Top set hand.

[georgesimpson]

I'm wondering if I played this right at .5/1 on poker stars.

I'm on the button and the table is pretty passive and most of the people fold to raises of any kind. The table folds to me, I decide to limp in with KK because I had only been collecting the blinds and I decided to try and get more value out of this hand.

The small and the big blind complete/call.

3 players to the flop.

K 4 5 rainbow...pretty much the best flop I can hope for. Small blind bets 3, big blind folds, I just call.

turn comes an 8. check-- I decide to bet 5. they call.

at this point I think i'm up against a smaller set because I didn't think the straight possibility of 67 would have bet that hard on the flop.

A jack comes on fifth street.

So my KK on a board of K 4 5 8 J --no flush possibilities.

Small blind bets 10--I don't know if I'm against two pair or a set but I think I can rule out the only possible hand that can beat me because of the flop bet and how the small blind is springing to life on the river. I reraise to 40, they push, I call for my remaining 100 or so.

Can I ever lay down trip kings on this board?

[RainFall]

You could, but why you really can't lay down is because there is no way they would put you on KKK. So the fact that you know that they don't know you have KKK makes it tough. I would think he would put you on a likely KJ.

And now that you know this and he's reraising you allin if you have ruled out that he's a donk, you can put him on a set or a straight only. Unless of course he's a donk know to overplay his hand. I had a 2+2 donk reraise me allin on the river of a T4T47 board with Q2 after i raised him on the river.

On a side note if all you are picking up is the blinds when you raise from late position open up your raising standards. Start to included suited connections are hands that play well heads up. I like suited connectors because often time the flop gives me extra outs.. A,K, etc are outs for my 79h

[mythrilfox]

I almost always raise in this position. Many people will put you on a steal if you're open-raising from the button and try to get fancy. Now you raise, say one of them thinks they're some hotshot and calls with 67s. He checks flop, you bet, he check-raises, now you can push that [censored] hard, or call and hope the turn isn't threatening. Or he could call and think he's ganking for your entire stack when he doesn't have the odds. This is a much prettier picture and you get more money in the pot while you're ahead.

Now say you limp, it's still not terrible against only two opponents, but since you haven't been able to define their hands at all you have to know to get away from your hand if the flop is ugly and lots of strength is shown. For that reason you must raise the flop when you have the nuts. Hope they had two pair or a set, but don't let them draw.

When you smooth call and the turn pops, you have to bet more, you have to define their hands. Forget about keeping the pot small, that was one of the ugliest cards you could have seen.

Now when they both push on the river, I think it's a clear fold. If you have observed their play in the past to be infinitely foolish, then you might consider calling. But after a bet, a hefty raise, a push, and a call, you have to be up against a straight against any decent player.

[Kaz The Original]

Here's my advice. Raise preflop. 4x the BB sounds about right.

On the flop I'd bet the pot. Why not? You have the nuts!
Then keep betting the pot until you're a) all in, or b) they fold.

[georgesimpson]

Of course a raise is standard pre flop...but the point is if I raise to 4x the big blind everyone will fold because the table is so passive. I don't think they would defend their blinds because they are scaredy cats. So for value I had to limp in.

[Kaz The Original]

The key to playing weak tight players is not to "trick them" when you have a big hand but to steal blinds more often.