Help with Marginal Situations

Hello everyone,


I played a hand last week that I've been thinking about since. It is a curious hand to me for a few reasons. Usually I'm not getting involved in situations like this and am wondering if I'm giving up too much. The closer attention I pay to my opponents the more likely I am to get involved in situations like this, but I still feel like I don't have that great of control over anyone I play with yet. If I were to get involved I'm not sure what my river play is. And lastly I'm wondering if this is the type of thought to re-evaluating your hand and situation I will have to do in bigger limit games.

I'll run through the hand:

3-6 typical game

MP calling station open limps, one caller after, I call on the button with 55, SB completes, BB raps.


Flop 24K rainbow checked to me, I check trying to spike my set again,


turn 7[24K]still rainbow

check, check, MP bets, fold, I fold, SB calls BBfolds


river is 97[24K]


MP has A4s for a pair of 4s

SB takes it down with 9Ts for a pair of 9s!!


Now before I folded I actually gave a quick thought to raising, and also wondered if I should have bet the flop (being able to beat middle pairs). Raising would hopefully knock out the blinds and get it heads up. I thought with the passive checking on the flop MP wasn't betting a K, so either middle pair or that turn 7. On the river it would likely have been checked to me, here do I bet it for value or take the free showdown? He's not layin his hand down if I bet.


So I guess my questions are:

Am I giving up anything by not playing in these situations at these limits. What are comments on my hand if I were to have played, and what is the river play. Or is this just a hand I'm thinking way too much about.


Thanks,


Allan

a raise woulda been a strong move on the turn. i think if ya do that, and he doesnt reraise, ya may as well bet the river too.


here's couple ideas...

1st is to raise preflop. button raise. coulda bet the flop and theyd be hard pressed to call since you could easily be representing a K. the A4 may call, but should fold on the turn.


2nd..use yer position on the flop. all checked to you, bet it. its a cheap street. if someone calls, bet the turn. they call there? then ya gotta decide whether to bet the river, or check call. if they raise ya on the flop, maybe see the turn or fold. if you see the turn, and dont improve, if there's a bet, fold.


just some ideas...


b

Yes, you are giving up something by not playing these hands, and you should have bet the flop since it appears that there is a good chance you have the best hand but don't want to give a free card since any card over a five (except a king)could beat you.

You're giving up heaps. Checking the flop is suicidal. People don't generally check top pair on the flop so your hand figures to be the best a huge percentage of the time. If you are checkraised you can fold, otherwise keep firing no matter what the turn brings (except maybe an ace)


Chris

Darn, so I guess that would make me weak tight in these situations huh.....back to the drawing board, thanks for the help,


Allan

I think this is a situation where you really have to know your opponents. Would they check the flop with K-x? Some players will check in that situation for deception, especially since the flop did not offer any straight or flush danger. Personally, if I'm holding a strong King, I'm definitely checking that flop. On the other hand, some players will always bet the flop to protect their top pair.