Help! Plugging leaks in newbie low limit

[PokerNoob]

I've probably played a couple thousand hands over the last two weeks at .5/1 PP. I thought I was playing decently since I was winning, but now I've had 4 or 5 losing sessions in a row. I've had a run of cold cards and some difficult beats when I do get a decent starting hand (flopped str8 loses to river flush, boat loses to higher boat, etc.) Here are some representative hands where I think I might be getting in to trouble.

Hand 1: 10 at the table, I'm dealt KhTd UTG. I limp, 4 others limp, SB competes, BB limp. Flop is 8d 5d 3d. I fold to BB's bet. Eventual winner collects 18bb on tp sixes and fives. Should I fold that hand preflop in a game where so many see the flop with random hands and nobody raises pf?

Hand 2: I'm dealt As2s in small blind. 5 limpers, I call, BB calls. Flop is 7c Ah 2d. I bet, 4 fold, CO and Button call. Turn is 4h [7c Ah 2d]. Bet, call, call. River is 9c [4h 7c Ah 2d]. Bet, call, raise. I call and lose to trip aces. I thought either made straight or bluff. I have lately caught some bluffers and was beginning to wonder if I had been laying down a lot of winning hands. Should I have checked the turn or river? If so, then what reaction to a bet?

Hand 3: I am in MP dealt 6d5d. 2 limpers, I limp (questionable, but I figure 6 or more to the flop and no raises), 2 limpers behind and the BB. Flop is Jd, 6c, Kh. BB bets, EP folds, a call, I call, another call, CO raises, all call. I stay in with low pair and flush draw. Mistake? Turn is 6h [Jd, 6c, Kh]. Now I have trips that look good against the drawers and two pair people. EP bets again, call, I call, fold, CO raises, all call. Should I have raised EP's bet? No preflop action, I put the raiser on KJ. EP could have anything. River is Ts [6h, Jd, 6c, Kh]. Hmmm, maybe EP had AQ? Would CO be raising on a draw? I don't think so. I'm convinced he's got kings and jacks. EP puts in his last 25 cents. A fold, I call, CO raises again. I call. EP has jacks for a boat. CO has K6 for a lesser boat. My thinking was EP was on his last hand and was just throwing away money. I never put CO on K6.

[TazQ]

Hand 1: Way too loose! Fold this preflop every single time.

Hand 2: This hand is fine, I'd probably go for a checkraise on the flop however.

Hand 3: I'd call preflop with this hand every single time at a typical loose/passive .50/1 table. You need to raise on the turn when you make trips.

[Festus22]

Hand 1: Fold PF with K-10o early and middle position.

Hand 2: You must have lost to pocket aces the way you wrote the hand. I would have expected to be dragging the pot here. The A-A player is simply atrocious.

Hand 3: Marginal call PF but since you're in, I'd fold the flop. A backdoor flush draw with bottom pair and no overcards is pretty much toast.

[hockey1]

[ QUOTE ]
Hand 1: 10 at the table, I'm dealt KhTd UTG. I limp, 4 others limp, SB competes, BB limp. Flop is 8d 5d 3d. I fold to BB's bet. Eventual winner collects 18bb on tp sixes and fives. Should I fold that hand preflop in a game where so many see the flop with random hands and nobody raises pf?

[/ QUOTE ]

Fold preflop. Call the flop with two overcards and a flush draw.


[ QUOTE ]
I'm dealt As2s in small blind. 5 limpers, I call, BB calls. Flop is 7c Ah 2d. I bet, 4 fold, CO and Button call. Turn is 4h [7c Ah 2d]. Bet, call, call. River is 9c [4h 7c Ah 2d]. Bet, call, raise. I call and lose to trip aces. I thought either made straight or bluff. I have lately caught some bluffers and was beginning to wonder if I had been laying down a lot of winning hands. Should I have checked the turn or river? If so, then what reaction to a bet?

