How dumb was this?

[poker-penguin]

$10-20 Loose relativly passive online game. I hold 89s in the SB, and it's a total family pot when it comes to me. The guy who is probably the best player in the game (it's him or me and I'm not doing well this month) just raised from the button.

I toss in $15 - everyone else will call (nobody in this game EVER abandons a bet pre-flop) so there's some huge payoffs if I hit (calling stations abound). Especially when UTG raises it.

Flop is 952 and I bet out. I mean, I've got top pair, and it's weak, but the pot is huuuuge. This way I'll find out what's going on. But mostly I'm seduced by the big pot.

Two fold, so it's seven handed for a turn of 6. I check, and it's checked round. This surprises me and I guess they figure me for a missed check-raise.

So the river comes 2 and I bet out again. My hope is that I'll get respect for trips or a boat. Two callers don't give me that respect but they don't have what it takes to beat me.


My feeling - calling preflop was kind of loose, but it was a family pot so there were good odds, even if the backraise surprised me.

Betting out was aggressive, maybe even maniacal. But, I would have folded to a raise, so betting told me a lot more than a check would have (had to be a check fold). I was risking $10 to see if I could possibly win $200.

Checking the turn was almost an admission of defeat. I figured an over-pair somewhere out there and would have folded.

Betting the river was a logical extension of the turn being checked through and because it paired the flop that helped me, I might have driven the good player off an overpair.

Thoughts?

[Clarkmeister]

I'd also call preflop with the entire table taking the flop.

On the flop, you should be thinking checkraise to protect your hand. The only thing worse than betting into a huge field with this hand is your thinking that "I would have folded to a raise,". That's terrible in a pot this big.

So we get to the turn. Your thought process was clearly that an overpair would have raised the flop. So why on earth were you worried about them not betting the flop? You are going to check-fold the turn??? That is brutally bad in a pot this big. You are vulnerable to like 8 million overcards, you simply have to bet here.

Now on the river you bet, hoping that an overpair might fold ? What planet are you playing on? The planet where an overpair on a 952 doesn't raise the flop, doesn't raise the turn, and folds when the best card in the world comes on the river? Christ, it should be clear by now that no one has a freaking overpair !!!

If your whole goal is to fold postflop because of worries about the boogeyman, then don't call preflop. If you are constently folding in pots this big because "you are beat" despite a monstrous pot giving you ample odds to continue, then you are giving up a lot. And if you think people fold overpairs on a 95622 board, then....well, I don't know what to say here.

Sorry if this sounded harsh, but both your play and thought processes on this hand need some reevaluation.

[HDPM]

I don't see the call as bad if you figure the pot won't get limp 3 bet behind you. The odds are tremendous. What- 200 in the pot for a 15 call? Huge odds.

I don't like the bet the flop fold to a raise thought. Why not a possible check raise if the game is passive enough to check to the button? The button raise from a good player means he could have all kinds of hands that you beat, so maybe he doesn't bet. And somebody ought to bet into him. But maybe they won't.

Let's say you bet the flop and get raised. There will be at least 230 in the pot at that point, so how bad can it be to call 10? If your only out is a 9 the odds are there or about there. Now if someone has a set you are drawing near dead.

Vince warned me about being too scared with top pair. I think you were. Although I agree that a pair of nines in 10 way action isn't so hot.

I think the flop bet was a problem. That may be a spot for a check raise or a check-call. Then do something on the turn maybe. When the pot gets big a flop bet like this may be the worst course of action. Particularly if you will fold to a raise. Why not check-call if you are going to fold for 10 more? You might pick up something good on the turn. As you did when the 6 came. I think the flop strategy overall was questionable I guess.

[SoBeDude]

Hi Clarky,

I agree completely, but...

There are some excellent caffeine-free products on the market these days.

-Scott

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Clarky,

I agree completely, but...

There are some excellent caffeine-free products on the market these days.

-Scott

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it was the first thing I read this morning. Hey, I apologized within the post. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Indian Ocean]

check raise the flop.. people have hardtime calling two cold

and BET THE TURN!!!!!!!!!

[poker-penguin]

Yeah, I pretty much came to the conclusion that I played this hand about as badly as I could have. I guess the god that looks after idiots was on duty that day.

Thanks for your opinions guys.

[RydenStoompala]

The Clarkmeister nailed this one. Not well-played. Maybe you have boogeyman fever and that's why you have been having a bad month? Maybe there were people at the table sniffing glue between hands and they actually did have an overpair?

[snakehead]

the guy on the button is the best player in the game.

[poker-penguin]

[ QUOTE ]
the guy on the button is the best player in the game.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks - my game selection was probably the best part of my play here.