Expanding my horizons: playing draws aggressively
 

My game tends to be a lot of ABC poker, and I need to work on being more aggressive in situations that warrant it, such as this hand, in which I flop mid pair + OESD to a preflop raise, and then pick up a flush draw on the turn as well. I'd like thoughts on all streets as played (excluding the PF open-limp, which I know is stupid and I normally don't do) as well as potential other lines. I was basically trying to represent a set as "obviously" as possible, and still have a billion outs if I got called.

Villain is 45/32/1.75 through 40 hands. This hand breaks the converter, I'll do my best to pretty it up.

Texas Hold'em $1-$1 NL (real money)

Seat 1: Seat1 ($145.90 in chips)
Seat 2: Seat2 ($121.50 in chips)
Seat 3: Seat3 ($106.50 in chips)
Seat 4: Seat4 ($59.40 in chips)
Seat 5: Hero ($112.90 in chips)
Seat 6: Seat6 ($146.55 in chips)
Seat 7: Seat7 ($131 in chips)
Seat 8: Seat8 ($74.50 in chips)
Seat 9: Villain ($109.60 in chips)
Seat 10: Seat10 ($288.80 in chips)

Hero is UTG+1 with 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
ANTES/BLINDS
Seat2 posts blind ($0.50), Seat3 posts blind ($1).

PRE-FLOP
Seat4 folds, Hero calls $1, Seat6 folds, Seat7 folds, Seat8 calls $1, Villain bets $3, Seat10 calls $3, Seat1 folds, Seat2 folds, Seat3 calls $2, Hero calls $2, Seat8 folds.

FLOP ($13.50) [board cards 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img],7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img],4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ]
Seat3 checks, Hero checks, Villain bets $10, Seat10 calls $10, Seat3 folds, Hero calls $10.

TURN ($43.50) [board cards 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img],7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img],4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img],9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ]
Hero checks, Villain bets $25, Seat10 folds, Hero bets $80, Villain bets $71.60 and is all-in, Hero calls $16.60.

Re: Expanding my horizons: playing draws aggressively
 

you shouldn't limp utg w/ 6 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

on the flop lead.

on the turn why are you getting most of your chips in with a draw? he's not folding any of his hands to your raise?

Re: Expanding my horizons: playing draws aggressively
 

I am happy you posted this because I've wanted to ask the following question:

Is a raise to $35 or $40 on the flop a good idea?

Re: Expanding my horizons: playing draws aggressively
 

i think it's fine limping utg with 65s, as long as you're not really deep.

instead of check/calling the flop, i would lead into the raiser with 9

Re: Expanding my horizons: playing draws aggressively
 

Ok, so I lead the flop - how do I handle these scenarios?

1. Villain raises - big re-raise/push?
2. Villain calls, turn is a brick (say, 2s)
3. Villain calls, turn gives me the FD (like in the real hand)

Re: Expanding my horizons: playing draws aggressively
 

[ QUOTE ]
i think it's fine limping utg with 65s, as long as you're not really deep.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm pretty sure the exact opposite is true.

Re: Expanding my horizons: playing draws aggressively
 

As played, just call the turn. You're getting immediate odds to draw to your 7 thousand outs, even if you don't get anymore in on the river when you hit.

The time to get aggressive with big draws is the flop when you still have 2 cards to come.

Re: Expanding my horizons: playing draws aggressively
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
i think it's fine limping utg with 65s, as long as you're not really deep.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm pretty sure the exact opposite is true.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly, saying its ok as long as you are not really deep is a big misunderstanding of the game.

Re: Expanding my horizons: playing draws aggressively
 

[ QUOTE ]
i think it's fine limping utg with 65s, as long as you and your opponent ARE relatively deep.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP

Re: Expanding my horizons: playing draws aggressively
 

Hi all,

I suggest to push on the flop. I want to maximize fold equity against weak hands and apply pressure on better hands.

Villian might fold draws, small overpairs (fearing you limped with a big overpair), TPTK etc. As these villians/seat 10s most likley holdings giving them a card to improve makes no sense to me.

Villians/Seat 10s most likely calling hands are two pair, set or a straight.

If you push into a set well you still got 8 outs. Pot equity should be around 35% to 40%.

A straight, oh well....

I do not like the turn reraise. If villian is bluffing a smaller reraise will do. If villian holds something (I think he does) that beats you most likley UTG limping hands which are worth a call on the flop (You say that you play ABC poker so the range is quite small) a 9 is scary to villian but not the end of the world and he might be able put you on the diamond flush/straight draw semi bluff with a set as worst case. So if you want to play for your stack it might be better to semi bluff reraise a smaller amount and than bluff on the river if none of your outs hits to represent the set/straight/big pair whatever. A call might be okay but many of your outs kill the action so I would not expect a big payoff.

To me pushing with a wider range of hands is a meta game thing and affects all other playing decisions because it changes your table image. So I think it is important to see the big picture and also check if your "normal" play is suited to take maximum advantage of the "new" table image.

Have a nice day
Chris