Pocket Rockets w/ a Flop to Cause Headaches
 

I've been trying to clear the bonus at bet365.com, so this is a 1/2 game. I've never played higher than .5/1 before, and, while my bankroll is big enough to handle it, I'm not certain how my play is going to stand up. The players are shockingly tight at this limit, as in 23-25% see flop (if the bonus wasn't quality, i'd definitely leave). I actually had four villains fold to a semi-bluff donkbet from the big blind once. . . but I digress.

EDIT to add: I haven't seen the two villains in this situation play a single hand to this point, so I know that they are very tight pre-flop, and that's about it.

Bet365.com 1/2 limit Hold 'em
Hero is button with A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

1 fold, UTG+1 calls, 3 folds, MP3 calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, 2 folds, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls.

Flop (3 hands, 6 small bets): Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, Hero bets, UTG+1 calls, MP3 raises, Hero calls, UTG+1 3-bets, MP3 caps, Hero calls (and curses at his computer).

Turn (3 hands, 9 big bets): 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
UTG+1 checks, MP3 bets, Hero calls, UTG+1 calls.

River (3 hands, 12 big bets): A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, Hero???

Re: Pocket Rockets w/ a Flop to Cause Headaches
 

The call/3bet is usually a huge hand or a flush draw. When it's capped, I think I'm done rather than calling two more bets.

Re: Pocket Rockets w/ a Flop to Cause Headaches
 

Too many draws there. I don't see a value bet in order here. I check this out to see the showdown and hope we were against two pair or a lower set. UTG+1 played this like a possible flush draw so his check could be looking for a check-raise assumping MP3 bets again. Maybe that's weak play by me, but not only is there a heart draw, but any 10 beats you too.

Re: Pocket Rockets w/ a Flop to Cause Headaches
 

Yeah, I thought something along those lines as well; it's just that this is the largest pot I'd seen in 3 hours, and I couldn't force myself to hit the fold button. I was definitely planning to fold to continued super-agression on the turn UI. Would you consider this enough of a mistake to label it "chip spewing"?

Re: Pocket Rockets w/ a Flop to Cause Headaches
 

What river are you hoping for when you call the turn? I doubt your hand is still good.

Re: Pocket Rockets w/ a Flop to Cause Headaches
 

Um, yeah, pretty much the one I got. Well, I guess I would have preferred the Ace of diamonds. I still didn't like my hand, but, as I said, largest pot in 3 hours of play. It sounds like y'all feel I was spewing here.

Re: Pocket Rockets w/ a Flop to Cause Headaches
 

*grunchy*

FLOP - think I fold after MP3 caps here. Either UTG or MP3 has you beaten I think (most likely set or two pair, potentially KT for the straight-ball.)

TURN - call is good given size of pot...maybe you can overcoat two pair, but that one card straight worries me.

RIVER - why the checks? Are they afraid of the hearts...or did one of them (UTG+1) hit and is looking to trap? So check down. Tempting to bet for value here...but that single ten still scares me.

ScottieK

Results and thought process. . .
 

River: A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, Hero bets (with his eyes closed, clutching his lucky rabbit foot to his chest), UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls.

UTG+1 shows down J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], MP3 shows down J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], and MHIG.

I thought that, after I called MP3's raise, UTG would probably put me on 2 big cards or a pocket pair I didn't hit for the set. He might then like his chances in beating MP3 with a flopped pair or two and/or a straight draw and take the opportunity to try to raise me out with a semi-bluff. MP3, on the other hand, scared me more when he capped. I also thought this might scare UTG into calling the rest of the hand (which he did), and I was cool with going to showdown for 2 more big bets since I had some slight winning chances (I would probably bet heavily on that flop with KQ, for example). On the river, the fact that MP3 slowed down seemed to indicate to me that he either a) feared the flush (not good for me) or b) feared the ace (good for me). Since he had been at the table longer, I doubted he would play a hand that had only a 10; k-10 was a possibility, but I honestly thought QQ or JJ was more likely. I really was not happy with the way I played this hand at the time (at least until after the showdown [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ).

I constantly feel like I'm taking my hands too far, and I appreciate everyone helping me identify this as one of the times I did.