Does anyone play this differently?

[Rico Suave]

This is a typical 1/2 party table where most are a little loose, and generally a bit too passive. The BB recently came into the game and so I have no read on him.

Party Poker 1/2 (10 handed)
Hero has K /images/graemlins/club.gif, K /images/graemlins/heart.gif and is CO

UTG limps, EP2 limps, MP2 limps, Hero raises, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls, UTG calls, EP2 calls, MP2 calls

Flop(10 SB): 5 /images/graemlins/heart.gif, T /images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

BB checks, UTG checks, EP2 bets, MP2 calls, Hero raises, BB calls, UTG 3-bets, EP2 calls, MP2 folds, Hero caps, BB calls, UTG calls, EP2 calls

Turn(14 BB): 3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

BB checks, UTG bets, EP2 calls, Hero folds.

Does any one play this diffently? I think I have been a little late in letting go of my big pocket pairs, and so I am trying to plug that leak. Although, I do not want to play them too weakly.

In this hand, I was pretty confident that I was behind when the BB check 3-bet me, but I thought my best play was to go ahead and cap the turn, and then lay it down if he bet into me (and no K turned).

Comments or Criticisms?

--Rico

[Barry]

Well 1 way to get a read on him is to call him down. If he had something like a set and is a typical player, I think that he would go for a checkraise on the turn.

You're getting 16:1 on your immediate call and you almost have enough implied odds to call to a 2 outer if he has a set of 5's. On top of that, he may just be pumping a draw with 3 opponents, AT or a smaller overpair and you are ahead. I'd think that I'd call 1 bet only on the turn and river here. If the river is checked, I'd bet it.

[Lost Wages]

You're getting 16:1 on your immediate call...

This is somewhat misleading because once you decide to call the turn you must call the river. So you are really getting 17:2. In order for the call to be correct there has to be a reasonable chance you are ahead.

Lost Wages

[Rico Suave]

Hey Barry:

Quote: Well 1 way to get a read on him is to call him down.

I would have been more inclined to call him down if it were heads up, but with people hanging in after a flop cap, I really thought I had only 2 outs.

quote: If he had something like a set and is a typical player, I think that he would go for a checkraise on the turn.

Since I raised pf, and pushed it hard on this ragged flop, he has to put me on an overpair. If I were in his shoes, with the overpair showing this much aggression, I would have bet out on the turn so that I could 3-bet him.

Fortunately I did not have to call him down to see his hand. /images/graemlins/smile.gif UTG had TT for the flopped set and the BB had A4 for the turned straigt and took down the pot.

Thanks for the input

--Rico

[Nottom]

He has KK. Unless his opponent is Rocky McRockerson, I think there is a reasonable chance he is ahead.

[Barry]

I understand what you are saying.

I was only trying to point out that even if he was behind and needed to spike the K, the pot was almost big enough to do so. I then went on to give reasons why he might even have the best hand enough times to justify a river call. He only needs to be ahead 12% of the time here.

[colgin]

I don't understand capping the flop if you are planning to fold to a turn bet if your hand does not improve. In that case, you are better off calling here. You are not going to knock out anyone and this can't be considered a value bet. I doubt it will get you a free card either if you are behind, as you think. Plus, if your King did fall on the Turn, you don't want it being checked to you anyway. As Nottom said, I think there is a reasonable chance you were ahead although I thought it more likely that UTG had the flopped set of Tens rather than AT (the other reasonable possibility). I probably would have called the first turn bet, then folded when BB raised and UTG re-raised behind me (I am guessing that is how it went).

All the best.

[Rico Suave]

Hey Colgin:

Quote: I don't understand capping the flop if you are planning to fold to a turn bet if your hand does not improve.

I may be completely wrong here but the reason I did cap was that I wanted him to be clear as to what I have. My raise of the original flop bet really does not tell anyone much--it could mean an overpair, or just overcards to this ragged flop. He could reasonably 3-bet me with A 10. I wanted there to be no doubt that I have a big pocket pair. Once I let him know what I had and he still did not care, I gotta figure I am behind (at least behind any somewhat reasonable player).

--Rico

[ropey]

[ QUOTE ]
the reason I did cap was that I wanted him to be clear as to what I have. My raise of the original flop bet really does not tell anyone much--it could mean an overpair, or just overcards to this ragged flop. He could reasonably 3-bet me with A 10. I wanted there to be no doubt that I have a big pocket pair. Once I let him know what I had and he still did not care, I gotta figure I am behind (at least behind any somewhat reasonable player).



[/ QUOTE ]
I would do just as you did and cap the flop...his turn bet into your flop cap tells you all the information you need to know, whereas a call on the flop does not.

I must say though, I would be very tempted to call it down.

-ropey