Calling it with one pair, part deux

[Acesover8s]

2-4 on stars. Villain raises the max preflop, as he has every hand for who knows how long. He has been checkraising the turn with non-nut flushdraws on paired boards, and in general not missing his hands.

Villain has 1865$, makes it 14$ to go, you have him covered and call with AAJKds in hearts and clubs. Both blinds fold.

Your opponent likely views you as having a bit of gamble due to table talk and playing a relatively large # of hands. You have just stacked him off with AA vs AQ on a AQx flop.

Anyway, flop comes 3cJs4d. Villain pots and you call.

Turn puts the 7 of clubs. Villain pots and you call.

The river makes the board 3cJs4d7c6h. The villain pots. Your move?

Anyone play the flop or turn differently?

[autobet]

I would have reraised preflop.

As the hand was played I probably would have raised the flop.

As for the river it's a tough spot getting 2-1...

[Acesover8s]

You haven't reraised him all session, so EVEN if you don't have to have AA (even a wellcoordinated one like we have here), he is certainly going to read you for it, which is dangerous since we do actually have it, with 400x stacks.

[joewatch]

I am quite certain raising the flop is much better than calling.

[obi---one]

I see the turn as the toughtest spot. Make the turn the 8 of club and I definitely raise. As is, I think you have to try and figure out if you have the best hand or are drawing to the nut flush.

Sounds like you have a difficult opponent. Fearless and can't put on a hand.

Honestly, have no idea how I would play this one. But, if I played the hand like you did. I am definitely folding the river. I think the only question as to how to play this hand is, how to play the turn. And it's a close, between calling and raising. You can repot the turn and not put another penny in, unless you improve if you have decided you need to call down here. If you think he has a straight you can muck. Or if you are unsure, you can call and hope to get more information on the river. or you can repot the river and try and bluff him out if you don't think he has a straight.

Interesting hand. thats why plo is so fun.

[Acesover8s]

Raising the turn has to be a mistake. If you raise, and he reraises you have given up your chance to draw out. Playing a large pot with 1 pair is even more of a mistake in PLO than holdem.

I should probably mention that I might not have been the hero in this hand.

I reiterate though, raising the turn would be a gigantic mistake.

[Big Dave D]

I agree with Aces comments on this one. What I would add is if you were going to raise the turn you could use that money to just call the river. This kind of foe is not necessarily going to pass any hand that is beating you just for a raise. In fact he may reraise without the nuts himself.

gl

Dave D

[Acesover8s]

[ QUOTE ]

I am quite certain raising the flop is much better than calling.

[/ QUOTE ]

I generally would agree. But this opponent is capable of reraising you with one pair here and you've escalated the pot size with a hand that can't really take a lot of heat.

The problem is you have missed the flop and your opponent could have anywhere from the nuts to nothing.

I was not either player in the hand, I was the tight guy who folded in the BB. I got into a discussion with the hero in this hand about it.

We both thought the river call was close. I leaned towards folding for fear that the opponent is 'bluffing' with an accidental 2 pair. Hero in this spot thought calling was correct and did so. He was shown the nuts. Or else he won with one pair. I don't remember.

[Big Dave D]

Aces,

I lost, as I'm sure you remember. It's funny, I thought this was by far the most interesting hand we have had posted here for some time...but maybe I'm just out of kilter. Posts about how to play massively +EV spots or which books to read are probably most suitable.

As I said afterwards, I was also worried about him "bluffing" with two pair. Interstingly, and back a little, I remember when the flop came thinking "[censored], I may have to call him to the river with one pair." This was partly cos I had picked up a pair of jacks to go with my AA, and was made easier by the flush draw on the turn.

What most people forget, in this spot, is that you only have to be right 33% of the time on the river to break even. When you throw in some meta game benefits this was very very close.

gl

Dave

good post and thanks