Kickers and overcards

[mojolang]

I'll use this hand that recently came up as an example.

.50-1$ spread limit game, max bet 6$.

7 players at the table, folded to LP player, rather unpredictable, loose and sometimes aggressive. I look down and see

Q /forums/images/icons/spade.gif 10 /forums/images/icons/club.gif

I limp. Button calls. SB folds BB checks.

Flop

2 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif 3 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 10 /forums/images/icons/spade.gif
BB checks, LP bets 1.50, I think about it. He could have JT, 9T, 8T, maybe even 7T. On the flip side, he could have AT, though I think he may have raised pre-flop as it had been folded to him, or KT. I think a raise may knock out the blind and button if they just have overcards or a gutshot. Plus, if my hand isn't good I may be able to take a free card if I have doubts about my hand or bet the turn and show down my hand for free at the River.

I raise another 1.50. The button cold calls the 3, BB folds. LP calls.

So much for that plan. I still felt there was a very good chance that I had the best hand.

Turn: A /forums/images/icons/spade.gif

LP checks, I think about it and check. Looking back I think this was a definate mistake for a number of reasons. If I would have bet and the button had an ace, and I bet, I think there is a good chance he would have raised me and I could have gotten away from the hand. By checking, as I did I put myself into a guessing mode which is really a weak play.

Button bets 2$. LP folds. I call thinking I still may have the best hand (yeah right).

River: 8 /forums/images/icons/spade.gif

I check, button bets 2, I call.

Button shows down A /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 3 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif for 2 pair and I muck. Now comes the strange part, afterwards I asked what LP had. Now I'm not an advocate of believing cards one doesn't see but when I asked him he told me he had KT. Apparently I had the worst hand the whole way. So I guess I would like to hear input about how to handle situations in which your kicker pairs but you don't have the best one (IE JT, QJ, KJ, QT, KT). I'm trying to balance aggressive value betting with knowing when its over and getting out. Also, what to do when an evercard comes. Necessary to balance between not giving a free card and not hanging yourself with the worst hand.

One more quick hand:

BB J9o

EP limps (this is quite possibly the worst player I've ever seen, he has gone to the river with absolutely nothing a number of times and rarely raises. The grand central calling station. MP limps, SB completes, I check

Flop:

9 /forums/images/icons/spade.gif 2 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 5 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

I bet 3 bucks very confident in my hand. Everyone folds except grand central.

Turn: 4 /forums/images/icons/spade.gif

I bet 4 bucks, EP raises 4 and I quickly muck. "Nice hand" someone says. He goes yeah, and I had it turns over

A /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 3 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

(notice they were the exact same hands, Ha ha)

I was pretty happy with that laydown.

Any thoughts would be appreciated

Joe

[Allan]

Here are my thoughts:

You are putting your "sometimes aggresive" late position opponent on a small range of hands. Of these hands you are ahead 4:2. ( JT, 9T, 8T, maybe even 7T you win against AT KT you lose against) notice that this range of hands doesn't include the many hands that aren't top pair your opponent might bet. Once you include these hands, the chance that your hand is good has gone up considerably. One thing about spread limit games is that it allows you to capitalize on your loose opponents' mistakes by betting/raising the max, which I think you should have done on the flop here.

I would have bet the turn. Your hand is still very vulnerable. If you are raised you can reevaluate the situation. But why give a free card here when you don't need to?

Hand 2,

I don't know how big the pot is preflop but the max bet would have gotten your loose opponent to make a bigger mistake calling your bet. IMO, this is an easy laydown. Once you get raised on the turn how much value do you think your hand still has?

Hope this helps,

Allan