Tricky hand from BB

PrayingMantis · #1 12-21-2003, 02:47 PM

Hi all.

I think I completely misplayed that one. Please tell me what you think.

10+1 SNG. 7 left. Blinds are 40/80. I'm on the BB, with T800, getting A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].

Two limpers: CO, with T1200, and button. SB folds, I check (?).

Flop: 6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

I decide to check and see what the CO does. he usually bets weak with 2nd pair or draw, and I think I can get something of him. He does bet 80. Button folds. I raise to 320. CO calls. I still don't think he has an ace, surely not a better than mine. I don't really understand this call. What do you think?

Turn: 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

This is not nice. I check. I decide that if he bets I raise all-in. But he checks too.

River: Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

Second ugly card. I think a while and check. I only have around T500 left. CO thinks a little, and bets T160.

What would you do here, and how would you play it from pre-flop to river? I really feel uncomfortable with my passive play, but what are the options?

All thoughts appriciated.

PrayingMantis

CrisBrown · #2 12-21-2003, 03:59 PM

Hiya P.M.,

Good check pre-flop; ATo is not a hand you want to be raising with from the BB in a multi-way pot.

Now you flop top pair ... but NOT top kicker ... in an unraised pot, where people could be on AQo or AJo (neither of which is a raising hand at this point), any Axs or Kxs, and any suited connector. The hands you have to fear are AQ, AJ, A7, A6, 67, and two hearts ... any of which is a possible holding given the pre-flop action. So you can't be too aggressive at this flop. Your pot raise at the flop was an excellent bet; it narrowed the field to heads-up, and it bought you a LOT of information. His call makes it pretty clear that he has an A, two-pair, or two hearts.

When the 7 falls on the turn, you're reduced to a bluff-catcher situation. Checking was the right play. When the third heart falls on the river, you're definitely in a deep hole. The ONLY hands he might reasonably be on that you can beat are A9, A8, A-baby, or a busted straight (89 or 45).

He bets a third of your stack at the river, into a pot of 960 (if my math is right), so you're getting 6:1 from the pot. If you think there's better than a 1-in-6 chance that he's betting a weaker hand, you call. If you think there's less than a 1-in-6 chance that he's betting a weaker hand, you fold. That's a player-dependent read, so I can't help much there.

You've played it correctly to the turn. I'd have to be at the table and have a read on that opponent to know what you should do at the river.

Cris

PrayingMantis · #3 12-22-2003, 06:32 AM

Hey Cris,

As usual, your reply was exactly what I needed. I tend to play a bit over-aggressive, I think, and when it comes to a situation where I'm not leading with the bets I feel I'm not doing the right thing. But you made clear it was the right thing.

Regarding the bet on the river. You say that if I feel that there's a chance of more than 1-6 that he's betting a weaker hand, I should call. I see the point in this bluff-calculation, of course, but ironically (?), my tendency to call will grow as his bet grows - while cutting down my odds on the bluff, I feel that this gets into the category of "is it a bet he wants me to call?", and in that case - it was. A bigger bet, maybe something that puts me all-in, might look like something he doesn't want me to call - so I might call more often. I guess that's just another contradictory character of poker (actually, that doesn't have to contradict - if you take into calculation the fact that as his bet grows, the chances of him bluffing grow as well... but that's another story).

Anyway, I folded. I thought I can use my smallish stack better in some other spot.

PrayingMantis

theBruiser500 · #4 12-22-2003, 09:00 AM

For just 160 more, I think you have to call here unless you have a very good read on your player. At a $10 sit and go, there are just too many wacky hands a fish would bet here because he doesn't know what he's doing.

danny

Schmed · #5 12-22-2003, 09:10 AM

My guess is you got beat by the guys flush. He bet the small amount on the end so you would call.

I don't raise here preflop either. I don't like A10o at all but without a raise your Ace is probably good.

It was a mistake not betting the turn but I don't think it would matter. If he calls that bet on the flop then he's calling all in. If he had something like a 67 what are you gonna do.

Personally with an iffy hand like A10 with an A on the flop I like to bet out. I don't want the LP player feeling like he's tied to the pot and the more money he puts in, especially at the 10 SnG, the more likely he's seeing the river for any bet