109: lvl1 QQ postflop decision

[sergsz]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter

BB (t1000)
UTG (t1205)
UTG+1 (t1090)
UTG+2 (t860)
MP1 (t860)
MP2 (t975)
MP3 (t1020)
CO (t940)
Hero (t885)
SB (t1165)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Qh, Qs.
UTG calls t15, 1 fold, UTG+2 calls t15, 4 folds, Hero raises to t45, 2 folds, UTG calls t30, UTG+2 calls t30.

Flop: (t157.50) 4s, Jh, Js (3 players)
UTG checks, UTG+2 checks, Hero bets t100, UTG folds, UTG+2 calls t100.

Turn: (t357.50) 2h (2 players)
UTG+2 checks, Hero bets t250, UTG+2 raises to t500, Hero folds.

Villain is an unknown. Considering that I play a bit and recognize most 109 regulars, safe to assume he doesn't have much experience at the 109s.

Interestingly, I am more likely to call if he raises all-in. The flop call and turn mini-CR just seems to be a very common betting pattern for fairly weak players playing strong hands.

Thoughts / comments?

[bluefeet]

I'd make it at least 75 to go PF from Button.

Flop lead - fine.
Turn - Well, you're giving the river free to the FD, but I'd probably check behind here vs. firing a second shot.

Checking behind, I'd be prepared to spend a similar looking amount you did here on the turn...occasionally with the better hand when he bluff bets a missed draw into your apparent disinterest.

(folding after hi c-raise is a good thing on this turn)

Check behind on the turn. Call a smallish bet on the river

[45suited]

I think that the whole hand was compromised by your 'raise' pre-flop. WTF was that?

BTW, good fold on the turn. But I would have checked behind as bluefeet said. Once raised, muck for sure.

[sergsz]

About the PF raise. I typically raise only 3-4X BB before i get into push mode unless there are either a ton of limpers or i have a hand that is worth raising but i dont want to play in a multiway pot (e.g. TT-JJ). Is this a major leak? Do you raise more than 3X BB just due to the limpers, or would you open with a bigger raise as well?

[async]

[ QUOTE ]
About the PF raise. I typically raise only 3-4X BB before i get into push mode unless there are either a ton of limpers or i have a hand that is worth raising but i dont want to play in a multiway pot (e.g. TT-JJ). Is this a major leak? Do you raise more than 3X BB just due to the limpers, or would you open with a bigger raise as well?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd open QQ based on position. EP I'd make it 3.5 to 4 BB (and would do so with any hand I raised from there), because I don't want to play out of position. In MP or LP, 2.5BB-3BB.

WITH limpers, as in your hand, I'd make it +1bb/limper to avoid giving odds to everyone. If you have limp, limp, and you raise 3xbb, you're offering the BB 3:1 to call. Assuming the BB calls, there's then 8BB in the pot and limpers 1 & 2 are getting 4:1 and 5:1 respectively to call. That doesn't really put anyone to any sort of decision; you want to put some pressure on them, if for no other reason than to help narrow their range. If you make it 5xbb with 2 limpers, then BB is getting under 2:1 to call, and even if he does call, limper 1 is only getting 3:1. Also, the larger raise discourages people behind you from calling who don't already have chips in. You don't want to go 3xBB and have the button call to play a speculative hand, figuring that with his call, BB and limpers basically MUST call, and so his playing a big implied-odds hand (JTs, for example) is well worth it. That obviously doesn't come into play when you ARE the button, but you still don't want to offer generous odds to callers.

[curtains]

PF raise too small, flop bet is fine, I check behind the turn, especially since If Im behind they usually bet some small amount anyway so I don't have to lose my whole stack and I get to see a showdown just in case Im ahead.