$10/20 guppy- more hands

[Easy E]

<font color="blue"> This continues my series of posts on my foray into the $10/20 jungle. See my previous two posts for our story line up to now. To recap- over a hour's worth of hands, I've played 4 hands and only had to show 2 hands- KK and AK </font>

I get another AJ hand and decide I can play this one! Early position raiser, who has done a fair amount of open-raising, is called by one player and I call with my AhJh in the SB, as does the BB. The flop is T62 with two clubs and I check-fold when the late caller raises the original raiser's flop bet.
The OR bets the rag on the turn, which MP call. The river shows a low club and both check? They turn over all the Queens, with the OR holding the Qc I had a question about the play of the OR. I would have followed through and bet the river here- would that be a foolish bet? Is this a check under the "they only call if they beat you" rule?
If you were holding QQoff, the river brings a flush and the OR who bet the paired turn bets the river, do you call? What if the OR is an aggressive player- could you call expecting that TPTK or JJ could be in his hand?

The very next hand, I fold K9s on the button when an open-raiser two to my right makes me cautious. He had J9off ouch! but the flop brought a Jack and only one of my suit, so I probably would have mucked on the flop. Is King-middle suited too strong a hand on the button to fold to a possible steal-raise?

Later in that round I folded J9s in early position ( mistake?) . The very next hand, UTG folds and I have 88 mixed. I limp ( is this a "raise or fold" hand here in early position, especially given my play?) Possibly as a result of my image? only the blinds call. Flop is a sweet 748 rainbow. The BB bets out, I smooth-call here against the blinds, bringing the SB in.
Turn is the Js, putting the 2-flush out there. BB bets, I raise, SB check-raises! BB folds (a steal?) and I decide to re-raise in case the SB is being frisky with a flush draw or top pair. Is it a common practice to make a free card play on the turn? ( It almost never happens in low-limit games that I play, even when it's on the flop). Actually, if you only have the draw, can this be truly called a free-card play? I should have thought of that. The SB comes back over me and I call.
River is a red 5, I make a crying call due to the 15:1 pot odds and the SB turns over T9off. I think I cost myself the pot by not raising the flop- would you expect the T9off to call 2 cold with an outside draw on a rainbow flop? I show the 88 in order to reinforce my tight image, but I wonder if I cost myself by showing I can be very aggressive with less than the nuts?

My very next hand I get KdTd. I was tempted to call or raise here, but I was still thinking about the trip 8s and I fold the hand. Am I letting my results affect my play, or was this a good fold?
Two hands later, an EP raiser folds everyone to my SB and my K7s. The EP raiser has been aggressive but I haven't qualified his play yet. I folded instead of defending my blind- mistake?

The last hand for this post- another UTG raise, everyone folds to me and I call on the button with AcQc. Should I have raised to knock out the blinds, or do I want them in with presumably weak hands as protection against frisky play by the OR? Blinds fold anyway, so much for my foolish? plan. Flop is 626 two clubs. UTG bets out, I call. The beautiful 5c on the turn and UTG bets out again? I raise and he folds- ? Is this kind of aggression something I should get used to seeing? I did play passively, but if you've been betting into a cold-caller who might be making a move on the flush board, do you have to at least call to see the river with any hand that you raised UTG with preflop?

I'll break it off here, put more hands in the next post.

[Manzanita]

Easy E,

Here's some more of my take on your hands in this post.

[ QUOTE ]
I had a question about the play of the OR. I would have followed through and bet the river here- would that be a foolish bet? Is this a check under the "they only call if they beat you" rule?

[/ QUOTE ]

The open-raiser in this hand put the late-position player on the club draw (due to his flop raise with position) which is why he checked the river when the flush got there.

[ QUOTE ]
If you were holding QQoff, the river brings a flush and the OR who bet the paired turn bets the river, do you call? What if the OR is an aggressive player- could you call expecting that TPTK or JJ could be in his hand?

[/ QUOTE ]

Holding an overpair (i.e., QQ with a Ten-high board) in a heads-up pot, I would call when the flush draw gets there on the end if the open-raiser is an aggressive player. I wouldn't like it but I would call.

