Tight spot for a baby set
 

MP2 is semiloose-weak; button is loose-weak.
This is a tough hand to play from early position.
I checked the flop hoping for a check-raise, but with three people already in, I thought it better to wait for the turn.
The turn is definitely questionable. I could have bet it out. But I waited again because I was pretty sure someone would bet. A check-raise became appropriate when the button bet because he could have had anything and I want to improve my chances by driving out players behind me.
Criticisms? Thanks.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is SB with 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (6 SB) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(6 players)</font>
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, MP2 calls, Button calls, Hero calls, BB folds, UTG calls.

Turn: (5.50 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
Hero checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP2 calls, Button calls.

River: (11.50 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, MP2 checks, Button checks.

Final Pot: 11.50 BB

Re: Tight spot for a baby set
 

[ QUOTE ]
MP2 is semiloose-weak; button is loose-weak.
This is a tough hand to play from early position.
I checked the flop hoping for a check-raise, but with three people already in, I thought it better to wait for the turn.
The turn is definitely questionable. I could have bet it out. But I waited again because I was pretty sure someone would bet. A check-raise became appropriate when the button bet because he could have had anything and I want to improve my chances by driving out players behind me.
Criticisms? Thanks.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is SB with 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (6 SB) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(6 players)</font>
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, MP2 calls, Button calls, Hero calls, BB folds, UTG calls.

Turn: (5.50 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
Hero checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP2 calls, Button calls.

River: (11.50 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, MP2 checks, Button checks.

Final Pot: 11.50 BB

[/ QUOTE ]

You need to play this fast with all of those opponents. Someone is gonna be on a heart draw. IF the flop chkecks through, you have made a mammoth error. Most likey you will get raised and you will able to 3-bet it. Jam this pot until you have reason to believe that you are behind.

Not betting the river here is bad.

Re: Tight spot for a baby set
 

You gotta lead this flop. Your lucky the turn didn't get checked through. Bet the river.

Re: Tight spot for a baby set
 

This is horrible. Bet the flop, bet the turn, bet the river.

Re: Tight spot for a baby set
 

Thanks for the comments.
I have a hard time knowing when I should start trying to protect my hand and when I should just jam the pot.
Obviously, I should have jammed the pot here rather than go for check-raises.
Any rules of thumb about how to tell the difference between these two situations? Especially when the pot is large and multiway?
Thanks.

Re: Tight spot for a baby set
 

I'm not sure if you could have possibly won less. Betting out on really any (preferably all) streets would be a good idea though.

Re: Tight spot for a baby set
 

This pot was not large on the flop, so bets and raises protect your hand well enough.

This was a board someone was going to like (with the A) and the flush draw, so you're going to get callers/raisers.

You need to jam this flop while you're way ahead in order to get enough overlay the times the flush card comes on the turn and you can't jam there, too. (Though, i'd still bet-call that street)

-d

Re: Tight spot for a baby set
 

Well, you want to protect your hand because of the two flush. The turn also makes the straight possible. With that ace out there, if you lead out, you are almost certain to be raised, which lets you threebet. You don't want to let flushes draw cheaply. You are likely WAY ahead here and the easiest way to build big pots is to bet, get raised, and reraise. Always going for check raises, or things can kill you. What if you go for the checkraise and the bettor ends up on your right rather than your left. Then you either have to just call, or force the field to flat call 2 bets, and probably lose a bunch. What happens though if you bet, the field calls, the guy on your right raises, and you reraise. The field will likely call the 2 bets now that they've already put in one.....to truly build a big pot you've got to bet...get raised, then reraise....see where we are going.

Re: Tight spot for a baby set
 

in early position, in a multiway unraised pot, there is only 1 way to play a set...bet, bet, bet---raise, raise, raise, seriously.

Re: Tight spot for a baby set
 

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Hasn't anyone told you that fastplay is the new slowplay?