Boy do I need to reread the section on playing in large pots

[Ed Miller]

Pretty good 10-20 game at Muckleshoot. Folded to me in MP with the A /forums/images/icons/spade.gif T /forums/images/icons/club.gif. I raise. Poorly playing aggressive MP to my left makes it 3-bets. LP cold-calls three. SB and BB both call as do I. 5-handed for 3 SB each.

Flop comes T /forums/images/icons/spade.gif 6 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 3 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif. Checked to me and I bet. All call. 5-handed to the turn with 10 BB in the pot. Turn is the 2 /forums/images/icons/spade.gif. Checked to me and I bet. All call. River is the Q /forums/images/icons/heart.gif. Checked to me and I bet. SB calls.

How would you have played the hand differently, if at all?

[Jeffage]

I play it exactly the same.

Jeff

[samdash]

The only 2 decisions post flop are whether or not to check raise the flop and whether or not to bet the river. I think betting out on the flop like you did is the safe and smart play for this particular holding since you're vulnerable to overcards J, Q and K. Also if you bet, the 3 bettor might raise with just overcards getting you heads up. A little "raise shield". The river bet seems really borderline, but I think its fine either way. A queen would probably bet the river if checked to and you have to call anyway.

I think you played the hand really well actually.

[J.R.]

By betting into the pre-flop three-bettor he can perhaps confront the field with 2 bets if the pre-flop raiser raise his flop bet, but by check-raising a likely bet by the pre-flop raiser he will only trap the field for one more bet and make it more likely longshots will hang around in the big pot.

[coolhandkuhn]

While check-raising the flop might erase a player or two under normal conditions, this particular hand wouldn't give you the desired results b/c if you check, MP who made it 3-bets before the flop is going to auto-bet, and it's going to be called by all 3 players in between you two. You raise and then everyone only has to call one more small bet, so you aren't going to knock anyone out. I think I play it the same as Majorkong, hoping that pre-flop 3 bettor raises me on the flop to drive some of the stragglers out.

[FishyWhale]

What else should you have done? Let the aggressive player bet and then check-raise to tie the other players in? Check and give a free card to K, Q, J? This flop is not too likely to have hit players.

[elysium]

hi major
the pre-flop entry was terrible; the outcome predictable. ATo major? you? it's just hard to believe. if developments in this hand unraveled some other way it would be surprising. you had no idea about how many players would enter in because of poor position. if you were on the button first in and raised in, then you would have more control.

[Howard Burroughs]

I'm with Elsy.

In the 10-20 games I play in (once or twice a week), I don't like AT pre-flop in that spot.


If I HAD played it, I think I would have played it the same as you did on every street except the river. The river I sometimes bet (as you did), but sometimes check depending on the particulars of the moment.


I have a feeling he showed you a queen :-(

Best of Luck

Howard

[Ed Miller]

FWIW, I thought ATo was enough hand to take a shot at the blinds from where I was (about three off the button). Of course, everyone and their mother woke up with a hand this time. I don't apologize for my preflop play.

[bernie]

if it's a pretty good game, that would indicate that you would get a pot multiway with coldcallers behind you. id rather be suited here. BUT, it's not a terrible play, by any means. that said, i think you played it fine. i use this type of play when i switch gears at times. it's just im more careful depending on how many callers im likely to get. but if youre going to play it, you may as well try and cut the field.

if this was a tighter table, id be much more likely to play this hand. but you may have also been showing down some strong hands previous so you couldve had that workin for ya.

but remember the texture (of the players behind you) when you pull these plays.

eventually, i will be back up there slingin' chips with ya...

til then...

b

[Clarkmeister]

Christ I don't know what all the angst is about the preflop play. Thats as routine as routine gets as far as I'm concerned.

[Jeff V]

All streets look good to me.

[Ed Miller]

No one thinks my approach to this hand postflop is flawed? I was a little annoyed with myself after I played this hand... but maybe I shouldn't have been.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi majorkong:

I throw it away before the flop.

Best wishes,
Mason

[BB King's]

As I recall - you recommend to open-raise w/ AQo UTG (seven off the button). And now you can't open-raise w/ ATo three off the button ??? I don't get it !

[Kevin J]

How would you have played the hand differently, if at all?

Fold before the flop.

[Ed Miller]

SB had KQo and took it down. I was thinking that perhaps I should have checked the flop hoping to get a turn raise in. No one else thought so, though, so I guess that's probably not the sharpest idea I ever had.