My First HH Post...I need help playing flopped sets.

[TxSteve]

Hi all..when flopping sets..i think my game needs a little help.

At times I play them too slowly...and allow someone else to catch up and beat me...also...am i weak for not raising the river?

Anyway..this hand would demonstrate sort of a standard play for me lately with a set...where did i play it poorly? in your opinion, did i leave bets on the table?

is calling a raise with 2,2 in the small blind an obvious mistake?

thank you for your time.

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (4 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG folds, <font color="CC3333">Button raises</font>, Hero calls, BB calls.

Flop: (6 SB) K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
Hero checks, BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets</font>, Hero calls, BB calls.

Turn: (4.50 BB) 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
Hero checks, BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, BB calls, Button calls.

River: (10.50 BB) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
Hero checks, BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets</font>, Hero calls, BB calls.

Final Pot: 13.50 BB

Results in white below: <font color="white">
Hero shows 2d 2s (three of a kind, twos).
BB shows As Td (one pair, aces).
Button shows Th Ad (one pair, aces).
Outcome: Hero wins 13.50 BB. [/color

[PokerBob]

Preflop: If you think the button is stealing, 3-bet to lose the BB and get it heads up, but I don't think just calling is terrible either.

Flop: I think I bet this flop, as 2 /images/graemlins/heart.gif's hit the board I don't want to give a free card to 2 players.

Turn: Perfect

River: It looks like the BB is on a flush draw after cold calling 2 bets on the turn, but he didn't bet the river, so I think you can raise in this spot.

[arfsananto]

Don't know enough about short-handed to comment on preflop. But in general, I never slowplay sets. It just isn't a good enough hand to slowplay, and I've gotten outdrawn on too many times letting people stay in for free or one bet.

Edit-- I thought I was still in Micro forum, replying to a Micro game post --

[Nottom]

Preflop call is a bit loose, but thats not really as important as the rest of the hand.

On the flop. You have a raiser and another caller and the 2 big scare cards on the board. Unless he is on a cmplete steal its quite likely he has an A. Bet out and 3-bet when raised.

On the turn. What are you trying to accomplish with a checkraise? With 2 opponents you are probably again better off betting, if the button doesn't have an A he will likely check it through here and even if he does bet you are gonna force the BB to call 2 when you want to get calls.

On the river, you wuss out for no reason. There is no reason to think someone has a flush, easy value bet.

[Nottom]

[ QUOTE ]
It just isn't a good enough hand to slowplay, and I've gotten outdrawn on too many times letting people stay in for free or one bet.


[/ QUOTE ]

The reason you don't slowplay sets isn't becasue you let people suck out on you cheaply. Most of the time those people are coming anyway. The reason slowplaying sets sucks is that it costs you a ton of bets most of the time.

[Styles]

IMHO raise preflop and bet the flop.

You can slowplay sets, but, only when it's a very strong hand for the flop and you are afraid your bet won't get any action.

Against a steal, often it's correct to reraise and/or bet out the flop regardless of what you have. In this instance, it's hard for someone to put you on a set of 2s. Alot of hands will give good action on that flop and particularly a guy on a steal.

In this spot you almost hope he wasn't just stealing and catches an Ace or King. Maybe he'll raise and cap the flop /images/graemlins/grin.gif

If he sucks out, good for him.

[TxSteve]

thanks for the replies folks...
and nottom and styles...that is pretty much what i was expecting to hear.

i knew the river play was VERY weak...and i hadn't considered that by forcing the BB to call 2 bets..(and pressuring him to fold) i could actually be costing myself money...

i need to keep discussing and reading here...so i can hopefully someday be able to process hand situations fast enough to react

[arfsananto]

Makes sense, thanks.

[LetsRock]

I guess I just don't flop enough sets on a safe board. If I flop a set, there are either A) 3 cards to a flush, B)3 cards to a straight, C) both of the above, or D) 2 suited overcards with my set. I guess I've rearely seen a (small) set that felt like a candidate for a slow play.

Calling with 22 from SB is questionable in my book. I often don't. ON the board you got in your hand, it's not enirely unlikely that you're up against an over set so "now what do I do?"

If I had called and got this flop, I come out firing, hoping to 3-bet the raiser. I don't slow down on this hand until I get raised on the turn and even then I may shove back once more given the turn card. If I get popped again on the river (regardles of the (non-helping) river card), I probably just call it down, but slowplaying this hand is a recipe for disaster.