Hand 1 of 3 - am I weak tight?

OK. I have been trying to tighten up my game and I think I am now weak-tight. I find myself folding the wrong things and not betting or raising in situations that I should. Here are three hands from last night on PP 1/2. Let me set up the session for you - I got killed -40 BBs in 4 hours. I was getting decent cards, but was getting sucked out on at every turn. Nothing was holding up! I will post a few of those hands under another post to see if I really got sucked out on or not. But, with these hands I really want to know if I played them optimally or not. Here is hand 1. Hands 2 and 3 to follow in seperate posts.


I am UTG +1, with Ah9h


UTG calls, I call(too loose for M/EP??), SB completes and BB checks 4 to the flop.


*** FLOP *** : [ Ac 3s Kd ]


SB, BB check, UTG bets, I call, SB calls, BB folds


I nervously called here, figuring I had a less than 50/50 chance to be behind here to a bigger ace. With the lack of preflop action, I ruled out AK,AA,KK, but I have seen guys at the table flat call with AQ. I am most worried about UTG, SB could have anything.


*** TURN *** : [ Ac 3s Kd ] [ Ad ]


SB bets out, and UTG folds. Now I am feeling pretty good about my chances, since I have seen the SB play anything. so I raise to see if he really has an ace or not and he just calls. So, I read that as not having an Ace. Correct??


*** RIVER *** : [ Ac 3s Kd Ad ] [ Js ]

SB bets out! I double check the board see the QT straight and the AJ full house. I hike up my skirt and just call.


He shows down --- J3 o for two pair, and I take it down.


Would you have raised the river? I had him exactly where I wanted him, but chickened out. Classic weak player? I guess I was a little tentative since i had been getting sucked out on like nobodys business.


Now - on to hand 2

You probably should raise the flop. Someone holding something like J3o or JT is almost getting correct odds to draw behind you at 6:1 or 7:1 taking into account future action. You would rather offer them 7:2 pot odds and give them a chance to fold, or make a big mistake and call.


However, raising the turn is fine with this raggedy board and small pot. Just calling on the flop because you are scared is bad poker.


No need to raise the river, you split with any weak Ace, or lose to most everything else. He will fold if he is bluffing. Just make a note that this player either makes ill-advised bluffs, or misreads his hands.

I think you were forced into that position because you were weak earlier.


I like to raise the flop when I hit top pair mediocre kicker. If either blind cold calls you might be in trouble. There is no flush draw and you're ruining the odds for a broadway straight draw. If you are re-raised you have some more information. I save the turn raises for better hands.


I like your turn raise because the SB seems like a play any Ace kind of guy and there are a lot more likely hands you are ahead of than behind. That turn card is a great card for a bluff and I think that's what I would put him on.


I would just check the river too. Although in this case the raise would have got you at least one more bet, most of the time you're only getting called or re-raised by hands that beat you.

You should raise the flop with top pair/decent kicker.


There's no point in raising the river because your decent kicker no longer plays. You've got AAAKJ now instead of AAAK9. So, A8-A4,A2 just sucked out on you for a split pot.

I can't add to anyone else saying that you should have raised the flop.


But am I the only one who thinks this is a little loose before the flop? I wait for AJo/ATs before I enter from up front.

My answer to your question is "no". You are no ways tight.