Exercise: Reading Hands ...

To tell you the truth I'm not very good at it. Here is one for you:


You are on the button w/ JcKh. There is 2 limpers to you (L4,L3 - 4 and 3 off the button) - you call - SB calls - BB checks. 5 player's to see the FLOP in an unraised pot:


[ Th 8h Jd ]


It's checked to L3 who bets - you raise - SB calls - BB folds - L4 calls - L3 re-raise - you call - SB calls - L4 calls. 4 player's to see the TURN:


[ Th 8h Jd ] [ 2h ]


It's checked to L3 who bets - you call - SB raise - L4 calls - L3 re-raise - you call - SB calls - L4 calls. 4 player's to see the RIVER:


[ Th 8h Jd 2h ] [ 3d ]


It's checked to L3 who bets ...


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Q1: Now what ? Fold or call ?


Q2: How do you like 'your' play so far ?


Q3: How do you read L3 and SB - assuming they are both 'somewhat good' player's ?


Q4: At what point would you make use of your read ?


Any comments appreciated !

"Q1: Now what ? Fold or call ?"


Fold. On the turn I would think of my hand as a draw to the second nuts, and fold on the river after missing.


"Q2: How do you like 'your' play so far ?"


I don't like it at all because I would have raised before the flop which would make it much easier to figure out when I was beat, and if I should draw to the flush. For instance, if the small blind would muck x-x suited to a raise preflop, but would call A-x suited, or a big ace, then I could be more sure that he holds the ace of trump, maybe A-J with the ace of hearts would give him check-raise power on the turn. Either way, it'd be easier to fold on the turn with the likelihood of drawing dead being much higher.


If I raised preflop, and still get bet into on the flop by L3, and I raise on the flop, and he still plays back on the flop and bets the turn, this holds more meaning because I've showed strength twice, instead of just once.


"Q3: How do you read L3 and SB - assuming they are both 'somewhat good' player's ?"


Either of them could feel spunky on the flop with as little as a pair and an openender. That they both are willing to put in two bets on the turn after the flush card hits makes me think that one of them had me beat on the flop and the other one hit the flush.


Tommy

"Q1: Now what ? Fold or call ?" Fold


"Q2: How do you like 'your' play so far ?" Can't be happy with all the money put in the pot so far here. I personally would have folded to the 2 big bet raises cold on the turn. Yes I see the flush draw to the K but it's NOT the nut draw.


Q3: How do you read L3 and SB - assuming they are both 'somewhat good' player's ? L3 is betting or raising into a checkraiser for the second time, L3 must have the nut flush, I put SB on a floppped str8t or smaller flush


Q4: At what point would you make use of your read ? For sure on the turn, but I may have just give it up on the flop as well. (depending on my opponents skills)

Q1:fold there is no way that you have the best hand

Q2:I agree with everything up till you call two more bets on the turn(If you are against rather good players then I would question your call preflop, you will lose more than you win with KJ off against decent players). On the turn when it gets check raised and three bet to you, you are beat and most likely drawing absolutely dead.

Q3:I would suspect that they both have flushes with L3's being bigger. If sb flopped a set or a straight then they misplayed their hand, and if they have A,9 with the ace of hearts then they're a maniac. I'm hard pressed to find a hand for L3 that isn't an A or Q high flush.

Q4:I don't quite understand this question because you should always be making use of your reads on players.

[ Th 8h Jd 2h ] [ 3d ]


It's checked to L3 who bets ...


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Q1: Now what ? Fold or call ?


Fold - of course.


Q2: How do you like 'your' play so far ?


I don't like the pre-flop-call - I would have folded - Tommy A would have raised ?


Q3: How do you read L3 and SB - assuming they are both 'somewhat good' player's ?


SB: 5hJh


L3: 6hAh (easy for me to say because I was L3)


Q4: At what point (in the hand) would you make use of your read ?


I don't know. If you are going to the river (considering the size of the pot) with the second-nut-draw 'all that reading-stuff' is essentually worthless !?


Thanks