ITM 215 Stars

[KingDan]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t400 (3 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Kingdan (t5648)
Button (t4170)
SB (t3682)

Preflop: Kingdan is BB with T/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SB completes, Kingdan checks.

Flop: (t650) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t400</font>, Kingdan calls t400.

Turn: (t1450) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Kingdan checks.

River: (t1450) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Kingdan bets t800</font>, SB calls t800.

First Hand ITM.
I don't know how important reads are as people change a lot from 4-5 handed to 3 handed, but I'll do my best.


He was decent and pretty tight on the bubble. Waited for the money... limped a lot earier. I figured he'd be completing much more than he would be folding.

My call on the flop was hoping was with the intention of raising him all in on the turn.

Turn check was just seeing if he would bluff on the river.
River is for value as I think just about every pair pays me off there.

[handsome]

Pretty bad. Personally I would've raised preflop. If called, I would've bet the flop.

The way you played it is too passive for me. I don't like the idea of waiting til the turn to push. All you have is top pair with mid kicker, and a J, Q, K, A could freeze you up. I think it's better just to raise the flop. Most of the time you'll take down the T650 pot (fairly significant at this stage of game) because it'll make SB feel like he's playing for his entire stack. He'll lay down marginal hands and continue with hands that have you beat, at which point you simply slow down.

Also I don't see anyone calling you down with a 7 or weaker T on the river, so I just check behind in that situation.

[adanthar]

Raise the flop, bet the turn, do something somewhere that doesn't involve having to bet the one card you don't actually like on this board?

[KingDan]

I am generally more agro than this. but wanted to try something else out.

I am not worried an A/K on the turn as they would probably raise preflop.

[KingDan]

[ QUOTE ]
Raise the flop, bet the turn, do something somewhere that doesn't involve having to bet the one card you don't actually like on this board?

[/ QUOTE ]

You don't think I can get him to bluff at this?

[adanthar]

You could try that, or you could, like, put chips in the pot so Q7o can call?

[KingDan]

I was thinking any hands with an 8 bet here and most of the 7s.

I guess I was trying to get too cute.

[handsome]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Raise the flop, bet the turn, do something somewhere that doesn't involve having to bet the one card you don't actually like on this board?

[/ QUOTE ]

You don't think I can get him to bluff at this?

[/ QUOTE ]

If that's the reasoning behind the turn check, that's bad. Think about it.

SB completed in the SB and you checked your BB. Already he can eliminate many hands from your range (this is why you need to raise preflop &amp; punish his limping). Before the flop is even dealt, a decent player (as you described him to be) already knows he's gonna bet, like 80% of the time.

On the turn, since SB is OOP, there's no way he's betting out the turn without a very strong hand. According to your reads there was no indication that SB is tricky, or that he knows you're aggro, so I think a check from SB is almost never going to be a check-raise. That's why you should bet the turn.

I know if I'm the SB, I'm not betting the river on a bluff.

Flop is pretty questionable. Do you want to give someone a free card to hit an over, even if you're not afraid of an ace? How do you play if a 7 comes off on the turn? Given what looks to be a great turn, I think you have to bet. Make him put some money in with an inferior pair or a 9. You don't give yourself enough information to find out what is actually a scare card.