AA: Trap draws on turn for bets by not 3 betting the flop.

[pokerstudAA]

Starting to question some of my results and going back to review some key hands. Please tell me if these are routine plays. Is this the standard?



Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls.

Preflop: Raise the aces. No limping around here. Two cold callers. No read on the first, the second is loose-passive.

Flop: (8.40 SB) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(6 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 raises</font>, MP1 calls, BB calls, Hero calls.

Flop: Spade draw on the board. Me thinks the raise from the first cold caller UTG+1 is a King in the hole - AK, KQ, QJ - it could be a set driving out the flush draw. The cold call from mr. loose passive makes me put him on a draw. Here is my thinking for not 3betting the flop. Anyone on a draw behind me will call this bet anyway. Knowing the UTG+1 will bet out on the turn I can check raise the entire field (4) for two big bets each if no spade comes on the turn. 3 betting the flop only brings two extra big bets total.

Turn: (8.20 BB) 7/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(6 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, MP1 calls, BB folds, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls.

Turn: No spade - check raise trapping play goes into action. Hopefully no one tripped their sevens. Is this a good play and good thinking or should I be worried about protecting my hand?

River: (14.20 BB) T/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 raises</font>, Hero calls, UTG+1 calls.

Final Pot: 20.20 BB




Allright poker pros - Help me out....rip it apart (tough skin). Bad play?

[Sir Limps Alot]

With this flop you need to raise the flop no justification for anything else. The players you are against have you on A Q or A K. YOu are acting like your aces are automatic. With a flush draw on the board you need to make all draws pay for the times they get the flush and when they dont. What is with the call on the river? Do you think your hand is good or not?

[me454555]

When I first read over this, I hated the flop call. After reading you're explanation of it, I think its a pretty good play. You can no longer protect your hand w/a raise on the flop so this might be good.

I think I'd play it the same way but that raise from MP1 probobly means strait. Gotta call though.

[pokerstudAA]

Here is another hand where I used this trapping stlye of play on the turn to extract some extra bets from the players. My concern is that at some point these traps become -EV.

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, MP1 calls.

Flop: The first call from MP3 was fishy.. He was a serious rock - 10/3. His cold call made me think decent pair 88+ or big solid paint - QK,AK,AQ, KJ. The cut off was much looser.

Flop: (9.40 SB) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 3/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
MP1 checks, Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 bets</font>, CO calls, MP1 folds, Hero calls.


Once again the flop bet likely will not scare a hand out on this board. I think that my check will look like big paint that missed the flop and plan to get my raise in during the turn.

Turn: (6.20 BB) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 bets</font>, CO calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, MP3 calls, CO calls.

Turn: No help for the board. Check raise plan goes into effect again.

River: (12.20 BB) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, MP3 calls, CO folds.

River: No real help to the board. If someone rivered a straight then they are lucky as hell.

Final Pot: 14.20 BB

Comments? This board was definately less coodinated than the previous hand.