Five hands from the weekend.

[Huh]

Here are five hands from the weekend. Hand 1 was from the Pink Game in AC(7.50/15.00) and the others were from a good loose 6.00/12.00 home game. I am really trying to work on my post-flop play, but I think I made some pretty significant mistakes on all of these hands. I think some of the adjustments I am trying to make may be hurting my game. I am particularly concerned with folding earlier, and my river play (I am check-calling a lot on the river now, and wonder if it is the correct thing to do). Comments greatly appreciated. Thanks,

-Huh /forums/images/icons/confused.gif

Hand 1
UTG just sits down from the must move and raises. Small blind calls, and I call with

Ac2c.

Flop is AT6 (no club)

UTG bets out, and we both fold. I am trying to stay out of trouble, but I think I might have given up a little too early on this hand.

Hand 2 –
I get black KK on the button, I raise, SB re-raises, bb folds, I 4-bet (no-cap heads up), he calls. SB will defend either of his blinds 95% of the time, and has loose opening standards, but plays well post-flop. Also, the re-raise usually means something. I’ve not attempted to steal, and have only raise when I think I have the best hand, and he is aware of this.

Flop was something like T84 with two diamonds.
I bet, he calls.
Turn is an off suit Ace. I bet he calls.
River is an off suit Jack, and it gets checked around.
Here, I thought I had the best hand, but decided to check to try and induce a bet or in case I was behind.

Hand 3 – 2 limpers to me and I raise with KK.
Get two cold-callers behind me, one of which was going to raise (had the chips ready), but only called my raise (WG2R).

Flop is 7Q9(rainbow). Checked to me, I bet, WG2R raises, it clears the field, and I three-bet, he calls. I put WG2R on AQ (very likely), AK (unlikely after his action), or TT/JJ.

Turn is Q (puts a two flush up). I bet, he raises, I call.
I’m nervous at this point. The biggest move I have ever seen this player make is a semi-bluff lead on the turn.

River is a 3(I think, did not really matter). I check-call.

Hand 4-UTG blind raises, and I reraise to his immediate left with
AA. UTG is hyper-aggressive, borderline maniac at times (this being one of them).

Two callers come along.
FLOP
KTQ. UTG bets, I raise, 1 cold-caller, he calls.
Turn is an off suit rag.

He bets, I raise, and only UTG calls.

River is an A, giving me a set, but giving any Jack a Broadway.
Checked around. (UTG was very capable of trying for a check-raise on the end, and if he did, I still wouldn’t know if my hand was any good). I figured with that flop and a blind hand, he must’ve been hanging around with something.

Hand 5 – I have 78s in the small blind. 1 early caller who could have any two cards(ATC) and takes them a bit-far, and the hyper-aggressive player from hand 4 raises (I don’t think this means anything). I call, knowing the big-blind will call also (same player from hand 2). Four of us take the flop for 1 bb.

Flop is 894
Checked around to the button who bets, I check-raise, and the ATC calls two cold, Hyper-aggressive player folds and I am heads up.

Turn is a rag (maybe the three).
I bet, CS calls.

River is an off-suit Jack, and it’s checked around. Actually, of the five, this was the only hand that I was happy with my play on all streets.

[Barry]

Hand 1

You the BB? Calling a raise with Axs preflop, out of position, with only 1 other caller, and a UTG raiser is bad for your bankroll. Folding here would be the better approach. While others disagree with me, that hand could be playable with many callers and position.

Having seen the flop, since you hit your A, a checkraise would be in order here. UTG may have a big A but could also have KK-TT all of which you beat.

Hand 2

You're the button; you can't induce a bet on the river by checking. Since he checked all the way post flop, and never raised, most likely he was on a draw, and doesn't have an A. While he might fold to a river bet, he might call you with a J or T, "just to keep you honest". This is a good value bet IMHO.

I'll try to look at the other hands later.

[Bubmack]

preflop raise on #1 UTG makes it too likely that you are dominated. Fold preflop - unless you have a few other callers. You flop fold indicates that you could only call if on a flushdraw. And who wants to call flushdraws heads up anyway? So you hit top pair and couldn't call it and if your flush draw would have hit - you would have been calling a situation that is likely to have very little positive EV.

But now that you are in - I think you need to find out if your hand is good and check-raise it.

Hand #5 - fold this preflop. Not worth 1.5 bets out of position and in a situation where you will likely have to call or bet - just to try and keep a maniac honest. Let someone else play table cop.


