Out of Position Against an Aggro Player

[Jeffage]

Interesting hand against an aggro. Mid limit, 5 handed. I have 99 in the small. One limper, button raises, I reraise, BB coldcalls, limper calls and button calls. Button is aggro almost to a fault, but not so clueless to constantly throw good money after bad. Anyway, flop is JJ5, two clubs. I bet, BB folds, limper calls, button raises, I reraise, limper drops, button calls. Turn is an offsuit 6. I check, he bets and I call. River is an offsuit 10. I check, he bets, I call.

Comments?

Thanks,
Jeff

[DpR]

Seems ok to me.

[benwood]

Nice playing, sir. I just started reading these posts recently, & I'm really impressed. I look fordward tolearning a lot and hope that I will ocasionallybe able to add something, too.

[mike l.]

perfect. that was a good donk check on the turn. well done.

[oreogod]

I like it. Either he has something or is betting the worst hand.

I just need to know when I should be taking this line.

[sam h]

[ QUOTE ]
Either he has something or is betting the worst hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

True, I guess.

[pokerhooker]

Well-played. The flop 3-bet was crucial to define the limper's hand, and in this case, fold him out of the pot.

Once it was heads up, I like your check on the turn so you can determine if he likes his hand enough for a bet. I don't want him raising me on the turn as a bluff, because you definitely have showdown value with your 99, but its certainly not worth jamming and you don't want to get played off it when you can showdown for those same two bets. You give him free cards, but, alas, that's positional disadvantage.

[nokia1566]

What if he had two clubs and called the three bet on the flop (instead of 4 betting) to semi bluff raise the turn or had just planned to call a bet on the turn, but then when you checked he got to instead check behind and see a free card? Is he the kind of player that would bet a draw after you 3 bet the flop? Is it not worth just betting out on the turn so that the hand doesn't end up butchered if he has a flush draw?

[Jeffage]

This brings up an interesting point. You say (and I thought this also), you don't want to be driven off the best hand. But say he would raise something like AK on the turn some percentage of the time...would it not be better than to bet the turn and call a raise? Obviously, this increases variance but I doubt I'm folding this hand. Though say he raises the turn with something like 77 and an ace comes on the end. That will be a difficult check call for me and he could steal the pot.

I'm also surprised no one advocated a river bet on my part in case something like Ace hi would check behind. Any comments on this? I'm glad people liked how I played the hand, because I wasn't sure.

Thanks,
Jeff

[Tzak]

If he had the flush draw,he's betting the turn.Even if he didn't he's betting the turn.

[pokerhooker]

Hi Jeff,

Other than your opponent being aggressive, how well did he play postflop? If he's good, you're getting raised by a bigger pocket pair on the turn, and he also actually might have a J.

Let's see... their are 32 combinations of AK and AQ, and 32 combinations of AA, KK, QQ, TT, AJ. So provided he just calls when he's behind, but he gains 2 bets when he's ahead, and you're good roughly half the time, its a check. I suppose I'm dismissing the possibility he's holding a smaller pocket pair, but if you check to him, he's sure to bet those, and that's ok with me, too.

The river didn't help your hand (other than the fact there could have been worse rivers), so I don't necessarily see any reason to come alive and bet out. Since we're still good about half the time here, I'd rather check/call in case we're behind and let a missed ace bluff the final time. Did you feel he was going to call with A high?

[Jeffage]

No one lays down a good Ace high for a surprise river bet in these games (40-80 online). But he may very well check behind with it if I check. Just an interesting corrolary here. Though getting raised on the river would both suck and blow (esp. b/c you'd have to pay off - an aggro player might just say screw it and raise with AK here hoping you fold a pair). I like my turn play a lot I think, not sure about my river play.

Jeff

[Jeffage]

Thanks for the responses. My opponent showed 88 and my hand was good. More comments on his or my play welcome.

Thanks,
Jeff

[DpR]

88 - that is why it is ok to check the river here.
These aggro guy never check.