big slick in the big blind

my first live action game since november, 5-10 game. i dont remember all the details (ie exacly what cards hit) but i know the gist.


game is what i will call a "Cleveland" game for lack of a better word. reason one, the game is in cleveland, and 2 anyoe who has spent time here knows that the weather changes every frickin day in the winter. and thats what this game was like it went from tight passive, to loose passive to normal agressive to loose aggressive to loose passive onver an 8 hr span.

my first bb (6th hand at the table) folded to the small blind i ask if he wants to chop he mumbles and tosses in his call. i look down and see ak and check? immediatly i kick my self- this would have been the frist preflop raise at the table. flop comes along the lies of K 85. check bet call. turn either a 4 or 7 (i think two spades) check bet call. river the 7 or 4, hebets out and i call. he turns over his 26of clubs.


two roundslater bb again folded to small blind (same guy) AK for me again this time i raise and he calls flop comes K high, check bet call, turn blank check bet and he mucks 46o face up. (no questions about this play just thought it was wierd that the same sit came up twice so close)


third time game has gotten a bit more aggressive (but not much), this time there are four limpers to sb who completes (same guy)

i have ak in the bb and i check.

1. should i always raise (wont get any one out) mostly raise, sometimes raise or never raise? limpers are loose some what passive as far as i can tell (one jsut got into the game) flop comes K J 6 two spades. sb bets out i raise i caller he three bets? this may have been the first three bet in four or five rounds. i four bet it limper drops and he caps.

i have no reason to belive he has anything but a set or two pair as he has not three bet anything this game. turn is a blank he bets i call, river the J of spades and he checks. i check and take it against his K9. i was as confused as anything at that point and checked automatically (i had decided to just call him after he bet the turn).

the thing is that this table was passive as hell on the river. had one guy check the nut flush blind after betting the turn, one guy calling my ace high flush (made on the turn) with sixes full of queens that he picked up on the river heads up. all night it was like this. so this guy could have a flush, trip jacks possible have had k8 and lost his second pair. i really didnt know and defauted to checking how bad is this?


tom c.

Tom,


Were these hands played at the Las Vegas Nights?


The first hand is an absolute must raise. If a player wants to play his hand from the small blind and doesn't come in for a raise, there is something this player doesn't know about poker, you absolutely have to think you have the best hand at this point, you have position as well. I would raise everytime in this situation.


The fact that this player chased you to the river with crap makes his hand and didn't try to check raise you on the river makes me think you should be happy this person is in your game.


The last hand I'm raising too, especially if my hand is suited. One question I have for you is this. If you hadn't seen your opponent 3 bet all day what were you trying to accomlpish 4 betting the flop? Maybe a better play would have been to call the three bet then lead out on the turn...if raised it would be easier to narrow the hand down to a presumed 2 pair or set and if only called, I would proceed to think my hand was good.

I don't know if that is anywhere near correct thinking but I do wonder what goal you had in mind with the flop 4 bet.


CR

as far as the first hand i know i should have raised, but i really think i should have folded the river... or ami setting my self up to be bet out the rest of the night?


my hand wasnt suited... i dont know about raising in the big blind here- one a guy in late position had limp raised twice so far once with AA and once with AK and i didnt want to get three bet with no posisiton on him. but this is really game dependant, i dont know what the answer to raising in the big blind is so i default to taking the flop free most of the time because i play much better when i have position.

anyway- the four bet was to put pressure on the one limper left to find out how far he would go, maybe get a gut shot out or amke a flush draw pay. there was no way to lead out on the turn because i was up against the sb. when he five bet me i figured i was beat, but if he had checked the turn i would have bet out. mostly i was concerned about the river play. should i have bet? should i fold to a check raise?


and yes this was at a las vegas nights, do you play there often?


tom c.

Hi Tom,


Sorry I completely misread who was in what position on the last hand. As for raising the flop, I'm still raising here even with someone who likes to limp reraise AA. If you get repopped preflop thier hand may as well be face up and your hand is easy to play from then on. And just because you raise preflop with AK doesn't mean you are bound to play the hand from the flop on. If you hit or the flop looks good play if it looks bad check. On the river I would bet against the opponenets in these games. The check means they are unsure of thier hand and it is an awfully fancy play to check-raise the river for a typical Cleveland LVN player.


The first hand believe it or not I would have folded on the river. Especially if it is a typical LVN opponent, which it sounds like it is. Honest players. If they have the nuts they bet.......if they don't they check call. You do have to call down some of the time though.


I try to get to LVN as much as I can but have been busy lately and sometimes just don't wanna deal with players not betting top pair nut kicker, these games can be frustrating sometimes.


CR

Hello--


I'm coming to Cleveland for a family reunion over 4th of July weekend.


Any poker opportunities for me then?


Where can I find a schedule?


Thanks in advance,


CMP

Hey,


When you get to town call 216 676 4500 and there will be a listing for all of the LVN games going on in town.


CR