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Is King-middle suited too strong a hand on the button to fold to a possible steal-raise?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would fold in this situation because K9s is a pretty weak hand. Remember that this player (the guy with the J9o) doesn't need much of a hand to open-raise from MP. If the situation comes up again -- but this time you have a real hand -- then 3-bet and try to get the hand heads-up.

[ QUOTE ]
Later in that round I folded J9s in early position ( mistake?)

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Don't play J9s in early position. If a player behind you raises you are almost surely way behind. This is a bad way to start a hand. Wait for a decent hand (you may want to review HPFAP for guidance on this).

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The very next hand, UTG folds and I have 88 mixed. I limp ( is this a "raise or fold" hand here in early position, especially given my play?)

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How to play 88 in early position is a function of the type of game that you are in (loose/tight and passive/aggressive) among other considerations. But in general it is OK to limp with it.

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Turn is the Js, putting the 2-flush out there. BB bets, I raise, SB check-raises! BB folds (a steal?) and I decide to re-raise in case the SB is being frisky with a flush draw or top pair. Is it a common practice to make a free card play on the turn? ( It almost never happens in low-limit games that I play, even when it's on the flop).

[/ QUOTE ]

To be a free-card play, the raiser needs to have position on the field; since the raiser acts before you then this is not a free card play (since you can bet out, thus denying him his free card). In this case I think that the SB believes he has the best hand, which is why he is raising.

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I think I cost myself the pot by not raising the flop- would you expect the T9off to call 2 cold with an outside draw on a rainbow flop?

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Actually, this is called an "open-ended" draw since the SB has can catch either a Jack or a 6 to complete his draw. If it will make you feel better the SB would have called on the flop regardless of whether you raised or not on the flop since he is getting the proper odds to draw.

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My very next hand I get KdTd. I was tempted to call or raise here, but I was still thinking about the trip 8s and I fold the hand. Am I letting my results affect my play, or was this a good fold?

[/ QUOTE ]

Assuming that you are in middle position you generally don't want to play KTs unless there are a couple of limpers in front of you. This type of hand plays best with many players, especially when you can get in cheap.

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Two hands later, an EP raiser folds everyone to my SB and my K7s. The EP raiser has been aggressive but I haven't qualified his play yet. I folded instead of defending my blind- mistake?

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You made a good fold here. Assuming that EP was a decent player he will have a much better hand than a K7. Also notice that when you play from the SB you must act first, which is a significant disadvantage.

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another UTG raise, everyone folds to me and I call on the button with AcQc. Should I have raised to knock out the blinds, or do I want them in with presumably weak hands as protection against frisky play by the OR?

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How to play your AQs here is a close call. The main factor is your read on UTG. In general, if he is a tight, good player then you should usually fold because he will have a better hand. But if he is a loose, mediocre player then you should consider 3-betting in order to get the hand heads-up.

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Is this kind of aggression something I should get used to seeing? I did play passively, but if you've been betting into a cold-caller who might be making a move on the flush board, do you have to at least call to see the river with any hand that you raised UTG with preflop?

[/ QUOTE ]

My guess is that UTG read you for exactly the hand you had -- a flush. UTG made a good play here because he knew it was unlikely that you would raise with anything less. With respect to your other question: yes, you should expect to see more aggression as you move up in limits. It is also important that you begin to focus on the game, watching how your opponents play.

Finally, I would suggest that you restrict your posts to just a single hand, or two hands at the most. I think that you will get more feedback from others when you do so.

Good luck!

-- Manzanita

[DcifrThs]

one quick thing: "88 mixed" "QQoff" ... you do realize that it is 100% impossible to have a suited pair, right?

-Barron

[Easy E]

[ QUOTE ]
Easy E,

Here's some more of my take on your hands in this post.

[ QUOTE ]
I had a question about the play of the OR. I would have followed through and bet the river here- would that be a foolish bet? Is this a check under the "they only call if they beat you" rule?

[/ QUOTE ]

The open-raiser in this hand put the late-position player on the club draw (due to his flop raise with position) which is why he checked the river when the flush got there.

[ QUOTE ]
If you were holding QQoff, the river brings a flush and the OR who bet the paired turn bets the river, do you call? What if the OR is an aggressive player- could you call expecting that TPTK or JJ could be in his hand?

