15-30 routine flop situation

[Clarkmeister]

Not-so-great Bellagio 15-30 with skp on my immediate left, just where I want him.

Limper UTG+1 and I raise with red TT. Pretty tight and definitely aggressive in the BB defends. Limper calls.

Flop: Kh9h6s.

Checked to me, I bet, BB checkraises limper folds.

Raise, call or fold? Plan for future streets if continuing on?

[AceHigh]

I wouldn't fold. An aggressive BB can be check raising with a draw. I would probably smooth-call on the flop.

My plan would be to call it down, if the BB isn't super aggressive, I might raise the turn if flush doesn't get there. Give him a chance to fold a weak King, if that's what he has.

[anatta]

From your style, I doubt he views you as a tight raiser. With a limper in, he probably figures you will expand your raising hands, especially if you are in MP/LP. Even a tight BB will often call your pre-flop raise with KTo and higher. Even KXs is possible. That's a lot of top pairs he can be check-raising with. He could also have something like AhXh for a flush draw with an overcard, but considering that he would often bet this hand on the flop and that he is only a slight underdog to you if that is what he has, folding seems to be a decent option.

On the other hand, if he really thinks you isolate a lot, he could be getting funky with a 9 or a medium pocket pair, after all, you could have nothing.

If you play on, I would call the raise and raise the turn if a blank comes. He might have QQ, JJ and decided to check raise the flop rather than 3 bet preflop. He could fold these, as well as top pair weak kicker. I would plan to fold to a 3 bet, fold to a river bet, and take a free showdown.

[elysium]

hi clark
call and hope to improve.

[Vehn]

I call the flop and raise the turn regardless of what the turn card was, and usually take the free showdown if he's still there.

[Jimbo]

Reraise and hope for a free turn card. Exception is to bet the turn if checked to you and a heart comes. If you get the free card call his river bet or value bet on the river if checked to you.

Note: If he happens to 4 bet you on the flop a check/fold may be in order if you do not spike your set on the turn (subject to the player)

[Robk]

"Reraise and hope for a free turn card"

I don't like this play. Most of the time he'll be the one needing the free turn card. I mostly agree with AceHigh/Vehn. I would sometimes 3bet and bet the turn though.

[anatta]

Raising no matter what is good since, among other things, if the turn is a heart, it may give him more incentive to fold a better pair, and you got a Ten high flush draw, more money if you hit and it holds up. Its bad since he may three bet you with a hand that you have flush outs against.

I think you are right because "he is looking at the same board you are". Its tough to three-bet here if he just has top pair. Question: You call a three-bet with your red tens if a heart comes? If so, you call a river bet?

[Clarkmeister]

I decided to call the bet and raise the turn figuring that I could get a better hand to fold, and still quite possibly had the best hand myself, but could safely fold to a 3-bet.

The turn came [Kh9h6s] 8c.

So I now had a gutshot to go with my possible best hand. BB bets out. Follow through with the plan to raise?

[Clarkmeister]

BB bet, and I almost raised but didn't. The reason being that if I was behind I now had to call a 3-bet because of the additional outs I picked up and the size the pot would be. I therefore decided at that point to call down and raise if I improved. Thoughts on this reasoning?

River was [Kh9h6s 8c] 5d.

My opponent bet, I called and he won with 7c7s for a straight.

Interesting that if either of us hit our set "outs" on the river, we would have gotten nailed by the other guy. He hits his 7, he gets reamed, I hit my 10, I get reamed.

Thanks for the feedback.

[AceHigh]

" Follow through with the plan to raise?"

I think so, if you had picked up an open ended straight draw (not possible) or a flush draw, I would just call. Because you can't fold to a 3-bet, but I think I would go ahead and raise here and fold to a reraise.

Anyway, I like your thinking on this hand it is almost exactly the same as mine. That's probably very good for one of us and very scary for the other. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[andyfox]

I agree 100%. Then again, Jimbo and I always agree on everything. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

If I'm going to continue here, one of the reasons I 3-bet is it gives me a couple more ways to win: a hand better than mine (a weakish king or somesuch) might fold either right now or on the turn.

[Ed S.]

I think you saved yourself some money by playing it the way you did. I don't think he would of foled if you raised the turn. Ofcourse you could have saved some more money if you folded the Flop, but it was your decision to continue and I think you played alright for continuation of the hand.

Ed S.

[Jimbo]

Heh, Heh Andy! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif Actually I agree completely with your style of playing poker. In addition I certainly understand your political viewpoints (and Clarkmeisters' to a lesser degree). I believe as well that the flop raise gives you a much better chance to win the hand for the exact reasons you outlined.