Maximizing profit through slow play or am I am just a wimp?

[RandomUser]

This was a strange hand.

I Had just sat down at this table and was amazed at the number of chasers in every hand. As long as noone raised, people just kept calling. So when I got a big hidden hand I ended up calling down.

7 Card Stud High ($3/$6), Ante $0.5, Bring-In $1 (hand converter (http://www.geocities.com/greenage22/7StudConverter.hta.txt))

3rd Street

Seat 1: xx xx 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif___folds
Seat 2: xx xx K/images/graemlins/spade.gif___calls
Seat 3: xx xx T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif___calls
Seat 4: xx xx 5/images/graemlins/club.gif___brings-in___calls
Hero: 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif___calls___calls
Seat 7: xx xx J/images/graemlins/heart.gif___completes
Seat 8: xx xx 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif___calls

(Yes, I realize this was probably a fold, but with that many callers, I decided to call for $2 more)

4th Street

Seat 2: xx xx K/images/graemlins/spade.gif Q/images/graemlins/club.gif___bets
Seat 3: xx xx T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 2/images/graemlins/club.gif___folds
Seat 4: xx xx 5/images/graemlins/club.gif 8/images/graemlins/club.gif___calls
Hero: 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif 3/images/graemlins/club.gif___calls
Seat 7: xx xx J/images/graemlins/heart.gif 6/images/graemlins/club.gif___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif___calls

Perfect! I decided to wait till 5th street to raise.

5th Street

Seat 2: xx xx K/images/graemlins/spade.gif Q/images/graemlins/club.gif 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif___bets
Seat 4: xx xx 5/images/graemlins/club.gif 8/images/graemlins/club.gif J/images/graemlins/club.gif___calls
Hero: 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif 3/images/graemlins/club.gif 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif___calls
Seat 7: xx xx J/images/graemlins/heart.gif 6/images/graemlins/club.gif K/images/graemlins/club.gif___folds
Seat 8: xx xx 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 9/images/graemlins/club.gif___checks___calls

This is where i wimped out. WHen the better bet right into the 3 clubs, I figured he might have trips. When the flush didn't raise, I should have raised, but I didn't want to have to call a reraise.

6th Street

Seat 2: xx xx K/images/graemlins/spade.gif Q/images/graemlins/club.gif 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif___bets
Seat 4: xx xx 5/images/graemlins/club.gif 8/images/graemlins/club.gif J/images/graemlins/club.gif 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif___calls
Hero: 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif 3/images/graemlins/club.gif 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 9/images/graemlins/club.gif T/images/graemlins/heart.gif___checks___calls

Once again, he bet right into everyone. I figured he might have started with 3 spades with the Qs in hole and had just made his flush, so I wimped out on the raise again.

River

Seat 2: xx xx K/images/graemlins/spade.gif Q/images/graemlins/club.gif 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif xx___bets
Seat 4: xx xx 5/images/graemlins/club.gif 8/images/graemlins/club.gif J/images/graemlins/club.gif 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif xx___folds
Hero: 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif 3/images/graemlins/club.gif 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 9/images/graemlins/club.gif T/images/graemlins/heart.gif xx___checks___calls

When I hit the straight on the river, I decided to just call once more, not wanting to risk a reraise. He could have made his flush if he hadn't already made it, or he could have filled up his trips or two pair.



Results:

Seat 2: balance $20, lost $24.5 [ Qd 2s Ks Qc 6s 4s Qh ] [ three of a kind, queens -- Ks,Qd,Qc,Qh,6s ]
Hero: balance $222, bet $24.5, collected $99.5, net +$75 [ 3h 3s 5s 3c 2h 4h 6h ] [ a straight, two to six -- 6h,5s,4h,3h,2h ]
Seat 8: balance $55.5, lost $24.5 [ Ts 8s 9s 2d 9c Th Ah ] [ two pairs, tens and nines -- Ah,Ts,Th,9s,9c ]

I'm assuming the bettor had 'shuffle cards' on and had trip Qs on 4th street. Either that or he was a total maniac.

[templar999]

random,

sorry, but your fifth and sixth street play are pretty inexcusable. going for an overcall on the river is one thing when you're not sure whether the bettor has you beat. letting opponents draw out cheaply on you on the big streets when you are a big favorite playing way too tentatively is going to cost you a lot of big pots. you're pretty fortunate that they didnt fill their flush or two pair. might have been an awfully expensive river.

play trips aggressively!

respectfully,
temp

[Andy B]

This is a fold on third street. In the loosest and most passive stud games, I will limp in with a hand like this, but my kicker needs to be live. In this instance, you've got the entire field yet to act behind you, and there are a few unduplicated high cards out there. If you know that seats 2, 3, and 7 almost never raise on third, this is almost worth limping in with, but really, you should save your money. Having limped in, you should probably save the rest of the bet. The pot odds may look attractive, but it's around 20:1 against your hitting a set on fourth, and there's no guarantee that a set will win.

Having gotten to fourth street, I raise right away. If people call, great. If people fold, great. When the action gets to you, there are nine or so small bets in the pot. The best possible result, in my opinion, is for everyone to fold. Obviously, this isn't going to happen, but you should start looking for folders instead of callers. A lot of low-limit stud players leave money on the table by slow-playing trips, and I don't think that this is any exception. Waiting until fifth is defensible, though.

Failing to raise fifth is criminal. It is extremely likely that you have the best hand. It is also extremely likely that some of your opponents are drawing live to beat you. Make them pay. Build yourself a pot. Whatever. There is no reason to think that you're beaten, and the pot is certainly big enough by now that you shouldn't be slow-playing anymore.

My sixth street observations mirror my fifth street observations. I would raise the river myself, but flat calling is reasonable. The aggressor could well have you beaten, and you might gain an over-call. I would worry more about a flush if his board were /images/graemlins/spade.gif /images/graemlins/spade.gif /images/graemlins/club.gif /images/graemlins/spade.gif, though. He's probably just got two big pair or maybe trips, and especially with another player in, you're getting good value on a raise. Your timid play on streets 4-6 is much more worrisome. And if you don't play the later streets well, that's a good reason to not limp in with weak, speculative hands on third.

[PoorLawyer]

4th you need to raise. trips is nice, but you only have trip 3s. when someone who would have folded pairs their higher doorcard and raises, then what do you do?

[RandomUser]

Thanks for all the comments, I deserved them.

I was seeing monsters under the bed.

At least I was smart enough to realize how badly I played this hand and quit immediately thereafter.