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SteveL91
05-28-2005, 02:16 AM
Here's a hand from tonight. I'll toss in my thoughts/comments/whatevers at the end.

Ultimate Bet 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG calls, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SB calls, Hero calls, UTG calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets</font>, SB folds, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG folds, CO calls.

Turn: (6 BB) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO calls.

River: (8 BB) 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, CO checks.

Final Pot: 8 BB

I can't access my notes on the pertinent player, but I haven't seen anything to make me fear getting involved in a pot with. I haven't really noticed anything extraordinary one way or the other, but I may have missed it; also haven't played with him all that much. I'm not really sure whether he'd try an isolation raise; I haven't seen much of that from anyone at this limit.

UTG is absolutely awful. He 3-bet me PF with 24s and bet every street of an A-high flop. I bet the river with AQs and he actually raised me with his unimproved hand.

Haven't seen the SB much, if at all.

Some may not agree with the blind defense, but with the SB staying in, I'm not folding. I wouldn't defend this in the SB, but in the BB, yes, when I think the situation is appropriate.

I think the flop is pretty straightforward. If the SB called the PFR, I was going to just call; if he folded, I was raising.

The turn is the interesting part I think. It took me a second to decide what to do, and right after I bet, I hated the decision. It's now HU, but I really don't think I have the fold equity to successfully semi-bluff the turn. Also, given that I likely have about 8 outs between the gutshot/trips/two-pair, I really don't want to be raised since I can't fold. I suspect I operate too much on auto-pilot after I C/R: It just doesn't feel right to check HU and OOP.

I was strongly considering betting the river since I was reasonably sure I had the best hand, but the "wait for the river to raise HU" is fairly common, and I wanted to show this hand down.

I think I may have been better off letting him bluff at the pot again on the turn, then check/calling (a non A/K) the river if I didn't improve or betting the river if I did.

If anyone wants the results, I'll post them, but I think it's pretty clear what he likely has.

Thanks,
Steve

MrWookie47
05-28-2005, 02:28 AM
I might fold this preflop. I'm drunk, and if I'd fold rather than raise, that says somehting.

flop apalay is great, as is the turn. Checking the river is killing kittens. How dare you. punkass.

SteveL91
05-28-2005, 02:34 AM
lol.

Well, I admit I'm fairly liberal about blind defense when it's HU or multi-way.

Yea, I think I probably should have bet the river given the line I chose. Considering the board texture, I think I'd get a call from AK/AJ/AT/whatever fairly often (I'd call more often than not in the villains shoes).

Thanks for the comments,
Steve

cold_cash
05-28-2005, 02:46 AM
I would make this pre-flop call with 3 opponents every time. (Actually I would make it with only 2 opponents everytime as well. Along with being profitable, these kinds of hands are almost always fun to play, and when you win with them everyone goes ape-[censored].)

The river is a bit trickier because you kinda have to know your player.

Is he more likely to call or bluff with AK? Therein lies your answer, grasshopper.

SteveL91
05-28-2005, 02:51 AM
[ QUOTE ]

The river is a bit trickier because you kinda have to know your player.

Is he more likely to call or bluff with AK? Therein lies your answer, grasshopper.

[/ QUOTE ]

I try and keep track of those who will push UI every street. I don't recall making a note on him about this, but again, I don't have many hands with him. It's also possible I just missed it. Thanks for the insight. Something to keep in mind in future HU situations where I'm likely facing UI overcards.

Aaron W.
05-28-2005, 02:54 AM
[ QUOTE ]
Well, I admit I'm fairly liberal about blind defense when it's HU or multi-way.

[/ QUOTE ]

So.......... you're always liberal about defending?

Aaron W.
05-28-2005, 02:58 AM
[ QUOTE ]
The turn is the interesting part I think. It took me a second to decide what to do, and right after I bet, I hated the decision. It's now HU, but I really don't think I have the fold equity to successfully semi-bluff the turn. Also, given that I likely have about 8 outs between the gutshot/trips/two-pair, I really don't want to be raised since I can't fold. I suspect I operate too much on auto-pilot after I C/R: It just doesn't feel right to check HU and OOP.

[/ QUOTE ]

Betting is correct. It's quite likely that you've still got the best hand. You would hate to give up a free card even more than you would hate to call a raise.

cold_cash
05-28-2005, 03:02 AM
Against an unknown I would lean toward betting for a couple of reasons.

First of all it's unlikely that you're going to be bluff-raised against your run of the mill player.

Secondly, I think a typical opponent is more likely to call than he is to bluff, so until I've seen enough of his play to tell me otherwise I proceed under this assumption.

Lastly, many too loose/bad opponents will call down with complete shat. If you told me you bet the river and this guy called you with KJ I wouldn't be surprised. Which reminds me of my all time favorite 2+2 quote:

"People like to call; I like to let them."
- Clarkmeister

Entity
05-28-2005, 03:03 AM
Preflop, flop, and turn are fine.

It's very rare that a worse hand bets this river, so I'd tend to bet. You have to remember how much aggression you've shown and the fact that Ace high will call and hope you were semibluffing a draw, but Ace-high won't bet often.

Rob

SteveL91
05-28-2005, 03:03 AM
Okay, thanks. Just wanted to clarify things.

About the blind defense... I knew that came out poorly after I read it, but I was hoping no one would notice lol. Usually, when it's only going to be 3-handed, I'll let weaker hands go. If it's going to be 4+ handed, I'll be more inclined to open up a bit with regards to suited hands and off-suit connectors.

SteveL91
05-28-2005, 03:24 AM
Fair enough. I was considering betting the river, but I just chickened out, I guess.

cold_cash,

I've been using that mantra a lot as well. Apparently I let my skirt get up around my neck on this river.

Thanks again guys,
Steve