AKs limp

[jkamowitz]

hi, this hand took place tonight at my local 1-2nl game. 60-300 buy in. The game is typical crazy long island. With vlots of preflop limps who will call 15$ preflop with most cards. 6-7 playrs per hand usually.

Anyways

I have around 700
Villian has around 500

I'm in mp3 with A /images/graemlins/heart.gifK /images/graemlins/heart.gif

utg limps
utg+1 limps
mp1 lmps
Hero limps
Button (villian) raises to 12

BB calls
surprisingly, only 1 limper calls
I call.

3 players

K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif6 /images/graemlins/spade.gif4 /images/graemlins/club.gif flop

Checks around

Turn 4 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

checks around

River: A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

bb checks
i check
button bets 20

bb folds
i raise to 60

thoughts

[kevin017]

reraise preflop, bet flop. no need to slowplay against loose people.

[MLerra]

I think you could have made a lot of money here, but didn't.
You had one of the best possible flops for your hand, in the sense that you have to know you're ahead there. The turn is pretty much a blank, and the river seals the deal for you. If someone has a K, you could have made a very lot of money here with your two pair over their "two pair" including those 4's on the turn.

Online, my motto is to never bet or call on the river if someone else is showing strength and I only have one pair. However, in a casino, I would overplay TPTK in a second.

And, you even have the A falling on the river, so someone who hung around with an A might think their A is good over your K. (then again, you didn't bet the K, so I guess they can't put you on it).

I really don't understand what your plan was in this hand, I guess. You limped a good hand to potentially trap, and then you didn't really trap anyone.

[Ghazban]

Typically crazy game where both the flop and turn get checked through 3 ways in a raised pot? Something smells funny here. If the game is usually loose and aggressive, it looks like you're getting trapped here by KK. Obivously, that's not too likely as there's a king on the board and you've got one in your hand but one of the biggest tells crazies have is when they aren't betting on a board like this one in a raised pot.

Anyway, that scenario isn't too likely so your hand is probably going to be good when the cards get flipped over. The river checkraise is good; you'll probably get called by lesser aces expecting to chop that wouldn't raise if you bet into them but will call a checkraise. I don't love the flop and turn play as it could've put you into a bad spot on the river (what do you do if a spade face card hits? Now there's a flush possible and someone could have a better two pair or set than you). I expect you were trying to trap some extra money from BB by going for a flop check/raise but button checked it through. After the flop gets checked around, I like betting the turn as spades might chase and you don't want to give free cards.

[Zag]

I don't hate the preflop limp-call with AKs, but this should be your alternate play, not your primary one. Your stack is 250 BBs, which means that you should not be willing to go to the felt with TPTK -- you would like to establish control of the hand early, since you don't really have a trap hand.

On the flop, I assume you were going for a check-raise, since the preflop aggressor was to your left. I like this play. I assume that, had you check-raised and the preflop aggressor reraised, you would be prepared to release it. (TPTK is only "worth" about 40-60 BBs. If someone is prepared to go deeper than that, it means that they have TPTK beaten.)

On the turn is my big complaint with your play. Consider this: If you were sitting in Button's seat with, say, JJ, and you see it check around on the flop and a bet on that turn after two checks, are you going to fold? No way. It looks way too much like a steal. I assume that you often WOULD try to steal in that position with a wide range of hands here, almost anything that totally missed. As Doyle says, "if you're just going to leave that money sitting out there ..." If you would steal here, that means you also have to bet when you have something.

I don't much like your play on the river, for much the same reason, but I don't dislike it as strongly. If he has JJ or QQ, he is just going to check behind again, relieved to see a showdown now that there are two overcards out there. If he has an ace, no kicker (such as AQ) then he still might raise your bet, and he still might check behind if checked to, depending on how aggressive he is, but he will certainly at least call.

The single hand that you fear, KK, might have slow-played it all the way to here, and betting out on the river loses the minimum to this hand. He will raise and you will call and curse for a bit. With your approach, I think you still have to call if he reraises your check-raise, because there are too many people who would reraise with a good ace here (not realizing that their Q kicker doesn't play), and KK is so very unlikely. I also have a tiny fear of 44 and 66, if villain would raise with those preflop.

[schwza]

[ QUOTE ]
The game is typical crazy long island. With vlots of preflop limps who will call 15$ preflop with most cards

[/ QUOTE ]

uh... easy raise for value pre-flop.

[BBD]

I like the preflop limp (nice deception and good future value- assuming you do show down), but I'm definatly betting this flop. As it's already been said I think you could have won more money, especially with the A falling on the river.

[Zag]

(I'm catching up on some old threads.)

So, jk, do you have results?

If he reraised you, I think you have to make a crying call, because you will be shown A6 almost as often as you will be shown a full house. If he just called, I bet that he had an ace with a kicker that doesn't play. In fact, if he folded, I suspect the same thing, or just a total bluff, but you probably will never know. (Hmmm, live game, maybe he showed it.)

Inquiring minds want to know. (OK, maybe just one.)

[jkamowitz]

Villian scoffs and throws AcQc away in disgust.