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Old 12-29-2005, 06:20 AM
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Default Re: Top pair, decent kicker on flop

:grunch

Maybe I'm too aggressive, but I go for the raise pre-flop here. With 3 limpers and the blinds to go, you'll get 5SB in the pot for the cost of extra 1SB to you. OTB with no raising hands in front of me, I'd be feeling confident so I'd want a bigger pot. If the blinds don't complete, then that's good too as it tells me they had the kind of trash hands that could have drawn out on a marginal holding like KJo.

On the flop, when I play KJo I'm realistically looking for a flop like 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. There's no flush draw, no pair on the board and only QTo is a realistic straight draw hand. With top pair and a K kicker, you have to believe you're ahead here. Your biggest worry would be a pair of 6s or 9s in the hole - though perhaps a pair of 9s would have been raised. I've seen plenty of AJ hands raised, so I'd think that less likely than A6 or A9, though all are a worry. That said, JT, QJ, K9, 77, 88 and TT are all possibilities for UTG+2 here, not to mention trash like Q9, Q6 or frankly, just about anything from the blinds (even 69 unfortunately). Personally, I go for the raise here firstly because I think in all likelihood I'm ahead, and secondly because a raise might make a marginal hand like K6, Q9 etc fold and you're only a marginal favourite over these right now. A reraise here and I'd lay it down, fearing the set or two pair.

Given that you're already gone for the calling option I think that's consistent here on the turn, though if I'd been raising I'd be tempted to raise again. The way you've played it, the 6 on the river is a concern, and I too would check and call. However, if I'd raised the flop and turn, I would hope that anyone holding K6 etc would be gone by now. That said, with my raises on the flop and turn being called, I'd be pretty sure that anyone calling a raise on the river would have me beat so I'd probably check and make a crying call or perhaps even fold.
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