Hand to Talk About

Here's a hand I played a little earlier this evening in a four handed $30-$60 game.


I was the bring in with a 5h up and my hole cards were the Qh2h. The three other up cards in order from my left were the 7d, 4s, and the Ac. Everyone called my bring-in of $5.


On fourth street, I caught a deuce of spades (giving me a pair and a three flush). The player on my left with the 7d caught the As, and the other two players caught the 9d and Ts respectively. The player on my right with the AcTs up checked, I checked, the player on my left with the 7dAs bet, the two players between us folded and I (checked) raised. My opponent called.


On fifth street I caught the 2d (giving me three deuces. and my opponent caught a 4d giving him 7dAs4d as his up cards. I bet, he raised, I reraised, and he called.


On sixth street I caught the 5s (giving me a full house) and my opponent caught a blank. I bet and he called.


On the river I caught another 5 (which gave me a slightly better full house). I bet and my opponent called, and (of course) my hand was good.


All comments are welcome.

I know very little about stud (hold´em player), but apart from the check - which later turned into a check-raise semi-bluff after it was heads-up - where you perhaps could have bet out instead with the 3 others showing so little strength (but I think I´d have checked too and waited if the next card brought a four flush/two pair/trips), the rest of the plays seem to be pretty automatic.

Mason,


Great Check-Raise on 4th being heads up. Check- Raising in that instance gives you several options on 5th.....( not to mention that it is possible you may take the pot down after the raise )


1) If neither of you improves, he is still high and will probably check to you, giving you a free card if you choose to take it.


2) If you improve and are still high you (obviously ) bet first and take the pot down or make him pay a high price ( which you did ). It is interesting to note here that if you caught a 5 on fifth ( pairing your doorcard )that it almost forces him to fold... and you WANT him too with just 5s and 2's.


Play after 4th is straightforward...


Later,


CJ

you had two pair in the air on sixth street...hard for him to raise..but he coulda figgered (hoped) you had 3 pair ace kicker..i guess by getting the extra money in the pot early you tied the opponent to the hand, others may have tried for extra bets on expensive streets..hey it's always easier to play when you bet aggressively and then trip up in stud...good hand..gl

One thing this hand shows is that many times the strategy in stud is onthe first few streets, since the later streets become almost automatic. The check raise is the play that caused you to post the hand. One point is the old "taking control of the hand" that many people use as a rationale for raising. Most of the posts that discuss taking control of the hand do so in situations where there is no chance of this; for example in a six way raised pot as some suggested in a prior post. In your situation you are heads up and will take a free card on fifth if you do not improve, or will bet if you think he will fold. This is taking control of the hand, not raising in a six way pot that had six callers on third street of a reraise.


Firstly no one has a real strong hand, and your hand has some possibilities on fourth street. I think that most players would incorrectly think that they wanted as many players in as they could since they hope to make the flush, but that is clearly not the correct way to play this hand. The raise is key since you want the option fo a free card on fifth street. In addition to the chances of winning right there since the pot was unraised on third it is a good play.


Pat

actually a very interesting hand...by semi-bluff checkraising on fourth street, you gave yourself a chance to win if he was stealing...gave great deception value to your hand later...i guess i would have just called on 5th street...then raised on sixth street...assuming both catch blanks...and get 4 bb this way...your way is better..and i guess the key was your deceptive raise on 4th street..it would be hard for him to put you on trip deuces..gl

That bring-in seems kinda small. What was the ante?