Who played this hand better?

Once again we're at the World famous Mirage 6-12 game. Today's hand gives us a unique opportunity to analyze the play of a hand.


One player limps in early/middle position. Everyone else folds to me in the small blind. I call with 7d7h. The big blind raises. Limper calls and I call.


The flop is: Kd,Js,4h


I check. Big blind bets. Limper calls. I fold.


The turn is: Kd,Js,4h


Big blind checks. Limper bets. Big blind mucks his cards face-up. He's got 7c7s.


Both blinds had 77 and played them much differently. Who played this hand better, the SB (me) or the BB?

Oops. I didn't put the turn card in the post.


The turn is: Kd,Js,4h,2h


However, the turn card isn't relevent.

id say you did if ya folded the flop. ya saved more money, and didnt chase. nice play...


b

Dynasty,


I like the BBs raise, because even though he ended up putting in three bets and you only put in two in a losing cause, I think that he had a lot better chance or winning the hand, So I think that his play got more equity out of the pot.


I like just completing in the small blind as you did, because its cheap, and gives you the biggest implied odds. I think that I would probably just check in the BB and take the maximum implied odds.


The play that might be interesting is to raise out of the SB sometimes with a medium small pair. Typically a raise out of the small blind means its either a bad player, or that they have something big and scary. If in the mind of the limper and the BB you are established as a good player, that really puts a lot of pressure on both of them unless they get a major portion of the flop. We of course have no idea what the BB has, and where the open limper is at, who knows. I don't open limp very often, so I have a hard time imagining what he has. It seems its frequently some kind of semi weak holding like JTs. You would certainly have control of the hand if everyone missed the flop, by raising out of the small blind. I think that that might be a play that you could consider with exactly 1 limper depending on how the BB defends..


So, I like that the BB tried to get a larger share of the equity in the pot. I like that you tried to get maximum implied odds out of the hand. I think a slight edge goes to the BB's play, because he harmed the implied odds that you were playing for.


Was the BB clarkmeister? He showed his hand when he didn't need to, and you've told him not to do that in a couple of posts. The raise to gain control of the hand also seems like his kind of play.


Good luck,

Bob T.

I think that raising in the SB is absolutely mandatory. Try and get the BB to fold and get heads up with both momentum and dead $ in the pot.

i agree


i think a raise is better from the sb than the bb

I think it depends on the limper. If you have a good read on him and he is a good player who can lay down, I absolutely raise and take the lead. The flop was bad for 77 but there are a ton of flops where you will pick up the pot.


When I don't want to raise here is if I am against a calling station who will neither fold nor raise me (allowing me to get away cheaply).

Another improtant aspect is that there was only one limper. Therefore, it is possible to kill the game after the flop with one bet.


I'm not sure I'm worried about "implied odds", since I probably have the best hand and am not wanting to treat this hand as a draw.


I say raise from the SB and bet the flop and turn. Check the river and if bet into - fold.


Against many callers, I would limp and treat the hand as a draw and hope to hit my set. I would fold after the flop.

Against a single limper, I'll raise with any pair in the small blind if the big blind is capable of folding. I would also fire out on the flop.


However, given that you just called and the big blind raised, I probably would've checked the flop and folded when the limper called. If the limper would have folded I might check-raise depending on what I thought of the big blind's play. Also, if the flop had been Kd-7h-4s instead, I would've bet out.


Then again, what do I know.


Rube

The BB wasn't chasing. He was betting what could have been the best hand on the flop. When he got called, he decided his 7's werent the best hand.

i didnt say the BB was chasing. to call a bet with this board when ya cant even beat the mid pair possible would be chasing. the BB played fine.


b