Online $20-40, a couple of hands.

[LarsVegas]

Paradise $20-40, full table.

Hand 1
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Very tough, aggressive player (TAP) raises from EP. Cold-called by the next player (unknown to me) and I look down at 5h5d in MP. I choose to call. Rest fold, including the blinds. Three to the flop for 7 1/2 SB.

Flop: 8c 6c 3c. TAP bets, cold-caller folds, I call.

Turn: 6h. TAP bets, I call.

River: Qd. TAP checks, I check.

Comments? The way I see it, I have three debateable decisions, one very clear-cut. Furthermore I think out of my three debateable decisions, I choose wrong at least once.

Hand 2
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The only interesting part of this hand, really, is pre-flop.

UTG limps, MP raises, CO three-bets, I cap with TT on the button (suits irrelevant). Folded back to MP and CO who both call. Three to the flop, 14 1/2 SB in the pot.

Flop: Jh-Ts-5h. Checked to me, I bet, both call.

Turn: 3s. Checked to me, I bet, MP check-raises, CO folds, I three-bet and MP calls.

River: Qh. MP checks, I bet.

Comments?

lars

[Clarkmeister]

I'd fold them both preflop without much thought.

[shemp]

Hand 1. I'd fold preflop and bet the river. I think raising the turn here would be a bad idea.

Hand 2. I'd fold preflop.

[Nightwish]

Hand 1: I would probably muck it pre-flop. The problem with this hand is that even those times that you're ahead, you probably won't know it so you won't be able to make much money on it. Having said that, you got about the best flop you could hope for (short of a 5 or 234). Finally, when you called on the turn, were you also planning to call on the river if no club came and he bet into you? If so, you should probably raise on the turn. If he has a pocket pair, he'll certainly call and likely check to you on the river, where you can also check if the river is not a 5. The benefit in raising is that you'll get AK or AQ out. But overall, I'd say it's probably not worth calling 2 cold with 55.

Hand 2: your pre-flop cap is probably correct because of your superb position and the fact that you can check the turn (if it's checked to you) if the flop and/or turn are really scary. The only danger on the river is that MP has AKs, so if he check-raises you on the river again, I would just call.

[CrackerZack]

Hand 1 is pretty ugly. call-call-call-check. all we're missing is the word station.

hand 2 I'd fold PF also but not love it.

[Robk]

In hand 1, that's a clear bet on the river.

[DanZ]

haven't read the other posts, but -

How on earth do you play fives in the first hand AND
why are you capping it with tens instead of folding?

Dan Z.

[cero_z]

Hi Lars,
You are playing way too loose pre-flop to beat this game in the long run, IMO. Calling with 55 in that spot is the fishiest of plays. Capping with TT is probably just as bad. If MP thinks you are a good player, which he may not, his turn raise says "overpair", and your 3-bet says "Aces or overplayed (pre-flop) JJ". So, on the river, it's about 2 to 1 that he has Kings, so I guess you ought to bet.

[SoBeDude]

Hi Lars,

The 20-40 on paradise is not for the faint of heart. There are several top players there. There are also several who play very loose-aggressive preflop, but play excellently postflop.

Under no circumstances do I overcall preflop with 55 there.

You're play with TT is just about as bad. You need to think about how this hand will unfold postflop when you DON'T flop a ten, which will be most of the time. Do you think they're going to fold even if you get a favorable low flop? They're getting odds to chase AK to the river, chase any gutshot, and any flush draw. They're also going to properly chase any pair. And most importantly, they're not folding on the flop. With an UTG limp an MP raise and a CO reraise, these are legitimate hands you're facing. And even though UTG folds in this case, you have think its likely that one of the three opponents has an overpair preflop. And there are a lot of overcards to TT. And they're not going anywhere.

Find better spots to play TT.

-Scott

[mr1satzgruppe]

hand 1 playing your 55s here is proably -ev ihave been reading lately about lags like myself making this call the downside to this call is it could easily be reraised behind you and playing pairs for multiple bets is generally not a good idea ok u have decided to too play ibelieve you should raise the flop to see where you stand fold to a3 bet if called check turn call river unless scare card comes why your opponent didnt fire the last barrel on the river is amystery too me hand 2 fold 10s to all but maniacs which as clarkmeister said a three 3 at paradise 20-40 usually means the goods you would have to own these guys too cap with 10s here you flopped trips and took down a nice pot good for u