I Fold Too Much: Part 2.5. Weak Top Pair

[Moozh]

The responses I got for my last post were great. Treating short-handed as 'showdown poker' should really help things. By the end, I began to realize that the main problem might not be the folding but rather how I played the hand up to the point where I put myself in a tough spot. Here's a hand just like that. If I were to play it now, I'd either raise the flop or just call down. I really don't like the turn raise because it forced me to make a tough decision. That said, what do you think of the fold (or the rest of the hand)? The aggressor is a 30/20 after a small sample. The calling station is a 40/20.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (6 max, 5 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, BB calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (9 SB) 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, 5/images/graemlins/club.gif, T/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets</font>, BB calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (6 BB) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets</font>, BB calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, BB calls, Hero folds.

River: (14 BB) 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets</font>, BB folds.

Final Pot: 15 BB

[wackjob]

I would much rather raise the flop, call a 3bet &amp; fold if he bets the turn if I am UI,

[mcvalenc]

With the BB donk in the middle I'd prefer a flop raise.

Any postflop aggression stats? With your line, if the SB is sane postflop, I think it's a good turn fold. Looks like an overpair (or maybe AT) and the 5 pairing the board screws up your outs.

[DeathDonkey]

I'd rather raise the flop here, it accomplishes the same thing only cheaper and when he checks the turn you are going to wish you got the raise in on the flop, and when he 3 bets the flop you are going to be glad it wasn't the turn. Also I see a flop like this and prepare to showdown my hand.

-DeathDonkey

[ZZZ]

Raising the flop doesn't accomplish the same thing against an aggro. If I'm SB, I'm 3 betting the flop here with a hand that JT beats sometimes. I'm almost never 3 betting the turn with a hand that JT beats. I like how hero played this one.

ZZZ

[bobbyi]

I'm not convinced that there's anything particularly bad about the way you played this.

[felson]

I raise the flop to charge the donk. I would be more inclined to wait for the turn if it were headsup.

Turn is fine I think. It looks a little weird since SB might think you are trying to bluff-represent an unlikely trips and try to knock out the donk w/AK. But I think the fold is okay.

[Moozh]

Well, I'm surprised that the responses were somewhat agreeable. I guess that's a good thing as I'm trying to find a line between a good fold and a bad one. I think with the extra player in this hand, it would have been better to raise the flop. But, considering my position relative to the bettor, I think it's the same reason why I waited until the turn to raise. Either way, it seems that we all agree that the paired board limits me to most likely two outs. I guess now I'll have to find a new one that isn't so 'well played'.