$55s - Ok This One's Actually Interesting

[Unarmed]

Villain likes to bluff.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG+1 (t505)
MP1 (t1900)
MP2 (t674)
MP3 (t1796)
CO (t1580)
Button (t910)
SB (t795)
Hero (t975)
UTG (t865)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, MP2 calls t30, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, Hero checks.

Flop: (t75) J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets t100</font>, Hero calls t100.

Turn: (t275) 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets t150</font>, Hero calls t150.

River: (t575) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets t150</font>, Hero calls t150.

Final Pot: t875

[luckyplayer]

I've never even sniffed a $50+5, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I can't imagine its a good idea to call down half your stack against a "bluffer"

[Nick B.]

just bet the flop

[lehighguy]

Betting the flop can be ok. I'm tempted to insta fold.

[Unarmed]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm tempted to insta fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was close between calling and folding. My kicker is pretty weak against an EP limper. Then again, he could have any ace.

[gumpzilla]

I like this line quite a bit against an aggressive bluffer type. For those out there who think it's a mistake to call down, what A with a kicker that will play on this board is a LAG limping in with from MP?

I would consider raising the river, but it's debatable. I don't think he's got an 8 or backdoored the flush, so I think you very likely have him beat. I also think he'll probably pay off a minraise with a J. It is somewhat dangerous, though.

[1C5]

If you know villian likes to bluff, I like this play. Why bet and take the pot with 75 chips when you can just call him down and take a pot with 875? (hopefully) /images/graemlins/grin.gif


Seriously, I like this play with a read on the villian.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

That flop is awfully rich with draws to check-call. I realize that your read on the opponent is that he will bet anything if you check the flop, but why give him a chance to catch up?

On the flop did you think he would be prone to reraising all-in as a bluff if you checkraised to 350 or so?

[valenzuela]

hasnt anyone realized that by the turn heros kicker is officially useless unless a 9 comes on the river. Thereby I think calling-down is correct since villian isnt very likely to have AT+

[Unarmed]

[ QUOTE ]
That flop is awfully rich with draws to check-call. I realize that your read on the opponent is that he will bet anything if you check the flop, but why give him a chance to catch up?

On the flop did you think he would be prone to reraising all-in as a bluff if you checkraised to 350 or so?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not all that concerned about making him pay if he's drawing because he's already charged himself. I considered a C/R but decided against it because 1) I don't even know if I have the best ace, and 2) if he's bluffing with trash I want him to put ME on the draw and continue betting.

But, yeah, good points. It could go either way I think.

[microbet]

His action looks more like value betting than bluffing. If he liked to bluff a lot, I would think his play would indicate a strong hand.

edit: Depends on what you mean by bluff. If he bluffs, but they are smallish bets, such as these, then calling down could be right. I generally think of bluffers as more aggressive.

[jcm4ccc]

Personally, I think this was very poorly played.

Your theory on this hand seems to be: I think I have the best hand; however, I may not. So I will check/call to the river so that I can save a few chips just in case I'm behind.

The problem, of course, is that you are allowing the villian to catch up. If you truly believe, based on your read, that you have the best hand, you need to play it as if you have the best hand. Play it just like you have AK, not A poor kicker. Check/push the flop. This has three benefits:

<ul type="square"> You may prevent the villian from outdrawing you You may induce the villian to lay down a better hand (unlikely but possible) You send a message to the villian to leave you alone in future hands [/list]

However, my personal opinion is that you should not do this. You have a mediocre hand, and a read on the villian that he likes to bluff. The way to beat a LAG villian is not to push your mediocre hands on the theory that he is bluffing (how sure can you be that he doesn't have AT, AQ?). You beat a LAG villian by letting him win the small pots, and then making him pay dearly when you have him beat (usually by trapping him, since he will make the bets for you).

[bobman0330]

Check/push the flop is not good against this kind of villain. Against a push, he's going to fold perhaps 2/3 of his hands, and you win the small pot and his small bet. His top third he calls with and wins most of the time, and you lose a ton.

By check-calling, you gain a lot more when he's behind, and lose a lot less when he's ahead. You only lose when he has a weak draw that fails to improve. There's no particular reason to put him on this hand, and no particular reason to stick your head in the lion's mouth on the off chance that he does.

[jcm4ccc]

[ QUOTE ]
Check/push the flop is not good against this kind of villain. Against a push, he's going to fold perhaps 2/3 of his hands, and you win the small pot and his small bet. His top third he calls with and wins most of the time, and you lose a ton.


[/ QUOTE ]

Which is why you should fold

[Eihli]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Check/push the flop is not good against this kind of villain. Against a push, he's going to fold perhaps 2/3 of his hands, and you win the small pot and his small bet. His top third he calls with and wins most of the time, and you lose a ton.


[/ QUOTE ]

Which is why you should fold

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't see why, can you explain it in a different way that might be more clear??

[Unarmed]

Check/pushing would probably fold out Villain (definitely here given he had K /images/graemlins/spade.gif5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif) but I could check/push with any two cards, and I'd rather attempt to get some value for my top pair. Note: AK does not equal A9 here, because with AK I could check push and actually get called by a worse hand.

Of course, like I said, there's nothing wrong with check/folding the flop.

PS: Betting the flop is generally wrong IMO because it allows a draw to raise me. Betting the flop is definitely wrong at a 55 because A5 will raise me.

[jcm4ccc]

[ QUOTE ]
Check/pushing would probably fold out Villain (definitely here given he had K /images/graemlins/spade.gif5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif) but I could check/push with any two cards, and I'd rather attempt to get some value for my top pair. Note: AK does not equal A9 here, because with AK I could check push and actually get called by a worse hand.

Of course, like I said, there's nothing wrong with check/folding the flop.

PS: Betting the flop is generally wrong IMO because it allows a draw to raise me. Betting the flop is definitely wrong at a 55 because A5 will raise me.

[/ QUOTE ]

I need to be more clear. I think check/pushing the flop is a terrible idea. I just think that check/calling to the river is worse.

A9 is a mediocre hand, even when an Ace hits the flop. Otherwise, it would be correct to limp with A9 on the button (maybe Gigabet can make that a profitable play. For the rest of us mortals, we fold A9 because A9 sucks. It doesn't get any better just because you got it in the BB).