[/ QUOTE ]

Holding an overpair (i.e., QQ with a Ten-high board) in a heads-up pot, I would call when the flush draw gets there on the end if the open-raiser is an aggressive player. I wouldn't like it but I would call.

<font color="blue"> So, you can't bet the QcQ in front, because there is no gain in it usually... but you have to call a bet with the late QQ because it might be a play? I assume the early QcQ is forced to call if he checks and the late hand bets the flush threat?
I hadn't thought enough about the chance that a bet would drop a better hand that wasn't a flush or trips. Any chance of that happening here?
</font>

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Is King-middle suited too strong a hand on the button to fold to a possible steal-raise?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would fold in this situation because K9s is a pretty weak hand. Remember that this player (the guy with the J9o) doesn't need much of a hand to open-raise from MP. If the situation comes up again -- but this time you have a real hand -- then 3-bet and try to get the hand heads-up.
<font color="blue"> What if I hold a K-middle type hand again? Now that I know, and if I think that he doesn't know that I know, would I defend or 3-bet in a later situation? Or the hand is just too weak overall? </font>



[ QUOTE ]
The very next hand, UTG folds and I have 88 mixed. I limp ( is this a "raise or fold" hand here in early position, especially given my play?)

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How to play 88 in early position is a function of the type of game that you are in (loose/tight and passive/aggressive) among other considerations. But in general it is OK to limp with it.
<font color="blue"> So, I shouldn't raise to try to get the players pared down or build a big pot for a set? </font>


[ QUOTE ]
Turn is the Js, putting the 2-flush out there. BB bets, I raise, SB check-raises! BB folds (a steal?) and I decide to re-raise in case the SB is being frisky with a flush draw or top pair. Is it a common practice to make a free card play on the turn? ( It almost never happens in low-limit games that I play, even when it's on the flop).

[/ QUOTE ]

To be a free-card play, the raiser needs to have position on the field; since the raiser acts before you then this is not a free card play <font color="blue"> Another low-limit habit- often it is a free-card play because no one bets into the preflop raiser.
Is the "up-front" free card play impossible to get away with at $10/20? Or is there another word for this play when you are up front? Other than "stupid" that is /images/graemlins/wink.gif </font>



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I think I cost myself the pot by not raising the flop- would you expect the T9off to call 2 cold with an outside draw on a rainbow flop?

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Actually, this is called an "open-ended" draw since the SB has can catch either a Jack or a 6 to complete his draw.
<font color="blue"> sorry, i thought the terms were interchangeable. </font> If it will make you feel better the SB would have called on the flop regardless of whether you raised or not on the flop since he is getting the proper odds to draw.
<font color="blue"> good point </font>


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My very next hand I get KdTd. I was tempted to call or raise here, but I was still thinking about the trip 8s and I fold the hand. Am I letting my results affect my play, or was this a good fold?

[/ QUOTE ]

Assuming that you are in middle position you generally don't want to play KTs unless there are a couple of limpers in front of you. This type of hand plays best with many players, especially when you can get in cheap.
<font color="blue"> What about this scenario: I limp with other limpers. This encourages a big hand and another hand with a big draw to raise or reraise. If the field starts dropping out as a result, can I call with my KTs? </font>


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another UTG raise, everyone folds to me and I call on the button with AcQc. Should I have raised to knock out the blinds, or do I want them in with presumably weak hands as protection against frisky play by the OR?

[/ QUOTE ]

How to play your AQs here is a close call. The main factor is your read on UTG. In general, if he is a tight, good player then you should usually fold because he will have a better hand. But if he is a loose, mediocre player then you should consider 3-betting in order to get the hand heads-up.
<font color="blue"> Is my thought about keeping the blinds in as protection foolishly silly, or does it make some sense? </font>


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Is this kind of aggression something I should get used to seeing? I did play passively, but if you've been betting into a cold-caller who might be making a move on the flush board, do you have to at least call to see the river with any hand that you raised UTG with preflop?

