Rookie requests help with simple-looking hand

[elindauer]

15/30. I don't spend a lot of time at this level, but this is a good, loose game.

I raise UTG w/

A :diamond: J :diamond:

I'm not too shocked when I get two cold-callers, but don't particularly like it when the late position blind-poster 3-bets. Now the CO calls 3 cold and I'm really gtting into this hand. The BB tags along for 2 and the rest call.

Now... I'm not too disappointed to be in a big pot with this hand, and feel that I'll win more than I'll lose. Still, I feel I'm behind, maybe way behind, and out of position. Neither an A nor a J feels like a lock. I start cheering for diamonds.

6 players for 18 SB:

J :heart: 2 :diamond: 3 :club:

I like it, but I'm not ready to ram and jam just yet. It's checked to me, and I bet. I immediately wonder if check-raising would do a better job of limiting the field, which is my main goal right now.

Folded to the 3-better (yeah), who raises (hmmm). Folded back to me (yes). I'm happy about getting this pot heads up, but realize I could easily be the one drawing. I call. I immediately think that 3-betting would have been better, since I don't want to check-raise the turn without improving. I'm not sure.

Turn:

4 :club:


I can't risk the free card and bet again, even though I think there is a decent chance I'm behind and will be raised. LP raises again (doh). He's now raised every chance he's gotten. I call. I immediately wonder if 3-betting or check-raising would have been better, but decide probably not. I wish I had 3-bet the flop.

River: please, no king.

9 :diamond:

Looks good. I check intending to call.


So... did I misplay every street? Nail 'em all? Or is this one of those where there are many ways to play it, all reasonable and sound?

Thanks in advance.

-Eric

[elindauer]

My opponent checked behind and showed TT.

[Edge34]

A /images/graemlins/diamond.gifJ /images/graemlins/diamond.gifis one of those hands with lots of potential for success AND failure. I think you played that almost as well as you could to such an aggressive raiser. TPTK is never a sure thing, but i certainly don't see how you could fold this hand without a scare card (overcard or third suited card) hitting the board. The only other way i can see this playing out is potentially letting the bettor keep firing away and maybe going into check-call mode, although even that play can be argued both ways. While a check-raise would have been a good play for the flop, maybe even trapping in an extra small bet or two, after he decided that he wasn't going anywhere, you made the right moves, betting out when you (fortunately) had the best of it.

[Paul Talbot]

Unlike a single raise from a late poster, I don't think that three bets here can be assumed to be weaker than normal. You really need to put him on AK or a big pair first here with AQ and TT lesser posibilities.

Given this range, I wouldn't 3-bet the flop unless I knew I could drop out confidently if he stayed agressive. You shouldn't be that scared of a free card on the turn since you have an A and will toast an AK with two pair should one fall. I think that you lose enough here when you run into a bigger hand than you win extra those times he's drawing, you charge him one bet and he misses.

It seems to me that you are really fighting an uphill battle here trying to overcome his positional advantage on the flop and turn and then you are still left with having to check to him on the river.

Regards,

Paul

[elindauer]

Hi Paul,

I agree with most of what you are saying. Hands like this really reinforce why position is good.

One flop raise felt like just a little early to go into check and call mode with TPTK, especially with a potential flush draw out. For example, if it goes check-check-bet-fold, or check-bet-call-check-check, I'll feel rather abused. I was thinking that with this decent-sized pot, I want to stay aggressive as long as possible and maximize my chance of winning, even if it was a bit more expensive to do so. How many time do I have to save myself the pot by folding out KQ, AQ, AK, TT on the turn to justify betting?

You make a good argument though. It definitely seems that a legit three-better with position may have the edge when if I flop TPTK but fail to improve (with the dead money in the pot obviously still making my hand +EV), and my goal should be perhaps to lose as little as possible once it gets heads up. I'll have to think about it some more.

[Schneids]

I have yet to look at the results, so I'll offer a few thoughts of my own:

Given your position in relation to the 3-better, I'd be willing to check the flop in hopes of a check raise. By betting out, I'd just be too worried about getting callers between you and the PF-Raiser, seeing him raise, and then you, along with multiple others, tagging along for the turn because you all are committed to the pot. Unless the table flow has been wild and aggressive in such a way where you think if you don't bet it, someone with a significantly lesser hand to you will bet it before the raiser (and then you having to face the sticky proposition of deciding whether it's worth it or not to call two cold), I think check/raising is the stronger play to try to eliminate the field and get this pot heads up, which should be your ultimate goal.

Otherwise, I personally would have went into check/call mode on the turn and river if you have the decision made in your mind you're going to the showdown. For better or worse, I find most players do not 3-bet PF into a large field (and then raise flop betters) without a large PP, so there's a decent chance you're losing here. Since you're heads up and a bet by you isn't going to get him to fold, you're better off hoping to see a showdown as cheap as possible. If you happened to give a free chance to a hand like AK, AQ, or KQ to catch up to you, then congratulations to the raiser for successfully overplaying his hands against a large field.