Hit and Run in 10-20 PLH

[D.J.]

I wanted to post my 1 hand that I played in my 20 minute session last night. I was on my way out of commerce after playing 20-40 last night, when I walked by the big games and saw the 10-20 plh game going, the game didn't look too tough so I said what the hell I'll give it a shot. I sat down w/ about $1500 b/c that seemed to be the average stack size and I just about had everyone covered just in case a big hand came up. During my second round I'm in the BB, 2 mp limpers, button limped, and SB completed. I've got 9-10o. Flop comes

9 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 7 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 10 /forums/images/icons/spade.gif

SB checks, I bet 50, called by button, sb then check-raises 150 more. My thinking here was that I was still ahead, but could have a lot of outs against me, I didn't want to screw around here so I come back over the top and raise about 550 more, button folds, SB thinks for a few minutes while my heart is beating out of my shirt. He finally re-raises his last 650. I've already got more than half of my stack in there, so I call his all in bet and hope. He turns over KK, turn 2, river 3, and my 9-10 takes down a $3K pot, and I hit the door. I just wanted some comments on how the hand was played out, and what I or the other guy did good/bad. Thanks for the help.

-D.J.

[gaylord focker]

I would have been sick when he reraised the last 6 hundred or so, I probably would have thought I was in trouble. But like you said, folding is not much of an option at that point. I agree the only way to play that one is fast, he could easily have a drawing hand. Glad it held up.

[Zeno]

Just some general comments:

I think the SB made a large mistake by not raising preflop. Some people may limp with big pairs but I do not adhere to that strategy in pot limit. He should have raised preflop to get it heads up or to thin out some players. In addition, he has to play out of position.

Anyway, the SB may have put you on a draw with a board like that and a "test" bet of half the pot into the field of players. But that is a guess.

Your reraise on the flop was a good play, in my opinion.

I think the SB muff up his hand and did not play it well at all.

The game sounded passive preflop. You should have stayed. You may have been able to hit the door with 6K.

-Zeno

[Ray Zee]

in an unraised pot with that scary of a flop, you dont want to play a big pot unless you know where your opponent is at. and no way could you know in this spot. he played like a fool and you got lucky. as i am sure you stuck your money in only on the strength of your hand and if you think about it. the strength wasnt very much.
against a good player the only chance you would have of having the best hand would be if he had a big draw. and then it would be close.

[MHoydilla]

I agree with Ray Zee on the fact with the pot not being raised preflop the number of hands your oppentent could have is huge and it would be difficult to put your opp. on a specific hand. Within these possible hands only AA, KK are hands you would be favorite againest going in on the flop. And many of the possible hands he could have had you would be drawing as a slight dog to being a 4-1 dog or even the slim posiblity of drawing dead. Once your chips were in you almost have to call the reraise because of your pot odds, but I think your reraise on the flop is asking for trouble because almost all the hands you dominate would fold here and the ones which dominate you would put you all in. Just a thought.

[Billy LTL]

I'll bet you any amount of money sb will never again fail to raise, raise, raise preflop when holding KK in a big bet hold 'em game.

Given that he didn't raise preflop, your flop bet of half the pot was terrible, especially considering all the possible draws out there against you.

I'm glad you won it though. Best of luck. Billy

[John Ho]

Your opponent played his hand terribly. I'm glad you won, but most of the time in this situation you will be up against a huge hand or huge draw. So you will be a small favorite (if at all) or a huge underdog.

[D.J.]

I just wanted to thank you guys for your responses. I don't claim to be a great pot-limit player or even a good one for that matter, I'm just trying to get into it and get better just like I did as a limit player. Just let me add one thing about the hand in question, after I re-raised his check-raise on the flop, he was mumbling something to himself in disgust about "why didn't I raise before the flop". This was pretty important in my decision on the last call and I should have mentioned it, I don't think he would have been saying this with hands like J8,68, Ad8d, or QdJd, his saying that meant to me a big hand, which he would have not hit this flop very hard. Anyway, I believe my call of the last bet was the right thing to do, also, I guess it's the advantage of neither of us having Too Much money on the table b/c if I lost it would only be what I had on the table which was $700. Also, let me add that I believed this guy put me on the huge draw, and that's why he pushed his hand so hard. I really see that it's a totally different game when you have to consider putting everything in front of you in the middle. I'm probably going to play a few more times this month while the tourny is going on and hopefully I can make good decisions and have good results, thanks for your help.

-D.J.

[ben mo]

I don't quite get you here, Ray. Where exactly do you think the mistake was made?

Clearly the call of the last $650 was correct, with well over 2k in the pot.

Are you saying reraising the check-raise was a mistake? What move would you suggest? I can't imagine systematically folding top 2 pair against a heads-up check-raise.

I think calling and raising the turn bet if you fill or a blank hits is maybe the best play, but with this stack-size, I don't think pot-commiting yourself right away is all that bad.

Also, for a 10-20 PL game, this pot isn't THAT big.

ben

[Ray Zee]

if you routinely play to get all in in unraised pots like this there is no hope. few games you will find that two pair will win in these spots. thats the simple explanation. a person can reason all kinds of ways that may produce a winner. but after the cards are turned over you will usually see the straight, and the other times be against a huge draw.