Unimproved Buried A's.

[Graham]

Or should I title this "Hand Hardly Worth Talking About"... [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Online $4/8 on Ladbrokes. Very loose game (approx 60% to 4th St), generally passive. Don't know my opponent here.

I get AhAd/Js two to left of the bring-in (BI), who's showing the 2c, and raise after two folds. Amazingly - for this game - everyone else folds and I get heads-up with the bring-in. He reraises. I call. Can't remember the folded cards on 3rd now, but I know I was completely live.

4th: I check AhAd/JsTc, BI bets XX/2c5h, I call.

5th: I check AhAd/JsTc2d, BI bets XX/2c5hTd, I check-raise, he calls.

6th I bet AhAd/JsTc2d8s, BI calls XX/2c5hTdJh.

River: I get no help with the 9s and bet. Opponent calls.

I feel I could have played every street a bit differently. Any suggestions or am I looking reasonable.

G

[Andy B]

I think you played it just fine.

[Wombat6]

I would of reraised on 3rd. I would of lead or check raised on forth as well. I probably might have tried for a free card and/or check raised on 6 th and check called on the river.

my guess is he had 2T)2 to start and picked up two pair
or has 2A)2 and has you on a steal or a big pair in the hole maybe QQ or KK.

did the bring bet the full bet or just the bring in?
have you been stealing much with the second high up card?
have you been aggressivly manipulating the pot/players?
were there any/many higher up cards behind you?
is your opponent the kind of player to resteal with a random hand?

[Andy B]

Boy you ask a lot of questions. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Re-raising on third tends to annouce the hand. I think I prefer a check-raise on fourth, but waiting until fifth is fine. When someone limps and re-raises, split Deuces is about the last thing I put him on.

[Wombat6]

In stud, where the best hand is less likely to hold up as opposed to other games such as hold em, I like to be as aggressive with big pairs as possible early . because opponents will rarly let go for a reraise early & I can sometimes get it heads up on the later streets And some dead money in the pot. I deny the lower hands and draws implied pot odds. and because of the image it gives me and it makes it easy to drive better hands off on the later streets on the later hands. I do like the call(3rd) and then check raise (4th)/ bet or free card play (5th)though. Its just one example of programed betting in 7 stud high.

as far as split 2's with a suited A in a loosely structured game or a tight game ( most online games are of loose structures) I submit Pg. 165 of 7CSFAP as exhibit "A.1" and Pg. 164 as exhibit "A.2"

However I feel it is far more likely he has KK, QQ or two hi suited connected in the hole.

I dont think rolled ups is much of a threat here. they are just not common enough to fear all that much. and his late street play doesnt suggest them.

Of course us marsupials have never been credited with being that smart.

Wombat6

[Andy B]

In stud, where the best hand is less likely to hold up as opposed to other games such as hold em, I like to be as aggressive with big pairs as possible early

This strikes me as a reason to be less aggressive, not more. So long as you're getting your money in with the best of it, it shouldn't matter too much. In this case, the hand was already heads-up. When Hero completes with a Jack in the door, he is representing Jacks. When the other guy raises, he is saying that he has Jacks beaten. If Hero now comes over the top, he's basically representing Aces. I think that the deception in smooth calling has real value, and they're both going to the river anyway.

My copy of 7CS4AP is over 1000 miles away just now, but it seems to me that they say that, specifically, (A[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] 3[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img]) 3[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] is playable for a full bet, but whether you should make it a full bet yourself is debatable. I think they also say that if you have a hand and a re-raise will get it heads-up with a pair smaller than Aces, you should re-raise. This hand is already heads-up. There is no point in re-raising with a split pair of Deuces in the bring-in's position. I'm not saying I've never seen it done, but it would be a poor play, in my opinion. In any case, I maintain that a large buried pair is far more likely than split Deuces in this instance.

[Wombat6]

the reason is knock the last player out and win it right there. Or win it with a scare card after you check raise on fourth.

obviously this play wouldnt work here because the boards were practically duplicated. .Another reason to reraise is to encourage him to get himself pot stuck with a second best hand If he continues to play after you check raise on fourth and bet on fifth.

Of course if your opponent is a bad player you might want to let him in (on third) so he can make even bigger mistakes on the later streets. Or to keep the pot small so to blow him out easily on a later street.

remember I said I liked the flat call, check raise, bet, senario.

There is no good reason I can see to slow down with the Ace's heads up because your opponent has shown willingness to play. So slowing down in this case is probably costing you money . And allows you opponent to get card to beat you with at a discount. You are no where near stong enough to slow play with AA in this senario.

this is the reason I ask many questions because in poker you need all the information your opponent is willing to give you. If a small bet can gain me information I need to save or gain a large bet then that half bet is well utilized.

[Graham]

The bring-in just brung-in, he didn't complete the bet. I completed the bet on 3rd from EP, so it shouldn't have looked like a steal. Hence he likely has a good hand. My J was the highest card showing when I completed. I hadn't been playing long and didn't have notes on this guy, but they wouldn't have much on me either (if they were taking notes, that is...).

I was planning to C-R 5th even before I caught my 2, hoping he was tied to the pot by then with a big pair. I can see check-raising 6th instead, tho' was concerned he'd slow down by then if he hadn't double paired. The fact we caught a lot of each others cards could only help me, assuming he isn't rolled. I suspected likely K's or Q's, obviously, esp when I catch the 2. I think he made a mistake to reraise 3rd, instead of waiting, although against the loosies it might be a valid play just to get more $ in the pot when best; they'll play anyway and not use the information.

G

[Wombat6]

even against 2 pr you are not that big of a dog with Live A's however because of the fact that the boards were practically duplicated makes this some what less important but not irrelevant.

however I think you played it rather well over all.

Wombat6

[patrick dicaprio]

i think you have it wrong with some of these plays. firstly if you reraise on third then you are basically giving your hand away. but if you did reraise, then why would you think you could successfully checkraise on fourth? wouldnt your opponent likely take a free card?

also if you reraise on fourth why are you doing it. i think the better play is to reraise on fifth and get an extra half bet in the pot. you shoudl checkraise here even if you are behind and your opponent has two small pair since you are still in good shape to win the hand and the play will turn a profit.

another thing is that i dont think the factors you mention at the end of your post make much difference in how the hand is to be played. for example, virtually no one at this level will notice if you have been stealing with the second highest upcard, and even if they did i dont think it would change the way that it should be played heads up.

Pat