A few hands to critique

[John J]

#1: I'm 7 seats off the button in mid position, and dealt Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif. One player limps, I raise, player behind me re-raises, original limper calls then I cap it and both players call.

Flop comes 7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif K /images/graemlins/spade.gif 2 /images/graemlins/club.gif. First player checks, I check, the pf re-raiser bets. First player calls, I call due to my backdoor flush draw and in hopes of catching a Q.

The turn is 4 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif [7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif K /images/graemlins/spade.gif 2 /images/graemlins/club.gif.]. First player checks, I check, next player bets again. First player calls, I fold.

#2: I'm 5 seats off the button in mid position, and dealt K /images/graemlins/spade.gif K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. One player limps, I raise, one person cold calls, the BB calls and the limper calls.

Four handed flop comes 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif 10 /images/graemlins/spade.gif. Two players check to me and I bet, all three of them call.

Turn is A /images/graemlins/heart.gif [8 /images/graemlins/club.gif Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif 10 /images/graemlins/spade.gif]. It's checked to me, I check, player behind me bets, first player calls, second player check-raises. Do I call with my inside straight draw or fold at this point? The pot odds don't look good.

#3: I'll make this one short. I'm dealt A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 10 /images/graemlins/heart.gif. Eight people see the flop of 9 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 10 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. Someone bets, two players call and I raise, everyone calls except one player. The turn is 8 /images/graemlins/spade.gif [9 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 10 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif]. At this point there are seven players still in the pot, and only one of them needs a 7 for the straight. It's checked to me - do I bet here, or check and let someone get a free shot at a flush draw?

#4: I'm in the small blind and dealt A /images/graemlins/heart.gif K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. Three players limp, I raise, the BB calls and the limpers call.

Five handed flop comes 8 /images/graemlins/spade.gif Q /images/graemlins/club.gif 6 /images/graemlins/spade.gif. Do I bet here? Check-fold? Check-call?

[crockpot]

i like the play in hands 1 and 2. check and fold on hand 3.

by one off the button in first position, do you mean small blind? if so, i would check and perhaps call one bet on the flop, or fold.

[Ed Miller]

Hand 1:

You shouldn't be capping preflop if you are gonna check-fold like a baby if an overcard flops. When you build big pots preflop, making weak-tight folds after the flop becomes more expensive. You may well not have had the best hand, but when you check the flop, you are telling the button (if he is at all aggressive) "please take this pot away from me". He could easily have been betting JJ-88 in the hopes that you might fold a better pocket pair. Frankly, I would have solved the problem by not capping preflop.

Hand 3:

Don't "make it short" next time. Give us all the action. I will say that I probably would have folded your hand preflop. I don't think I've ever voluntarily entered an eight-way pot with ATo. This flop is a marginal one for your hand (and a fantastic example of why ATo doesn't belong in an eight-way pot). So many cards can beat you on the turn, you should probably just call and wait to see the turn. If it is a blank, then you should raise a bet. If it is a bad card (like it was) then you should consider folding.

Hand 4:

I would check. You have no reasonable expectation of taking the pot down with a bet, and this is really not a good flop for your hand.

[John J]

majorkong,

I see your points about the first hand. Would it have been acceptable to play the same way I did on the flop if I didn't cap it preflop? If I was in late position, would it be the right move to cap preflop with QQ? My early position in the hand here did not work to my advantage and I see how I made the wrong play.

After reading your reponse to hand #3, I looked over my starting hand requirements and discovered that ATo is nowhere to be found - you're right, I shouldn't have been in this hand in the first place. However, my circumstances would have been the same had I started with ATs and missed the flush draw. Since I'm in middle position here and raising won't narrow the field very effectively, I think your recommendation of calling on the flop is correct. However, would it change if I was in middle position, or first to bet after the initial bettor? Say it was checked to the player directly in front of me, who bet, and then I raised - this might cause a few draws to fold. In that case, do you think that would be the right move?

For hand #4, when would be the right time to bet here? If only 3 players saw the flop with me? 2 players?

[Redhotman]

I'm on the run so I will only talk about the first hand....
I dont understand why you capped preflop and then just tossed it on the flop. Definitly weak-tight.