Taking a shot in a big game -- $75-$150

[Buckshot]

I want to post two hands but I think I'll just start with this one.

It's 5 handed and my friend is the SB. There's an early limper and SB completes. I knuckle KTo.

Flop is K/images/graemlins/club.gif 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif

I bet, early guy folds, SB raises. I think for a second about a reraise but I figure that he's going to bet the turn here no matter what. I can raise the turn and he'll fold his 9x or worse King. I call.

Turn is the 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif.

SB bets and I insta raise. I don't think he hesitated too long before he called. So now I say to myself, "Self, if a Ten doesn't hit the end then check behind."

Is your thoughts/action on the river if a Ten doesn't fall the same and is the turn different for you?

~stephen

[astroglide]

I can raise the turn and he'll fold his 9x or worse King.

why do you want him to fold a worse hand?

[Diplomat]

There are a lot of things that can be going on here. Since the game is shortish, I'll presume he would raise pre-flop with a king that has a better kicker than yours. Some info about the player would really help, as it always does in shortish games.

If he's playing like most shorthanded players, he could be checkraising with a nine just as easily as a king, or with less. I like waiting here, because it keeps him coming if he has a weaker hand and wins you an extra bet. And unless he's very aggressive, you probably will not be hit back by a weaker hand. However he could easily put you on a pair and a turned flushdraw, or something funky like 78, or another similar draw. If this is the case, you might be re-raised. Again knowing your opponent really helps here, and it's a difficult decision between folding and calling. If the turn did not bring a flushdraw, folding would be a bit easier.

I'd bet most of the time on the river here, unless a very scary river card comes. I'd much rather bet and call a raise than check behind, simply because I figure to have the best hand quite often, even when checkraised. Maybe it's because I'm a young punk who looks like he's playing way out of his league -- people take shots at me with great frequency. I don't mind. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

-Diplomat

[Nate tha' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
I can raise the turn and he'll fold his 9x or worse King.

why do you want him to fold a worse hand?

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly what I was going to say. I might wait for the river to raise. Pot isn't that large; you're happy to let him draw to a 5-outer or a 3-outer.

[Buckshot]

Um, yeah, why would I? DUH!

I truly meant to say better King, like KJ or possibly KQ, but those hands didn't come to mind when I raised the turn simply because I thought he would raise those hands PF.

~stephen

[Buckshot]

I would consider my friend to be a solid player. He has mentored me ever since my beginning days of playing. So, yes, I figure he would check raise a 9 here and lead the turn.

~stephen

[astroglide]

i'm not sure i buy it dude :/

you said '9x or worse king'. why would you want him to fold a worse hand (9) but not a worse king? doesn't make sense. anyway, i doubt somebody would lay down a better king here shorthanded.

[Nightwish]

Yeah, I think you played it fine. If a K or T comes on the river, then you bet. If you get check-raised, then call if it was a K on the river and consider re-raising if it was a T. If no K or T comes, check behind.

[Buckshot]

I'm NOT going to say worse 9 because I didn't have a 9. See? So saying worse King was a brain fart, but I digress.

Are you going to take a stab at what you'd do or are we going to argue semantics all day? I value your opinion, so please, post something. I'm here to learn.

~stephen

[Your Mom]

He ain't folding a better hand, I can almost guarantee that.

[astroglide]

i'm not talking semantics, i'm talking logic. it would be illogical for you to want him to fold a 9 and then claim you would not want him to fold a worse king. the difference between (max) 3 and 5 outs is negligable given the pot size.

if you wanted him to fold a 9 as you said, it would also stand to reason that you would want him to fold a worse king as you said and then refuted. ergo i don't think it was a typo.

as for how i would play the hand, i would have checked the flop, called the turn, and probably raised (but possibly called) the river depending on what i felt. this is difficult flop for somebody to call when they miss (especially with small blind-quality cards), and i'm not afraid of aces coming.