$1-5 Stud Play 3rd St.

[vprice2]

I was recently playing $1-5 Stud in Tunica. I was blessed with rolled up K's on the deal. I will tell you I am a fairly new player so I am not sure if this is the right way to play this hand. Anyway... A pretty tight player opens for $5 with an Ace up. 2 people fold. There are 3 people left behind me, none with any face cards showing. I suspect they will fold to his bet, so I raised him. They do fold as does the bring-in. I now have it heads up and he goes all the way to river with me and I win a nice pot. /forums/images/icons/cool.gif Was this the way I should have played this hand or was there a better way to play. /forums/images/icons/confused.gif

[SittingBull]

will not FOLD A's AND the other players will drop out IF the A's raise,THEN U played it well! /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif
However,BOTH conditions MUST apply.
If the player believes that U would NOT re-raise UNLESS U had him beat and therefore would FOLD to a re-raise,THEN U played the hand POORLY! /forums/images/icons/confused.gif
If U were playing rather tight and FOLDING many 3rd Str. hands,then any good opponent would have FOLDED to your re-raise.
If U believe that one or more additional players would come in if U smooth called the A's,THEN U want to invite them to come in;hence,U would NOT want to re-raise.
U are trying to BUILD a pot with your very strong hand. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif
Sure,the A's MIGHT connect with a set when U give HIM a free card by NOT making him pay the price. /forums/images/icons/mad.gif
However,the pot size is too small at this point /forums/images/icons/frown.gif /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif /forums/images/icons/frown.gif . If he connects with another "A" on the next Str. or on 5th Str.,FOLD your set. /forums/images/icons/frown.gif Do not fall in love with it! /forums/images/icons/mad.gif
MOST players at these limits HAVE what they represent. U gave an EXAMPLE of this when U re-raised his A's. /forums/images/icons/confused.gif
Happy pokering,
SittingBull

[MRBAA]

This was not the best play, in my opinion. It would look natural to just call here, many would do just that with a pair of kings. Your hand is so strong that you don't want to knock out others. So you should give the people behind you a chance to call. Plus you only got in one raise, so you don't lose anything by waiting. I'd probably just call on fourth, then bet out on fifth. That could have the added advantage that your opponent will think you have made a second pair and might even raise you if he makes a second pair himself, figuring his aces up have your kings up beat. With small trips, yes raise it up and knock 'em out. But with big trips, I think you'll make more playing them slow.

[Andy B]

Actually, if an Ace raises, and I have a pair of Kings, I will almost always re-raise unless the player is so tight that he just has to have Aces. Of course, I play in a high-ante game. I don't know how $1-5 is structured in Tunica. If there is no ante, I just might dump two Kings when an Ace raises. If there is a $.50 ante, I think that this is a mandatory re-raise.

It is true that your opponents will probably all fold behind you, but I think that you have to give them the chance to call. Your call may just beget more calls. Your re-raise almost certainly kills your action. This wasn't a terrible result, though. You did get it heads-up with a huge edge, and you did get paid off the whole way. This is better than I usually do with big rolled-up sets.

[patrick dicaprio]

you dont say whether there is an ante and it could make a difference depending upon your opponents. but in almost every situation i would just call here and not raise. you almost never want to play trips heads up, and certainly you should not make an effort to get it heads up.

remember the fundamental theorem of poker. why not give your opponents a chance to make a big mistake. if even one player after you calls and makes a hand like two pair or even a pair you have gained a tremendous amount, much more than you do by raising.

occasionally you will be in a very loose game, or it may be that you have raised enough that people do not fear your raises. if so then you can raise but i bet that this situation happens infrequently.

Pat