5 Interesting hands PL draw (long and tedious)

As you requested Mack. Some of them are not particularly interesting but we only played for about 3 hours. 5 or 6 handed $2 ante open for $10, Jacks or better to open.


Note although it is pot limit there is a $100 max unless the pot is heads up, or bigger than $400 where you can bet $200. (Not my rule but if you want fish to play you must protect them).


We decided to go with the constant position rule, to avoid any arguments. ie. Dealer last to speak before and after draw.


Hand 1. I am in cutoff position and it had been opened early (2nd position), and im reading the player as weak. I hold AAKQT (mixed), I raise his $10 opener to $20. Remaining two players fold and he calls. He draws 3 and i draw two, keeping the K (Queens are the most likely pair for him to hold of my kickers). He checks quickly and i bet and take the pot.


Hand 2. I open for $10 in early position with trip Kings, and am called in 2 spots. I draw 2 and fill up with a pair of 3s. My opponents draw one each, and it looks as though the first has missed and the other has made a draw (quickly closed his hand after slowly squeezing his cards).


I open for $25, and the middle player deliberates and calls stating he thinks i'm trying to buy it. the late player raises another $75 to $100, and i make it $100 more. Middle drops faster than you could imagine, and the late position deliberates and calls, turning over a Q high flush.


Hand 3. I am on the button with 789TK and the opener looks weak. He is called in one spot, and i raise the maximum to $40. Both players call and draw 3 cards. I stand pat, and bet $100 when they check to me. I take the pot down with my bluff.


Hand 4. I open in first position with AA337. I am called by the button who also draws one. I don't fill, but decide to bet $25 anyway, as he will likely call with 2 smaller pair. He calls and shows AATT5, and wins with a very unfortunate for me bigger aces up.


Hand 5. I open in 3rd poistion with QQTT4, and am called in rwo spots. Everyone draws 1 card. I check, the first player bets $40, he is raised to $100, by the late position player, i muck, and it is reraised $100 more.


Late player laughs and says you got me, spreading 4 hearts and a club on the table. The middle position player shows 6789Q a very daring resteal. Everyone tells me i threw away the winner, and that i should have called, i agree silently thinking "keep telling yourself that".


No particular reads on this hand, but even if i did read them both as weak, it would have been hard to stay.


Hand 6. I am dealt a natural K high straight, and raise the opener who calls, along with a limper. Opener draws 1, limper draws 3 and i of course stand pat. Both check to me, and i bet $100, and am raised $100 back by the opener. I throw my cards away, commenting how he caught me this time, and he spreads Queens full.


I won $430 over the 3 hours, not a bad effort all things considered for my first pot limit draw outing.


Comments and suggestions appreciated.

Hand 1. The learning curve is fairly steep. I wonder how long it will take seat 2 to stop opening early with a weak hand.


Hand 5 was interesting. I wonder if, after being called in two places, you should have stood pat with your QQTT and bet out. Did you have a read on the other players? Were you able to tell when your opponents drew to two pair vs. straight or flush draws? Ancient wisdom states that if they quickly look at the draw card it's two pair, if they squeeze it out - a straight or flush draw.


You're right about not calling. It's a bet or a check/fold.


Hand 6: good lay down.


General question: what percentage of the time were you able to check/raise when you had openers?

Check raising was not frequently an option after the draw, as most of the players were scared of me.


Before the draw, I had the opportunity to check raise on many occasions, as i was about 85% accurate in picking the opener. Most of the time i held hands big enough for a check raise however i was in late position, and i didn't need to.


I decided against running check raise bluffs or semi bluffs with a hand like Aces or maybe Queens up, as i am out of position after the draw if they improve. Secondly, it is a fairly friendly game and i want it to keep going, and many of the players will not come back if they think i am just predating on them.