[/ QUOTE ]

My guess is that UTG read you for exactly the hand you had -- a flush. UTG made a good play here because he knew it was unlikely that you would raise with anything less. With respect to your other question: yes, you should expect to see more aggression as you move up in limits.
<font color="blue"> I take it that this also means that I need to bluff more often at flush rivers. </font>


It is also important that you begin to focus on the game, watching how your opponents play.
<font color="blue"> I know. I was trying to make my first time as simple on myself as I could. Plus, I have a weakness in evaluating players during live play that I need to focus on; that focus is tougher to do at low-limits where it means so little and you don't need to in order to make money much of the time. No excuses though- I have to work on this. Since I knew it wouldn't be my focus for this run, I was tighter than normal to try to compensate. </font>


Finally, I would suggest that you restrict your posts to just a single hand, or two hands at the most. I think that you will get more feedback from others when you do so.
<font color="blue"> I generally agree; two counter-points:
1) See my AK single hand post? Count the replies. Now, this could be because it was a stupid post... and one instance doesn't disprove the rule...

2) I went into this first effort with the idea of presenting more of a story than a hand out of context of play. One thing that I always have issues with, in single hand posts, is that there are a lot of things (that affect the decisions to be critiqued in the single-hand post) that are left out, including the flow of the game and your image.
I thought it would mean more in the middle limits btw, is $10/20 the beginning of middle limits, or is it $15/30? to see the context of the hands within the game, so I tried to group them somewhat without overburdening each post.
Also, it gets tiresome to post a header on each subsequent post, cross-referencing the build-up. Of course, if larger posts are going to drive away "customer" replies, then I don't really gain anything.
</font>

Good luck!

-- Manzanita

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<font color="blue"> Thanks for taking the time to reply to all of this. </font>

[Easy E]

[ QUOTE ]
one quick thing: "88 mixed" "QQoff" ... you do realize that it is 100% impossible to have a suited pair, right?

-Barron

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL- Not when I play it isn't!!! of course, I can't ever call a bet on the end and risk showing my cards.... /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

yes, Barron. I was just indicating a mix of color with those designations. I get bored with saying things the same way over and over- I also couldn't remember the suits and didn't think 8x8y made sense enough to use.

Thanks for checking though... or were YOU planning to send the limo?! /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[DcifrThs]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
one quick thing: "88 mixed" "QQoff" ... you do realize that it is 100% impossible to have a suited pair, right?

-Barron

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL- Not when I play it isn't!!! of course, I can't ever call a bet on the end and risk showing my cards.... /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

yes, Barron. I was just indicating a mix of color with those designations. I get bored with saying things the same way over and over- I also couldn't remember the suits and didn't think 8x8y made sense enough to use.

Thanks for checking though... or were YOU planning to send the limo?! /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

glad you picked up on the sarcasm...and yes, the limo will be on its way!
-Barron

[Manzanita]

Easy E,

[ QUOTE ]

Holding an overpair (i.e., QQ with a Ten-high board) in a heads-up pot, I would call when the flush draw gets there on the end if the open-raiser is an aggressive player. I wouldn't like it but I would call.

So, you can't bet the QcQ in front, because there is no gain in it usually... but you have to call a bet with the late QQ because it might be a play? I assume the early QcQ is forced to call if he checks and the late hand bets the flush threat?
I hadn't thought enough about the chance that a bet would drop a better hand that wasn't a flush or trips. Any chance of that happening here?

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Generally speaking, in heads-up play you can't assume that your opponent is betting the best possible hand. If you make this assumption you will be folding the best hand too often. Note that in heads-up play the actual value of your hand sometimes is a secondary consideration; if you believe that a properly placed bet or raise will get your opponent to fold then this is the play you should make. In lower-limit games most of the players are "playing their cards"; as you move up in limits you will find that the better players are "playing their opponents". That is why it is so important to focus on the game and learn how your opponents play. Discover their weak points and exploit them.

[ QUOTE ]
Quote:
Is King-middle suited too strong a hand on the button to fold to a possible steal-raise?



I would fold in this situation because K9s is a pretty weak hand. Remember that this player (the guy with the J9o) doesn't need much of a hand to open-raise from MP. If the situation comes up again -- but this time you have a real hand -- then 3-bet and try to get the hand heads-up.

What if I hold a K-middle type hand again? Now that I know, and if I think that he doesn't know that I know, would I defend or 3-bet in a later situation? Or the hand is just too weak overall?

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A Kx suited hand is generally too weak of a hand to 3-bet with (the exception to this may be when you are on the button or in the blinds and can get the hand heads-up). Wait until you have a stronger hand (something like KQ or AJ, for example) and then put in that re-raise.

