What do we have?

[Nottom]

Paradise 3/6 game

Hand from last night, just thought I would toss it out and see what hands you can put us on.

Preflop:
Folded to me in UTG+2 and I open raise, player to my left (MP) coldcalls, folded to BB who calls.

Flop:
QJ8 (suits don't matter)

Checked to me and I bet, MP raises, BB coldcalls, I call.

Turn: Q (QJ8)

Checked to MP who bets, BB check-raises, I coldcall, MP folds

River is a blank

BB bets, I raise.


What did we have?

[Nottom]

He had 9Ts for the flopped nuts, I had pocket queens for the final nuts.

So how did we play?

[Inthacup]

You have JJ
BB has 9 10


There are several hands BB could have after playing this way, my second guess would be 88.

[Inthacup]

I didn't see your results when I posted. But I would suggest that in the future, wait 1 or 2 days before posting the results. It's not much fun when the results are in the next post.

[Joe Tall]

You have QJs for the house.

BB has 9T for the staight.

[Joe Tall]

I think you played it fine. You had the BB trapped with your call on the turn and you could only hope the MP would call the BBs check-raise, because he sure wouldn't have called your check-re-raise.

I'm with Inthacup also, I didn't see your results but also recommend waiting a little while, poker players love suspense!

[Nottom]

I try and remember that for next time. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

[Nottom]

Would I really raise QJs from EP?

[Inthacup]

You think he would would open raise with QJs UTG+2? That doesn't seem like a realistic option to me.

[Joe Tall]

ehh, good point. I missed the open-raise part while wondering what the Mp had...so what did the MP have? AK?

[Bob T.]

I suspect that you had QJ suited, and I think that that BB had either 88, or JJ.

[Bob T.]

I would open raise, or limp behind another limper.

[Nottom]

From that early? From MP open raising seems fine, but with 7 people still to act, i'd rather limp and get some callers to help out on a draw. Is there any hand you would call an EP raise with that QJs wants to see?

[Nottom]

I didn't get to see, since he folded the turn, my guess would be a suited jack, maybe AJs.

[Rube]

you have QQ for quads, BB had T9, MP probably had something like JTs or 89s

[Inthacup]

Is open raising from this position your default play?

[Bob T.]

Is open raising from this position your default play?

Yes, in a normal game. I get rid of Ax, and Kx, and from good players AQ off, and AJ off. That leaves me up against the bad players who have to play any hand for two bets that they would play for 1, and I am likely ahead of them. Then I can try and sort out where we are on the flop. Sometimes that means power muck. Sometimes I win preflop, or on the flop to someone who called preflop, and missed.

If everyone is seeing the flop regardless of action, then limping is more of an option, but I don't often enter hands with an open limp. I feel like it puts a target on my back which says raise me. If I have to play for two bets, I would rather be the aggressor, and have the initiative after the flop.