You've got to run like an antelope: out of control

[Huh]

Home game 3 – 3 – 6 – 9, with decent players. I am new to this structure, and don’t know how I feel about the big bet on the end yet. I think I like it, since I seem to be one of only two or three people who think about it at any point but the river.

One limper to me, and I am in Middle Position, with one limper(EL) to me and I limp with AT off, one more loose limper(LL), the button limps(BL), and the Big Blind(BB) raps the table.

4sb in the pot and the flop comes KT7 rainbow.

Checked to BL who bets, EL folds, I call, LL folds, and it’s heads-up.

6sb in the pot.

I considered raising here, but opted on calling. I have played with BL quite a bit, and he has significantly tightened up his game over the last month. Typically in this situation I would raise, but the LL cards were already in the muck while I was thinking about what I should do. BL is quite aggressive and a three-bet is very possible here. No raise pre-flop, so I think the A and T are both money cards, and I can wait till the big bet on the end to check-raise if my card comes in, as the BL is the aggressive type who rarely quits on the end.

Turn is a blank for me, I check-fold.

Anyone do anything different. It is very possible this player was pushing JQ, or a weaker Ten. Was I a victim of position, or should I have been more aggressive. I am pretty sure this was going to cost me another $15 to see to the end, and it didn’t seem worth it for an $18 pot (would have become a $47). There was a lot to factor in on the turn, and I didn’t have time to do it, so I figure I should have a plan for the future. If he had JQ, than I was way ahead at the moment, but it screwed up some of my outs. If he had a weaker ten, I was clearly ahead. KT was also possible which would have hurt. In the past, when I was unclear what to do, I would throw chips at the problem (raising was my default play), but I am starting to rethink this.

Comments on all streets greatly appreciated.

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

[PYITE]

[J.R.]

Set the gearshift for the high gear of your soul.
You've got to run like an antelope, out of control.

Run, Run, Run, Run, Run, Run, Run.......

[J.R.]

Sorry, I get carried away every now and then.

In this structure, it is more correct for fishies to keep swimming (chase), as the bet on the end is a bigger prize than in a traditional structure. I think the value of big unsuited hands goes down, since it is harder to protect a precarious one pair hand when your opponents are getting better odds to try to draw out.

I don't like to play ATo in a standard structure, so if my thoughts about the strength of drawing hands in this structure is correct, I would think that one should be less inclined to play a hand like ATo in this structure.

In the hand you are getting 4-1 to call, and can win 1.5 big bets if you hit your 5 outer, assuming you are behind. So if you fold when you don't improve, you are getting about 5.5-1 on your call, which is not enough to draw to a five outer. Unless BL is one who likes to bluff/bet light a lot when checked to with position, I see this as a clear flop fold.

BTW, if you planned on calling a flop bet when you made your flop check, I think it may have been better to bet.

[Huh]

Yeah, I thought about betting out, and then I thought about the check-raise possibility, and that I had outs, and decided I wanted to see another card for free if possible, if not, for one bet. Than when I saw a late position bet, I had to fight my instinct to raise. The player reads two plus two, so hopefullyhe will enlighten us to what he had.

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