Pocket Aces Heads Up -- Party $3/6

colgin · #1 05-01-2004, 12:57 PM

My opponent in this hand seems to be a somewhat tight, fairly straightforward player (bets and raises his good hands; I have not seen any tricky moves, e.g. check-raise).

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG folds, Hero raises, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO 3-bets, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, Hero calls.

Flop: (7.33 SB) T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players) 
Hero checks, CO bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (4.66 BB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players) 
Hero checks, CO bets, Hero raises, CO calls.

River: (8.66 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players) 
Hero bets, CO calls.

Final Pot: 10.66 BB
Main Pot: 10.66 BB, between CO and Hero.

Anybody play this differently? Thanks in advance.

Colgin

Alobar · #2 05-01-2004, 01:21 PM

I Think the flop play is horrible. You're giving him a shot at a free card on a board you can't like. Bet out, if he raises, 3 bet.

sfer · #3 05-01-2004, 03:14 PM

CO 3-bet preflop. I think there's no chance of him checking that board through heads-up.

James Boston · #4 05-01-2004, 03:28 PM

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You're giving him a shot at a free card on a board you can't like.

[/ QUOTE ]

A spade draw isn't going to fold anyway. I like the way he played.

Alobar · #5 05-01-2004, 04:36 PM

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CO 3-bet preflop. I think there's no chance of him checking that board through heads-up.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point. What about the turn then, do you take a chance there?

Alobar · #6 05-01-2004, 04:38 PM

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A spade draw isn't going to fold anyway.

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You don't bet to get him to fold, you bet so he can't take the free card

James Boston · #7 05-01-2004, 05:01 PM

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You don't bet to get him to fold, you bet so he can't take the free card

[/ QUOTE ]

Huh? The purpose of not giving a free card is to keep your opponent from improving his hand. Sure, maybe you can get them to call with insufficient pot odds, which is +EV for you, but waiting until the turn on this hand to bet is fine. We haven't even examined the possibilty that he's up against a made flush.

Kenshin · #8 05-01-2004, 05:06 PM

[ QUOTE ]

Huh? The purpose of not giving a free card is to keep your opponent from improving his hand. Sure, maybe you can get them to call with insufficient pot odds, which is +EV for you, but waiting until the turn on this hand to bet is fine. We haven't even examined the possibilty that he's up against a made flush.

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe the purpose of avoiding free cards is to prevent infinite odd draws. Although the hero will not lose a flush draw here, he must prefer an opponent drawing to 7:1 rather than infinity:1

Kenshin

ddubois · #9 05-01-2004, 06:09 PM

The purpose of betting and not let flush draws draw "for free" is to get more money in while you are a 1.8:1 favorite. You don't need them to fold to be making money. Your bets make your money the 65% of the time they miss their flush. This assumes you "know" your opponent is on a draw though.

colgin · #10 05-01-2004, 07:13 PM

I am glad that this hand sparked a little debate. I am a little surprised that the flop play has been the main point of contention in that I thought my river play was more questionable.

I am not very worried about giving a free card here. First, I think there is close to 0% chance that my opponent will check this through. He will either like this flop and bet or hate it and bet to protect his hand (and possibly fold if checkraised). If I bet my opponent will call with either a better made hand or a strong draw. The hand that I would not want to give a free card to is AK with no spades, because I would be giving the inside straight draw a free card. However, this hand will call because it will appear to be getting proper calling odds between the str8 draw and the two overcards. I believe the only hand that will fold on the flop is one that I am way in front of in which case I don't want them to go away.

My line here was to check-call the flop and then check-raise the turn if a safe card fell. I am very certain that my opponent will bet agin if checked to on the turn. If a terrible card comes, say the J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], I probably bet and then fold to a raise since I don't think this opponent was capable of bluff raising without a spade or a straight in that situation.

My plan was to bet the river again if not re-raised on the turn adn if a scare card doesn't come. But the Jack is not a great card for me since my opponent could reasonably be on AK and play the hand the way he did. Will a worse hand really call here? COuld I call a river raise. I think that I was better off checking and calling in the hopes of catching a bluff.

Any other thoughts are appreciated. Results to follow a little later.

Colgin