[elindauer]

hi TitanFan,

excellent first post. Lots of tricky decisions in this one.

preflop: your limp is kind of odd. Raise to isolate the limper or fold here generally. Limping isn't bad though, it might even be profitable. A very close play. Personally, I'd fold by default.

flop: Another tough decision. What do you think UTG is betting? KQ / KJ / KT / QJ are all reasonable limping hands he might bet, and your raise is just charging yourself to draw against these. You won't fold any 3rd party king by raising, and you probably won't fold a better queen either since it's either AQ or Q + gutshot. I prefer just calling the flop.

turn: another interesting spot. If we think UTG has hands like KJ / KT / QJ / QT / KQ type hand, then his check-raise is actually pretty scary. That would be some move with KJ / KT, rigth? QJ / QT / KQ all have us crushed or tied. I think I might just call here if I was playing my best game. Other times I'd 3-bet without thinking.

river: a very nice card, drawing out on QJ / 99. KQ / QT still beat us. When you raise his bet after he caps the turn though, you're showing enormous strength. His 3-bet to me really suggests that he has KQ and you are dead. Here's my thinking:

players loose passive enough to play Q9 UTG probably aren't giving this much action. limping 99 is also somewhat passive and I discount the odds of him both capping the turn and still 3-betting you when you continue to raise the 4-straight river. It's obvious that you can beat a straight. KQ is the only hand that really makes much sense here.

You may chop with QT, or find that he overplayed QJ / 99 / JT though, so certainly folding is out.


nice post.
Eric