Too passive?
 

My on-line (low-limit) play has undergone a major metamorphosis -- from loose-aggressive to weak-tight. My loose aggressive phase lost me lots of money. My weak-tight play, as bad as that sounds, has been very profitable. Anyway, I think I could use a little more strength in my play. Here is a hand I played very passively. Please let me know what you think:

I'm in MP with 8[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] 8[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] . Two limpers to me, I call, folded to the blinds who come along.

Flop: 6[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img]

Checked through.

Turn: [ 6[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] ] 7[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img]

SB checks, BB bets, folded to me and I call as does SB.

River: [ 6[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] 7[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] ] 9[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]

Checked through.

All comments welcome, thanks.

Morgan

Re: Too passive?
 

If I read your post correctly, you are in last position on the flop, with third pair, and it is checked to you.

I think that you have to bet here. First, you might win the pot. Secondly if you get checkraised, you have information on the cheap street, so you won't have to call bets on the expensive streets. Finally, there are a lot of straight draws out there, and with a tiny pot, players might not call with the gutshot draws, so you make it more likely that you will win the hand, or if you are going to win the pot, you will make it bigger. Additionally, the gutshot draws might also include overcards to your pair, so eliminating them improves your chance of winning.

On the river, it certainly looks like your opponent who bet the turn was betting a pair of sevens, and he may very well pay you off on the river if you bet.

Re: Too passive?
 

On the turn you should think about raising.

It looks like the BB has a 7 and you want to knock out every body else if you can. Pretty much every card above an 8 is a scare card so you would like to knock out the SB if you can.

"from loose-aggressive to weak-tight"

Weak-tight play is pretty close to correct against passive calling stations.

Re: Too passive?
 

"If I read your post correctly, you are in last position on the flop, with third pair, and it is checked to you."

You read it correctly. I didn't make that clear.

I knew at the time I should bet my third pair when it was checked to me, but I just saw those 2 over-cards and froze.

Also I agree I should have bet the river. Just chickened out [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] .

Thanks for the comments,

Morgan

Re: Too passive?
 

"On the turn you should think about raising."

At the time I considered raising the turn. But I'm just not used to unimproved pocket 8's winning in this game (1/2 on-line) and starting thinking my newly devoloped straight draw was my best hope. In that case it didn't seem right to raise.

"Weak-tight play is pretty close to correct against passive calling stations."

I've come to believe this strongly [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] .

Thanks for the input,

Morgan

Results
 

SB had K[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] 5[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] and BB had 7[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] .

So in hindsight I should have been trying to eliminate more players (e.g. bet the flop, raise the turn). The BB had bottom pair on the flop, turned two-pair, but luckily the river paired the board counterfeitting him.

Thanks for the comments,

Morgan

Re: Too passive?
 

I would bet the flop here when checked to on the button. You might have the best hand, and you really can't afford giving free cards here at all. I would have bet the river when checked to. A Q or 9 would likely have bet already.

Re: Too passive?
 

I would probably raise the turn with the intention of taking a free showdown (unless of course I hit). Its unlikely you'll be 3 bet in this spot.