Another Hand-- med PP

[kurto]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

<font color="#C00000">Hero ($30.10)</font>
<font color="#C00000">MP3 ($15.15)</font>
CO ($19.35)
<font color="#C00000">Button ($12.10)</font>
SB ($18.20)
BB ($18.50)
UTG ($17)
UTG+1 ($24)
MP1 ($11.20)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, Hero calls $0.25, MP3 calls $0.25, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to $0.75</font>, SB calls $0.65, BB calls $0.50, Hero calls $0.50, MP3 calls $0.50.

Flop: ($3.75) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 5/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $1.5</font>, MP3 calls $1.50, Button calls $1.50, SB folds, BB folds.

Turn: ($8.25) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $2</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 raises to $4</font>, Button calls $4, Hero calls $2.

River: ($20.25) 7/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 bets $2</font>, Button calls $2, Hero calls $2.

Final Pot: $26.25

How about that turn? Am I a donkey for not folding?
River-- Should I have pushed it? I was a little worried about a fullhouse.

[jdl22]

Your flop bet is too small. In a pot with what is likely to be the best hand but very susceptible to get outdrawn you need to bet much closer to the pot. It's rare that a half pot sized bet is correct unless you have an absolute monster with very little chance of getting sucked out on (say KK on a K94r board).

Ditto turn, what are you doing betting so small? The dude minraised you which means he put an extra $2 into a $12 pot, that's not really anything to worry about. Most people here would probably put a raise in on the turn with any two given the way you've been betting this thing.

River - now he's making ridiculously small bets. I would say put a reasonable raise in. Put the most you think he would call with a hand like A8 or perhaps a 4. This depends on your read.

Overall it was pretty poorly played by both of you due to the weak bets. I can't imagine a hand for either of you that should be played the way you guys played it. Making these tiny bets isn't going to get anyone to fold if you're bluffing and is certainly not maximising value if value betting. More importantly the board is pretty bad draw wise so you need to cut down their odds. Making small bets is not the way to do that.

[djr]

Flop. This isn't even a half pot bet. You're giving 4:1 for any callers and that ain't good. Bet 2:50-3 minimum.

Turn, I wouldn't fold. You're looking at 2 great outs (the nines) and 4 good outs (the 7's) that's approx 8:1 for making your hand with 9:1 pot odds. Easy call. However, again you probably should have popped a bigger bet here (now you're giving 5:1 for callers).

River. you probably have the best hand. Not likely someone has a 9T, and with all low cards I don't see a boat being very likely. Whats your read on MP3? BB probably has crap and is calling because he's got 10:1 pot odds. I'd reraise to 6-8 bucks and wouldn't be surprised if MP3 showed an A6s.

[kurto]

Right or wrong, let me explain my thoughts...

I didn't want to play a big pot with a medium pocket pair. Usually, I play "get set or get out." Players had been looking for check raise opportunities a lot so I was putting my bet out there as a 'minesweeper'.

Regarding the turn... I still bet small because I didn't want to play a large pot. With this second stab, I felt any overcards would likely fold.

I should have folded. When I was reraised, I didn't think I had the best hand at that point. But his reraise was small enough, and with the other guy coming along, that I was willing to play it out.

I think my biggest fault was not playing the river hard. With the paired sixes, I didn't want to raise into a fullhouse.

[kurto]

MP3: shows [8d Ad] (two pair, Eights and Sixes)
CO: shows [Jd Jh] (two pair, Jacks and Sixes)
Kurto: shows [9c 9h] (a straight, Five to Nine)

Whether a leak or not... CO's hand shows why I didn't want to play a big pot. He was the preflop raiser. He had a decent PP (which I think he played worse then I did.)

This is one of those cases where I was worried someone was hiding strenght and I didn't want to pot commit myself with a medium pocket pair. Is this not a situation where you want to play a small pot? I don't exactly have a monster.

I completely agree that I missed a river bet. With the turn min-raise... I was a little worried someone was trying to build a pot with a made hand. (which I might do if I had a full house on the turn) I really gave him too much credit.