TT in early game, late position...

[Mr_J]

PP $33. 9 handed, 15/30 blinds.

I get dealt TT.
5 folds, I call, 2 folds and BB checks.
(POT= 75).Flop comes T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 8:club 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif
BB checks, I check.
Turn: A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif
BB checks, I bet 50.
River: K/images/graemlins/club.gif
He pushes I push.

Some might raise preflop here, but atm I'm working on playing safer early on. On the flop, I checked because I didn't want to scare him away and to trap him. I bet small on the turn to keep him in it. I got the feeling any large bets would scare him here. He calls. He goes all-in on the river where I put him on 2p.

I looked at the tournie history and he'd been limping in a lot, calling minbets and folding on the river. Can't remember what read I had on him though.

Hands that would beat me:
AA- no way in hell I thought.
KK- same as above.
That leaves 79 and QJ. Both hands you'd wanna check PF. Both hands you'd check on the flop. 79 would at least call on the river, but probally raise me. QJ, well he didn't really have any business calling on the turn, so that's just tough luck.

Like I said, I thought he'd made 2p.

What would you guys do for each action, and in particular what read would you have on this guy.


Side note, had a sng where the first guy got knocked out around 42-43 mins into it. I won it 10 minutes later /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Sidekick]

I have no problems with the preflop limp.

On the flop I don't like that board at all. I would bet at least the pot and quite possibly over bet the pot some. I'm not giving someone a free card to hit their straight here. So I bet 75-125. If I take the pot down now, it beats letting someone get a free card and hit their straight and me losing a lot of chips.

On the turn another diamond and an ace hits (I'm not so concerned about the ace itself, but so many players love playing KQ and QJ that there is now another potential straight in the making). I would either bet the pot or push here depending on just how much I bet on the flop and the size of the pot.

On the river I think you have shot yourself in the foot by playing this hand too passively. I don't see how you can do much besides call at this point with the way you played the hand though.

I have learned my lessons the hard way about slow playing a hand. When I have a strong hand that is vulnerable I bet it. If my opponents come along for the ride and suck out on me, well... I at least forced them to make the incorrect decisions. I will gladly take down a smaller pot and win, than try and slowplay a strong hand and lose a lot of my chips these days.

IMO when you have a strong hand you have to bet it. Don't give your opponents a free card unless it is almost impossible for them to make a better hand. The only hands I slowplay these days would be a straight flush, quads or best possible full house.

[Mr_J]

To be honest I didn't see the potential str8, well not until the push. I do sometimes miss them (inexperience). Same used to happen with flush draws but I got burnt slow-playing a few times and learnt my lesson. I'll make sure I learn from this experience.

I guess I don't like wasting big hands, but until my reads are more accurate (I had him on 2p) I probally should just play it when it's strong.

[RobGW]

The main reason to slowplay is to get more money from a big hand. Here you have some good conditions. You are only against one player, the pot is small. However, with 3 to a straight he may already have it or he may catch it on the turn or river. This is a dangerous flop. Any J, 9, 7, or 5 could be potential disaster for you. And you have no idea what type of cards he has since you didn't raise preflop which is a mistake imo. You tried to get more money in the pot and now you got your wish. I have no clue as to where you are in the hand now. It would probably depend on my read of the player.

[Mr_J]

He turned over QJ and he didn't have the odds to call the turn bet. Ah well my fault.