A Boat on the Rake.
 

This was from an earlier session today so my reads have faded, but I don't recall anyone from today standing out; the table was overall a bit more loose-passive than normal so you can safely consider the villain to be a typical .25/.50 player.


PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is SB with 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. CO posts a blind of $0.25.
UTG calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, CO (poster) checks, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (4 SB) A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB folds, UTG calls, CO folds.

Turn: (3 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG calls.

River: (5 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG raises</font>, Hero...

Well that's one way to solve a kicker problem [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Before you ask, no I'm not the least bit afraid of him showing a nine here; I would have heard about that on the turn. What I am afraid of is a split, and with 8 BB in the pot at this point a raise will feed the rake. I see the following scenarios if I 3-bet this:

<ul type="square">[*]Villan shows Ax and we split. The pot will have exceeded 10BB though so I'll be out half a small bet.[*]I have villain beat; he could easily have a King or could be bluffing. I'll win one small bet if he calls, 1.5BB if he caps.[*]And for completness' sake, I guess he could have a nine or some bizarrely slowplayed AA/KK, in which case I lose 2 BB after he caps it as well as a good chunk of my sanity.[/list]
If it weren't for the rake and split possibility this would be an easy 3-bet, but I really don't know here. Whaddya you think? Also, if you were the villain holding Kx, how would you have played this?

Re: A Boat on the Rake.
 

Bro, this situation somes up rather rarely. I think that in the long run, it won't make much of a difference what you do. But FWIW raise

Re: A Boat on the Rake.
 

This does happen from time to time. In this case I would call. An A is the most likely holding for the villan. I don't think a K would raise on the river, and if you re-raise there is some chance a K would fold (but not much). Any bluff will fold.

So, hands that cost you money (A,9) will call or re-raise, but hands you beat are unlikely and may fold. I don't think the small chance that the villian has a K warrants the loss from the rake if he doesn't.

Re: A Boat on the Rake.
 

I've been in a situation real similar to this, where I thought for sure I was going to split the pot. I just checked or called the river rather than reraising. I ended up winning the pot, and probably could have gotten a few more bets out of him. Padding the rake sucks, but man I felt like an idiot for checking a winning hand on the river...

Re: A Boat on the Rake.
 

I stopped thinking this way, and you should too.


I was whoring the cryptos and finally found a fish.

I had A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] UTG and riase preflop, and get one cold caller.

Flop: K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 10 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

I bet and he calls.

Turn J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

I bet, he raises, I 3 bet, he raises, I keep going for about 20 dollars worth, and decide we are splitting so why drive up the rake. (there is no cap at cryptos)

River is 2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

I bet he raises, I 3 bet he calls.

Showdown: I have nut str8.

moran who should be broke but due to me not wanting to drive up the rake he still has money shows QJ.

I poop my pants and decide never to stop with the nuts again.

I think it was a 75 dollar pot, at 1/2. Should have been 95. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: A Boat on the Rake.
 

Big difference when you're pushing the nuts. The hero in this case doesn't have the nuts. I think a call would be better here.

Re: A Boat on the Rake.
 

[ QUOTE ]
Big difference when you're pushing the nuts. The hero in this case doesn't have the nuts. I think a call would be better here.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I agree. But to play your hand differently because the rake is not a good idea.

Re: A Boat on the Rake.
 

I think it's a pretty straight forward call. also what about the times that villain has AK? then he has two full houses and you only have one.

Re: A Boat on the Rake.
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think it's a pretty straight forward call. also what about the times that villain has AK? then he has two full houses and you only have one.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, this is a good point, and I think it tilts the best option to Call.

Re: A Boat on the Rake.
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think it's a pretty straight forward call. also what about the times that villain has AK? then he has two full houses and you only have one.

[/ QUOTE ]

He'd likely have raised preflop.

Villain showed JTo. Apparently me betting the flop, turn and river was an obvious sign of weakness and a perfect opportunity for bluffing.