How could I have built the pot better?
 

The reason I'm only playing .02/.04 is that I'm still imperfectly implementing the concepts I'm getting out of SSHE and took a bit of a bath at higher levels, so I'm practicing at micro-limits until I think I have them down better. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Absolute Poker 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (6 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is CO with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG calls, MP folds, Hero calls, Button folds, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (4 SB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (2 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB folds, BB calls, UTG folds.

River: (4 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB calls.

Final Pot: 6 BB


I'm trying to figure out whether there was any way I could have sucked more people into calling me down. I tried slow-playing the flop, but nobody bit. Then, since I was last to act, I tried betting the turn and hoped the others would see it as a bluff, but only got the one caller who did call me down. Should I have slow-played the turn, too? Any other ideas?

Thanks,
Mike

Re: How could I have built the pot better?
 

bet out the flop. You are closing the action, people will suspect you of stealing.

Re: How could I have built the pot better?
 

You understand that the reason the pot is so small is that you hold all the good cards, right? You've crippled the deck. That having been said, I bet the flop, on the theory that

1) Look at me, I'm betting when checked to.
2) It's easier to call one SB than one BB.
3) I bet many hands here.

Re: How could I have built the pot better?
 

[ QUOTE ]
bet out the flop. You are closing the action, people will suspect you of stealing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmm.... I was afraid that doing that would scare people away. It didn't occur to me to pretend to be stealing. Thanks! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

-Mike

Re: How could I have built the pot better?
 

[ QUOTE ]
You understand that the reason the pot is so small is that you hold all the good cards, right? You've crippled the deck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I was hoping someone else was holding Qx (until the river, natch) or Jx and might think they had a shot. Or that they could outkick me with Ax. Guess not.... [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]


[ QUOTE ]
That having been said, I bet the flop, on the theory that

1) Look at me, I'm betting when checked to.
2) It's easier to call one SB than one BB.
3) I bet many hands here.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah. So, maybe they would have all called, giving me another 1.5 BB? And maybe think that they were more pot-committed on later rounds, or that I was just continuing to try a steal?

Thanks,
Mike

Re: How could I have built the pot better?
 

[ QUOTE ]

Hmmm.... I was afraid that doing that would scare people away. It didn't occur to me to pretend to be stealing. Thanks! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

-Mike

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a page in SSH that talks about something like this. The question goes something like this:

You flop quads and everyone checks to you. What do you do?

Answer: Bet out. Everyone's going to call you anyways.

Re: How could I have built the pot better?
 

The best advice I can give on this one is if you're serious about improving your play then concentrate on hands and situations that occur frequently. Perfect play with a crippled deck will not turn a loser into a winner, but playing flush draws, TPTK, OESD, middle set, overcards etc. correctly most of the time will.

Re: How could I have built the pot better?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The best advice I can give on this one is if you're serious about improving your play then concentrate on hands and situations that occur frequently. Perfect play with a crippled deck will not turn a loser into a winner, but playing flush draws, TPTK, OESD, middle set, overcards etc. correctly most of the time will.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess this one just stuck in my mind because it was such a monster, and I won such a pittance from it; it just didn't seem right to me. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] But thanks, I understand what you're saying, and you're right; I was focusing on the wrong thing here.

-Mike