Playing TPTK under heavy fire

[Analyst]

20-40 live game, 9-handed. I've recently been must move-d, and while the game seems good overall, the two antagonists are unknown.

I'm UTG+1 in this hand, with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif K/images/graemlins/heart.gif

UTG open raises, I 3-bet, folded to CO-1 who cold-calls, all fold to UTG calls.

Flop is K/images/graemlins/spade.gif T/images/graemlins/club.gif 9/images/graemlins/club.gif

UTG checks, I bet, CO-1 raises, UTG 3-bets, I call, CO-1 calls.
Anyone cap here? Anyone fold here?

Turn is 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif

UTG bets, what do you do here?

[steveyz]

I wouldn't fold this one on the flop was UTG could easily have something like KQ and CO-1 could be raising his draw.
I might not cap this just because I want to see if CO-1 caps.

On the turn, I might put in a raise to see where I'm at and to charge CO-1 for his possible draw. If anyone 3-bets, I'm folding.

[SinCityGuy]

I would raise the turn and fold to a 3-bet. If one of these guys has a set, you'll hear about it after your raise.

If they just call, you're probably in good shape unless a club or a jack comes on the river.

[Kenshin]

why raise here? For the cost of the raise you might be able to go to the showdown

[Elizabeth]

Against 2 unknowns, with 17sb in the pot I think I want to see the river with TPTK. I think raising with the intent to fold if raised is a bad play. Those bets would be better used to see the river, not to "bully" your opponents or define the strength of your hand. Everyone here has a good hand or good draw and should expect to get called. Therefore turn bets should be for value only.

I think I would have capped the flop, just so that I would be less likely to be stuck between 2 players on the turn. You might also lose the CO if you make it 2 more bets.

This might be wishful thinking, but against unknown players I think there is a wide range of hands you could be up against.

Unknown players might raise UTG with hands like KQ and KJs. An AQs, AJs flush draw is also possible. There's also the chance UTG is very loose aggressive with hand like a QQ or Axs -- depends on how unknown he is.

CO-1 hasn't done much to define his hand. What does your typical player cold call 3 with? Plenty of speculative (esp suited) hands, right? And his flop raise is appropriate if he's going to play at all; in last position that raise just about plays itself. More telling is CO-1's failure to cap each round. He's called twice and made 1 obvious raise. You don't know what he has either.

If you wanted to fold, I think the flop was the better opportunity. Not much has changed when you call the 3 bettor, a blank falls, and you get bet into.

[elysium]

hi analyst,
since the LP called the flop, he will also call the turn. go ahead and call, but if the board gets worse with a club say, or a J, do not bet if checked to. if it's one bet to you, you're going to need to throw the weight of your poker skills into the fray in order to gain any e.v.; that's easier said than done. for instance, if the LP raises and the UTG calls, unless you have 2 pair going, you are better laying it down even if your call closes. so obviously, your not all that strong in this one.

there are times that you could lay it down if bet into on the turn. now, be warned that if you could make that type of call, you wouldn't be posting asking advice, and if you did, you would have given opponent info even against the unknown. and that brings us to the real issue here.

there is no opponent anywhere who cannot render some semblance of a suggestion as to what he might be inclined to do. there are thousands of areas opponent knowledge lays claim to even against opponents who you may be playing for the first time. no, your read won't be as accurate as the read you may put on a local regular, but there should be enough there to work with at some dismal level. a winner extracts information from such type opponents and is capable applying that knowledge with the proverbial grain of salt necessary for the situation. you can't just blank lable these 2 opponents as unknown. you just don't have as much as you'd like to work with. there should be enough there though.

use opponent knowledge to determine what to do if the LP raises, and then, if a call is warranted because of the possibility of turn improvement, but that improvement proves elusive, then stay with your plan of action. do not get into the habit of always calling down unknowns. be more inclined to call down, yes, but also remember to take note of opponent tendancies, even if you think that your opponent is too new for that.