AKo, folding top pair, top kicker

2-4


I'm third to act and open raise with AKo. A mid position player and the button call two cold and the big blind also calls.


Flop: 8s 9s Kd


Big blind checks and I bet. The mid position player raises and the button re-raises. The big blind folds and it is my action facing two bets. What are possible hands with which a player might call two cold and then play so agressively post-flop? My guesses are AK and medium pocket pairs (in particular 88 and 99). K9s came to mind, but that's a pretty weak hand to cold call with preflop (even some bad players recognize that, though definitely not all). It looks like I'm beat, so I fold. Is this play a little tight?


What is your read on the button player? The table is a bit loose, but I don't have any particular read on the button.


Aaron

I would make it four bets and then bet the turn. You will be ahead here very often. If you are behind, you usually will have a draw against the better hand. If you hold either the As or Ks, you definately aren't folding on the flop.


[/i]What are possible hands with which a player might call two cold and then play so agressively post-flop? [/i]


KhQd, JcTh, As4s, and a few others you can beat.


Don't be so quick to put your opponents on hands which beat yours simply because you've been raised.

It is too easy for one of the two players to be drawing and the other player to simply be raising with a top pair of kings. I would not fold. I kind of like Dynasty's answer.

In a loose game your players will call raises cold with hands as weak as Kxs and Qxs and small or medium pocket pairs.


I prefer to just call here and then bet the turn if any card other than a K falls. I would checkraise the turn if a K other than Ks falls.


The reason I would fail to cap the flop is that you may be behind and if not then you have no particular advantage over a flush draw on the flop. The combination of these two possibilities should make you just call the flop but bet the turn. Also, both of your opponents are representing hands that beat AK. They will find it more difficult to represent without having the goods on the turn.


Normally I would cap the flop as well but the bet and raise behind you should make you think that there's a good chance you're already behind.

Aaron,


If I disagree with both Dynasty and Jim Brier I am probably wrong


I think that if you were playing at a higher limit than 2-4, then calling and leading the turn if a spade doesn't appear, or 4 betting the flop might be right. At 2-4 I don't expect my opponents to both be calling two bets cold, and then raising and reraising on the flop unless I am beat. You don't have much invested here, and if you are ahead, you likely have many ways to lose this hand. You might also be playing against a set and a draw, and have no way to win. If I don't know the players, I fold, and watch the outcome of the hand so that I have a better idea next time I face them.


Given that both Jim and Dynasty weighed in on the other side of the question, I would say that your play was a little tight, but I don't think that it was completely out of line.


Good luck,

Play well,


Bob T.

Yeah, this is a tough one that comes up often in low limit games. But there is a DEFINITE VALUE you can get out of it so pay very close attention to the betting, keep mental notes, and just go to the river with them and take a look at their holdings afterwards. Of course I'm assuming that if the turn and river are perfect for drawing hands that you'll know what to do. Otherwise take your loss in exchange for the information that you'll gain. Besides, you may win a nice pot. ;-)


"Sometimes you gotta pay to beat the table, no matter how much it hurts."

BONAFIDE

It turns out that I was wrong on my read, but I still made the right play. After folding, both players went down to the river (I don't recall what the action was). The mid position player showed KJo and the button showed 98o (!) for the flopped two pair.


When it was three bet, I was surprised, because I didn't recall it happening very often. At the end of the hand, I did make a mental note that I give the button far too much credit for his preflop selection.


Aaron