Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

I have been working hard on some SSHE concepts, particularly in this hand the concept of hand protection vs. waiting for the turn to raise, whether I can protect my hand, or raising for value.

Reads on the table. Table has no TAGS (except for myself). Villain is a Tight Aggressive Neutral (Eagle for those using BisonBison rankings). The villain is position aware but will raise with overcards (AK and AQ) and will bet out with them. Although I have not seen him do so from the SB after the flop. Aggression also makes him nervous, he won't fold but will move into passive mode.

The other three players are loose/passive, not a signifcant amount of hands on them but more then 15 on each with VPIP of 35,42,and 28 respectively, none with post flop aggression of greater then .5 and I have seen enough of what they show down to get a good feel that they have a wide calling range.

I would not put it past the early limpers to pull the limp reraise with a big hand, but again, I figured the odds of that were very slim. I honestly thought about folding here because of the range of hands I put the villain on, but the odds were too good to let it go.

Party Poker (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds,MP1 calls, MP2 Folds, MP3 Calls, CO Folds, Button Calls, SB Raises, Hero Completes, All Call

Flop: T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>(10 SB)
SB Bets, Hero.....????

What is your move here? Is this an obvious raise? a call to bring along others, I don't like to fold here, but I have limited SB to TT - AA and very remotely,AK, AQ, but I feel the it is more likely the big pair. At the time, I honestly thought I was behind to the villain.

Any thoughts?

Re: Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

...BB special usually indicates a crappy hand you're pretty much forced to play

Easy raise

Re: Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

I like a raise in this spot. Face the limpers with two cold and hopefully you can eliminate one or two of 'em. If re-raised and bet in to on the turn UI, only then do I muck this hand.

Re: Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

Grunching -

Raise this, Isolate him [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
SB = Probably a crap hand TXs or maybe just Tx

The Turn
 

Thanks!

Continuing on, I did raise, and they all folded back to SB who re-raises. Now I definitely put him on a big pair as I call.

Sorry for the BB Special mistake. Anyway, Turn is K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

He Checks. Now I have him limited to JJ - QQ. He could be getting cute with KK or AA but he has not shown anything but straightforward poker to this point. Which brings the next question do I bet here to put pressure on him or take the free card?

Re: The Turn
 

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks!

Continuing on, I did raise, and they all folded back to SB who re-raises. Now I definitely put him on a big pair as I call.

Sorry for the BB Special mistake. Anyway, Turn is K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

He Checks. Now I have him limited to JJ - QQ. He could be getting cute with KK or AA but he has not shown anything but straightforward poker to this point. Which brings the next question do I bet here to put pressure on him or take the free card?

[/ QUOTE ]

Is he folding those hands? Probably not. Take the free card.

Re: Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

Given this read: Aggression also makes him nervous, he won't fold but will move into passive mode.

You won't be able to fold a JJ/QQ here so should take the free card. I do think that's too small a sample to put him on as you've seen him play AK/AQ agressively just not from the SB (I also don't trust this read a lot unless you've got lot of SB hands to see him play).

Against most villians I'd prefer to bet this turn but given your reads, take the free card.

Re: Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

Not that it matters much, but on this villain I have ~250 hands on. about 100 or so where I have been at the table with him.

Re: Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

That should be enough to trust the read, take the free card.

Re: Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

If you're so sure you're behind on the flop, why did you raise anyway?

Re: Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

I still had outs, potentially the best hand, a back door nut flush draw and wanted to put pressure on gut shot draws or lower pairs.

The River
 

Thanks again all. OK I am 2 for 2 here.

SB Checks, Hero Checks

River is A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

Great card for me. I have rivered a solid two pair. I expected SB to check, but now he bets out. Why would he check the K and bet the A? Based on the reads does anyone not raise this bet?

Re: Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

[ QUOTE ]
I still had outs, potentially the best hand, a back door nut flush draw and wanted to put pressure on gut shot draws or lower pairs.

[/ QUOTE ]

It sure doesn't seem like you have the best hand when this type of player leads into 4 opponents on the flop. That noted, the other reasons you gave aren't enough to raise what is now essentially middle pair.

Re: Raised Pot, TPTK, BB Special
 

Which is why I was questionning whether the plays were correct. Pretty much textbook kind of SSHE but wanted to add in the reads.

Re: The River
 

A lot of guys will autobet to make up for the bet they just lost on the previous street when it gets checked through. I think a raise is good, I'm still expecting JJ or QQ.

Re: The River
 

His check of the K followed by your check behind could be confirming his belief that his J's or Q's are good. Thus he is more confident that you're holding a bare 10 and the A didn't help you.

Given the turn check, I 2bet this river. I just don't see this player slowplaying 10's this way and since you hold one of them it makes it even more unlikely.

The Results
 

SB Bets, Hero Raises, SB Calls

SB shows QQ and MHIG.

I appreciate all the confirmations and opinions on this hand. This was one of those hands where you sit back and thank the guys at 2+2 for the books, information and advice. I am a long way from being a good poker player but this was a nice hand to see some concepts in action, textbook and reads.

Other info, I would have folded to anything on the turn except a club had the SB bet.

I would like to think I would fold to a 3 bet on the river from this player, but I still think I would have called and this is part of my game I need to work on.

Thanks all!

Re: The Results
 

Part of becoming good at hand reading, at least it was for for me, is not trusting your reads and losing some bets until you realize that you're good at it.

Sometimes you find out by sucking out, though [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img].

Re: The Results
 

Nothing like a good suck out to make your day. Hopefully, this player has noted me as a monkey in his notes [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]