Good Bluffing Opportunity?

[SnakeRat]

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 raises, CO folds, Button folds, Hero calls, BB folds, UTG+2 calls.

Flop: (7 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, UTG+2 checks, MP3 bets, Hero raises, UTG+2 calls, MP3 calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
Hero bets, UTG+2 calls, MP3 folds.

River: (8.50 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero bets

Final Pot: 10.50 BB

Only read is MP3 was playing 40% of the hands.
When he called 2 cold on the flop I put him on a flush draw.

There are a lot of places I could have folded this..
Is this a raise/fold preflop?
How would you guys play it on every street?

[Sadat X]

First off, I don't like the cold call preflop. This is either a 3-bet or fold. You say that MP3 was playing about 40% of hands. Was he raising often preflop? If he doesn't, MM argues in the quiz at the end of Poker Essays 3 that this should be a folding situation. Personally, I 3-bet here and try to isolate.

On the flop the CR isn't a bad move, I'd prefer to be HU to pull this off though. Once you make that move, you pretty much have to bet the last two streets if you want to have a chance to win the pot.

The call from UTG+2 on the flop would really concern me. It seems like a situation where a fish caught some piece of the flop (maybe even the J) and is going to call you down the whole way. I still bet the river though for value.

[Brian]

Hi SnakeRat,

If MP3 is playing 40% of his hands, and is generally being aggressive with them pre-Flop, then you should 3-bet pre-Flop. If hes the type who is very loose, but has selective pre-Flop raising standards, then just calling is fine.

I can't say I like the Flop check-raise. Again, if you think hes a LAG, then you should 3-bet pre-Flop; if he's not, then I'm not check-raising the Flop. I'd check, and maybe take one off, but probably not. Given that you check-raised, I suppose that the rest is fine, but I really just don't like the way you played this hand. Stop trying to bluff at the low limits, and value bet as much as possible.

-Brian

[EDIT]: Just wanted to re-iterate how much I dislike the Flop check-raise. Even if you have 40% guy beaten, you still have the rest of the field to worry about.

[SnakeRat]

Thanks Guys,

I botched this one very badly. At the time I thought UTG+2 raised preflop and MP3 cold-called.

Was playing 2 tables and got a bit distracted.
I doubt that makes my play any better.

Thanks for the sound chastising, sometimes when I am having a great session I start getting way too creative.