[/ QUOTE ]

Consider check-raising the flop. Although you lost this hand (and the next) you should've been more aggressive. There's nothing you can do here against AAA. You're lucky you didn't lose more.


[ QUOTE ]
Hand 3: I am in MP dealt 6d5d. 2 limpers, I limp (questionable, but I figure 6 or more to the flop and no raises), 2 limpers behind and the BB. Flop is Jd, 6c, Kh. BB bets, EP folds, a call, I call, another call, CO raises, all call. I stay in with low pair and flush draw. Mistake? Turn is 6h [Jd, 6c, Kh]. Now I have trips that look good against the drawers and two pair people. EP bets again, call, I call, fold, CO raises, all call. Should I have raised EP's bet? No preflop action, I put the raiser on KJ. EP could have anything. River is Ts [6h, Jd, 6c, Kh]. Hmmm, maybe EP had AQ? Would CO be raising on a draw? I don't think so. I'm convinced he's got kings and jacks. EP puts in his last 25 cents. A fold, I call, CO raises again. I call. EP has jacks for a boat. CO has K6 for a lesser boat. My thinking was EP was on his last hand and was just throwing away money. I never put CO on K6.

[/ QUOTE ]

Generally fold this preflop, although if the game is loose passive enough it's not too bad a play. Flop play is ok, but your "flush draw" isn't worth much. I think it's 22:1 to catch runner-runner, and even then you could be behind a bigger flush (albeit unlikely). Count 5 outs here, max. That said, it's worth 1SB. You have to bet the turn here. Why are you convinced CO has KJ at this point?

Sometimes people have better cards than you. There's nothing you can do about that. You'll lose the most when you have a really good hand but someone has a better one. Be aggressive with your good hands and the players who play K6 will donate plenty in the long run.

[GuyOnTilt]

Hand 1: Easy muck preflop. Never limp in with KTo. The only time this hand is playable is in LP with 2 or less limpers to you, and then you should raise. This is just my opinion and others would disagree I'm sure.

Hand 2: Nothing you can do about it.

Hand 3: Marginal call preflop, but since you're in you played the hand fine. You should call on the flop getting an immediate 8:1 with 5 outs and a backdoor flush.

[Nottom]

Hand 1: KTo from EP is a good way to lose money, it looks good but its not. KJo, ATo, QTo, QJo, JTo are all other hands to stay away from here. If you folded these hands all the time, you wouldn't be making a huge mistake, but playing them in LP after 1 or 2 limpers or open raising with them if its folded to you in LP are +EV for the most part. Suited versions of these hands are generally playable from anywhere for one bet in a game like you describe.

Once you see the flop there is no reason to continue. Good fold.

Hand 2: I would have played it the same way. You ran into some bozo who probably cost himself money by slowplaying his aces, be glad he didn't charge you more. Checking at any point in this hand is a mistake, unless your intent was to try for a checkraise.

Hand 3: The limp is a bit loose, but not awful if the table is as you describe. I would pretty much always raise the turn here, and if not I would 3-bet when it comes back. Its really hard to put anyone on a boat with that board, since most people will raise JJ or KK preflop and even at Party J6 and K6 are pretty uncommon (although anything can happen as shown here). If you had convinced youself that CO had KJ why didn't you raise? I think you definately need to put in a raise somewhere during this hand.

[thomastem]

Hand 2 Check raise.

Can save you money if you are beat will make you more money if you have best. If you check raise our pocket Ace friend probably raises you represnting trips of some kind.

If the opponenent is passive you may buy a free card or two while drawing to a full house. If agressive you may muck on the flop or turn.

[Sarge85]

Hand 1: Fold Preflop

Hand 2: I'd play like you did. AA person lost many potential bets. In hindsight, you played your hand better than he played the winning hand.

Hand 3. The PF call is marginal, I guess if you KNEW youd get lots of callers i'd take a look at the flop. Fold after the flop though for sure. This are prime examples why not to bet/call after the flop, given your pre-flop holdings.

Sarge /images/graemlins/diamond.gif