20-40 Hand

20-40 Hand


I was in an average 20-40 hold em game the other night. I am in the cutoff with JJ. All players limp in but one. I call, the button calls, the blinds both check. We see the flop 9 handed. I believe the flop was 259 or something similar – no flush draws. Everyone checks to the player to my immediate right who bets. I raise. The button and 3 other players call and the initial bettor calls.


The turn card is the K of hearts – which puts a heart flush draw on board. Three players check and the player immediately to my right bets. I raise. The button calls 2 bets cold immediately. The 3 players who had checked now fold and the initial bettor calls. Before the river card is turned, the button turns over the A7 of hearts for the nut flush draw with no pair. The dealer then turns the river, which is a dead blank 3 of clubs. The player to my right checks, and I now check.


Results to follow in a separate post.


All comments welcome.


Just some thoughts…


Michael D. (Soccer/Sucker Mike D)

20-20 Hand Results


I won a nice sized pot with the JJ. The river was checked to me and I now checked.


Since the button had already turned over his hand, A7 of hearts and missed, he basically mucked. The player to my right showed me the 46 of hearts and the JJ was good.


Just some thoughts…


Michael D. (Soccer/Sucker Mike D.)

I think that you showed good hand reading on the turn. Given your flop raise, you ought not to expect that the King hit anyone on the turn. It particularly ought not to have hit the guy to your right (i.e., why would he bet the flop if he had a king in his hand and if he happened to make two pairs, could he resist the urge to go for a checkraises).


That said, your big danger is some guy laying in the weeds with a set (i,e, there were 3 coldcallers of your flop raise). But you have to find out by raising. If someone three bets, you are probably gone. Calling on the turn is certainly a weak play. You may want to just call if say, the guy first to act on the turn comes out swinging when the King hits and a couple of other guys call. You may also want to fold then. I.e. call or fold would be better than raise in that scenario. But with the bet coming from your right, I think raising is clearly the best play.

I like your play on the flop and turn. On the river there

is no reason to bet. I however, prefer raising BTF from the

cutoff to hopefully buy the button. You certainly have the

best hand and there are already five limpers so even if the

button and blinds call you are getting a huge overlay if

you flop a set or little cards come.


Bruce

"I think that you showed good hand reading on the turn. Given your flop raise, you ought not to expect that the King hit anyone on the turn.


You make a good point. For some reason I looked at this hand more from the two opponent's point of view (particularily the button). I wonder if they didn't show BAD hand reading...


Here's my question- How maniacal would it have been for the button to make it 3 bets with his nut flush draw?


As you stated, it's unlikely the king has helped anyone. Two-pair on this board is remote for anyone. This leaves a set as the only likely hand to call a re-raise. This pot's pretty big.


The button is getting by my count 6.75 to 1 to simply call the raise, and 4.5 to 1 to re-raise (worse, but not significantly worse). If you figure in that he might have to bet his bust on the river to win, he's getting a little over 3 to 1. But these are just his pot odds. His implied odds figure to be higher in all cases. If he is called, his odds are better to hit his flush (or as it turns out an ace). Also, if he is called, his pot odds have improved to bluff the river with a bust. He certainly can't fold and if you add in the chance he might win it right there, it seems to me that throwing in one more bet might be a play to be considered. Am I nuts? Of course, I don't know what he called two cold on the flop with, so who knows what he was thinking...


I know this post isn't about the button, but since I'm working very hard on my reading skills, I was wondering if you would comment on my thoughts. Thanks skp.


Kevin

The button's perspective is much different from Michael's perspective. Michael raises because (a) there is a good chance that he still has the best hand and (b) he wants to limit the field.


The button is looking at a bet and a raise in front of him and he simply cannot reasonably think that by reraising, he is going to buy himself the pot either now or a round later. In any event, at the table, I simply wouldn't be able to find this play even if it turns out that it is the correct play.


Sorry that I can't continue to participate in this thread, Kevin as I will be out of town for a couple of weeks.


Good luck.