Bad river to bet out weak low/bottom set HU? 5/10
 

Button is very loose and always raises when folded to, but that doesn't make my call good, it's still a bad call [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

5/10 LO8 on Party, 6-max


Folds to Button who raises, SB folds, I call 2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Flop T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

Hero checks, Button bets, Hero raises, Button calls

Turn 6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Hero bets, Button calls

River 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Hero bets, Button raises, Hero calls.

Re: Bad river to bet out weak low/bottom set HU? 5/10
 

Fold preflop. You'll be drawing to a one-way hand against a player who will bet the button at every opportunity.

I don't mind this postflop. If Button's range is random, and he is loose enough to still hold many one-way draws after calling the turn, the river bet is fine value-wise. It will be rare for Button to scoop, even if he did so here.

You might want to consider check-calling or check-raising in spots where you have a good two-way hand that might induce a river bluff (followed by a weak call) from an aggressive player's weak hand.

Re: Bad river to bet out weak low/bottom set HU? 5/10
 

I think your play postflop is fine, although I would have check-called the river. It might induce a bluff, and you really have no idea where you are if you bet and he raises you. I like check-calling the river against aggressive opponents with a mediocre holding.

Re: Bad river to bet out weak low/bottom set HU? 5/10
 

I think this is close to being a fold preflop, but given that you played I like everything except I would check-call the river. I think its close preflop though.

Re: Bad river to bet out weak low/bottom set HU? 5/10
 

Everything seems good to me. I don't understand what everyone thinks is so bad preflop against a loose button. Folding vs some who will autoraise button seems insane.

Re: Bad river to bet out weak low/bottom set HU? 5/10
 

Burdz - I’d rate your starting hand as cautiously playable in a nine or ten handed game and playable in a six handed game. The three card combo 2-3-5 is mainly a low combination and really needs to probably flop an ace, even in a six handed game. The pair of deuces can be difficult to play in a nine or ten handed game. If you make a full house using the pair of deuces it will be the lowest full house possible (of the six possible). I think you do best in a nine or ten handed game with the pair of deuces if you end up with trips (rather than a full house) and if the board is neither paired, flushed, nor straighted. That is, the trip deuces will probably be a winner for high in a nine-handed game if nobody can make a straight or better. (Sometimes your trip deuces will lose to higher trips, but not much). The hand also has some straight and flush possibilities, but will usually lose to a higher straight or flush in a nine or ten handed game. A straight flush or quads is possible but straight flushes and quads just don’t happen much. Gravy when you make one, but not to be counted much in terms of the value of your starting hand.

In a six handed game, 2235s doesn’t win for low much more than in a nine handed game, a bit more but not much. However the hand scoops more than twice as often - and it wins the high proportionally more often than in a nine handed game too. In short, 2235s is a hand that does substantially better in a short handed game than in a full game and it’s because of the high potential of the hand, which is not much realized in a nine or ten handed game.

Looks to me like you still need an ace on the board to have much of a chance for low in a six handed game, because with five opponents instead of eight or nine, you’re still going to usually run into an opponent with a better low. However, you’re not nearly as likely to run into an opponent who will make a straight or flush, if one is possible, or who will make a better full house if the board pairs. Finally, if you make a straight or flush yourself, it's more likely to hold up in a six handed game than in a nine or ten handed game.

At any rate, 2235s seems a fine, playable, starting hand in a six handed game, and mainly because of the increased chance of scooping or winning for high, two factors that can largely be ignored for the hand in a nine or ten handed game.

Then after this flop, you’re way ahead of a random hand, about 72 to 28 (as simulated). The obvious problem is Button doesn’t exactly have a random hand. Even so, I think you're way ahead after this flop.

In a nine or ten handed game, I’d see the flop for one bet with the hand and then probably fold to a bet after this particular flop. But in a six handed game, particularly as you’ve described Button’s play, I’d continue after the flop.

I think you should bet this flop myself. Heads-up, you almost surely have the best hand after the flop and you shouldn’t want Button to possibly get a free card. Given your description of Button’s play, if you’re certain Button will bet, you might go for a check-raise on the second betting round. I prefer a straightforward bet, but can also see the rationale for a check raise. Do that a few times and Button might become less likely to bet after you check. (But maybe you want Button predictably betting after you check).

Your bet on the turn seems correct, as does your bet on the river and your call of the raise on the river. You ought to get at least half of this pot, and maybe scoop.

Checking on the river to induce a bet is another option, even better than betting yourself if you're sure Button will bet behind you.

I don't care what the actual results were, it would simply have been poor poker play on your part to fold this hand/board to a raise on the river.

Just my opinion.

Buzz

Re: Bad river to bet out weak low/bottom set HU? 5/10
 

Oh, I def. had no consideration of check/folding or bet/folding, wow I'd have to go out back and pull the trigger if I ever got that weak. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

He showed down an ugly AT85 and scooped with a straight and A5 low. I don't think he was going to fold at any point, as he would have called TPTK even on a draw-heavy flop like that. Betting out and check-raising turn would have been best, but so be it. I'm content that I didn't butcher this.