WTF was I doing here?

[blackaces13]

And more importantly, I had to fold right?

To complicate things MP1 was aggressive although I wasn't very aware of it at the time of this hand.

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is CO with J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif. UTG posts a blind of $0.50.
UTG (poster) checks, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, UTG calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls.

Flop: (11.50 SB) A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(5 players) </font>
UTG checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, MP3 checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (5.75 BB) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(5 players) </font>
UTG checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, MP3 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG folds, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, MP3 folds.

River: (7.75 BB) A/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">MP1 bets</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 8.75 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 7.75 BB, won by MP1.</font>
<font color="#990066">Pot 2: 1 BB, overbet by MP1.</font>

[Trix]

As far as I remember, you have to show the winner at the end in 5-way .5 party pots.

[JSD]

Just call pre-flop. No need to build a pot with QJs here. The Party fish are calling on the flop anyways.

Check-behind on the turn. Party .50/1 isn't the place to be trying to buy pots on the turn after its checked around on the flop, especially not with four opponents in a hand with you.

[blackaces13]

[ QUOTE ]
Just call pre-flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? I didn't even think this was debatable. Not only am I raising for value (I think) but I'm also buying the button and encouraging the field to check to me on the flop.

Suited faces are my favorite hands in these game, its gonna take a lot of convincing to get me to stop raising them. I'd raise this hand in MP too FWIW.

[sublime]

The pre-flop raise is standard in the CO, I agree with you I would raise from MP also.

As for your turn play............ /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[JSD]

Hmm... I'm obviously raising AKs, AQs, AJs and KQs here, but I'm limping with KJs and QJs. Maybe I'll have to try mixing it up a little - does this work well for you? How would you play ATs, KTs, QTs and JTs here? (I'm usually limping with all of these as well)

[blackaces13]

[ QUOTE ]
How would you play ATs, KTs, QTs and JTs here?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I usually raise JTs and ATs but its table/mood dependent. The others I'd probably limp but I'm partial to paint. It looks pretty so I raise. Logical right? /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[blackaces13]

MP1 showed 95o after I folded (how nice of him). I typed "well played" while shouting obscenities at the screen.

I just got done playing another session and a similiar hand took place where I raised with AK UTG and got called by an MP player and the BB. Flop was rags and the turn paired a rag. I led the turn and got called by the BB. The river was a 9 (now the highest board card) and the BB led into me.

With visions of the original hand I posted I called and got shown an A9. I should have folded right? How can I get that one bluff to not affect my future play?

[sfer]

Aces, your willingness to raise suited broadway cards with position after weak limpers is fine too. Some don't feel comfortable doing it so they shouldn't if it's not their style. Over the long run, if you do this and play well postflop I think it will work out well for you. The added incentive here is buying the button and the UTG poster, even though any moron who posts UTG is probably calling a raise. But I would bet the flop and the turn. The flop is drawless but has the ideal scare card. Then check through the river unimproved.

Given how you played it you cannot expect calling the river on an unknown to be +EV. He played it well. It looks like you have a big pair after you check the flop.

Thinking about picking off a bluff with Q high makes me think of a hand I observed--but folded preflop--tonight at a loose 4/8 game you're familiar with. 5 to a ragged flop, checked around, turn Ace, checked around. I announce, "First one with a pair wins." River blank, and I say, "King high is a monster." SB checks, BB bets, folded back to the SB who hems and haws and says, "I call with K high." BB's pocket fours are good. I build action. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[blackaces13]

[ QUOTE ]
Given how you played it you cannot expect calling the river on an unknown to be +EV. He played it well. It looks like you have a big pair after you check the flop.



[/ QUOTE ]

The part about me calling being -EV makes me feel better. But if he read me for a non-bullet high PP and thought I would fold it to a river bet he was mistaken. He check-called me on the turn, he does not have an Ace IMO.

And what are you doing at PS late on a Monday night? Don't you have to be up for work tomorrow? /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]
Hmm... I'm obviously raising AKs, AQs, AJs and KQs here, but I'm limping with KJs and QJs. Maybe I'll have to try mixing it up a little - does this work well for you? How would you play ATs, KTs, QTs and JTs here? (I'm usually limping with all of these as well)

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm definately raising with KJs and QJs after all these limpers with position. since they are all limping there is a decent chance that i can take the pot just by hitting a pair...much less a straight or flush.
ATs i raise...KTs i probably raise here...QTs maybe and JTs maybe (but usually not).
i'll also raise with AQo and even KQo and AJo more often than not here.

i'm not sure how well 'getting aggressive' will help at .50/1.
but in the 2/4 game, i find myself buying a few pots just with the position.
a common scenario for me would be to raise in the above hand, and then bet or raise when i flop a straight or flush draw...and then take the pot right there with everyone folding.
a lot of players fear 'the guy who raised PF'...and if i knock out everybody but one then it's not uncommon to take it with another bet on the turn.


buy the button and knock-out the blinds. get aggressive and let your opponents worry over what you have.

my win-rate has gone up almost in perfect harmony my PFR-rate which i have gradually raised from 5 or 6 to above 9 in the past 3 months or so.

[sfer]

[ QUOTE ]
And what are you doing at PS late on a Monday night? Don't you have to be up for work tomorrow?

[/ QUOTE ]

Good times last night. Tired times today. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[afk]

I'll raise this preflop in your position every time. Though I'll usually just check the turn through here, I don't like betting into 4 other players with nothing here, but in this case it appears to have worked in cutting the field down and increasing your chances of winning the pot - though it's not all that large.

[kem]

[ QUOTE ]
And more importantly, I had to fold right?

To complicate things MP1 was aggressive although I wasn't very aware of it at the time of this hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm going to agree with most of what has been said. The pre-flop raise looks fine, although I see some people not wanting to do it. You catch the smallest of pieces on the flop though -- backdoor straight, backdoor flush. And with the Ace out there, you really need a runner-runner to hit this hand, hence the check on the flop makes sense. Everyone checks on the turn, you make an attempt to steal, but it doesn't work out. I don't think this works at Party $0.5/$1, especially with an Ace out there. I think you check the turn, and fold to a bet on the river after that 2nd Ace falls. Your Q kicker isn't going to beat anyone really..

[jkstay]

I'm a newbie, so my thinking may very well be flawed here, but why not bet the flop? I'd think that there's a decent chance of buying the pot right there. If you get check raised, then fold. If you get callers, and it's checked to you again on the turn (and you don't improve), then just check along. Don't you "cost" yourself an extra SB by trying to buy the pot on the turn instead of the flop?

If I'm totally wrong, please tell me. I want to learn.

Thanks,
JK

[Raiser]

[ QUOTE ]
why not bet the flop? I'd think that there's a decent chance of buying the pot right there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Party .5/1 + 4 opponents = no way he's buying the pot with a flop bet.

The flop check is right IMO. He's got nothing but 2 runner runner draws. Might as well wait until the turn to see if one develops. And, he is using the free card that he bought by raising pre-flop.

[BeerMoney]

The flop bet's nice because the ace came down. Even the knuckleheads will notice this. If you bet here, you can take the "free card" on the turn.

I actually like the way that guy played the river.