My first Stud post

[JTG51]

I'm brand new to 7CS. I mean, brand spanking new. I've played a couple of hours in my life. I've read about half of Roy West's book, and read this forum for the last few weeks. That's the extent of my experience. I'd love to hear some thoughts about this hand. It was on a .50/1 Paradise table. No ante, .25 bring in.

The third street hands look like:

3s
8h
(7d Jd) Ad <---- ME
Tc
7s
9d
7h

3s brings it in, 8h folds. I raise. Tc calls and everyone else folds. 3s calls.

On 4th:

RHO: 3s 4d
ME: (7d Jd) Ad 2d
LHO: Tc Jh

I bet and get called by both.

Onto 5th street:

RHO: 3s 4d 3d
ME: (7d Jd) Ad 2d 2c
LHO: Tc Jh 7c

RHO bets, I call as does LHO.

6th street:

RHO: 3s 4d 3d Ts
ME: (7d Jd) Ad 2d 2c 8d
LHO: Tc Jh 7c 4s

RHO bets, I raise, LHO calls, RHO calls.

On 7th, RHO checks to me, I bet, and both call.

Any thoughts? Thanks for the help.

[deadbart]

Well played.

In a micro limit game where there is no ante and yet I have to assume the game is fairly loose, I have to wonder whether the raise on third is worthwhile. How often can you steal the antes or set up a steal later at this limit? At higher limits with an ante I think the raise is pretty much automatic.

I like your other decisions.

[JTG51]

deadbart, I think you are most likely correct. It seems to me that steal raises go way down in value in games with no ante. I don't plan on spending much time at this limit though, just a few hours to get a little feel for the game. Then I'll move way up to 1/2 /forums/images/icons/smile.gif and try to really learn the game better. I don't see much point in getting too used to playing without any ante.

[Mason Malmuth]

Your raise on third street makes no sense. If successful, you win 25 cents with a hand that you would like players. In a bigger game with a substantial ante, a raise or reraise could be mandatory.

MM

one thought i had on this raise is that at a low limit you can almost guarantee getting many callers to the end by building a big pot on third street, so if you catch your flush you will win a big pot. so cant the raise be right not to steal the antes but to build a big multiway pot?

now i guess the rejoinder would be that they may call to the end anyway. but i think it is usually difficult to play this hand for its value in making a high pair at low limit, as should be done at higher limits. even at 5-10 when i make this raise i am not that upset when i am called since i have a strong multiway hand.

Pat

On fifth, your opponent's bet is representing that his paired door card has given him trip threes or two pair with a pocket pair. On sixth, when you raise and he does not reraise he is telling you he has at most trip threes. On the river, his check suggests he did not fill, although he could be trying for a check raise. Your flush most likely has third opponent beat, although you never know. So I like your bet. As your flush is pretty obvious, if you are raised on the river you are almost certainly beaten by a full.

[JTG51]

My flush was no good. My RHO started with (3c 4h) 3s. Made two pair on 4th and filled on 5th. He let me off easy.

Thanks for the comments so far.

Your opponent missed at least one bet here by not raising the river. They should have been pretty sure the little full house was good, especially as the other opponent didn't bet or raise.