K9o kicking my a**

[tekksan]

I've been playing poker at various lower limits for a while now and I'm no stranger to getting nice cards cracked by crappy ones; however, this hand seemed to really piss me off and I wonder if I played it poorly or not:


Paradise $1/$2 game. I've been at the table for just under 10 minutes so no firm reads on anybody's playing style; however, I've seen a couple "obscene" showdowns like T5o played UTG by somebody and catching two pair vs some other guy's AK who paired with an A on the flop...anyway:

I'm UTG with QdQh and raise. UTG+1 and UTG+2 coldcall, blinds fold, three to the flop which comes:

[Ks Kd 9d]

I bet, both call

Turn: [Ks Kd 9d] 2d

I bet, both call.

River: [Ks Kd 9d 2d] 5d

I bet, UTG+1 raises, UTG+2 folds, I make a crying call thinking she probably has the Ad but instead she shows Kh9s for the flopped full house.

I think she played quite well from the flop on (actually, how hard is it to play a flopped full house anyway?) but I question her motives for coldcalling with K9o. As I've said, I've had my fair share of spankings by hands like this that catch miracle flops, etc, but my question is how could I have saved myself some money?

[marbles]

"As I've said, I've had my fair share of spankings by hands like this that catch miracle flops, etc, but my question is how could I have saved myself some money?"

--Be careful... That kind of thinking could send you into a weak-tight death spiral.

I don't see any way you could have "saved some money" on this hand. You could have check-called the turn, but the bottom line would have been the same. Otherwise, you played the hand fine.

[DaNoob]

It's tough.

1- With a KK9 flop and two coldcollers PF, I am wondering if someone's got a K. Low suited connectors are not good EP coldcalling hands, especially if you think you are going to be playing shorthanded. Because of this, I might be inclined to check on one of the bets to see who reacts and how. This is important with pocket pairs and overcards on the board, as I think people tend to overplay these hands.

2- That being said, you have to make the flush draws pay for their cards if you assume you are ahead. You don't want to give any free cards to someone holding 2 or even 1 diamond (on the turn).

If it were me, I'd probably check the flop and call all the way to the river if bet, unless it's already 2 bets before it gets back to me - in which case I could be drawing almost dead.

[marbles]

"2- That being said, you have to make the flush draws pay for their cards if you assume you are ahead. You don't want to give any free cards to someone holding 2 or even 1 diamond (on the turn)."

--Isn't our hero the one holding 1 diamond on the turn? Why wouldn't he want to give himself a free card?

[Bob T.]

but my question is how could I have saved myself some money?


On the river, either check and call, or bet and fold to a raise. Your opponent called all the way, and then raised the river when you had shown nothing but strength. I think that you can expect that they can beat your pair of Queens almost every time. When they make that bet, they can have little expectation that you are going to fold, so I think that it is a safe fold.

This is the edited part.
I missed the flush. I don't think you could save money.

[DaNoob]

Good point. I missed the Qd the first time I read through it.

[tekksan]

Flop:
I bet the flop to
1. not give away a free card with to the possible flush draw
2. Try and find out info on the whereabouts of those other two kings in the deck on the cheap street. I wouldn't think a lone king would let a free card come with a two-flush on the flop so I figured if one of them had a king, I'd get raised on the flop.
3. There is a reasonable chance to win the pot outright vs. only two opponents.

Turn:
In hindsight a check here probably would have been a good idea since I now picked up the flush draw and call a bet in hopes of picking up a Queen or catching another diamond.

Thanks for the insight guys!

[Nottom]

No one will give her credit for floping the nuts, she could have definatly gotten a few more bets in. I tend to think knowing how to build a pot when you have the nuts is one of the things that separates the good players from the pack.

As far as your play goes, I think you played fine.