Paying attention would have helped.

[Punker]

So I'm sitting at work, playing 3-6 online while talking with a co-worker and watching the video "Malchik Gej" by TaTu on my computer and I pick up A /forums/images/icons/club.gif J /forums/images/icons/spade.gif in the BB. Its folded to a MP player who open raises. The SB calls and I call. I haven't been watching any hands in which I wasn't involved, and I have no idea anything about the other two players in the hand.

The flop is A /forums/images/icons/spade.gif 8 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 4 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif

SB checks, and I check. Raiser bets, and SB calls. I call.

Turn is a [A /forums/images/icons/spade.gif 8 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 4 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif] 3 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

SB checks, and I check. Raiser now checks, confirming my worst fears: I may have the best hand!

River is an [A /forums/images/icons/spade.gif 8 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 4 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 3 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif] 8 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

Now SB suddenly bets out. I call and raiser folds.

Where, if anywhere should I have given more action?

[PokerPrince]

Just about everywhere.

PokerPrince

[Ed Miller]

My strategy from the BB in a 3-way pot with the SB and a raiser when I flop top pair generally involves betting into the raiser on the flop. I am hoping that the raiser will raise with a wide range of holdings (many of which I beat) to face the 3rd player with calling two bets. Assuming he raises the flop, I then plan to check-call the turn and bet the river as long as blanks come. The goal is to leverage the third player out and then get one bet in on both the turn and river.

[Punker]

A few questions:

What happens if you get called on the flop by the raiser, and raised on the turn?

I assume you plan to call the raise on the flop?

Why do you want to leverage the other player out on the flop? What hands do you want him to fold here?

What if you are raised on the river?

[Ed Miller]

What happens if you get called on the flop by the raiser, and raised on the turn?

Well, you have to play poker. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif But I think you can probably fold in that situation unless you think your opponent would play a weak Ace that way.

I assume you plan to call the raise on the flop?

That is correct... at least if it does end up headsup. With the third player still in, though, it might be worth a 3-bet on the flop.

Why do you want to leverage the other player out on the flop? What hands do you want him to fold here?

Any middle or bottom pair, a gutshot, etc. This is basic flop play... when you flop top pair you generally want to face opponents with calling two bets, and a raised pot like this is no exception. In an unraised 3-way pot, I would consider an argument for trapping.

What if you are raised on the river?

If raised on the river, you can probably fold unless your opponent is particularly over-aggressive. No one expects you to fold when you play a hand this way, so the river raise is no bluff. Don't worry, you won't be raised often (though this may be my passive B&M experience talking)... your opponent will be worried that you hit your kicker and his AK is no good anymore and he will just call.

[Burnt Toast]

With 3 people and the action you described you are either way ahead or way behind. The preflop raiser has you beat with an unlikely AA, 88, or A8. You can usually rule out 44, A4 and 84. He may have you beat with a more likely AK or AQ. An unlikley tie with AJ. I beleive it is more likely (due to possible card combos) that you are beating his KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, AT, A9 or others. He could also have a flush draw. The small blind could often have anything, and highly likely he is way behind.

Based on this info I like to play the following way. I check the flop, because preflop raisers almost always bet here if checked to. This will usually induce a bluff. If you bet he will often fold a worse hand and trap you with a domiating one (on the turn). If the SB folds I will usually just call and try to keep around a probably beaten pre-flop raiser(PFR). I either bet the turn or usually try to induce another from PFR. The river is then player dependent whether I bet, check-call, or check raise. Of course if I think the PFR will give me action all the way with a domiated hand I will bet and raise at every chance.

Anyway back to the strategy mentioned above. If the SB calls then I check raise trapping probably both players for one more small bet. i will then make them pay to draw on later rounds. If in the less likey case when I am losing, I have now made the pot larger to out draw them or call a possible bluff.

One important point is that I think this play is better the stronger your kicker is. AK AQ would better because in this case you are less likely beat. But you are more likely to re-raise preflop with these hands.

As you can see most of this is player dependent, and you can only play the same way for so long until you become predictably exploitable. So you can see why paying attention is so advantageous.

Well just some debatable playing strategy. Please feel free to post your disagreements.

Toast

[elysium]

hi punker,
o.k., you've got to bet out on the flop here. yea, you're in a what? a three-way punker? yea, you have to bet here. they won't bet it for you, that's for sure. no, you're way in the lead here. you're not draw infested so it's not that bad, but look what happened. you lost this one because you didn't bet. the SB has 87d here punker. why he didn't bet, i'll never know. just as well.

nothing you could do here. but, until the river, you had the lead. but you didn't bet like it. in this hand, you happened to save a bet, but usually the way you played, aww punker, that's going to cost you.

and for crying out loud punker, pay attention. i'm going to nurse cddle you and tell you what bookstore to go to. you've got to study this stuff. and look at you. for crying out loud!

go to the bookstore and get a copy of hold em punker, o.k. has the lead, doesn't bet. where have we seen this before, anyone? bet! AJ....in a three-way? AXX everyone, punker.

[Punker]

The PF raiser folded behind. SB showed a missed diamond draw (7 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif3 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif ) and I won.

[elysium]

i'm not going to nurse coddle you and....pa,pa,pa". NOT i'm tired already.

[elysium]

bet punker. for crying out loud, bet.