Calling down with junk

[Homer]

These two hands are from Party 3/6 games. What are your thoughts?

Exhibit A

Two EP's limp, SB completes and I check in the BB with K /images/graemlins/spade.gif Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif.

Flop - A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif A /images/graemlins/heart.gif 3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

Checked around.

Turn - 4 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

EP2 bets, only I call.

River - 5 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

EP2 bets, I call. (I beat KJo)

Comments - I probably should have bet the flop, but wasn't sure if it was a good bet into three opponents with a flush draw out there. I definitely would have bet it from late position. I think I played the turn and river alright. EP2 seemed like a solid player (by Party standards at least), so I thought he was much more likely to have limped from EP preflop with a hand like KJ, QJ, KTs than with a hand containing an Ace. He would have bet the flop with a pocket pair (unless he has exactly 33), so after he bet the turn I felt there was a decent chance that he had a hand like the ones I mentioned. With only more player left to act after me I decided to just call the turn rather than checkraise, hoping that EP2 would bluff at it again on the river. I felt that this was superior to checkraising since there was a good chance that I had a hand that dominated that of my opponent.


Exhibit B

MP limps, I limp in LMP with 33, BB checks.

Flop - A /images/graemlins/heart.gif Q /images/graemlins/club.gif 4 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

Checked around.

Turn - 4 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

MP bets, I call.

River - A /images/graemlins/club.gif

MP bets, I think and call. (I chop with Th 7c)

Comments - I think I should have bet the flop. On the turn I was fairly certain that MP had either a 4, a mid-range pocket pair or junk (and I suspect that he most likely would have bet the flop with third or bottom pair). I should have considered raising since doing so might get a pocket pair or complete junk to fold, and if I'm reraised obviously I have an easy fold. On the river I felt that a call was justified playing the board, but again in hindsight raising might have been a better play, as I can take the whole pot many times rather than just earning a chop (but then again I'm risking two bets instead of just one).

-- Homer

[Ian M.]

Hand 1: I would raise preflop, bet out on the flop, and proceed from there.

Hand 2: Preflop if the limper is very weak you can raise here to isolate him, otherwise I would fold. If I just called preflop I would bet this flop 3 handed. On the flop if I am called in two places I would lean towards checking down the turn. If called in one place, I would probably bet again on the turn.

[JTG51]

Hand 1:

I'd raise preflop, I love your post flop play though. You made a great read and played it perfectly. Plus, you can't pass up a chance to call with nut no pair.

Hand 2:

I think I'd fold before the flop from LMP with only one limper in front. After that, I'd bet the flop most of the time. I like the turn call. Wow, the river call took some guts, but I don't like it at all.

You were obviously fairly confident in your read so I think raising is far superior. Two bets to win the whole pot is the same risk as one bet for half the pot, right? Add in the chance that a real hand folds and raising is much better. That would be some kind of play though, one that I doubt I'd find at the table.

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
Two EP's limp, SB completes and I check in the BB with K Q .

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you should raise here.

[ QUOTE ]
I think I played the turn and river alright.

[/ QUOTE ]

You should bet out on the flop and hope everyone folds putting you on a flop failed checkraise attempt. I wouldn't chase this pot with this flop, it ain't big enough.

No comments on hand B

Stu

[Homer]

Wow, the river call took some guts, but I don't like it at all.

Me neither -- I was almost certain we were going to chop, so I should have raised.

But hey, as long as it took guts and looked cool, that's all that matters, right?

Thanks for the commments...

-- Homer

[CMangano]

Have I mentioned that I love Party Poker?

[kiddo]

A)

I would bet out on turn almost 100% of the time, thinking: "Noone is hit by this, my KQ is probably good. I bet and protect it."


B:
(I would fold preflop.) I would decide what to do on flop. Checking flop would mean: "I give this up, I fold to a turnbet." It looks like you changed your mind between flop and turn?

If I played like this, it would be becuase I wasnt focused and didnt have a plan, to weak to bet, weak enough to call... You can always say to yourself: "well, I call cause I'm pretty sure he is bluffing and I dont want to raise and make him fold. But, at least for me, this is often only a bad excuse for not beeing able to decide: fold or raise".

The raise on river would have been cool, not often you get a chance to do something like that.

[Tosh]

I would raise pre flop with KQs.

[Joe Tall]

Hand 1:

2 limps and the SB completes, I'd raise preflop. Other than that I like the call down.

Hand 2:

I'd fold 33 here after only 1 limper. Guttsey, river call.

-JT