How'd I do? Flop bottom 2 pair from BB

[JrJordan]

First orbit at the table, no reads yet. I guess my bigger question is how do you play something like bottom two pair? It's relatively strong, yet very vulnerable to overpairs and counterfeiting. Any advice appreciated, for this hand or bottom 2 pair in general. Thanks.

Party Poker Pot-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (10 handed)

Hero ($25)
UTG ($59)
UTG+1 ($19.50)
UTG+2 ($122.85)
MP1 ($50.75)
MP2 ($27.70)
MP3 ($33)
CO ($49.24)
Button ($28.85)
SB ($24.50)

Preflop: Hero is BB with T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG calls $0.50, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 calls $0.50, MP1 folds, MP2 calls $0.50, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, Hero checks.

Flop: ($2.25) J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(4 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets $2</font>, UTG folds, UTG+2 folds, MP2 calls $2.

Turn: ($6.25) 3/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets $5.95</font>, MP2 calls $5.95.

River: ($18.15) 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets $10</font>, <font color="CC3333">MP2 raises to $19.25 (All-In)</font>, Hero calls $6.55 (All-In).

Final Pot: $53.95

[schwza]

I would play it exactly as you did.

[Richie Rich]

BB special...I probably would have played it the same way. Only reasonable hands that beat you are JT or a slowplayed set. If he happened to catch the runner-runner straight with A5 (I would eliminate the chances of him holding 56), then my hat's off to him.

[scrub]

I checkraise the flop and fold to a push from a reasonable player. You can't beat very many hands that like this flop that entered the pot voluntarily and you hate any free card.

Note that this is a very different hand than if the board had been 7 T 4 or T 5 4.

What were you putting him on each street?

On the flop I'd be putting him on {KQ, 89, JQ, KJ, AJ, any set, JT, AT, KT, A4, or something retarded}.

Now he calls another pot sized bet on the turn and I put him much more squarely on {KQ, 89, JQ, KJ, AJ, retarded JT or retarded set}.

So, when you get to the river and it's not a 7 or an A, you have to realize that you're not going to get called by the hand he most likely has. Therefore, it doesn't make a ton of sense to bet huge on this river--he's either got one pair, a missed draw, or something that beats you. By betting $10.00, you make sure that you have to pay off a raise when you are beat, and make it very difficult for him to call with the hands you want to get called by (one pair suspect kicker). Checking and trying to pick off a bluff from missed KQ or betting a smaller amount (another $5?), would both probably make you more money in the long run.

scrub

[JrJordan]

Villain in this case has JJ for the slowplayed monster. Still, I think the play was mostly right. I agree with the check/call on the river for a bluff catcher.