Early steal hand

[hummusx]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

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

Button (t775)
<font color="#C00000">Hero (t785)</font>
<font color="#C00000">BB (t810)</font>
UTG (t800)
UTG+1 (t705)
UTG+2 (t735)
MP1 (t495)
MP2 (t1095)
MP3 (t725)
CO (t1075)

Preflop: Hero is SB with T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">8 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t50</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises to t85</font>, Hero calls t35.

-- What is he raising 35 with? Does he just want another 35 chips in the pot? Maybe he knows enough to know I'm stealing, but not enough to realize he probably can't re-steal for only 35 more?--

Flop: (t170) K/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif, 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t130</font>, BB calls t130.

-- I raised, it hit me, I'm going to at least take a stab at it. Calling my bet scares me. --

Turn: (t430) Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, BB checks.

-- Ok. He's got nothing, he's scared of the straight, or he's got a big hand and really wants my chips. --

River: (t430) T/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t225</font>, BB calls t225.

-- I'm still thinking about the lame raise to 85 PF. Who does that? I really was not expecting this call. --

Final Pot: t880

Was there any part of this hand that was played ok?

[LaggyLou]

1) Don't steal on level one. 25 chips are nothing.
2) That is not to say that you should not play this hand. You have a good hand here and it's only 5 more to you. Personally, I like calling and keeping this pot small but I see raising as fine here.
3) Reraising 35 is a min raise. It means he likes his hand at least a little bit.
4) I would have bet 100 on the flop, but 130 is not all that different.
5) Once he calls, I'm through betting. What is he reasonably calling with here? At least a K. At worst a monster. Ok, maybe if he is truly terrible a flush draw. But you have to hate the call.
6) Check-check on the turn. Good. I want a cheap showdown.
7) So EVERY SINGLE DRAW gets there by the river and you decide to bet a third of your remaining stack? What was your plan if he went all in? The only reasonable hands that you are ahead of now that you weren't on the turn are A9-A8, and A6-A2. Overall, I think that this bet is -EV.

___

I don't like getting into major confrontations with marginal hands on level 1. I would have flat called preflop. If I get min-raised to 30 I call and bet ~40 on the flop and see what happens. If he checks behind I bet 25 on the flop. What I am trying to do is KEEP THE POT SMALL when I am out of position with a marginal hand. If he wants it bad enough to bet a lot, he can take my t15. I'll get it back later.

[Scuba Chuck]

I would just complete from the SB here. If BB raises, let him have it.

Flop: Well, you got what you wanted on the flop, except you got one other card you didn't want. But this is HU, you're probably safe to bet here. Too bad you built the pot up so big.


River: I think a value call here is more in line. If you bet and he raises, I'm sure I'd fold. I'd check here.

[hummusx]

[ QUOTE ]

7) So EVERY SINGLE DRAW gets there by the river and you decide to bet a third of your remaining stack? What was your plan if he went all in? The only reasonable hands that you are ahead of now that you weren't on the turn are A9-A8, and A6-A2. Overall, I think that this bet is -EV.


[/ QUOTE ]

I would have folded to an all-in bet. It would have hurt, but it's early enough that I can get back in it. I couldn't see him on the straight draw. I thought Ax was a pretty reasonable possibility, in fact it's what I really thought he had when he called my flop bet. In which case, he very well might make a call on the end again. On the other hand, the flush would have been a serious possibility. If I had NOT bet, and if the guy was not a fish, he'd probably bet any two on the end and I would have to fold.

[ QUOTE ]

I don't like getting into major confrontations with marginal hands on level 1. I would have flat called preflop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I normally avoid this kind of thing like the PLAGUE for this exact reason. Calling just felt bad because I hate giving people free plays with crap cards.

[hummusx]

Oh yeah, Villain shows 88 and I take the pot down.