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How to play 88 in early position is a function of the type of game that you are in (loose/tight and passive/aggressive) among other considerations. But in general it is OK to limp with it.

So, I shouldn't raise to try to get the players pared down or build a big pot for a set?

[/ QUOTE ]

If there's a reasonable chance that a raise by you from early position could win you the pot (or get you heads-up) then a raise would be correct. But if your raise is going to attract multiple players then I would prefer to minimize my investment in the pot (since you will usually have to flop a set to win) and just call. Also, keep in mind that if you raise with 88 and a good player behind you 3-bets then you are usually in big trouble.

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Is the "up-front" free card play impossible to get away with at $10/20? Or is there another word for this play when you are up front?

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If you are out of position then you generally want to raise with your open-ended straight draw (or a flush draw) when there are at least 2 other players who will call your raise on the flop. If you don't hit your draw on the turn then you usually want to check. Your opponents may allow you to have a free card if they are afraid that you checked intending to check-raise. But better players will recognize that your check means that you truly are drawing and they will usually bet the turn. The reason for this is that it is a lot easier to flop a draw then it is to flop a big hand (like 2-pair or a set).

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What about this scenario: I limp with other limpers. This encourages a big hand and another hand with a big draw to raise or reraise. If the field starts dropping out as a result, can I call with my KTs?

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If you have limped behind other limpers with a hand like KTs and there has been a raise when the action comes back to you then you should usually call. But if it has been 3-bet and it now costs you two more bets to call then you should usually fold. Again, these are general guidelines and how you read the raiser(s) is an important consideration.

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I went into this first effort with the idea of presenting more of a story than a hand out of context of play. One thing that I always have issues with, in single hand posts, is that there are a lot of things (that affect the decisions to be critiqued in the single-hand post) that are left out, including the flow of the game and your image.
I thought it would mean more in the middle limits btw, is $10/20 the beginning of middle limits, or is it $15/30? to see the context of the hands within the game, so I tried to group them somewhat without overburdening each post.
Also, it gets tiresome to post a header on each subsequent post, cross-referencing the build-up. Of course, if larger posts are going to drive away "customer" replies, then I don't really gain anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

I understand your motivation for relating many hands and don't fault you for it. The problem with this approach, however, is that most people's attention span is not that long. In the general format of posting to 2+2 it is most common to present just a single hand, giving all of the background you think is necessary to explain the situation you have encountered.
Perhaps another way to look at this is when you string together many hands in a single post, it is relatively easy for you but a lot of work for those who want to respond to it in detail. In contrast, when you have just a single hand that you present in detail, you have to go to a lot of work but the responder has relatively less work to do.
Also, $10-20 is generally considered to be the minimum "middle-limit" holdem game.

-- Manzanita

[Nightwish]

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I get another AJ hand and decide I can play this one! Early position raiser, who has done a fair amount of open-raising, is called by one player and I call with my AhJh in the SB, as does the BB. The flop is T62 with two clubs and I check-fold when the late caller raises the original raiser's flop bet.

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What would you have done if LP had called instead of raised?

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The OR bets the rag on the turn, which MP call. The river shows a low club and both check? They turn over all the Queens, with the OR holding the Qc I had a question about the play of the OR. I would have followed through and bet the river here- would that be a foolish bet? Is this a check under the "they only call if they beat you" rule?

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Yes, there is no reason to bet this. In fact, by checking, you also might induce a bluff.

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If you were holding QQoff, the river brings a flush and the OR who bet the paired turn bets the river, do you call? What if the OR is an aggressive player- could you call expecting that TPTK or JJ could be in his hand?

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Yes, I would certainly call. There's enough money in the pot, and there's a large variety of hands the OR might be betting with.

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The very next hand, I fold K9s on the button when an open-raiser two to my right makes me cautious. He had J9off ouch! but the flop brought a Jack and only one of my suit, so I probably would have mucked on the flop. Is King-middle suited too strong a hand on the button to fold to a possible steal-raise?

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K9s is crap. I would fold this every time because you can't even isolate the original raiser and hope to win unimproved.

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Later in that round I folded J9s in early position ( mistake?) .

