Mirage 20/40 -- two hands to discuss

[SinCityGuy]

Hand #1:

Three loose players limp (UTG +1, UTG +2 and CO).

I raise in the small blind with K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif K/images/graemlins/heart.gif

Big blind calls. I don’t have a read on his play at this point. He’s an elderly gentleman (EG) who has been drinking quite a bit. The three limpers also call, so it’s five to the flop for 10 SB’s.

Flop: 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 7/images/graemlins/club.gif 3/images/graemlins/club.gif

I bet, EG calls, surprisingly everyone else folds. Two to the turn for 6 BB’s.

Turn: 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

I bet, EG calls. To the river for 8 BB’s.

River: 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif

I bet, EG raises.


Hand #2:

Tight/aggressive player (TAP) open raises UTG+2, loose player (LP) calls (CO+1), I 3-bet from the CO with J/images/graemlins/spade.gif J/images/graemlins/club.gif. Everyone else folds, they both call. Three to the flop for 7 SB’s.

Flop: A/images/graemlins/club.gif T/images/graemlins/heart.gif 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Checked to me. I bet, TAP calls, LP folds. Two to the turn for 4.5 BB's. My plan at this point is to bet the turn (fold to a checkraise), and hopefully get a free showdown on the river.

Turn: 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif

TAP bets.

[7Dave]

[Bartholow]

Hand 1, I don't fold versus unknown opponents, especially if they are drinking. If he had a 9 why did he never bet or raise? I have a hard time putting a 20/40 player on being really passive without knowing anything, but maybe I play online too much.

Hand 2, I have a hard time putting TAP on a hand at all. Somehow I almost get the feeling he has a weak ace or KK or QQ. If he could fold these hands, I can see raising and checking the river (fold to a 3-bet I guess). Otherwise I'm tempted to just fold. Just really hard to come up with hands you can beat that he would play this way.

[Roy Hobbs]

1. The river is not the place to be a hero, especially against an unknown player. If you make this laydown, people will take shots at you whenever a scare card hits.

2. I think that the tight player can have a lot of hands here that are not an ace, but not many of them that you can beat. Also, check calling on the flop and betting the turn would be a pretty standard play for any ace. I think you fold here.

[astroglide]

hand 1 i think you're going to get shown 2 clubs, an 8, or both along with an emotional "i missed" after calling the raise.

hand 2 there is very little you're actually beating.

[Philuva]

I call Hand 1 unless he is the rockiest of rocks.

Hand 2 I fold. It feels like he hit 2 pair with his A and hoping you raise with AK, b/c as we all know everyone who raises PF has AK.

[elindauer]

Hand 1:

Call. You'd have done better to check and call though when the board paired... you may catch a bluff here, but you'd have been much more likely to pick up bluff money by checking, not to mention losing 1 BB less to trip nines.

Hand 2:

Your TAP opponent is trying to find out if you have AK or a pocket pair. Tell him it's AK and raise. If he has a pocket pair himself, he may well fold. If he has an AQ or AJ, he'll call and check-call the river, giving you the free showdown. If he 3-bets, he can beat AK and you're drawing to 2 outs, so you can fold with confidence.

Folding is also reasonable, but that feels awfully weak. I'd like to see this guys cards.

[elysium]

hi sin
hand 1) everything is o.k. until the river. you make the error of betting rather than check calling.

hand 2) fold. there is no possible draw that your opponent could be betting, and he fully expects you to call.

[SinCityGuy]

In hand #1, I called the raise, and the elderly gentleman had K/images/graemlins/spade.gif 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, hitting his 21 to 1 shot for rivered trips.

In hand #2, I folded to the turn bet. I briefly considered raising, but decided to fold. Calling the turn and river would have been horrible on my part.

I'm not so sure my opponent played the hand well. If he's beaten, he's either going to get raised or called with a better hand. If he's ahead, then he's missing out on a turn bet from my worse hand. So, it would appear that he missed out on one more big bet by betting the turn.

[Schmed]

I haven't read the results or anyones respones so here goes....

First hand seems pretty standard and an easy river call. There's too much money in the pot to allow some drunk to auto-read you as AK and think he'll raise you on the river with his K7s ot whatever he had. He may have you beat but like I said too much money in the pot to fold this for one more bet.

Hand two I would fold. It's definitely raise or fold and with the ace and two callers to my flop bet I figure I'm beat and find a better spot to get my money in.