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5-handed game, I raise UTG with KdQh, next player (NP) re-raises, all fold to me, I call. NP is the best player in the game for sure, aggressive, and position plays a large role in his decisions. I think he would make this move with a pocket pair as low as 88, and with high cards as low as KQs or AJs, maybe AQo.


Flop comes Ad 6d 2d. I check, NP bets, I call. I figure there is definitely a chance he missed the Ace, but is probably still ahead of me. Raise him here? Since I have the Kd, he will not have a flush as he wouldn't have 3-betted with QdJd or lower. However, it is unlikely he will fold an AK, AQ, AJ. If a blank hits on the turn, and I check, he would be very likely to bet, even after a flop raise. If he calls the flop raise, he is probably calling all the way if I bet, but he probably would have dropped JJ-88 here. I could have put him on a hand with a flop raise, at least.


Turn is 10d, I check, he bets, I call. I was worried he would check behind, but like I said he is aggressive, I thought there was a good chance he would bet. If he checks behind, I lead the river, he probably calls for 1 BB. If I lead the turn, he may fold and I am guaranteed nothing.


River is a blank, I lead the betting and he calls with AcKc, I take it down.


Once he bet on the turn, I figured calling and leading the river is the best play, but before that I might have played it differently.


All comments welcome,


Fallon

Check-raising the flop is an option but I probably would have bet the flop to see what his reaction was. Considering that he 3-bet pre-flop, he's almost certain to bet the flop if you check to him so I don't think you get any information that way. But, if you bet into him, maybe you can learn something.


After you decide to check-call the flop and check the nut flush on the turn, why aren't you raising the turn after he bets? Are you concerned that he'll fold but will pay off one bet on the river if you just call? That's not something I usually worry about. Of course, I want to extract as much as possible out of my opponents but if I've got the nut hand, I'm definitely betting/raising with it rather than hoping he'll just call one bet on the river. As usual, your read of your opponent is the key ingredient here.


You definitely bet the river.

I think I prefer the call on the turn because especially good players are capable of throwing a hand away a lot sooner when faced with having to call two more bets. When he gets raised on the turn the good player will say to himself "this will cost me two big bets to see the end", he is much more likely to fold in this situation, then in the situation where he says to himself "Well it's the river and I only have to call one more bet".

A bet on the turn might be taken as just betting the scare card, in which case he may have played back to see if you meant it. Again, depends on what he thinks of you. In that case you probably still end up getting just 2 big bets out of him since a) if you 3 bet he'd likely fold, b) if you call he probably check-folds on the river. Not a horrible play at all /images/smile.gif

You have whom you consider the best player at the table playing after you. I would tighten my requirements accordingly until I could change seats or he left. He's too dangerous to have on your left. You need to know what he's going to do most of the time.


As I see it, your only hope was pulling out a flush or making a straight, and you were heads up, and not getting proper odds. Trying to think what he would have went at you with, being aggressive and definately having the table's respect, he could have come at you with 33, and barring a diamond on the river taken down the pot.


I think you suffered from dominated hand syndrome and got lucky on the river. There are a number of players who limp in utg with similar hands, and sometimes it's okay, but not with a tough aggressive player on your left. I sure wouldn't jump in again with a weak hand a second time with him at the table right after you. jmo.

In case this has not been obvious from nearly all my posts:


I HATE CHECK-CALLING! In my opinion, money is made in LLHE by betting and raising and betting and raising some more. People in LLHE call way way way too much. You make money when you take advantage of this by betting and raising and let them do the calling and calling some more. Things are certainly slightly different if you are up against the best player in your game but not that much, IMO. All this trouble people go through trying to get the maximum off people is much too risky and actually hardly nets the maximum.


I would bet the flop as a semi-bluff. If this is the best player, they might lay down a hand like 99-QQ without a diamond. In that case you benefit from not having to make your hand. Of couse, in this case, you would be raised and then you would call.


When you hit your flush, you can checkraise if you think he will bet. If not, bet out. Many players will not give you credit here because you bet the flop. They will often think that you are betting the scare card. If this guy is still with you he has a good made hand and will probably bet if checked to, and I think even call a checkraise. If he does, you now have 3BB from him going into the river. If he folds to a checkraise, you have 2BB. If he folds to a bet, you only got 1BB. I think betting here is best (because of the chance he will check it through), with checkraising 2nd best. The way you played it, he still called your river bet (which SCREAMED flush after a check-call/bet after the flush hit) so I think he is going to the showdown with you. If I am right, you are looking at getting 3 or 4BB v. the 2.5BB you got your way. Worth the risk that he drops after your turn bet and you only win 1BB, IMO. LLHE players are callers, not folders. Even the best players in the game. I mean, this guy called with top pair only with a four suited board. Use that calling nature against him.


KJS

We don't know why the table was shorthanded, perhaps cutoff was the best in the house at that time? The other three players either didn't have a hand or knew better than to come in with less than close to top hands - and they apparently had better position on a good aggressive player, at least for this hand.


You are right about betting and raising, but this imo, is not the time for it. I would place a big bet that the cutoff was well aware of Macon's calling standards and took advantage of it, just like you would, or I would.


Cutoff flopped top pair, with excellent kicker - what did he have to fear? Macon flopped squat for a heads up hand, he needed lots of players to go with him for continued betting and calling a raise to be correct. The hand was dead at that point. Even if cutoff lost the hand, he made money on it, and probably did the same thing again, when he had the chance. I doubt he was concerned about getting sucked out on this hand, in the long run he makes money on this play.


If this hand were played over many times with different boards, you must agree it's a loser heads up against AA? What good player, let alone an aggressive player is going to drop AA with a K kicker, against a possible flush board playing heads up after the flop?


jmo, of course.

My point is the guy is not going to drop so bet on the flop, bet on the turn, bet on the river. 2.5BB minimum (same as he got his way) and maybe more if he raises you on any of those streets, which he surely will if he is aggressive.


KJS