Two Hands for Review

[LuvDemNutz]

I'm pretty new to playing no limit so go easy on me.

Both these hands are at a live($300 max buy in) $2/$5 NL 10 person table at a local card club. Most players are pretty loose and pretty passive.

No real reads on either opponent in the hands below.

HAND 1

UTG limps (has about $200), folded to me in MP2 I raise to $25 with AsKs (I have about $250). All fold back to UTG who calls.

Flop - Ac Ad 3c

UTG checks, I check.

Turn - 5d

UTG bets $25, I make it $75 to go. UTG calls relatively quickly.

River - 7h

UTG bets $75, I call.

HAND 2

I'm in MP with AJo (I've got $180). One limper in front of me, I make it $20 to go. Button ($300) calls. Limper folds.

Flop AJ3r.

I check, button checks.

Turn 9 - I bet $20, button raises to $40. I push...

Thoughts?

[krazyace5]

Why slowplay hand #2?

[LuvDemNutz]

Well I guess the entire point of this post is trying to figure out when I should and shouldn't slowplay.

My reasoning was that I flopped top two, on a rainbow board, heads up - I figured that I was in complete control of the hand.

[Tilt]

[ QUOTE ]
Flop AJ3r.

I check, button checks.

Turn 9 - I bet $20, button raises to $40. I push...

Thoughts?

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont check the flop. Dont give free shots at a set unless youve got something better.

[krazyace5]

[ QUOTE ]
Well I guess the entire point of this post is trying to figure out when I should and shouldn't slowplay.

My reasoning was that I flopped top two, on a rainbow board, heads up - I figured that I was in complete control of the hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am learning to so I just wondered what your thought process was on this, fully agree with tilt here though.

Only slowplay monsters.

[schwza]

hand 1: i would go ahead and bet the flop. there's no card that he's going to catch that will make him a second best hand that he'll lose a lot with. either he'll spike a boat, make his flush, or he won't pay off. if he has QJs and hits a J, there's no way he's going to the felt.

also, if has something like A6s, i think betting the flop is the best way to get all his chips.

i like the turn raise and the river call.

hand 2: i would bet here too. there's some chance he has QTs, KTs, or KQs, in which case he would have 4 outs (plus possible backdoor flush). if he's got a pocket pair, it's 2 outs. the biggest problem with giving these hands free draws is that they'll get your whole stack if they hit.

i have to admit though, i'm not sure how much to bet. i would obviously like to be all-in on the flop. you have 160 left in a pot of 52. i like a bet of 40, because that gives the villain a reasonable all-in raise with Ax (or maybe even a bluff). a smaller bet has the advantage of being more likely to keep around a small Ax or a J, but the larger bet also has the benefit of getting more money in now, and therefore also making it easier to get more in on the turn. i like 40.

[LuvDemNutz]

"there's no card that he's going to catch that will make him a second best hand that he'll lose a lot with."

The light bulb just went off in my head - thank you. This mistake is why I realize I'm not as good a player as I'd like to think I am.

Hand 1 - For argument's sake let's suppose I correctly read that he has a PP. So he has about a 22 to 1 chance of spiking the boat on the turn. Let's also say that I am pretty sure he will make a bet on the turn regardless of what falls (believing that I am scared of the ace and hoping to take it down right there).

With those reads is it still a poor play to check the turn (basically that's exactly how it played out - exactly as I thought it would).

Or, is it a mistake because I am essentially giving the guy a free card, and if he hits, he takes my whole stack (because I'm obviously not folding).

[BigF]

Hand 1: Why check the flop? Because you have trip aces king kicker you want to string him along? But if he can't call your flop bet how can he call your turn/river bets? Maybe because he has 55?

Hand 2: Why check the flop? Same reasoning. If he can't call a reasonable bet on the flop but he can raise you on the turn maybe it's because he has 99.

[LuvDemNutz]

Hand 1 - villain had 77 for the rivered boat

Hand 2 - villain had 99 for the turned trips

[Kaz The Original]

I raise the river on hand A).