Bellagio 8/16 HE River Question

Playing on the 12th, 8/16 morning game, this game had only been

started an hour ago. I had only shown down a winner once with a

flopped nut flush. This hand I slow-played against two players

until the river. Other than that, I had been folding a run of

bad hands.


I am sitting with AsKd two off the button. Player from third-seat

open raises. His requirements for raising as far as I could tell

where a pair or any good black jack hand. This means I am a

slight dog to QQ on down, bad to AA and KK, and dominating

favorite to any A-face or K-face type hand.


Looking behind, I saw the button and cut-off ready to fold.

I just called here seeing it looked like I would get the

button. Would anyone argue for raising?


My thinking for the smooth-call is AK can be trap for me

re-raising an early raiser. As said before, his raises

were not all that loose. Now AKs I would auto-re-raise since

I like that hand in a volume pot.


The small blind and button folded, so it was me heads-up with

the open raiser and I in position.


The flop came down smallish cards and black, two spades and one

club. Giving me a three flush and two overs. The open raiser

checked, and I checked it through hoping to shut-him down on

the turn with a bet. Mistake?


On the turn, the K of hearts landed. He bet and I raised. He called.


On the river, a Q of diamonds landed and he lead again.


How should I play it?


Please flame away.


Cheers,

Joel

just call the turn and river is what i'd do, let him bet his 2 out QQ/JJ's into you. maybe bet the river if he checks.


you are probably beat here, since he is leading into you again. it would be reasonable for him to put you on AK or KQs.


just make the crying call.

he played it like maybe he had king queen so if you are sure he wouldnt bet unless the queen helped his hand then fold. or otherwise just call as you can beat alot of hands a person would bet that knows he is going to call if bet into.

Ray Zee is right. He had a KQ and I paid it off because I

did not know if his second bet was because he improved or

because he was planning on calling. If in his shoes

why not bet.

Joel,


You should reraise preflop to clear everybody else out of the pot and get it head up with a hand you are a solid favorite against or a small dog. Unless loking at AA or KK. More often than not you will be in the position of big favorite or small dog. You say you would hit the auto reraise button if it was suited because you like this hand in volume pots. This does not make any sense. You reraising is not gonna make it a volume pot it will make it a shorthanded pot probably head up. With either Ak off or suited a raise is in order here imo.


The flop when checked too you should bet. He either has nothing or a monster. More often than not nothing and the times he has a monster he would just call and go for a checkraise on the turn usually. If he calls and it blanks on the turn now you decide whether you think he's slowplaying or is fishing with nothing. I would sometimes check. This will do a few things. It may induce a bluff on the river. It will avoid being check raised on the turn not allowing you a chance to hit the river if he is raising with just a pair. And you do not have to fear a free card that much because he either is ahead with a pair where he would call anyway or he has some hand tied in with yours. Like KQAQAJ and others where he will be on a 3 outer.


Make the crying call on the river. He looks like KQ. But you have to take a look heads up. He may have the same hand also.

Anyone wonder why the raiser didn't bet the flop? If he bet the flop the turn might have been more interesting. I suppose Joel C could have raised the flop, but that's pretty aggressive if the raiser is tight. In my limited experience in the Bellagio 8-16, the raiser would normally bet the flop. I would proably call w/ AK and raise when the K came. (I remember a hand in that game that went just like that.)


But what are the pros and cons of KQ man leading the flop? Because that's what I'd do in his shoes. So tell me if I'm an idiot!

An intersting observation from your opponents play is that he bet out on the river after you raised on the turn . This most often means that the river card helped his hand . I'm not saying that I would fold in this spot but a laydown would be correct in many situation . I would call for pot size only here.

My mistake in terminology by inocrrectly prhasing it as a

``volume pot'' What my thinking with the AK suited is that

if I auto-raise now there will be the odds, if I have to

play a draw after the flop and not a hand (one pair or better).


My AK unsuited I have found it is easier for me to release when

all I have is overs if the pot is kept small. Lot of times, if

I go to the end with AK (unimproved) against an early raiser

I am seeing pair of nines or better. Another weighting was the

feeling from the left of me that I was getting the button

anyways that made me just go for a call.


If I knew the raiser to be loose or past the first three seats,

I would have three-bet it.


I am not saying I was correct just my thought process

at the time. Thanks for the feedback.


Joel