Q9s... steal gone somewhat awry...

[SomethingClever]

Is this how you play this? Sorry, no read.

PokerStars 2/4 Hold'em (6 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, BB calls.

Flop: (6.50 SB) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, BB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (5.25 BB) A/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, Button checks.

River: (5.25 BB) 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 8.25 BB

[rory]

I'm not really a big fan of steal raising from the CO with Q9s until I have some information about, at the very least, the button. It only takes like an orbit or two to figure out if the guy is likely to fold or not. Plus if I fold these marginal situations for the first few orbits then all of the people paying attention will see that I have been fairly tight, and my 'steal' is more likely to work.

The steal raise here is a marginal play that you have to be able to play well postflop against your opponents to play correctly. If the button was going to call with a wide range of hands I would not try to steal with Q9s.

I hate that word steal. Really, if I have Q9s the only thing I care about is that the button folds. If the blinds fold then great. If they call, I don't care either. It's like a fact of life. I have the button or I can get the button, I raise. What the blinds choose to do it doesn't matter either way. I don't even care if I get 3 bet. Whoop de do I have the button, 3 bet me all day from the blinds, it doesn't matter to me.

[rory]

I'm a jerk and I forgot to post about the postflop play, which is what you wanted. I am selfish and post whatever I happen to be thinking about. Sorry.

I'd probably check-fold the river. The rest of the hand you played great. I have a hard time coming up a hand that he would bet that you beat. A hand like 99 or 88 or TT or something doesn't bet the river if you check. They all might have 3 bet preflop too. Any draw got there, either by hitting the A or hitting the straight or whatever. There was no flush draw or anything so he can't be betting a missed draw.

The only reason why I would call is because whatever he has, he played it really weird and I would love to see what his cards are and it might be worth the BB for the information to start building up those reads.

Your river bet-fold is a good one. Good fold.

[Turning Stone Pro]

I like the CO steal-raise. Routine IMO.

I dont like the river bet at all. You give a guy a chance to realize you are bluffing (even though you may not have been), and raise you off the winner on the river. His turn check looks like he is weak. I don't put him on an ace, and if he had a king or an ace he would bet the turn, I believe. Therefore, the only real strong hand that he might have caught is, of course, the straight. Perhaps he was slow-playing trips, but I dont think so based on his play.

You have a showdownable hand. Why allow yourself to be bluff-raised out of the hand? He is certainly not going to call the river with a hand you can beat. Check and call. I think you win &gt;50% of the time.

TSP

[SomethingClever]

I think you have a good point about wanting to show down, but I also don't think I'm getting raised on this river unless I'm beat. Whether he'll call with anything I'm ahead of is the issue.

His turn check is the key to this hand. Did he fear a checkraise from Ax, since it's such a likely hand for me to have?

Or is he slowplaying a monster?

This one is really baffling to me... the flop raise, turn check, river raise...

[SomethingClever]

[ QUOTE ]


I'd probably check-fold the river.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Your river bet-fold is a good one. Good fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

Er... which is it?

[rory]

I would probably check-fold the river, but since you decided to bet, folding to the raise is a good fold.