Playing from the Blinds

bluewilde · #1 07-14-2005, 09:33 AM

All of the following relates to a Party 6 or 11 in the first 2-3 blind levels.

Usually when I'm in the blinds and there's a raise ahead of me I have a clear sense of call/raise/fold, because I have a premium hand or a terrible hand. But I was wondering about those good-looking, bad hands: KQ, KJ, QJ, AJ. Certainly I'm not calling any substantial raise with these hands, but in the hand below, it's minraised. So I call from the BB. Then I hit the flop in just about the best way I can, but I check (bad move?). It is, however, fortunate I check because the players behind me make it abundantly clear that they have AQ, KQ, a set, a strong flush draw or at least huge pair (oh I'm so witty). The converter misses that they push and call the turn, but that doesn't mattter much. The only part I'm asking about is the preflop call/the check when I actually hit my hand. Do you just fold the easily dominated hands mentioned above (after putting in SB/BB) to even a minraise simply because your position will suck postflop?

Hmmm...just cause it came up right now, KQs UTG, limp/fold preflop?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) http://216.119.70.224/converter/hhconverter.pl

CO (t800)
Button (t800)
SB (t800)
Hero (t800)
UTG (t800)
UTG+1 (t800)
UTG+2 (t800)
MP1 (t800)
MP2 (t800)
MP3 (t800)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG raises to t30, 3 folds, MP2 calls t30, 4 folds, Hero calls t15.

Flop: (t97.50) 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets t50, MP2 raises to t250, Hero folds, UTG raises to t450, MP2 calls t200.

Turn: (t997.50) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)

River: (t997.50) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)

Final Pot: t997.50

durron597 · #2 07-14-2005, 09:38 AM

I play the hand exactly as you do except I lead the flop for t45. I definitely fold to all this action.

I can't see folding preflop for 2% of my stack with QJ here getting 5:1.

tigerite · #3 07-14-2005, 09:40 AM

Preflop is fine. Leading this flop is bad because you have a hand that rates to be the best but cannot protect it. It's not worth it, check and let someone else lead out (which they will with a two-flush on the board) and then let them display the strength of their hand accordingly.

By the way KQs UTG is a fold.

bluewilde · #4 07-14-2005, 10:30 AM

Could I have called a smaller bet, and led the turn if the board is still Q high, or do I just not risk being against QK, AQ or a hidden set/overpair?

durron597 · #5 07-14-2005, 10:33 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Preflop is fine. Leading this flop is bad because you have a hand that rates to be the best but cannot protect it. It's not worth it, check and let someone else lead out (which they will with a two-flush on the board) and then let them display the strength of their hand accordingly.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, so you did that here and found a good fold. But, if I'm MP2 with a hand like 8c 7c, I'm betting here. Are you saying call that bet or raise it? I'm also betting with Ad Qd.

If I lead out here and get raised, I know I'm almost certainly beat and can fold. But if I check and someone else bets, I have no idea.

bluewilde · #6 07-14-2005, 10:37 AM

Ha...78 is exactly what the leader had, reraiser had AQ.

durron597 · #7 07-14-2005, 10:41 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Ha...78 is exactly what the leader had, reraiser had AQ.

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh. Assume for the moment that MP2 had AJ or 77 or something and folds to UTG's bet. What do you do? You have no idea where you are now.