Suckered?

[Magician]

Dealt to Magician [5d Kd]
Villain: calls 20
m: folds
n: folds
o: folds
p: calls 20
q: calls 20
r: folds
s: folds
Magician: checks
*** FLOP *** [9s 8c Kh]
Magician: bets 180
Villain: calls 180
p: folds
q: folds
*** TURN *** [9s 8c Kh] [Jc]
Magician: checks
Villain: bets 100
Magician: raises 1130 to 1230
Villain: calls 1130
*** RIVER *** [9s 8c Kh Jc] [As]
Magician: bets 140 and is all-in
Villain: calls 100 and is all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Magician: shows [5d Kd] (a pair of Kings)
Villain: shows [Td Qs] (a straight, Ten to Ace)
Villain collected 3110 from pot


Comments: Have been experimenting with overbetting. I was so stunned that he'd called with a gunshot straight draw to a double-pot sized bet on the flop. I bet practically all in on the turn to make him let go in case he had a K pair + better kicker. I took his small bet to be a sign of weakness.

[cferejohn]

It seems to me like you are risking alot on the flop with a very marginal hand to win relatively little. After he calls that flop bet, and would probably not put any more money in the pot.

Given that this guy would evidently not fold a gut shot despite your betting twice the size of the pot, it seems unlikely he would have folded top pair with a good kicker either. Had you seen him make any big laydowns? If not, I think the flop bet was very questionable and the turn bet was just bad. If you knew this was a player you could knock off of top pair, then this might be excusable, but given that you have no outs vs most things I would put him on at that point (2 pair, 2 clubs with the K, trip 8s), I would check-fold here.

Make a note of his propensity to call big bets on weak draws and bet into him when you hold a stronger made hand.

This early in the tournament, I am not so much trying to get better hands to fold (that comes later) as I am trying to get worse hands to call. At these limits, you've got time to get some hands and get paid off.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

When someone calls a big bet, then makes a small one immediately after, they are usually strong, not weak.

Get rid of those hand histories and write it out, it's easier on the eyes and you'll get more responses.

al

[fnurt]

I've noticed this from other posts of yours as well, this tendency to make a massive check-raise in the hopes of running the other guy off a better hand. While this will work sometimes, when it doesn't you're out. Among other things, a bad player will not be smart enough to understand what monster you are representing and will simply call because they have a good hand.

If you've learned to recognize when you have the worse hand, this is a GOOD thing. Just lay it down. If you fold every time someone else has a better hand, and stay in the rest of the time, you will make a LOT of money overall. You don't need to go risking your entire stack trying to win even when you're beat.

Personally, here is how I would play this hand. I would bet the pot on the flop because top pair is top pair. If I get one caller, I'm not going to automatically assume he has a better hand just because he called the pot. In fact, I'm going to initially assume he is on a draw, and most likely make the same bet again on the turn so he doesn't get to draw for free.

Now if I get raised on the turn, I'm done. It's true, he might be semi-bluffing with a draw or something, but oh well, that's the price I pay for having a lousy hand like top pair no kicker. I'll have to come back and get him next time with a stronger hand.