Taking advantage of a tight/tricky image

[Mike Gallo]

I had the following hand last night at a $4-$8 game game at the Trop in Atlantic City.

I had played at this table for a few hours and other players at the table viewed me as a tight/tricky opponent. Earlier in the session I limped on the button with AK off suit after 6 limpers and won a nice sized pot with Aces.

I limped UTG with two black 8's. Two callers to the button who raised. I called and four of us saw the flop. The button could have any hand, he liked to raise his button with very dubious holdings.

Flop K K 3, K3 spades.

Everyone including me checked to the button who bets, I check raise and everyone folds.

Comments?

[Allan]

I think this hand was played well. You know there will be a button bet and a checkraise has a lot of value in my mind. It is possible you are driving out a better hand like 99 or TT or an overcard to your pair that could possibly outdraw you on a later round. The info you get from this checkraise is also very valuable. You put the button as well as the rest of the field to a test of stength, confronting everyone with a double sized bet.
If you bet out on the flop rather than checkraise, depending on the level of aggression the button plays with it is possible he raises you here and where does that leave you? Good play....

Allan

[Uston]

Is this a deviation from your normal play or do you view this as textbook? I ask because I can't see any reason why I wouldn't check-raise the button 100% of the time, especially when it's folded to me.

[hutz]

What's your play if the button re-raises?

Is this a deviation from your normal play or do you view this as textbook?

Against another player, I might just check and fold this hand, especially if I dont flop a set.

[Mike Gallo]

[Mike Gallo]

[Clarkmeister]

Then that's awful. No way should you be check-folding ever in this spot. Uston is 100% right here, checkraise almost every time, and bet out the rest of the time. That is a beayooooootiful flop for your hand.

As for the AK hand, would you have not won a big pot had you raised preflop? Of course not. I don't mind limping with AK in a tight game UTG once in a blue moon, but limping on the button is silly. To quote D. Andrew, AK is simply too much hand to be limping in with.

[Clarkmeister]

If the button reraises then I know he doesn't have a king. So I decide if this partiular player will fold on the turn if 4-bet on the flop and led into on the turn. If he is incapable of folding a big pair, I will muck. Otherwise, I'll tell him I really do have a king by 4-betting the flop and leading the turn.

[hutz]

If the button reraises then I know he doesn't have a king.

Is this because you would expect someone with a king to call the flop and then raise the turn? I'd really appreciate it if you expanded on this part of your answer.

[Clarkmeister]

Yes. Someone who raised preflop with KQ or AK and gets checkraised on a KKxr flop is going to call the checkraise and raise the turn almost 100% of the time. That's the advantage of position. Ask yourself if you had AK what you would have done, and I suspect the answer is "i'd call and raise the turn"