Pocket 10\'s in the BB... how\'d I do?
 

On-line 1/2. I feel my play is improving, but there are many situations I feel uncomfortable in. Here is a good example:

I have T[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] in the BB. One EP limper, one MP limper, SB completes and I check my option.

Flop: 9[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] J[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] 2[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]

SB bets out, I raise, limpers fold, and SB calls. 2 to the turn.

Turn: [ 9[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] J[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] 2[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] ] 3[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img]

Check, check.

River: [ 9[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] J[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] 2[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] 3[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] ] 5[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]

Check, check.

All comments welcome. Thanks,

Morgan

Re: Pocket 10\'s in the BB... how\'d I do?
 

I see a lot of checks and no one trying to take the pot. My first thing is when you raise and SB calls, what he has that he does not re raise with(probably not top pair, of if so with a weak kicker, maybe open ended or gut shot straight draw, middle or bottom pair, or just trying to see if he can pick up the pot). My guess is he would ave popped you if he had a hand like AJ, 2 pair, set, flush draw, maybe even QT for the high end of the straight draw. Then 2 checks on the turn, ok he probably does not have much, he may have tried to check raise you there but he would have bet the river if his attempt to do that missed by you taking the free card. I think I would bet the river here at least, he might call you thinking you tried to steal on the river when the flush card hit, even though your play showed possibilities of a flush draw. I also think your hand here is good.

Results...
 

SB has 9[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] 5[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] for the rivered 2-pair. I feel I should have bet the turn. But I have this irrational fear of being check-raised when I don't have at least top-pair. On the river the flush as well as straight card scared me from betting. Should I have bet for value?

Morgan

Re: Pocket 10\'s in the BB... how\'d I do?
 

Thanks for the quick reply TobDog. I think what you wrote reinforced what I had been thinking about the hand. However I don't know about your comment about his calling a river bet with a weak hand thinking I may have tried bluffing when the flush card hit. My feeling is most of these players at these limits don't think this deep. That's why I wonder if betting the river for value is good.

"I also think your hand here is good. "

My hand was almost good [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] (see results). Thanks again,

Morgan

Re: Pocket 10\'s in the BB... how\'d I do?
 

Why did you raise the flop? Because you thought there was a good chance your hand was best and your pair was vulnerable to overcards, right? Good raise. The turn is garbage, so the status if your hand hasn't changed at all, and yet you lost all faith in your hand. Don't stop betting. Your pair is still vulnerable to overcards and you have just as much chance to hold the best hand as you did before. Continue betting for the same reasons you raised previously.

I would have bet the river as well. I don't know why he didn't bet the river with 2 pair after you checked...

Re: Pocket 10\'s in the BB... how\'d I do?
 

Hi lil'.

"The turn is garbage, so the status if your hand hasn't changed at all, and yet you lost all faith in your hand."

I admit this is exactly true. I always see deamons. I can't help it. I am trying to change this.

"I don't know why he didn't bet the river with 2 pair after you checked... "

Neither do I. However I believe this is the reason I seem to be winning consistently. I play poorly, but my opponents do worse (at least I believe they do -- maybe I'm just running good [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] )

Thanks,

Morgan

Re: Pocket 10\'s in the BB... how\'d I do?
 

In general, you should prefer to bet the turn and check the river for a free showdown, rather than check the turn and give your opponent a free card. Checking the turn is not so bad if only 1 or 2 overcards beat you, but a hand like yours is vulnerable and should be protected. What you want to avoid is what happened here, your opponent would have been making a mistake if he called your turn bet, but since you didn't bet, he saw the river for free.

Everyone gets check-raised on the turn, and nobody likes it holding just one pair, but if you want to be good at this game, you got to be STRONG on the turn!

BTW, your opponent checked the river because your turn check looked like a free card on a flush draw.

Re: Pocket 10\'s in the BB... how\'d I do?
 

Bet the turn, check the river. You don't want to give a drawing hand free cards.

With only two limpers and SB preflop I think raising with 10's would be a smart play here. Your hand definately figures to be the best at this point.

PokerPrince

Re: Pocket 10\'s in the BB... how\'d I do?
 

The flop raise is good, but you have to follow it up with a turn bet. You were banking on your opponent betting a draw when you raised the flop. You got the result you wanted... now don't give him a free card on the turn! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] You can fold to a checkraise, so you can feel free to bet away on the turn.

As for the river... if I had to guess, it looks like your opponent has a J and is now afraid that you made a free card play on diamonds. You might want to fire out a bet as a combination value bet/bluff.... you might get called by a worse hand, and you might get a J to fold.

Re: Results...
 

I feel I should have bet the turn. But I have this irrational fear of being check-raised when I don't have at least top-pair.

You shouldn't fear being checkraised here one bit! You can just fold. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] It doesn't cost you any more to find out your hand is no good by betting the turn and folding to a checkraise as checking behind on the turn and calling a river bet. When you should fear being checkraised is when you are forced to call (either because you have outs to beat the hand he is representing, or because you suspect a semi-bluff just enough to call down).