Sucker Punch

[Magician]

$20 + $2 NLHE on PokerStars

Blinds are 10/20, stacks are at the original 1,500

I'm dealt JTs in the SB. One MP caller. Folded to me. I call. BB times out and is mucked.

Flop is J T x (can't remember but it was a small card). MP bets minimum.

I flat call.

Turn card is a 5.

MP bets minimum.

I re-raise close to the pot.

MP calls.

River is an 8.

I bet 60% of the now big pot.

MP player moves in.

I call.

He flips over 88.


$22 down the drain. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[eMarkM]

Watcha going to do, you took a bad beat. I probably would have raised the flop, but I can understand the flat call to try and trap him for more money. You got your money in the middle with your opponent nearly a 9-1 dog on the turn, what more can you do?

Had a similar hand last night. Limper, I raise nearly the pot with AJs, he calls. Flop comes J22, two clubs. Check, I bet the pot, he calls. Turn blank, I go all in, he calls with 97c. 3-1 dog and he hits his club on the river. I lost, but I'll take those calls everytime. Just be happy when the other guy is calling as a big dog and ignore those times when he sucks out. Most of the time he misses and you don't even remember the play.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Raise the flop!! Especially in the early stages, I make similar playing decisions to those I would make in a limit cash game. Since 2-pair is a vulnerable hand, I would play it fast, raising the flop to 120 or so. If he calls that, I would get suspicious and slow down.

That 8 on the river is way too scary a card for me to call an all-in with just 2 pair.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

You got your money in the middle with your opponent nearly a 9-1 dog on the turn, what more can you do?

Actually, he called an all-in on the river after a card that could complete a str8 hit the borad.

[Magician]

He was 22-1 against to hit his trips on the river.

Of all hands, would he have come in with Q9 to have hit his straight on the river?

[Greg (FossilMan)]

Sure, why not Q9? I play it all the time when the money is deep compared to the blinds. And, when you checked the flop, he bet his draw. He did it again on the turn. Oops, you raised him. Now he does have a real decision to make. He knows he has at least 8 outs to the nuts. Plus, a Q MIGHT be good (not too often). Also, what if you're bluffing? Will you follow through on the river, or check and let him buy the pot? Will you pay him off if he hits his straight?

Taking all that into consideration, it could be very reasonable for him to call your check-raise with Q9. Then, he wins big on the 8-outer river card. It's not like your check-raise was to a number so big he didn't have pot/implied odds to draw to a straight.

Don't presume someone else won't play a hand just because you wouldn't do so. Only make a presumption about their play after you've gotten to know them pretty good. Until then, do your best to guess based upon what's common where you're playing, and more importantly, what you've seen from them to date.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[Guy McSucker]

Raise the flop!

Two pair is vulnerable and JTx is a drawing flop. You can't like any 7, 8, 9, Q K or A on the turn, but you'll have a hard time folding the two pair, so get the money in now while you're reasonably sure you're ahead.

Guy.