$109 early AK hand

[eastbay]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Hero (t1000)
CO (t1000)
Button (t985)
SB (t985)
BB (t985)
UTG (t1000)
UTG+1 (t1000)
UTG+2 (t1060)
MP1 (t985)
MP2 (t1000)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls t15, UTG+2 calls t15, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t60</font>, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls t50, BB folds, UTG+1 calls t45, UTG+2 folds.

Flop: (t210) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t100</font>, UTG+1 calls t100, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t250</font>, SB calls t150, UTG+1 calls t150.

Turn: (t960) 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t150</font>, UTG+1 calls t150, Hero ?

Comments? What now? Way too much smoothcalling for me to be at all comfortable here...

eastbay

[pshreck]

I can't think of any hand the SB has other than some low clubs. He semi-bluffs the flop, gets raised, and smooth calls to try to hit his flush after the failed semi-bluff. He leads out on the turn becaus he has a weak flush and doesn't like that the board paired.

On top of this... I have no idea what UTG has, and could possibly have you both beat.

What are the odds that one of them flopped 2 pair or a set on the flop, and are incorrectly slowplaying despite a highly coordinated board? I see this in the 22's quite often, but I don't know if 109ers are capable of slowplaying a vulnerable hand after the pot is large and they are given the opportunity to reraise.

I have a feeling you folded, or smooth called and were unhappy with it. Pushing will only get called by a better hand, of course.

Now Im thinking UTG had a hand like AJ or something, but still that your behind a made flush by the SB.

[partygirluk]

I'd raise more preflop. However, you have shown strength preflop, and strength on an ace high board. Then the board pairs and the third flush card comes and you still have two people willing to put chips in the middle. It does not look too good for TPTK.
What was with your flop raise. The pot is 410, and you raise it 150 more on this board? I'd be interesting in your thinking behind such a small raise.

Nice hand.

[kfan]

Exactly, way too much smooth calling. What hand do you hope them to have? AJ seems to be the only hand that you can beat after seeing the preflop action and flop action. As a matter of fact, the preflop action really confuses me. UTG +1 and UTG+2 limp, which is already strange enough, and then they call a raise.

I'm thinking AA is possible. KQ flush ?? seems unlikely. Ax? Seems unlikely for Ax to limp in and call a raise. A6 suited? I don't think you're ahead of too many plausible hands. At least one has you beat, so I'd fold and cut my losses.

[Gramps]

[ QUOTE ]
Comments? What now?

[/ QUOTE ]

Get the f--- out of the way and live another day. Occassionally those two players will showdown worse hands, but that card was pretty ugly the way the action went, and the Turn bet/call certainly doesn't give you any reason to feel good.

Hopefully you were behind on the flop, and that 3rd club/bottom card pairing helped you out the door where you would have lost all of your chips. Probably went from ahead to behind, but so it goes. At least having position in this hand probably saved you some chips.

[eastbay]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Hero (t1000)
CO (t1000)
Button (t985)
SB (t985)
BB (t985)
UTG (t1000)
UTG+1 (t1000)
UTG+2 (t1060)
MP1 (t985)
MP2 (t1000)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls t15, UTG+2 calls t15, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t60</font>, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls t50, BB folds, UTG+1 calls t45, UTG+2 folds.

Flop: (t210) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t100</font>, UTG+1 calls t100, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t250</font>, SB calls t150, UTG+1 calls t150.

Turn: (t960) 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t150</font>, UTG+1 calls t150, Hero folds.

River: (t1260) 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t350</font>, UTG+1 folds.

Final Pot: t1610

I was REALLY annoyed when UTG+1 folded...

I feel slightly less ashamed about the fold now given the comments of Gramps and Co., but I still can't really reconcile the action here. After I folded, I thought "crap, it's Friday night, I should have moved in on the flop."

eastbay

[Irieguy]

[ QUOTE ]
After I folded, I thought "crap, it's Friday night, I should have moved in on the flop."

eastbay

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. You are 95% sure that you have the best hand on the flop. Just move in and charge the draw. I do not advocate this type of play early very often... but this is the exception.

Once you chose your small raise on the flop, you have to be prepared to fold if a club comes. One thing I'm learning about playing against developmentally disabled opponents (standard Party players)is to put my chips in as soon as I'm sure I'm well ahead. This eliminates the possibility of getting outplayed by random acts.

Irieguy

[Gramps]

Guess UTG+1's Ace/club kicker wasn't good enough to call 350. Or KcQ. Or...since it was Friday, who knows what he was calling with.

I think a push on the flop would have been fine too, you'll get called enough times by a worse Ace or a flush draw. Especially on the weekends in the first level. And if they fold, no problem with picking up all those "free" chips.

[Gramps]

[ QUOTE ]
This eliminates the possibility of getting outplayed by random acts.

[/ QUOTE ]

It sounds like an oxymoron, but it's well said and I know exactly what you're talking about on Party. It's not about the "degree of credit given" - it's getting "outplayed" by giving certain opponents any credit at all.

On numerous occassions after getting beat on a hand by such an opponent, I'm left muttering, "well if I'd know he'd do that, I'd have just ______ /I wouldn't have _______."

At least that's what notes are for...

[Scuba Chuck]

I like Gramps comments very much. Thought very perceptive, and verbalized how I think.

FWIW, SB played exactly how I play a flopped set when an A hits the flop. I've found that it helps me extract more chips from players married to AAtopKicker - in particular, your type of hand. I'd rather draw out an All-in bet and call it, versus pushing and hoping to get called.

Scuba

[eastbay]

[ QUOTE ]

What was with your flop raise. The pot is 410, and you raise it 150 more on this board? I'd be interesting in your thinking behind such a small raise.

[/ QUOTE ]

This raise says "stop fooling around with your KQ or underpair, I've got the ace." In my experience, this bet takes the pot a good % of the time.

I smelled AQ from the SB here, too (maybe mistakenly, in retrospect - but the cold call and weak lead had me worried), so it also keeps me from getting married to the hand if he comes back strong or an ugly turn card comes off.


Should have pushed, I think.

eastbay

[Jman28]

Yeah, I'd raise a little bit more preflop, but not enough more that it matters in this case.

I'd probably have pushed the flop after the caller. If you're worried about the set on the flop, which I don't think you were or I misunderstood, there's not much you can do about it unless you're so sure that you can fold it here.

If I got to that turn (which I often would because I don't think through things enough), I'd fold quickly. Don't be mad at yourself for that.

-Jman28

[Strollen]

I am wonder if the 4 outs on the river to make a boat don't give you implied odds enough to call the 150. Obviously the situation would suck if you got the Ace and the SB is sitting on four sixs.

[Jman28]

[ QUOTE ]
I am wonder if the 4 outs on the river to make a boat don't give you implied odds enough to call the 150. Obviously the situation would suck if you got the Ace and the SB is sitting on four sixs.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a good point. You may have implied odds here... I'd need to look bacj up at stack sizes and I don't want too. However, any A or 6 will scare a flush, possibly enough to fold.

[adanthar]

I'd have raised to at least 400 or pushed on the flop but I think you have to fold the turn, yeah.