A Steal Gone too Far?

[Huh]

I open raise on the button with
K /forums/images/icons/spade.gif T /forums/images/icons/heart.gif
Only the SB calls.

Flop :
K /forums/images/icons/heart.gif 4 /forums/images/icons/club.gif 6 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

SB Checks, I bet, SB calls.

Turn J /forums/images/icons/heart.gif
SB checks, I bet, SB calls;

River 5 /forums/images/icons/spade.gif
Sb checks, I bet SB calls.


Comments greatly appreciated. I am wondering if this is a pretty standard stealing hand. Also wondering if anyone would have checked the river.

Thanks,
Huh /forums/images/icons/confused.gif

[glen]

I would open-raise on the button with KTo 100% of the time. As the hand played out, I would bet the river about 100% of the time here as well.

[hutz]

You played it exactly as I would have.

[BonJoviJones]

As others said, you played fine. I think playing it any other way may well be a mistake.

You have top pair, good kicker. It's highly probable he thinks you don't have the goods, and is calling down with an Ace or maybe less than top pair. I see a huge tendancy (perhaps even deserved, with many players) to put a late posistion open-raiser (ie, a possible steal) on crap the whole way, and assume the raiser bullying.

Look at it from his perspective. As he sees it get folded around, he knows that someone is going to be in a posistion to steal-raise. As it happens, the button raises. He calls, and sees the BB fold, leaving him heads-up out of posistion against a possible steal. The flop comes pretty innocuous, except the King. If I were the SB I'd consider a check-raise with any top pair. You could easily have a hand that doesn't contain a king, and would probably still bet it a large percentage of the time.

Keep betting until he gives you a reason to stop. There are many hands he might call you down with you can beat, and the few that beat you would probably warrent a raise somewhere in that sequence.

[34TheTruth34]

I don't care what these guys say, definitely check the river. A value bet here is pointless. The only hands he will call you with are worse kings, QQ, A6, A4, A5, QJ, JT, J9s, J8s, any other jack, 22, 33, 77, 88 and 99. And maybe ace high, you know, just in case you had QT.

MDL

P.S. Look for my book to be hitting bookstore shelves any day now...

[Ed Miller]

Failing to bet the river here is a big mistake. This is very standard.

[PokerPrince]

The hand was played perfectly. Your opponent was simply reacting to your play showing you no signs of strength. Failing to bet the river is a losing play bigtime. It's not even a value bet, it's an obvious bet.

PokerPrince

[Tyler Durden]

I think you played it well on all streets.

I think checking the river is a bad idea.

[Huh]

I thought it was pretty standard...The only thing that bothered me here was that my opponent did not regularly protect his big-blind, let alone his small blind. (Was a 1chip/3chip game).

Opponent showed KQ and dragged the pot. I guess he put me on AK. How about his play? Is it far too passive?

[PokerPrince]

His play was ridiculously passive. Some players simply like to play "reactive poker". You should feel pleased that you actually made money on the hand and your opponent lost money. You played it well, he didn't. That's all that matters.

PokerPrince

[34TheTruth34]

Tough crowd...

MDL

[ZManODS]

I would of definatley raised the turn if i was the SB. To be afraid of the possible chance of being up against AK is silly. I still believed you played fine, youre oppenents play was to timid. Sorry to see that you lost this one.