Pocket Pairs / First Post
 

First post, let me start by thanking the contributors here. As a relatively new student to the game, this forum has a ton of good information. Thanks.

All three of these hands were within the first 2 orbits. No real reads, though I must admit my reading skills probably need as much work as my post-flop skills. I have had a string of drawouts on my pocket pairs recently, I don’t think a single one has held up out of the last 10.

I am trying to become more aggressive playing the .25/.50 games, I just want a quick checkup to make sure I'm not being maniac aggressive here. It's a real challenge to not be results-oriented when reviewing your play as a new student to the game.

Hand #1. Pocket Q's, overpair to board all the way to the end. I just jammed the pot all the way through.

Paradise Poker 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, CO calls, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, SB calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, CO folds, Button calls, SB folds.

Flop: (16 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, Button calls.

Turn: (10 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, Button calls.

River: (14 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP2 calls, Button calls.

Final Pot: 17 BB


Hand #2. I have seen BB be aggressive previously with middle pair. I would have folded on the flop to a re-raise. Should I have folded on the flop? Check/fold on the turn?

Paradise Poker 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is CO with T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls.

Flop: (9.40 SB) A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP2 folds, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, BB calls.

Turn: (6.70 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB calls.

River: (8.70 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 8.70 BB

Hand #3. Hit the brakes after the re-raise on the turn fearing the flush.

Paradise Poker 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG folds, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls.

Flop: (4.40 SB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, BB calls.

Turn: (4.20 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB 3-bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (10.20 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 12.20 BB


Like I said up top, I am trying to find the line between being aggressive and being stupid. I used to always fear (and fold to) the monsters I feared under the bed. I am wondering if the pendulum has swung too far to the other side or if it's just a streak of bad luck. Thanks.

Re: Pocket Pairs / First Post
 

welcome to the boards.

these are all muy bueno.

Re: Pocket Pairs / First Post
 

Hand 1 looks fine, if Button was passive and sucked out on you with JT, so be it. You have an overpair and no-one is representing anything better, you have to keep betting.

Hand 2 also looks fine, river card completes two draws and BB could well be calling with A-rag.

Hand 3 I am also playing the very same way - I don't think you were over aggressive in any of these.

Re: Pocket Pairs / First Post
 

I think these are all okay.

Re: Pocket Pairs / First Post
 

What would you guys do differently on Hand 2 (if anything) absent the read on BB?

Re: Pocket Pairs / First Post
 

Welcome, and I think you played all three hands very well.

Re: Pocket Pairs / First Post
 

Thanks for the responses.

I probably should have excluded hand 1 from the post, it pretty much plays itself. As predicted above, villan showed J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

Hand #2 my thinking was this. I couldn't automatically give credit for the Ace, I raised to possibly get information and take the lead back. On the turn I thought there was a possibility I was still in the lead, so I bet. On the river I took the cheap showdown figuring I'd get called only if I was beat. Villan showed A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].


Hand #3. I have a tendancy to get too attached to high pocket pairs (AKQ). I am trying to figure out when to let them go. Would have been more appropriate to call down after the 3rd heart hit? The pot was only 5BB at that point. Villan showed A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] for the flush.

Re: Pocket Pairs / First Post
 

I like the KK hand, you can't fear the flush just yet and you have a redraw to the 2nd nuts (not that it mattered in this case, but it was a consideration).

-d