Kicker Troubles

[submariner]

Am I overplaying my TPWK hands? I think these are a big leak for me.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q/images/graemlins/club.gif, 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, CO folds, Button calls, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (6 SB) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls, Button folds, SB calls.

Turn: (5 BB) 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls, SB folds.

River: (8 BB) 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP3 calls.

Final Pot: 10 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 10 BB, between MP3 and Hero.</font>Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)



Preflop: Hero is BB with 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, CO folds, Button calls, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (6 SB) 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP3 folds, Button calls, SB calls.

Turn: (6 BB) 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button calls, SB calls.

River: (9 BB) 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button folds, <font color="CC3333">SB raises</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 13 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 13 BB, between SB and Hero.</font>

[chief444]

I think you played these fine. In general, I will often check TPWK on the flop from the blinds and hope for a late position bet to give me a chance to protect my hand by raising. But you were shown no resistance in hand 1 so I think you have to value bet the river. Hand 2 SB bet out and I think raising right away is the right play. You caught trips on the turn so you have to bet here and the flush came runner-runner so you can't worry about that until check/raised on the river. Looks fine to me.

One other comment...There are many times that I will lay these hands down on the flop or turn. But if you're shown no resistance and the board is not that scary there is no reason not to take them to showdown and value bet them throughout the hand as well.

[B Dids]

This was the story of my yesterday. I lost about 10BB because My Axs and Ax-in the blinds would flop an ace, I'd lead the betting and eventually lose to somebody who limped with AQ or something.

Didn't help that I also tried to get too cute, and c/r when the board paired (thinking that A- I might scare them out and B- maybe now my kicker problems didn't help and I needed to extort more money from the folks who were still along for the ride when we split).

I think both your hands are fine. I might be inclined to check the river on the first one, but then I just think you make the Q that beats you bet, and you still have to call.

[RED_RAIN]

Hand 1 - 6 people to the flop, think you got best hand? Table read needed, if not, I usually just check. This also isn't the best board for you.
Hand 2 - Good if you want to protect your top pair from people being able to call just one with overs

[Zetack]

I think the first hand is just fine. Sometimes these hands seem to be second best or worse a lot, then turn around and suddenly they all hold up for you.

The second hand, I'm not wild about the flop raise. The six no kicker is just too weak to protect. With six opponents this looks like a hand that's probably going to have to improve to win. On the other hand I'd feel good about trips or hitting the gutshot so that's six outs and even though two pair would give any five a straight, even two pair might be allright so a flop call would be fine.

--Zetack

[submariner]

thanks all. Its hard not to be results oriented when reviewing these myself. Would I have even thought to post these if I had won them? I don't know. Thanks for the input. The c/r sounds like a good idea.
BTW, hand 1, villain had KdQd. Hand 2, villain had Rag-Rag of diamonds.