Playing QQ in level 1, am I being to weak? [Archive]

View Full Version : Playing QQ in level 1, am I being to weak?

nWirb

04-19-2005, 10:21 AM

Hand 1:
Not sure what to do with queens this early from UTG, I want to raise more then 4BB but still I want some more value then just T25 in blinds here.

I should probably have raised it to like 150 on the flop.
Seeing I only raised 65 and was put all in should I call here since it's more likely he is trying to buy the pot?
If I had made it like 150 on the flop and villian did the same move, would I call then?

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

MP1 (t800)
MP2 (t785)
MP3 (t800)
CO (t785)
Button (t770)
SB (t785)
BB (t875)
Hero (t800)
UTG+1 (t800)
UTG+2 (t800)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
Hero raises to t60, 2 folds, MP1 calls t60, 5 folds, BB calls t45.

Flop: (t190) J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t65, MP1 raises to t740 (All-In), BB folds, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t995

Hand 2:
Probably should have raised it to atleast 100 before the flop here.
I didn't give SB much credit for his small raise on the flop here. I probably should have reraised to like 150 on the flop.
I was pretty sure he had a 10 on the turn. Hoping for a K to call.

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

SB (t800)
BB (t800)
UTG (t800)
UTG+1 (t800)
UTG+2 (t800)
MP1 (t800)
Hero (t800)
MP3 (t800)
CO (t800)
Button (t800)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG calls t15, 1 fold, UTG+2 calls t15, 1 fold, Hero raises to t60, 3 folds, SB calls t50, 1 fold, UTG calls t45, UTG+2 calls t45.

Flop: (t255) T/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif (4 players)
SB bets t50, UTG folds, UTG+2 folds, Hero raises to t250, SB calls t200.

Turn: (t755) K/images/graemlins/spade.gif (2 players)
SB bets t490 (All-In), Hero folds.

Final Pot: t1245

Hand 3:
Not sure what to make of this hand, if he had a king he played it pretty strangely, maybe AK?

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

SB (t800)
BB (t800)
UTG (t800)
UTG+1 (t800)
UTG+2 (t800)
MP1 (t800)
MP2 (t800)
Hero (t800)
CO (t800)
Button (t800)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
3 folds, MP1 calls t15, 1 fold, Hero raises to t85, 2 folds, SB calls t75, 1 fold, MP1 folds.

Flop: (t200) 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets t125, SB raises to t250, Hero calls t125.

Turn: (t700) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

River: (t700) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif (2 players)
SB bets t200, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t900

Scuba Chuck

04-19-2005, 11:02 AM

In your first two, your preflop betting doesn't **protect** your very vulnerable queens. In the third hand, much better.

Postflop:
Hand 1: I think folding this is acceptable. I can't tell what buyin this is. If this is a $10+1, I think folding is correct. If this is a $33, I'd be more inclined to call, as I believe villain is more likely to have a T than a J in the hole. Frankly, I think your flop bet here is near perfect, infact, I'd probably bet a little less, like 45.

Hand 2: Folding is probably the right move here. I'm interested in more discussion on this hand if there is any. I'm sure I'd fold this here. Other than your preflop bet, I'd probably play the hand in the same fashion. With the flop call by villain, I'd immediately put him on pocket 3s or a pocket Ten. The turn bet confuses the hell out of me. This would seem to be a better river bet if he had pocket 3s, so I would think he has a ten, and is now worried about a flush draw. Fold.

Hand 3:
I don't like the call on the flop, but you did it. It's the turn card that makes this hand interesting. I think you lost your opportunity to win the hand here by representing the Ace on the turn with a bet. His check, IMO, represents weakness. For sure SB has a K (or two pair, K or not). What's gut-wrenching on the turn is you have to push to get him to hopefully fold his K.

Vee Quiva

04-19-2005, 11:07 AM

The first hand you should have bet 3/4 to 100% of the pot to show strength. Otherwise aggressive players may take advantage of the board being scary with the pair on board.

The other two hands look fine.

Early in sit-n-gos you want to keep pots small unless you have a monster. Most of the time top pair wins a little or loses a lot. I try not to go broke early with just top pair.

nWirb

04-19-2005, 11:55 AM

Sorry, forgot to add this was all in the 22's.

Hand 1:
How much should I raise here PF? Sure I'd like to raise to like 90-100, but I don't want to shut all the fish out, QQ sure is tricky to play from UTG IMHO.
Problem if I bet this little is that alot of players would see it as very weak and raise / put me all in.
This would be fine with any kind of read (tight aggressive player who wouldn't call PF raise with Jx) but since I don't I can't call a big rereaise since it's too likely villian has a J.
If I raise more like Vee Quiva pointed out I am less likely to get bluffed but will lose more chips if villian does indeed has the J and reraises me, forcing me to fold.

Hand 3: This hand still confuses the hell out of me.
For him to check-minraise me he would either have to have a strong hand like Kdxd, K9 or AK or he's trying to steal it hoping I was continuation betting.
Only hand he would possibly check on the turn would be Kxd.
I still think there's a slight chance the river bet was a steal, pretty slim chance though.
If I read my opponent for somthing like KT or KJ I would still not try to steal it on the turn here, I'm too likely to get called down. If this was played during my daytime (I'm +1 GMT, 6 hours ahead of EST) with only tight ass europeans online I would bet or push the turn probably.

Thanks for the responses.

Scuba Chuck

04-19-2005, 12:00 PM

[ QUOTE ]
How much should I raise here PF? Sure I'd like to raise to like 90-100, but I don't want to shut all the fish out, QQ sure is tricky to play from UTG IMHO.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you underestimate the fish. They will call big bets with crap. They just want to see a flop. Bet big, and be happy.

If you are going to bet small, to try and draw fish in, then you will have to play this hand very weak tight, as you did, and let this hand go many times, as you did.

nWirb

04-19-2005, 12:19 PM

[ QUOTE ]

I think you underestimate the fish. They will call big bets with crap. They just want to see a flop. Bet big, and be happy.

If you are going to bet small, to try and draw fish in, then you will have to play this hand very weak tight, as you did, and let this hand go many times, as you did.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very good point. Thanks for the advice.
So what would be a more suiting raise 75 90 or more?

Scuba Chuck

04-19-2005, 12:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Very good point. Thanks for the advice.
So what would be a more suiting raise 75 90 or more?

[/ QUOTE ]

minimum is 75, 90 is fine. There's no correct answer. sometimes 125 is good. I think it's a mistake to bet less than 75 though. On level 1, that is.

Vee Quiva

04-19-2005, 01:41 PM

I disagree with scubachuck on the preflop raise amounts in the early stages. I think 4 times the blind is fine. Especially if you are first into the pot. Maybe you should raise more if there are a couple of limpers already in.

Like I said before, in the early stages pocket pairs tend to win a little or lose a lot. There is no sense in risking 10-20% of your stack preflop. You are aware of how many times overcards come out.

A raise of 4-5 times the blind announces you have a good hand, come in at your own risk. If the flop looks good, play it hard. If the flop has over cards, make a probing bet to try and steal maybe 25% of the time, and check the other times. If the flop looks ragged, you can take a stab at it around 25% of the time as well. If you flop another Queen, slow it down and try and get all of your opponents money. Of course if there are obvious straight and flush draws out there, just bet big and make them pay.