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No, good fold. Play this in late position if there are some limpers.

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The very next hand, UTG folds and I have 88 mixed. I limp ( is this a "raise or fold" hand here in early position, especially given my play?)

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No, this is not a raise or fold. In fact, I would almost never fold this in this position. You should be leaning towards raising, but if you're at a table where everyone will just call you regardless, then go ahead and limp instead.

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Possibly as a result of my image? only the blinds call. Flop is a sweet 748 rainbow. The BB bets out, I smooth-call here against the blinds, bringing the SB in.
Turn is the Js, putting the 2-flush out there. BB bets, I raise, SB check-raises! BB folds (a steal?) and I decide to re-raise in case the SB is being frisky with a flush draw or top pair. Is it a common practice to make a free card play on the turn? ( It almost never happens in low-limit games that I play, even when it's on the flop). Actually, if you only have the draw, can this be truly called a free-card play? I should have thought of that. The SB comes back over me and I call.
River is a red 5, I make a crying call due to the 15:1 pot odds and the SB turns over T9off. I think I cost myself the pot by not raising the flop- would you expect the T9off to call 2 cold with an outside draw on a rainbow flop?

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You played it fine on the flop. You shouldn't be too worried about straight draws when you're up against only two other opponents. However, when SB 3-bets you on the turn, that should give you pause. Very few people will pull that move with top pair only. And only a complete maniac will do it on a bluff. So, the SB has at least 2 pair. In fact, he is probably more likely to call 2 cold with 2 pair rather than 3-bet. I'm not saying you shouldn't have capped it (especially since you have plenty of outs even if he has a straight), but just be careful here.

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I show the 88 in order to reinforce my tight image, but I wonder if I cost myself by showing I can be very aggressive with less than the nuts?

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Why are you trying to reinforce your tight image? Is it because you're about to pull a bluff or two? If so, that's fine. Otherwise, you're making a huge mistake. In fact, I would argue that showing your cards is a mistake 99% of the time that you do it. It'll get you some sympathy points, but it won't make you any extra money. If anything, it'll lose you money.

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My very next hand I get KdTd. I was tempted to call or raise here, but I was still thinking about the trip 8s and I fold the hand. Am I letting my results affect my play, or was this a good fold?

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It's fine to fold it at an aggressive table. At a loose passive table, I would limp with it. I don't like raising with this hand UTG.

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Two hands later, an EP raiser folds everyone to my SB and my K7s. The EP raiser has been aggressive but I haven't qualified his play yet. I folded instead of defending my blind- mistake?

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It's an automatic fold. You shouldn't even be thinking about this one. You don't have anything to defend, and you're way out of position.

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The last hand for this post- another UTG raise, everyone folds to me and I call on the button with AcQc. Should I have raised to knock out the blinds, or do I want them in with presumably weak hands as protection against frisky play by the OR?

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I would re-raise this the vast majority of the time. You want to be heads up with the OR. The blinds don't offer you any protection. In fact, you may even win this hand at showdown unimproved, but that's far less likely if you let the blinds stay in.

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Blinds fold anyway, so much for my foolish? plan. Flop is 626 two clubs. UTG bets out, I call. The beautiful 5c on the turn and UTG bets out again? I raise and he folds- ? Is this kind of aggression something I should get used to seeing? I did play passively, but if you've been betting into a cold-caller who might be making a move on the flush board, do you have to at least call to see the river with any hand that you raised UTG with preflop?

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If you were the UTG raiser, and you had AK with no club, would YOU call this turn raise? The point is that UTG could have a wide variety of hands. Very likely no pocket pair.

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I'll break it off here, put more hands in the next post.

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As someone else suggested, you should consider posting only one hand at a time.