Bubs

[Homer]

Hand 1 - I'd fold preflop. With the raise coming from UTG, the likelihood of you being dominated is quite high. I would only consider playing the hand if UTG was a loose raisor and was extremely non-tricky (if you catch and A and bet the flop, he won't raise with KK-99). When you flop an A, I think you should bet the flop and fold to a raise.

Hand 2 - I am confused as to whether or not you had position in this hand; I'll assume you did. Preflop, you could consider calling the three-bet since the hand is heads-up, though I'd be more likely to do this with AA. On the turn when he calls, he either has an A, T, two big diamonds (KQ, KJ, QJ), or QJo. When the J comes on the river I think it is close between betting and checking behind. If a blank came I'd almost certainly check, but with the J you will get paid off by some of the hands I mentioned above. Sometimes you will be called by an A, and sometimes you will be checkraised (which you can fold to), but a lot of the time a J or T will pay you off. I think it is close and I'm not sure what action is best.

Hand 3 - I'd check the turn, with the intention of calling my opponent down. You are either way ahead or way behind; one of you is drawing at two outs. If he is drawing thin he may fold to your turn bet, but if you check he may take a stab at the pot thinking that you were pushing AK. If he checks behind on the turn, you can bet the river and possibly get a call from a hand that would have folded to your turn bet. Some might argue that betting the turn and folding to a raise is correct, but I am rarely against an opponent who is so straightforward that I can confidently muck an overpair in this situation.

Hand 4 - If it was heads-up I would just call the turn, but with another opponent still in the hand I think raising is correct. On the river, I'd bet and call a checkraise. He could have many hands with which he would call that don't contain a J.

Hand 5 - I would fold preflop. I don't want to play 87s out of position for 1.5 small bets in an aggressive game. If instead you had a small-medium pocket pair then I think you have an easy call. Other than that, I think you played the hand alright.

-- Homer

[rtucker5]

I'll give these a shot.

Hand 1 -

Without any prior knowledge of UTG, I would usually fold in this spot. SB's call may make me call, but I usually will fold here. If I get to the flop, I I would employ my usual game plan for playing weak A's out of position; check and call. I would check and call the whole way unless I hit my kicker.

Hand 2 -

If you had the button, how can you check to induce a bluff? I will assume you had the button. I would make a value/bluff bet here. I know that sounds confusing, but here is the reasoning. He either has a smaller pocket pair and you are value betting your pair, or he has a weak A against a pre-flop 4 bet; AQ or AJ. If he plays well post-flop, there is a chance he folds one of those hands due to your aggression pre-flop and continued betting with an A on the board.

Hand 3 -

If you haven't seen him make a move to this point, I would fold. He is likely ahead of KK and you're down to 2 outs.

Hand 4 -

I would bet the end. He is a maniac. There is a chance you get check-raised, but he will call with anything at this point. You may even win 2 bets on the river if he tries to check-raise bluff.

Hand 5 -

I would lean towards folding pre-flop, but don't blame you for wanting to gamble against players you know. Once you get to the flop I think you played it well. What would you have done if ATC had bet the end?

[Huh]

Hand 1 : Usually I feel pretty good about my pre-flop game, but it just changed. I figured I was getting 6:1, and that might be enough. The reason I liked this spot was the flush draw and the two pair options. I also would probably continue with a 2 and no-paint, thinking that my opposition is likely drawing to 3 outs. But my mind has been changed.

Hand 2: I did have the button. Was thinking about another hand when I put the induce comment in....Sorry. He had AQ for the turned Top-Pair. I think he was determined to see the end.

Hand 3: Again, I had KK cracked by AQ. I probably could have saved myself a couple of Big Bets here.

Hand 4: I missed a bet. He mucked his hand claiming he had two pair. Not sure if he did have two-pair (or if he did, I am pretty sure the Ace gave him his second pair).

Hand 5: I really don't mind the call here. I feel I was in a good spot to make up for any lost EV post-flop. Also, I am pretty sure the raiser was on some type of isolation play with nothing..He was not very fond of the limper. Previously I have been very random-aggresive post-flop, and I am trying to become selectively aggressive, which is why I was pleased with my play here.

If ATC bets the end, I think I have to call him down(That was my plan when checking anyhow). Player seemed mighty fond of taking small pocket pairs to the river.

Thanks for the comments. They have been very helpful. I am guessing rtucker has a pretty good shot at naming at least two of the players I described.

-Huh /forums/images/icons/confused.gif