2 Hands for critique AQs & AKos, both in SB

[Gomez22]

Both hands Empire .50/1.00 Typical

In SB with A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif
UTG folds, UTG+1 checks (new player who posted BB), fold, fold, fold, fold, call, button calls, I raise, BB folds, the other 3 call.

FLOP: K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 10 /images/graemlins/heart.gif J /images/graemlins/club.gif

OH!!!! GOODY!!!!!!!!!!!

I check (I'm such a stinker!!!) and decide to slowplay/sandbag. UTG+1 bets (bless his little heart /images/graemlins/laugh.gif) everyone, including me call.

TURN: 3 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

EVEN BETTER!!!!!!! Now I have Nut straight and draw to Nut Flush..... where are the strippers and beer?!?!?!?!?!

I check again /images/graemlins/grin.gif

UTG+1 bets... God, I love this guy.....LP folds, button calls, I raise UTG+1 reraises!!! HUH?!?! Button folds, I cap it.

TURN: 10 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Remember that Dr. Evil laugh???? That was me.......

I bet.... he folded... Sometimes I'll show a hand when I have the nuts, but I thought better of it this time.


HAND #2

A /images/graemlins/spade.gif K /images/graemlins/club.gif once again in SB

UTG calls, fold, fold, fold, fold, Mid-Late Player(MLP) calls, button calls, I raise, BB folds, others call.

FLOP: 6 /images/graemlins/club.gif K /images/graemlins/spade.gif K /images/graemlins/heart.gif

OH JOY!!!!!

I decide NOT to slowplay, since that knocked AK I was holding earlier into next week(Guy hit a boat on the river when I tried to slowplay AK(flopped a set of kings.... guy had pocket 7's.... hit a 7 on the river) I'll never do it again flopping a set).

I bet, UTG folds, MLP calls, button calls.

TURN: 3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

I bet, both call...... Is there a conspiracy here? I started to think one of them went with K6 or K3 (this is low limit, and I have seen weirder stuff)

RIVER: 7 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

I bet, MLP RAISES!!!!! button folds, and I start thinking... did he go K6, K3, or K7???? Or did he have pocket 6's or pocket 3's or pocket 7's????

I thought that if he hit anything, it would be the 7, since he didn't show any aggression earlier, so I decided to just call. Maybe I shoulda raised, but I kinda thought that wonderful river card had once again reared it's ugly ass to turn my hopes into shattered dreams.

Anyways, I call, and I took it with 3 kings, ace kicker.

What did MLP have?????? K2os......... Can you believe it?

He either had me on aces or queens. Since I was first to act every time, I never got a chance to raise, except on river, and by then I thought he might have me. Did I play the river right?????

[Ian M.]

Hand 1: I think you wouldve made a lot more money if you just played it straightforwardly and bet/raised the flop and turn. Those cards are usually going to hit a lot of people so you will get a lot of action. Also, you didnt have the nuts on the river, your hand became much worse.

Hand 2: You played it well, I would probably reraise the river, and call if it was capped.

[GrinningBuddha]

Gomez, repeat after me:

I will never, ever again in my life slowplay a flopped straight.

There. Good for the soul.

Hand 1: Repeat it again. Consider two things:

If he had JT, you left a lot of bets on the felt. If he had KQ, you left a lot of bets on the felt. If he had nothing, he wouldn't bet and you would have left MORE bets on the felt. People like playing broadway cards, allow them to raise your nut hand whenever possible, preferably while it still is the nuts. Straights get counterfeited or drawn out on quite easily.

Looks like UTG had a Queen. The hand worked out OK, but you may not be so lucky next time...

Hand 2: I normally bet out in these situations, since the typical opponent expects you to slowplay. Your opponent here clearly did not expect you to have the case king. That said, the other king normally raises you on the turn, so having it happen on the river would make me uneasy as well. I normally call here, but that's not necessarily the correct play. Others will likely give you firmer advice. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[Gomez22]

Upon further review... you're right, I didn't have the nuts. Being a relative new player, it escapes me sometimes. pocket 10's woulda made the nuts, next best hands woulda been: pocket kings, and then jacks, followed by K10, then J10. Sorry, just got carried away with how the hand went. From the bets, I knew I had the best hand, and I sometimes still refer to that as the nuts... Gonna edit the post, now.

What I had was both the nut flush AND nut straight. And yes, I can see how it got worse on the river. Thanks for correcting me... Us newbies need it sometimes. ANd maybe I shouldn't gloat some, but I was pretty proud of the way I played both these hands, all things considered. If you could have seen me 2 weeks ago, you woulda been embarrassed.

[lil']

Hand 1 - When EVERYONE calls on the flop and the action is to you, I would raise right there and then. The chance to get an extra bet from the entire field is too good to pass up. Who knows if they will drop out on the turn?

Hand 2 - Re-raise the river.