How badly did I play this?

[34TheTruth34]

I'm not sure if I played this hand correctly or not. This was online low limit and a pretty soft table. I'm in the BB with K/images/graemlins/club.gif 5/images/graemlins/club.gif. Everybody but one player limps in and the button raises. I get enamored with the already huge pot and decide to call. 9 way action, 18 small bets in the pot.

Flop K/images/graemlins/heart.gif-9/images/graemlins/spade.gif-6/images/graemlins/spade.gif

The SB comes out betting, I raise and everybody else folds! He calls.

Turn 3/images/graemlins/club.gif He checks, I bet, he calls.

River Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif He checks, I check.


Comments on how I played any part of the hand?? Thanks in advance. Results later...

[BottlesOf]

I think you played it ok. I ordinarily wouldn't call this, but having 18 SB's preflop might convince me otherwise.

Once SB bets, I would consider folding, b/c of my lame kicker, and the flush draw out there. (Remember you have 8 opponents, i think it's more than likely someone's gotta have two spades or a better king.) However, you raised, which I think was your second best option and it worked out as good as it could have. I like the turn, but probably would have bet the river, I think he was on a draw, KJs, ATs, AJs--most likely this third one.

[Joe Tall]

Even in a pot like this, out of position, I'd fold Kxs.

Ok, so you hit your top pair, represented it with a flop raise, NOW YOU CHECK THE RIVER THROUGH?

I think you have learned why Kxs sucks.

Peace,
Joe Tall

[34TheTruth34]

If you think he was on a draw, then why bet the river? Please explain

[34TheTruth34]

The reason I checked behind on the river was because I put him on either a busted draw (a hand that couldn't call a bet) or a hand that beat mine. Nobody in their right mind would fold a hand better than mine in this spot, and I didn't think that I could get this particular opponent to do it either. I think a bet would clearly have a negative expectation here.

I have always known why Kxs sucks, but I guess I needed a refresher course. I wonder if it's profitable or not. I would guess that in the long run, I'd probably end up losing a little bit. Normally, I'd fold it, but getting 17-1 (assuming nobody three-bets and everyone calls the raise) I couldn't resist.

[BottlesOf]

Because he might not be on the draw, and he might call a weaker hand. So what did he have?

[SoCalPat]

If you're confident no one will limp-reraise (and you yourself said the table was pretty soft, which by itself leads to generally passive play, i.e., none of these players have limp-reraised in their entire lives), I think a call is an absolute must.

You're 9-1 to flop a flush draw and the pot is laying you 17-1. Your implied odds are absolutely gonzo, especially if someone from EP leads out on the flop and you can check-raise the entire field.

In a similar situation, I'd play any suited A-Q, and any suited connector down to 78. I'll play those hands anytime if I'm getting 17-1 and I feel I'm not facing a re-raise.

[34TheTruth34]

basically, I agree with everything you said. Some of these low limit Party Poker games, they make so many mistakes that I think you can and should play more hands than normal. You said in this situation, you'd play suited aces, kings, and queens, as well as suited connectors down to 87. That's interesting, because I'd prefer a hand like 76s, 65s, and maybe even 54s more than Kxs and Qxs in this situation. I consider the three suited connectors that I just mentioned a must play in this particular situation. However, I feel that the Kxs and Qxs are borderline and maybe even long term losers.

[34TheTruth34]

So I decided to checked the river basically because I felt like I had done as much to win the pot as I could. I felt he either held a hand that couldn't call a bet (such as a busted straight or flush draw) or a hand that beat mine, like a medium king-- KJ, KTs or something like that. I would think it's unlikely he led out with just a six or nine. You could argue that since the hand is heads up, he would pretty much have to call with any piece of the board. I guess there could be a value bet there. But basically, I saw the bet as very unprofitable in the long run. And there's no way he'd lay down any hand that beat mine.

So I checked behind and I took it down as he had 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif7/images/graemlins/spade.gif for the huge busted draw. This is interesting IMO because I think with this big of a draw, most people would three-bet the flop and bet the hand out the rest of the way. At least, that's what I (and probably most 2+2ers) would usually do. Had he done that, I would have been hard pressed to call turn and river bets with top pair crappy kicker, and he might have won the pot.

Any other thoughts? Thanks to everyone who responded...