*cough* wuss! *cough*

[hutz]

$2-4 online. UTG2 limps, UTG3 raises, folded to me in the BB with A /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif K /forums/images/icons/heart.gif . I call, UTG2 calls.

Flop: A /forums/images/icons/spade.gif Q /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif T /forums/images/icons/heart.gif I bet, UTG2 folds, UTG3 raises, and I call.

Turn: [A /forums/images/icons/spade.gif Q /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif T /forums/images/icons/heart.gif ] 8 /forums/images/icons/club.gif I check-call.

River: [A /forums/images/icons/spade.gif Q /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif T /forums/images/icons/heart.gif 8 /forums/images/icons/club.gif ] K /forums/images/icons/spade.gif I check-call.

I felt like a passive wimp during the play of this hand, but at every point in the hand from the flop forward I figured I was either way ahead or way behind. What do y'all think?

[Barry]

Check, call...
Check, call...

It's very hard to know if you are doing that.

I probably would have check raised the flop to find out early. If he just calls, you're probably ahead, if he 3-bets, you're probably in trouble.

[hutz]

I thought about the flop check-raise, but decided I didn't want to give a free card to one of my opponents, who might be chasing a gutshot.

You're exactly right about the check-calling. I hated myself for doing that. Given how I played the flop, what would you have done on the turn and river?

[NutJob]

Depending on what I think of the raisers standards, I may be tempted to raise pre-flop. I agree with you about no check raise/free card with that board.

Given the way it went through the flop here, I'm betting the turn and without a raise, betting the river even without the 2d pair...What was he raising with, that he isnt still aggressive about after that flop? Small pair or connected suiters below 10 would be my read.

I'd call a raise on the turn prepared to check it down on the river, even with the 2d pair, because I can see that betting coming from a set. If he raises turn and bets the river its easy to say here that I'd fold to a likely set, but in reality I'd probably call and donate a bet!

[Nottom]

Is this a response to the right post?

[Barry]

I don't like giving free cards either, but here you have a PFR, so you can be almost 90%+ sure that he is going to bet the flop. Plus I'd rather be the raiser, than be raised.

The flop play makes the turn play more difficult as you now have to invest 2BB to get the information that you could have gotten for 1/2 price on the flop.

Having said that, turn checkraises are very powerful plays and would look scary to any hand with that board, except of course KJ. If the player was a little weak tight, I just might try that here, if so, you might get to the showdown without a bet on the river, you might even get him to lay down the same or a better hand. However, given the flop play, check/calling the turn and river wouldn't be a horrible approach.

[Bob T.]

I think you played it ok. I would have three bet the flop, and then led out on the turn, if I wasn't reraised.

You are really hoping that your opponent has AJ suited, at this point. But when the river comes, you have to hope for AQ or AT, if he is aggressive. I would call one last bet and hope that your two pair rivered his.

Being in BB, just calling the PF raise is ok. I may have re-raised if I'm after the PF raiser. Because you just called PF, your leading out on the flop did not seem to faze your opponent by his raising again. I would have shown more muscle by 3-betting the flop to really test the strength of his PF raise. and maybe slow down if he 4-bets you. If not, lead again on the turn.

[hutz]

UTG3 showed K /forums/images/icons/club.gif Q /forums/images/icons/heart.gif and my hand was good.

I was leading the whole way. I thought there were so many reasonable holdings UTG3 could have had that beat me (AA (not so likely), AQs/o, ATs, QQ, TT, KJs) and not many that were strong enough second-best hands that he would stick around with (AJs/o, KK, and maybe KQs/o) in the face of aggression from me, that it was tough for me to pull the trigger and 3-bet the flop. I can see the merits of putting in the extra raise on the flop, but I think it's a pretty close call. Am I missing something?

[Clarkmeister]

I can't believe you played a hand that wasn't AA or KK. /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif

[hutz]

I'm trying to branch out a bit and expand my game. Do you think adding pocket pairs down to TT would be too loose? /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif