Chip spewing or good aggressive play?
 

Villian in this hand is lag(33/30/4). He had been raising pf with some regularity and than buying the pots, so I decided to put him to the test. What do you think?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (9 handed) converter

Hero ($151.20)
MP3 ($46.50)
CO ($32.10)
Button ($50.35)
SB ($18.75)
BB ($23.60)
UTG ($30.60)
UTG+1 ($28.05)
MP1 ($46.80)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, Hero calls $0.50, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 raises to $2</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, SB calls $1.75, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero calls $1.50.

Flop: ($6.50) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 bets $2</font>, SB folds, Hero calls $2.

Turn: ($10.50) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 bets $6.5</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $42.5</font>, MP3 calls $36 (All-In).

River: ($95.50) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: $95.50

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
Hero has Jd Ad (one pair, sevens).
MP3 has 8d 9d (two pair, eights and sevens).
Outcome: MP3 wins $95.50. </font>

Re: Chip spewing or good aggressive play?
 

A) I don't like open-limping AJs in MP, raise or fold.

B) Either check/fold the flop or raise pre-flop and bet the flop.

C) Stop spewing chips. Granted, he's been betting weak, but that can easily mean monster. Also, if you're going to try to make plays like this, try to make them in position, rather than out of it.

Re: Chip spewing or good aggressive play?
 

Chip spewing. This small stakes, this play is -EV because you will be called by many things.

Re: Chip spewing or good aggressive play?
 

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A) I don't like open-limping AJs in MP, raise or fold.


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Most of the time I agree with this. However at this table a raise from me would have resulted in taking down the blinds. If I call and let him raise I get more money in the pot.

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B) Either check/fold the flop or raise pre-flop and bet the flop.


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I can't see check/folding to a guy who's raising every other hand and betting $2 at every flop. I thought about check/raising the flop but decided to keep the pot small and try to bluff on a scary turn. Instead I picked up a few outs and tried to do the same thing.

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C) Stop spewing chips. Granted, he's been betting weak, but that can easily mean monster. Also, if you're going to try to make plays like this, try to make them in position, rather than out of it.

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Actually he was the type to slowplay his monsters and bet with nothing. I agree plays like this work better with position.

Re: Chip spewing or good aggressive play?
 

I really don't see too many hands that can call me here, he happened to have one of them this time.

Re: Chip spewing or good aggressive play?
 

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Most of the time I agree with this. However at this table a raise from me would have resulted in taking down the blinds. If I call and let him raise I get more money in the pot.

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Is AJs really that strong of a hand?

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I can't see check/folding to a guy who's raising every other hand and betting $2 at every flop. I thought about check/raising the flop but decided to keep the pot small and try to bluff on a scary turn. Instead I picked up a few outs and tried to do the same thing.

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Next time you see this guy, sit on his left. Still, I think that c/ring the flop is your best option.

Re: Chip spewing or good aggressive play?
 

chip-spewing esp as you hadn't taken the lead for the rest of the hand so it lookes like the desperation bluff that it was - with those 2 flush draws out there on the turn if you had really had a hand you would have re-raised big there - he correctly puts you on a draw that missed and now a bluff.

If you flat call a maniac pre-flop with AJs you are looking to make your money when you hit the flop and he bets into you all the way with A-junk or 2nd pair or sthg..you are looking to trap him

If you had re-raised him pre-flop that might have been enough to convince him you had an overpair. Here you just chucked in all your chips at the end with no set-up and no read that he was the type of LAG who was likely to lay it down.

Re: Chip spewing or good aggressive play?
 

I was shocked, SHOCKED the first time I looked at my poker tracker stats and found out that AQo was my biggest loser. No hand is ever made, even AA, so they all must be played carefully.

In this situation, I think you let your ego get ahead of your cards. Your dream was the runner runner nut flush, or some sort of overcard draw. Reality was that this guy was way ahead postflop. His strategy is "no free cards," and it can crush, CRUSH someone who is tight-agressive. He's looking to get any measly pair against overcards, and then play fast post-flop. The fact that you're so tight pre-flop might be making you want to play most loosely post-flop, and blinds you to the reality of your meager Ace high holding.

I wrote up a little thing in notepad and I used to open it up and leave it down in the corner of my screen:

DISCIPLINE.
Position Fold.
Must Show Best.

I should really open that up more often when I play. Final note: I'm only treading water over the last 5000 hands, so take my ramblings with a 1000 mg salt pill...

Re: Chip spewing or good aggressive play?
 

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Is AJs really that strong of a hand?


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Against this guy's range of raising hands, yes.

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Next time you see this guy, sit on his left. Still, I think that c/ring the flop is your best option.

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Agreed. Interestingly enough a little while later at another table I stacked this guy with a set as he called me down with bottom pair, and I was sitting to his left.

Re: Chip spewing or good aggressive play?
 

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chip-spewing esp as you hadn't taken the lead for the rest of the hand so it lookes like the desperation bluff that it was - with those 2 flush draws out there on the turn if you had really had a hand you would have re-raised big there - he correctly puts you on a draw that missed and now a bluff.

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I pushed the turn.

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If you flat call a maniac pre-flop with AJs you are looking to make your money when you hit the flop and he bets into you all the way with A-junk or 2nd pair or sthg..you are looking to trap him


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That and I'm also looking for spots to push him off his hand.

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If you had re-raised him pre-flop that might have been enough to convince him you had an overpair. Here you just chucked in all your chips at the end with no set-up and no read that he was the type of LAG who was likely to lay it down.

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Good point.