Hand to Talk About
 

Hi Everyone:

Here's a hand I played in the $80-$160 game at The Bellagio on Saturday night. Due to a bunch of walkers the game was four handed and I was in the big blind.

The first two players folded. The small blind who is a loose and aggressive player who I have plaed with many times before raises. I call with 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

The flop comes A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (so I have flopped the bottom end of a gut shot). My opponent bet and I called.

The turn is the K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. My opponent checked. I bet and he folded.

All comments welcome.

best wishes,
Mason

Re: Hand to Talk About
 

I think that you used your tight table image to your advantage on this hand. Your opponent had to be very troubled over your cold-call on the flop. He was probably thinking that you might raise him on the turn, so he decided to give up on the hand.

What do you do if he leads out on the turn?

Re: Hand to Talk About
 

Seems to me like a LAG will be raising with any two cards in this spot. So 76o with position seems like an easy call. Then with that flop, there is no way the LAG doesn't bet. So it seems like villains range of hands here is still any 2. Running the numbers on pokerstove, you have roughly 35% equity (fractions of pair outs and your gutshot). Getting 5-1 this seems like an easy call.

Even if we reduce the LAG's range to any two suited, broadway, or paired you still have almost 30% equity, and are getting odds to call.

Further, if this is a thinking LAG who has played with you enough to *know* you would flatcall an Ace on the flop, your history might be enough to win this hand without a showdown. Not sure how much this is results oriented thinking, but history is a very important factor when playing against a LAG, especially heads up IMO.

As for the turn, this LAG might be setting you up for a checkraise, but it seems more likely he would just continue firing if he had a hand. You only have to take down the pot here 1 time in 3.5, so it seems like this is a definite positive EV bet to me.

So I think the hand was well played [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Hand to Talk About
 

Am I missing something? This seems like one of two standard lines, nothing special. Calling the flop is probably scarier than raising, and Mason's likely to call with an ace too, so I like that.

Re: Hand to Talk About
 

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Calling the flop is probably scarier than raising,

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Calling the flop is not only scarier, it also keeps the pot smaller, giving you a bigger fold equity on the turn. The check seems to indicate he is ready to give up.

Re: Hand to Talk About
 

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What do you do if he leads out on the turn?

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Fold.

Re: Hand to Talk About
 

A couple of thoughts:

On the flop your cards basically do not matter. Your four straight outs may make you feel beter (I know they would make me), but heads up in a small pot are nearly irrelevant. Your pair outs are third pair, and do not warrant a call any more than underpair outs in any other similar hand.

I suppose it comes down to a levels of thinking question. It seems safe to assume that the LAG at least considers you to be a solid player. He knows you know he´s aggressive. He probably doesn´t think of you making that flop call without a reasonable hand. These things I suppose factor in to your perception that he might slow down on the turn.

Especially if his looseness is more of a pairs-and-paint rather than any-ace looseness, the ace then becomes a scare card for him.

Re: Hand to Talk About
 

Good call on the flop. What was your plan for the turn, assuming a nine didn't fall and the LAG bet out?

Re: Hand to Talk About
 

This hand is pretty boring and standard.

Re: Hand to Talk About
 

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This hand is pretty boring and standard.

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What he said.