$15-$30 hand from the Taj Mahal

[Mike Gallo]

I played this hand this morning in a seven handed $15-$30 game at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

A semi decent player open raised from UTG + 2 one player called and action to me on the button with A /images/graemlins/heart.gifQ /images/graemlins/heart.gif I called. The small blind folded the big blind called. Four players to the flop.

10 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 9 /images/graemlins/club.gif 4 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

BB leads UTG + 2 called player in the middle folded I raised both called.

Turn 9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 10 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 9 /images/graemlins/club.gif 4 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

Checked to me...now what?

[DpR]

Close, but I think you can bet here in hopes of getting UTG1 to fold AK (assuming he wouldnt raise that on the flop) and maybe BB to fold a 4. I would fold to a check raise or check behind unimproved on the river (although I would bluff on a K if the BB could fold a 9).

If you are pretty sure UTG2 would raise AK on this flop then I would check through here and fold to a river bet from BB unimproved.

[Net Warrior]

If you don't know what to do here then why did you raise on the flop?

[Mikey]

First tell us why you raised.

[Luv2DriveTT]

[ QUOTE ]
First tell us why you raised.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know what Mike was thinking when he raise, he has 2 overcards, and backdoor straight and flush draws. 10.5SB in the pot, and he thought he was looking at 9 outs to improve his hand. Being in position a raise normally makes sense - except this flop and his cards aren't good for this scenario because pairing the board could give another player the straight he desires. So we need to discount his overcard outs to 3 or so. With a total of 6 outs the pot is still paying him enough to continue so now the question is call or raise the flop.

Raise - He tries to get a free look at the river, hopefully catching runner-runner or just pairing his Ace. Bet the turn if improved, check if not.

Call - One of the cards he needs to improve his hand might make a better hand for one of his opponents

With the above established... time to continue discussing the hand.

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

[bunky9590]

Bet the turn, take the free showdown. Unless you improve.

[Mike Gallo]

Bet the turn, take the free showdown. Unless you improve.

I checked the turn and bet the river. I feared a check raise after the board paired.

[Mike Gallo]

Raise - He tries to get a free look at the river, hopefully catching runner-runner or just pairing his Ace. Bet the turn if improved, check if not.

Pretty much everything I had going through my mind at the time. I did indeed check the turn.

[Mike Gallo]

I checked the turn when the board paired. I feared BB had a 9 and wanted to check raise.

A 3 hit the river leaving the final board
3 9 10 9 4 no flush

Both players checked to me and I bet. Both called and split my money with AK.

In retrospect, I think I should have the turn and folded to a check raise.

[Mike Gallo]

First tell us why you raised.

See TT's response. He summed up my reasoning behind the raise. I thought I could knock the initial raiser off his AK the bb calling put a monkey wrench into my plan.

When are you coming down here? The Taj now has $65 sit and goes. We can donk around in them one Saturday.

[Mike Gallo]

If you don't know what to do here then why did you raise on the flop?

The board pairing kind of froze me like a proverbial deer in the headlights. I did plan on betting just about any other card.

[Luv2DriveTT]

[ QUOTE ]
First tell us why you raised.

See TT's response. He summed up my reasoning behind the raise. I thought I could knock the initial raiser off his AK the bb calling put a monkey wrench into my plan.

When are you coming down here? The Taj now has $65 sit and goes. We can donk around in them one Saturday.

[/ QUOTE ]

BB's monkey wrench says "I have a Ten, and I want to know immediately if the pre-flop raiser is good without investing any more chips". The pre-flop raiser calling tells you he needs to improve and is willing to call it down. I think the 9 is about the best card you can see on the turn, if you raise it here you will take down the pot more than 50% of the time. If not you just bought yourself a free showdown.

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

PS: Bunky's right... I like to use longer sentences though /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[bugstud]

AK OVERCALLS!

good goo

[Turning Stone Pro]

Your call preflop allowed the BB in (even though he would have called anyway, still a tactical error). You should 3-bet PF here, every time.

Then, bet the flop. If they call, bet the turn and fold to a check-raise, since the paired turn card does not help your opponents (if it did, I would have expected some sort of bet or check-raise on the flop). Check on the river if unimproved.

For one extra small bet, you had a very good chance to take the pot on the turn, even without the best hand. If your not going to 3-bet PF here, you might as well muck, IMO.

TSP

[Dantes]

awfully played. I'd really be interested in hearing why you think betting the river after checking the turn is a good play. Did you think it was a bluff? Classic situation where no worse hand will call and no better hand will fold.

[BarronVangorToth]

[ QUOTE ]
Your call preflop allowed the BB in (even though he would have called anyway, still a tactical error). You should 3-bet PF here, every time.

Then, bet the flop. If they call, bet the turn and fold to a check-raise, since the paired turn card does not help your opponents (if it did, I would have expected some sort of bet or check-raise on the flop). Check on the river if unimproved.

For one extra small bet, you had a very good chance to take the pot on the turn, even without the best hand. If your not going to 3-bet PF here, you might as well muck, IMO.

TSP

[/ QUOTE ]


I have to agree with TSP here, as I really don't like calling a raise with AQ - dump it if you have some huge read on the raiser, but here you 3-bet...

Hindsight and all, but I think it gives you many more (better) options.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com (http://www.BarronVangorToth.com)

[MrTeddyKGB]

[ QUOTE ]
The board pairing kind of froze me like a proverbial deer in the headlights. I did plan on betting just about any other card.

[/ QUOTE ]

The board pairing should be a good card for your hand the way you played it. Betting the river is bad after checking the turn because the turn card was not scary.

[Mikey]

change that 9 to a J and you have a correct raise, with that flop I think raising is too overly agressive.

[Mikey]

"I thought I could knock the initial raiser off his AK the bb calling put a monkey wrench into my plan."

If you thought the intial raiser had AK then why did you.........

[DeeJ]

[ QUOTE ]
Classic situation where no worse hand will call and no better hand will fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe. With 2 other players I'm checking behind with Ace high here unimproved. I check behind on the turn, too.

[Your Mom]

To me this is an easy turn bet. If raised, it's pretty easy to let it go. I think the river bet is pointless - they aren't folding anything now that you checked the turn.

[koa]

I would of folded on the flop but if your going to bluff this hand you have to bet it like you got trip nines or atleast a ten. raise the flop bet the turn or call the flop raise the turn. Once you give up on the turn your river bet is worthless.

[Net Warrior]

With your flop bet you're representing an overpair, or possibly an OESD. If you actually had an overpair you'd have to bet the turn, right? So, follow through and bet the turn. (Monday morning quarterbacking is so easy /images/graemlins/smile.gif)