Dry Side Pot

[jimdmcevoy]

Hand #4479207-5867 at Maplewood (No Limit Hold'em)
Powered by UltimateBet
Started at 23/Feb/05 02:44:19

NotBrokeYet is at seat 0 with $92.
Blue8 is at seat 1 with $98.45.
pww22 is at seat 2 with $16.25.
mow79 is at seat 3 with $5.85.
FoldToRiver2 is at seat 4 with $115.55.
vaccarella is at seat 5 with $268.40.
bdh1010 is at seat 6 with $25.50.
LDBerg is at seat 7 with $75.05.
corndog158 is at seat 8 with $165.10.
chevy8888 is at seat 9 with $116.60.
The button is at seat 3.

FoldToRiver2 posts the small blind of $.50.
vaccarella posts the big blind of $1.

NotBrokeYet: -- --
Blue8: Jc Jd
pww22: -- --
mow79: -- --
FoldToRiver2: -- --
vaccarella: -- --
bdh1010: -- --
LDBerg: -- --
corndog158: -- --
chevy8888: -- --

Pre-flop:

bdh1010 folds. LDBerg folds. corndog158 folds.
chevy8888 folds. NotBrokeYet raises to $3.50. Blue8
calls. pww22 folds. mow79 goes all-in for $5.85.
FoldToRiver2 folds. vaccarella folds. NotBrokeYet
calls. Blue8 calls.

Flop (board: 5d 3d 6d):

NotBrokeYet checks. Blue8 checks.

Turn (board: 5d 3d 6d 3c):

NotBrokeYet checks. Blue8 bets $5.


hand converter not working.

so my question is, what's the general strategy I should be taking with dry side pots?

[Tilt]

What did you have? Its not showing up.

General strategy on side pots is not complex. First principal, never bluff into the dry side pot. I would not even semi-bluff. Draw only with odds. The only exception to this is of the side pot gets big and the river looks bluffable - rare exception, however. Its even harder to get someone to lay down the best hand in these situations.

Second, think about what the other guy in the wet pot has. What would he push with? AT+, and PP's. You should believe you are ahead of him on the flop or turn before engaging the other player. Unless his all-in is so measly as to be irrelevant.

Once those conditions are met, you are playing standard HU poker by this point. Consider what villain has, and fight him accordingly. If he bluff you off the side pot don't worry, its a bad play and you should take notes.

[jimdmcevoy]

I had JJ with a diamond

[Tilt]

I would have bet the flop. Your hand is pretty strong. I certainly would raise the turn.

[jimdmcevoy]

Well I was thinking that if I was in his position I would go for a check-raise with AA KK or QQ because of the dry side pot. If he bet out he's basically telling me he has a high pocket pair, so I reckon he would just check anything on the flop.

But since he checked the turn I thought it was time to bet at it, and then if called probably check the river no matter what card came out, unless it was a J.

[TheWorstPlayer]

This concept is much more applicable to tournaments than it is to cash games. In tournaments, it is in everyone's interest, including yours, to knock people out. So if someone is all in, you want to allow the other guy to stay in and have a good shot at winning the pot to knock a player out of the tournament. This concept particularly applies near the bubble. In cash games, however, you don't really care if a guy with a short stack wins the pot you just want to maximize the chances that you win the pot. So the first concern must be with protecting your hand. Giving a free card to overpairs on this flop is a big mistake. And if he has a bigger diamond than you do, it is a really big mistake. So you must bet the flop. The situation is no different from the same situation with no side pot, really. Who cares if it is a protect pot here? If you aren't beating the guy who is all-in, you aren't winning the main pot. You will need to protect your hand from the bigger stacked opponent, in case your hand IS good now.

[jimdmcevoy]

I disagree, in situations like these I don't expect people to be bluffing a missed AK after raising preflop as much as normal.

[TheWorstPlayer]

Why not? If he was ahead preflop, he is still likely ahead on the flop. Why give you free cards? Betting the flop with a missed AK is not a bluff. It is often a value bet and protecting your hand. You have the nuts no-pair, after all.

[jimdmcevoy]

I always thought that betting your missed AK was to get small pocket pairs who missed their sets and suited connecters who may have just hid 3rd pair to fold. I couln't be a value bet unless a missed AQ would call, which I'm not sure I've seen much.

[TheWorstPlayer]

First of all, a value bet does not need to be called, it just needs to be made by a hand that you think is best. Even if AQ doesn't call, your bet was still a value bet. Second of all, are you telling me that the only hands people call raises with in your games are small pocket pairs, suited connectors, and AQ? Have you ever played at Party?

[jimdmcevoy]

Yes, people call my raises with big pairs and paint cards too.

But what I'm saying is that after a preflop raise and a bet on the flop when I have a missed AK I never get called by a worse hand (as far as I know), I sometimes get a better hand to fold, and I sometimes get called by a better hand.

This is my definition of a bluff.

[TheWorstPlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
This is my definition of a bluff.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well I think your definition is wrong. I believe the definition of a pure bluff is when you bet, believing that the only way that you can win the hand is if the other person folds. The definition of a semi-bluff is bet you bet, believing that, without improving, the only way for you to win the hand is for the other player to fold, but you have a (good) chance at improving. Just because your bet will only be called by a better hand doesn't make it a bluff. Betting a missed AK is not necessarily a bluff since they may have a worse hand, in which case you could win by showing down even if they don't fold. In fact, it is fairly likely that they DO have a worse hand. So it is definitely not a bluff.