Med Pocket Pair - Party $2/$4

[Sarge85]

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed) converter (http://http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Sarge is Button with 8/images/graemlins/club.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO folds, <font color="CC3333">Sarge raises</font>, SB folds, BB calls, UTG calls.

Flop: (6.50 SB) J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, UTG checks, <font color="CC3333">Sarge bets</font>, BB calls, UTG calls.

Turn: (4.75 BB) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, UTG checks, <font color="CC3333">Sarge bets</font>, BB calls, UTG calls.

River: (7.75 BB) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG bets</font>, Sarge calls, BB folds.

Final Pot: 9.75 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 9.75 BB, between Sarge and UTG.</font>

Obviously he had the straight - how bad was my payoff?

Sarge/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

[Joe Tall]

Looks fine to me.

Peace,
Joe Tall

[J.R.]

The hand was played just fine, you were getting 9-1, and its likely enough that your opponent has two pair or some other random hand/bluff. If you never folded a set on the river in a big pot for one bet, you would not be that far from optimal. Maybe a fold is wearranted in a live game versus an uber weak-tight rock you have an excellent read on, but not online in a party 2-4 game.

[aas]

Good call.

aas.

[BugsBunny]

Obviously he had the straight - how bad was my payoff?

You mean "obviously he had 2 cards". This board is a perfect bluffing board, especially when against someone who raised preflop (you) and may have something like AK or other overcards. UTG could have a slowplayed overpair, 2 pair, a set of 5's, or nothing at all. He may also actually have the str8.

Now certain players are more likely to bluff here than others, but even if you're sure he's not bluffing doesn't necessarily mean a str8. The payoff wasn't bad at all, it was mandatory.

[MRBAA]

Calling one more on the river at low limits when you have a hand that has any kind of realistic shot at being best isn't an area to devote a lot of time and energy to, IMHO. If you're playing well preflop and on the earlier streets (as you did here), you'll sometimes have to just be a pay station on the river. Between bluffs and miscalculations by your opponents, you'll easily be right often enough to make alot of money on these calls.

[Sarge85]

Thanks for the responses.

Opponent had 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif8 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

So the flop was pretty good for him, and the turn (from his persepctive) gave him that many more outs.

One last thought...

Was the PF raise appropiate - and the subsequent flop bet?

Sarge/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

[MRBAA]

Yes -- look at what he actually had! Against just one limper, you're probably winning and don't have to worry about reverse implied odds -- with many limpers, you won't like almost any overcard on the flop, but with just one, you don't have to worry too much that it hit his hand. And definitely yes, bet the flop. It's a good one for your hand.

[Bob T.]

I would have played it the same way you did.

I think the flop bet is absolutely mandatory.

Good luck,
play well,

Bob T.