Don't get married to that hand!

[zuluking]

Here's a hand from last night that new players to the game can learn from. Typical 4-8 loose game with 6-8 seeing the flop. I was not involved.

I'm UTG and fold, 4 others call, SB (A guy named Tony who LOVES to trap) calls, BB (A newbie who plays every hand and NEVER raises) calls, 6 see the flop.

Flop is A 2 2.

4 checks, SB (Tony) checks, BB (Newbie) bets, 4 folds, and Tony calls.

Turn is 8 (Suits do not matter here).

Tony checks, Newbie bets, Tony raises, Newbie re-raises, Tony caps.

I've watched Tony play for a long time, he's got some tells and I know his style of play, so I put him on 2 2. Newbie has the classic Caro "shaking hand" tell when betting the turn, I put him on A A, and thus "married to his hand".

River is 6. Tony bets, Newbie raises, re-raise, cap. Tony turns over 2 2, Newbie yells out F*CK! and slaps down his cards revealing A A.

[GrinningBuddha]

Soooooo, you're suggesting folding the 2nd nut hand heads up? Perhaps you had a read on Tony, but the newbie surely wouldn't have. I thought he played it great until the river cap.

[zuluking]

I'm not too sure about capping it on the turn. I think at that point, he should've called. Same with the river. I'm guessing that he didn't even consider the 2 2 possibility.

[ninja please]

i don't think you can slow down on the turn no matter how good your read is. someone who loves to trap could just as easily play the same with A2, or even K2 if he's very aggressive (he was in the SB after all). without the read on him (or even with), he could also have 88 and play the same way. i could be off base here, but i think slowing down on the turn would be a mistake, and capping on the river would probably be good more times than bad with that hand on that board.

anyone agree, or am i mistaken?

[Tosh]

What did the newbie do wrong ? Perhaps he could just called the final raise instead of capping the river but still his opponent could easily have 88 or A2s.

[zuluking]

I guess I look at it differently because I have Tony so well pegged.

[Ian M.]

No offence, but it seems like the only reason this was posted was to boast about how you knew both of their hands before they were shown. Do you actually think that the player with AA should go into check-call mode or even fold this hand? I probably wouldve played it the same as the BB, except for the lack of preflop raise.

[StevieG]

I'm inclined to agree. I'm very much a poker newbie myself, and I have weak tight tendencies, so I might have called rather than capped on the turn. Still, I don't think I would have looked back on this hand and said I was married to it. One hand beats this guy at this point, and you have already indicated the table has been playing loose. He should give up his hand?

OK, it's a loss, but I would think he shoould feel OK with the play.

And now he knows Tony, too.

[chesspain]