I Hate Going Broke...

[Huskiez]

With TPTK.

Or two pair by the turn, but I guess that didn't really matter.

Should I fold to the min reraise on the flop?

Pokerroom 2-5 NL

I (315) am UTG with A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. I limp, UTG+1 (552) limps, all fold to CO (382) who raises to 22. All fold to me, I call, UTG+1 calls.

Flop comes K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

I check, UTG+1 checks, CO bets 20, I check raise to 80, UTG+1 folds, and CO min reraises to 140.

Should I fold now to a min-reraise? It definitely screamed strength at the time. Instead I decided to call, and see how he played the turn.

Turn came a A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. I checked, CO put me all in for 153 more, I called. I think I would have folded if this A had not come up.

River came T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

He flipped over 4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] for the flopped set.

So how poorly did I play this?

[Prevaricator]

I'm surprised the CO would make a min raise there rather than waiting for you to bet and raising the turn. The only hand that isnt drawing dead to runners that you could have is AA, and AA likely won't fold anyway. I think your flop checkraise might be too much on such a barren board... the most likely hand for him to call you there is AA, followed by AK. I don't think you can put him on a set here, but once he plays back at your massive checkraise, what can you hope for other than a split. A lesser K doesn't seem too likely. One thing that you might watch out for, when an LP raises a lot preflop and then bets less on the flop, it usually means strength, so proceed with caution.

[Garland]

Set vs. TPTK is a way of life in No Limit poker. Get used to it. Your job is to minimize these losses and maximize the wins when they happen in your favor.

Your opponent did a good job of raising preflop to disguise his small pair. Most will choose to limp, but raising adds deceptive value...provided he isn't blown out of the water with a reraise.

I think you kind of have to make a determination of what you want to do on the flop. He certainly isn't bluffing in that spot, and his mini-raise is designed to get you pot committed unfortunately.

I think once you check-raise and he can still reraise you, It may be time to get out of the hand. At best it's chop-chop, and at worst, he has a set of 44, 33 or even KK and AA. Some of this is opponent dependent, but I think in this generic case you can probably just cut your losses and fold.

Garland

[ML4L]

Hey Huskiez,

[ QUOTE ]
I think I would have folded if this A had not come up.

[/ QUOTE ]

And that ace improved your hand how...?

Regardless of the fact that the ace was kinda irrelevant, without a specific read, I think that it's tough to get away from this hand with that size stack, given how much went in preflop and on the flop. TPTK is a decent hand with 60 BB stacks. If you're planning on folding to a reraise on the flop, then CR less. Or, just flat-call and see what he does on the turn; not many free cards will kill you on that flop.

Stuff like this is just player-dependent. I guess you COULD have folded the flop, but I wouldn't kick myself for it...

Better luck next time.

ML4L

[Leo Bello]

Playing against sets is tough. U have to be highly suspicious. Does your opponent check-raise frequently? What he has when he does so?
But I do think you didn´t stop to think what he had and you concentrated on your hand solely.
Like when the A came on the turn what do you think u beat now, that you weren´t already ahead on flop? And what hands were u behind on the flop that the A coming made you turn the game?
I don´t think he would have raised pre-flop with KQ.
So, split pot is the best option for you here. But in most other situations you were beat. I doubt someone would put u all-in holding QQ with a board holding a A and a K.

anyway, you should have let it go before.

[Huskiez]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

A couple of comments.

As pointed out, the turn A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] did absolutely nothing to help my hand against his holding except give me a few outs. There probably is no hand that I was losing to on the flop that I'm now beating on the turn. I think I may have realized this, but ignored it simply because I liked my hand of two pair. Very newbish.

Also, in retrospect, and also as pointed out, I can't even think of a hand that I could be beating after that min-reraise on the flop, other than a total bluff. I would tie AKo, and AA, KK, 44, 33 (as pointed out) are all possible with the preflop raise, and are all pretty much locks against my hand.

I think what's frustrating is that he gave me a chance to get away from my hand, and I declined it. If he smooth calls my check raise, I think I would end up all in by the turn.

Again, thanks for the replies and good advice.