the AdTd to 3-bet and knock-out the 9d5c. If he had split Aces, this opponent almost certainly would have done exactly that.


Instead, all three players folded! Of course, I was thrilled to take the pot.


Here's what I'm interested in: What should I learn about my opponents from this hand? What are their standards for calling raises from others compared to calling a raise from me? What kind of hands could they have been playing? What did they put me on?

You played it correctly and all your cards were live so even if your opponent had aces at the time you still had the best hand by far. The raise worked for you as you took the pot right there on the 4 th and even if you didnt win it there you still could have taken the pot with 2 small unimproved pairs or catch another 3 or 4 which would be even better. Another good thing about those 2 small pairs is that you can safely fold em on the river if you figure that you are beat


bigstu

They put your tight ass on pocket AA, trips or two pair. So they decided not to tangle with you and folded.


Note that you didn't get paid off on your trip 4's hand the other day. Your mere presence in a hand *calling* raises is scarier than most people's *actual* raises. Once you come to life, look out, time to head for the hills. I would be shocked if this isn't what your opponents were thinking.


As an aside, this is why your semibluff turn raises in holdem are better plays for you than they are for me. Image is a consideration when choosing which weapons to unleash upon the field of battle.

i think this is a very marginal call at 10-20. if you are going to play you are probably better off heads up. this hand does not really play well in a multiway pot, unless there is a large ante, which there is not at 10-20. But if thegame is tight as you describe thenit could be played for a raise. but to draw to it with a call is probbaly not correct. Once the ace raises and higher cards than you call you probably should fold. If you had raised and the A reraised, naking it heads up, then you would be OK to call.


what you should learn from the hand is that the player with the A is probably weak, but you should be wary of him playing against you when you raise with a marginal hand. unless he thought you were slowplaying trips there is no hand you can have that he is a big dog to unless he had absolutely nothing and was stealing. but if he is tight then this is not likely. even about this I am not sure, and, like you, i was shocked to see what happened.


Pat

The only reason to play this hand in the first place is if you are in a game where the players are bad enough that they will pay you off the whole way if you make an open pair of 3s. The fact that they all folded when you raised fourth street indicates to me that this is not the case in this game, and you probably should have known that. The fact that there are two players showing strong door cards behind you should probably also deter you from getting involved in the first place. When the Ace completes, I think you have a call, but it is marginal, and I wouldn't fault anyone for folding. Having snagged two pair, I'd raise right away and hope everyone folded. As for what you information you can gain about your opponents, I'd say they're scared of you. I absolutely terrorized a $6/12 stud game a couple of weeks ago, and lost all my money. /images/smile.gif There isn't a hand that I'd play the way the Ace did, but then again, I'm not scared of you.

It was another tight Mirage 10-20 game. I was surprised it was tight since there were two games running which is usually a reliable sign of weaker playing tourists. Oh well- I seem to be doing well in the tight games too.


The third street boards are:


(x,x)2c

(x,x)Qh

(x,x)Js

(x,x)8d

(x,x)6h

(x,x)Tc

(x,x)7h

(Ks,Kc)5d ME!


The 3c brings it in for $3. The Qh raises to $10. It gets called by the Js, the 8d, and the Tc.


I just call. I have no doubt that my pocket Kings are the best hand at the moment. However, I decided to borrow a concept I'm more familiar with in Hold'em (and HEPFAP)- just calling after multiple players enter the pot in order to win the pot on a later street. I'm going to look for and exploit an opportunity to make a knock-out raise on a later street. It seems unlikely that by raising to $20 on 3rd street that I will get anybody to fold. I am not slowplaying here.


The low card 2c folded.


The fourth street boards are:


(x,x)Qh,4h

(x,x)Js,6s

(x,x)8d,As

(x,x)Tc,9h

(Ks,Kc)5d,3s ME!


The 8dAs bets. This player is strange fellow. He's very loose, bets his high board a lot, but will quickly fold if anybody else shows strength. The Tc9h folds.


Of course, I seize the opportunity immediately and raise with what everyone else sees as (x,x)5d,3s. The next two players fold.


I win the pot aginst the 8dAs with a fifth street bet.


Why are players raising and calling raises on 3rd street but then running for the hills when I raise with a board of (x,x)5d,3s?


I'd be interested in hear comments on my decision to just call with pocket Kings as well.

1. this is a good situation to just call on third. i usually play the same way.


2.i have no idea why these players are folding such hands. someone must have told them "if you are beat get out." of course this is poor poker. it seems as if you are against very weak players. so keep playing!


Pat