Big river overbet with a heavy dose of coffeehousing

[DrPublo]

Late night .25/.50 game, deep, juicy and 4 handed. UTG (at least $100 behind) makes it $2.50 to go. Button folds and I (over $200 behind) look down to find A /images/graemlins/heart.gif K /images/graemlins/spade.gif. I call knowing the BB (tight, about $130 behind) would fold. He does.

UTG is a tricky thinking player. I don't necessarily want to play a big pot with just one pair with him, but I'm not totally opposed to it either. Also I put him on a reasonable raising hand here (at least reasonable for 4 handed) because while he'll call raises with junk often, he rarely makes raises with them. This is especially true tonight because immediately to his left is another tricky, deep player and I don't think the villian wants to get involved in a big hand out of position without the goods against him.

Flop comes down A /images/graemlins/spade.gif 3 /images/graemlins/club.gif5 /images/graemlins/heart.gif. Perfect.

Check, check. Damn.

Turn comes 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif.

Check, check. Damn!

River is A /images/graemlins/club.gif.

I think for a bit, realize there's only $5.50 in the pot, and bet $20.

Thoughts?

Also, as Villian is pondering a call, I start talking about my wheel and even rearrange the board (its a home game, cut us some slack) to read A23_5A and then put my hole cards face down between the 3 and 5.

Thoughts on my coffeehousing?

All comments appreciated, thanks.

The Doc

[sublyme]

I don't know why you checked; I know it's just my personal view, but checkraising has always seemed like a weak play to me. If I were you, I'd have bet and let him be that calling station. Then you'd have profited.

[twistedbeats]

do you frequently use the strong when weak bluff? because i can't see the smack talk as being useful otherwise. if you're gonna say anything, how about "that was a dumb bet. what would you possibly call with that i could beat?" or even better, pot the turn and bet 10 on the river

[DrPublo]

This player will NOT take the call call call line...by betting I might lose him, because he know's I'll check raise him with a variety of hands that may or may not be anywhere close to the flop.

The Doc

[DrPublo]

Yeah I agree the coffeehousing looks really weird and awkward in retrospect. But at the time all I could think was I'm not getting called unless I'm goofy.

The Doc

[edtost]

as i said last night, i expected to see either a boat or nothing from you; i was very surprised by what you turned over. also, you put the second ace face down between the 3 and 5, not your hole cards.

at the time, i put you on:

straight < 5%
Ax 5-10%
boat 30%
absolutely nothing, or a "value betting" pair the other 55%.

my initial reaction to the bet was to instacall, but the coffeehousing was getting amusing, so i figured i'd listen for a while /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

ni han.

[Seether]

Im pretty sure with that bet that you will only be called by hands that beat you regardless of how unlikely they are. Also maybe this is me, but I think acting jobs like that are really weak and not respectable poker. Maybe your home game is different but I would be pretty angry if someone was [censored] around with the board cards in the middle of a hand.

[edtost]

that river was about the best card in the deck for him, wrt getting called by worse hands.

do you see why?

[schwza]

this reminds me of a mike caro ploy - with something like 2 pair on the river, say "either i have the flush or i don't." the idea is to get villain thinking that his ragged 1 pair is just as good as a straight for calling down this possible bluff. i think your play had the same effect. results?

[edtost]

i showed AT and mhwng.

[Seether]

I understand that the river was the best card in the deck, but honestly (no offense to you since you were the villain in the hand) no tough opponent will make this call without having him beat, there is really no reason risk/reward wise. There is really no reason to call so much to win a small pot unless you are nearly 100% sure that you have the winning hand. Call me weak tight but with the action as it was I would have folded your hand. There is 5.50$ in the pot and then he bets 20$ with you both having deep stacks. This move means that he really is not afraid of a call, yes you make pick off the occasional bluff but I really do not think the risk is worth it with a one card straight and many other low cards with which he could have hit a set. I would fold AT in this situation 100% of the time.

[edtost]

there are very few opponents against whom i play this hand the same way. getting 1.25 to 1, i profit if i win 50% of the time, and i think that i'm ahead there more than that.

or maybe i've just been playing too much limit lately.