Ragged Flop with ace high and draws HU

[lehighguy]

Party 5/10 (6max)

Villian is UTG. He is loose, seeing many flops, but raising preflop very unoften (2.9%).

Hero is MP with AJo (ace is hearts)

Villian UTG raises, hero calls, eveyone folds.

Flop: 2, 4, 5. Two hearts. Villian Bets, hero raises.
My feeling here is theres a good chance I have the best hand, I have a gutshot straight, overcards, and a backdoor flush draw. I figure I might buy it there if he doesn't have it. Even if he has PP or overcards I figure this will at least get me a free card on the turn(i intend to check with no help).

Anyway villian three bets. Hero calls.

Turn is no help, hero calls since he still has 10 outs.

River no help. Villian bets. Hero: ?

I think he has pocket pair here cause of the flop 3bet. At best I'm calling and hoping my ace high is good, and he probably has a better ace anyway. SO I fold. Good fold?

[Nick C]

I don't really know 6-max, but if Villain is raising only 2.9 percent of the time preflop, then I don't think you should be cold-calling with AJo. At full tables, I muck AJo to a preflop raise, unless the raiser has been raising light and I think I can isolate, in which case I 3-bet. (But my default play is to muck.)

Given Villain's preflop raise percentage, I think there's hardly any chance you have the best hand on the flop. I'm thinking that unless he's mixing up his play, he's got a better ace or a high pocket pair.

Given his likely holdings, I think you're overvaluing your outs. If a 3 falls, you can probably count on at least splitting the pot, but you can't count on pulling ahead if you catch an ace or jack. You do also have the backdoor flush, it's true, but basically I think you went too far with this hand.

[Rubeskies]

Short Handed Forum

[lehighguy]

Shorthanded is a whole new story. You raise on a lot of hands. Remember, there are only 5 or 6 people. And you have to keep paying those blinds, you can't sit around waiting for a great hand like at full ring. People would raise with things less then AJo.

What I really want advice on is the flop raise. Was this a good semi-bluff/free card play.

[Nick C]

[ QUOTE ]
Shorthanded is a whole new story. You raise on a lot of hands. Remember, there are only 5 or 6 people. And you have to keep paying those blinds, you can't sit around waiting for a great hand like at full ring. People would raise with things less then AJo.

[/ QUOTE ]

I realize this, but you said Villain only raised preflop 2.9 percent of the time.

I don't know much about shorthanded play, but if 2.9 is Villain's PFR percentage (and he accumulated those numbers during shorthanded play), then I think you have to give his UTG raise some credit.

[Freakin]

I've been playing more shorthanded recently, and I don't think the flop raise is terrible. That being said, his 3-bet makes me think pocket pair or AK. I don't think I would hold onto this past the turn bet, since it's quite possible that your overcard outs are clean. He could just has easily have been raising TT as QQ-KK preflop. You got youself into a little trouble that could have been avoided by folding preflop. At 2.9PFR, it's obvious that he hasn't adjusted his play for a SH table, and is probably only raising group 1 hands. You were likely behind from the start.

Freakin

[Thomsen]

shorthanded might be another story as you say - however this guy have probaly not noticed yet since he is only raising 2,9 % preflop. Thus you almost have to put him on a real hand...

[Rubeskies]

Easy preflop fold.