Feels Like Good Play -- But Is It?

[Vex]

Ultimate Bet 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx (http://www.zerodivide.cx/converter)

I've been here a while. This table is a mixed bag. I've seen some over-aggression, Fancy Play Syndrome, and some solid play as well. My computer had just crashed and I sat out my blinds while I rebooted, and when I got back I figured I'd just post in rather than wait.

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+2 raises</font>, MP1 calls, Hero calls, MP3 calls, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.

Well, I like my starting hand. I'm not sure about the action in front of me, but from what I've seen of their play I can put them on anything from any PP down to offsuit Broadway. I'm pretty sure the call here is appropriate (remember, I've already posted in for a SB). Is this a correct assessment?

Flop: (12.33 SB) Q/images/graemlins/club.gif, 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(6 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+2 raises</font>, MP1 folds, Hero calls, MP3 folds, BB folds, UTG+1 calls.

Yay, I have overcards. My first reacion here was to toss 'em. But, the size of the pot stopped me. Calling two cold here strikes me as a bad idea. I feel like I walk a tightrope between folding too much and overplaying. I can't justify a raise, but I don't want to fold even though I'm probably behind but with outs. In a moment of indecision I just called. Please, bitch me out and/or grill me on this move!

Turn: (9.16 BB) 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
UTG+1 checks, UTG+2 checks, Hero checks.

Ok, I like the turn club, giving me more outs. I also like the checkdown and am happy to take the free card.

River: (9.16 BB) A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
UTG+1 checks, UTG+2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 folds.

This doesn't feel like a trap; with the turn checkdown and their general aggression level I don't think either one would risk a checkraise if they had hands. So, I think I'm ahead. With the turn checkdown and it being checked to me on the river, am I correct to bet here?

Final Pot: 11.16 BB

[olavfo]

Reraise preflop. You have a strong hand and a reraise will likely give you the button.

Playing it as you did, fold the flop. Your overcards + backdoor flushdraw don't give you enough equity to call 2 cold (your pot odds are only 7.5 : 1 and it could be reraised after you call, further reducing your odds).

The turn and river look fine.

[ReptileHouse]

Raise preflop.

The flop in complicated by the fact that you didn't raise pre-flop. You have two overcards and a backdoor nut-flush draw. Your overcard outs may or may not be clean, especially with the pre-flop raiser raising again on the flop. The straightforward interpretation is that he either hit his hand or already has a made hand. Most likely candidates are AQ, KK or AA. If he's a solid player, he knows UTG+1 is unlikely to have big cards since he didn't raise pre-flop, and so he may be raising a hand like JJ or TT here are well, hoping to fold out one or the both of those of you who follow him.

You have about 4-5 outs to an 11SB pot, so you're getting close to the odds you need to call with implied odds if you hit, but barely. MP3 has yet to show strength, so it's probably fairly safe that this won't come back to you for more bets. If it does, that's going to really suck. As is, it's a risky call, but not a truly terrible one. That said, I probably fold here.

I like the check-behind on the turn. Both the other players in the hand are looking strong enough that a check-raise is a definite possibility. Even if it's not, your fold equity looks to be very low here given the strength shown so far by the other players. Similarly, you're not able to bet for value realistically here, so a check-behind is the logical choice.

Similarly, the river is a solid value bet. You've hit your hand. A check-raise would suck, but it's likely that anyone looking to make that move would have bet out after your check-behind on the turn. A queen pays off pretty often here, as will a lot of other pocket pairs.

[krimson]

Raise pre-flop, fold the flop.

There looks like a pretty reasonable chance of domination/reverse domination versus AQ or AA/KK.

[Vex]

Ok, excellent feedback from all of you. The preflop call isn't something I questioned much, and I would generally only three-bet there with JJ or higher. I saw my AK as marginal, where y'all call it strong, and as I recall more clearly what I put them on I realize now that my holding did indeed dominate the majority of what I thought they might have.

So, my real mistake was in undervaluing my own hand; I correctly put them hands that I probably dominated preflop and then decided to play it like a drawing hand.

The reason I brought the hand here is because I gritted my teeth right after hitting "call" on the flop. It came to that because I didn't play it right before the flop.

Thanks. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[SNOWBALL138]

preflop: if the PFR has such a large range, why not 3 bet?

flop: fold. Your odds blow.

turn: checking behind is good.

river: betting is perfect.

[silkyslim]

You need to 3 bet this preflop. your hand is better or best, also increase your chances of winning by narrowing field. # bet the flop. you have 2 overs and 2 backdoors, you are getting ~8-1. Increase your winning chances, maybe get a free card. turn and river are fine