Top Pair, weak kicker

[spydog]

Button and MP are both decent players 30/10.

This is one of those rare times that I limp preflop. Does anyone raise or fold here?

Flop: Didn't really know what to do here. I might be dominated, so I figured I was just going to call unless I improved. I think a healthy alternative would be to bet here and let the button raise to knock out Aces or flush draws.

Turn and River: Standard?

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed)

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

Flop: (10.40 SB) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
BB checks, UTG checks, MP checks, Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets</font>, BB calls, UTG folds, MP calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (7.20 BB) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, MP checks, Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets</font>, BB folds, MP calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button folds, MP calls.

River: (12.20 BB) J/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
MP checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, MP calls.

Final Pot: 14.20 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 14.20 BB, between MP and Hero.</font>

[naphand]

I might limp here PF if I had been raising a lot recently and not winning too many (i.e. my raises getting called a lot) but I still think you can raise 2 limpers with this hand, which will play well multi-way, and which you can get away from quite easily if the flop is Axx or suchlike. This is a good hand to raise PF as it not obviously a "power hand" for many players, but will still win more than it's fair share and give pause for thought for your opponents when you raise next time and an A flops (they may call you down even without an A).

You hit the flop but there is a /images/graemlins/spade.gif draw. In CO but with the Button as PF aggressor you cannot CR the field, which I would really like to do with this board. You certainly do NOT want this checked though; though it is likely Button bets, if he is "decent" he will also raise a bet from you with quite a few hands, and hopefully clear out the field a bit. Your bet may also be enough to convince others to fold to your K. This hand is not for slow-playing, and check-calling is wrong as most will very likely call Button's auto bet on a no-Ace flop and you are left not making any kind of statement to judge the other (non-button esp.) players reactions.

Turn is a great card, and as it would be a complete disaster to let this get checked through, I would bet out here as you will certainly be called by almost any /images/graemlins/spade.gif and the T puts straight draws on the board too. CR turns out pretty well, and given your flop line and read (?) on Button, this gets the most money in, so is hard to criticise.

Given your flop line, Turn and River look good.

[J.R.]

I'd raise here preflop to push my edge, buy the button and take control.

Bet the flop. The pot is 10sbs, its 5 handed, you have top pair, a backdoor flush and a coordinated board. Don't fear domination, think about getting bets into the pot, and if the pfr raises and others fold, great. Having the J or T spades fold would be cool.

What do you do on the turn if the BB or MP check-raises?

[theBruiser500]

"Having the J or T spades fold would be cool. "

Why?

[J.R.]

Having almost any single spade fold may prevent you from losing to runner-runner spades, but its not that special of a point. The idea was the pot is big, the board is coordinated, his hand is OK but suceptible to being overtaken so cleaning house is more important than fearing domination.