"Whose money do I want to take?"

[MN_Mime]

Villain is actually somewhat decent, but aggressive and annoying. Probably around 25%-30% VPIP, but it's hard for me to estimate that at a card table. Great B&M micro table.

I'm UTG and I Pre-flop raise AQs, 2-cold-callers (SB completes)

FLOP: 4 players, AQJ, rainbow

Hero checks, 60%+VPIP checks (CALLING STATION), Villain bets, 90% VPIP calls (SUPERFISH), Hero raises, 1 fold, Villain 3-bets, 1 fold, Hero caps, Villain RAISES?! ( ugh... no caps heads-up).

I look over and see less than a BB left in his stack (he's one of these chip holders), so I put him all-in expecting to see KT and I'm not disappointed (offsuit and he called my PFR). He crows about having the nuts and all that jazz. I turn a flush draw and he starts to freak, but his hand holds up on the river.

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Same orbit, Villain is in the BB, there's a poster at CO, and it's folded to me with K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif. I open-raise, FISH calls (of course), poster calls, and Villain calls.

FLOP: 4 players, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif J/images/graemlins/club.gif 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Villain checks, I bet, 2 callers, Villain check-raises!, all call.

TURN: 4 players, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Villain bets, I call (I'm certain I'll lose the other two if I raise), Calling Station doesn't disappoint, but the poster folds.

RIVER: 3 players, 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif

Villain bets...

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Here's the thing. If I call, calling station will call. If I raise, calling station folds and villain will probably just pay me off.

I should raise just for possibility that I'll get further action from Villain but the question I asked myself was, "Whose money do I want to take?" I wanted to keep Calling Station in the game to continue paying off and I wanted to bust the better player out of the game, so I raised.

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The situation isn't perfect for asking if this question ever factors into the thinking of other players, but it felt like a breakthrough for me.

Are all of our decision dictated by value bets and pot odds or are there other metagame factors worthy of consideration at these times?

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Calling station folded and Villain called and demanded in a disgusted voice if I had the flush. I told him I had the nuts.

Villain's hand (in white): <font color="white">AJo</font>

[scotty34]

I think I might even raise the turn, but I can see the value in going for overcalls if you are very confident they will come along. The reason I say this is because they will probably call two cold anyways if they have a diamond, and will probably fold a lot of the time if they don't.

The river is an absolute MUST RAISE. If you just call and the calling station calls, you make +2BB on the river. If you call and the calling station folds you make +1BB. If you raise and the calling station calls, you make +4BB. Finally if you raise and he folds, you make +2BB (provided the villain doesn't decide to give you more action. It is very doubtful he folds to your raise at these games. There is no possible good argument for calling here. RAISE.

[deception5]

I raise for a few reasons.

Villian will very often call (big pot, etc) and the calling station will almost always call with 2-pair or better. Maybe even with an ace /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Second, if you call the most you can earn is one more BB, if you raise better things can happen occasionally (even just the calling station calling increases your profit by 1-2BB depending on whether villian calls.

Third as you mentioned, it's easier to get money back from the calling station than from the Villian.

[MN_Mime]

I agree with both your comments, though the only decent diamonds out there are the J,9,8 and there aren't many holdings with those cards that have any good reason to chase. On the other hand, they hate money so who knows? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I had no doubt that raising was the right move. I was just trying to solicit commentary on the metagaming aspects and wondering if others consider these import aspects of their game. Micros *might* be the wrong forum to look for this kind of feedback...

[ QUOTE ]
Micros *might* be the wrong forum to look for this kind of feedback...

[/ QUOTE ]

Personally, I suck, but I take umbrage at the idea that a) this is solely a micro forum b) even if it is, that it's incapable of giving you metagame analysis. You do realize this is shorthanded small limit, right? You might try B &amp; M since that's where you were playing.

Anyway I like your thought process. You need to raise for all the reasons the other posters have said, and as you mentioned, busting out the undesirable and keeping the fish is always a good thing. Unless you're playing no limit though (and it's not clear what you're playing from this post) people usually have more money than what's in front of them at the table. Busting someone should be only a peripheral consideration.