[elysium]

hi easy
hand 1) you're done with on the flop.
hand 2) the fold is fine. K9 is trash suited or not. if you were first in from the CO-1, you could raise to steal, but you don't need to be wasting your time and effort here.
hand 3) J9s, no. it's J9. no good from that spot.
ahnd 4) you have a mix. raise the mix. your image is solid, and a raise might do it. you don't like fooling around a lot here. also, your raise may get a lot of calls anyway. sometimes if 2 or 3 call on your left, the rest all call. since having 3 or 4 opponents doesn't present a unique set of problems that JJ or to a much lesser extent, QQ might pose in a 4 way, you raise to keep them involved those times you do flop. if it looked like a 4 way with JJ, then you should call. with QQ you'll have to raise, you just don't like the raise as much as you would against fewer or more opponents. but the mix, you're good to raise. if your image is loose, you should be calling about half the time. you want to just hold on to reins pre-flop, and hope to flop; meaning that you're looking to call and potentially get raised and reraised in a multi-way. if it gets called all the way around, then what might happen is a snowball calling effect may set in, and while you would likely rather have a good multi-way of raisers going, it's all ev the same more or less. the important thing is that you will raise about half the time for variance. you pick up the extra ev not in the hand but rather by the effect on KK and AA or even QQ that varying by often raising with 88 or 99 from UTG. eh i butchered that sentence up pretty good, but you get the point. you get the extra ev later. i need word.

in hand 4 you got a little too aggressive against this particular opponent. you can do that against some opponents, but he's trying to stop the board from pairing. when your opponent makes a turn check-raise into an obvious caller,....well wait. no. you have a problem in this area easy. no, you can't be reraising here. this guy is check-raising into a possible 3 bet with an over-caller. he's got the T9. the main idea is to remember that your hand can improve, and the double check-raise on the turn tells you that your hand will need to improve.

the next two hands are folded correctly pre-flop.

on the final hand, you need to raise pre-flop. you're in the lead most likely, and usually raising even a solid UTGr is correct on the button. the reason is that you might be able to fold out this opponent on some later round, and you don't hate getting over callers pre-flop. when you hit the solid with the raise, you have AQ and to a lesser extent, AK in mind. you're looking to fold him out. so you have to make motions that tell him you aren't going anywhere but to the river. if he's solid, you have a problem with top pair A. if you get raised on the flop, you should fold on the turn. you need a good deal of opponent knowledge here, and you need some gut instinct. he could also have KK. folding is an option though that you should strongly consider. on this hand, you need to raise at every opportunity. you also will have some opportunity to bet-out on the river or raise unimproved. here again, your opponent knowledge and how this opponent perceives you, as well as over all table conditions play a large part on how youm handle river unimproved.

you have some problems in your game easy. you have the starting requirements down real good, but you're faltering post flop. need work here.

[Easy E]

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I get another AJ hand and decide I can play this one! Early position raiser, who has done a fair amount of open-raising, is called by one player and I call with my AhJh in the SB, as does the BB. The flop is T62 with two clubs and I check-fold when the late caller raises the original raiser's flop bet.

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What would you have done if LP had called instead of raised?
<font color="blue"> I'm not sure but probably folded, unless I knew that there was a strong possibility that catching one of my pairs on the turn would make me a winner. </font>

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The OR bets the rag on the turn, which MP call. The river shows a low club and both check? They turn over all the Queens, with the OR holding the Qc I had a question about the play of the OR. I would have followed through and bet the river here- would that be a foolish bet? Is this a check under the "they only call if they beat you" rule?

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Yes, there is no reason to bet this. In fact, by checking, you also might induce a bluff.

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If you were holding QQoff, the river brings a flush and the OR who bet the paired turn bets the river, do you call? What if the OR is an aggressive player- could you call expecting that TPTK or JJ could be in his hand?

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Yes, I would certainly call. There's enough money in the pot, and there's a large variety of hands the OR might be betting with.

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The very next hand, I fold K9s on the button when an open-raiser two to my right makes me cautious. He had J9off ouch! but the flop brought a Jack and only one of my suit, so I probably would have mucked on the flop. Is King-middle suited too strong a hand on the button to fold to a possible steal-raise?

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K9s is crap. I would fold this every time because you can't even isolate the original raiser and hope to win unimproved.
<font color="blue"> So you don't think the blind goes down if I re-raise here? I'm obviously ahead before the fold. And early late position raise with no one in front doesn't normally invite moves by J9 hands? </font>

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Later in that round I folded J9s in early position ( mistake?) .

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No, good fold. Play this in late position if there are some limpers.

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The very next hand, UTG folds and I have 88 mixed. I limp ( is this a "raise or fold" hand here in early position, especially given my play?)

