Raise from CO w/44 after 1 limper?

[Luke]

Lately I've been working on increasing my aggressiveness pre-flop. I find myself in more situations than normal where I raise after one limper when I'm in late position (B, CO, CO-1) - with hands like ATo, KTo, KJo, 88, etc. I often miss on the flop but will bet when checked hoping to win right there or again on the turn. Overall, I think this has increased my EV but it's just a feeling I get. Here's a recent play where I may have pushed my luck a bit...

Playing at a 2-4 Party table which is playing a little tighter than I would like but not too agressive. There's mediocre EP limper to me in the CO where I see 4 /images/graemlins/club.gif4 /images/graemlins/heart.gif. My first thought when I saw my hand was call with the fours if you get 2 or more limpers. Then when I saw only one limper I thought I should fold. But then I reasoned that this limper has shown down some so-so holdings and doesn't seem to play too well post-flop, so I said let's raise and see if I can isolate him. The button and SB fold, the BB and limper call. 3 to the flop:

T /images/graemlins/spade.gif 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif

Checked to me. I bet. BB folds and EP calls. 2 to the turn:

6 /images/graemlins/club.gif

Checked to me. I bet. He calls. At this point I put him on a singleton high spade (A, K, Q) and possibly a 5 or 2, but no flush yet. The river brings the:

2 /images/graemlins/club.gif

He bets. Call, fold, or raise?

Results to follow. How was play on each street up to the river?

All comments appreciated.

Luke

[biggambler]

Hi Luke, You decided to go to war with only a pair of 4s. Therefore, you bet every chance you had. He now comes out betting on the river. It would appear that you are beat. FOLD.

[ArchAngel71857]

Hi Luke,

you said you wanted to raise with your 4's to isolate the limper. 44, however, plays better in a multiway pot. Although he only limps in showing weakness, your hand is too weak to be raising. If ther were no limpers, then the raise is good because it gives you a chance to steal blinds. Other than that, everything seems to be fine. Just remember the woes of bluffing a calling station.

-AA

[Luke]

you said you wanted to raise with your 4's to isolate the limper. 44, however, plays better in a multiway pot.

Thanks for the response. I know that 44 plays well multiway, but doesn't it also play OK headsup? If 44 went straight to a showdown against one EP limper with low starting hand standards, I know 44 would come out on top a majority of the time. But perhaps the problem lies in how to actually play 44 once overcards begin to hit the flop. I know I sound a little confused on this and that's because I am. Does anyone like a small pair here, with position, in a headsup situation or was I just overplaying my hand?

[Wingnut]

44 heads-up is slightly better than a coin-flip against random overcards. I think it's OK to try to get it heads-up and make an attempt at stealing the pot on the flop.

[Wingnut]

The pot is laying you 7-to-1 to call. You only have to win 1 out of 8 times for the call to be profitable. You'd have to be REAL sure of your read to make the laydown for only one more bet.

[Luke]

Call, fold, or raise?

At best I'm hoping he's bluffing a singleton spade without a pair that missed the flush or overcards. And he certainly wouldn't call a raise with a hand like that so raising is out.

He could easily have me beat with a bigger pocket pair, a weak ten, a missed flush with A5, or K5. However, the pot is of some size at this point - $28 minus the rake so I'm getting almost 7 to 1 on my call. The fact that there was a decent chance that he was bluffing with a singleton spade or overcards persuaded me to call.

Sure enough, he shows K /images/graemlins/spade.gif 3 /images/graemlins/club.gif and I am thrilled to have snuck away with the win. After this hand, I really felt that I overplayed my fours with the preflop raise.

Thanks for all responses,

Luke

[Ed Miller]

You should do some hand-reading before you decide where your unimproved fours lay on the totem pole.