Take a flop with me

[TaoTe]

Flop play quiz.

Let's assume that this is your first hand at the table. You take a seat at 1/2 HE. Ten handed, everyone up front folds to MP player who raises, in late MP you have two black Kings, and re-raise, everyone folds to the button to who makes it three, SB calls. Back to you and you cap the betting and everyone calls.

The flop is: 3 /images/graemlins/club.gifJ /images/graemlins/diamond.gifT /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. How strong is your hand?

MP1 checks, you bet, button raises, SB calls. Do you make it three, and if you make it three and the SB caps, how strong is your hand? Should you dump it, or make it four bets? If you don't improve on the turn and a blank shows up, what's your play? If a Q, an A, a 9, a 7, or a diamond comes, what's your play?

[SheridanCat]

You might want to look at your betting sequence in your scenario. I believe I would be 3-betting and the button capping (assuming 3-raise cap, which it seems you are).

16 Small Bets.

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The flop is: 3 /images/graemlins/club.gifJ /images/graemlins/diamond.gifT /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. How strong is your hand?


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Still pretty strong. I could be facing a set, and if I am I'll probably know soon enough. Otherwise, I'm probably looking at biggish aces.

22 Small Bets after the flop betting.

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MP1 checks, you bet, button raises, SB calls. Do you make it three, and if you make it three and the SB caps, how strong is your hand? Should you dump it, or make it four bets?


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I'm assuming the SB checked, right? Since he acts first. So it goes check, check, I bet, button raises, SB calls, MP1 folds(?) and it's to me?

In that case, I call and close the action. The reason I don't want to pop it here is that my kings are vulnerable, and I'd like the turn to help me pin it down. Since we just sat down, I have no read on the button, and I'll need to give him some credit, but I'm not giving credit for a set yet. The SB I figure is either on a flush draw (most likely) or open-ended (possible at this low level).

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If you don't improve on the turn and a blank shows up, what's your play?


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I'll bet if checked to and see what the button does. If he raises, I'm going into check/call mode to showdown.

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If a Q, an A, a 9, a 7, or a diamond comes, what's your play?


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I had written a whole bunch of ifs/ands about what I'd do in various situations, but it's pretty simple by this point, I think.

If any of these comes, I'm going to check/call and I'll do the same on the river. If the SB decides to pop if after another diamond comes, I'd consider laying it down, but for a single bet, I think it's worth calling on the end. The pot has just gotten too big.

If I'm shown junk by the button, I make a mental note about that guy. The SB looks to be drawing all the way, but if he has had a decent made hand the whole way, I'll make a note about him too. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Regards,

T

[AKQJ10]

I probably rereraise the flop. The raise could be a free card play with a draw, could be top pair-good kicker (since we don't know button's reraising standards), or could be top two (ditto) or a set. The first two are probably more likely unless I know the button to be a very passive/straightforward player, then he wouldn't have reraised preflop with JJ or TT. Incidentally top pair needs to charge a diamond draw as badly as your kings do, although the preflop betting would have to suggest an overpair. If KK is behind, I have either eight outs (to beat top two) or two (to beat a set).

QQ or AA is also a possibility for the button, esp. given preflop action, but those possibilities almost cancel each other out. Again, like you, those hands would want to raise furiously to charge the diamond draw.

So I'd reraise the flop, then check-call to any further aggression but bet the turn if no one caps the flop. The only way I can see folding is what Sheridan said, if the SB and button get in a raising war.

I am still just a newbie and I may be giving too much credit here but based on preflop I can't see the button having anything better than AdQd or AdKd. I think this is more likely than 3betting two jacks preflop. As far as mp player, he could raise with anything since he is the first one in. Since he doesn't bet the flop my range is a middle pair, Ace-10, or some similar thing. I think I have about a 65% chance of still having the best hand. I probably reraise just to get a little more information. If button caps then I might reevaluate. if a blank comes on the turn, I would play it fast with betting out and reraising. I might get burned, but I think that the probablilities are on my side. And obviously i slow way down, once an Ace or diamond shows up.

[AKQJ10]

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I am still just a newbie and I may be giving too much credit here but based on preflop I can't see the button having anything better than AdQd or AdKd. I think this is more likely than 3betting two jacks preflop.

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AKs is a great hand, but I don't understand your reasoning here. Why would the button not 3-bet preflop with AA or QQ? Why is the 3-bet more likely with AQs than JJ?

[bholdr]

a very intresting situation you've got there...

I'd really be wishing one of my Ks was a diamond. my play:

the hand is, more times than not, still very strong. i re-raise, mostly to find out where i'm at- a SB in a big pot is a small price to pay for good information. if no one caps, i bet the turn (unless a diamond or an A hits, natch). the main hands that i'm afraid of in this situation are JT, and JJ (TT is possible, but unlikely) and the unlikely AA. I am happy to be playing against AdQd, AJ or AdKd here, which i feel is much more likely. make 'em pay to draw.

i am not very concerened if a 9 or 7 hits- what would low straight cards, esp the one-gappers be doing in a capped pot? i fold if an ace comes and someone is aggressive, unless the pot odds justify a call with the gutshot.

[TaoTe]

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a very intresting situation you've got there...

I'd really be wishing one of my Ks was a diamond. my play:

the hand is, more times than not, still very strong. i re-raise, mostly to find out where i'm at- a SB in a big pot is a small price to pay for good information. if no one caps, i bet the turn (unless a diamond or an A hits, natch). the main hands that i'm afraid of in this situation are JT, and JJ (TT is possible, but unlikely) and the unlikely AA. I am happy to be playing against AdQd, AJ or AdKd here, which i feel is much more likely. make 'em pay to draw.

i am not very concerened if a 9 or 7 hits- what would low straight cards, esp the one-gappers be doing in a capped pot? i fold if an ace comes and someone is aggressive, unless the pot odds justify a call with the gutshot.

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It's a 1/2 game so they could have anything, and I feel discounting someone drawing to a gutshot or OESD could be likely. A lot of players see KQ and think they have a great hand even in a raised and reraised pot. Though I doubt that it's possible that the someone has KQ or KQ considering we know where two of the kings are.

Also, would it be correct to cap the betting holding AK after all the action up front. It seems like whenever these types of action flops come up it's either a big win or a big loss. I guess a better player than I could figure out which was the case.

[AKQJ10]

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what would low straight cards, esp the one-gappers be doing in a capped pot?

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Ever played low-limit poker? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

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I am still just a newbie and I may be giving too much credit here but based on preflop I can't see the button having anything better than AdQd or AdKd. I think this is more likely than 3betting two jacks preflop.

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AKs is a great hand, but I don't understand your reasoning here. Why would the button not 3-bet preflop with AA or QQ? Why is the 3-bet more likely with AQs than JJ?

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The reason I think AQ is more likely than 2 jacks is because a jack flopped that means it is MORE likely for him to have suited bigs over a set.