Pedal to the metal with trips...
 

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (7 handed) converter

UTG is somewhat loose-aggressive, MP2 is LAGgy, and the SB is a calling station. The villain on the button is pretty much a retard who is 75/10 preflop. His post-flop AG numbers are worthless, as I've seen him make idiotic, passive plays like calling with AJo after one limper and then check-calling down TP in a multipot when nobody had raised preflop. Yet I've also seen him make idiotic, aggressive floater moves, such as raising a rag flop with zilch against a preflop raiser, or raising a black T99 flop with red Q8 when second to act in a six way pot.

Preflop: chesspain is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls, SB completes, chesspain checks.

Flop: (5 SB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, chesspain checks, UTG checks, MP2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets</font>, SB folds, chesspain calls, UTG folds, MP2 folds.

The majority of time I will bet the flop with trips, but given the fairly safe nature of the board and the aggressive tendencies of the others, I wanted to check and see what would develop.

Turn: (3.50 BB) A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
chesspain checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">chesspain raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button 3-bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">chesspain caps</font>, Button calls.

River: (11.50 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">chesspain bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">chesspain 3-bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button caps</font>, chesspain calls.

Final Pot: 19.50 BB

Re: Pedal to the metal with trips...
 

No paired board that gives you trips is an entirely safe board. It was an easy bet on the flop. If he raises, you have information.

I don't have much useful advice except this: 2-way action, right? Not a lot to win, lots of risk, and in terms of the cost of bets, you could be risking those bets in a MUCH larger pot. When I'm confused about aggression, I usually slow down if it's a player I've got confusing reads on.

I would have slowed way down and check/called all the way. But then, I'm risk-averse.

Re: Pedal to the metal with trips...
 

I would rather you just bet the flop. One problem with slowplaying is that you can get caught in your own trap because you interpret your opponents strength to your slowplay. If you have bet out and it had been capped on the flop and turn, you have a somewhat easier job determining your river play. Given the way you played it on the flop, I'd likely 3-bet the river as you did, but when he caps, I wouldn't like it at all.

Re: Pedal to the metal with trips...
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't have much useful advice except this: 2-way action, right? Not a lot to win, lots of risk, and in terms of the cost of bets, you could be risking those bets in a MUCH larger pot. When I'm confused about aggression, I usually slow down if it's a player I've got confusing reads on.

I would have slowed way down and check/called all the way. But then, I'm risk-averse.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you are suggesting that you would have checkcalled the turn and then checkcalled the river, then you are playing way too scared to play effectively.

Re: Pedal to the metal with trips...
 

There's no way I'm 3-betting that river. Even though villain is an idiot, I would assume that even HE knows he won't win this pot on a bluff or with a 6 or something absurd by the time we get to the river.

There are too many hands that beat you, and they will all cap against you. Risking 2 to make 1 more requires you to be good like 55-60% of the time. Unless you have a spectacular read on this guy, I can't imagine you're good that often.

Re: Pedal to the metal with trips...
 

[ QUOTE ]
I would have slowed way down and check/called all the way. But then, I'm risk-averse.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not good at all. If you're risk-averse, you shouldn't play poker. You need to take risks in poker a lot of them.

Re: Pedal to the metal with trips...
 

I'm check-calling the river.

Re: Pedal to the metal with trips...
 

Tough with mixed reads on villian. I like the turn, I don't think you can put him on anything that has you beat at that point. I would have just called his raise on the river without any read on him that he would bluff-raise after the turn action. Then again, he's an idiot.

Say you bet the flop. How would you change your play on the turn and river if he just called you? What if he raised? With a wild player like that do you think either would give you more info than what you had by just check/calling the flop?

Re: Pedal to the metal with trips...
 

[ QUOTE ]
I would rather you just bet the flop. One problem with slowplaying is that you can get caught in your own trap because you interpret your opponents strength to your slowplay. If you have bet out and it had been capped on the flop and turn, you have a somewhat easier job determining your river play.

[/ QUOTE ]

Although a good argument can always be made for betting the flop with trips, it usually isn't so that one can gather reliable information--which is especially true against this lineup.

Re: Pedal to the metal with trips...
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm check-calling the river.

[/ QUOTE ]

If this is true then I assume also that you wouldn't have capped the turn.