too chicken?, too aggressive?, two hands!

[ProfLupin]

Ok, first a little history. I've been playing for almost 5 months...started .10/.20 moving up to 2/4 at PacificPoker and turned $90 into a little over a grand playing weak/tight patient poker and scoring occasional huge pots off the "Ace anything! woohoo!" fish. Needless to say I don't mind bad beats because they are a way of life over there. But I've been recently reading these forums, some books, and playing other sites and I know I'm in need of a game overhaul to keep up my winning ways at some higher limits. This is my first hand post, and I give you all permission to hold no punches!

2/4 TruePoker pretty normal game with a few weak players (poor starting standards) and two strong players, one immeadiately to my right. These hands came within 5 minutes.

Hand 1: Prof is in BB dealt 2 /images/graemlins/club.gif,2 /images/graemlins/spade.gif
SB is the strong player to my right.

two EP calls
CO calls
SB completes
ProfLupin checks
5 to the flop: [A /images/graemlins/club.gif,2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif,6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif]
SB bets

Ok, I had been reading him pretty well prior to this hand and the first thing I thought was "semi bluffing the flush draw." I'd seen him raise from the blinds w/ AK and AQ.

ProfLupin calls (hoping for a raise from one of the other three in which case I reraise) first mistake?
fold, fold, fold. arrrgh. Just the two of us for the turn.
[K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif] [Ac,2d,6d]
SB bets
ProfLupin chickens out and goes into call mode
call
river: rag
SB bets
Prof Lupin calls

was calling the flop ok w/ 3 behind me to act? I was hoping to get someone w/ an Ace to raise so I could make it three. I know the turn call was totally horrible. If I raised and faced a re-raise am I then in check/call mode to the end?

Results (in white): <font color="white"> </font>
SB shows A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6 /images/graemlins/spade.gif for two pair I pull $29 pot.

<font color="black"> </font> Hand 2 in seperate post...

[WillMagic]

Raise the flop. I think it's more likely that SB has an ace - you say he's a strong player, so I don't think he'd lead out into the field with a draw. If he had the flush draw he'd check and call, as he wants to keep people in. He has an ace. However, there can be a flush draw in later positions, and you want to make it pay as much as possible. So raise the flop.

On the turn - your failure to raise on the flop leaves you with only a guess as to what your opponent had. You can go with your initial read, in which case you call. But that's a bad read, and I think you've got to raise him here.

Well, I just read that he had A6. You missed a ton of bets here - 2 or 3 BB's. That's an hour and a half's work.

So I guess the moral of this story is....
don't slowplay bottom set.
especially with a flush draw on board.

Will

[LetsRock]

[ QUOTE ]
I give you all permission to hold no punches!


[/ QUOTE ]

Permission? We don't need no stinking permission! /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[ QUOTE ]
ProfLupin calls (hoping for a raise from one of the other three in which case I reraise) first mistake?


[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely a mistake. This is not a hand to toy with. I have no problem with you flush draw read on SB, but don't count on someone else to get your information for you.

The good news here is that you probably didn't lose any bets here. SB probably calls you down at this point. But you're asking for trouble getting tricky with little flopped sets.

Welcome to the forum.

[WDC]

Do not expect anyone else to be agressive at a True Table. They are usually very passive with only a couple of folks who raise preflop anything other A's K's or AK. If the small blind bets the whole table usually goes into calling station mode unless someone flopped at least two pair.

Of course, there are exceptions but for most part the tables are extremely passive. They are however very loose post flop. I can't count the times that my top pair top kicker has been called down all the way by third or fourt pair, when no A or K shows. Of course, these folks do this just on the off chance that you raised AK.

If you are playing AK and you haven't flopped one by the turn, check the turn, you are behind.

You will also find that you are betting someone else's hand a lot. Don't let this frustrate you. If you play tight and agressive when you hit you will make money. Good Luck. I will watchout for ya.