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No, this is not a raise or fold. In fact, I would almost never fold this in this position. You should be leaning towards raising, but if you're at a table where everyone will just call you regardless, then go ahead and limp instead. <font color="blue"> Because I must hit my set to have a good chance to win/continue on in the hand, and I therefore need callers for my pot odds- right? </font>

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Possibly as a result of my image? only the blinds call. Flop is a sweet 748 rainbow. The BB bets out, I smooth-call here against the blinds, bringing the SB in.
Turn is the Js, putting the 2-flush out there. BB bets, I raise, SB check-raises! BB folds (a steal?) and I decide to re-raise in case the SB is being frisky with a flush draw or top pair. Is it a common practice to make a free card play on the turn? ( It almost never happens in low-limit games that I play, even when it's on the flop). Actually, if you only have the draw, can this be truly called a free-card play? I should have thought of that. The SB comes back over me and I call.
River is a red 5, I make a crying call due to the 15:1 pot odds and the SB turns over T9off. I think I cost myself the pot by not raising the flop- would you expect the T9off to call 2 cold with an outside draw on a rainbow flop?

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You played it fine on the flop. You shouldn't be too worried about straight draws when you're up against only two other opponents. However, when SB 3-bets you on the turn, that should give you pause. Very few people will pull that move with top pair only. And only a complete maniac will do it on a bluff. So, the SB has at least 2 pair. In fact, he is probably more likely to call 2 cold with 2 pair rather than 3-bet. I'm not saying you shouldn't have capped it (especially since you have plenty of outs even if he has a straight), but just be careful here.

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I show the 88 in order to reinforce my tight image, but I wonder if I cost myself by showing I can be very aggressive with less than the nuts?

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Why are you trying to reinforce your tight image? Is it because you're about to pull a bluff or two? If so, that's fine. Otherwise, you're making a huge mistake. In fact, I would argue that showing your cards is a mistake 99% of the time that you do it. It'll get you some sympathy points, but it won't make you any extra money. If anything, it'll lose you money.
<font color="blue"> I generally agree with you. However, I had been playing some weaker hands before this, only having to show down some of them, and thought that some "image repair" might be in order. Of course, if showing the 88 up front on my flopped set gains me nothing, then it was incorrect. </font>
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My very next hand I get KdTd. I was tempted to call or raise here, but I was still thinking about the trip 8s and I fold the hand. Am I letting my results affect my play, or was this a good fold?

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It's fine to fold it at an aggressive table. At a loose passive table, I would limp with it. I don't like raising with this hand UTG.

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Two hands later, an EP raiser folds everyone to my SB and my K7s. The EP raiser has been aggressive but I haven't qualified his play yet. I folded instead of defending my blind- mistake?

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It's an automatic fold. You shouldn't even be thinking about this one. You don't have anything to defend, and you're way out of position.

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The last hand for this post- another UTG raise, everyone folds to me and I call on the button with AcQc. Should I have raised to knock out the blinds, or do I want them in with presumably weak hands as protection against frisky play by the OR?

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I would re-raise this the vast majority of the time. You want to be heads up with the OR. The blinds don't offer you any protection. In fact, you may even win this hand at showdown unimproved, but that's far less likely if you let the blinds stay in.

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Blinds fold anyway, so much for my foolish? plan. Flop is 626 two clubs. UTG bets out, I call. The beautiful 5c on the turn and UTG bets out again? I raise and he folds- ? Is this kind of aggression something I should get used to seeing? I did play passively, but if you've been betting into a cold-caller who might be making a move on the flush board, do you have to at least call to see the river with any hand that you raised UTG with preflop?

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If you were the UTG raiser, and you had AK with no club, would YOU call this turn raise? The point is that UTG could have a wide variety of hands. Very likely no pocket pair.

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I'll break it off here, put more hands in the next post.

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As someone else suggested, you should consider posting only one hand at a time.

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<font color="blue"> I'll remember that in the future. Thanks for the feedback. </font>

[Easy E]

you have some problems in your game easy. you have the starting requirements down real good, but you're faltering post flop. need work here.

Thanks, i feel all warm and fuzzy now /images/graemlins/wink.gif. I agree, and I don't expect to be able to get away with my deficiencies as easily at mid-limits as I do at low-limits.
That's why I'm sticking my face out there to get slapped.

[Easy E]