A Little Less Standard?

Still online $3/6, just four players in the game now.


UTG folds, I raise Ts9d on the button. SB and BB call.


Flop: 6s-5s-5h. Checked to me, I bet. SB check-raises. BB drops, I call.


Turn: Qc. SB bets, I raise.


Comments?


lars

Preflop:

I would say a raise here IMO is not automatic.

You didn't give enough details on the players.

Sometimes SB and/or BB almost always defend.

Sometimes they almost always call a flop bet

with anything (ex: Flop A68; they call w/ KQ

or less..I had a similiar player call with 73

off in that spot this week)


Sometimes players only loosen up post flop on

raised pots.


Now notice there is a good counter-strategy for

all 3? (Im sure there are more...But that's what I

look for)


Flop:

If player is aggressive he may have A high..

Aggressive player would have probably 3 bet

preflop with med. pair or A6 suited..

I would just call here too..If the flop was

766 I would reraise.


Turn:

It doesn't hurt to try to feel your opp out

with a raise...Sometimes people will call you

all the way down with a hand like 33, and your

scratching your head...Then you know a scare

card isn't so scary for this type of player,

and adjust by drawing less to overcards by

the turn at least depending on pot size.

In a full ring game, I would go for a blind steal every time with T9o on the button. However, in a short-handed game, you have to expect the blinds to defend more. Your stretching your raising standards here a bit.


I'm not too thrilled with the turn raise. I prefer my bluff-raises to be with hands that have genuine showdown value- such as big Aces. At the very least, I want to have some good outs. If the board were 8,7,7,Q, I would like the turn raise since you will likely win with a 6 or Jack on the river and may win with either a Ten or 9. That would be up to 14 outs if you are behind.

Unless I´m against very good players, I would raise the T9o as you did. I value position so high in shorthanded play that I think I can make well up for it in this type of games (3-6 5 max paradise, which I also play a lot).


The rest of your hand is totally dependend on your opponent, and I wouldnt make it unless I knew my opponent is weak. If he´s weak enough to fold a pair of sixes or maybe even a pocket pair below a queen, then, sure, raise. But in my experience a lot of players will call you down with that, especially when the board is two flushed and paired (making it more likely you will either bluff or semi-bluff).


Regards

To me it seemed like the obvious decent/poor Ace play. Players are less inclined to fold these in SB short-handed to a button raise. The flop comes pretty innocent and he's even given the chance to isolate BB (who will need at least a Six or a good draw to call two cold here).


It seemed very much like a A-high "teach the button" a lesson play, which is frequently used at LL short-handed. You just can't do all that cold-calling in SB (if that's what you "like" to do) with mediocre Aces and drop like a stone unless the flop hits you. Calling does not appear pretty tempting either.


When the Queen fell on the turn, I felt confident that my opponent would have A-high by far a large enough percentage of the time to make my "pure bluff" raise (actually not true against A-high, against which I have usually 6 and at least 3 outs) profitable. The only question is will he FOLD the A-high often enough?


He did fold this time though, as anyone who "know" my posting style probably would've guessed.


larssa

you have to understand that in shorthanded play that you are already beat before the flop. Hands such as 10/9 suited go down so much in value that they are not even worth playing unless two people have limped in front of you. Your play on the flop is a mistake too in my opinion. I mean the guy could have a pair of 3's and have you beat, you have to abandon ship here, even if he is check-raising you with A high.