A6s, too fancy?

[Brian]

Party 15/30. Table is typical, meaning loose and aggressive, with a few solid spots. Loose straightforward EP limps, this was A6o last time. MP limps as well, don't have much of a line on his post-Flop play, but the last MP limp I saw from him was AQo. I limp along as well in MP with A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. Unknown CO raises, blinds fold, we all call. 4 to the Flop, 4.5bb.

Flop: 5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 2 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

Checked to me and I bet. CO raises, others fold, I call. 2 to the Turn, 6.5bb.

Turn: Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif

I check-call. 2 to the River, 8.5bb.

River: 4 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

I bet.

-Brian

[mike l.]

yeah this hand is a mess. not sure what you were trying to do here. check-call the flop, check-fold the turn and it's not close.

if youre going to push with a marginal dominated sort of hand against some unknown preflop raiser who has position on you in a multiway pot then you need to be more convincing. you should checkraise the flop, or play it like you did but then bet the turn, whatever turns you on i guess, youll definitely lose money playing like this, it's not fancy it's just bad. been there, done that. this hand just reeks of someone who really wanted to win a pot, and win one right f+cking now, you need to find whatever is in you that makes you so impatient.

what were you going to do if a 6 came on the river? or a 5? dont answer that, just something to think about.

[Brian]

Hi Mike,

Well, at least we agree on one thing: I am going to have to see the Turn card in this pot. /images/graemlins/smile.gif I thought that it was worth the extra small bet to give myself a better chance of winning the hand. For once, it was a perfect world, and my bet left me heads-up with the pre-Flop raiser, against whom I now presumably have 7 clean outs.

-Brian

[mike l.]

"For once, it was a perfect world, and my bet left me heads-up with the pre-Flop raiser, against whom I now presumably have 7 clean outs."

i dont know why you would presume the A is a clean out. it's likely an out but not enough so to be called "clean" also there are two flush draws out there by the turn, thus further complicating matters.

[Brian]

Hi Mike,

Once I am heads-up, either an Ace will give me a win over a pocket pair, or a 6 will give me a win against a big Ace.

-Brian

[mike l.]

yes i understand. but what's your plan if an A comes? are you going to check-call? bet and call a raise? what? and what if it's a spade or heart? or 5s or 5h and you get raised?

also what if a 6 comes? are you going to bet? what if youre raised? you like check-calling w/ your 6 here and hope is he pushing A high or KQ or something? yuck.

you need to re-evaluate this hand. your reverse implied odds are a problem here. completely avoiding these situations is a good idea.

on the flop if you check-call rather than bet you allow other players with only an A or a pair or maybe just overcards to stick around. then if you make your hand on the turn you get paid off more. better implied odds.

but when you get the hand heads up w/ the preflop raiser you dont get rid of the one player you most have to fear as having an A that dominates you. in other words, by betting into the preflop raiser here you are helping him out but not really helping yourself out much at all. all youre really doing is raising the price you have pay to draw to your marginal hand with a marginal flop. plus if someone behind you has a draw or decent hand they will now call or reraise and youll be trapped and may not get to the river after all.

this can add up very quickly and over time plays like this can turn a winning session into a loser. stick to your more legit draws and made hands and save money by putting in the least and not being constantly showdown bound with hands like A high, gutshot draw. i understand the idea of cleaning up some of your outs but i dont believe this was one of those places to attempt it.

[astroglide]

you have 2 clean non-chopping gutshot outs on the turn. two thumbs way up!