Flopped Set of Aces

Dealt AcAh in SB. Loose 3-6 HE game - I have been playing very tight and aggressive.


UTG Calls, EP Calls, MP1 Raises, MP2 Calls, LP Calls, Button Calls, I 3-bet, Some Calls, MP1 4-bets, Some calls, I cap it.


End result 5 players (SB (me), BB, MP1, MP2, LP) in for 5 bets pre-flop.


Flop: As 8c 5d


I check. And it gets checked around!


Turn: 3c [As 8c 5d]


I bet. BB calls. MP1 raises. MP2 calls. LP calls. I 3-bet. BB folds. MP1 4-bets. MP2 calls. LP folds. I cap. MP1 calls. MP2 calls.


River: 10c [5c As 8c 3d]


I check. MP1 bets. MP2 calls. I call.


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Results


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MP1 shows a pocket pair of 8s.

MP2 shows 2c6c for the flush.

I muck.


Thoughts?

It's too bad for you that MP1 isn't in check-raising position and decided to try it on the flop anyway. Just don't play it like him next time you are in his spot!

I guess this is one of the loose Bay Area games that I heard so much about. Haven't played in CA BTW. With a board like that I would have been tempted also to attempt a check-raise on the flop which did not materialize. You did what you can on the turn but there is no way you can take out a backdoor draw with all that action. Better luck next time.

Bet the flop...there's 25 SBs in the pot already, and you're going to get called...in fact, if the case A is out, or someone has a set they will have to raise (in this case the set of 8s will almost surely raise) which allows you to 3-bet.


If MP2 stayed in for a cap with 62s, it's unlikely he/she would fold even for 2 SBs when the pot is huge, but you never know. Once the baby clubs also picks up the gutshot wheel draw on the turn, they're not going anywhere, so the time to get hands like this out is on the flop , IMO.

I think you played it fine. Rainbow flop is the best time to go for a check-raise when it's capped pre-flop. If the player holding baby clubs wants to call raises like that, just tell him nice hand and wait for the money to come back your way. Bad beat. It happens.

I think betting on the flop would be good. Not so much to prevent a free card, as hoping it gets raised so you can re-raise. Your idea of check-raising is not bad, although with that many bets it's still going to be correct for chasers to chase regardless of whether you just bet or check-raise. The main idea is to get in as many bets as you can, and in this situation on the average betting will usually get in more bets than check-raising will, either because if you check it might get checked around, or because someone might raise you if you bet.

It's hard to calculate the exact size of the pot pre-flop since some players called a couple bets but did not put 5 bets into the pot. It appears the pot has about 15 big bets in it.


The flop is PERFECT. You couldn't ask for a better flop than A,8,5 rainbow (well, maybe A,8,3 rainbow). And then you check? Why? Do you want to give your opponents a free chance to draw out with a monster pot at stake?


You can't expect anybody to bet this flop for you. You know you've got all the good cards. The odds of somebody holding the case Ace is very slim. The odds of somebody having 88 or 55 is also very slim. What hand could be out there which would be willing to bet into you after you've capped pre-flop?

tough beat...


its a safe board to check to the turn. but you know noone is going to bet the flop for ya...not with all the pre action and an A hitting.


the turn...


people worried about a draw...im not..you have a better one...the draw's only got 7 outs at best and you have 10...*in hindsight, you only have 7, which with all that action you can figure an underset, and the inside str8 flush draw has 11*


put it this way...if you wanted to make the flush draw pay...you did. its not often you get to charge the draw 5BB. especially a baby flush.


is he really going to fold a backdoor flush/str8 draw after going 5 bets preflop with crap? maybe. but if you bet, the set of 8s may wait for the turn and just call, thus the draw may come anyway...


better luck next time...


b