2 hands to discuss and a bonus question

$3-6 B&M cardroom


Hand #1


I'm in the BB with 89d. UTG raises. I defend, I'm the only caller. Flop is black 6-7d-10d. I check-raise my straight w/open-end straight-flush draw the flop. Bet the turn blank, and bet the river 5d. UTG calls the whole way and mucks without showing, and my flush is good.


Hand #2


I open raise in MP with black QQ. One LP caller. Flop is Q-5-7 rainbow. I check (intending to check-raise), and he checks behind. Turn is a 6. I bet, he raises, and I call. I check call the river 4. He has 78o for the straight.


Comments on all streets appreciated.


Bonus question: you have K10o in the cutoff. Player to your immediate right raises. You have seen him raise any 2 suited cards (4-5 and 10-2). You expect 2-3 to come along with the raiser for 3-4 total players after the flop. Fold, call, or 3-bet, and if you play, what are you hoping to flop?


Thanks in advance,


CMP

Your best hope in this situation is that your lone opponent has an overpair. In this spot, I would bet the flop hoping to get raised. If he raises the flop, I would either 3-bet or checkraise the turn depending on how sure I am that the opponent will be the turn if I check.


Your way of playing the hand may be better if the opponent raises a lot in EP without big pocket pairs.

I would just bet my hand on the flop. It's very unlikely that this flop hit your opponent. The check isn't bad because this situation is one of the few in which a slowplay is possible.

Calling shouldn't even be considered if there's even a slight chance that other players will call behind you.


Raising is an option if your 3-bet will get all the players behind you to fold and make it heads-up. In this scenario, you will be going to the showdown with an unimproved King-high.


Folding is the best play. Hell, I fold KTo every time now unless I can make a steal-raise.

I agree on KTo, somewhat, I still play it some in late position. You wouldn't ever limp in cutoff or on button with it?

No, I am now never limping with KTo other than in the small blind.


If I play KTo then I am raising with it. I'm usually first-in with a raise trying to just win the blinds immediately. Or, I'm raising a weak limper hoping that (1) everyone behind me will fold and (2) I can win the pot with a flop bet regardless of what comes.


One of the worst situations to limp with this hand is after lots of other players have limped ahead of you.

I think we are thinking along the same lines. I don't want to play it against a large field. But I think it can be playable against 3 or less opponents, counting the BB, in late position. My games are probably weaker than yours, so that may affect my thinking.

I just needed to double check on the bonus question because I'm new, and the flop came 10-10-K.


I'm actually unsure what a 3-bet would've done to this game, because the only 3-bet pre-flop I saw was when I 3-bet AA from the BB and it was already heads up.


I feel a bit better now.


Thanks again!


CMP

You cannot win this hand. He called two with 87o behind you. He flopped a pair. If you did bet the flop he calls again FOR SURE. On the turn her has open ended, he calls FOR SURE. On the river he has straight and you lose.


Long story made short... don't sweat hands like this too much. Sweat the tough decisions and not the easy ones.


Having said that... bet the flop. Generally, I think that you should do what the other players expect you to do. You raised pre-flop. He expects you to bet. Oblige him. When you do he might put you on AK (low limit players LOVE to put you an AK) and raise with his middle pair and then you can three bet or go for the check-raise on the turn. If I am behind you on the hand your check makes me VERY suspicious. I would be apt to check my 87 and look to hit two pair or pick up a draw.


Similar comment for your HAND #1. Don't spend too much time worrying about the easy ones. Analyze the tough decisions.


As re your KT. I fold. Even though the raiser is possibly out of line you are almost certainly going to have to hit your hand to win it and paying two bets to hit a hand as weak as KT doesn't sound a good idea to me.


Regards,

Dave