Another random hand from a sinking ship.

[Monty Cantsin]

The big blind here is loose and semi-passive.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, BB calls.

Flop: (4 SB) K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">BB raises</font>, Hero calls.

I haven't been making steal raises on this guy, so I don't think this is a "political" situation, I think he has one of those 3 cards.

Am I right to call this raise planning to fold a non-J non-spade turn? If I'm drawing to 4 outs then after his raise the pot's giving me 7 to 1, and that's not enough. Does the backdoor flush possibility swing this to a call? It did for me!

Turn: (4 BB) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, Hero folds like a pair of pants.

/mc

[J.R.]

Imo, its not worth it stealing from the sb against a loose opponent in this spot, as you have little steal equity versus this BB and are risking $5 to win only $4 with the rake becoming a coinsideration if there is flop action. Why put $5 bucks into the pot to play out of position with T high in a spot where you are most likely going to have to show down the best hand? Against a weaker player who folds to much I could see this play, but not against a loose player, just give up your buck and wait for as better spot, its not worth it to get into blind wars from the sb in this game against loose opponents.

I would fold to the flop raise, 7-1 isn't enough for a gutshut and backdoor flush draw here.

Party's 3-6 full game rake doesn't help either. <font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
$1.00 $20
$1.50 $30
$2.00 $40
$2.50 $50
$3.00 $60 </pre><hr />

[scrub]

I hate the steal.

The SB you are folding is a 1-chip blind, reducing the "discount" you get for stealing.

When you steal from the SB, you will be out of position for the rest of the hand.

I've been working on my blind play a lot since I moved to 5/10 shorthanded, and it didn't take me long to figure out that you need a much better hand to steal from the SB than from the button or CO.

There's a Mason essay in one of the "Poker Essays" books about how many good players hurt themselves a ton by consistently trashstealing like this.

The flop call is bad but not horrific. It would be less bad if the BB was extremely aggressive.

scrub